Fractured Planet Update (Hotfix++ Version 0.2.2131.9730)
Since Europa was added we were already thinking our next planet would have to be a 'hot' one. As with a lot of our content in the game, adding Vulcan resulted in building a lot of reusable systems we can apply elsewhere. The end result may have been a new planet, but making gameplay survivable on this fractured planet forced us to expand on several things already in the game:
Planet-Specific Ore Spawn Rates. Previously these were moddable, but not on a per-planet basis. It didn't make sense for a planet as hot as Vulcan to have any ices spawning on it, so now they don't.
Gas Traders. If you can't get gases from ices, where do you get them from? Since we had recently added the trader to the game, it made sense to have traders who sell it.
Trader Profiles. In its first implementation, traders arrival and inventory was completely random. As it was a core part of survival on Vulcan, we needed a bit more control. Through the use of trader profiles we can dictate spawn chances and inventory types, as well as multipliers on buying and selling prices on a per-trader basis.
Landing Craft. With the large crevasses that appear on Vulcan, we had a common issue during playtesting where one or more of your starting crates/canisters could fall through into the abyss never to be seen again. The lander serves as a way to keep all that starting equipment together. Crates and canisters can be removed using the wrench, but cannot be re-attached so be sure the area is clear before you attempt to remove anything. The entire lander can be disassembled using your angle grinder.
Updated Visuals On the art side, we also had to improve some old shader code to support the new ground and lava textures on Vulcan, and took the opportunity to refresh the old terrain on the Moon and Mars.
Scenario Authoring Improvements & 'Incidents'
Besides the aforementioned changes to ore spawn rates and tradeable modding, we also added the ability to spawn Incidents to the game. Currently experimental, Incidents are small script-driven events that can be initiated to provide a little extra flavor (or perhaps challenge) to your Stationeers experience. The event pool is still a bit small and untested for us to be throwing them at you at random as part of the base game, but the dozen-or-so in game now serve as an example to modders what sort of thing is possible for those who want to try their hand at authoring their own. They can be accessed via the in-game pause menu by clicking 'Incidents'.
Viewing/Restoring Save Backups
Despite being in early-access, we've tried to not be one of those games who force you to restart your saved world every time we bring out a significant update. Since it was available for purchase on Steam, there's only been 2 occasions where we've players have been forced to start new worlds - one unfortunately was the stable build prior to this one. While we can't guarantee these won't happen in the future, we have added an in-game menu to view the backed-up versions of your world and allow you to easily load one of them. Lets hope it is never neccessary!
Multiplayer Stability
A lot of work has been done in the past month on optimizing the multiplayer experience. The process of joining servers, especially those featuring large worlds (15'000 objects+) should now be a lot smoother and several items that were not previously synchronized between server and client are now doing so.
Update on Stuttering Issue
As mentioned in last weeks preview post, we're seeing encouraging results from people testing out the latest version of the engine on the experimental branch. Unfortunately, as with any significant engine version change there's a few issues we've got to sort first. We didn't want to delay the whole update any longer, so have decided to get this update out then look at upgrading the beta branch early next week. The engine feature we're enabling to resolve stuttering (incremental garbage collection) is also experimental, so we'll want to ensure it's adequately tested before updating accross the board.
Finally, Thanks.
As always a big thanks to everyone playing the game and providing your input through the Steam Community boards and Stationeers Discord. The Localization team are doing a great job at translating the names of the new things we're putting in the game and your bug reports are immensely helpful for a small team like ours. We know we can't please everyone or implement every crazy idea, but being able to interact with people who are as passionate about the game as we are really makes the whole process smoother and more rewarding. Go forth and try out Vulcan, and we hope your base fares better than Araon's testing one.
Hotfix Version 0.2.2131.9730
Fixed missing network sync on aspects of things that are dependent on atmosphere changes such as engine and furnace burn colour and furnace result tooltip.
Fixed trading lock issue when loading world. Saved and loaded station contact properly
Fixed missing powered display animation for ItemRemoteDetonator.
Fixed Lava sound glitching & reduced range of sound.
Fixed spatialization settings on Sounds for Hard Suit/helmet
Updated the health of the StructureFrame allowing it to withstand more damage.
