Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy, Adventure, Indie
Shortest Trip to Earth
Easier/Harder Difficulty + Quality of Life Super Update
We are truly excited to unveil this latest batch of hard work. From new difficulty options to upgrading cargo space & saving crew into quick selection UI; this update contains a lot of new features, while also making your life easier and rebalancing many things.
Please read the changelog below for a full overview.
New content & features
Added one new game mode (Beginner mode) and updated existing modes
New feature: Ship module storage can be now upgraded for greater capacity (the storage module is now visible in UI only)
New feature: "warp to system" button in the star map view (in star systems that you can warp to)
New feature: It's now possible to save crew members to empty slots in the quick selection bar
New feature: It's now possible to change the order of the guns in the quick selection bar
New feature (turned off in the beginner mode) "Permanent module damage": a critical hit (~20% of all hits) may reduce max hitpoints of module permanently by 50% (read the in-game help page about permanent module damage for full info)
Improved feature: crew will load their combat weapons even during movement or mid-magazine (previously, reloading was possible only while standing and after emptying gun magazine)
Improved feature: crew role button now opens when hovering over it
Improved feature: selecting a module in loot panel or storage now activates Install/Move command, making placement markers visible
Created new memorial service popup for pets
Balance and related
Multiple starting ships can be now unlocked during a single run
Completing a level may now unlock both a ship and a perk
The Tigerfish starting module set and stats have been improved. It's now a better ship
Made most of the shield batteries better
Reduced amount of intruders for some enemy ships
Updated level 9 ships
Added 2 nuke slots to a small Slaver ship
Rebalanced the toughest enemy fleet in sector 1 (made it less dangerous)
Swapped firefight and repair priorities for repair officers (should fix one navigation overload issue and repairing burning modules issue)
Sector 2 boss won't allow player escape any more.
Besides Cryosleep and Sensor modules, enemy ship crew now also ignores working in Garden and Lab modules during battles
Smugglers now offer much more favourable deals
All non-biotech reactors now also give explosives as scrap
View sector button in sector map is now visible even if warping is not possible.
Rebalanced stats of numerous enemy crew
Updated info & visuals
Updated Tigerfish description
Updated ship health points hover text, it now shows remaining ship max hp and also combined permanent damage
Enemy projectiles now have hover text describing how to prioritize those projectiles for point-defences
SOS button is now animated when the player has no fuel
Module hover box is now moved when over right or bottom screen edge
Sectors text: "Sector info" changed. Minor changes here and there
Updated projectile names
Updated tutorial texts
Artifacts have type icons now
Enemy warp drives are now more closely monitored and "enemy warping" comtip is closed when enemy warping is prevented
Added help page for permanent module damage
Menu now shows what game mode is currently on Item hover in info panel now has sorting
Crew level up icon now blinking in UI
Most of the item hovers in PlayerPanel are now sorted by +- values
Updated sector summary "perks found" hover text
Changed organics pack avatar colour to green
Moved craftable container modules from Essential to Cargo group
Fixes and Misc improvements
Major fix: idle enemy crew won't leave the ship any more on battle start
Idle enemy crew accidentally outside their ship will now try return to their ship
Fire officers now only see a fire in the same ship the crew is in. Intruders now only pick targets that are player crew and also in a player ship
Fixed DIY bridge scrap cost
Fixed 1 gas giant text
Aiming a beam at an enemy ship without a shield doesn't highlight shield points bar under the ship any more
Enemy warp drives are now more closely monitored and "enemy warping" comtip is closed when enemy warping is prevented
FirstGameLoad scene now shows "Loading..."
6x cryosleep attempted nav-mesh fixes
Game loading is now faster and UI stays responsive (asset bundle loading is now asynchronous)
Ship modules can now be placed and replaced with right-click into storage panel UI
Removed one name from human name pool, reduced level4 boss beam weapon accuracy by 1
Fixed a bug that caused all game modes to apply beginner starting resources
Storage UI element animation tuning
Fixed one com channel picture in the tutorial
Fixed sound issues when multi selecting crew so that multiple quick selection slots get selected too
Fixed an issue where drag selecting a crew while it dies caused a drag selection box to not to disappear.
