We are working on a number of onboarding features for players and whilst we are actively improving that experience, we wanted to introduce the first phase of this onboarding system to help new players get into Robocraft 2.
Players across our discord and other communities have been sharing the rotating platforms video (You know the one!) for what seems like an eternity! And in Robocraft 2, this type of system is entirely possible using aiming axles and aiming hinges.
Most of the community has understood how to design their own gun rig system. But it has proven to be a technique which some players are still experiencing some difficulty with. Our plan for the future is to make building using joints more accessible and we have some ideas on how we can do this AND make building more intuitive for even experienced builders! We’ll reveal more news on that in the future
We want players to feel like if they’ve ever built a robocraft in Robocraft 1, they have a good enough knowledge to start building a robocraft in Robocraft 2…
We want players to build something quickly at first, and say “Oh! It just works!”... Then you begin to teach them more of the incredible and complex things you can do with the tools in Robocraft 2.
So, what’s the first phase?
All-In-One Turrets!
These are found in the weapons tab in your inventory and are self-contained gun rigs which can be placed down and used without ever needing to wire anything up. They work very similarly to turrets placed in the original Robocraft.
The All-In-One turrets were created after observing many players struggling with self-built turrets in our first Steam Playtest and after consulting the community on the Discord forums. We are introducing them, not to replace self-built turrets, but to provide an easier alternative for new players as they get used to building within Robocraft 2.
There are four variants of the All-In-One turrets including the Standard Laser Turret
And the Small Laser Turret
Then there is also the Standard Plasma Turret
And the Small Plasma Turret
Select them in the weapons tab, plonk them down onto your machine and they will just work!
The All In One Turrets will still use the wiring system so if you want to reconfigure them you are able to do so:
The All-In-One turrets use up firepower equivalent to the guns if they were self-built. But do not use any base CPU.
Aiming hinge servos and aiming axle servos can still be used to create custom gun rigs! The All-In-One Turrets are not designed to replace or supersede the self-built turrets, they are designed to work well enough to compete but a well-built self-built turret will provide a fairly small advantage over the All-In-One Turrets.
Regarding balancing the All-In-One turrets, We can control the perimeter width of the connection with the body as well as the health of each joint in order to balance these versus self-built turrets. We want to keep the fire rate, damage, splash radius etc. the same as the self-built versions.
If you were previously selected to join us for the last Steam Playtest. We will be re-activating the playtest on Friday 9th of June for 24 hours.
We will also have a two online battle test times which will start at the following times:
EU Friday 9th of June 15:00 UTC
NA Friday 9th of June 22:00 UTC
There will be longer playtests in the future with more frequent online battles and further invitations to join the playtest. So please stay tuned for more info.
This playtest's objective is to get quick feedback from players based on a number of changes that we have made. It will be a relatively limited testing window but we would really appreciate seeing as many of you as possible join us for these online tests.
We are also planning to fix many of the crashes that have been reported in the last playtest so watch out for an update later this week.
Here are a number of changes we’re making to Hela’s basin based on player feedback
Towers must be destroyed in order starting from A to B, and then the reactor
Removed manable turrets near the fusion towers.
Lowered the large doors to stop towers from being hit from a distance
Improved Marauder turrets to give them a better range of angles to attack
Increased the speed of the Marauder
Increased max ceiling
Added an indestructible defending manable turret with 12 lasers
We hope to see you on the battlefield!
Robo Herald 1st of June 2023
100,000 Wishlists On Steam! Thank You For Your Support!
Hello Robocrafters!
Robocraft 2 has hit 100,000 wishlists on Steam! This is an absolutely incredible number and everyone on the team would like to thank you for all of your support. Wishlisting the game really helps us in so many ways as an indie dev and we can’t thank you enough for showing your interest in this way.
There have also been over 50,000 players signing up for the Steam Playtest! We will announce more information on when the next Playtest will be available in the near future so stay tuned! There’s still plenty of time to sign up by visiting the Steam page. We will also be opening up the playtest to more regions too!
