1 Year of Early Access | Then vs Now Video | Coop First Look
Greetings Scientist!
We recently hit one year of Early Access so we wanted to share with you all, our wonderful community, just how far things have come.
đ¸ Then vs Now đ¸
First, here's a quick video of how the game looked at the very start of active development and prototyping in 2020 vs how it looks now.
đ Some Early Access Milestones in Numbers đ
378 days in Early Access (as of July 4th, 2024)
1,057 days in active development (starting April 30th, 2020)
23 updates, content patches and hotfixes since Early Access launch
2,340,000 hours / 97,500 days spent by players playing
100 parts = the average airship build
87% positive rating on Steam from 3,500+ reviews
đ Looking to The Future đ
To wrap things up, we also want to look at the game's future. As you know, weâve been working on the development of the co-op mode for some time. So here are a few clips of the team testing out some work-in- progress CO-OP gameplay.
The starting location feels a tad less lonely now with friends
Testing the gameplay as well as the pilots patience
Exploring and scavenging together
From all of us at Far From Home, we wanted to thank all our players, Kickstarter backers, Discord mods, fan-wiki contributors and keen playtesters! One way or another you've all shaped this game into what it is right now, and into what it will become as we work towards the final version.
So hereâs to you all and to the next chapter of Forever Skies together!
-Far From Home Team
Hotfix | EA.1.5.3 Build #30296
Greetings scientists.
We just sent out a smol hotfix to EA.1.5.3. Here is what we adressed:
Neon Plant seeds can be found in the world
Removed placeholder icons from the Database
That is all for now. More updates coming soon!
- Team Far From Home
Pet Patch Now Live + 3 Great Bundles!
Greetings scientists!
The streak of regular content patches continues as we have just moved EA.1.5.3 from our beta branch, to live status for all Forever Skies Steam owners! Speaking of Steam, Forever Skies is currently 25% off in the Steam Summer Sale!
Weâve also got 3 different bundles for the Summer Sale with our survival friends from:
First Dwarf | The Riftbreaker | Volcanoids
You can get an extra 10% off Forever Skies and any of those 3 games using our bundles. Links are at the bottom of the post.
What's Included In This Patch?
Since the release of Early Access, many players have told us how they love the Friendly Insect bug found in the first Underdust location and that they wish they could do more than just look at it. With this in mind, the next content patch puts the spotlight on our friendly insect pet, making it not just wholesome, but practical too!
âPet the bugâ is a feature we have had planned since we announced it on our first roadmap in June 2023, but we didnât want to just stop there.
The hat and harness options are purely cosmetic. However, we hope the backpack will be a game-changer for players. Give your pet this attachment from the customization menu and have it join you on your adventures away from the airship.
Are your pockets getting full while you explore? Offload some of those resources into your petâs backpack.
New Airship Decor
EA.1.5.3 isnât just about your pet, as we have also added some new Airship decorations alongside it, including the highly requested Stairs Room module, in both left and a right variant.
We have also added an Amber Kingside Bed which lets you recover Energy quicker, a Crystal Ceiling light and Crystal Wall Lamps for decoration!
What Else?
As we continue to add more languages throughout Early Access, weâre excited to announce that EA.1.5.3 will be adding full Japanese and Korean localization.
Also, if you were one of our Kickstarter backers, your in-game rewards are ready and have been added alongside this patch. Check your associated email for more details!
3 Forever Skies Bundles Available
For the Summer Sale weâve decided to open up 3 different bundles with our friends from First First Dwarf, The Riftbreaker, and Volcanoids.
So if you already own Forever Skies you can grab an extra 10% off any of these games using our bundles.
Another day, another hotfix! This smol fix has solved a crash players were experiencing with old beta saves.
Full patch notes below...
FIXED:
General movement of a Friendly Insect improved
Fixed crash on loading saves from betaâs #29989 build with early Stairs Room crafting recipe.
KNOWN ISSUES:
If a piece of debris moves the airship while the Friendly Insect is following the player, the Insect will automatically stop following.
Friendly Insect has problems leaving and walking into the lift in Underdusts
There is currently no boiled version of the Neon Plant.
