The Solus Project
0.63 - Huge VR and low-mid end performance update!
MAJOR
*Massive VR update. Every single aspect of VR was worked on. Tracking is now entirely correct. VR menus exist. VR settings widened. Extra optimizations and so forth!
*Extra rendering sharpening on high end and a lot of additional speed improvements on low end. Super low end now renders without grass and shadows, among various other settings. Ideal for low end PCs, laptops, and VR.
*Bug fixes and improvements throughout. ~30 misc issues fixed and improved.
*New features: Select male/female in a nicely made menu during the intro + an explorer diary menu to re-read all previously found story elements.
*Two optional commandlines were included that might help those of you with freezing loading screens. Please see below for info.
For additional VR info on WIP features see at the bottom
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Rendering
*Low shadow quality now no longer displays any shadows at all, making it considerably faster, giving a significant boost.
*Foliage is now downscale with lower settings. At low world detail no small foliage is visible at all giving a few % boost.
*At Ultra quality the game is sharpened additionally leading a more refined look
*On low end post process effects are now also downscaled leading to more performance gain.
Core
*PDA staying in recording mode for too long after voice events fixed
Incorrect subtitles fixed
*Crafting apply point no longer super big in some scenarios
*Can no longer light plants on fire if they are below 40% in size to prevent tiny crafting apply points
*Subtitles and speech no longer continues during game pauses
*Male voice when shivering or drinking while playing with female voice fixed
*Xbox X button changed to force up the PDA
*Max health set to 1000 instead of 1200
*Backpack pick ups give 3 slots instead of 2 per pick up
*People with freezing level issues or issues with save games not fully reloading can try to start the game with commandlines "-SolusNoGC -SolusLoadDelay" and please let us know if it helps.
Levels
*Landing opening smash-2-rock-sequence now has larger apply points so you cannot accidentally pick up the rocks
*Landing 2 secret gates now open per secret button in a fixed order.
*IP wrong story resolved towards end
*IP less chance (fixed?) Sky One gets stuck on stair case
*FPC2 wrong story resolved right before the sawblades
*Windmill monster now disappears after activating the mill, and reappears later.
*CR extra secret pick up
UI
*Explorer Diary added!! Found in in-game menu.
*Game now has a proper gender selection screen in which you can pick between *Octavia Sken or Octavius Sken, embedded into the intro.
VR
*Now has proper VR main and in-game menu!!
*Intro works in VR!!
*Vive controllers no longer rotate away from player when turning in real life!
*Camera height now correct. Can change between seated and standing by *pressing the reset tracking button in-game (right shoulder button Vive controller).
*Vive controllers now correctly positioned. Raising your hands in real life to in front of your eyes matches the virtual ones
*Vive controllers now have a visual virtual representation in game
*Vive crosshair now shows information on what you are doing in game
*Game understands the difference between Vive and Oculus (WIP)
*Jump a bit higher
*Faster default walk speed
*Xbox controller View/Back button resets view (alongside existing F12, or Vive controller right shoulder)
*Proper crosshair when not using the Vive controllers (Oculus for example).
*Separate head option works again. Can now move independently of head position if option is turned on (default off).
*Game must now be started in either VR or non VR mode. Can no longer switch back and forth. Use -solusVR as comandline.
VR specific notes
*Reset the view with Xbox select button (small button center left) or Vive right controller shoulder button (small round above the large trackpad).
*There is no inventory screen yet. You must still cycle through your items one by one. Crafting is also a bit slower therefore.
*No tutorial windows yet. The game is harder to play in VR due to less feedback and information presented to you.
*No loading screens. When the game loads you will see the default VR view. Just wait, it'll come.
*There are multiple ways of moving, you can control this via the options menu. There is a teleport item you get about 15 min into the first level also. Plus we made pressing the Vive left pad teleport you forward. So you can pick between teleport gun/instant teleport via Vive left pad/normal walking with a configurable walk speed and strafing/smooth rotation/rotating in 45 degree steps.
Let us know how all these changes work out as we are very close to the full release!
Gearing up towards full release and our planned price change
We are also gearing up towards the full release. Which might be a whole lot sooner than you might think! We got more information and a definite date soon!
