15 August

It's finally happened...

...the game has gotten so popular that I can't keep up with all the forum posts. I'll continue to do my best, but I'd need to spend half of my working day reading and reacting to posts on the forum, and I need to get these dedicated/hosted server bugs fixed!

Thank you so much for continuing to play and promote my game - we hit a new record average number of players last months!


-DjArcas

30 July

Patch 11 now live!

Patch 11

This is the first major mainline patch since the Frozen Factory was released. Primary focus has been on balancing, optimisation and new features. Er.

Just like all the patches then.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say - All Achievements are now implemented and can be obtained. The game is now complete. Thank you.

Next month's free content patch will primarily focus on performance with the new Unity 5.4 and Server permissions.

• Official DLL and XML Mod Support via Steam Workshop!
  
• Added Horizon-Based Ambient Occlusion for people playing at Good quality and above.
  
• Added mid-T2 machine; the Laser Borer. Capable of making a shaft to the Cold Cavern in a few seconds, this re-usable machine is powered by HEFC.
  
• Added Organic Thief - this will automatically removed Ruined Parts from your inventory. It's highly recommended that you connect this straight to a CryoHopper and on to an Organic Reassembler.
  
• Added a Waypoint machine. Place this down and give it a tiny trickle of power to have waypoints in your world! If you put it down next to an Ore Vein, it'll automatically name itself, otherwise, pop a sign next to it to name it.
  
• Added Cluster Missiles; these missiles fire 4x quicker than Imbued, but only do 25% of the damage. However! They can target Heavies, due to their relatively small payload,
  and 8 of them are crafted from 1x Imbued Missile. They also look sweet. (Red White and Blue colouring is available to Dapper owners only)
  
  
• Added 'Video Tutorials' section to the handbook.
  
  
• Added Fast Zipper Merge
  
• Added 3'n1 Zipper Merge, which merges in the order Right Right Right Left - perfect for Research Assemblers.
  
• Much improved AFK cam, capable of following along conveyor belts - use it near a deep Ore Extractor!
  
• The final 2 achievements are finally implemented. By all definitions, the game is now complete. Go crazy!
  
• Signs placed next to Ore Extractors will give unique names when mission readouts refer to that machine. A picture may help.
  
  
• Added NanoDisintegrator. Place down, and after 5 seconds, it will remove a 3x3x3 area underneath it. It can be placed on walls and ceilings, and it can be used to make flat T4 ore spots, and to dig holes into Hardened Resin.
  
• Completely redid surface fog.
  
• ARTHER will now acknowledge Go Away/Come Here TAB commands
  
• Superbuild works for /yourcraft mode
  
• Added help/handbook entries for most early T4 machines.
  
• Added Mass Storage colouring
  
• Enriched and Infused Coal now have unique textures
  
  
• MagmaBore has been visually reworked. PS that's 80 metres tall
  
  
• Added SearchInventory command that does exactly the same as InventorySearch

• CPH generates twice as much power
  
• MK3 Lasers do double damage
  
• Research Assemblers are 3x faster (thus using up 33% of the power)
  
• Laboratories are twice as fast (thus using up 50% of the power)
  
• Geothermals generate twice as much power
  
• All Generic AutoCrafters work twice as fast
  
• Conduits have doubled throughput.
  
• Particulate Systems generate 8x as much resource; you don't need multiple ones.
  
• Logistics and MiniHoppers are twice as fast (30 and 4 items per minute, respectively)
  
• Ore Smelters take only 66% of the usual smelt time
  
• It's only 2 ore per bar!
  
• Ore Extractors generate twice as much ore as Easy mode.
  
• Cargo Lifts are twice as fast and carry twice as much

• Tweaked GeoThermal power input to scale better across modes and difficultes (values are approximate due to thermal difference, and are given for a full-extend geothermal with active Freezon boost; all other factors scale as below)
  Rush = 25,000 PPS
  Casual = 10,000 PPS
  Easy = 5,000 PPS
  Scarce = 2,500 PPS
  
• textureres variable in settings.ini works again - set to 3 for low memory PCs!
  
