Automation Update 002 is live! This Update focuses on adding even more items and functionality to the Automation Update we previously released! New platforms, new switches, and updated modules to support even more fluid Automation setups!
1.18 HOTFIX DETAILS
Today we issued a hotfix with the following updates to all platforms:
Fixed some new items not being available from creative mode plinths.
Modified the power switch to transfer oxygen like extenders do.
Fixed several issues where repeater control panels could become inaccessible in certain conditions.
Fixed an issue which made players unable to attach the packager to the auto crane.
UPDATES
New Items: we’ve expanded on the Automation Update with a bunch of new items to improve your production lines and support more complex activation logic.
Power Switch: Toggles the flow through a single power line
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Copper
Byte Cost: 750
Count Repeater: When activated a specified number of times, also activates any targeted items
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Zinc
Byte Cost: 1000
Delay Repeater: When activated, also activates any targeted items after a specified delay
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Zinc
Byte Cost: 1000
Motion Sensors: New Platforms that sense when a player or vehicle passes through them! Also the original sensor items have caught up with their newer siblings!
Medium Sensor Arch: Activates targeted items when certain objects pass through its sensor zone
Printed on: Large Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Quartz, 1 Zinc
Byte Cost: 500
XL Sensor Hoop A: Activates targeted items when certain objects pass through its sensor zone
Printed on: Large Printer
Resource Cost: 2 Quartz, 2 Zinc
Byte Cost: 750
XL Sensor Hoop B: Activates targeted items when certain objects pass through its sensor zone
Printed on: Large Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Quartz, 3 Zinc
Byte Cost: 1000
Medium Gas Canister: Hold a large amount of a single atmospheric resource
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Silicone, 1 Glass
Byte Cost: 2,000 Bytes
Repeating Added to Production Modules Production modules can now be set to repeat via their control panels. When repeat is on, the module will continue to produce the selected recipe as long as it has power and the necessary ingredients. Modules that have this behavior:
Small, Medium, and Large Printers
Soil Centrifuge
Chemistry Lab
Atmospheric Condenser
Improved Sensor/Repeater UI It’s now easier to visualize your sensor and repeater setups.
Targeting an item with a target pin, storage sensor, or battery sensor will now outline all items affected, not just the item directly targeted
Segment cables now show their activation flow when highlighted, and which segments are affected by removing a segment pin
Segment pins can no longer be placed when a segment is too long, to prevent accidental deletions. (You can still manually delete a held segment pin.)
Updated Items Resource Canisters will complete partial resources in output slot, even when mode is changed during dispensing.
Auto-arm settings can now be toggled even when unpowered
Animated sensor zone visuals
All reaction slots upgraded to include target pins
The recreational canopy’s built-in fireworks replaced with a reaction slot
New item names
Large Ring Storage = Large Ring Sensors
Large Hoop Platform A/B = Large Hoop Sensor A/B
Extra Large Arch Platform = XL Arch Sensor
Recreational Canopy = XL Canopy Sensor
UI Updates Players are now able to rotate their Astroneer in the Customization menu and EXO Outfitters menu, both in and out of game.
Exo Outfitters – New Items
New Suit - The Scout Suit! Our new Astroneer suit has a very resourceful spirit ;)
New Limited Time Bundle -- FLOWER POWER. Go Green and recharge your look with this garden-inspired set.
Available in EXO Outfitters until Sept 7, 2020. Includes:
Earthenware palette
Solar Power mask
Avant Gardener hat
New Emotes
Dab
Pose of Power
TA-DA!
Kitty Cleaning
New Hats
Grad-U-8
Hail to the Leaf
Robo Rudder
New Masks
Corrective Vision
Wild Child
Bugged Out
New Palettes
Night Stalker
Day Prowler
Royal Flush
Various small optimizations and stability fixes, including a number of crashes listed in the bugs section.
Bugfixes
The following are still known issues as of version 1.14.71.0:
When a Resource Canister is attached to the Auto Extractor while set to output and then switched while slotted, the canister will not autofill it's first resource. If slotted while on the input setting, it should work as intended. We hope to address this in a hotfix.
The Wanderer’s Way Achievement is still not earnable on Dedicated Servers. We are continuing work on this issue and hope to have it fixed as soon as possible. The Achievement is earnable in single player and peer-to-peer multiplayer games.
Target pins connecting T1 items on T1 slots are still having issues with selecting platform or storage instead of the slot if there’s another T1 slot closer to the camera. This is especially noticeable when slots appear in a grid pattern. It’s most prevalent on Figurine Platform, Medium Storage, and Large Platform C. It also occurs to a lesser degree, depending on the camera angle, on Medium Storage Silo and Extra Large Storage.
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.14.71.0
DS/Multiplayer:
Fixed community reported crashes which would occur in Multiplayer after switching the game to Survival Mode and continuing normal gameplay.
[AS-10970] - Dedicated Server | UI | In the Server Info tab, controller and arrow keys can navigate beyond the selectable region of UI elements
[AS-11123] - Implemented new guards in the code which should help alleviate the issue where shuttles would stop launching from orbit on Dedicated Servers.
[AS-11292] - Implemented new guards in the code which should address the issue of stale save files piling up on Nitrado Dedicated Servers and taking up too much storage space.
