Stars End
Updated release date - Monday October 14th
This wasn`t an easy decision... but considering our tester feedback, and the current issues with the server lag - we have to postpone the release to Monday October 14th. We will be missing amazing launch spot that was opened for this Thursday, but we`d much rather have a better game launch, then take advantage of this extra visibility on Steam. Stars End really needs a few more days, and we`ll make good use of each and every extra day...
We`ll have a major update 0.63 tomorrow that should have majority, if not all of the server issues resolved. And we`ll continue pushing with daily updates all the way until launch. We are making giant progress with each passing day, and will have the game in the great shape for Monday.
Meanwhile - we plan to have a major testing event this weekend. With servers fixed, and main bugs resolved - we`ll be inviting more players, as well as all of our current testers to take part. No server resets, crashes, or lag - just pure gameplay weekend!
Really sorry for any inconvenience, but this is for the best - we really don`t want to disappoint anyone with a messy launch.
Stars End: Alpha Update 0.629
As we are crunching towards Early Access launch in 4 days, we have another major alpha update today. We`ll continue with daily updates all the way until launch... well actually I guess we`ll continue with daily updates after launch as well... We`ll rest next year:)
And to confirm Stars End launch is schedule for 3pm EST, on Thursday October 10th. We will have at least 10 official servers live for launch, and can expand with more by Friday evening depending on player numbers.
For now we`ll only keep 1 official server running, as we really want to start trying to max out sever population, and soon try the waiting ques.
And so presenting update 0.629
Server
-Several new servers added covering Europe, Asian and various US locations (offline for now to help stress test just 1 server)
-Major improvements to server stability and performance
-Delay removed on picking up world loot, plants and harvested rocks.
-Loot container function completely revised and should be 10 times faster
-In case of a server crash, server will auto restart and be back online within 30 seconds
-On taking down or restarting the servers all players are now kicked
-Added various commands for controlling official servers booting, shutdown e.t.c
Important Fixes and additions
-Various metal loot including Scrap Metal can now be collected in the environment without tools - located by the big metal structures
-Fixed prologue issues with spawning half way into the Cryo Chamber
-Fixed prologue issues with some players spawning in a floor, or being stuck and unable to continue
-Fixed major issue with main menu getting stuck on the screen when logging into the game
-Fixed major issue with unable to start sawing a log
-Fixed issue with sawing logs (still one problem there - logs disappear too fast)
-Turned off a bunch of items that weren't meant to be craftable yet, like concrete floor e.t.c
-Fixed a bug with closing and opening wood storage container
Misc
-Much faster mining, wood chopping e.t.c animations
-Reduced super sized mech bullet casing when shooting
-All in-game music and sound now properly turns off when exiting to the main menu and will not continue when logging back into the game
-Weight of tutorial Hangar sequence items greatly reduced
-Meat Stew now recovers hunger
-Rain volume decreased
-Copper Added to all asteroids
-Copper also added to the mine (but not working yet - just mine in space using NOVA for now)
Stars End: Alpha Update 0.627
The official servers have been wiped due to an issue in the world data in the previous build.
- An issue with world data not deleting correctly is resolved.
- If the server disconnects, players are now returned to the Main Menu.
- Changed the way picking up an item works to fix an issue with world items getting stuck.
Hotfix 0.626
- Rooms should now disappear from the lobby when the 'server' logs out or is disconnected.
- When opening a menu while gathering or harvesting something, it will be interrupted.
- Changed the way loot containers open - needs testing (could not replicate world loot bug after hotfix last night!)
- Fixed a bug with credits counting higher when dropped
- Fixed some misc server errors
- Updated navigation mesh and some fixes in Orbital, so Mechs don't get stuck in certain areas.
- Repositioned Lt. Shaw.
- Added new stables in Tigon.
- Small fix to the text size in the obtained items window.
- Tigon droid repositioned, new structure and adjustments.
- Redberry Spaceport loads from further away.
- Repositioned Nagus NPC.
- New navpoints for systems, planets and moons
- Mission Waypoint recolored to stand apart from the others.
Hotfix 0.625
- Fixed an error in world loot
- Fixed an error in clan invites going out to players at creation screen
- Fixed an error in vehicle radio
- Increased container loot chances slightly
Game Update 0.624
The test server has been replaced with [Official] US East. More Official servers will be launching later in the day!
Server
- Server issue with vehicles not spawning properly is fixed.
