Firstly I want to say thanks for all the support the game has gotten so far, the last few months have been great and I'm sure the following year (and beyond) will be full of wonderful things!
In order for Tracks to continue getting better, sometimes I have to postpone fancy new features to think about the long term good of the game. Since the Christmas update I've been hard at work upgrading Tracks to the latest version of the Unreal engine.
This often isn't a straight forward process and comes with all manner of new issues to work through, but it's worth doing because of all the new features it offers me, which in turn allows me to make Tracks the best game it can be for all of you.
So best case scenario is this update working just like the previous version. If you experience any new issues, please let me know in the forums. There may be some teething problems so patience and forum bug reports are greatly appreciated as always.
In the unlikely event that you do experience serious issues running the game after this update, you can go back to the previous version by right clicking the game in your steam library > Properties > Betas tab > and enter previousversion into the text box and click Check Code while I work on fixing it.
That said, I still have some nice new things which will hopefully tide you over until the next major content update coming soon! Rest assured that I am hearing the requests for some more things to do, the update after this one will be focused on objectives, gamemodes etc.
New Object: Tunnel
Drop down a couple of tunnel entrances and click on two to link them up, the train will then travel between them.
New Feature: Floor texture
The Scenery menu now has some alternatives if you don't want the plain white floor:
Grass
Dirt
Rock
Water
There are also new matching Terrain Blocks for each of these.
New Feature: Click
I'll be adding various actions to each object to happen when you left click on them. Currently:
Signs : Edit text
Random House : Randomise
Tunnels : Click on two tunnels to connect them
Music Notes : Play their current note
New Environment: Modern Apartment (Night)
A night time version of the Modern Apartment with some added lights and candles.
:build_tool: Upgraded to Unreal Engine 4.18
:PlayMusic: 4 new songs added to the game and Soundtrack
:HealUp: Improved interface/navigation
Pressing Escape closes whichever gameplay menu you have open
Seamlessly switch between gameplay menus using key-binds or the new buttons.
Level Select now shows which gamemodes are available in each environment
:HealUp: Various improvements to Starting Point (can now be rotated)
:HealUp: Added an animation for the Music Note
:HealUp: Added a confirmation after you press Clear Track to prevent accidents
:HealUp: All non-static objects now have tooltips
:HealUp: Added development Twitter and Tumblr links to main main
:HealUp: Passenger objectives now have thumbnails
:HealUp: Added a counter for the Passenger Jumps objective
:HealUp: Game name and icon now correctly appear in taskbar/task manager
:HealUp: Various new sounds for objects/menus
:HealUp: Couple of Object thumbnails
:fix: Terrain Blocks are now multi-place objects
:fix: Fixed blank signs causing problems when they are loaded from a save
:fix: Fixed the music mute option resetting between level loads
:fix: Fixed Fog Density not correctly loading the first time
:fix: Fixed Spawn menu warnings in Passenger mode preventing menu closure
:fix: Fixed the position of the table in Bedroom to match the original version
:fix: Fixed Save game timestamps and thumbnails not updating when they are overwritten
:fix: Removed a bunch of unused assets which were being included in the game
:fix: Fixed an issue with placing passengers in front of a platform
:fix: Improved the behaviour of speedometer when reversing
:fix: Single passenger spawners no longer allow you to stack/overlap passengers
:fix: Objects which were being placed are now cleared on entering train mode
:fix: Fixed being able to place Stations in Passenger mode
Winter Update Is Live! New Train, Environment, Objects, Scenery controls, Cargo Carriage
Hello Everyone.
The winter update is here! Queue the fireworks!
Some of you may realize that the silhouette of the train is a little different. Good eye! This new train is part of our largest and first seasonal update to Tracks: The Train Set Game. We've also got a new environment, new objects, some lighting and fog customization and some bug fixes.
You can check out a new trailer for the Winter update right here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgLATWn2Sm4
A detailed change log will be at the bottom of this announcement. But let's go through the major additions and changes one by one.
The Gingerbread Train
The Gingerbread train is a new festive model variant. It will behave very similar to the wooden train in terms of speed and weight, but will be at least 300 percent more delicious. Candy Canes, icing and santa hat come as standard.
To equip the new model, press G while in edit mode and you'll be able to switch between the wooden train and the gingerbread train with just a single click.
This is early progress on train selection and customization. In the future we hope to expand upon this.
New Environment
Some of you may remember this environment from the Itch.io days. And yes, before you ask, those delicious pancakes are back! We are still looking at adding new environments and if you have any interesting level ideas do let us know in the comments.
New objects
16 new objects have been added, while a couple may be seasonal. A large number of them can be used at any time. We will likely handle any seasonal content in a similar fashion to avoid items going out of date. And of course, any seasonal items are here to stay. So if you want to use the Christmas tree in March, go ahead!