[AS-11376] - Large and Medium Resource Canisters' Tool Tips now appropriately update correctly for Clients while the canister is being filled in Multiplayer games
[AS-11403] - When playing in Multiplayer, all players can now see T1 items that are picked up by an Auto Arm
[AS-11681] - Fixed the executable properties description to accurately reflect System Era studio information
[AS-11385] - Fixed the issue where Client players were occasionally unable to equip their terrain tool after flying to other planets when playing in Multiplayer or on Dedicated Servers
[AS-11514] - Turning on "Allow whitelisted only" setting no longer deletes all "Unlisted" players from AstroServerSettings.ini
AUDIO:
[AS-11423] - Fixed an issue where the Soil Centrifuge was playing duplicate panel open SFX.
[AS-11424] - Fixed an issue where the Soil Centrifuge collecting sediment canister SFX was stuttering when filling module with soil.
LTE:
[AS-11772] - Expired April LTE Customization items (4ML A-TYRE and TURRET-A-PORTER) are no longer visible in the customization menu if they have not been unlocked by the player.
MODULES:
[AS-11493] - Adding an Extra Large Shredder to an Extra Large Platform A should no longer cause the game to crash
[AS-11606] - Medium Soil Canisters no longer cause performance degradation if the output is enabled while the canister is slotted
[AS-10763] - Game no longer crashes when running 3 or more Chem Labs
[AS-10520] - All harpoon node items now only attach to visible areas on Medium Storage
[AS-11296] - Extenders are no longer causing Crashes on Save
[AS-11328] - Soil Centrifuge now transfers all resources to a connected super storage when job is complete
[AS-11367] - User is now able to remove resources from the Chem Lab input slot after changing recipes
[AS-11371] - Terrain Analyzers now retain color after loading a saved game.
[AS-11408] - Items added to a halted Shredder are now shredded when shredding resumes
[AS-11411] - Medium and Large Resource Canisters with nuggets in the output slot no longer create nugget connectors when shredded
[AS-11412] - Trade Platform no longer allows the output to be switched during takeoff, patching an exploit which gave infinite expensive resources at no cost.
[AS-11413] - Shredder now moves completed Scrap nuggets to available slots as soon as they become available
AUTOMATION:
[AS-11021] - Soil Centrifuge, with the repeat button on, will now not start until 1 full Small Canister’s worth of soil is placed in the centrifuge. (Except when the centrifuge is set to Ammonium which requires 2 full Small Canisters)
[AS-11373] - Auto Arm will now only place valid items into small and medium generators
[AS-11384] - Resources are no longer available when an Auto Extractor fully depletes the resource node
[AS-11401] - Items being picked up by the Auto Arm can no longer be picked up at the same time
[AS-11405] - Auto Arms will now reset back to the input side and pass resources
[AS-11437] - Auto-Arms will no longer take partial nuggets from Resource Canisters when the arm starts to grab the nugget at the same time as it is moving to the input slot
[AS-11551] - Auto Extractor must be fully anchored in a valid area before gathering resources
[AS-11554] - Auto Extractor will now stop extracting when placed over a resource that is different than the one in the canister attached to it
[AS-11624] - Tooltip for the Sensor Harpoon stays active even when the user quickly branches two nodes
[AS-11627] - Sensor harpoons make snapping noise when hovering over open lightboard storage slots.
[AS-11685] - Sensors and Repeaters can no longer be grabbed from a closed backpack
[AS-11687] - Resource canisters that are deleted while they are consuming/producing resources will no longer create partial nuggets
[AS-11690] - Auto Arm will no longer pull resources from the input slots of the Chem Lab
[AS-11692] - Duplicated canisters are now displaying the correct color for the resource or gas they are containing.
[AS-11694] - Canisters set to output will now allow Auto Arms to place the resource type as set into them
[AS-11701] - Medium Resource Canister lines up properly with the Auto Extractor when placed on top
[AS-11702] - Sensor and repeater nodes can no longer be attached to a Drone
[AS-11707] - Resource Canisters will consistently produce resources if they are available
[AS-11713] - Segment line stripe highlight has been slowed down for sensors/repeaters
[AS-11714] - Auto Arm filter slot is now easier to target
[AS-11717] - Using mouse or controller, it’s now easier to target individual Segment and target pins when placed close together
[AS-11742] - Resource Canisters will no longer create partial nuggets even if a user fills the canister and uses a storage sensor to switch the canister mode
[AS-11758] - Target pins connecting to T1 items on T1 slots properly target the correct slot on platforms and storages with singular, spread out T1 slots
[AS-11804] - When power is available, Repeater slots now power T1 items
MISCELLANEOUS:
[AS-11475] - Addressed a community reported crash which occurred when driving up a ramp to the surface of Sylva.
[AS-11666] - Addressed a community reported crash which occurred when the player pressed Y to switch or to deploy the Drone while the camera was still moving.
[AS-9855] - Fixed an issue which caused the Drone to end up in an incorrect state when saving the game while the drone is deployed.
[AS-11406] - Adjusted the Gearhead hat cosmetic item so it no longer blocks some of the headlight for the Radiated Suit.
