Over the last year, we've launched some pretty major updates to Techtonica: quality-of-life improvements, base building, new machines, expanded narrative, and even custom game settings to fine-tune your gameplay. But we've always said that someday, Techtonica is gonna get weird. Today is that day, Groundbreakers.
Ready to see what's next? Let's dive into the updated roadmap and all the goodies coming in v.05 of Techtonica.
Want to see some sneak peeks of Laser Games? Head on over to our Youtube!
Laser Tag
Ever get frustrated by your friends' and enemies' wild factory builds? Now you can settle those scores and get a little payback in Laser Tag! With two new game modes, we're finally (kinda) adding combat to Techtonica. You're welcome.
Want to know how Laser Tag works? Stay tuned – we'll be revealing the game modes in the coming weeks!
Fast Travel
Laser Tag introduces buildable Nexus points – your new fast travel stations! You'll also find Nexus points at each Production Terminal and Freight Elevator on the Standard Techtonica map.
As long as you’ve got power, you can bounce around the map to your heart's content.
New Laser Tag Arena Map
We’ve custom-built a Laser Tag Arena purely for fast-paced first-person shooter action. With levels built for 1v1, 2v2 games, and free for all gameplay alongside single-player defense, you’ll drop right into combat with your friends and simulated challenges.
New Character and Narrative
Get ready for more story in v0.5: Meet a provocative new character, uncover new areas, and unravel more of Techtonica's secrets. There's lots to share, but I'm not spoiling anything else!
Disco Floors, Glow Floors, and Concrete Ramps
Laser Tag brings the bling! Decorate your factories with light-up floors – choose static colors or crazy pulse patterns. Get ready for a groovy glow-up! And yes, those ramp requests... we heard you loud and clear!
Even More…
What we’ve listed above barely scratches the surface of what’s to come in v0.5. Are you ready to get weird with us?
Roadmap Changes
As we’ve said before during development, the roadmap is a living object that’s subject to change! To make it easier on ourselves internally, we’re taking off the updates past v0.5. They’re still on the way! We are just doing a lot of work to make them happen, and we might have some updates before we get there.
Thanks again for tuning in! We will see you next week with another update for Techtonica. Join our Discord for some memes, dreams, and some sneak peeks at what’s to come.
Techtonica is 20% off right now!
Techtonica is officially 20% off on Steam from May 6 until May 13th, 2024. We've just launched v0.4 with 6 new Game Modes, 80+ custom Game Settings, and 2 new maps!
Before you go, check out this sweet, sweet v0.4 trailer.
Grab the game, tell a friend, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll plan your factories, dig into the terrain, and hotly debate whether or not to turn on Cat Sounds.
Let’s get to work!
Techtonica v0.4 Patch Notes - Super Sandbox is out now!
Welcome to the Super Sandbox update, Groundbreaker.
v0.4 is here! This massive update adds 80+ custom Game Settings, 6 Game Modes, 2 New Maps, and so much more. It's time to fine-tune your gameplay and dive into precisely customized automation.
Before we dig in, check out this sweet, sweet trailer the team cooked up.
Game Modes
The real meat of this update is the nearly 100 custom game settings we have added to make your play customizable in just the way you like. These settings will allow you to change balance, game rules, maps, and more to create your ideal challenge or perfect sandbox.
For those of us who are easily panicked by choice, we have set up six preset modes:
Easy - Reduced costs and rapid progression for casual players. Easier access to narrative events, advanced machines, and upgraded technologies. Achievements are fully available in this Game Mode.
Sandbox - Do whatever you want! The world is yours! No crafting requirements and minimal power consumption make this the perfect mode for getting creative.
Hardcore - A challenge for dedicated and experienced players. Harsh resource rules and merciless limitations will push your factory automation skills to the max. I like to call it the soulslike version of factory games, except you won’t die one million times.
Quantity - A preset inclined towards making larger factories with high quantities of lower-quality machines. Go big or go home!
Quality - A preset inclined towards making smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines. Finesse is mandatory!
Hyper - Appropriate for Groundbreakers who gotta go fast. Increased speeds for nearly everything will empower you to sharply scale and progress your factory - if you can keep up with it!
New Maps
We are so excited to give players new maps for the first time! We would love to add more maps in the future so let us know how you like them!
