Hello Survivors! A new patch for Stranded: Alien Dawn has just landed, including a few bug fixes and minor improvements. Thank you again for all your feedback and suggestions. Keep on reading for the full changelog:
Survivors
Fixed a case in which survivors would sometimes become stuck in an infinite loop when attempting to scavenge an object.
Fixed a rare case in which survivors could sometimes become stuck in loops between eating and awaiting treatment.
Fixes for various cases in which the survivors could become stuck in midair after climbing stairs.
Construction
Fixed cases where construction direct orders in different working areas could incorrectly state that resources are not available.
Introduced optimisations related to placing floors.
Camp flags can no longer be placed under ceilings.
Fixed several issues to improve placement of objects on ceilings.
Robots and Guardians Scenario
Fixed previous version save games in which Hope incorrectly experienced meltdown despite having the "Cognitive stabilisers" trait enabled.
GUI/Text & Controls
Fixed a case where the game would not return to the main menu after pressing Escape.
Fixed case in which opening the Expeditions screen auto enables the visualisation of turret ranges.
Fixed cases in which incorrect status texts appear over animals.
Miscellaneous
Fixed an issue in the PC versions of the game that caused the audio to drop out.
Further optimisation has been completed to improve stability.
Mod Tools
Mod packages can now exceed 4GB.
Fixed some cases in which using mods with entities would sometimes cause crashes or softlocks.
Fixed the "Show Log" mod editor action not working.
Fixes related to mod entity fade distances.
Fixes related to data postprocessing when loading/unloading mods.
Reduced printed messages volume when mod editor is in use.
New modding tools include a Lua Debug Adapter, enabling mod makers to debug mods using Visual Studio Code while the game is running.
A debug executable is provided with this release that enables asserts and expanded testing functionalities when it is used.
The games Lua source code is now installed for reference.
Live Performance of "Elegy For Our Lost Friends"
Listen to the beautiful soundtrack of Stranded: Alien Dawn with this melodious live performance of 'Elegy For Our Lost Friends' by composer George Strezov
A new patch for Stranded: Alien Dawn has just landed on Steam. Thank you again for all your feedback and suggestions since launch.
Keep on reading for the full changelog:
Stranded: Alien Dawn - 1.21.231212
Survivors
● Fixed a rare case when a survivor couldn't dismantle or pick up an item. ● Fixed cases when relaxation routines would not provide survivors with relaxation or happiness buffs. ● Fixed issues preventing survivors from healing animals that were tamed after getting injured or ill. ● Fixed a rare case in which survivors could get stuck outside the map/world. ● Fixed a rare case where a survivor would not board the rescue pod in the Crash Landing scenario. ● Fixed an issue where a crafting station remained reserved for a survivor, but that survivor is no longer present. ● Improvements to the logic for units using surgical automatons. ● Various adjustments to survivors' pathfinding.
Construction
● Improved access points logic for construction and scavenging sites. ● Adjusted structures for the visibility of items such as ceiling lamps for multistorey buildings. ● Furniture can now be placed in front of windows. ● Fortifications, gates, fence doors, and fence gates now snap onto corners or to the centre of tiles in the same way as fences. ● After upgrading a tower, its roof is also upgraded. ● General updates to logic and interface to mitigate instances of devices being wrongly disconnected from the power grid, after they have been moved or upgraded. ● Fixed a case where after upgrading a normal roof to a solar roof, the solar roof would not produce power. ● Adjusted the consistency of requirements for support strength when building and upgrading. ● Removed the ability to place doors leading to a staircase when the wall isn't tall enough for the door. ● Fixed instances where ladders would sometimes exhibit problems due to overlapping roofs. ● Fixed cases where survivors couldn't access construction sites, due to being blocked by a staircase. ● Fixed logic which allowed players to build flooring over a ladder, so survivors will no longer clip through the flooring while climbing. ● Fixed various placement and access issues when building ceilings and roofs. ● Survivors now fall from stairs if those stairs are destroyed. ● Balconies are now destroyed when the wall which they are built upon is destroyed. ● Balconies can now be constructed from the side if they are obstructed below. ● Balconies will now shield stairs beneath them from snow.
Combat
● It is now possible to change the size of the target area when using the missile barrage with a Mech. ● Mechs can no longer leap into shelters. ● Aerial-based hostile units check on each step if they are still outside rooms to avoid situations in which they attack units that are inside. ● Laser pikes and swords now deal piercing damage as well as energy damage, and these energy weapons are now more effective against living targets, having been previously only more effective against robots and structures.
Robots and Guardians Scenario
● Hope will no longer experience meltdowns when the "Cognitive stabilizers" trait is enabled. ● Hope no longer spawns with a Railgun Sniper when playing with the "Random Survivors" rule enabled, due to being a pacifist. ● Hope's body parts are more accurately highlighted in the Health panel after sustaining injuries. ● Fixed an issue where Hope attaining full intellect could sometimes block the resolution of Guardians scenario. ● Henry Caldwell can now avoid some attacks due to his "Close combat specialist" trait. ● Service robots will now run towards distant activity targets. ● Fixed the "Hunter without ranged weapon" notification that would sometimes appear for Harvest bots. ● Battle drones are now able to attack flying enemies such as hummingflies. ● Fixed rare cases when hostile robots would not attack after landing and/or would flee instead of engaging. ● Adjusted Robot Attacks AI. ● Androids are now broken into separate parts upon death.