Thats all for now!
Beta Branch Hotfix | EA.1.5.3 #30157
Greetings scientists,
We just sent a hotfix to the beta_branch which includes some improvements and fixes.
Here's what changed:
NEW CONTENT:
Pet:
Sounds for Friendly Insectâs âPetâ interaction
Airship:
Stairs Room now has Left and Right version
CHANGED:
Friendly Insect can now follow the player when the airshipâs vertical and horizontal speed is close to 0 (there is no requirement of the airship being docked anymore)
Amber King Size Bed crafting cost balance
Sprinkler Lamp light brightness slightly reduced
Soft Cushion cannot be picked up while there are Friendly Insectâs equipment items âconnectedâ
Aquarium for Moths name changed into Moth Vivarium
Petâs Yellow Sporty Headwear can now be unlocked by a Memory Card
FIXED:
Underdust lift buttons work properly now even if the Friendly Insect is not near the player
Friendly Insectâs Yellow Sporty set now has proper materials
Quick-moving items into the Friendly Insectâs backpack in the Soft Cushion menu disabled
Stairs Room textures/materials added
Stairs Room missing icon added
Neon Plant missing icon added
Crystal Lamp textures/materials added
Crystal Lamp missing icon added
Sprinkler Lamp missing icon added
Wrecked Amber King Size Bed VFXs added
Wrecked Amber King Size Bed database entry fixed
Added missing localization texts
KNOWN ISSUES:
The Friendly Insect *sometimes* stops following the player if they do the following actions in order: 1. Make the pet follow them 2. Move the airship (the pet will stop following when the airship starts moving) 3. Make it follow them once more. Reloading your save will fix this for now.
Sometimes the pet doesnât follow the player to the Underdust locations (doesnât teleport to the player when it should). Like before, reloading your save will fix this for now.
That's all for now, thank you for all of your bug reports!
Our Next Patch Highlights + First Dwarf Bundle
Greetings scientists!
We wanted to give you a heads-up on what is being added in our next patch and let you know that EA.1.5.3 is now live on the beta branch!
First Dwarf x Forever Skies Bundle is Available
First off though, we've partnered on a bundle with our fellow Polish devs Stardrifters in support of their new game First Dwarf.
First Dwarf is an action RPG with mechs, colony survival, crafting, base building, and tower defense mechanics all blended into one amazing mix. Explore a fantasy open world, sprawling on islands floating in the sky. You can play it solo or get a buddy to join through coop assist mode.
They are launching with a 15% discount and if you already own Forever Skies you can grab an extra 10% using our bundle.
ICYMI, a few days ago we uploaded our June devlog, where we revealed some of the exciting new features coming to EA.1.5.3!
Its Not Just a Bug It's Also a Feature
The next content patch puts the spotlight on our friendly insect pet, making it not just adorable, but incredibly practical too!
âPet the bugâ is a feature we have planned and made public since we released our first roadmap in June 2023, but we didnât want to just stop there.
Players will be able to customize their pet with a fancy hat, a backpack and a harness in a few different colours. We plan on adding more customization options as development progresses.
The hat and harness options are purely cosmetic. They add to the bugs wholesome aesthetic but thats all. However, we hope the backpack will be a game changer for players. Give your pet this attachment from the customization menu and have it join you on your adventures away from the airship.
Your pockets getting full while you explore? Off-load some of those resources into your petâs backpack. The total number of slots available is not final and will be balanced throughout the beta phase. Eventually, we would love to have a range of backpack upgrades with increasing slots.
New Airship Decor
EA.1.5.3 isnât just about your pet, as we have also added some new Airship decorations and a new room module.
We have added a new Stairs Room Module, a Kingsize Bed that recovers your energy levels quicker and more!
EA.1.5.3 will also include Japanese and Korean localization!
ALL of this content is available RIGHT NOW on our beta branch. Instructions on how to join can be found at the bottom of this blog. We will be adding more content throughout the beta, such as interior lighting decor range, Kickstarter rewards if you were one of our backers and more!
