The Solus Project
Previews and early patch 0.58 beta testers wanted
"I loved The Solus Project, every aspect of it, it’s a game I’m eager to get back to" - PressA2Join.com
"The Solus Project has blown my expectations out of the water so far. If you’re into survival and exploration titles, it’s one-of-a-kind and should not be missed." - The Gamer Daily.com
"The Solus Project provides a fascinating adventure-survival experience and I can’t wait to play the full release in May" - The Nerd Stash.com
"With an impressive world, original gameplay and a gripping story, I can absolutely recommend buying into the Game Preview version of The Solus Project." - FilmGamesEtc.com
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We have patch 0.58 up on a separate branch and are in need of testers. The patch has a large number of changes including changes to the save game format that we need tested in the wild before we include it in Episode 3.
We have a thread up on the forum with information on what we have changed and how to join in.
Episode 3 target date is April 6
In Episode 3 you will be able to explore the very vertical Highpoint island, along with its accompanying massive cave level. The solution to how to power up your communication tower will come in sight in this third episode, and give you a clearer focus on where you want to go with your journey.
Strange flying orbs, acid lakes, a massive windmill, and more dark secrets are things that will await you!
Alongside the 2 or so hours worth of new content we are also working on a few dozen additional tweaks and fixes. A beta patch will be uploaded ahead of the public release again.
Episode 2 released! New Trailer! Reddit AMA!
The story heats up in this second episode. Dark secrets lurk in the depths of this seemingly deserted alien environment and as you venture deeper into the underground you can't shake the feeling you are being watched and followed.
One large new island along with the biggest cave system have been added, giving players an estimated 3-5 hours of additional gameplay and many dozens of new secrets and items. Continue your journey and explore the massive alien world!
# 3-4 hours of additional gameplay filled with new features and discoveries.
# Be very afraid of the new lightning storms
# Discover the large island of Flashpoint and harness the power of the skies.
# Explore the largest cave system in the adventure and make your way through massive underground caverns, settlements, and machinery.
# Dozens of new items and secrets. From sleeping gear to crowbars
As with Part 1 we aim for a classic first person game feeling. Large and complex levels with tons of secrets. Little hand-holding. And a magical but deadly sci fi world to explore at your own pace.
To celebrate that you are welcome to come join in and ask Hourences anything on Reddit AMA
Patch 2 Released - v0.57
Thanks to our translators Denis Gribov (Russian), Gonzalo Martinez (Spanish), Oliver Loos, Daniel Stevens and "Mini Maus" (German), Christoffer Larsen (Danish), Harout Meguerditchian, Fran Basille, Martin Waszczuk and Julien (French). More languages coming soon. Polish and Turkish is being worked on!
MAJOR CHANGES
First versions of Russian, Spanish, French, and German are in
There are large fishes in the ocean, seaweed underwater and aurora borealis at night in the sky.
Inventory related crash on load save game fixed
Mouse sensitivity fixed
Yuri will build out more camp the longer you wait to reach island #2. Also insects he brought along from Earth/Prolus will hatch if you wait really long.
Can now set difficulty 0% and sprinting is toggle based now when using gamepad
Core Gameplay
Can now set difficulty to 0% to remove survival elements. You still need to sleep, and you can still die from falling or disasters.
Old voice line removed from eating food
Campfires no longer super fast if under a roof while it is raining outside
Ocean pushes you back harder
Incorrect calculation to US Fluid ounce in multiple occasions fixed
Screen notification points bit larger
Dry 15% faster if near heat source
When walking in rain you get wet a lot faster + having torch out in rain does not get you wet even faster now
Meteors less likely to hit you
PDA radio message screen does not stay up the entire time anymore during broadcasts
Can no longer cheat give yourself the required items to end the entire game
On gamepad sprinting is now toggle based instead of press and hold
Warm up 15% faster if too cold
Core Tech
Several audio samples are now brought down to 44khz and may possibly solve the Act screen crash
Fix for ocean being green if reflection updating is turned off in ini
PDA messages arriving little bit better on time
Visor on screen can now be hidden via game.ini file
Fix for inventory slot corrupting, possible fix for level transition crash and act screen crash.