GUI/Text & Controls
● Added "Scavenge" to the Orders menu. ● Devices pending construction are no longer categorised as being affected by disasters such as solar flares. ● Unfinished items are no longer counted towards finished resources in various notifications. ● Added "show/hide upper floors" option to toggle outlines. ● Streamlined the GUI for roof types within the roof and room construction info panels. Room roofs are on the first row, single roofs are on the second row. ● Added option for Flat roof (ceiling only) construction roofs and rooms. ● Added a direct order to robot stations, providing the ability to rebuild the robot when destroyed. ● The direct order list no longer includes objects from other floors, nor any objects from a different room. ● Fixed the case in which the "resources unavailable" error would prevent the player from using direct orders to construct a device placed while the game was paused. ● Adjusted the promptness of feedback which marks a plant for harvesting after it's fully grown. ● Added option to disable Enemy combat UI, making for a less busy view if set to 'Off'. ● Fixed a case that could result in the "Lead" action for tamed animals failing to render the direction line. ● Fixed the pre-game survivors selector and dialogue being cut off on the right when using lower resolutions and a higher UI Scale. ● PC, PS5 and XBOX Series X|S - Added option for a striped line of sight area visualisation, which is now the default. The original squares visualisation is still available as an option. ● PS4 & XBOX One - Options for UI Scale and Brightness are added to the Video settings. ● Added information for resource output when deconstructing a device and using a controller. ● PC - Implemented a shortcut key [C] to cancel construction.
Miscellaneous
● Fix for various cases in which a tutorial task would be repeated or not displayed at all. ● Adjusted tutorials to complete even if their tasks aren’t executed in the exact order anticipated by the underlying design. ● Fixed cases in which fields would not be fertilised by either survivors or harvest bots. ● Solar eclipses and other disasters now affect solar roofs. ● Snow is now correctly depicted on the tops of roofs. ● Added frames to Photo mode. ● If a survivor is operating a combat mech and Spaceship debris lands in their vicinity, the survivor can now be injured so long as the mech is not protecting them at the time. ● PC - Fixed a rare issue that could prevent the game from saving. ● Steam Deck - Removed "Take Screenshot" button from Photo mode as there is built-in functionality for this via (STEAM+R1). ● Steam Deck - Updated the default Video Preset. ● Additional optimisation, stability, and adjustment of animations.
PC/Steam Mod Tools
● The in-game research dialogue now supports horizontal scrolling for cases in which mods add new research groups. ● The in-game Mod manager now has an option to sort mods by "author". ● The Mod manager search bar now updates the list upon text change if not using a gamepad. ● The Mod editor window now shows the title of the opened mod. ● Fixed cases in the Mod editor where the "Import" button/process sometimes failed to import assets. ● The ADD button in the Mod editor no longer overlaps the scrollbar. ● The scenario tag is updated to include scenarios from other mods. ● Added `Msg(ApplyModOptions)` when loading mod options, to fix the issue where CurrentModOptions are not available. ● Mod items are now loaded during initial Lua loading. ● Renamed Android class to HumanoidRobot, and renamed AndroidStation class to HumanoidRobotStation. ● Added Msg "ModUnloadLua" which is triggered when a mod that includes code is being disabled. ● Fixed disappearing translated texts when saving mods. ● Mod descriptions now support Steam-specific formatting when displayed in-game.
Nominate us in the 2023 Steam Awards!
Hello Survivors,
The Steam Autumn sale has begun and the nominations for this year's Steam Awards are now open and we would love it if you would nominate Stranded: Alien Dawn!
Stranded: Alien Dawn offers an exciting and innovative survival experience where you build and manage a camp of survivors marooned on an alien world, presented in lush and expansive 3D environments. We believe Stranded: Alien Dawn is a fresh and interesting addition to the genre. As such, we'd love it if you would vote for us in the "Most Innovative" category in this year's Steam Awards.
Incidentally, the game is also on sale for 30% off on the Steam Store, so this is an excellent time to pick up a copy for yourself, or maybe gift one to a friend as an early Christmas present: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324130/Stranded_Alien_Dawn/
Stranded: Alien Dawn - Robots and Guardians DLC and Free Update Out Now!
Good news, survivors,
We are incredibly excited to announce that Robots and Guardians is out now on PC, PlayStation and Xbox for Stranded: Alien Dawn! It is time to join a rebel faction on the run from a manufacturing consortium after their rescue of Hope 9000, the galaxy's first sentient android. Collect resources, build out your base, and take control of automatic defences to protect yourself from robotic enemies as you protect Hope 9000's growing humanity and sentience.
Launching alongside Robots and Guardians is a free update with new gameplay features, recipes and items, which will be available for you to use in all of Stranded: Alien Dawn's scenarios. The biggest addition are resource Delivery Drones designed specifically to ferry items around your base, as well as the ability to build multistorey buildings.
Check out the the trailer below and then read on, survivors!
A new scenario: Guardians Experience a brand-new scenario where you guide and manage a group of rebels under threat from a ruthless manufacturing consortium. The rebels are protecting the galaxy's first sentient android, Hope 9000, and her growing humanity, from the people who created her. Cut off and isolated, without immediate potential for reinforcements, you'll have to help the rebels build and manage their needs and defences in order to survive.