[AS-11429] - Adjusted the Hydration Deflector hat cosmetic item so it no longer blocks some of the headlight for the Flight, Retro, and Swift suits.
[AS-11614] - Adjusted the Cog Visor cosmetic item so it no longer appears too dark at night or underground.
[AS-11684] - Dynamite placed into slots can now be appropriately detonated by the "use” interaction or actuation
The Automation Update Is Live!
Welcome to the Automation Update! This content update contains a full array of tools that work seamlessly with the existing game to give you an incredible amount of options to use custom logic to automate every part of your space bases and technology! This update also contains a ton of quality of life changes to modules, a balance and organization pass in the catalog, a new in-game event with rewards, and the rollout of Exo Outfitters!
Updates
Automation Items are now live in game. Automate every step of the crafting system, from the collection of mined resources to the production of the most advanced composites.
Auto Extractor:
Auto Extractors can be used to gather resources automatically without deforming terrain and at a much higher efficiency. Place one on a resource node and it will gather 15x the resources from the same amount of raw resources when compared to gathering them manually with the terrain tool.
Auto Arms automatically transfer small items into open slots. These items are at the core of Automation, and can be used in a variety of ways to automate tasks that would previously require manual intervention. You can also set a filter to Auto Arms to make sure they look for a specific resource to make smarter automation pipelines and/or to sort resources!
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Aluminum, 1 Graphite
Byte Cost: 1,500 Bytes
Medium and Large Resource Canisters
Hold a large amount of a single resource. Medium and Large Storage containers act like a silo that can be used to consolidate one resource into it's reservoir. You can then grab resources from them for crafting or Automation tasks. Medium Resource Canister
These items allow for the remote activation of items based on various conditions. You can then create logic that can be used to automate a variety of tasks. Use the Power Sensor to trigger a backup generator when wind power dies down. Use a storage sensor to activate crafting modules based on a specific Resource Container. Trigger a battery sensor to make sure you are being as efficient as possible with generators and renewable energy.
Power Sensor: Activates targeted items based on changes in available power
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Zinc, 1 Copper
Byte Cost: 500 Bytes
Storage Sensor: Activates targeted items based on changes in available storage
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Zinc, 1 Quartz
Byte Cost: 750 Bytes
Battery Sensor: Activates targeted items based on changes in battery charge
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Zinc, 1 Graphite
Byte Cost: 750 Bytes
Button Repeater: When activated, also activates any targeted items
Printed on: Small Printer
Resource Cost: 1 Zinc
Byte Cost: 300 Bytes
Exo Outfitters Store
You can now purchase new suits and additional cosmetic items like hats, masks, visors, and palettes in the in-game store! The first bundle in store contains the new Frame Suit, as well as the Robot Dance and animated Happy Blue Visor!
Module Automation: Several modules have been revised to support continuous operation alongside the new automation items
Chemistry Lab
Can now be toggled on and will stay on until turned off.
Sensors/Repeaters can toggle this module on and off.
Will craft continuously while on and recipe is fulfilled.
Changing recipes while on will turn the module off.
Changed to only pull resources from a backpack when the module is turned on by a player, not when the control panel is opened.
Research Chamber
Can now be toggled on and will stay on until turned off.
Sensors/Repeaters can toggle this module on and off.
This module will now research continuously when turned on and researchable items placed in the chamber.
Losing power will not turn the module off; like the smelter, when power is restored it will continue to produce.
Cancelling a research job will no longer destroy the item being researched. Its research progress will be saved and it can be removed and another item placed into the research chamber.
Atmospheric Condenser
Can now be toggled on and will stay on until turned off.
Sensors/Repeaters can toggle this module on and off.
While on, It will pause until a current resource is pulled off (either by the player, auto arm, or connected storage), but then will continue without player intervention.
Smelting Furnace
Will no longer eject completed nuggets to the ground, but will continue moving nuggets to connected storage.
Will pause until its output slot is cleared.
Sensors/Repeaters can toggle this module on and off.
Soil Centrifuge
Sensors/Repeaters can trigger this module to start.
EXO Request Platform and Trade Platform
Sensors/Repeaters can trigger this module to start.
Printers
Sensors/Repeaters can trigger all printers to start.
Shredders
Will no longer eject completed nuggets to the ground.
Will pause until its output slot is cleared.
EXO Automated Mass Production Protocol LTE
The Automatic Mass Production Protocol has been initiated! EXO Dynamics is proud to provide new and improved automation modules that will revolutionize your resource management. Astroneers are asked to provide large amounts of resource nuggets in stages, with unique cosmetics and helpful items provided for their efforts. Points are only given for the stage you're currently on – cooperation is encouraged for efficiency! Event Rewards
“VR Vision” Mask - Rewarded for completing the Compound Stage
“Gearhead” Hat - Rewarded for completing the Aluminum Stage
“Metal Gear” Visor - Rewarded for completing the Aluminum Alloy Stage
Useful incremental rewards along the way to jumpstart your automation play
Randomized recurring rewards from Astronium at the end of the event
Catalog, Recipe, and Byte Cost Changes
All pages of the Research Catalog have been adjusted to better organize their contained items. Items Moved to Different Research Catalog Pages
Power Extenders moved to Small Printer Page.
Large Hoop Platform A moved to Large Printer Page.