As part of the release campaign, and for legal reasons, we need to push through the previously communicated full-game price now already a little ahead of the full game. Similar to our game The Ball, the game was always meant to be 19.99, but during Early Access, we stuck to a 14.99 price instead. As written down since day 1 on the Early Access page the price would go up as we transition out of Early Access. That time is now. With the full release around the corner, and the game now offering more than 12 hours of near final singleplayer story content, we feel this is more than worth it for you as the gamer.
Thanks to everyone for your support since we went into Early Access 3 months ago! It has been a great ride, and we are off to the final stretch now!
0.61 - Vive Update
LEVELS
*Ice Path unreadable block fixed
*Ice Path few small floating meshes, and missing ladder part fixed.
VR
*Vive motion controller aiming improved
-More visuals, smoother crosshair movement, and it now detects the craft points correctly.
-Pick up/drop switched from Left trigger to Right trigger and vice versa.
-Items you pick up are now attached to your hand, so you can move around the flashlight and torch freely.
-Forward/backward no longer inverted on left controller.
-Must now press Left or Right on the trackpad of the left controller in order to turn 45 degrees, leading to a smoother experience.
-Right shoulder button now resets orientation. Can use this easily frequently to improve the experience.
*Possibly fixed starting with the wrong camera height though it is not yet perfect.
*PDA backside filled up so you can no longer see missing backfaces in VR.
*Jump bit higher.
*Teleport device scaled down some + fixed shooting orientation when in VR.
Vive Controls overview
Left controller:
Back trigger = Drop items or teleport to
Trackpad = Walk forward backward
Push trackpad left/right = Turn 45 degrees. Can be changed in options.
Side buttons = Jump
Shoulder button = Crouch
Right controller:
Back trigger = Pick up items or shoot teleporting disc
Push trackpad up = Teleporter shortcut
Push trackpad down/left/right = Change PDA mode to different views
Side buttons = Next inventory item
Shoulder button = Reset tracking and rotation
VR launch options changed
To use the game with VR:
1. Opt in to the Experimental VR branch. Right click the game in Steam Properties - Betas - enter password "experimentalvr" and you should see the similarly named Experimental VR branch. Select this one.
2. You may need to restart Steam before Steam understands it needs to switch to the new branch.
3. Right click the game in Steam again - Properties
2. In the General Tab, untick Use Desktop Game Theatre while Steam VR is active.
3. Now run the game using the VR launch option when double-clicking TSP.
We are working continuously to add better VR support but this is an Early Access game, with clearly stated experimental VR within that EA game, for a technology that has only been around for a few weeks. There are tons and tons of issues we hit with anything VR.
We worked for 3 years on this game and we are trying hard to include VR support out of love for trying out to do something with games no one has ever done before (VR), but to have our review score drop by 10% overnight for an issue with the newest of the newest experimental feature, which we clearly state, saddens me deeply :/ Even besides VR problems, the game is super playable in regular PC mode, and offers 12+ hours worth of content and story...
Version 0.6 now live
*Major behind the scene engine upgrade.
--Much faster loading times
--Various deep problems might have been fixed such as alt-tab bugs
--Overall performance gain of 5-10% is expected but requires additional testing and feedback
--Support for Oculus SDK 1.3 and Vive. Received little testing so far however due to time constrains so don't expect it to be rock solid yet. Further fixes coming.
--Stereo renders VR. Scene is rendered once only for both eyes.
*Can now select male or female player voice! Be Octavius Sken, or Octavia Sken! Subtitles here and there still lacking.
*Upon the start of a new game can now select one single special item you took along from the ship for a game-long unchangeable bonus.
*DirectX 10 is now supported (better).
*Improved jumping
*Most achievements can now be gotten. A few are still missing, and a rare few might be bugged..
LEVELS
*FPC1 A doll now appears on returning with the key
*HP and HPC levels various small issues and holes in geometry fixed
*HP repeating audio fixed, which in turn possibly fixes the framedrops in the level.
*Harder to pass the acid lake in HPC
*If you run HPC in the reverse order can no longer have objectives overwrite each other
*Are now given an extra torch before entering Ice Path
*Cable at the start of the game replaced by a cargo net to cut open
CORE GAMEPLAY AND BALANCING
*There is now an alien water bottle, to fix people from encountering water puzzles and not having a bottle. Alien bottle looks cool but is rare. It holds more water than a normal bottle.