Being a sentient android, Hope shares similarities with both humans and robots, while being distinctly different from both. At first she's a blank slate, and can only carry out manual labour and research tasks. As her sentience and skills continue to grow, she'll develop new traits and abilities. There's a lot of flexibility for you to shape and develop Hope as you want, whether it be as an intellectual farmer, or a quick and powerful soldier.
As the manufacturing consortium sends squads of attacking robots, drones and crawler turrets, the rebels will need to build robotic and automated defences of their own. These will be valuable assets in battle and should not be ignored.
New Items and Recipes Included in the DLC are new recipes and items that will be useful for your survivors. They'll be able to equip a new laser sword item, which can be crafted at a bench or looted from attacking robots. There's also a new automated surgical bed that can be used to heal wounds and illnesses, as well as other items like Service Robots, Battle Drones, Defense Bots, and EMP grenades, which you can read more about in the patch notes below.
New Survivor Say hello to Henry Caldwell! This brand new survivor is a battle-hardened war veteran whose missing limbs were replaced by robotic prosthetics. He's been travelling the cosmos on a quest to reclaim and rediscover his humanity, an inspiring testament to his resilience and unbreakable spirit. When deployed in combat he'll fight twice as fast with melee weapons (on account of his robotics), and his overall tolerance to cold and heat will be greater than other survivors.
Free Update In addition to the DLC, we're also rolling out a free update! The biggest new feature in the free update are the resource Delivery Drones. These will automatically zip around your base to collect and deliver resources wherever they need to go, from storage to newly established buildings sites. Their range is quite large, so even a single one can help keep your survivors' home and the surrounding area neat and tidy, as long as they have enough electricity to keep running. Everything in the free update will be available to research and craft in all of Stranded: Alien Dawn's scenarios.
Another free addition we are incredibly excited about is the ability to build multistorey buildings. A new flat ceiling option will be available to let you create up to five interior levels and one rooftop level on your buildings, and new roof shapes gives you more aesthetic control over what your buildings will look like. Your survivors will be able to move between storeys with regular staircases, or you can add ladders or elevators for even more options! If you decide to use the flat ceilings as the top of your house you can place turrets, solar panels, and other useful items on it. There's even a dedicated "Solar Roof" which will provide your building with power.
New recipes and items also include the Advanced Furniture Set, a set of Carbon furniture that provides an increased happiness boost compared to other furniture, a new Carbon Crossbow, a new FLAC Cannon Turret, Improved VR Games, and Improved Carbon Armor.
Robots and Guardians DLC - Expand your Stranded: Alien Dawn experience with a new scenario, new items and features, and a brand-new survivor
Guardians Scenario - Take up the rebel cause as you dive into a gripping new scenario. You have liberated Hope, the first sentient android, and have been forced to take refuge on an uncharted alien planet in the Outer Worlds. Defend against the threat of the ruthless manufacturing consortium aiming to destroy her. Establish and upgrade your base and defences with powerful new technologies to help you and your fellow rebels protect Hope for long enough to achieve full sentience
Hostile Automated Machines - Overcome waves of armed automatons bent on recapturing the consortium’s priceless asset
Service Robots - Craft advanced harvest and service robots, powered by advanced AI Cores, and utilise them to optimise day-to-day tasks
Robotic Defences - Enhance your fortifications with Battle Drones and Mobile Turrets and research the tools your rebels will need to thrive in a more threatening Alien Dawn
Surgical Automation - Automate and expedite your survivors' healing with new surgical automation
New Items - Equip your survivors with new laser swords to help them dominate the battlefield
New Survivor - Add a new survivor, Henry Caldwell, to your group. A battle-hardened veteran who defied the stars, the last pangalactic war claimed his limbs, but he emerged stronger with robotic replacements.
New Steam Achievements - Which will you achieve first?
Free Update - Stranded: Alien Dawn brings even more content for all players
Multistorey buildings - You can now build houses with up to 6 floors
Delivery Drones - New Delivery Drones will help your survivors move resources to and from storage
Carbon Crossbow - Equip your survivors with a new Carbon Crossbow to help them do more damage from a distance
FLAC Cannons - Pesky fliers keeping you down? Give them hell with the new FLAC Cannons
The Free Update Includes
Construction
It's now possible to construct multistorey housing structures, featuring up to 6 floors (including the rooftop).
After researching "Construction basics", the Housing category within the construction panel now includes sub-options for Ceiling, Balcony and Ladder.
The 'Roof' entry within the construction panel now includes new styles and shapes that allow for more variety of roofs.
Supporting floors/foundations are now required to be of equal or greater strength to what is constructed on top of them.
Ceilings provide an effective flat base, so placing a roof now also places a ceiling of the same material underneath if there isn't already one in place.
Stairs, ladders and later, elevators, can be placed to provide survivors with the means to move between different levels.
Stairs now have higher construction priority than other devices awaiting construction on the same floor.
Construction of stairs now also takes into account the minimum construction skill required to utilise higher-level materials.
The rooms tutorial now includes a task to build a second floor, while taking support strength into consideration.
It's now possible to construct 'Brick floors' and 'Brick stairs'.
Fences, fortifications, fence doors and gates now allow snapping to more places on the tile and can be placed at the sides of floor tiles.
Fences can now be placed on floors, under roofs and in rooms.
Added minimum construction skill requirement for constructing metal floors and metal ceilings.
A minimum Construction skill level of 3 is now required for building the Laser and Machine gun turrets.