Mountain King Underhall - The Mountain King Underhill is a brand new, handcrafted map with massive underground caverns and spread-out resources. This map encourages large-scale factory building across the subterranean landscape.
Faithless Void - The Faithless Void is a revamped version of the existing River Biome map you’ve all grown to love, with a few big differences. You'll need to pull out your Omniseeker to find ore veins, as they've been scattered across the landscape and hidden away to encourage more exploration.
Incinerator
We have introduced an incinerator function that allows you to destroy any machines, tools, or base building pieces with maximum prejudice. You may use your already-existing smelters and blast smelters to reduce them into carbon powder. You can also incinerate some basic resources like quicklime and limestone, as well as incinerate carbon powder into less carbon powder. The exceptions to this are cores and components - you’re gonna need those!
Opening Cutscene
Starting a new game drops you into a brand new, fully rendered cutscene with hints at Techtonica lore. What does it mean? That's up to you to decide...
Recipe Changes and Tutorialization Updates
As always, the team continues to iterate and update our existing recipes and new player experience, and that continues in .4. Some of the changes include:
New alternate recipes!
Revisions to early game tutorialization to improve onboarding for new players.
Gathering Kindlevine and Shiverthorn plants now gives raw plants instead of seeds.
New condensed Biobricks and Biobrick Diesel fuel.
We now show ore vein health on veins that have been hit (Please note: Mining Drills dig from the bottom left corner voxels upward, not from the center).
Added Vertical Belt upgrades, and moved those upgrades a tier lower.
And now, without further ado, the complete patch notes.
The Complete v0.4 - The Super Sandbox Update - Patch Notes
Major Changes
The Super Sandbox Update is live! New maps, game modes, and custom game settings have arrived to perfect your Techtonica experience.
6 New Game Modes
Easy Mode - Reduced costs and rapid progression for casual players. Easier access to narrative events, advanced machines, and upgraded technologies. Achievements are fully available in this Game Mode.
Sandbox Mode - Do whatever you want! The world is yours! No crafting requirements and minimal power consumption make this the perfect mode for getting creative.
Hardcore Mode - A challenge for dedicated and experienced players. Harsh resource rules and merciless limitations will push your factory automation skills to the max. I like to call it the Soulslike version of factory games, except you won’t die a million times.
Quantity Mode - A preset inclined towards making larger factories with high quantities of lower-quality machines. Go big or go home!
Quality Mode - A preset inclined towards making smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines. Finesse is mandatory!
Hyper Mode - Appropriate for Groundbreakers who gotta go fast. Increased speeds for nearly everything will empower you to sharply scale and progress your factory - if you can keep up with it!
Two new maps to dig into:
Faithless Void - A sector of great riches for the ambitious Groundbreaker is hidden within what first appears to be a bleak, barren, and timeless landscape. Experience a reimagination of the standard Techtonica map in the dark with some new secrets and challenges.
Mountain King Underhall - A dwarven-inspired paradise of material opportunity. Carve your way through deep rock to uncover a mythological amount of fantastical wealth. Incredible amounts of open space for building to your heart's content.
Almost 80 new settings to change for your game! Including:
Infinite Ore
Ore Per Vein
Dark Mode
Map
Player Speed Multiplier
Ignore Encumbrance
Low Gravity Mode
Big Head Mode
Ragdoll Mode
Hover Pack (Integrated)
Railrunner (Integrated)
M.O.L.E. Speed Multiplier
M.O.L.E. Heat Cost
M.O.L.E. Bits (Integrated)
Mining Drill MKI - Ore Per Dig
Mining Drill MKI - Digs Per Minute
Mining Drill MKI - Unlimited Fuel
Mining Drill MKI - Power Consumption
Mining Drill MKII - Ore Per Dig
Mining Drill MKII - Digs Per Minute
Mining Drill MKII - Unlimited Fuel
Mining Drill MKII - Power Consumption
Blast Drill - Cooldown Time
Smelter MKI - Speed Multiplier
Smelter MKI - Unlimited Fuel
Smelter MKI - Power Consumption
Smelter MKII - Speed Multiplier
Smelter MKII - Unlimited Fuel
Smelter MKII - Power Consumption
Blast Smelter - Cooldown Time
Assembler MKI - Speed Multiplier
Assembler MKI - Items Per Batch
Assembler MKI - Power Consumption
