Space Engineers 2 Adds Hostile NPCs In Hostile Encounters Update
Hostile NPCs had to navigate voxel terrain that players can mine, destroy, or rebuild, and the developers call getting them working a very important milestone for a game whose world has no loading screens.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
Keen Software House released the Hostile Encounters update for Space Engineers 2 on October 20, adding hostile NPCs. The enemies come in two types, Renegades and Boatmen, and the development team describes the Boatmen as a stronger leader-type among the Renegades. The NPCs open doors, move around obstacles, hide behind cover, relocate when cover is destroyed, share information about allies and threats, and change behavior when damaged. The update also adds a Damage Indicator and a Dynamic Crosshair.
The update shipped on October 20 for the early access PC version, priced at 4,700 yen on Steam. The Renegades are described as outlaws and pirates operating in Verde, and the Boatmen currently sit above them as a leader-type enemy.
Keen Software House says the difficulty is structural: NPCs have to make navigation, combat, and basic decisions inside a continuous world where terrain gets mined, buildings get damaged and rebuilt, and vehicles sit along their routes. Combat also gains a Damage Indicator that shows attack direction and intensity and shakes the screen with damage, plus a Dynamic Crosshair that reflects accuracy across movement, crouching, and jetpack use.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.