Aground Zero will have a public demo in the upcoming February Steam Next Fest, and in preparation, I've done a bunch of smaller improvements to the earlier sections of the game. There's still more to come (and yes, I know the NPCs and animations are still incomplete - those should be done mid January with just barely enough time), but this update adds a lot!
Here's the changelog:
Improved UI
Added tool models that show up in 3D. There is an option to disable this if desired.
Added chest model - the last of our placeholder structures.
Added title music
Updated logo and icon
Factories now request materials for the upcoming craft, so they can begin immediately instead of waiting for items to transfer from the storehouse.
Laser gun now has targeting laser instead of reticule that is more accurate.
Added arrow pointing to item output of factories/structures that produce items while building them.
Added cool effect when travelling through teleportal.
Replaced placeholder rock textures
Minor bugfixes and improvements
I also removed the Professor's quests (as you can't complete them right now without cheating since there is no subway yet), and instead have it cut to credits when you talk to the professor - which is my plan for the actual demo build. You can still load the save and continue to work on your base after talking to the professor.
New Trailer, Logo, and Demo Progress!
It's been about a year since we posted this coming soon page, and in that time we've made a lot of progress! With our Steam Next Fest coming up for Aground Zero, I figured it was time to update everyone.
The store page has been revamped with a new logo, screenshots, gifs, description and a new trailer! You can see the trailer here:
This trailer show a lot more clearly what you do in Aground Zero - certainly there's mining and voxels, but it's far more about base building and NPC workers. There's also a secret clip at the end of the trailer, after the logos!
The main content for the upcoming demo is already done - including core base structures, 8 recruit-able NPCs and the Professor. There's still some polishing to do and incomplete animations, but we're getting pretty close which is really exciting and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks!
We are running a closed playtest in advance of the Steam Next Fest - if you're interested and okay with unfinished elements, let me (terra0nova) know on our Discord, where we have a private channel to discuss the playtest.
Look forward to more updates as we get closer to the Steam Next Fest!
Aground Update 0.0.88
Other than a few last missing assets and minor things (like the PAI help), I'm getting close to the demo version for the upcoming Steam Next fest. This update adds several missing models, and a bunch of improvements.
Added mining rig model
Added storehouse model
Added non-animated farmer and miner model
Added spotlight model
Added animated PAI
Added credits
Wyrms will now reflect laser bolts that hit their scales
Can select work/home from NPC info window
Added dust light effect - can be disabled in options
Updated UI
New trailer, screenshots, gifs and store page edits to come soon!
Minor Update 0.0.83
This is a small update with some quality of life/playability improvements. The one thing to pay attention to with this update is that slot 0 became an autosave slot - so you might want to save to one of the other slots if your main save was using that slot.
Changelog:
Added text history
Added autosaves
Made key controls more readable
Ingredients/fuel flash red when missing.
I'll be switching back to Stardander to prepare for the Steam Next festival, but I decided to upload these last changes before switching.
Update 0.0.82 - Professor's Lab
This small update adds the Professor's lab, plus some unlocks she gives you that are currently inaccessible without cheats. Meeting the professor at the lab will probably be the end of the "demo" of the game.
Changelog:
Added Professor's Lab (accessible via teleportal once the quest to find it is completed - for old saves that already completed that quest, you have to use this code: state.createArea("lab"))
Added recycler (uncrafter) - only available via cheats currently
Added turrets - only available via cheats currently
Added worker bay - only available via cheats currently
Added Chef model - animations are incomplete.
I'll probably start doing some quality of life improvements to prepare for the public demo - although I want all the placeholder art more or less finished before I'll push that live. Then I'll continue to add content - what comes after meeting the professor!
Update 0.0.80 - Minor updates and smart splitters
This is a smaller update fixing bugs and making smaller tweaks.
Added kitchen model
Splitters will now rotate in the necessary direction to send items to the structure that requested them.
Changed splitter appearance since it can now go in all 4 directions
Interacting with NPCs will now tell you when they can't find their way home or to work.
Many bugfixes - including several that would cause an NPC to get stuck and starve.
NPCs can now eat from inventory if they are below 25% hunger, and cancel events to return to bunker when hungry. Hopefully, with the above bugfixes and this, NPCs wont starve as often XD.
You no longer fall off the ladder when looking away from it - you just can no longer move until you look at it again.