Research and recipes
Research now includes several new technologies in the following categories:
OTHER > Advanced Furniture, Solar roofs and Elevators
BREAKTHROUGHS > Improved carbon armor and Improved VR Games
Researching Toolsmithing now also unlocks the additional capability to craft Earplugs at a Workbench.
Revised research times for the following:
Laser pistols and Pulse rifles decreased from 3 days to 2 days
Railgun sniper increased from 12 hours to 2 days
Nanotubes printing decreased from 7 to 4 days
Camp management decreased from 24h to 6h
Researching Laser pikes now requires having a survivor with Intellect 3 and Crafting 3.
Technologies that unlock new recipes now require survivors with the applicable skill level to execute at least one of the recipes, for example:
Researching Wooden, Concrete and Carbon fortification requires the presence of a survivor with sufficient construction skill.
Researching Laser pistols, Pulse rifles, Railgun snipers, Laser pikes and Laser swords requires the presence of a survivor with sufficient crafting skill.
Researching Carbon armour and Improved carbon armour requires Tailoring to be researched beforehand, and requires the presence of a survivor with Intellect 4.
Resources and crafting
After Dismantling an item, the resultant output is now proportional to the applicable item's shelf life.
Laser pikes are now made of metal, instead of carbon nanotubes, and crafting them requires Crafting 3 (decreased from Crafting 5).
Decreased the amount of Liquid fuel for Carbon nanotubes production from 20 to 10.
Ore and Carbon nanotubes now decay when left/stored outside.
Several resources now decay if they are left/stored under a roof, and can now be stored in fridges/freezers:
Vegetable oil, Animal fats, Sweet syrup, Distasteful flowers, Hides, Skinbark, Feathers, Raw smokeleaf, Buzzshrooms, Cactus slime, Healing balm, Antibiotics, Manure, Glitter Caps, Dandelion spores, Stimulants, and all beverages.
Unfinished items are separated into categories by type and can be stored in storages corresponding to the finished items.
Increased integrity of tools to prevent them from being destroyed too quickly due to combat.
Increased range of Laser pistol from 15 to 20 meters, and Laser pistol 2.0 from 20 to 25 meters.
Survivors and Behaviour
Survivors now have 2 equipment slots for tools.
Survivors are no longer automatically assigned to a work area if they are within its perimeter when placed.
When a Survivor is recovering it is now possible to select a sleeping spot or bed, and then directly order them to recover health in the selected bed/sleeping spot, even if they are also well rested.
Survivors now additionally check if they have the appropriate clothes for the weather upon waking up and at the start of a cold snap or a heat wave.
Improved task priority so survivors do not look for a new task during the time they are heading to a celebration, such as a wedding.
Increased the priority of Eating, Relaxing, and Sleeping in accordance with Handling, mitigating cases where survivors handle fermentation barrels and furnaces, instead of taking time to eat.
Survivors no longer claim shared beds, preventing other survivors from using them.
Survivors will now venture out to celebrate New Year's Eve despite bad weather.
Implemented new Happiness factors for survivors sitting on chairs and eating at a table depending on their underlying material types.
Implemented new Troubles for the medical conditions of Brain parasites and Sleep parasites.
Disasters, Expeditions and Events
Trees, crystals, and other resilient plant types no longer lose health during the Toxic Ash disaster, mitigating the outcome where all crops could be killed when Toxic Ash occurs during the winter.
Limited the maximum number of Hungry pests to a maximum of 250 units to reduce their impact on performance.
Tachyon source expeditions now have an expiration time and will no longer stack over time.
Trading outpost scenario
Resources that are traded in batches can now be traded in smaller quantities when the player/trader cannot afford the whole batch. Making it easier to maximise the monetary amount of the trade deal.
Buying the "Mech cores" tech now unlocks "Light mechs" and "Combat mechs" for research.
Buying the "Fabricator matrices" tech now unlocks "Food fabricator" for construction.
Dandelion spores are now marked for trading in batches of 10 instead of 1 by 1.
Revised the costs for:
Researching Basic Carbon Armors - decreased the cost from 250000 to 150000
Researching Pulse Riffles - decreased the cost from 150000 to 100000
Carbon nanotubes - decreased the average trading value from 900 to 500
Game rules and options
Implemented a new game rule named 'Fast feet' that applies a 50% movement bonus to survivors.
Added a gameplay option to allow the effect on game speed when animal attacks occur to be set to; Disable Fastest speed, Switch to Normal speed or Nothing
Added a gameplay option allowing the player to increase the number of control circuits above 9, to a maximum of 49.
Added a gameplay option allowing the player to increase the number of levels for activities priority above 5, to a maximum of 9.
User interface and controls
Selecting the icons in the resources panel will now cycle through suppliers for the applicable resource selected.
Added a new overlay to show/hide work areas.
Survivors' equipment is now displayed as icons in their portrait rollover.
Drafted and undrafted survivors are now separated in the info panel to make the selection of all drafted units easier.
For stored resources, the tooltips now indicate the best way to store them.
Storage devices now have the additional capability to provide further agency and information:
Limit the number of usable slots
Limit to one slot per allowed resource
Use this storage first
Implemented red warning notification above the info panel for storage that is set to be emptied
Production devices now have the functionality to Copy/Paste recipes.
It's now possible to select multiple identical devices at once and then set them to mirror the same device.
It's now possible to set devices of the same type but made from different materials to mirror themselves mitigating, for example, the Wooden fermentation barrel being unable to mirror the Scrap metal one.