*Campfires have a bigger heat range
*Text flickers less when it is warm
*New cheat solpush, teleports you 300 units forward through walls or doors
*New cheat soldebug, shows debug text
*Permanent food and water sources now give twice as much so you need to click less.
*Bear and spike trap also triggered by items or teleporter disc now, so it makes a bit more sense.
*Flamethrower warmer so you can better use it to warm up yourself
*No longer checks for outdoor wind direction when underground leading to improved cave wind readings
*Maximum number of stories you can find in the game now displays correct number (513).
UI
*PDA text slightly smaller to make translations fit more easily
*Multiple fixes to non translating words left and right.
*Cinematic cutscene borders added
*Credits updated
*The under development message top of the screen fades in and out during the game now, to prevent showing it all the time.
VR
*Newest Oculus (1.3) and Vive SDKs
*Crash solved on load. If you still experience crashes ensure that DefaultGame.ini has loading screens UseLoadingScreens=False
*First version of Vive motion controllers. Not perfect yet, but it kind of works. We will improve upon this in the coming weeks. If you wish to play without the motion controllers you must set HMDUseViveControllers=True to False in DefaultGame.ini in the Solus\Config folder. It will fall back on keyboard/Xbox360 gamepad.
*Remember F12 is resetting your view while in VR. Oculus users should do this first before playing as we do not yet distinguish between Vive/Oculus!!
*DefaultGame.ini has a property added to set the camera height + if the game detects it is a Vive running the game, it will force camera height 0. This is a first step to resolve the Vive forcing the wrong height on the game but likely won't fix all problems.
*Chaperone area added for Vive.
*The non VR game is now locked to non-VR only and cannot be toggled while playing anymore. Further VR/Non VR toggling will be removed in the future to make it easier for us behind the scenes.
OTHER
*Particle effects of items more optimized on lower end
*Common FX optimized, in particular on low end and in caves.
*Can now set shadow range with config ini file value for players who want to tweak it
*Intro, extro and main menu background render faster
*UFO has been remade and looks a lot better/fitting.
*You can now also remove most of the dirt spots on the screen if Visor is False.
*Most lens dirt now also hides in VR.
STILL UPCOMING BEFORE FULL RELEASE
*An explorer diary mode where you can re-read all previously found story elements, and get an overview on the number of things found per level.
*Improved VR, in particular for Vive.
Version 0.6 beta testing
Full change log is found in this thread for the time being: http://steamcommunity.com/app/313630/discussions/0/364041432730225313/
Among the more noteworthy changes are permanent modifiers. You can now pick one special upgrade at the start of each game.
Other key changes:
*Performance and loading times improved.
*Oculus and Vive SDK upgraded, and support for stereo rendering.
*Female voice support is in.
*More achievements
Edit: For the Vive crash a fix is coming up, but in the mean time you can modify installdirectory\Solus\Config\DefaultGame.ini and set LoadingScreens=False. That fixes the crashes.
Big patch and Episode 4 soon!
We are happy to announce that Episode 4 will come out for PC this week, as planned. Tomorrow as first step we are going to put up a new beta update to verify that all of our changes are holding up. We have a long list of changes and fixes (detailed list coming tomorrow). For that we will ask your help to see if all is good.
Provided nothing serious surfaces from the beta update, then Thursday Episode 4 will go up for Steam and GOG.
Episode 4 will have the Ice Path. It is a fairly short update this time around, but still provides up to an hour of additional gameplay and an all new environment.
This will be the last update before the full game comes out, containing the final 2 levels of the game. We are almost there!
Thanks for all your support!
The Solus Project Part 3 released - hours more content!
Episode 3 has been released for PC! Xbox following shortly!
In "the Highpoint Expansion" the player will explore the new and very vertical Highpoint island, along with its accompanying massive cave level. Tons of new content is added in this expansion. Over three hours worth of additional story and gameplay is added including a new cave look, acid lakes, dozens of strange flying orbs, a monstrous creature, and last but not least a huge windmill.
