Orbit 2.0, part 1: calm and danger. Until now, Orbit threw enemies at the camera non-stop — every 0.3–1.4 s, plus a squadron roughly every 11 s, plus timeline events, no matter whether you were in the outer ring, at a station or in an asteroid field. And flying away just got your pursuers repositioned right back next to your ship. Now danger is tied to place:
- Hives are the source. Enter their territory and they send enemies after you.
- Patrols pass by as a small group from one direction — every 35–55 s in the middle ring, every 18–28 s in the inner ring.
- The outer ring is a refuge: no reinforcements, no events.
- Station safety zones (900 px): nothing spawns there, and anyone who touches one breaks off for good and stops firing.
- You can lose pursuers: enemies you leave behind stay behind.
- Timeline events wait while you’re in a refuge.
Measured with the ship parked, one minute each: outer ring away from everything, 0 new enemies; middle and inner ring between hives, 9 each (patrols); at a hive, 59. Six drones launched from a station break off after 5 s once you flee; four orbs vanish after you escape.
The Core only appears through the gate now, with a recall after 30 minutes (Benni’s call): the Core no longer shows up on its own at minute 30. If you haven’t opened the gate by then, you get recalled — the flight ends normally, and you keep your loot, ions and achievements. From minute 25 a banner warns you and the timeline counts down. If the Core fight is already underway, the recall waits.
The ion storm is gone — it used to force you toward the center from minute 15 on, which didn’t fit with the new freedom to choose where to go. Ember’s heat shield now halves Solar Wind and poison clouds instead.
Fixed: the end screen used to treat any non-death ending as a finished Track run.