Large Hoop Platform B moved to Large Printer Page.
Landing Pad moved to Large Printer Page.
Recipe Changes
Medium T-Platform recipe changed to 2 Resin.
Tall Platform recipe changed to 1 Ceramic.
Large Storage Ring recipe changed to 1 Zinc, 2 Quartz.
Large T-Platform recipe changed to 1 Resin, 2 Aluminum.
Large Curved Platform recipe changed to 2 Ceramic, 1 Compound.
Large Platform C recipe changed to 1 Resin, 1 Iron, 1 Ceramic.
Large Hoop Platform A recipe changed to 1 Zinc, 2 Quartz.
Large Hoop Platform B recipe changed to 2 Zinc, 1 Quartz.
Extra Large Storage recipe changed to 2 Iron, 2 Ceramic.
Extra Large Arch Platform recipe changed to 2 Zinc, 2 Quartz.
Recreational Canopy recipe changed to 2 Zinc, 2 Quartz.
Figurine Platform recipe changed to 4 Iron.
Extra Large Platform C recipe changed to 2 Iron, 2 Resin.
Extra Large Curved Platform recipe changed to 2 Ceramic, 2 Compound.
Byte Cost Changes
Medium T-Platform unlock cost reduced to 400 Bytes.
Tall Platform unlock cost reduced to 750 Bytes.
Large Storage Ring unlock cost reduced to 500 Bytes.
Large T-Platform unlock cost reduced to 1000 Bytes.
Large Curved Platform unlock cost reduced to 1000 Bytes.
Large Platform C unlock cost reduced to 2000 Bytes.
Large Hoop Platform A unlock cost reduced to 750 Bytes.
Large Hoop Platform B unlock cost reduced to 750 Bytes.
Extra Large Arch Platform unlock cost reduced to 1000 Bytes.
Recreational Canopy unlock cost reduced to 1000 Bytes.
Figurine Platform unlock cost reduced to 3000 Bytes.
Extra Large Platform C unlock cost reduced to 2000 Bytes.
Extra Large Curved Platform unlock cost reduced to 2000 Bytes.
Bugfixes
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.13.121.0
Modules
[AS-4403] - After reloading a Save, Packager can be used while it is attached to an item
[AS-6195] - After reloading a save, power does not extend to additional platforms if there is not a surplus of power
[AS-6355] - the Splitter now provides no power when the slider is set to 0.00
[AS-6599] - Canceling research in the research chamber while it is not connected to power will now stop it from continuing to consume power
[AS-6711] - B/m power meter on the Research Chamber remains present and accurate after reloading a save
[AS-8788] - Packaging the platform holding an active module will no longer give the module infinite power
[AS-8952] - If the Soil Centrifuge is running, its control panel no longer shows a Red X cancel button
[AS-9195] - The Large Storage Ring should now only be listed in the Large Printer
[AS-9748] - Game no longer crashes when User tries to research a T2 research object that was packaged while on the Research Chamber
[AS-10762] - If a user has multiple soil canisters on their backpack and they add or flatten terrain, the canisters will now deplete individually
[AS-10808] - Chemistry lab will no longer steal partial nuggets from the backpack printer if both are activated near the same time
[AS-10926] - The output slot where the nugget gets built should now move inside the module when the Chem Lab is in use
Dedicated Server/Multiplayer
[AS-6345] - Client is now able to see the estimated research time when placing an item in the Research Chamber
[AS-9824] - When a user attempts to join a dedicated server through their friends list the submenu no longer shifts downward
[AS-10898] - Dedicated Server platform warning can now be read in Russian, Japanese and French
[AS-10965] - Servers saved as a favorite now automatically enter the password
[AS-11085] - Game will no longer crash when reaching min/max FPS rate
[AS-11032] - The UI in the pause menu now says “PLAYERS IN SESSION”
[AS-11170] - Switching Xbox accounts while game is running should now show correct item ownership
[AS-11100] - Servers cannot be de-registered without authentication
[AS-10646] - Both Clients and Hosts should now see EXO request platform rockets on Steam
[AS-10810] - Time to research in research chamber control panel will now be accurate
[AS-10967] - Client is now able to dismiss the tutorial with the controller and return to gameplay
[AS-11033] - User can interact with the request platform on preferred, achievement-enabled dedicated servers
LTE
[AS-10667] - EXO Request Platforms from previous saved events should now have T2 slots
General miscellaneous
[AS-10996] - Several emotes now show the correct preview on the correct suit in the customization menu
[AS-11010] - The Control (PS4) Suit is now playing correct emote animations
[AS-11039] - Laterite resource should now be appearing in the terrain on Crust layer of Calidor
[AS-11094] - Lighting is no longer too dark too early at sundown, and staying dark too late at dawn
[AS-11240] - Smelting Furnace now has audio effect when in use
Thanks so much to everyone who has gone with us on the journey to ship Automation! It has been a long time coming but we are so excited to see what you all create with the new logic and technology. Please share all of your creations with us as you come up with them!