In addition to this, we have also just passed 7,000 discord members too. Several core members of the dev team talk with the community regularly, and discuss feedback in real-time when we are able to… There is also a ton of memes and fan art over there!
Thank you once again for helping us reach these milestones. We know that there are a lot of eyes on this game and we will be working hard to make a great game for you to enjoy.
One of our most requested features in Robocraft 2 has been mentioned over 900 times on OUR DISCORD!
MIRROR MODE!
We didn't release the original Robocraft with mirror mode, it came a little further into its development but we felt it was important to have Robocraft 2 launch on Steam with mirror mode on day one!
We have a couple of videos to share with you, the first being a look at how mirror mode can quickly build a machine.
And here's a look at how it feels to build using mirror mode
Mirror Mode will be a part of our next Online Steam Playtest and it's not too late to request access on our Steam page. Anyone who's already been accepted into a previous playtest will be granted access to all future playtests so keep an eye on announcements!
Today we wanted to share some new technology with you that we’re working on. Edgewear!
If you’re not familiar with bevel rendering, it allows us to create smoother edges instead of infinitely sharp edges. Here’s an example of how bevel rendering looks while turned off and on.
As part of our focus on improving Robocraft 2’s visual fidelity, we’ve been working on a shader which works with the bevel rendering tech. Here’s a look at a machine which uses the new shader.
Along the edges you can see that the material looks a little different, this is edge wear! This effect is added procedurally in the post-process. It works in a similar way to the bevel, when edges are detected and the effect is added right at the end.
This effect should not slow your framerate because this uses the GPU and the game is currently CPU-limited, not GPU-limited.
As you build with this material type the edges of blocks will combine with other previously placed shapes. Check it out in the video below:
We have re-opened the Steam Playtest. Since the last test, we made some changes to the Main menu flow so players should be able to find building mode more easily.
Anyone who had access to the test before will be able to update the game in their library, You may have to relaunch Steam if it does not allow you to play. If you built during the last test you will still have access to their machines.
We will be running four short Online Battle Tests at the following times
EU Test Times:
Friday 5th of May at 15:00 - 17:00 (UTC) Saturday 6th of May at 15:00 - 17:00 (UTC)
NA Test Times:
Friday 5th of May at 18:00 - 22:00 (Eastern Time) Saturday 6th of May at 18:00 - 22:00 (Eastern Time)
See you on the battlefield!
The Playtest will be deactivated on Sunday after the online battle tests have been completed. We will be running additional battle tests in the future so please stay tuned!
Thank you for being a part of the first Steam Playtest
Hi Robocrafters,
So, we have come to the end of this first Steam Playtest. Don't worry, there will be more to come. We have a huge task ahead of us at Freejam now, to go through all of your feedback, digest it, and do our best to respond to the things you didn't like, the things you'd like improved \ changes, and reflect on the things that seem to be working pretty well.
From everyone at Freejam, a huge huge thank you to everyone who downloaded, installed, built and battled. It has been incredible to see so many new faces online and in the community on Discord. We already have a new update in the works with a new weapon, a reworked Helas Basin 2nd map, Mirror Mode, and the Battle Pass system all in their polish phases at the moment, plus an internal upgrade to the latest version of the Unity game engine.
As soon as we get some big changes into the game we will organise another Playtest and hope to add some additional regions at that time.
Freejam
Thank you for playing the first EU and NA Playtest. 2nd test later today!
Hello Robocrafters!
Thank you to everyone who joined last nights play tests for EU and Notth America! We know there are a lot of other regions we’re unable to play this time, but we assure you, you will have your chance too!
The following online tests are scheduled at
EU: 12:00 UTC time
NA: 13:00 Easter Time
Both tests will last 8 hours long! Once the tests have ended the Playtest will be deactivated. This means you won’t be able to launch the game after this period.
We are then going to have big discussions internally on all your feedback and hope to give you some information on our observations!
We will be running more play tests in the future, make sure to add the game to your wishlist and check out our socials including the Discord to stay up to date with all news!
Thank you everyone! We hope you enjoy playing later today!