Assembler MKII - Speed Multiplier
Assembler MKII - Items Per Batch
Assembler MKII - Power Consumption
Planter - Speed Multiplier
Planter - Power Consumption Per Plant
Thresher MKI - Speed Multiplier
Thresher MKI - Power Consumption
Thresher MKII - Speed Multiplier
Thresher MKII - Power Consumption
Crank Generator MKI - Crank Duration
Crank Generator MKI - Torque Consumption
Crank Generator MKI - Power Generation
Crank Generator MKII - Crank Duration
Crank Generator MKII - Torque Consumption
Crank Generator MKII - Power Generation
Accumulator - Energy Capacity
Water Wheel - Torque Generated
Research Cores - Points
Research Cores - Cluster Efficiency
Core Composer - Power Consumption
Monorail System - Energy Spike Cost
Monorail System - Power Consumption
Storage Capacity
Conveyor Belt MKI - Item Throughput Per Minute
Conveyor Belt MKI - Power Consumption
Conveyor Belt MKII - Item Throughput Per Minute
Conveyor Belt MKII - Power Consumption
Conveyor Belt MKIII - Item Throughput Per Minute
Conveyor Belt MKIII - Power Consumption
Base Stack Size
Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
Inserter - Use Stacks
Inserter - Power Consumption
Long Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
Long Inserter - Use Stacks
Long Inserter - Power Consumption
Fast Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
Fast Inserter - Use Stacks
Fast Inserter - Power Consumption
Stack Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
Stack Inserter - Power Consumption
Filter Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
Filter Inserter - Use Stacks
Filter Inserter - Power Consumption
Stack Filter Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
Stack Filter Inserter - Power Consumption
No Scan Requirements
No Quests
All Doors Unlocked
All Resources - Free Crafting
Tech Tree - All Access
Crafting Cost Multiplier
Smelter Recipe Cost Multiplier
Base Building - Free Crafting
Base Building - All Access
PT - Resource Cost Multiplier
PT - Energy Cost Multiplier
Core Cost Multiplier
Core Energy Cost Multiplier
Fuel Consumption Multiplier
Power Consumption Multiplier
Power Generation Multiplier
Permabuild
Cat Sounds
We’ve added a new and improved fuel to Techtonica! Biobrick Diesel is a raw, high density gasoline made from compressed Biobricks. Crude and unrefined, but usable as fuel, Biobrick Diesel can be combined with Atlantum, then refined into Infused Biobrick Diesel: A high density gasoline and exceptionally powerful fuel source.
Your journey into Calyx now begins with an opening pre-rendered cinematic! To see this, simply start or host a new game on the ‘Techtonica’ map, and after the loading screen finishes, you’ll be able to view it. But don’t worry, repeat players - it can be easily skipped by holding down any key.
As requested, incineration has been added to Techtonica! Smelters and Blast Smelters can both be used to incinerate items as follows:
Smelters can be used to incinerate Carbon Powder, Quicklime, and Gravel into Carbon Powder.
Blast Smelters can incinerate all Base Building pieces, machines, and tools.
You can then incinerate Carbon Powder into less Carbon Powder, effectively removing it from your factory.
One caveat is that this loop is a bit finicky - you’ll need to remove Carbon Powder after incinerating one item before you can incinerate others.
We’ve retooled the harvesting of Kindlevine and Shiverthorn. Picking up either now gives you raw versions of each instead of seeds, and your Planter and Thresher loop will begin with using Threshers to generate your initial batch of seeds.
Mechanics and Feature Changes
The initial Vertical Belt unlock has been moved one tier lower. We’ve added two upgrades for Vertical Belts - 50 belts high and 100 belts high!
The Water Wheel recipe now requires Shiverthorn Extract, but less metal and time to create. More torque, in less time!
There are two new alternate recipes for Clay production - Advanced Clay from Limestone and Shivertorn Extract, and Mass Production of Clay using Limestone Bricks and Coolant Gel.
Settings, UI, and Performance Changes
The Research Core UI has changed in the Tech Tree. You’ll now see the phrase “Available Research Cores” to let you know what those numbers mean.
Already an experienced Techtonica player? You can now turn off all tutorial notifications - such HUD UI Tips, Floating UI Tips, and CTA UI Highlights - in the Settings menu.
Ore Veins now have health bars once their health drops below 100%.
World Changes
The chests at VICTOR now have fewer types of Base Building parts, mostly so your inventory doesn’t get overwhelmed so fast.