Cheers
-jt
Automation Update Releasing June 24th
The Automation Update finally has a date! All the new items announced in the last few weeks will be coming to Astroneer on June 24th! If you haven't been following our development streams, (follow us on twitch here) allow me to get you all caught up on what you missed:
The Automation Update will be a free update to Astroneer that contains a full array of tools that work seamlessly with the existing game to give you an incredible amount of options to use custom logic to automate every part of your space bases and technology! There are a bunch of new items and modules we have showed off in the last few weeks on our streams, and here's a recap of all of most of them!
Auto Arms
Auto Arms are a brand new item being added that can move items between platforms, storage, and vehicles. These are at the core of Automation, and can be used in a variety of ways to automate tasks that would previously require manual intervention. You can also set a filter to Auto Arms to make sure they look for a specific resource to make smarter automation pipelines and/or to sort resources!
Auto Extractors
Auto Extractors can be used to gather resources automatically without deforming terrain and at a much higher efficiency. Place one on a resource node and it will gather 15x the resources from the same amount of raw resources when compared to gathering them manually with the terrain tool.
Storage Containers
This update will feature Medium and Large Storage containers that can be used to consolidate one resource into it's reservoir. You can then grab single resources from them for crafting or Automation tasks.
Storage, Power, and Battery Sensors:
These new objects will allow you to create logic that can be used to automate a variety of tasks. Use the Power Sensor to trigger a backup generator when wind power dies down. Use a storage sensor to activate crafting modules based on a specific Resource Container. Trigger a battery sensor to make sure you are being as efficient as possible with generators and renewable energy.
Button Repeater
This new object passes an action that gets triggered on it to anything it is connected to. That means you can use a sensor to trigger an action, then pass that to multiple platforms, modules, or storages to make even more complex automation systems.
Along with lots of other new improvements, as well a new Suit that you can purchase in-game!
We can't to see all the new things that players create using these new tools. Thanks so much to everyone who sent us suggestions related to Automation up to this point, we think you all will be really happy with the suite of tools we are giving you to make massive automated space bases. See you on June 24th!
-jt
Update 1.12 is live!
Dedicated servers are now live in Astroneer, and as an added bonus, all the performance upgrades we made to enable 8 players on servers means multiplayer on all platforms should be running significantly faster.
Updates
Creative Mode Drone
Players in Creative Mode now have access to Aero, the Camera Drone that enables ‘photo mode’! The Drone has a ‘free camera’ mode that allows the player to control and position a camera independently of the character. The player is able to prepare composed screenshots (both with filters and hidden UI). Use your Aero to show off creative mode work, create videos, or capture screenshots of your Astroneer shenanigans. https://youtu.be/gSrz_-8-bSk Using the Drone does not pause the game, and the player is able to freely toggle back and forth between Drone and character movement, while leaving the Drone’s view-port active. This can provide a steady perspective while working on large-scale sculptures, or a director's cam while your Astroneer performs on the grand stage.
Dedicated Servers
Dedicated Servers are now live in Astroneer! You can purchase them from our official server partner, Nitrado, (link to purchase) or host your own using these steps: (Astroneer host your own server instructions here) This also means that Astroneer now supports cross play (Xbox - Windows 10 - Steam) and up to 8 players when playing on official dedicated servers.
Some details about this dedicated servers in Astroneer:
Nitrado servers are the only way to play on a server and still unlock cosmetics, unlock achievements and enable cross play.
We are evaluating cross play for PS4 and hope to add that functionality at a later date.
Host your own servers will receive all the same updates as the main game
We will be offering support for host your own servers, but only related to gameplay issues. We cannot troubleshoot issues with local networks, firewalls, ports, hardware etc...
We don't currently have a linux version of the dedicated server software
Performance Optimizations
Fixed bug that could cause performance to tank for clients in multiplayer games, especially on PS4.
Heavily optimized animation and character movement updates to improve performance, especially in multiplayer games with high player counts.
Various performance improvements to gameplay systems.
Various stability fixes.
Bugfixes
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.12.95.0
We fixed over 150 bugs since our last update, including the following:
MULTIPLAYER:
[AS-6000] - After the outro, station now reverts to the correct location and client is able to successfully travel to the station
[AS-9362] - Client's loading bar will now reflect player’s loading progress correctly when joining an MP session
[AS-7354] - Client and Host see same VFX when digging up hazards besides poppers
[AS-7941] - Drill can now be detached from crane by either player in a multiplayer session
[AS-8936] - Player cannot earn achievements in creative mode, even in a dedicated server session
[AS-9479] - Client is able to use the Research Chamber while in a dedicated server session
[AS-9635] - Client will no longer see a variety of items floating in the air when slotted while the client exits relevance
[AS-10294] - Client performance over time should now stay at 30fps
[AS-10782] - Users who install the Windows Update (KB4550945) can now save their game
[AS-10205] - Terrain that was destroyed by dynamite at a far distance stays destroyed no matter the distance
Automation is coming to Astroneer
For the last two weeks, the System Era team has been gathering every Friday to put on weekly Devstreams to give you all a peek into what content we are working on, and as of this week we can finally reveal that our next big feature will be adding Automation to Astroneer!
Normally we would be releasing vlog content on Youtube to give you a behind the scenes look at how we make things, but all of us have been working from home to stay safe. Instead we decided to do what we are calling QuaranDevStreams and diving into a different part of the work to get Automation ready for the big time each week.