Updated the point at which the StructurePassiveVent will take damage from Temperature.
Updated the StuctureShuttleLandingPad lighting animations.
Fixed the Rover power button not having a switch animation and missing the light on the button itself when powered.
Fixed broken trader inventory when more than one vending machine connected to network.
Fixed null reference to CableFuse when breaking.
Added TimeOfDay setting to the WorldSettings, allowing worlds to start at different times of the day.
Changed Vulcan's start time to midnight instead of morning.
Fixed Lander tipping over when on a slight angle.
Fixed ItemSprayCanOrange item itself being the incorrect color.
Hotfix Version 0.2.2127.9703
Fixed Lander loading in Vulkan. Spawning Lander 1 meter higher position with upright rotation.
Raised the lava level on the Vulcan planet.
Fixed error related to the in-game name of the ItemRemoteDetonator and ItemExplosive.
Fixed null error which would occur when detonating multiple ItemExplosive's near each other.
Fixed broken ArcFurnace when it's saved while active state
Fixed broken atmosphere
Hotfix Version 0.2.2125.9694
Fixed electric tool issue on client
Fixed null reference in leak visualizer on suit
Version 0.2.2123.9690
Added Lander to the starting conditions for Vulcan to alleviate problem with some starting supplies falling through the cracks in the ground. Crates and tanks can be removed using the wrench but cannot be reattached. The entire lander can be deconstructed with your angle grinder.
Added values for various gas types including 1st pass support on Gas Canisters in Trading (No more NaN's).
Added ability to add/edit custom trader profiles through mods (example found in Data\CustomTraders.xml).
Added Gas Canister recipe list for use in populating trader inventories. Is not used for any crafting machine.
Added first pass of 'Compositions' allowing mod authors to save-out and load-in/spawn saved groups of items, structures and circuits through events.
Added a couple of missing pre-filled spawnable Dynamic Gas Canister prefabs in creative (Pollutants and Nitrous Oxide).
Added ability to set mineable overrides in world settings. Previously the game used one set of ore types and probabilities for all worlds. If a world setting does not contain any override, those original default values will still be used. Mod behaviour for mineables should remain unaffected.
Added first pass of player-invoked incidents to the game. The list of incidents available can be accessed via the pause menu, with individual incidents being invoked by clicking on them.
Added a reference ID to tooltips while wielding the Authoring Tool to help with the authoring of scenarios.
Added TickSpeed to Settings > Advanced > Experiments. It's sleeping time between thread tick and effects on CPU usage.
Added wreckage which spawns when certain structures are damaged/destroyed.
Added new interface within the load world screen to allow loading instead from a backup of the selected world.
Added new terrain textures and materials for Mars and the Moon.
Added new fire particles.
Changed Explosion damage be more forgiving to the terrain.
Improved multiplayer stability by syncing far more information between server and client on load, such as world settings.
Improved multiplayer stability issues stemming from large worlds by streamlining the load process so the client wouldn't attempt to load in too much, too fast.
Improved multiplayer stability by syncing several logic objects that weren't being synced between client/server previously.
Removed several uneccessary network messages being sent to all clients on load.
Fixed issue where battery status would cease to update while in a Battery Charger.
Fixed an issue that could cause the landing pad to be locked on the server but unlocked on clients.
Fixed traders trading type is now serialized allowing for more traders than just the Random one.
Fixed default Gas Canister value & trade values for Gas Canisters. [Thanks Neouni]
Fixed incorrect material applied to Credit Card.
Fixed long-standing bug causing air conditioners to use twice as much power as intended. [Thanks Risu]
Fixed devices occasionally being locked after load due to animations being stuck in a looping state.
Fixed Gas Canisters can now be renamed using your Labeller. [Thanks Risu]
Fixed players becoming stuck on the loading screen if they lose connection while loading.
Fixed bug where ability to mine could be broken if you died while mining. Players can no longer die to get out of mining duties in multiplayer.
Fixed World backups now included the world_meta.xml file.
Fixed addition of hidden characters occurring when using the 'Copy' button inside the IC editor. [thanks Risu]
Fixed tank/crate connection range was too far on the rover, reduced from 100 to 30.