Sparks is more knowledgeable than ever, and her voice lines reflect that. You’ll see some changes to Sparks’ dialogue - especially in the earlier tutorial sections of the game.
Bugfixes
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and does not include all minor bugfixes.
We’ve fixed multiple issues with TAP wires in multiplayer. Scanning TAP wires in quick succession or simultaneously in multiplayer will now function as intended.
We’ve fixed an issue that caused some machines to go invisible. This should happen less frequently!
We’ve implemented a fix for Game Pass PC and XBOX manual and autosaves. Autosaves will save over older slots instead of silently failing when there's no free space in the cloud storage.
Recipes that have been viewed won’t be marked as new upon a reload.
If you place an object on top of the Core Composer, you can now interact with it. Not sure why you’d need Filter Inserters on top of a Core Composer, but you do you.
Autosaves now cycle through instead of rewriting the same file. This happened when loading an autosave that wasn’t the most recent, in case you were curious!
When placing Conveyor Belts, hitting Q now backs out of building instead of going to the Quick Copy menu.
Vertical Belts can now work with hubs, including manual hubs.
Fixed an issue with placing stairs about 17 voxels high. This was caused by the game incorrectly calculating the need for diagonally placed items, in case you wanted to know!
Calycite platforms retain their power status after being replaced with the Replacer Tool.
Non-handcrafted items now correctly update their numbers in the crafting menu.
Paladin will now start talking as soon as you grab his cube, even if you don’t go through the escape hatch. If you want to play this the hard way, it works now.
Dropping from a Monorail Track into the water doesn’t disable jumping anymore. Something something protective UNIHAZ suit.
Erasing Planters no longer gives plants if they weren’t done growing. Nice try, we patched this out.
Respawning no longer creates hovering or shaking issues.
Using copy on Conveyor Belts now retains the variant chosen.
The accumulated power amount displayed on upgrade PT tasks and tips is now correct. 320MJ, not 320000 MJ. That would be crazy, I hope no one did that…
The Filter Inserter can now select Carbon and Kindlevine Bricks.
Thresher icons in ALT mode now represent what is being threshed.
Deleting an HVC cable no longer makes the parts it touches undeletable.
Monorail inventories can now be sorted.
Core Composers now have a Scan Me sign on the Omniseeker.
Various localization fixes.
Known Issues
If you’re playing with a controller, the Clear Copy and Cancel functions are assigned to the same button. This might affect building floors, stairs, and other multiplace items. We’re working on it!
How many developers does it take to change a lightbulb? Apparently, more than we have. Crank Generators might not light up right now.
If you change languages in a custom game, you may need to restart to see the language fully take effect.
Some of the text in the Custom Game menu - when creating a new game - might not appear in other languages.
The header text “Game Settings” on the pause menu may not appear in your language.
Sparks might think your Thresher is powered when it’s not. She’s doing her best, okay?
If you set the M.O.L.E. speed setting to very high, you might experience performance drops, player actions may be significantly delayed, or you might not see the changes to the world that other players make. Saving and reloading will fix this, however!
MDR Powertrims don’t affect the MKII Mining Drill. We’re working on it.
You need to remove the Carbon Powder from incinerating one item before you can incinerate others.
Some Assembler dialogue might play a little too early.
The Pause Menu Custom Game Mode description will not appear in Easy Mode. It’s Easy, you’ll just have to remember that!
If your friend is hosting a custom game, you’ll see all the standard settings in the pause menu. Rest assured, your game is custom, it's just a UI bug.
Conveyor Belt Hubs slow down the movement of items. We aren’t sure why, but something about the little hamsters inside not moving fast enough. It’s about a 14% reduction in speed per Hub.
Players on XBOX consoles wearing headphones might experience the cutscene being extremely loud and low framerate after multiple playthroughs. Your game will be fine, no need to restart once the cutscene is over - and you can skip it. Be careful, please!
On XBOX, the glow for Mining Charges has been turned off. v0.4 introduced a bug that caused them to glow brighter than the sun, so we flipped it off for now.
Techtonica v0.4 Release Date and Patch Preview
It’s official, the Factory Efficiency Update will release tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th!
So, let’s dive into what’s coming in v0.4. Tomorrow, you’ll get more in-depth Patch Notes with the full details.
So, what can you expect in v0.4 of Techtonica?