If you want to watch the first two streams, you can check out the VOD's here:
and I will share some of the highlights for those who missed them!
Quarandevstream 1 Highlights:
First up we talked to Verionica, our Lead Producer, to update our development road map for early Summer! There were two announcements:
Announcement 1: A new camera drone mode will be shipping in May!
The camera drone will be for players of Creative Mode games, so they can take photos of themselves or of their creations in-game.
Announcement 2: Automation will be coming to Astroneer in June!
Automation will include new items and modules that will aid Astroneers in creating production pipelines in their bases as well as offloading mundane tasks like sorting resources.
We then joined the art team to show off one of the new Automation items, as well as reveal a new suit! The Art team has been working hard to concept, model, and animate the assets needed for Automation, so we chatted with Gene (Animator) and Spencer (Art Director) to first see some animations, and then to watch Spencer model the new "Frame" Suit.
Quarandevstream 2 Highlights:
Stream two was focused primarily on how we handle game design at the studio. First up we had Andre, our Lead Designer, to talk us through the Automation feature and how his team worked through out the details for it. We were then joined by Anthony C. to talk about the early prototypes of the feature and how we got to the current version.
As you can see, Automation development in still in progress, but the team is making incredible progress so we can deliver an awesome new addition to the game in June. There was a lot more that we covered in the streams, so be sure to watch the VODs, but hope this little recap was helpful for those who couldn't!
Next stream will be this Friday, so be sure to follow us on twitch to get notified when we go live!
Cheers!
-jt
The Salvage Update Is Live!
Updates
EXO Salvage Initiative LTE Players have been requested to assist EXO in cleaning up all the debris items that are littered around the planets for permanent cosmetic rewards and in-game goodies.
Of particular interest are any large cargo containers that have gone missing from EXO's manifests – return these for major points! Rumor has it that these fell only on a few planets, but have caused a delightful atmospheric effect…
This event introduces secondary rewards that are delivered to players via a return rocket at the EXO Request Platform. Event Rewards
“Turret-a-porter” Mask - Rewarded after achieving 1500 recovery points
“4ML A-TYRE” Hat - Rewarded after achieving 5000 recovery points
“Salvage Chic” Palette - Rewarded after achieving 8000 recovery points
Useful incremental and recurring rewards along the way!
Players are now able to destroy T4 or “massive” debris objects found in the world using Dynamite. Larger debris objects will be reduced to a collection of generic new smaller tier scrap components.
Destroying T2 and T3 objects with dynamite also creates a collection of smaller size scrap components.
Dynamite can now be used to collect resource nuggets from resource deposits.
BUGFIXES
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.11.61.0
Dynamite:
[AS-3675] - Hazard plants no longer remain floating when detonating dynamite near them
[AS-4855] - Grass decorators no longer remain floating when detonating terrain
[AS-4980] - Resources no longer remain floating when destroying terrain with dynamite.
[AS-9055] - Decorators on non-Terran planets with T1 or T2 research objects attached to them no longer float when they are dug up using dynamite.
[AS-9718] - Player should no longer blow up their own terrain tool
[AS-9868] - Dynamite | T1 items can no longer be destroyed by dynamite if placed directly on top of them
[AS-10372] - Rover Seat, Large Rover Seat, and Crane can be destroyed with dynamite
[AS-10511] - EXO Research Aids base now generates debris when blown up
Multiplayer:
[AS-8286] - The game no longer severely hitches when the host uses the trade platform for the first time in a session
General:
[AS-8094] - Color palette names are now consistent in Spanish
[AS-9050] - Standard cursor is no longer overlapped by a bigger cursor that is delayed
[AS-9465] - German and Dutch now use "STARTEN" on Exo Request Platform control panel
[AS-9566] - Slotting behavior of items is now consistent when placing them with the cursor
[AS-9933] - Single Tethers, Extenders and Glowsticks can be shredded
[AS-9939] - Power will no longer be drained by EXO Research Aids and debris POIs when power cell is depleted
[AS-10402] - Drills and Pavers no longer enter a bad state when a second drill or paver is packaged on the same AUX slot of an XL Rover
Update 1.10.9 is Live!
Steam players should receive this update today, March 10, 2020.
Updates
We have introduced a new item to help players achieve truly flat surfaces, the leveling block! Use them in Creative Mode to snap to the existing voxel grid to create flat surfaces that automatically snap to each other.
For now, the leveling block only exists in Creative mode, but we will evaluate how we can roll it out into the main game without completely breaking the soil economy! ----- Small scrap items in the world can now be bundled for easier transport! T1 scrap objects will now bundle into a single T1 Scrap Bundle much like Tethers, Glowsticks, and Extenders. It takes five T1 scrap objects to create one full Scrap Bundle, but once a scrap object has been added to a Scrap Bundle, it can not be removed. T1 Scrap Bundles are shreddable in all shredders.
Performance Optimizations
- Implemented performance optimizations to base game systems to continue improving framerate across the board. - Implemented performance optimizations to speed up processing for hazard behavior and planet particle effects.
Bugs
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.10.97.0
General
- [AS-9879] - After a mysterious absence, Geysers are back on Desolo!
- [AS-3952] - Client is now able to see a geyser exploding when it has been dug up.