Fixed issue where loading a save with a broken worldsettings.xml file would error and stop loading. Will now show an alert with the location of your broken save. [Thanks Kamuchi]
Fixed ConsoleDebug occasionally causing errors on start [Thanks Duke]
Fixed Incorrect loading text being displayed when joining a server.
Fixed occasional atmosphere replication issue in multiplayer causing Index out of Range errors on clients.
Fixed players are now forced to be the Human species in the tutorial.
COMING SOON: New Planet, Stutter Improvements and more...
It's coming up on a month since our last update, so we thought we'd give you a sneak peek at what is coming up in the next update. It should make its way to stable in the next week or two.
Introducing Vulcan - a tough new challenge for experienced Stationeers. You'll rely on trading to obtain gases as you won't find any ice on this fractured planet. The dense atmosphere of Volatiles and its close proximity to the Sun also mean any Oxygen that gets a chance to mix with the air outside will have potentially explosive consequences.
Internal testing is underway for an upgraded engine version, this will address the infamous stuttering issues that have crept into the game throughout development. As this is still experimental at an engine level it is subject to change, but if it improves the situation then we'll look at rolling it out to the beta branch as soon as possible for public testing.
Additionally, a lot of work has also been done on stability in large bases - particularly in multiplayer. So if you're one of the groups who have had to retire a base around the 15'000 object mark due to players not being able to connect - now might be the time to revisit those bases on the beta branch.
This is just a short summary of the main points, so keep an eye out for the full patch notes when the patch goes live. As always, thanks to everyone playing on the beta branch and keeping us posted with your bug reports and suggestions and don't forget you can check out the Stationeers Discord for the latest patch notes for the beta branch.
Hotfix++ Patch Notes v0.2.2080.9490
We had a couple of technical issues in the previous stable build that didn't present themselves until we'd already added quite a few drastic changes to the beta branch - so consider this a bit of a hotfix with extras!
This bug resulted in games not saving correctly, and requiring a bit of fiddling to get them working again, so apologies to those affected.
Expect the detailed write-up of the new additions once some of the other work surrounding these features is complete.
As always, we'd love to hear your feedback, suggestions and bug reports in the Stationeers Discord!
Hotfix Version 0.2.2080.9490
Disabled floating origin until all side effects can be resolved.
Added ability for Ores to stack when mined via an explosion on the same grid.
Fixed connection problem joining huge worlds in multiplayer. Instruction to spawn objects on network clients was not being throttled, and in the case of large worlds (18000 objects+) attempts to join would likely fail.
Fixed various null exceptions when receiving network messages of non-existant things.
Fixed issue where Grenades failed to explode when taking damage.
Optimized network configurations.
Version 0.2.2077.9476
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.2066.9437
We've got a few new things coming to the beta branch in the near future that could be disruptive, so this is just a small update to get the stable the latest batch of fixes and improvements.
What's Coming to Beta?
The main thing is the implementation of the zero-point shifting we started investigating ages ago. This will allow us to start to push the game futher away from your start point without the risk of bugs caused by dealing with large numbers in object positions.
In addition, we're going to start experimenting with content for the Incident system - which initially will be small challenge events you can invoke via the communications computer. Depending on how these go, we could look at introducing them as part of a random event system to make the standard survival game a bit more interesting, such as short periods of drastic outdoor temperature changes, meteor strikes etc.
As always, keep an eye on the #beta-changelog channel in Discord!
Version 0.2.2066.9437
<*>Added World type (mars, moon etc) to the load game info pane.
<*>Added save world delay of 5 seconds to prevent saving world multiple times when repeatedly pushing the button.
<*>Added Multiplayer and dedicated server support to Trading, however a limit has been put in so only one landing pad used or trader be contacted by one player at a time.
<*>Added Stylized loading screens, with a few options for each base world type chosen at random.
<*>Changed minimum Clearallinterval to 60 sec on dedicated server. Can still be disabled with 0 or -1.
<*>Fixed an issue where a trader would be locked if the person interacting with them were to die.
<*>Fixed an issue where a trader ship would depart when another player tried interacting with a locked trader.
<*>Fixed an issue related to when a player left game while contacting a trader, it would be locked indefinitely - the contact will now be reset.
<*>Fixed "Cartridge wasn't destroyed properly" message on client when server shut down.