After selecting a field, the info panel now provides functionality to set a limit on crops to be harvested.
Several adjustments to text, help/tooltips, consistency, and general GUI layout.
Adjustments to the "Tamed animals" UI to display more information and added filters.
Added a new notification to inform when survivors lose skill level.
Tooltips display icons instead of keys for hotkeys
Tooltips provide additional information to explain the requirements for locked construction categories.
The order of the craft buttons in the workbench and soldering bench info panels is now consistent.
Increased consistency of crop icons.
Added help dialogue tabs in the "Help" section (shortcut: F1) for unlocked/researched discoveries, recipes, and resources.
Mechs
Mechs can now be renamed.
The "Mount" button is now available in the info panel when selecting more than one mech.
Survivors now gain Combat experience when killing enemies while operating a Mech.
Reduced the damage dealt by the Light mech to be more consistent with the Combat mech.
The EM Umbrella no longer activates when the survivor is in a mech.
Miscellaneous
Added the ability to bury tamed animals that have died.
Animals born from tamed animals receive a bonus "Domesticated" happiness factor
Gravestones now specify the cause of death.
Concrete tower and Carbon tower now have roofs
Traps no longer activate through fences.
Decreased the rate of malfunctions for 3D printers.
Fixed a rare blocking issue when setting Relaxation time in the Schedule tutorial.
Minor animation, graphics, VFX, and audio improvements and optimisation of dust/sand VFX.
Mod Tools
Added the ability to create new mod items via code/script.
New mod items added:
Robots - Allows editing and creation of robots if the Robots and Guardians DLC is installed
Convert & Import Assets - Enables a number of asset types to be converted to the most suitable formats so that the engine can use the applicable asset and import it to the mod folder. In turn, saving time and improving organisation.
Change property - Allows changing a single property in an already existing preset
Mod editor options added
Dark mode choice
Auto open documentation toggle
Skip intro toggle
Start paused toggle
Fix for loading mod items (with compatibility for old mods) - Mitigates issues related to cases where a mod defines its own classes and then uses those classes for its items. For example, buildings do not place to-be-defined classes on loading, but try to reference them. This mimics the loading order of the base game.
Localisation tables can be generated by the Mod Editor for the strings in the mod, allowing the mod to be translated alongside the Localisation Mod Item.
Universal path for mod resources/files is implemented and the path remains the same without changing in any case, relative to the mod ID instead of the local path. This mitigates issues surrounding paths not being correctly set/removed.
File extensions in all Caps/UPPER CASE for images are no longer supported and images require all lowercase file extension file format to be displayed. This is not explicitly enforced by the editor but is also mitigated by using the "Convert&import" assets mod item.
Added a "Reset" button in Options created by mods.
New large and more user-friendly PLUS button implemented for adding new mod items.
Stranded: Alien Dawn Developer Journal - Worker Robots
Hello again survivors,
We are incredibly excited about the upcoming Robots and Guardians DLC, as well as the new free update! As you know, the free update adds an exciting new feature to the game: automated resource delivery. The new DLC will offer up new servant robots, to help your survivors carry out mundane day-to-day tasks.
Today we're bringing you a new developer journal featuring our friends from Haemimont Games to talk about these new additions.
Let's dive right in:
Hello! We are absolutely thrilled to have you here with us. Could you please introduce yourself to everyone reading? Kalina Kirilova and Bisser Dyankov, producers for Stranded: Alien Dawn
Exciting times for Stranded: Alien Dawn with a new DLC and a free update coming out. What's the general vibe over at Haemimont right now? This year has been amazing! Besides coming out of Early Access and into full release for Stranded, we also released console versions of the game and now we are about to release a great DLC for Stranded with a lot of content for the players! This has been one of the most enjoyable DLCs ever to work on at Haemimont Games – and it shows.
Resource automation via Delivery Drones is coming in the free update, and is a highly valuable addition to Stranded: Alien Dawn - could you briefly talk about the new Delivery Drones and how they work? The delivery drones take away the carrying of resources from the survivors. Our guys spend a lot of time and effort into moving those crates around. The Delivery Drones take those tasks, and once you have them, they will take care of the carrying . They'll need to be maintained, of course. If they break down they won't be able to take care of transportation.
What made you decide to add Delivery Drones? Resource management and resource allocation is an important part of Stranded: Alien Dawn. With the coming of robots into the game world, we decided to ask ourselves what will be the one robot that survivors will want to have. The delivery drone was the most probable answer. On a meta-game level, ultimately what the players manage is the worktime of the survivors. Taking one of the core tasks away really increases the output of your survivors. So this decision made a lot of sense to us from both in-game and meta-game perspectives.
What do you need in order to keep running at peak performance? The delivery drones will come at early to mid-stage of gameplay since they require electricity and electronic components to be built so prepare to do some scavenging if you want one of those in your base! Delivery drones will not consume a lot of electricity, you need just one electricity producer to fuel it and watch it take care of all those resource piles that are lying around.
For players looking to automate their resource delivery, how much can they carry? The drones can carry the same amount as most of the characters, but even one drone is sufficient to make a huge difference in a small to medium sized base since they move faster than the characters. They are top performers mainly because they will tackle the mundane delivery tasks such as moving resources from one storage to another, place the required resources for construction sites and will even carry manure to the farm fields without complaining (they will not do the fertilizing themselves though.)