Possible fix for crashing on loading save game
Loading screens can now be disabled by by Game.ini flag as a possible work around for those who crash during loading screens or experience long loads.
Levels
The longer it takes you to reach island 2 the more camp Yuri will have built
After 1 week on the planet earth insects will now hatch on the second island, brought there by you and having infected the eco system of the new planet
Special pod loading screen between intro and first level to keep you immersed.
Possible fix for teleporting past 2 moving stone blocks in Landing Caves
Few additional holes in levels fixed
Possible fix for pressure plates pushing items off on reload of game
Visuals
Chance on aurora borealis appearing at night (super pretty when it happens)
Chance of having green algae in the sea at night
Chance of seeing large fish surfacing during sunsets and at night every day
Improved snow
There is now sea weed on ocean floors
UI
Mouse sensitivity options fixed
More typos fixed and better choice of words here and there
Assigning of forward/backward/strafing keys in control menu further improved and bug fixed
Losing audio after having entered Episode end trigger fixed
Can now select first versions of French, German, Russian, Spanish. Thanks to our translators Denis Gribov (Russian), Gonzalo Martinez (Spanish), Oliver Loos, Daniel Stevens and "Mini Maus" (German), Christoffer Larssen (Danish), Harout Meguerditchian, Fran Basille, Martin Waszczuk and Julien (French). Translations are WIP and not everything everywhere is done or perfect yet.
VR
VR main menu also allows use of enter and keyboard arrows
Can now enable a new option to split moving and looking to the left/right joysticks
Early testing of patch 2 - v0.57 and Edge magazine article
In the mean time, to go along with Episode 2 we have patch 2 coming up. We are looking for early testers who want to check out if we didn't break anything with this patch. If you are up for it you can read about the changes and join in on the forum!
http://steamcommunity.com/app/313630/discussions/0/412448792361109288/
Also the latest edition of Edge just came out today, and in it you will find a 4 page article and interview with me on TSP!
Patch 2 and Episode 2 progress
At the same time we are preparing Patch 2. We are working towards distributing this patch to the test branch on Steam on Saturday so that you can try it out already ahead of the huge Episode 2 update.
As you wait here are some more previews and Lets Plays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p658iY0vPc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7edXSaNQtJw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0MiFJr3iyc
https://medium.com/the-cube/the-solus-project-review-ed7c75b62915#.jvmyyug31
http://www.onlysp.com/the-solus-project-hands-on-preview-in-space/
http://www.gamewatcher.com/previews/the-solus-project-preview/12486
http://www.gamegrin.com/previews/the-solus-project-preview-2/
Some Previews and Twitch streaming
We are aiming for an Episode 2 release in less than 10 days from now if all goes well. Details following!
I will be streaming Episode 2 work all weekend long also on Twitch and you are welcome to drop in and ask questions - there may be spoilers in what I work on though!
As you wait, or are just getting into the game, here are some previews that popped up in the past hours:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/26/the-solus-project-impressions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29
http://www.gamereactor.eu/news/393823/We+talk+to+Teotl+Studios+about+The+Solus+Project/
http://www.pcgamer.com/dooming-humanity-in-the-solus-project-a-story-driven-survival-game/
http://blast-games.ru/obzori/igra-the-solus-project-obzor/ (Russian)
https://darthkyl0.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/the-solus-project-part-1-review/
https://sty3ler06.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/the-solus-project-first-impressions/
Version 0.56 now live for all
SAVE GAMES SHOULD BE COMPATIBLE BUT CANNOT GUARANTEE 100% COMPATIBILITY
CONTROL SYSTEM WAS CHANGED - YOU MAY HAVE LOST YOUR SET OR DEFAULT VALUES
MAJOR UPGRADE NOTES
New secret area in opening level
All control rebinding related issues greatly reduced/fixed
Massive VR change with VR main menu and multiple additional options and tweaking
Subtitles 1.0
Balancing in particular regarding hard difficulty and sleeping
Can now holster items
Improved Xbox gamepad functionality in menu and in game
Intro tutorial does not has to be completed anymore or can be completed in different order
REMAINING MAJOR ISSUES
New VR menu may not give you control until you restart game once. Also you may need to use the mouse left click to confirm currently selected option. Enter may not work.