Fight fire command is now a priority over the repair and operate command when hovering a "burning module"
Fixed an issue that tutorial sometimes got beginner mode starting bonuses (when the previous game was in beginner mode)
Repairs stopped comtip is now triggered more reliably when repairing stops
Tune into our liveshow now for the latest addition to our 2019/2020 line-up, never seen before gameplay and the latest trailers.
CLICK HERE! 👇
https://youtu.be/GGWh94Z2p8k
The Next Steps for Development (The "Micro-Roadmap")
Fellow space rogues,
Thank you for your continuous support! Below you'll find a summary of our development plans for the immediate future ("some of us enjoy calling it a micro-roadmap"). Keep in mind that in addition to the things mentioned here, there are literally hundreds of Shortest Trip things we want to work on.
The ones below are just those that we feel good about promising at this moment.
1. New easier & harder game modes 2. Material convertor modules update 3. Ship sensors update 4. Ship doors update 5. ... and we will release new plans as existing ones get completed :)
In addition, today we will be updating the game with several fixes. Read the changelog below to find out all the latest changes (including all updates active since the release of the DLC Shortest Trip to Earth: Supporters Pack)
Updated features
The most resource consuming crew will now be chosen first to be sent to cryosleep (crew panel cryo + button).
Module slot craftable module button hover now shows all the info about craftable module
Added shield highlight when aiming with a weapon that can do shield damage
Damage per minute (DPM) stats added to data shown in ingame ship info panel
Added new game over texts
Updated Nuke targeting. Missing nukes now attempt damaging new target (closest enemy module)
Nukes now self destruct when they reach target position, but nothing is there and no other targets are around
Balance & related
Numerous DIY and Decoy nukes now also cause light module damage on impact.
rebalanced some sos warplife encounters
replaced dangerous explosives smuggler in level 1, updated insectoid fast laser stats
Two ancient gatling guns now consume a bit more ammo
Spider bossfight now always happens from the front
Shops now sell more cheaper explosives
Material convertors that make explosives are now better
Made all cryosleep modules better at healing
Increased crew movement speed during accelerated time
Gave ship HP bonus to many containers
All playable ships now have at least 2 container-only slots
More modules will now give minor ship HP bonuses
Reduced evasion bonus for starting ships and some ECM modules
DIY dronebay repair price is now 15 instead of 20 synthethics
Made medbays a bit faster
Module crafting now takes more time
Greentail nukes now have more hitpoints
Reduced fire damage speed on mostly enemy ships
Slightly lowered playable ship HP's
Updated enemy boss ships
Rebalanced hostile ship nuke arsenal
Rebalanced sensors, bridges
Slightly increased accuracy of all enemy ships
Slightly reduced deflection of some enemy ships
Gave +1 point defence to 1 slaver ship
Changed 2 slots for Tigerfish, gave better starting point-defence turret
Removed fate bonus from some SOS events
Changed fleet of Sector 1 Style Guardians
Updated HP of squid ships
Red Ripper biotech war animal does not need extra time any more to wake up from cryosleep
Visuals
Container modules that have initial rotation 90 or 270 degrees will now also rotate upright
Science drone perk image updated
removed outdated chat sounds from fleet encounter dialogues
Fixes
Overhauled navmeshes on all modules, fixing some possible "getting-stuck" or navblocker issues.
Optimizations on lev4 boss weapon animations
"Fixed crew panel glitches"
Fixed an issue that starmap clickable area didn't cover the edges in larger sectors.
Re-aligned module slot angles in bluestar ship for better navigation.
Fixed crew permanent leave for all shops and now this action has a special cursor
Three buttons for selecting player crew now fixed
fixed firebomber cannon text
Some tweaks to fueltank artifact graphics.
Fixed weapon-swap exploitability that allowed installing weapons modules into less valuable slots
You can now board The Battle Tiger – a brand new playable ship with unique crew, drones, pets, perks and nukes.
For the fans of the base game, The Supporters Pack gives you a copy of the “Shortest Trip Sketchbook Scribbles” digital collection, as well as the game’s official soundtrack album with one extra hour of original music.
What else is included?
<*> Ten new crew/ drones/ pets
The Battle Tiger starts with VIP crew who sometimes bring along their exotic pets and drones. The ship always starts with a cat and a dog.
<*> Five new nukes and five new modules
Turn your ship into a real tiger by adding custom nukes and modules that not only look cool but will also make your trip to Earth feel like a walk in the park.