• Massively increased the spawn and steal rate of Mynocks in Trivial Mobs difficulty. People were finding it impossible to grow hives! Mynocks should spawn approximately every 45 minutes on Trivial, and can steal 1 item per 30 seconds (down from 2 hours/6 minute, respectively)
  
• Basic Smelters use up slightly more power
  
• Basic Smelters had their efficiency reduced from 50% to 25%
  
• Basic Smelters are now twice as fast as they were
  
• MK1 Trenchers are now only 5% efficient on T4 ores. MK2 are now 25% efficient and MK3 100% efficient. Using them on T1 materials confers a further 75% bonus (80/100/100), T2 materials get a 62.5% bonus (67.5%, 87.5%/100%) and T3 materials get +50% for 55%/80%/100%.
  
• Further improvements and balance to the Magma Bore; this is now pegged at 100k PPS minimum.

• Official DLL and XML Mod Support via Steam Workshop!
  
• Fixed modded mobs import issue
  
• Allowed modders to re-use Minecart graphics
  
• ResearchAssembler::mTargetCreation is now public
  
• Full integrated workshop support
  
• 59 pages of modding documentation.

• Iron bars in Mass Storage are much redder
  
• Mass Storage Ports + Drones now obey segment vis
  
• Increased Ooze update rate
  
• Pushed MK2 lasers until after the player has actually seen the mats to make them
  
• Fixed Hardened and Advanced block manufacturer graphics
  
• New magma bore textures
  
• Fix to SuperBuild mission
  
• Drop rate bug with Deorbit containers now fixed
  
• Fixed more Unknown Material issues; pipes should no longer appear this way.
  
• Fixed Race condition that could cause the player suit power to drop when the Mk2 battery is fitted
  
• Lots of Magma Bore polish - new graphics, new audio, new info, new 'why am I blocked' stuff
  
• Added Magma Bore handbook entry.
  
• Reduced cost of Charged Explosives to 128 resin.
  
• Added a bunch more handbook entries courtesy of Taboo Raver
  
• ARTHER now tells you if you turn music on or off.
  
• Cargo Lifts are twice as fast and carry twice as much in Casual mode. You probably won't need to bother with more than 1.
  
• Workfloor Excavators don't take out Minecart tracks anymore. Sorry!
  
• Some nice CPU optimisations.
  
• Shaved 0.5ms off of the mission introspection code.
  
• Removed a significant amount of dictionary calling time for the Torch light code.(0.6ms)
  
• Minor performance boost to oozes; they also shouldn't consume too much CPU time when the game is running at a lower framerate.(0.7ms)
  
• Minor performance boost to weapon selection systems(0.1ms)
  
• Improved CPU Usage of Rotation Script to pay attention to the Segment visibility (0.5ms)
  
• Total savings : 1-2ms regardless of base size (equating to a potential 30+ fps boost, depending on relative GPU/CPU balance)
  
• Mission system will no longer bug the player to have an OET live when there's a C5 active.
  
• Breaking a Grinder should no longer result in you losing 1/9th of it.
  
• Nano Disintegrators will no longer convert Air into Rubble
  
• Laser Impact Particles now obey segment vis
  
• Fixed issue where Hard Rock Grinder failed to page in segments correctly - this could have lead to all sort of weirdnesses.
  
• Auto Upgrader now lists current power.
  
• Auto Upgrader now uses 1/4 of it's previous power.
  
• Fixed minor BFL exploit
  
• Missions now work for Mobs and Minecarts
  
• Some Ore Extractor missions no longer pester you after building Trenchers.
  
• Secret. Why not press H and check out the new Video Tutorial section?
  
• Added Build2Me mission for players who haven't build 100 blocks!
  