- Server issue fixed where it was making 500 calls per minute.
- Harvested resources should update immediately.
- Loot containers should update immediately.
- Call added a new call for world loot to destroy in the world as soon as the picked up has registered.
Prologue
- Updated Miriam voices.
- Small correction to Miriam dialogue to match voice acting.
- Added Tutorial Spacecraft Items and updated the localization.
- McDerrik's Locker Quest fixed.
- Droid now gives Tutorial Items which cost 0
- Final prologue objective now respawns the player at Redberry Spaceport instead of reverting the quest to the droid.
- 24 spawns setup for New Raleigh Stables and Abandoned Hangar.
- Mission vehicles now delete after 2 hours, and also when the next major objective is completed.
- Polished Drone Mission NPC line (less annoying now!)
- Lt Shaw quest objective now shows correctly on the spawn screen.
Items/Resources
- Added some new crafting audio.
- Updated some plant colliders so they better fit the shape of the plant.
- Small correction to the over encumbered dialogue line.
- Adjusted Base weight and backpacks.
- Additional Item balance adjustments.
- Increased max encumbered level to maxWeight + 1500.
- Removed not being able to move at max encumbered level.
- New Propulsion and Fuel icons.
Environment
- Removed tower in New Raleigh and expanded the stables in its place.
- Fixed terrain overlapping at new raleigh stables.
- Abandoned Hangar Trees no longer spawning in the spaceport.
- Tigon color adjustments - more alien, toxic and different from Beta Prairie.
- Anu Gas Giant is now a bit darker and desaturated.
- Adjusted gravity area in Orbital station to not get stuck in some places of the interior without gravity.
Weapons
- Fixed CombatKnife and Machete not doing damage.
- Adjusted damage amounts for all melee weapons.
- Removed initial silence in axe chop sound. Not it's better synchronized.
- Adjusted all melee attack animation speeds so all match the duration specified in code (1.3 seconds). This fixes some timing problems like attacks sometimes not executing.
Misc
- Clan invite reworked, now a window that stays on screen until you accept or decline
- Horses have 50 default stamina.
- Fixed forward vehicle key issue in input settings
- Capturing Nova requires 3 Power Cells, capturing a Territory requires 5. Capturing Land Vehicles and Horses require 1 Power Cell.
- Localization fully updated with various corrections in different languages.
- Corrected ferryman dialogue
- Fixed errors that happened when buying a Ferry with credits. It wouldn't actually use credits but delete a FerryPass even if the player doesn't have one, causing errors.
- Fixed error that made Ferry not play an AI narration when taking off, also some code refactoring there.
- Localized all Ferry Vendor texts.
- Increased Reset settings button width.
- Removed some audio at the beginnind of the tree falling sound so it matches better with the animation.
- Decreased melee attack duration to 3 seconds and adjusted some timings.
- Adjusted territory claim loading distance and text distance
- Increased LOD Bias for low quality setting.
- Layout fixes to the get loot window. Now it should work on all resolutions and aspect ratios.
- FPS camera is now higher.
Releasing Next Week & 3rd Alpha Phase This Weekend for KW players
Releasing Next Week
After couple of delays - we are glad to say that we are finally getting confident in the current state of the game. Sure - few more days of work ahead, but we can confidently say that Stars End will launch in Early Access next week. We are playing this day by day - and our launch window is Monday to Thursday next week. We`ll announce the exact date on Monday.
Alpha Phase 3 this Friday
The last phase of our Alpha testing will commence this Friday with several hundred new players joining our alpha testers.
If you have applied to join the Alpha test during the past week, you should receive email from us on Friday morning with your key. Please check the Junk mailbox, and if still nothing - email us, forwarding your original application email.
We are accepting applications from players of our previous Kingdom Wars games all the way until Sunday evening, with no limit on numbers. But keep in mind, if you are not a Kingdom Wars player you might not be able to get it (depending on player volume)
3rd phase of Alpha testing will continue all the way until launch next week, and everyone who participates will get to keep full copy of Stars End once it goes to Early Access.
Join our Alpha Test
We are keeping the signups open until Friday morning. Please visit this post, if your interested in helping us test Stars End prior to launch: https://steamcommunity.com/app/623340/discussions/0/2806204040010595016/
Thanks for your help and your support!
-Stars End Team
Stars End: Alpha Update 0.622
The test server has required a wipe due to some world component rewrites. Note: [Offficial] Test Server 2 will be running today with extra network logging, but will be frequently wiped.