6 new Game Modes
Two new Maps
70+ Game Settings to customize
An opening cinematic cutscene for Techtonica
Incineration in Smelters and Blast Smelters
New fuel types
Loads of bug fixes and optimization
Have questions? Want to chat about the update with devs and the community? Looking for a place with other spaghetti aficionados? Join our Discord at https://discord.gg/techtonica.
See you Thursday!
The Custom Game Modes coming to v0.4 of Techtonica
Hey there, Groundbreakers!
Are you ready to level up your Techtonica experience with the Super Sandbox Update? With this update, we’re adding more than 80 custom game settings and two new maps to cater to every gameplay style under the sun. Say goodbye to cookie-cutter playthroughs and hello to fully customized challenges and sandboxes.
But wait, hold up - we get it. The pressure of choice can be overwhelming sometimes. That's why we've got six preset modes to get you started. Today, we’re gonna dive into each of those preset game modes.
Easy Mode
First, we've got Easy Mode. Yep, you guessed it! Easy Mode drops you into the regular Techtonica map with settings that make the game… Easier. Encumbrance is shut off, Base Building crafting is free, and the Production Terminals are easier to unlock. It's perfect for casual players who prefer rapid progression and reduced costs.
Plus, you get easier access to narrative events, advanced machinery, and upgraded technologies. And the cherry on top? Achievements are fully available in this mode, so you can chug through Techtonica in a shorter amount of time while still scratching that completionist itch.
Sandbox Mode
Next up is Sandbox Mode. This one is all about freedom and creativity, baby! With no crafting requirements and minimal power consumption, the world really is your oyster. Build whatever you want, however you want, and revel in the pure joy of creation.
In Sandbox Mode, all doors and tech are fully unlocked, there are no quests, and you’ve got nothing to scan. Fuel and Power consumption are turned down in favor of large-scale builds that don’t need a massive power station. Both encumbrance and M.O.L.E. heat generation is shut off, allowing you to dig out the map with ease. And the ore veins? They’re infinite, letting you build the factories of your dreams without ever needing to move.
Hardcore Mode
Feeling brave? Then Hardcore Mode is calling your name. This one is reserved for the most dedicated and experienced Techtonica players out there. With harsh resource rules and merciless limitations, your factory automation skills will be pushed to the absolute max.
Hardcore Mode drops you into the Faithless Void, a version of the River Biome map devoid of light. There are also some world changes in this map, but we’ll let you discover those on your own.
Ore per vein? Miniscule. Machines, conveyors, inserters? They move slowly. Crafting costs? Sky high. And that’s before you even get to unlocking the Production Terminals... That’s a doozy. Quests and scannable items are turned off in this mode, because it’d be nigh impossible. I can’t wait to see a speedrun time for this one.
Quantity Mode
If you think more is better, then Quantity Mode is for you. This preset is tailor-made for those who want to create large factories with high volumes of lower-quality machines. You gotta go big or go home!
Your journey in Quantity Mode begins in the Mountain King Underhall Map, a vast underground network of caverns with sky-high ceilings. Machines will produce a lot less resources in this world, forcing you to build sprawling factories across the large and unwieldy map.
Quality Mode
On the other hand, if you're all about finesse, then Quality Mode has got your back. Here, smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines are the name of the game. Attention to detail is key, so make sure you've got your thinking cap on.
Quality Mode is set in the regular River Biome map, and the settings are tweaked - so you’ll need the bare minimum of machines. The challenge here is that they produce really fast, so your organization will need to be top-tier.
Hyper Mode
And last but not least, Hyper Mode. Are you a Groundbreaker who likes to go fast? Then this is the mode for you. Everything is set to increased speeds, so you'll be sharply scaling and progressing your factory in no time - if you can keep up, that is.
Okay, so these modes look great. But they aren’t exactly what you want. You’re in luck! Every setting can be tweaked after selecting a present. You can also change maps!
We hope you're excited to dive in and try out these modes for yourself. v0.4 is on the horizon, and it’s getting close!
Want to chat about the upcoming update? Hop into our Discord for some memes, dreams, and some sweet debates.
v0.4 is live on Public Test Cave!
We’re opening up the floodgates, v0.4 PTC is live!
Things to know about the PTC
Want to chat about the Public Test Cave? We’ve created a new section on Discord just for you! Do not talk about features, narrative, and anything else you see in the Public Test Cave outside of the PTC channels. There is also a subforum on Steam to discuss PTC content. No one likes spoilers!