<*>Fixed issue where load world screen would not correctly select the first world in the list automatically.
<*>Fixed wrong overwrite popup and workshop file name on save world panel.
<*>Fixed player name in chatting panel. It couldn't get player's name before spawning player.
<*>Fixed save world having a small chance of not properly saving the world settings.
<*>Fixed issue where loading a world that was missing the world settings file would result in an exception error.
<*>Fixed issue where the SatelliteDish was providing incorrect logic values.
<*>Fixed a null sent to clients when the server interacts with landing pad.
<*>Fixed traders de-spawning when still being interacted with (Thanks Clever)
<*>Fixed filters and foods quantities are now the correct value displayed in the trading interface.
<*>Fixed stackable item merging issue on client. It was trying to merge stackable item without authority.
<*>Fixed missing spawn prompt when human is already dead or unconscious. Toggled spawn prompt by ESC key.
<*>Fixed possible null spam and permanent lockout when interacting with a trader. (Thank you Clever!)
<*>Fixed Trading currency not being synced correctly, also the cost of an item is now correctly removed from a credit card.
<*>Fixed Index out of range error caused by the incorrect contact index being passed through. (Trading) Thank you Atom Heart!
<*>Fixed an issue on vending machine where index started from the wrong point. (Thanks Risu)
<*>Fixed Mars scenario gravity, reset it back to -3.7.
<*>Fixed lag spiking when placing landing pad.
<*>Fixed Colliders for each seat in the rover are now sized and positioned around the door handles rather than the door themselves, so they no longer obscure vision when looking out the side windows.
<*>Fixed Issue spawning multiple Rovers in multiplayer upon completion of the structure version, due to a missing server check. This meant that each client in the game at the time also sent a message to the server, telling it to spawn a Rover.
<*>Fixed world setting sync issue and missing planet prefab in saved world. Local world setting wasn't loaded property once joined another server.
<*>Fixed NetworkAnalyser issues when too many cables are connected. It couldn't output data and broke game logic when disconnected a network cable while holding NetworkAnalyser on the other hand.
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.2035.9345*
This patch was a while coming, but I'm sure when you see everything we've got crammed into it you'll understand why!
Trading
The first pass of traders is complete. By using the satellite contact system we added in a previous update you're able to request that traders visit your base to exchange resources. You'll find on your uniform a new slot to store a Credit Card (can be manufactured in the Electronics Printer) that will track your credits obtained via trading. The traders have varied inventories and pricing is based off the materials used to craft items - helped by raw material costs based on the rarity of minerals on your world. You'll need a landing pad and computer with a Communications motherboard in order for them to be able to land. We'll be looking to expand the range of things you can do with these satellite contacts in the future.
Cargo Rover
The first land-based vehicle can now be manufactured via a Kit (Rover Frame) on your Fabricator. This lets you place the foundations and progress through several build-states before you get your completed Rover. They'll require batteries to run and oxygen tanks if you wish to utilize the internal atmosphere. They also have a couple of storage slots on the rear to carry around Dynamic Crates or Portable Gas Tanks which can be attached using your Wrench from nearby.
Species Packs
So as most of you following the game know, we've spent the last few months investigating several large technical refactors as detailed in previous patch notes. Instead of letting our asset backlog grow even further, the art team were tasked with creating something we could implement with minimal programmer input, outside of the already promised scope of the game, to not only gift to the various contributors that have been particularly dedicated to helping the community, but also to allow those who had asked for a way to further support the game the means to do so.
All those in Discord with the rank Community Developer or Community Contributor should now have been sent their redemption keys for one or both of the new species packs. We'll detail these more below, but while they'll be available in any game, only those with the packs will be able to actually take control as one to play with.
The Zrillian Species Pack introduces the Zrilians, who feature a startlingly similar physiology to our own - except requiring Hydrogen to breathe and exhaling Nitrous-Oxide. This makes their ideal breathing environments particularly hazardous, and any attempt to create a breathable atmosphere for both them and humans even more-so.
The Hazardous Environment Mechanical Droid or H.E.M Droid was created to venture into the most dangerous areas of space without risking human life. They don't need to breathe like we do, but need to carefully manage their power usage as they rely on batteries to function. If unable to draw sufficient power from their battery, they'll slowly lose consciousness until they pass out.