The plot thickens as the player ventures ever deeper into the world of The Solus Project and begins to understand ever more of what has happened on the planet.
Alongside the new content a large new patch is included fixing known bugs and balancing dozens of existing features. The patch notes can be found here.
Episode 3 + Version 0.58 now live
The plot thickens as the player ventures ever deeper into the world of The Solus Project and begins to understand ever more of what has happened on the planet.
Patch notes:
MAJOR
Episode 3 content added
Save game format was tweaked to be more flexible for the future! Backwards compatibility was built in but may still lead to unforeseen consequences. Please back up your save games and let us know if you hit any unexpected issues!
Force feedback support added.
Balancing: Text scrolls slower + speed can be set via ini file. Flashlight upgrades give 15% now. Major fix for hypothermia being incorrectly calculated in average temperature environments. While sleeping your body temperature changes less.
Smoke monster also attacks other sources of heat now. You can hide yourself with cold items. Can now recraft the frame device found in the second large cave level.
Ladder behaviour changed.
When climbing ladders you now go down with forward if looking down
Cannot strafe on ladders anymore to lessen risk falling off
Core
Changes to Xbox controller layout
Game now supports force feedback for Xbox controller
Audio now uses 64 channels instead of 32. This fixes all forms of audio noise and restarts but may impose higher demands on PC. Please keep an eye out for any problems here.
PDA Story text reading slower
PDA story text read speed can also be manually set via game.ini
Communication tower parts now correctly saved and loaded on levels other than Crossroads.
Swords can also open cans of food now
Smoke Monster now also attacks heat crystals, and can now no longer see the player if the player holds a cold emitting item. Upon attacking a heat device it also allows for the heat device to be emptied and return to its shell state thereby allowing you to craft a different kind of device next time around.
Glitched torch problem fixes where lighting one torch with another could result in unusable torches in some scenarios.
Ocean reflections now a lot faster to render, and due to that ocean reflection sharpness increased
Game has better check for when you are outdoors, resulting in less stoppage of rain in places where it doesn't make sense
Sky One disappears in a cloud of smoke now.
Flamethrower ignites items you hold better
All items are less likely to fall through the ground now. May impact performance. Please keep an eye out on it.
Balancing
Buffs go down 60% slower
Can fall 15% further without taking damage (fall damage currently starts at 3 meter 80).
Weather now mostly ignores Slow Day Night cycle setting. Weather changes 50% slower in Slow Day/Night but does still change unlike before.
Battery upgrades flashlight extended from 10 to 15% per upgrade.
Flashlight loses power slower if difficulty is easy or if slow day and night is enabled
Can jump 10% higher and accelerate slightly faster when walking
Warmth crystals in the levels give off a bit more heat.
While sleeping temperature stays more stable
Serious calculation error fixed in hypothermia recovery rates when in medium warm environments
UI
Xbox and PC news in main menu now split up
Support for Russian, German, French, and Spanish has been extended further but is not yet final.
Credits updated.
Levels
Landing floating meshes and holes fixed
Flashpoint Cave 1 hole fixed
Flashpoint Cave 1 warning about fire extended to also include heat + moved to earlier in the level for increased awareness
Flashpoint Cave 2 green fire now also heats you and ignites torches
Return journey at the end of Episode 2 now more clearly guided and more visually pleasing
Flashpoint multiple holes fixed
Flashpoint weather change 20% faster
Flashpoint sharks swimming through the islands fixed
Crossroads incorrect North/South orientation sky fixed
VR
In VR PDA is a bit more angled to make reading a bit easier
VR runs on Oculus 0.8 still and it will be another week to 3 weeks about before this is resolved. Also Vive crashes may occur. Same time frame for a fix for that.
Episode 3 moved to next week Wednesday
We are running very tight deadlines since we basically have just 2-3 weeks each time to get ~3 hours worth of content ready. With our huge updates this was bound to happen at some point.
We've gone through a long week/weekend ourselves to try and get it ready so to have it fail on one particular crash right before the finish line is just as terrible for us as it is for you waiting for the update, but there is not much to do about that. We want to ensure you have the best possible experience.
Onto next week and the new massive expansion! Hang in there! Just a week to go.