Your save files from the Public Test Cave will not work once you switch back to the main branch of Techtonica. Make sure you have backed up your main game before switching!
You can access it by switching branches on Steam. Right-click Techtonica in your library, then select the “Properties” tab which will bring up a new window. Next, click “Betas”, and under Beta Participation, select the Public Test Cave.
As a reminder, the Public Test Cave is a work-in-progress build. Please be aware that PTC game content may not be complete, will contain bugs, and is subject to change.
The features in our updates are accessible in all supported languages; however, due to these features not being finalized, they may not include translations of related in-game text. A 'TEMP' prefix or '???' indicates localized text that isn't yet fully available.
With the how out of the way, let’s get to the what - a brief overview of what you can find on the Super Sandbox update, now available on the PTC.
Custom Games
Custom Games Settings, Presets, and Maps are available from the New Game Menu. We’ve added 80+ settings that players can experiment with, along with two new maps and 6 new game modes.
New maps
We are so excited to give players new maps for the first time! We would love to add more maps in the future so let us know how you like them!
Mountain King Underhall Map - A dwarven-inspired paradise of material opportunity. Carve your way through deep rock to uncover a mythological amount of fantastical wealth. Incredible amounts of open space to build to your heart's content.
Faithless Void Map - A sector of great riches for the ambitious Groundbreaker is hidden within what first appears to be a bleak, barren, and timeless landscape. Experience a reimagination of the standard Techtonica map in the dark with some new secrets and challenges.
Game Modes
The real meat of this update is the nearly 100 custom game settings we have added to make your play customizable in just the way you like. These settings will allow you to change balance, game rules, maps, and more to create your ideal challenge or perfect sandbox.
For those of us who are easily panicked by choice, we have set up six preset modes:
Easy - Reduced costs and rapid progression for casual players. Easier access to narrative events, advanced machines, and upgraded technologies. Achievements are fully available in this Game Mode.
Sandbox - Do whatever you want! The world is yours! No crafting requirements and minimal power consumption make this the perfect mode for getting creative.
Hardcore - A challenge for dedicated and experienced players. Harsh resource rules and merciless limitations will push your factory automation skills to the max. I like to call it the Dark Souls of factory games, except you won’t die 1 million times.
Quantity - A preset inclined towards making larger factories with high quantities of lower-quality machines. Go big or go home!
Quality - A preset inclined towards making smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines. Finesse is mandatory!
Hyper - Appropriate for Groundbreakers who gotta go fast. Increased speeds for nearly everything will empower you to sharply scale and progress your factory - if you can keep up with it!
Incinerator
We have introduced an incinerator function that allows you to destroy with maximum prejudice any machines, tools, or base building pieces you may have created using your already-existing smelters and blast smelters into carbon powder. You can also incinerate some basic resources like quicklime and limestone, as well as incinerate carbon powder into less carbon powder. The exceptions to this are cores and components - you’re gonna need those!
Recipe Changes and Tutorialization Updates
As always, the team continues to iterate and update our existing recipes and new player experience, and that continues in .4. Some of the changes include:
New Alt Recipes
Revisions to early game tutorialization to improve onboarding for new players.
Gathering Kindlevine and Shiverthorn plants now gives raw plants instead of seeds.
New condensed biobricks and biobrick diesel fuel.
We now show ore vein health on veins that have been hit (Please note: mining drills dig from the bottom corner voxels up, not from the center).
Added Vertical Belt Upgrades to the Tech Tree.
Known Issues:
Like we said above, there will be bugs! These are some that we currently know about in v0.4 of PTC.
While playing in multiplayer, it is possible while MOLEing very fast that a player will no longer see the results of their or other players’ digging reflected in their game. This may cause you to drop out of the world map. If you are the host save and reload to fix, if you are a client, leave and rejoin.
Dialog triggers may fire at the wrong time, but should not impact player progress.
Planter timing if you adjust them doesn’t reflect a difference in the inspector UI.
Techtonica now includes more custom game combinations than there are particles in the universe (it’s true, we did the math), so it’s a mortal certainty that some of those combinations of custom settings will work better than others.
Want to chat about PTC? Head to the Public Test Cave channels in our Discord or check out the Steam Sub-forum for PTC!
Let’s get to work!