An important note, the objects menu has been remapped to the Space bar while in edit mode.
Track Supports (Still in testing)
There were some very creative members of the forum exploiting parts of the editor to create some really interesting tracks. Ping_fan2005 shared a screenshot recently which is an awesome example of building things we never realized. Here is their lovely screenshot
The track supports are an awesome idea and discussed by several members in the forums. In today's update we've included a first test of the track supports. They might still be a little buggy, but we recreated the track (as best as we can!) and showed off what Ping_fan2005's track would look like with the new Track Supports
Scenery controls
Those of you who want to customize the very lighting of your track can access the new Scenery controls menu. Open it up by pressing G and you'll be able to manipulate a few settings including fog color and density, weather effects and controls for the overall color tone if you prefer a lighting set up that's different from the standard set up.
Although Halloween was a little while ago, the new scenery controls can really help set the mood! Here's the image before adjusting the fog and color tones:
And this is after!
We're looking forward to seeing new screenshots from the community using the scenery controls!
Snow!
Once again, accessed via the Scenery controls menu is the option to have snow fall. It looks great when used with your own track designs
Cargo Carriages
Also included in today's update is access to the Cargo carriage from the toy box. These carriages behave in a similar way to the Passenger carriages but are used with Collect and Deposit towers. Once hooked onto the back of your train, just drive slowly though each tower and they should activate. The required speed is marked on your speedometer and can also be checked with the Speed Check object.
You can now attach Cargo Carriages to the back of your train. These behave in a similar way as the Passenger carriages but are used with the Collect and Deposit towers. Just slowly drive through each tower and they should activate (required speed is marked on your speedometer, and can also be checked with the Speed Check).
The Jingle Bells Map
The last bit of content included in this update is a special new music track which plays the Jingle Bells song via the games music notes. You will be able to find the Jingle Bells map in the save data. If you do create any awesome music pieces using the games notes system, do share it with us. we'd love to hear what you create!
SoundTracks: The Train Set Game!
Our final bit of news is that the soundtrack for Tracks is now available to purchase on Steam with a launch discount of 10%. These tracks were composed by Kevin Gallagher and we've been very happy with the quality and calming piano pieces. If you want to purchase the soundtrack, visit the link below:
We may be adding more music to the soundtrack as the game evolves.
Wrapping it up
So there we have it, our first Winter update for Tracks, we hope that you enjoy the new update and we can not wait to see what you create.
Of course, do keep in mind that there may be some issues or bugs, but do let us know in the forums if you come across anything that needs to be addressed.
At the start of next year we will begin to make some more plans for the development of Tracks and will share more news. But from all of us at Whoop Group and Excalibur, Happy holidays! See you in the new year!
<*>
Other details:
:romopolis_house: Pine Tree
:romopolis_house: Christmas Tree
:romopolis_house: Bakery
:romopolis_house: Flower shop
:romopolis_house: Toy shop
:romopolis_house: Post office
:romopolis_house: Green grocers
:romopolis_house: Light arch
:romopolis_house: Fairy Lights
:romopolis_house: Igloo
:romopolis_house: Victorian Lamp Post
:romopolis_house: Fire hydrant
:romopolis_house: Bin
:romopolis_house: Mailbox
:romopolis_house: Regular Passenger (Single)
:romopolis_house: Business Passenger (Single)
:HealUp: Snow
:HealUp: Name & Date sorting options in the Save/Load menu
:HealUp: You can now choose how many passengers are made with spawners
:HealUp: New thumbnails for the level select menu
:HealUp: Added and improved various placement animations
:fix: Improved the look of Night time houses
:fix: Improved House collisions to make them easier to highlight/delete
:fix: Fixed loading just after activating a bell causing permanent low music volume
:fix: G is now used to open the Scenery menu instead of Spawn menu
:fix: Space bar now opens the Spawn menu
:fix: Fixed a bug caused by undoing an object while a piece of track is selected
:fix: Fixed a bug which could cause the train to derail in certain circumstances
:fix: Improved text alignment in Save/Load slots
:fix: Controls menu now scrolls so text is less compact with more information
:fix: Fixed building highlighting looking strange if the object was far away/big
:fix: Removed the useless 'Upload' button in the save menu, for now.
Winter (Update) Is Coming... 15th December
Hi everyone!
We have a new update which will launch on the 15th December at 9:00AM PST. This is the Winter update and will include a variety of new objects as well as some other features and bug fixes. We're going to go into much more detail with a pretty lengthy post tomorrow. But we have a brand new trailer for you to check out right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgLATWn2Sm4
The Soundtrack to Tracks will also be out at the exact same time as the update. If you want to listen to the gentle piano pieces while not playing the game. Check out the page here:
This update adds 32bit and 64bit versions of Tracks.