The way Stationeers is designed made these gameplay changes incredibly simple to apply. We were able to just make a copy of the existing human lungs and change the gas values it consumed. For the Droids we were able to use our existing power consumption code, but apply consciousness damage if none was available. We already had the fade to black and passing out done for humans, so got that for free!
Modding Fixes and Improvements
We did a pass several long-standing bugs around mod data loading for recipes and items, as well as made all mod data now sync from server to clients on join. This should reduce instances of issues caused by server and client having mismatched mods or mod load orders.
What else we're working on...
As always, we like to include a bit of information about what is being worked on but didn't make it this update. Work continues on the session abstraction, meaning a game lobby will be able to exist independently of the game world. This will smooth the way towards round-based play, as well as other game modes that take place across multiple worlds with the same players/inventories. We're also looking at a large optimization pass on terrain saving/loading to prevent the issue we've currently got where spawning in a lot of terrain can blow out your save size significantly. In addition to this we'll continue to evolve the Rover and trading mechanics, and start looking at expanding some systems that were put on hold so that we could focus on the recent technical refactors - like the incident and expanded scenario system. No doubt this time will also include numerous optimizations and quality of life improvements based on the feedback we receive on Discord.
Last but not least, the potential replacement for the existing tutorial is available for testing on the workshop! We're committed to improving the new player experience in the game, so as soon as we have the last few bugs squashed on this one we'll make it available to everyone.
Hotfix Version 0.2.2035.9345
Fixed missing recipes for Satellite Dish Kit, Landing Pad Kit and Comms Motherboard.
Fixed DLC characters not appearing for players that haven't purchased the DLC.
Changed some of the trader names due to readability issues.
Updated the LandingPads turned off animation.
Fixed robot main menu characters eyes floating about. (Thanks GhostMan)
Fixed world setting data sync and mod issue. It didn't override world setting data(SkyBoxMaterialName, TerrainPrefabName, etc) from mod or saved world.
Updated Localized Text (Current 14th June).
Hotfix Version 0.2.2029.9331
Fixed issue causing many object textures to appear incorrectly.
Version 0.2.2028.9326
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.2005.9159
Our second patch for the week closely follows the pattern of the first. This might otherwise be a hotfix if it weren't for the impromptu addition of another new piece of kit, the new Heavy Mining Drill! We've also replaced the model on the old one.
We've also put in a couple of overlooked aspects of the Arc Welder added in the last update, namely the recipe required to craft one.
This will (hopefully) be the last couple of urgent fixes required for the main branch until we officially release the next major features to the game, so keep an eye on the beta branch and the news page for an announcement in the next few weeks!
Version 0.2.2005.9159
<*>Added particle effect to new Arc Welder.
<*>Added Mining Drill (Heavy). Much more effective than basic mining drill but requires advanced materials to make and uses more energy.
<*>Replaced Mining Drill with new model that looks more consistent. Also is now paintable. Animation improved.
<*>Fixed issue with helmet being visible in first-person view after exiting any entity slot, such as a Chair, Sleeper pod or Rover.
<*>Fixed repeating error when attempting to smelt an item (eg. in the furnace) that has no reagent mixture defined.
<*>Fixed Arc Welder not using power correctly. Now consumes 2kW per weld, which equates to roughly 72 full frames per large battery.
<*>Fixed missing Mode interaction button on both old and new mining drills preventing players from selecting 'Flatten' mode.
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.2001.9148
Another little patch this week, which would typically be a hotfix post if not for the sneaky little addition of the Arc Welder. It'll take a lot of power, but is significantly less prone to exploding. You'll still have plenty of time to explode though, as the materials to craft this won't be available to you until you've been able to smelt some of the more advanced alloys.
Hotfix Info
The most impactful bug we're patching is one where eating something will result in you hearing yourself eating that thing forever, even after loading a new world - and nobody likes a loud eater. Sorry for this one, and doubly sorry it took so long to get the fix across to the main branch!