We've updated the Techtonica Roadmap!
Now that v0.3 has been launched, it’s time for a roadmap update! We’re gonna dive in to chat about all the new updates and content coming to Techtonica, but first, the roadmap.
First, let’s chat about the two new updates on the roadmap!
Super Sandbox
This one is a big one, so let’s break down some of the featured items!
New Game Modes
We’re adding 6 new game modes to Techtonica, including Sandbox Mode and Hardcore Mode. In Sandbox Mode, all handcrafting is free, meaning you can build the factory of your dreams without needing any resources at all.
In Hardcore Mode, everything is, well, harder. It’s like playing the Dark Souls of factory games. May god have mercy on your soul.
Oh, and we’re actually adding Big Head mode to Techtonica. April Fools, it’s real.
New Game Maps
We’re adding two new maps to Techtonica; the Mountain King Underhill map and the Faithless Void.
The Mountain King Underhill is a brand new, handcrafted map with massive underground caverns and spread out resources. There is no scanning for unlocks in this map - all tech is unlocked and just requires cores to achieve it.
The Faithless Void is a revamped version of the existing River Biome map you’ve all grown to love, with a few big differences. The biggest change? The lights are off.
We’ll dive deeper into the game modes and maps in a later post, but those are some of the highlights!
Settings Customization
We’ve added just under 100 customizable settings to modify the game experience or make your own version of Techtonica including but not by any means limited to:
Infinite Ore
Ignore Encumbrance
Free Crafting
Machine Statistic Parameters
MOLE Heat
Yes, you read that correctly. You can now turn off ore depletion for veins, meaning you’ll never have to move a mining drill again! There are millions of combinations of game settings, giving you a new experience every time you open Techtonica. Endless replayability? Check.
Opening Cutscene
We’ve added a swanky new opening cutscene to Techtonica! We’ll let you figure out what it means…
Bug Fixes and additional optimization
We’re chugging along with a whole slew of bug fixes and performance upgrades for v0.4.
Some other stuff for v0.4 that isn’t mentioned…
We’re adding incinerator recipes to smelters and a new fuel type! Regular smelters will be able to incinerate Gravel and Quicklime into Carbon Powder. Blast Smelters will be able to incinerate all machines into Carbon Powder. And both can incinerate Carbon Powder into… less Carbon Powder. You asked, we delivered.
Biobrick Diesel is a new, supercharged fuel with an interesting automation loop. We’ll give ya more details on that soon!
Laser Games, what’s that?
There will be games that involve lasers. We’ll let you speculate on what that means, for now hehe.
What happened to Take Flight?
As we’ve said before, the roadmap is a living object subject to change. As we’ve chugged along through Early Access development of Techtonica, we’ve shifted some timelines for adding things to the game and made changes based on community feedback.
A lot of the items for Super Sandbox were tools being added for future updates, and we realized we could make those public for players to have! We’ve also had a lot of requests for a sandbox mode and wanted to honor that as well. Adding replayability to Techtonica is really important for existing fans and new ones.
The items in Take Flight haven’t been removed from development, either. We shifted that update further down the line as the schedule works better for internal development. So you’ll still be getting the same content (actually, more content), just in a different timeline!
That’s it for this week’s update! We’ll also be launching the Public Test Cave version of v0.4 soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Want to chat about all the upcoming changes? Join our Discord!
See you next week!
Techtonica's New Character Model
Groundbreakers!
As a part of Early Access, we wanted to give the Groundbreaker character model an overhaul. Watch the video below, you won't regret it.
We're adding a new Big Head mode to Techtonica! For all of your bobblehead and ragdoll needs. It's actually really fun and hilarious to play in multiplayer.
We'll have more news on game modes shortly! See you... tomorrow?
Techtonica is 34% off right now!
Techtonica is officially 34% off here on Steam, which is our biggest discount ever. We've just launched v0.3 and there's a ton of new features to sink your teeth into.
Grab the game, tell a friend, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll plan your factories, dig into the terrain, and argue over who has the best layout.
Let’s get to work!
Techtonica is 20% off for a limited time
Techtonica is officially 20% off here on Steam. This sale comes in The Cozy Plant Pack, our latest update, and it will last from February 21, 2024 to February 25, 2024.
Pick up the game, grab some friends, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll build your factories, dig into the terrain, and argue over which plant colors look better.