They zip around pretty quickly and their range seems to be quite large. How far can they travel to pick things up? Can you tell from looking to see what their range is? There is no known limit. They can reach piles in a 200 meter radius without the need to explicitly draft them, but drafting them can take the drones to almost any point on the map. Is there any limit to what these Delivery Drones can carry and where they can take them? They can carry every resource to any storage available in their range.
What's the one advice you'd give players for when they build Delivery Drones? Now that you have the best possible helper for the deliveries, you can go to the Activities tab and restrict all characters from the Deliver activity or set it to lowest priority.
Speaking of automation, for people who pick up the DLC, there are new Servant Robots! Can you talk a bit about them? Once you manage to get your hands on an AI core, you can research even more advanced technologies that will allow you to create your own bots for almost all non-complex tasks. The Harvest bots will plant, fertilize, harvest crops and also mine, scavenge and chop. The Service bots will be able to cook, handle devices, repair, and dismantle stuff. Both of these will also do some delivering of resources if such tasks are available but maybe it’s best to use them for the more complex activities such as baking Buttermelon pies and planting Clothblossom fields. Last but not least, you can also research Defence bots that will protect your base and can be drafted and sent into battle. Just don’t forget to equip them with weapons. There even might be an improved bot left unmentioned that we’ll leave for the players to find.
What made you decide to add servant bots to the DLC? Pure conviction in the human superiority 😉
Are there things these robots can't cook or harvest? The robots will cook and harvest anything the characters can - those amazing looking chef recipes are now just a matter of having the resources and the service bot will handle everything else, even store them in the fridge.
What's the best way to utilise the new servant robots? The correct question should be “Is there a bad way to utilise the bots?” – we cannot think of one. The more - the merrier. Even if you think you ran out of tasks for them – you can always plant more crops, chop more sticks, make more pickled vegetables, and bake more bricks. All those things can be handled by the bots and your characters can focus on the more complex and time consuming crafting, building and researching tasks.
There are some cool new weapons and items coming in the DLC as well, could you talk a little about them? The weapon that the Robots and Guardians players will experience first-hand is the carbon crossbow, since some robotic enemies can come equipped with them. The players with the free content update will have to craft it but it will be available for them as well. This is an improved version of the normal crossbow but still not as powerful as the laser pistol. The new enemies will come with cool new weapons, one of them Is the laser sword that is going to be the new favourite melee weapon since it deals more damage than the laser pike. The robots will not hesitate to use all the advanced technologies in their search, so we also added new EMP grenades to help you immobilize them by stunning them for a bit.
Any final advice or tips to players about to jump into the new Guardians scenario, or checking out the items from the free update? Scavenge the fallen robots; they contain valuable loot. And good luck out there!
On 6 November at 15:30pm GMT, the community team will be joined by developers from Haemimont Games for a run-through of the new scenario, and the rest of the new update on Twitch and YouTube. We'll see you there!
Stranded: Alien Dawn - Free Update Deep Dive
Hey survivors!
A brand-new free update is coming to Stranded: Alien Dawn on 7 November! The game is growing even larger with new mechanics, features, bug fixes, and quality of life additions to expand how you approach and solve the game's various challenges. Alongside the free update we're also launching the Robots and Guardians DLC, which will add a new scenario, new characters, and exciting new additions.
In this overview we wanted to give you a rundown of what you can expect from the free update. These additions will be useable across all of Stranded: Alien Dawn's scenarios and maps.
Read on, survivors:
Delivery Drone
Are your survivors harvesting and creating resources faster than they can carry them? Why not let automation take care of it for them while letting the survivors focus on other matters! The new Delivery Drones, which is available across all scenarios, will allow your survivors to do just that.
The Delivery Drone is specifically designed to rapidly transport resources to and from storage devices. Once the research has been finished, your survivors can build a Delivery Drone Station that will serve as the home of a single drone. If there are resources nearby that a survivor isn't planning to transport themselves, the drone will quickly zip out, pick up whatever needs to be collected, and fly it back to wherever it's needed! They'll even shuttle resources to awaiting blueprints that need materials.
When there's nothing that needs to be transported the drone will wait back at its Delivery Drone Station. Their range is quite long, so they'll even grab things that aren't immediately accessible just outside your base. If you want to keep them restricted to a specific area, just set up an Area Flag and assign the drone to it.
Keep in mind that these drones will require electricity in order to function, but so remember to keep your power grid running smoothly!
Multistorey Buildings
As you've been diving further into Stranded: Alien Dawn your bases have become bigger and bigger, and many have become vast compounds spanning multiple buildings. Now they'll be able to grow even bigger!
Introducing: multistorey buildings, coming in the free update on 7 November! A new ceiling option will allow you to add up to six floors to your buildings. Connect the floors using stairs, or the all new Elevators and Ladders, to enable smooth access and movement between the floors. There will even be balconies for additional decorations and embellishments. Speaking of roofs: we're adding in more roof shapes, giving you even more creative options while building.
Advanced Furniture
Once your multistorey houses have been built, why not furnish them with a brand-new Advanced Furniture set! These improved beds, tables and chairs are all made from highly durable Carbon, and will offer your survivors a greater degree of comfort and happiness than other furniture types. See below for a full list of new furniture:
Carbon cotton bed
Carbon synthetic bed
Carbon chair
Carbon table
Large carbon table
Carbon armchair
Flak Cannons
Remember those flat roofs we talked about earlier? They will look great with new Flak Cannons placed on top of them! These new turrets will offer improved defences against flying enemies that come at your base. Pair them with other turrets for the ultimate base defence, leaving your survivors safe and sound.