<*> Much more exciting content scheduled to be added in 2020! As we continue to support the base game, the Supporters Pack will receive further expansion with new ships, weapons, modules, and more to follow next year.
New Games & Trailers on First Ever ‘Iceberg Ahead’ at Paris Games Week 2019!
Hello to our great community!
We are excited to share with you some big news - today we're publicly announcing a totally new initiative for us: Iceberg Ahead!
On October 29, we will make several major announcements and showcase an assortment of gameplay and trailers for our exciting 2019/2020 line up, via a live-broadcast during Paris Games Week 2019.
Hosted by industry veteran Dan Maher (@MrPointyHead - Inside Xbox), the very first Iceberg Ahead will air next Tuesday, October 29th at 7 PM GMT/3 PM EDT on YouTube and is set to feature more than 10 of our upcoming indie titles - including;
Make sure to subscribe on our YouTube channel so you won't miss the premiere!
During the presentation we’ll be tweeting announcements from @Iceberg_Int, and you can join in too via the official Iceberg Interactive Discord server - where the whole crew will be hanging out and answering your questions!
After the overwhelmingly positive welcome of Shortest Trip to Earth's launch last August, we are excited to share with you our plans for the first DLC of the game. Shortest Trip to Earth: The Supporters Pack will arrive on October 23.
The Supporters Pack adds a new playable ship - The Battle Tiger - with unique crew, drones, pets, perks, and nukes. In the new DLC a copy of the "Shortest Trip Sketchbook Scribbles" digital collection will be included, for those of you who want to take a glimpse into the process of developing The Shortest Trip to Earth!
If you are familiar with the popular Tigerfish-series, you will probably recognize the Battle Tiger, a spaceship designed to transport VIP crew safely through hostile space.
<*> Ten new crew/ drones/ pets
The Battle Tiger starts with VIP crew who sometimes bring along their exotic pets and drones. The ship always starts with a cat and a dog.
<*> Five new nukes and five new modules
Turn your ship into a real tiger by adding custom nukes and modules that not only look cool but will also make your trip to Earth feel like a walk in the park.
<*> "Shortest Trip Sketchbook Scribbles" PDF
Interested in getting to know how Shortest Trip to Earth came to be? Take a look into the development visualized as a collage of sketches and scribbles that span from 2010 to 2019.
<*> Existing music as OST
Composed by four independent musicians, the 23 meditative tracks of Shortest Trip to Earth can be now added in your daily playlist. Keep the good vibes going!
<*> Much more exciting content scheduled to be added in 2020!
As we continue to support the base game, the Supporters Pack will receive further expansion with new ships, weapons, modules, and more to follow next year.
Hello and merry existence again, fellow space rogues!
Todays update will provide all-round gamewide optimizations to many parts of the game, and most importantly rebalances many enemies (making them stronger), including bosses and hostile SOS fleets.
Read the full changelog below for specifics:
New stuff
New (optional) enemy added to sector 7
Added Bluestar victory achievement
Added "current weapons DPM" to Ship stats panel
Removed walls from Atlas warp drive slot
Only one ship can now be unlocked per run
Module actions (move, scrap, store) now disabled when it would destroy the ship due to reduced ship max hp bonus
Module slots upgrade/downgrade button is now disabled if the action would destroy the ship
If there are unused skill points on level start then comtip will ask if it should auto level up crew
Load crew/power profile buttons are now keybindable
Difficulty affecting Rebalances
Gave all Spideraa ships more crew
Sensor module "Sector Radar Range" won't be boosted by crew skills any more
Updated sector 3 boss (now more dangerous)
Gave nukes to sector 4 and 5 boss ships
Made some SOS enemies stronger
Rebalanced pirate and rat ships
Added 2 empty nuke slots to sector 4 boss insectoid ship.
Added 2 nuke slots to sector 5 boss ship.