Friendly Insect companion can follow the player during exploration
Friendly Insect companion, while equipped with backpack, unlocks additional inventory slots
Friendly Insect companion can be customized
Pet Customization:
Basic set of petâs equipment is unlocked when the Friendly Insect is first placed on the Soft Cushion
Crafting recipes available through a new set of Data Cards (green)
Three colored sets of the Petâs outfits (cap, shoes and backpack)
Tools & Devices:
Amber King Size Bed - enhances the sleeping process
Crystal Lamp (left and right)
Sprinkler Lamp
Airship:
Stair Room
Resources:
Neon plant
Localization:
Japanese
Korean
CHANGED:
Soft Cushion trigger for opening petâs equipment screen
FIXED:
Pig Smile Seeds icon fixed so it can match all the other small plant seeds
Proper Advanced Pass Component icon implemented
KNOWN ISSUES:
Friendly Insect can follow the player only while the airship is docked (lands on a locationâs platform). This means the pet wonât follow you while the Airship is in the air and when visiting locations accessed via the Docking Plank. We are currently working on this and will implement the fix soon.
Using Quick Move (Shift+Click), the player can move items from their inventory to the Friendly Insectâs inventory even if a petâs backpack wasnât crafted yet. These items can be accessed after the petâs backpack is equipped.
There is currently no boiled version of the Neon Plant.
Localization for non-English languages is still work in progress and will be updated before this update goes live on main (leaves beta)
Textures are currently missing from Stairs Room module, the pets yellow outfit and Crystal Lamp
Icons for the new lamps, Neon Plant, and the Stair Room missing
Open the Steam application on your PC and locate Forever Skies in your games library
Right click - PROPERTIES- BETAS
Put in the password: BlimpWorkshop
From the dropdown menu select the beta branch tilted: beta_flight
Press the blue âOpt into beta_flightâŚâ button
In your Games Library click on Forever Skies [beta_flight]
Install the Test Branch
How To Create and Load Existing Saves into the Test Branch
Your existing saves for the main game are stored in a different folder compared to your saves on the test branch. If you want to continue and test the game using your existing progress, youâll need to do the following:
Locate your save files on your PC. By default they should be stored in the following file path:
As a precaution make a 2nd copy of your save file and paste it somewhere on your desktop or in a safe folder. This way you can ensure you have a clean, backup save just in case.
After you have done the above, you can start the Forever Skies Test Branch from Steam and your save will be present when you select âCONTINUEâ
Existing Saves Wonât be Affected but use an Imported Save To Play the Test Branch
Your existing saves, progress, and any custom settings youâve set in from the main game wonât be carried over to the Test Branch. Your pc will see this as if you are installing and playing the game for the first time ever. Likewise, by playing on the Test Branch, your main saves should not be affected at all.
This also means any progress on the test branch will not be carried over to the main game once the update is live. The test branch is designed to allow you to explore and test new features without impacting your current progress.
Players can opt to play the test branch starting a fresh save, however, if you want to test new content with your existing progress, airship, etc (and we suggest you do) you will need to make a copy of your main game save and import it into the test branch. Instructions on how to do it can be found below.
Where to Submit Bugs
All bugs or issues that you encounter while playing should be submitted via the FEEDBACK TOOL that you can find in-game when pausing the game. Subsequently, you can find the tool under this link too:
https://www.farfromhomegames.com/en/playtests You can also submit bugs and keep up to date on features via our Feature Upvote site - https://forever-skies.featureupvote.com/
Thats all for now, speak soon!
Developer Update Video | June 2024
Greetings scientists! đ
Our latest devlog is OUT NOW on YouTube. Itâs been a minute since our last episode, so hopefully you enjoy it!
We have some intriguing updates to discuss with you!
This devlog covers:
A look back at the launch of Feature Upvote
First look at the Friendly Pet patch (EA.1.5.3)
Combat Update tease
We answer some of your questions from episode 2
If you only want to see the new content, you can go ahead and skip to 1:49 in the video.
Check it out ⏠⏠⏠âŹ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhGhdg3ESM
WDC World Ocean Day Charity Sale - Proceeds to Help Save Ocean Wildlife
Hello Scientists.