Quality-of-life changes
Last, but not least, we're adding in several quality of life changes that will improve your game experience! A new Game Rule will give your survivors a 50% movement speed bonus, letting them move a lot faster than normal. In addition to this you'll be able to expand the number of electricity control circuits beyond 9, as well as increasing the priority range for tasks and activities beyond 5.
One the console side of things we're adding in a performance mode for both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
That's it for the free update overview! We can't wait for you to jump in and check out everything we're adding and changing on 7 November! Keep an eye out for the full patch notes on the release date.
If you're keen to see the new additions don't forget to tune in to a gameplay livestream next week! On 6 November at 15:30pm GMT, the community team will be joined by developers from Haemimont Games for a run-through of the new scenario, and the rest of the new update on Twitch and YouTube. Don't forget to also join the Stranded: Alien Dawn Discord and you'll never miss any news! You can also follow the game on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or join the discussions on Steam and the Frontier Forums.
Stranded: Alien Dawn - Robots and Guardians Scenario Deep Dive
Hey survivors!
The Robots and Guardians DLC is coming to Stranded: Alien Dawn on 7 November, and we can't wait for you all to play it. This DLC adds a brand-new scenario to the game, plus new items, robotic defences, new recipes, and two new characters: the android Hope 9000, the heart and soul of the new scenario, and new survivor Henry Caldwell.
In this deep dive we'll be taking a closer look at what you can expect from the new Guardians scenario.
Let's get started:
Guardians Scenario
In the new Guardians scenario you'll be managing a group of 3 rebels who have recently liberated Hope 9000, the galaxy's first sentient android. Now on the run from the manufacturing consortium that created Hope 9000, the rebels have are forced to take refuge on an uncharted planet to regroup and must now find a way to safeguard the essence of humanity that exists within her.
The rebels have to battle the elements and hostile forces while Hope expands her skills and sentience. The manufacturing consortium will be sending non-sentient robots, combat drones, and mobile turrets to destroy both the rebels and Hope, but luckily the rebels can repurpose the robotic enemies and build robots of their own.
Your group will be on its own at first so choose your starting 3 rebels wisely. Hope can carry out tasks, but you can also have your rebels construct service robots to deal with cooking meals, harvesting resources and more. There's luckily the potential for provisions and help! Your rebels can build a Trading Pod and use it to trade with passing ship, or even find ways to recruit new survivors.
Your main goal for the scenario is to survive long enough for Hope to develop full sentience and attain an Intellect skill level of 10. Conversely, if she sustains irreparable damage, the scenario will result in defeat.
Best of luck, survivors!
Hope 9000
As mentioned, Hope 9000 is the galaxy's first sentient android and a massive scientific breakthrough for the people who created her. She shares similarities with both humans and robots, while also being distinctly different from both.
In the beginning of the Guardians scenario, Hope will be a blank slate. She will share some basic skills with her human companions, but with limited proficiency. She'll be restricted to performing physical activities like harvesting and hauling resources, and Intellect tasks like Research and Observation.
As she accumulates experience and engages with the other characters, she'll progressively unlock new skills and acquire new traits. New traits include things like increased experience, faster movement speed, or increased manipulation efficiency, to name a few. She can even participate in combat if you decide to open up that particular skill. Any damage taken will require the use of Spare Parts to fix her up.
Being a robotic lifeform, Hope 9000 initially won't need sleep sleep, but she does requires energy substances called SilicaEnergel. She can also consume raw Silicon and Liquid Fuel, which come with negative side effects. If you find Energy Crystals we recommend you harvest and store as many as possible, as those are her favourite! Much like her human companions, Hope has a Happiness meter that can be affected by boredom and recreational activities. She'll even have favourite consumables and activities!
Robotic Enemies and Defences
Unique to the Guardians scenario are new robotic enemies. As mentioned previously, the manufacturing consortium is sending everything they have to destroy Hope and the Rebels. Starting off, you'll be facing down combat robots armed with both ranged and melee weapons. Eventually, you'll also be facing down flying Battle Drones and Mobile Turrets. Luckily, the rebels can repurpose these technological marvels for defence.
Your Battle Bots will work the same as any human survivor in combat. You can also leave them as stationary guards focused solely on defence. If you do they will attack any threats that come within range.
Flying Battle Drones are exactly what it says on the tin: When deployed against you they will attack from the air. As defensive forces they'll remain at their respective drone stations until a threat is detected. Then they'll take to the air to engage with both ground and aerial targets. They'll be a fantastic defensive measure against flying enemies, so make sure you have a few backing up your rebels.
Last, but definitely not least, are the Mobile Turrets. These are literally machine gun and laser turrets on legs that can cause devastating damage to your base if you're not careful. They can be very effective siege machines when deployed as enemies, but also very effective defenders when on the rebels' side.
If you're keen to see how all of this works in action we have some exciting news! On 6 November at 15:30pm GMT, the community team will be joined by developers from Haemimont Games for a run-through of the new scenario, and the rest of the new update on Twitch and YouTube. We'll see you there!
Stranded: Alien Dawn - Robots and Guardians Update Coming 7 November 2023
Hello survivors!