There's an incomplete, unanimated version of the chef NPC (added mostly to show other devs, but it should have a final version in the next update).
The smart splitters allow you to set up many factories all connected to a single storehouse - the splitters will correctly send the item to the factory that needs it - even if multiple items end up on the splitter at the same time!
Next I'll be finishing up the "demo" content and adding in finished models as I get them - including a new area and the Professor NPC! Look forward to the next update!
Update 0.0.78 - Major revamp to first "floor"
While Aground Zero no longer has strict floors (as it's full 3D), I consider everything before you upgrade your mining drill and can mine through the harder stone to go up the first "floor." It's the beginning of the game - where you go from survival, to setting up your base and recruiting NPCs - and we made a LOT of changes and improvements to this part of the game - I recommend starting a new save so you can see them all!
Changelog:
Every NPC is now unique and has their own dialogue and unlocks when you recruit them. Some of the NPCs are gray as we wait for new models to be finished.
Added unlockable Kitchen
Added new unlockable crops to the Hydroponics
Added caves around start (requires new game)
Added bat enemy in caves
Added short intro cutscene when you start a new game (crashing cryopod)
Cryopod can now be repaired - which heals and restores power (as well as stalling hunger).
Blueprint and NPC selectors now shows icon previews.
NPCs now have skills that level up when they craft things and increase production speed
Eating is now animated and not instant.
Made the starting cryopod a broken one and added debris.
Added icons for all the missing items (including new items - like food)
Teleportals and saves now show a name based on location
Teleportals now use 0.1 power/second when they aren't connected to another teleportal. This allows you to save power on teleportals you aren't using.
Ladders can be used as vertical cables (and are no longer gray + have weak lights when powered).
Recipes can now craft a range of items (like 2-5 tomatoes).
Adjusted structure costs.
Added sfx
Added enemy healthbar + option
Jump key now used to progress dialogue, allowing you to perform actions during dialogue.
Many minor UI improvements
Particles/items can now be seen through glass
For modders: Support for blockingEvents - blocks that wait until the previous blockingEvent completes to run (so you don't have two events running at once)
That was a lot of changes, but I think it's a lot better now! I'll be switching to Stardander for a while to prepare for the Steam Fall Festival - we submitted Stardander but not Aground Zero (there are just too many placeholder/gray models in Aground Zero).
Update 0.0.70 - Moar Structures
This is a smaller update because I wanted to show off the new Bunker and Teleportal model.
Added the Bunker model - complete with an interior, and NPCs will now rest on beds inside (ignore the fact that they don't have a sleeping animation yet)!
Added the Teleportal model - with a really cool portal effect. This and the Bunker are larger than the placeholder models, so they may mess up bases with pre-existing bunkers and teleportals.
Added a 3D title screen - it's pretty customize-able too, so I might change the scene depending on your progress.
Added a game over screen. It's barebones, but at least you can't continue playing on 0 health.
NPCs now have hungry (with no food) and dead notifications. Hopefully that'll help you keep them alive, or at least know when they died.
Added controls option.
I recently switched back to Aground Zero from Stardander, so expect more updates to Aground Zero in the coming month!
Going Up - Update 0.0.67
This is a larger update that adds depth to exploring and building - along with new quests!
Changelog:
Added teleportals - once you unlock and build them, you can instantly travel between them!
Can build and explore in full 3D.
Added a base above where the cryopod fell from the cave-in (requires starting a new save).
If you mine up high enough, you'll reach the sky - but I plan to add more areas above there eventually, so you can't build on the top.
Added first floor music track.
Added a model+animations for the lab.
Added ladders - making it easier to climb upwards.
Added harder stones, and titanium and uranium ores.
Can now choose what fuel you want to use for the generator - coal, uranium or exotic matter (unobtainable without cheats currently).
Added fall damage if you fall from great heights.
Added blueprints which unlock upgrade levels (instead of having everything unlockable as soon as you obtain upgrade chips).
Added new quests to reach the teleportal.
Improved the lighting/sky (it's now full 3D too).
Chests can now be pushed around - only useful in a few situations, but distinguishes them from the storehouses.
Can now choose which slot you want to save to.
The preloader is smarter now - it will rarely go backwards in progress as it reads new files (instead of jumping around as it did before).