Work in Progress
Work continues on the Rover and Trading features planned to be live on beta in the very near future, with the Rover just getting an audio pass and some tweaks on some extra features besides just personnel transport. You're able to take the Rover for a spin already if you wish, it can be spawned in creative mode. Keep in mind this is still very much in testing though, so let us know in Discord if you encounter any bugs.
Version 0.2.2001.9148
<*>Added Arc Welding tool. This is a welding tool that uses power, rather than fuel, to weld. Useful for late game. Requires advanced resources, constructed from Tool Manufactory.
<*>Updated Localization Files (Current 14th May).
<*>Added event so that scenario authors can trigger events based on suit temperature changes.
<*>Added event so that scenario authors can set entity nutrition levels.
<*>Fixed null reference exception when displaying tooltip over a structure while holding non-item thing in your hands.
<*>Fixed Error caused when the game couldn't find a player to attach a 'harvested' sound to (in the case of Automated Hydroponics etc). [thanks Eearslya]
<*>Fixed Error on Dedicated Server when it tries to process its own notice message due to not having the same type of chat window as clients. [thanks Eearslya]
<*>Fixed stuck in loading screen when there is a duplicated recipe in ChemistryStation, Microwave, PaintMixer, ReagentProcessor.
<*>Fixed incorrect interaction cursor. It displayed wrong interaction cursor when picking up an item into an empty hand.
<*>Fixed hidden slots items [Thanks Risu]
<*>Fixed null reference exception when reloading world mod on workshop. It didn't clear cached data.
<*>Fixed client unable to destroy with Authoring tool fix.
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.1984.9058
Just a mini-update this week, we're back working on some big features. We'll save a big write-up of these for when they're fully released but a large portion of the implementation is already done, so don't expect they'll be too far away.
Customized Characters
Your customized character can now be set on the options screen and will now be your default for any new worlds you create or join. The menu character will now also reflect these options.
Dynamic Item Deconstruction
You can now destroy draggable items, for those of you sick of excess crates and dynamic canisters cluttering up your little corner of Mars. This is as simple as just targeting them with an Angle Grinder equipped. Any objects contained within the destroyed item will appear in-world, and any gas remaining inside will be released when you cut into it - so be careful as a destroying a pressurized tank will be very dangerous.
Authoring Tool Improvements
A much-requested feature of the authoring tool was the ability to remove objects quickly and completely, without extra cleanup of loose dynamic items being required. You can now do this with the tool wielded by holding down your QuantityModifier key which is C by default.
Coming Soon
These features are still being fully implemented and tested, but to give you a bit of an idea what to expect in our next big update - here:
Version 0.2.1984.9058
<*>Added the ability to see your customized character in the main menu screen.
<*>Added the ability to deconstruct various portable atmospheric devices using the angle grinder.
<*>Added the ability to delete items and structures using the authoring tool. Delete Structures with Authoring tool by holding down the QuantityModifier key (C by default).
<*>Updated Localization Files (Current 17th April)
<*>Improved Destruction of large dynamic items with the Angle Grinder. Now applies to all draggable things, not just atmospheric devices. Also now properly ejects the contents of all slots and atmospheres when deconstructed.
<*>Fixed issue where chute junctions placed directly next to device inputs/outputs would not always 'connect' correctly through save/load. [thanks Risu & Zaneo]
<*>Fixed slot numbering on Battery Charger. [thanks Austin]
<*>Fixed interactable order caused by yesterdays slot number fix on Dynamic Crates. [thanks Rob The Dude]
<*>Fixed issue with DynamicCrate slot ordering. [thanks Sharidan]
<*>Fixed double brown hair issue & not being able to change hair colour without hair.
<*>Fixed authoring tool deletion; you must now hold the modifier key to delete anything, also increased the time it takes to delete from 0.1 seconds to 0.5 seconds.
<*>Fixed facial hair is now displayed on the main menu character.
<*>Fixed bug preventing automatic rotation button from automatically setting values for objects with a single rotation plane that aren't face mounted.
<*>Fixed automatic rotation on FlagSmall.
<*>Fixed atmosphere being released when destroying gas canisters with authoring tool.
<*>Fixed typo in description of bdseal and bdnsal [thanks Andir]
<*>Fixed bug that set IC stack pointer value to 0 on load regardless of what it was when saved.
<*>Fixed Inability to unwrench gas canisters from connectors.