Server Optimizations
- World Loot items now run through the World Components System.
- Loot containers now run through the World Components System instead of spawning a network object, which was weighing down the server.
- Environment resources now run through the placedComponents system. (plants, sticks etc)
- Claimed vehicles now expire after an hour unless the ignition is started.
- Timers adjusted across all world spawns and is now independent from component health.
- World Components System reorganised to account for items count and integrity.
- Fixed a performance issue with loading World Components.
- Increased World Components System size to 500.
Items
- Item balance adjustments.
- Some item fixes for vendors.
- Adjusted loot for bear and bug.
Misc
- Adjustments to movement smoothing to be more linear to avoid problems with lots of code that don't handle movement with intermediate values.
- Implemented all the remaining movement inputs through our input manager, and added to the input settings menu.
Adjustments to mobility while encumbered.
- Fixed player not being positioned in the pilot's seat when entering a ship.
- Fixed wrong exit position in Mercantile Fighter and Tigon Fighter.
- Fixed flickering ship headlights.
- Fixed player being dead after respawning.
- Fixed the player being able to have more than 1000 health because health regeneration would be active while invincibility after spawning is on.
- Fixed some bugs with vehicle headlights.
- Disabled Aim IK with a transition when sprinting with certain weapons to avoid weird character poses and smoother character animations.
- Another small fix to headlights.
- Increased max sounds in SoundManager from 4 to 8. Also, if out of sound slots available, it won't interrupt any looping sound. This should fix some circumstances where ambient sound could stop.
- Turns out each ship's bullet explosion was casting shadows. That was a huge performance penalty, so now those shadows are disabled.
- Fixed a bug with vehicles not deleting properly in world components
- Time for notification on top of screen is now 2 seconds, previously 5.
- Fixed a bug where sleep wasnt working when in crouch and prone, sleep now forces the player out of crouch mode.
- Expanded Tigon Hangar and terrain adjustments around the area.
Phase 2 Alpha Testing begins!
We are happy to announce the start of Phase 2 of Stars End alpha testing. After a short delay we are welcoming all the new alpha testers with over a hundred new players joining us today.
If you have applied to join the Alpha test during the past week or two, you should receive email from us today with your key. If you have not heard from us in the next few hours, please check the Junk mailbox, and if still nothing - email us, forwarding your original application email.
Alpha testing will continue for at least one more week, and everyone who participates will get to keep full copy of Stars End once it goes to Early Access.
Join our Alpha Test
We are keeping the signups open, as we will launch Phase 3 of alpha testing by Wednesday evening... Please visit this post, if your interested in helping us test Stars End prior to launch: https://steamcommunity.com/app/623340/discussions/0/2806204040010595016/
Launching this Friday?
We are still hopeful to launch in Early Access this Friday - October 4th. We won`t hide that we think the game could benefit from a few more days of testing, but this Friday the launch window is just too good to miss (a rare window on Steam when no other game of note is being release for a few days). But once again - we will leave this decision to our alpha testers - comes Wednesday night - when we need to make the final call - let us know what you think - is the game ready for EA launch, or not.
Submitting Feedback and Bug Reports
We really hope to hear from you!! In case you encounter any bugs and/or issues in the game, please use our Stars End forum on Steam (http://steamcommunity.com/app/623340/discussions/) to submit your bug report. Also, feedback is greatly appreciated, so feel free to post any suggestions and feedback (including screenshots) on previously mentioned site.
We are also very active on our Discord, and looking forward to hearing what you think about the game: https://discordapp.com/invite/starsend
Thanks for your help and your support!
-Stars End Team
Stars End: Alpha Update 0.621
- Players now dont generate until the server returns a call along with the data, letting the player know its okay to generate, which should resolve to gender and equip issues ingame.
- Players can now enter a vehicle seat!
- Bug with harvesting, swimming, carrying and a bunch of other functions is resolved
- Chat not opening bug resolved
- Reloading bug resolved
- Implemented configurable WASD keys.
- Improved movement a bit, more smooth and more analog (in case we implement joysticks at some point). Also smoothed transitions between walk - run - sprint states.
- Fixed missing texts in several languages.
- Moved NPC Ferryman in Tigon Orbital.
- Compression and resolution adjustments to the textures of the mushrooms in Tigon.