Added 2 nuke slots to Squid bounty hunter ship
Gave more ammo to 2 smuggler cargo ships
Rebalance bigger squid ships (now stronger)
Visual & Misc updates
Weapons in quick select panel now show READY text
UI improvements
Module jammed status visualizer icons added
Hovering ship health now shows exterior view if done in internal view
Warp module being jammed now uses new effect (it used to use overload effect)
Crew skill level up effect
Added more player choosable UI scales
Added "Duncan" to crew name pool
Added comtip about minimize button for small screens (height <=900)
Damage tokens are now unmarked when leaving a repair shop
All shrinkable windows are now expanded by default
Fixes
Fixed a freetravellers event
Fixed some typos in module descriptions
Fixed crew skill numbers when an item in crew roles panel is hovered
Fixed module slot placement error on lev 10 boss
Fixed 1 perk for endurance, rebalanced some perks
Lovers type cryodream recorder navmesh tuning
Space pods with player crew will never self destruct any more
Fixed an issue that UI scale by default set itself to 0.01 in certain conditions.
1.75x UI scale now uses 1.5 scale cursors
Sector 10 exit is now spawned in the middle of the map
This patch gives you +9 new achievements, modifies existing achievements slightly plus fixes some more issues and glitches. Read the full changelog below and have a merry weekend!
New content
Added 9 new achievements. Updated a few existing achievements.
Added "Cohh" and "Carnage" to human crew name pools.
Rebalances
Removed some core slots from the Endurance ship
Made spideraa fleets stronger
Changed Tigerfish starting crew slightly
Rebalanced 2 nukes
Fixes
Updated "module crafts available warning" hover text
The game now counts retirings as deaths for death count achievements (on perk screen start button press)
Stop fire button fixed
Ship module maxHealth is now saved together with health (fixes minor issues when loading a game that has module prefabs with updated maxHealth)
Hello and merry existence again, fellow space survivors!
Today’s hotfix will bring you numerous quality-of-life updates. Most importantly: significant updates to UI, such as being able to select all wounded crew or drones.
Additionally, DIY tech that can be crafted has been organized into neat categories, and many glitches fixed and optimizations implemented. As a cherry on top of cake, the Gardenship and Bluestar now have the possibility to craft themselves a second nuke slot.
Read the full changelog below.
Various misc & quality of life updates
DIY modules are now organized into neat categories
New options: "Select wounded crew/pets" and "select broken drones"
Crew/power preset save button now requires confirmation, it cancels if not used in 5 seconds
Local warp gates now show in starmap where they take the player
Asteroid hit on starmap won't cause ship to stop any more
Crew that operated labs and gardens will attempt to resume working in them after battle
Added shield point generation speed to Player stats panel
Crew assignments panel can be now minimized
UI buttons that select crew now show more clearly where the selected crew is
Speech bubble "cannot operate" added to crew status visualizer
Some sounds tuning on crew selection
Crew now always tries to go to the nearest module operating spot (should prevent bridge operators changing seats on bridge after loading crew preset)
Weapon and point def loading bar is now coloured yellow while reloading
Added some cool streamer names to human name pool: Nookrium, MetalCanyon, Enter_Elysium, Tortuga Power & Mousegunner.
Renamed crew "assignments" to "roles"
Rebalances
Added 1 upgradeable "undeveloped" nuke slot to Bluestar and Gardenship
Crafting a module now has a delay just like module move/install has
Enemy weapons with accuracy below 16 will now usually target player ship hull centred (after a few shots)
Level 10 boss fight key target is now harder to hit
Made Spideraa ships stronger, made 1 Spideraa laser stronger
Made a Spideraa container better
Starting from second or third sector won't give crew level-up point any more.
Rebalanced slot upgrade costs
Rebalanced bridges. Bridges can now have a maximum of 3 crew.
Rebalanced ship starting stats, engine evasion bonuses, exotic toy perk
All bridges can now be operated by a maximum of 3 crew
Rebalanced sniper guns, now slightly more accurate
Rebalanced 3 ship augmentation perks
Many enemy ships rebalanced slightly stronger, added to human crew lists
Nuke launcher health and nuke projectile health are now always the same. Increased reactor importance and lowered weapon importance for enemy ship AI
Fixes
Level 10 boss won't drop its planetkiller weapon any more
Fixed "lovers met" count shown in game end stats
Fixed Endurance infinite nuke glitch
"Allow ship HP repair" is now saved and won't reset after loading game
Tutorial exit warp gate name is now visible on starmap
Added a fix that completes level 5 when the save game is stuck after winning the boss fight
Boss ships are now always positioned opposite of player ship