<*>Fixed 'InvalidCastException' when targeting certain objects.
<*>Fixed Object fall-through-world protection. Made more reliable and now removes any forces applied on the falling object in an attempt to prevent any more 'accidents'.
<*>Fixed sleep command on IC only working first time it was called.
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.1954.8891
Still working through the big-ticket technical backlog, but as usual we have a bunch of fixes and your requests that are worth getting into the stable branch. We're also going to endeavour to keep the 'what we're working on' section of these notes going every patch, to more clearly illustrate that what you see in these patch notes every few weeks is not the totality of what has been done since the last update.
Things people keep asking for in Discord
We've added the ability to search for recipes in manufacturing machines. For the IC programmers, we've also added a sleep command. They're small things, but many of you have been very passionately requesting them so we hope you enjoy it.
Audio Improvements
The first of many audio improvements have taken place in the last couple of weeks with the addition of a new team member dedicated to audio. In addition to bringing across some audio functionality from another project at the studio, we've been able to start looking at some of the most noticeable holes in what you hear while playing the game. We'll be experimenting with a lot of the systems and sound, so give us your feedback and keep in mind that it'll be a continually evolving thing as development continues.
New Tutorial on Workshop Next Week for Testing
Work continues on the new tutorial, and we'll look at getting this up on the workshop in the next week as well as making available the documentation for authoring your own tutorials or scenarios. Once it has been thoroughly tested, we'll look at introducing it in the beta branch. As this will ideally be a brand new replacement tutorial, we need to ensure it is a bug-free and comprehensive introduction to the game before it makes it to people playing for the first time.
Work In Progress
Some of these have been posted in past patch notes, but rather than regularly field questions about it in Discord and on Reddit, we'll try post more regular updates for works-in-progress here.
Session Abstraction We're working on a lobby system to break up the multiplayer and the game world. This will allow players to join a game before the world is created. The next step will be the preserve this lobby/player data even while cleaning up the world, then once we support being able to transition into a new one with the same set of people then round-based play is just around the corner.
Optimization While we're trying to leave the bulk of optimization until more of the core features are into the game, occasionally certain things stand-out as being strong candidates for optimization. We've identified a couple of these in the last week or two, so it's too soon to speculate on how impactful they'll be - keep an eye out on the beta branch patch notes.
Audio As mentioned above, the team now has a dedicated audio tech/programmer! The focus in the immediate future will be sounds local to the character (ie. suit noises), with additional movement sounds to go with the just-added footstep ones.
Hotfix Version 0.2.1956.8894
Fixed various side effects of refactoring.
Hotfix Version 0.2.1954.8891
Fixed several missing references to NitrousOxide in tooltips etc. [Credit: Risu]
Fixed issue where randomize on the Character Customization screen allowed invalid selections, which if retained would prevent save games with that character from loading correctly.
Version 0.2.1952.8883
Consolidated Patch Notes v0.2.1914.8736
Another bunch of fixes this update, with a couple of quality-of-life improvements for multiplayer and cable/pipe placement - but a lot of progress on some of the slow-burn features we've been working on for a few months.
Cable/Pipe Merging (pictured)
Rather than having to remove pipes and cables to add additional connections, you can now place cables/pipes on top of each other at which point they'll merge into their larger variant with more connections. No removal required! You will, however, be required to have the normal removal tool in your off-hand - so in the case of pipes, you'll need to have a pipe kit in your active hand and a wrench in the other.
Peer-to-Peer Multiplayer
Some players have issues in multiplayer with port-forwarding and connecting to Steam Matchmaking servers. You can now host a multiplayer game using Peer-to-Peer instead, joinable either directly by IP address on the server list, or by joining off your Steam friends list.
Savegame Improvements
Many improvements were made to the save process, with it now running in a separate thread. This means there will be no game 'freeze' whenever an autosave happens, but it'll still be processing the save data in the background. There will be an indicator on screen to tell you that an autosave is taking place, and you'll be unable to quit the game at this time. There will also be an audible tone when an autosave begins.
Coming soon to the Beta Branch
A sneak peek at the items that will be coming to the beta branch in the next week or two:
Recipe List Filtering We're adding a search box to the top of the recipe selection window on construction machines, helping you find what you're looking for a bit easier.