Subtitle and voices may play while menus are up for example or when the option is turned off
Hard to read pocket computer in VR
Loading screens are very long or crash for some
Problem with setting mouse sensitivity
Balancing
On waking up after sleep game no longer saves if hunger/thirst/temperature critical and damaging you so you don't ruin your save game.
Food cans, plants give 10-20% more calories.
During sleeping hunger and thirst go down a lot slower, temperature a little slower
Dehydration goes 5% slower in general
Hunger goes 10% slower in general
Lightning is a lot more likely to hit you
On hard difficulty dehydration and hunger go additional 50% slower
On hard lightning is an additional 50% more likely to strike you
On hard hail storms hurt more
Meteors now have 5% chance of spawning a meteor that will hit very near you or on top of you.
On hard meteors have an even higher chance of spawning on a trajectory that will hit you
Levels
Multiple holes in geometry and getting stuck in geometry issues fixed
Landing Cave water bottle puzzle replaced with idol statue nearby
Landing Cave extra save point before first swim
Landing Autosaves upon completing torch tutorial
Landing tutorial checks if you already posses whatever it wants you to do next and if so skips the next step
Landing tutorial insta completes if you make a lit oiled torch while not following the tutorial steps
Landing large new secret cavern
Landing has permanent food source hidden away now
Crossroads 1 paper note on the beach was under the ground
Intro long black load screen at the end removed
Intro improved shaking in second half
FPC1 Exploit fixed where you can fly out of level
Crossroads Player comments on Yuri now
Core
Flashlight should no longer leave ghost item behind if removed after load
Possible fix for all inventory related crashes/cannot drop something related things
Fix for combining lit + unlit torch leading to deletion of one of the two torches
Possible fix for teleporter crashing in rare cases
Assumed fix for AMD wrongly rendering the applyment points when crafting
Can now holster what you hold by pressing Q.
Game automatically uncrouches before saving to prevent crouch being saved into the save game.
No longer first need to click a controller button to activate gamepad controller support
UI
Possible fix for continue button sometimes not being available main menu
Note added to Controls menu that it has bugs and how to work around them for now
Losing mouse cursor or freezing on inventory or crafting menu fixed
Entering ladder climb mode now pops up controls
New Act screen has better art
First version of subtitles now available. English only for the time being.
IIf you hide HUD, sleep eye lids no longer hidden also
VR
If enabled do not play intro cutscene in Landing
If enabled do not display tutorial UI boxes
In VR crouch speed is now also scaled
Can now set Comfort Rotation, Smooth Rotation, Strafe in VR for Left/Right
Can now set the movement speed you want to use in VR options, max 100%, min 10%.
On VR all camera shakes and camera animations now hard forced off
In VR Enter/E/Left Click also allows for starting Sleep
Can now detach head from movement with new option. This makes seeing PDA harder, press H (force PDA up) to read PDA in this mode.
If enabled do not allow opening inventory UI and do not allow crafting of items not held in your hand right now (and which would need crafting UI)
VR main menu exists, activated by F11 just like in game
Audio
New speech line about Yuri
Some new panting and grunt sounds
Patch 1 coming tomorrow
A major patch is currently being tested and will be released tomorrow if all goes right.
Over 50 changes and fixes have been made including major VR changes, balancing for sleep and hard difficulty, a new secret area, subtitles, control issues solved, and so on.
For those of you want to want to try out the patch ahead of everyone else we have a beta available: http://steamcommunity.com/app/313630/discussions/0/412448158143350960/
The Solus Project Part 1 EA Released! Release Trailer!