- [AS-5144] - Geyser explosion VFX now match the color of the geyser that is exploding.
- [AS-5583] - All Hazard SFX should no longer cut off early or not play at all
- [AS-6717] - Control Panels and Catalogs will no longer remain open when a player enters a shuttle or vehicle.
- [AS-7191] - Spewer SFX have been restored.
- [AS-8830] - Atmospheric Condenser, Small Printer, Medium Printer, and Large Printer can now all be stopped by pressing the A button twice on Xbox controllers.
- [AS-9207] - All the creative mode options are set to their defaults when start a new creative mode game after skipping the tutorial.
- [AS-9502] - Creative mode catalog button is correctly illuminated.
- [AS-9536] - Loose tethers, glowsticks, and extenders will no longer freeze when hovering cursor over any slot greater than T1.
- [AS-9589] - The Player landing a shuttle will retain control of the shuttle even if another user enters a seat attached to that shuttle.
- [AS-9595] - The resources in the control panel now light up when the client player has them in their backpack, the same way that they do for the host player.
- [AS-9604] - Key inputs for the AUX slots on the buggy are correctly oriented.
- [AS-9662] - Powerflow will now correctly change when a player connects power to an extender.
- [AS-9706] - Research Sample tooltip UI now correctly disappears when the sample is scanned.
- [AS-9719] - Large Printer now prints slottable items onto T4 slots.
- [AS-9763] - Bouncing and knocking hazards grown from seed by the player will no longer disappear when loading a saved game.
- [AS-9830] - Bundles placed on the same slot of any tier will now fill existing bundles on that slot.
- Multiplayer
- [AS-9600] - Client's grab line and item highlight no longer disappears for items that were quick-stowed from carry.
- [AS-9856] - Client can now see VFX when digging up a Spewflower, Hissbine, or Boomalloon.
- [AS-9857] - Client is able to interact with seeds and researchables that are spawned when destroying Hazards.
- [AS-9870] - Client players are now able to add Tethers, Glowsticks, Extenders and Debris to partial bundles by using their cursor
Localization
- [AS-8094] - Spanish Localization inconsistencies between color palette names have been fixed.
- [AS-9465] - German and Dutch now both use "STARTEN" instead of "START" on the EXO Request Platform control panel.
- [AS-9520] - A player-reported Portugese localization error has been fixed. “Aguarde” has been replaced with “Segure” for (HOLD) interactions.
- [AS-9910] - The first O in "СТАРОТОВЫЙ" is now removed and now correctly reads "СТАРТОВЫЙ" in Russian.
- [AS-10219] - Inhibitor Mod is now called “INIBITORE” in both the catalog and the backpack printer in Italian.
Thanks so much for reading! Look out for an announcement next week regarding our next big content update! 🏗️
-jt
Update 1.9.8 is Live!
Steam players should receive this update today, January 24th, 2020.
This is a performance and quality of life focused patch that greatly improves framerates in multiplayer sessions. While testing this in house, we have been seeing speeds boosted significantly (2x-3x!) when playing with others. We are really happy with the results, but please let us know how things are going when playing with friends in all of your big saves. Work will continue on performance in both multiplayer and singleplayer and we will be keeping you all updated as we progress.
This update also includes a slew of quality of life upgrades and some experimental changes to terrain that should greatly improve the control that you have to make flat surfaces for a much cleaner look. Let us know what you think!
Updates
Hot Swap Functionality Players can now swap current held item when placing item on a currently occupied slot when clicked. If there is no empty slot, then the item your cursor is hovering over will be swapped with the item you are holding!
Updated shreddable objects Overhauled the properties of existing objects such as debris and platforms so that everything of large (Tier 3) size or smaller can be shredded to unify the shredding behavior of crafted objects and debris items to be consistent across the entire size set. Players now have a reliable way to remove objects from the game for scrap or to reduce clutter
Medium Shredder: Shreds all T1 Objects
Large Shredder: Shreds all T2 & T1 Objects
XL Shredder: Shreds all T3, T2, & T1 Objects
Air Controls Players can now toggle between roll or yaw vehicle controls mid-air by pressing the corresponding input:
[Left shift] key on keyboard
X on Xbox Controller
Square on PS4 controller
Augment Power Toggle Augments placed on the terrain tool can be toggled on or off via the corresponding use input while you have an augment highlighted:
[F] key on keyboard
X on Xbox controller
Square on PS4 Controller
Low Storage UI On Xbox and PC, if a save fails for any reason you should now see a popup notifying you of it. The pause menu will display error information about the last failed save. If it fails to save on quit, it will abort the quit, notify you that the save failed, and prompt you again to see if you want to cancel the quit or actually quit.
On Xbox and Windows 10, there's an indication on the list of saved games that shows up if your save storage space is nearly full.
On Xbox and Windows 10, if an individual save file is getting close to the limit for save storage, then a warning will be shown in the pause menu while that save file is loaded. Choose Language UI Players can now change the displayed language in game via the options menu.
Return To Shelter Added a new menu option in the Quit tab of the main menu that allows you to return to your starting shelter! Use this to get out of sticky situations where your new save point has your save soft locked.
