Autocraft
Autocraft 1.0 Released
So about Autocraft being on Early Access for the past two and a half years... I understand that many players thought the game was abandoned - like other early access titles that came out with a lot of promises, then failed to meet them and gave up.
This didn't happen with Autocraft - the game has been complete for a year.
Everything we advertised and originally planned on the game having was finished. The reason we didn't release out of early access is because I still wanted to add more (which was a giant mistake, I should have released out of early access a while ago then updated after).
I still had more ideas for new Autocraft features, but I wanted to work on other projects before doing them. Since there is the expectation that Early Access titles need to get constant updates or their dead, this was definitely a mistake. I should have released it out of early access a year ago.
Thanks to all the players who are still playing! We hope to keep adding to it and release on other platforms soon
Changes this update:
- UI changes: new icons / graphic changes / positioning, mostly in the crafting menu and level selection
- Fixed error happening on some new users causing inventory to not show in Sandbox mode
- Wheel physics: Stability improvements, more traction
- Fixed some entity rotation issues, mainly with the half frames
- Fixed Antialiasing / VSync settings not saved in settings for some users
thanks!
- Lee
Autocraft 0.921 - Another wheel fix!
- Now also makes more clear when wheels have no power
Autocraft Update 0.92 - Fixes!
- Tool tip menu - Added tool tips to the UI to make it less cryptic
- Increased wheel friction, less sliding
- Stronger creations - Increased the amount of velocity needed to break stuff by about 50%
- Fixed weapon firing colliding with own vehicle
- Added 'rotate' menu option, to rotate parts besides the middle mouse button
Let us know any comments/suggestions! thanks,
- Lee
Autocraft Update 0.9 - Unity5 / New Physics / UI
Big changes:
- New wheel physics: a lot more stable, dynamic. Also just faster and more fun. Let us know if any of your creations have problems with the new wheels!
- Completely new UI graphics
- New shaders / effects
- Impact/crash sounds
- A LOT of adjustments to the challenge levels. Some taken out based on changes to the physics, others just because people didn't like them - and changed them to new flying challenges / other new stuff
- Performance increases (especially during crashes and explosions)
- New camera system - now collides with the ground, follows creations better (depending on if they are moving on wheels, or in air with a plane tail)
To get an idea of why this update too so long, we went into detail here. But basically we had a lot of trouble with the change to Unity4 to Unity5 and how we were handling physics. We ended up having to wait for specific Unity changes to happen. Ideally we would have made a update with just the UI overhaul, but at that point too many changes were made for the physics to make that update - so we ended up waiting until everything was done.
Rather than just release what we had on Steam before, since it was complete in terms of content, I am glad we continued development to get to this point. I understand it could look like a abandoned game without updates to a early access title - but I wasn't rushing updates since I was happy with the state of the game on Steam. Happy to finally have this update now out though
Let us know if you have any thoughts/problems on the forums!
thanks,
- Lee
Update 7.1! Minor fixes while we work on our big update
- Fixed bug with parts being rotated to last added part rotation
- Fixed issue with Ignition Rocket on first play attempt
- Inventory disappearing in Sandbox Mode Bug fixed
We are still working on a major update with a new physics engine - details here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/287220/discussions/0/535151589886638393/
Update 7! With workshop support, completely new UI
Biggest change we've made is adding Steam workshop support. You can now save to workshop directly from any of the Sandbox levels.
http://steamcommunity.com/app/287220/workshop/
We've completely redone the UI. Way better menus, load / save screens, inventory, etc - and a new help screen
Besides the UI and Steam interpretation, we've been changing a lot of the game's engine to prepare it for our future plans. We are hoping our next update will include online support, which is still in development.