For anyone who has been experiencing Fatal Error when trying to launch even after updating graphics card drivers, using the 64bit version (which should be automatically downloaded if you have a 64bit operating system) fixes this error for many, so please do update and post on the forums if it either does or does not work.
:HealUp: Undo now works with adding and removing objects
:HealUp: Added a slider to the spawn menu for adjusting icon size
:HealUp: Added a 'New' indicator to show which objects you haven't used
:HealUp: Reorganised some spawn options into a new 'Nature' category
:HealUp: Added messages when you try to remove objects which cannot be removed
:fix: Fixed certain objects sometimes spawning with very low quality textures
:fix: Fixed movement continuing if you were moving before placing a Music Note
:fix: The note indicator is no longer visible on notes when loading them
:fix: Moved Music Note from the Experimental category
:fix: Improved spawn icons being too particular about where you click on them
:fix: Removed the Unlock & Preview buttons
:fix: Several improvements to spawn menu screen real estate
:fix: Removed a mysterious piece of track floating high up in Clear
:fix: Increased the time limit on the second set of Business passengers
:fix: Adjusted the scale of numerous objects for consistency
:fix: Fixed Fountains not having add/remove animations
Patch - 3rd November 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAX_YSZ8-aI
[H1]Patch notes:
:romopolis_house: Picnic table
:romopolis_house: Park bench
:romopolis_house: Post box
:HealUp: Added a search function to the spawn menu
:HealUp: Pressing escape now closes the spawn menu if it is open
:HealUp: Reworked the 'Alt' building mode to behave better, especially when very high up
:HealUp: Added several item descriptions
:fix: Triggered fireworks will now only be saved if they haven't been activated
:fix: Tracks now automatically load after closing the 'different environment' warning
:fix: Fixed rotation not adding a new object when multi-spawning
:fix: Fixed tutorial text being cut off at some resolutions
:fix: Fixed the Lighthouse having a lower-case L for some reason
:fix: Removed some debug bindings which would do things if accidentally pressed
:fix: Fixed going back on the last part of the tutorial causing it to close
Night Time Update - Fireworks, Music Notes and Jack o' Lanterns
Hello everyone,
Today marks the release of the Night Time update.
We have quite a lot to share, including a new trailer which shows some of the new additions in today's update. A full changelog can be found below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQYUFu4qvp8
Along with some completely new objects, this update also adds a collection of night time alternatives, existing objects which change when you're in the new night themed environment set below a twinkling starry sky.
Of course, the Night Time update comes at a rather fitting time, Halloween is right around the corner! Unfortunately, while one of the biggest requests we receive is for seasonal updates, we felt that since the base game is still so in need of content, it wasn't the best use of time working on a whole host of objects which would go 'out of season' for most of the year. Perhaps we will create something special for next Halloween!
That said, we have not forgotten Halloween entirely. You will be able to place Jack o' Lanterns which emit a spooky orange glow!
The Music notes have also launched, we still need to refine some of the userbility to make them easier to place, edit and move. But right now you can already make some pretty fun musical pieces.
In today's update we've included an example map that contains our rendition of Clair de Lune, a very famous classical piece. This is just to give you a small taste to show you what is possible with the music notes.
If you create any music with this feature, do share it with us! We bet that there are going to be some truly astounding tracks made with this feature and can't wait to see and hear them!
Speaking of music. The soothing soundtrack for Tracks has been expanded with 12 more minutes of new music. We hope you enjoy it! Bonus points to anyone who can recreate our musicians work using the bell system! So meta!
Additionally, tomorrow will be our one month anniversary in Early Access. We'd like to thank everyone who has purchased the game, left feedback, offered suggestions and wrote some truly lovely reviews sharing their childhood memories and even writing about how their own children are enjoying the game. It has been a wonderful experience and we appreciate the support. Thank You!
Night Time Update Change Log
New Environment: Clear (Night)
A dark, starry version of the Clear environment
16+ objects have an alternative look in Night environments
Headlights on the train
New example save game
New Objects:
Music Note
Pumpkin
Jack o' Lantern
Fireworks set
Police Station
Fairy Tree
Misc
12 minutes of new music
Adjustments to the spawn menu to improve object visibility
Fixed certain objects not having the same forward direction as others
The save menu will now warn you if you try to load a track with something currently built in the environment
Lots of thumbnails
Patch - 17th October 2017
Not a huge list of interesting additions because I'm making preparations for an update at the end of October, no prizes for guessing what that might be related to.