We are incredibly excited to announce the Robots and Guardians DLC, coming 7 November to Stranded: Alien Dawn! The game is expanding even further with this exciting DLC, as well as a free update, and we can't wait for you to experience this latest addition to the game. Robots and Guardians will add a brand-new scenario, new and unique robots and drones, and more challenges for your survivors to overcome. Alongside the DLC we're also rolling out a free update that will add new furniture, new weapons, and an automated process for collecting and transporting resources.
These new additions will create an even greater experience, adding more ways for you to play the game and approach different situations. We can't wait for you to dig into everything the DLC and free update has to offer!
New Guardians Scenario
Your skills will be put to the test in this brand-new scenario, where a small group of up to three rebels have rescued "Hope", the galaxy's first sentient android. Now on the run from the ruthless manufacturing consortium that created Hope, the rebels seek refuge on an uncharted planet within the Outer Worlds. Their objective is to safeguard the essence of humanity that exists within Hope.
To achieve their goal, the rebels must overcome hostile waves of automated consortium search parties intent to take back Hope, compromising of bipedal non-sentient robots, drones, and mobile crawler turrets. Luckily, the rebels can repurpose the consortium's technology and can deploy automated defences of their own. While the rebels are fighting, Hope will develop new skills and traits by carrying out tasks around the base, with the ultimate goal of attaining full sentience, and a full Intellect Skill. Be careful though, if Hope sustains irreparable damage the rebels will be overrun by the consortium and the scenario is lost.
New Character: Hope 9000 Hope is the galaxy's first sentient android, and a new character coming to Stranded: Alien Dawn exclusive to the new Guardians scenario. While she shares a lot of similarities with both humans and robots, she's distinctly different from both. She'll need to consume specific foods to restore her energy, but also won't need to sleep (at first), to name a few.
In the beginning, Hope is a blank slate, only capable of carrying out physical tasks (Cut/Mine/Scavenge) and Intellect-related tasks (Observe/research). She's incapable of any other tasks and has 0 skill level for all skills. As she accumulates experience, engages with other characters, and develops her skills, she'll unlock new traits and grow more human as a result. How those traits work will be revealed at a later date, but there will be a lot of flexibility for you to shape and develop Hope as you want.
We can't wait for you to meet Hope and see who she grows into while you protect her evolving humanity.
New Gameplay Features
Robotic Defences
Helping out the rebels in the Guardians scenario are brand-new automated defences, from Defence bots and flying Battle drones to Mobile turrets. While mobile turrets are exclusive to the new Guardians scenarios, the Battle Drones and Defence Bots are available in all scenarios. Check the rundown of the free update below for more information on another type of drone we're also adding! Since you start with only three rebels in the Guardians scenario, these new defensive options are key to surviving against enemy waves. Don't forget to keep your power grid running smoothly so they can recharge.
Non-Sentient Bipedal Robots
Also included in the DLC are non-sentient, bipedal robots. Much like the mechs, these are constructed from AI Cores and other advanced construction materials, and will be available across all scenarios.
These new robots are split into two groups: Defence Bots and Service Bots. Service Bots can carry resources, plant and harvest crops, mine stone, chop wood, scavenge crashed spaceships, repair devices, and even cook food for your survivors! The Defence bots can be equipped with both melee and ranged weapons, and are great for backing up your rebels and survivors in combat. Why not give them the new Laser Sword weapon that comes with the Robots and Guardians DLC?
New survivor
A new survivor is making their way to Stranded: Alien Dawn with this upcoming DLC! You'll get to meet them, and learn more about them, when we're a little closer to launch, so stay tuned.
Free Update Additions
Delivery Drones
Alongside the DLC we're also releasing a brand-new free update, which will add new features, recipes and items to Stranded: Alien Dawn, which will be available in all scenarios. The biggest addition is a resource delivery mechanic in the form of Delivery Drones. These drones are similar to the Battle Drones from the Robots and Guardians DLC, but specifically designed for swift resource delivery, bringing loose resources and items to wherever you want them stored. If there are no resources to transport, the drones will automatically return to their associated command stations.
Multi-storey buildings
While it's been possible to build raised buildings, true multi-storey buildings haven't been a feature in Stranded: Alien Dawn until now. With the free update we're adding the ability to add extra levels to your buildings, letting you have up to six storey buildings. We're also changing up the roof shapes depending on the construction materials, and adding balconies, ladders, elevators, and new Solar Roofs! It will be the perfect way for your survivors to build a lovely home on the alien planet.
New Recipes and items
Your survivors will soon be able to equip exciting new weapons and relax in spiffing new furniture as well! New Carbon Crossbows will be available to research and craft in all scenarios, as well as an advanced furniture set that provides more comfort and happiness to your survivors. We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention the new Flak Cannon turret, which will be more efficient at taking down aerial attackers. No more struggling against flying enemies as they decimate your base.
As we mentioned before, there are more quality-of-life additions and bug fixes coming in this update, so keep an eye out for the full patch notes coming on 7 November. We want to thank everyone in the Stranded: Alien Dawn community for all your support, feedback, suggestions, and bug reports.
Now you can take your survivors on the go with you! We are so excited to announce that Stranded: Alien Dawn is now a Steam Deck Verified game! That means the game is fully functional on Steam Deck, and works great with the built-in controls and display.
We hope you enjoy Stranded: Alien Dawn on Steam Deck!