Other changes include:
- After reading community feedback, we decided to open up all Sandbox items. No unlocking process anymore
- A number of avatar mode fixes, now default in Sandbox. Now same scale as before. Character now goes into ragdoll for crash, then gets up on hitting Enter
- 'Featured' offline creations in Sandbox mode, replacing the old online system
- 10 new parts to build with
- New particle effects
- More graphic options in menu
- UI Sounds
Update 6
We've added 13 new challenge levels (for a total of 50), and now split the single player challenges into separate 'solar systems'. So if you get stuck in a particularly hard one, you can go to another solar system to pass it's challenges. The challenges selection should also now be a lot easier to navigate.
Largest Sandbox change is in addition to a new level, there is now 'Avatar' third person mode. In Avatar mode you can run around the level as the spaceman character, and start creating and piloting your creation where ever you want. This is also how we see possible future multiplayer game modes working. Right now the third person Spaceman is just the regular model.
Flight physics! We now added proper aerodynamic flight physics. To use them add 'Wing' entities, then a tail to control the wings. We've uploaded a few of our own creations if you want to try them.
Better destruction physics. Parts will now break apart into pieces for crashes - and large vehicles will now break apart better in large crashes.
New parts include:
- Piston: Infinite length currently
- Ignition Rocket
- Monster Wheels
- Tank Tracks
- Remote Detonate Explosives
- Dozer Bucket
- Crane Hook
- Parachute
- Landing Gear
- Wrecking Ball
- Fork Lift
Other new additions:
- Can now rotate the creation with arrow keys in Sandbox
- Auto follow Camera system, best with flying
thanks,
- Lee
Update 5 - 0.12
Large optimizations to Sandbox mode, and editing large creations
New Sandbox Level: Galactic park, and Sandbox level selection screen
New Sandbox parts: Side Propeller, Wrecking ball, Bouncer, Artillery Cannon, Battle Axe, External batteries/fuel/ammo, Crusher, Phaser Weapon, Grenade Launcher, and more than ten new cosmetic parts and plates
Fixed error with more than 2 creations saved in Sandbox
Changes to inventory screen in Sandbox
October 14th Update - 0.118
- 8 New Levels: Temple Ruins, Catapult, Weapons Course, Tongue, Cosmic Worm, Ice Lake, Roach Belly, Crystal Hunt
- 40 new vehicle parts in Sandbox. Including a Atom Bomb, Ski Blades for easy gliding on terrain, Spearhead Drill, and lots of new cosmetic options
- Alot of fixes to Connector joints / submelders
- Fixed error with weapons and using all ammo at once
- A number of fixes to broken Star Challenges
- We've reordered some of the later levels around, so if you have gotten passed the Propeller Jump level you might have access to new levels before your current level
- Lots of optimizations to Sandbox
- Removed performance hurting liquid particles from broken fuel / batteries
- fixed bug causing sandbox stars to not unlock unless campaign screen was entered
- some better icon textures, more consistent
- Ragdoll hit terrain sounds
- Now checks if a ground connector is actually connected to the ground for it to work
- added roof and side bits to tinyhole to prevent easy rocket solutions
- wheels can now be put upside down on vehicles, on the top of them,
October 4th Update
- 6 New Challenge Levels: Steep Spine, Daredevil's Ramp, Spinning Gardens, Smashed Planet, Antigrav Blob, Tiny Hole
- New main menu
- 5 new human character models, right now just in sandbox
- New part: Hoverpad, with adjustable height / force, uses electric power
- Water physics - Water actually has buoyancy in Sandbox
- Arrow structures placed in challenges to help show direction the checkpoint is
- Lots of new structures in Sandbox
- craft mode particle effects for boosters/thrusters/hoverpads to show their powered
- new Sandbox plates with various colors / graphics
- Level complete time is now independent of the speed selection, so you cant 'cheat' time challenges by slowing down time and being more precise
- Fixed error with power over 100% not saving
- Whenever a connected rotator rotates, it now updates the body's center of mass
- Now displays power input, and total force, in edit ent window (so you can see your changes)
- displays balloon up force in ent info window, and it's edit window
- Narrow Sqeeze level is now more of a sqeeze