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A major update for Infinite Fleet has been released today! We're bringing you one of our hottest features: mechs!

Mechs

Mechs are at the heart of our vision for Infinite Fleet. Our team has been eager to introduce them as soon as possible!

A mech is a small attack unit that has 1-2 pilots, and is roughly the same size as an F-22 Raptor (or similar aircraft from that era of Earth history). In future updates, bombers, heavy fighters, and many others will be released.

In this first version of the mech feature, you can launch XM-01 Lightning squadrons from your fleet to strike at the enemy via the Ability Bar at the bottom of your HUD. They will launch, attack their target, and then return and dock to their ship.

Note that this is the first iteration of the mech feature. The next versions will require you to build and manage the mechs, much like an inventory item, or units in an RTS. Mechs can be lost in battle and will need to be replaced by manufacturing new ones.

Squadrons have five mechs and the number of squads will be determined by the number of hangar bays on your Centurion ships. The Carrier, for instance, houses four squadrons. Imagine how a fleet of Carriers would look! It's game over for the Atrox.

Our Polaris Carriers have been particularly exciting to see in action. Imagine the spectacle of legions of strike craft engaged across the battlefield. It's going to be immense.

In light of that, Commanders, will you deploy Carriers to your fleets? Don't forget to send some awesome screenshots!

But wait, that's not all! We still have some other features in this update, along with some bug fixes and balancing.

UI Updates

We're updating much of the UI, particularly the Chat panel. Take a look at some of the improvements here:

Implemented Division chat in the panel. Private and Party Chat coming soon.

Your Division is now displayed next to your Commander Name.

Ship Ability Upgrades

You can now upgrade your ship abilities. 

This is a significant part of the progression system of Infinite Fleet. Your fleet's abilities can be bolstered by spending resources, allowing you to continue to build the ultimate fleet. Different abilities will be improved in different ways. For example, the duration of the effect, or its damage output. 

There are currently few abilities, so this upgrade feature has been implemented in its simplest form. However, we will continue to iterate, and more abilities will continue to be added to your fleet’s roster so that you can assemble the perfect setup.

Incredible Locations

We also have three new breathtaking locations for you to explore. Each has been handcrafted to represent the AAA quality you can expect in future releases with improved lighting and particle FX. We continue to explore solutions for efficient depth fog to improve the sense of distance and scale in space.

You can weave through a shattered planet, dock at the famous Tether station in Mars orbit, and inspect the ruins of an Atrox space station. 

Commander, what features are you most excited about? Share your thoughts with us on your favorite social media platforms.