Feature Suggestions forum
There is a new sub-forum for suggesting features, as well as a thread to request specific items you want to decorate your town with. I'm happy to say the team will soon have multiple new artists working to put out content so it really does help to have a big list we can check off items from.
New Objects:
<*>Windmill
<*>Lighthouse
<*>2 x Cafe table
<*>Hospital
<*>Barbershop
Misc
Potential pieces no longer block the train/cause it to derail
You can now skip the Passenger tutorial with Space
Slightly reduced the density of fog in Clear (more options soon!)
Improved the background on Clear if players choose to entirely remove fog with r.fog 0
Improved the area indicator on passenger spawners
Improved the track material
Fixed some issues with the lighting in Modern Apartment
Improved the reliability of turning on junctions with a very low framerate
Random Houses now save/load their colour and size
Added a description tooltip to the spawn menu which will eventually explain each object
Renamed Normal passengers to Regular passengers
More lovely thumbnails
Patch - 4th October 2017
List of changes:
New Objects: 2 x Signs
'Town sign' and 'Station sign' which you can customise with your own text
Misc
Increased the outer size limit of the Clear environment to 16x the old size
Fixed a bug which meant carriages would collect nearby passengers regardless of whether those passengers were actually waiting at the same platform as the carriages
Fixed the game choosing to use Oculus Rift speakers if one was plugged in
Slightly increased the bounds on Modern Apartment
New model for the Booster
Boosters are now placed in multiples like trees and lamp posts
Arrow keys can now be used for movement
Renamed the trees with more accurate names
Added Level of Detail models to trees to improve performance with a large number of them
+7 thumbnails
Some adjustments to control/spawn menu
Launch Week - Thank You Everyone! New Items Coming Soon
Hello Everyone,
Thank you for such a great launch week. We've read every comment, every review and have been checking out the screenshots that you've been sharing. We're pleased that the game has such an overwhelming response in its first week and must thank every single one of you for your support. It's been awesome!
We're a little over 24 hours away from the launch week discount ending, so if you haven't picked it up, you've got just a little over 24 hours to nab the extra 10% discount.
We're still working on new content for the game and we've got a couple of teasers for you
Imminent patch
A new patch will launch soon with a selection of bug fixes, changes but also some new content. We'll have two new signs for you to place. Each of them are customisable and allows you to enter your own text
If you have any awesome town layouts to share, do take a screenshot and send them our way, we're looking forward to seeing what you create.
Coming soon
Shortly after we release the update that includes the signs. There will be another update which allows you to place bells on your track.
These bells will ring each time your train passes them. But you can also change the note of each bell. What this means is you can create some interesting musical pieces. Some time in the office has been spent trying to replicate the Imperial March from Star Wars and the Super Mario Bros theme. I'm sure those of you with a musical background will get a lot of fun out of this
There are a few other things being worked on, but we'll share them very soon.
Help us spread the word!
Those of you who want to help support us even further, we have a thunder clap campaign which means that the game will be much more visible to players. if you'd like to help us out, follow the link below and join the thunderclap campaign:
Thank you everyone for your feedback and support in the launch week. We still have a lot more planned for the future and will be posting updates regularly. Stay tuned!
Patch - 1st October 2017
Firstly, thank you to everyone who has already been enjoying the game and those who are making posts in the forum, the response has been amazing. I keep a note of every bug/suggestion and I'll work hard over the next few weeks and months to improve everything to the best of my ability.
List of changes:
New Object: Starting point
Experimental at the moment. Allows you to set where the train will respawn when reset.
Carriages
Added the ability to remove passenger carriages with C. Please note that this currently removes the entire connected set of carriages, and can't be done if there are currently passengers on board.
Improved the starting behaviour and stability of passenger carriages when they are added from the toy box
Fixed an issue when carriages were added to the train while reversing
Misc
Fixed a bug where placing objects very quickly could cause them to save/load at varying sizes
Removed the money requirement to unlock objects for now. It was a last minute addition and I'm not sure it is appropriate for free play
Stations no longer send out a pulse when placed
Added a tip about stopping the train with Space to the tutorial
Added a tip about scrolling sideways in the Toy box by holding Right mouse button
Fixed an issue when attempting to unlock an object without enough money
Gamemodes not available in the current environment no longer show up in the menu
Added a warning when you try to load a track which was made in a different environment to the one currently loaded
Improved the track clearance warning on level switching to only appear if you actually have a track built
Fixed some toys which were previously removed by changing environment potentially being included in a subsequent save game.
We're investigating the crashes a few people are experiencing. For the most part they seem to be caused by older hardware or outdated drivers (especially with AMD cards)
If you want direct support you can contact support@excalibur-publishing.com.