Performance Optimizations
[Several tasks] Heavily optimized Unreal’s replication graph and added the Net-dormancy concept to many object types in order to cut down multiplayer lag/replication time by, depending on game state and save, up to a factor of 11 (This will be further improved with future revisions as we will add Dormancy to more object types)
Optimized power system to now work fully time sliced and async, thus saving up to 70% Game Thread time
Optimized Entity Component system book keeping loops to only run when needed
Optimized wind and solar panels to update in a time sliced manner, thus having a fixed performance footprint instead of scaling linearly
Optimized some expensive loops in VoxelVolume component that handle the finding of relevant nodes for all viewers (i.e. players)
Optimized the Researchable entity component loop to now also operate time sliced at a fixed cost
Optimized the way we handle Gravity.
That is all! Thanks for reading! Next time we talk I will be sharing more details about the roll out of dedicated servers!
-jt
The Holiday Update is Live!
Welcome to the Holiday Update, featuring our first ever community goal where your progress gets collected with the entire player base to unlock exclusive rewards!
Steam, PS4, and Xbox "Play Anywhere" players should receive this update today, December 16th, 2019.
UPDATES
Exo Community Recovery Mission is live! The Holidays in the Sol system have arrived, and due to unforseen circumstances, EXO Dynamics needs you to participate in project CHEER to save them! Delivery crates from an LRCV have crash landed all over the system, and EXO needs you to locate and recover these top secret experiments. The Project CHEER Holiday Limited Time event begins on December 16th, 2019 until 12:00am PT on Jan 17th, 2020.
Rewards for participation include:
Frosty Visor - Rewarded after achieving 400 recovery points Frosty Palette - Rewarded after achieving 2500 recovery points Frosty Mask - Rewarded after achieving 2500 recovery points Holiday Top Hat Reward - Rewarded to all players after the community goal of 100,000,000 recovery points is achieved
That is right! We have included some rewards for new types of customization that the community has asked us for for a while: Masks and Hats! Stay tuned for more cool iterations in these categories ;)
As an added holiday bonus, System Era is running an Extra Life campaign (supporting Seattle Children's Hospital :) ) based on the amount of recovery points the community as a whole achieves! At every 50,000,000 recovery points, SES will donate 5,000 USD to the campaign, up to a total of 20,000 dollars! You can join our team and/or donate to the cause here: https://www.extra-life.org/team/48680
EXO Request Platform has been added to the game. Use this new module to send recovered project CHEER experiments back to EXO Dynamics. Check the module's control panel for full mission parameters.
Recipe: 2 Resin
Prints from: Medium Printer
Festive light tethers have returned and will be available in the game till the end of the year!
A Happy Holidays photo frame has been added for a limited time. Snap holiday photos using the Camera item to send to your friends with your warmest season’s greetings.
PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATIONS
Optimized texture compression settings to significantly reduce memory usage.
Fixed a bug in the research system which caused it to severely degrade performance if the research module was active in multiplayer games.
Fixed a bug involving tethers that caused performance to degrade for clients in multiplayer games.
Various stability fixes.
As we addressed in our most recent vlog, this is an ongoing process, but these bugfixes and optimizations should be a great start to ensure better performance in multiplayer sessions. Next months update will be focused solely on bugfixes, quality of life, and performance upgrades for multiplayer. You can watch the vlog where Brendan talks about this in more detail below:
https://youtu.be/Ieu2pPPGpKM
BUGS
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.8.64.0
General
[AS-8093] - Tutorial [FR]: The "Approach the {item} to interact with it" text string now appears correctly when playing in french.
[AS-9221] - Wanderer Photo widget now correctly shows PlayStation button on PS4.
Audio
[AS-9338] - Packager audio no longer gets cut off during repackaging event.
[AS-9410] - Oxygenator audio now correctly stops when the oxygenator is packaged, destroyed, or deleted.
[AS-9411] - RTG audio loop no longer continues to play after being packaged up.
Creative Mode
[AS-9193] - Controller now changes terrain painter settings after a player interacts with an attached mouse.
[AS-9207] - The correct creative mode options are now selected by default.
Multiplayer
[AS-8319] - Resource deposits are now consistently visible to client and should no longer pop in in late.
[AS-8637] - Client can now see the Trade Platform’s rocket animating back into place when it is returning from a trade.
[AS-5501] - Tooltips now appear for client’s when interacting with the Odd Stone/teleporter control panel.
[AS-9260] - Atmospheric Condenser’s control panel no longer enters broken state for multiplayer client when they return to relevance.
Localization
[AS-8607] - Jetpack is now translated correctly in Russian in the tooltip, backpack printer, research catalog and creative catalog
[AS-8822] - Medium Buggy Horn is now translated correctly in Polish.
[AS-9242] - Text string for “PLAYER WILL NO LONGER TAKE DAMAGE” is now properly capitalized in creative mode tutorial in Italian.
Thanks so much for reading and for an amazing year! We can't wait to tell you all about our plans for 2020 and we hope everyone has a great holiday! ❤️
-jt
Nominate Astroneer in the Steam Awards!
It is hard to believe, but Astroneer fully released this year which means we are qualified for the new Steam Awards format! You can support us in any category, but we think that we really stand out for the Outstanding Visual Style award!
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