We are excited to announce that we are once again supporting WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation during the World Ocean Steam Sale
The sale starts today and runs until 15th June, 10am PDT 2024, and you can save 15% off on Forever Skies and our custom WDC Charity Airship item.
As always, 100% of our net revenue for the charity item goes to WDC to support their conservation work. What's more, we've agreed to also donate 25% net revenue from the game game sales to WDC for the duration of the event.
So whether you are new to Forever Skies or still thinking about grabbing the charity airship decoration item, know that any support will be going to this great organization.
WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation is the leading global charity dedicated to the protection and conservation of whales and dolphins.
Their expert-led teams in the UK, Europe, the Americas, and Australasia work across the whole spectrum of threats, from climate breakdown to accidental entanglements in fishing gear. They bring together, and work hand-in-hand with, businesses, philanthropists, scientists, NGOs, governments and grassroots communities to find solutions to the problems faced by whales and dolphins. Their aim is to reverse the global decline in whale and dolphin populations by creating safe seas for these majestic creatures.
If you want to read more about WDC, you can do so here: https://whales.org/
âCrafting & Fuellingâ Patch Now Live + New Bundle Offer!
Greetings scientists!
Patch EA.1.5.2 is now live and includes a bunch of new features and we just launched a bundle with fellow mobile base survivalists Volcanoids!
Volcanoids x Forever Skies Bundle is Available
First off, we've partnered on a bundle with our good friends behind Volcanoids. Volcanoids is a fantastic base-building, open-world survival shooter that replaces your typical base with a mobile, giant drill.
And you know we're all fans of mobile bases here! Alone or with friends, explore an island plagued by eruptions, upgrade your drill, and fight robots to uncover what's been hiding beneath the surface.
They currently have a 30% off discount and if you already own Forever Skies you can grab an extra 10% using our bundle. Click below.
Alright, so let's get into whatâs new! Here is a quick overview with more details for each further down.
Craft From Storage
We heard your feedback! With EA.1.5.2, players can now craft items directly from all storage boxes on your Airship. This QOL improvement will save players a lot of time finding where they placed that last Polymer piece!
We have also updated the UI to show players what and how many resources they have in their inventory & storage total when crafting.
This option can be turned off in the settings for those who prefer a more traditional survival game experience
Fuel Tank
The tank holds up to 400 units of fuel at a time and can be placed anywhere on your airship, meaning you no longer have to run to each individual Upgraded Engine to refuel it, all fuel types can be placed inside.
This new Airship item can be found at the Overgrown Lift location and becomes craftable once you have the Upgrade Station (for now). With one Fuel Tank, players can connect pipes from the tank to two Upgraded Engines using the same pipe system as airship gardening.
We have also introduced the Cross-Pipe which gives you the ability to overlap pipes and provides more freedom when placing them.
We need to hear your thoughts after trying this new system! Does it help? Does it make refuelling your Airship easier? What improvements would you like to see? Let us knowâŚ
Moth Aquarium
Introducing the Moth Aquarium! I guess itâs technically a Vivarium? But you get the point! With this new decoration, you can keep any moths you catch alive for decoration (or consumption, no judgement, a scientists gotta eat!)
We would love to do more with the Aquarium in the future, (breeding, anyone?) but for now this will look great in your on-board your airship!
Also, look how those little guys come alive when you turn on your Flashlight.
Bloom Exterior Modules & Decorative Wings
EA.1.5.2 adds to the Bloom range by including new Exterior Bloom Modules. Such as a new Catwalk style and a couple of new railing designs!
We have also added additional decorative wings. These can be placed anywhere on the outside of your airship providing there is space.
They wonât help you survive the world or navigate the skies. You donât exactly *need* them to complete your objectives either, but they will sure make your airship exterior look way cooler!
New Upgrade Station
The Upgrade Station getsâŚwellâŚupgraded in EA.1.5.2, just like how the Ship Workstation did last month. This station which is used to upgrade your Airship and personal tech, now has a brand new model and animation.
It's a small change in the game, but we hope these small changes improve your overall experience when playing Forever Skies!