New Tutorial We have a rewritten tutorial that includes previously overlooked aspects of the game, like Mining, constructing an airlock from scratch, using access control, setting up solar power, status updates and more. This included a lot of foundation work on the system used to create these, so it'll be much easier for us to make additional tutorials on subjects like smelting, hydroponics, more advanced logic automation etc.
Client/Server Recipe Synchronization Instead of the server assuming that the client uses the same recipes, they will now be sync'd to the client when they connect. This will allow for better mod support for multiplayer games, and reduce the likelihood of issues arising when clients are using different languages to the server.
Version 0.2.1914.8736
<*>Added support for alternative custom voice collections (Status Voices)
<*>Added FX sounds when auto-saving
<*>Added Priority option to Existing Audio System.
<*>Added description of lr command on ProgrammableChip.
<*>Added Cables and Pipes will be merged when placed with any existing one in cell if deconstruct tool in offhand.
<*>Added save path to settings. A few player have troubles to save world in "My Documents" folder. Once you change it, it can't be uploaded to steam cloud. You need to copy your save files to other pc manually.
<*>Added Steam P2P which allows to play with your friends under NAT or VPN. There is an option in setting > Muliplay > Enable P2PHost. Once it's enabled, "Advertise Server" option is disabled. Steam P2P isn't compatible with it. You can join friend's P2P host through "Join Game" on steam overlay.
<*>Optimized memory usage when saving world.
<*>Improved Audio Fidelity on Helmet Open/Close.
<*>Improved saving world performance. It indicates saving message at the bottom right corner and can't leave session while saving.
<*>Removed ability to paint LED Light.
<*>Fixed bug that caused arc furnace to output unpredictable substances and quantities.
<*>Fixed missing syntax highlighting for lr and define commands on IC.
<*>Fixed bug that prevented logic from telling the arc furnace to print when new ore of same type entered input slot.
<*>Fixed bug that caused BatteryCellCharger to bring down power network.
<*>Fixed Incorrect value on Max distance causing Powered Sound to Play Everywhere.
<*>Fixed P2P connecting problem when it's already in game. It couldn't connect to P2P Host.
<*>Fixed total thing counts in loading screen. It was always 0.
<*>Fixed batteries in BatteryCellCharger no longer charge one at a time.
<*>Fixed BatteryCellCharger no longer wastes power if more than one battery placed requires charging.
<*>Fixed bug that prevented cables being placed immediately next to ChuteBin.
<*>Fixed null referenced exceptions in Human. Dead player's head animator wasn't set for new connected player.
<*>Fixed bug preventing cables, heavy cables and pipes from being placed in authoring mode.
<*>Fixed LED when placed from painted ItemWallLight kit will now always be white.
<*>Fixed couldn't set LED colour from Logic devices.
<*>Fixed bug allowing heavy cables to be merged into normal cables and vice versa.
<*>Fixed bug preventing painting Pipe Kit.
<*>Fixed an issue where you were unable to continue building some structures after a certain point.
<*>Fixed unexpected error message when player respawns after starting to decay. It respawned twice and accessed to uninitialized data.
<*>Fixed connection problem in password P2PHost. It failed to connect to P2PHost after input password.
<*>Fixed unable to save world when chick npc is spawned. It threw null reference exception.
<*>Fixed bug in which ladder end wouldn't return kit on deconstruction.
<*>Fixed unexpected error log when connect to dedicated server("Spawn scene object not found for 1"). It's side effect of Steam P2PHost.
<*>Fixed bug that prevented placed LED from being painted.
<*>Fixed bug preventing displaying of some Polish special characters.
<*>Fixed null references in HydroponicsAutomated. It tried to harvest potato on game client. Automated harvest is available only on host or dedicated server.
<*>Fixed broken Programmable ChipMotherboard when input enter before click it. It wasn't initialized properly.
<*>Fixed wrong access to GasDisplay. It often happened when removed device from Motherboards.
<*>Fixed wrong access to color swatch. The index was wrong and broke game logic when loading world.
<*>Fixed broken graphics when saving world over read-only attribute files. It forces to remove read-only attributes world save files.
<*>Fixed null reference when closing character creation panel in settings.