- Winter NPC: removed space suit and added some props around him.
- Removed land vehicle vendor from NewRaleigh generic platform.
- Increased Titan loading distance.
Game Update 0.620
The test server has not required a wipe.
Network Optimizations
- There have been massive server optimizations since the last update, in that alot of player data that was loaded and tracked before is now only loaded in the proximity of other players, reducing load on the server as well as clients. Players at a distance now you use the minimum amount of data required. (The player prefab is now 100kb instead of 8.5mb.) There is always more work to go here but this has been a giant leap towards stable servers!
UI
- Descriptions added to Global Prompt for Items, Unclaimed vehicles and TreeLogs.
- Fixes in Quantity selection window and other places: it won't allow entering wrong values like letters, negative numbers, and numbers that exceed the maximum amount allowed. This avoids several issues related to being able to duplicate all the items you want. PLEASE test buying, selling, splitting, dropping, taking from storage and moving to storage.
- Fixed item amounts going down to 0 while crafting and going back to the previous amount after finishing.
- Adjusted health bar and stamina bar so they precisely reflect actual amount of those values.
- In inventory and crafting menus, scroll lists go back to the top when changing view mode.
- Item information tooltip is now bigger so texts don't get outside the box.
- Fixed item amounts going down to 0 while crafting and going back to the previous amount after finishing. Besides, the remaining amount is now correctly updated.
-Fixed shred timer never starting from 5.
-Inventory and craft scroll go back all the way up when changing category.
Items/Resources
- Item Balance Changes.
- Increased chances of hitting a tree with an Axe.
- Some small improvements and optimizations in tree falling code.
- Decreased sawing time from 10 to 6 seconds.
- Fixed issues with workbench giving "No workbench in range" messages.
- BowDrill ID changed to Bowdrill (testing if the item issue can be resolved.)
- Removed some merchant items that werent ingame yet, and disabled a couple crafting recipes.
- Added a new Bear loot type.
- Fixed a bug in which AIs would never give the last item of loot lists.
- Centered the Axe waypoint in the recently modified trees.
- Trees no longer fall down when entering a new area, unless cut down at that moment.
- Rocks in the Clayton And Tolana Mines now show Navpoints.
Environment
- Water Well Nav point changed from 75 meters to 150 meters.
- Added waypoint to Exchange.
- Abandoned Village spawn chances raised on BP.
- Carrier added in the skies above Clayton Shire.
- Upgraded 'The Hamlet' in Clayton Shire.
- Increased distance between Player Spawn points in BP.
- Tigon Trees: adjusted LOD distances, optimizations, correct wind, LOD transitions, etc.
- BP Trees:
- Created normal static meshes out of the speed tree system. Hopefully no more breaking polygons all over the place.
- Fixed UVs (trunk textures were stretched).
- Repositioned roots (they were inverted and pointing upwards).
- Modified leaves meshes so the polygons have some curvature and have some gradients instead of noticeable flat polygons (also fixes polygon overlapping that made leaves flicker).
- More efficient rendering removing redundant materials.
- Removed a bunch of unsused / duplicated / redundant textures and materials.
- BP Trees now have LOD transitions and are affected by wind.
Prologue
- Moved Miriam and her waypoint to the Exchange.
- Removed old voice lines from Miriam and Ferryman.
- Potential fix for Tigon spaceport fighter waypoint showing for everyone.
- Tigon Frigate should no longer advance the quest until the parts are added to loadout and the ignition has started.
- Mission droid, fuel rewards given reduced to 2 each.
Ferry
- Fixed a big bug in Ferry network positioning causing other players positions to freeze at the takeoff area.
- Ferry Atmosphere FX is back.
- Fixed ferry ramp being too short.
- Ferry warp tunnel FX fixed - forced no motion blur while in boost mode.
- Ferry thruster realigned.
Vehicles
- Nova no longer shows loadout slots except headlights and radio.
- Changed nova spawns to include parts by default.
- Nova spawns in with 70% fuel.
- Randomized land vehicle parts, when spawning in the environment. Will always have around 50% of parts.
Misc
- Fixed camera being to close to the player while sleeping.
- NPC's now grant items properly.
- 30 seconds of protection added for new spawns.
- Fixed a reloading bug firing off on remote players.
- Grazer is a lot more efficient and updates every second instead of every 3.
- Cannot pickup Wood Containers anymore unless they are empty.
- PowerCell required for Territory Capture.