• Reduced RP cost of Manufacturing Plant.
  
• Fixed issue where the Lab popup text flickered as network clients.
  
• Basic Smelters are now 30% faster
  
• Organic Rock chance from Nukers increased from 1% to 3%
  
• Multiple Tunnel Nukers can now spawn whilst your base threat is low, increasing the chance of plenty of Soft Resin and Organic Rock, and also increase the chances that attacking wasps will vector over a sensible path.
  
• Crashes shold now list the callstack of the crash, not the callstack of the crash handler
  
• Enqueing missions should now work from any thread
  
• Missions added on the first frame will no longer crash, but will defer instead
  
• Tweaked Critical mission time for normal difficulty up, reduced it for Casual.
  
• Changed loading/saving priority for segments, meaning that bases should load faster after a game restart.
  
• Power panel now displays during Battery and Extractor Charge tutorial stages
  
• Player can no longer get stuck during tutorial due to suit power being full up
  
• Player can no longer get stuck during tutorial due to CPH being full on power
  
• Player can no longer die from Hypothermia during the tutorial
  
• ARTHER should no longer bug you about the power core after it's fitted, during the tutorial
  
• Added some intro text so people will stop thinking it's a cinematic. It's not. It's a bloody loading screen! Unskippable cinematics can DIAF.
  
• Spent the entire afternoon on loading polish.
  
• Added Default/Loading Screens
  
• [Tutorial]Explained PSB text in subtitle : "Power Storage Blocks (PSBS) are the main method of storing power."
  
• [Tutorial]CPH will no longer show bottom-left popup text during the critical parts of the tutorial, reducing the amount of text on screen, as it was confusing people.
  
• Reduced power booster cost of Booster Chargers from 32 to 8
  
• Players should no longer suffer from ? when referring to blocks
  
• /YourCraft mode now works for SuperBuild
  
• Research Assembler has a purty glow
  
• Fixed issue where teleporting could cause a machine to think you're still close by.
  
• Generic AutoCrafters now have their particles modulated by framerate; this should help performance
  
• Dead overminds should be very obviously actually dead.
  
• Added a mission feedback for minecarts derailing - no more suprises!
  
• Note : CryoPlasm can cause Minecarts to derail
  
• Fixed missions in Rush mode
  
• Fixed confusion when missions were disabled
  
• Imbued Machine blocks now require 3 Advanced Machine Blocks (up from 1), but craft 3 at a time. They still need a single MK5 power booster. Another perfect use for the 3'n'1 Merger!
  
• Generic Auto Crafters can now hand off multiple items to a single conveyor belt
  
• Dapper Owners will get a FREE visual upgrade to the Cluster Missiles.
  
• FALCOR Bombers now give better offline message, and also should stagger their damage better across CryoPlasm.
  
• TechAxes and ARTHER Dapper parameters are now synchronised for network players.
  
• Improved Load times of Overminds, C5, and various other multiblock machines.
  
• Improved Load times across the board; analysed further areas for improvement.
  
• Further fixes to logging spam and Load times
  
• Fixed PTG mission not to say 'FG'
  
• Fast Zipper Merge should now be craftable.
  
• Couple of exploits fixed, ty Somon!
  
• Fixed 3'n'1 Zipper description to be correct ; it's RRR L!
  
• Rush mode now correctly activates Care Package
  
• Rush Mode now correctly activates Casual mode (double speed assemly machines, etc)
  
• Fixed HEIST collection graphics
  
• Fixed a particularly brilliant misuse of a machine. Nice one. No it's not going to stay. But nice.
  
• Fixed storage crate UI issues
  
• Fixed an issue where missions could accidentally trigger the OH WELL DONE sound effect, if the framerate was particularly low.
  
• Fixed responsiveness of Vsync and Target Frame Rate modulation
  
• Fixed a number of potential Frustum memory leaks.
  
• Fixed exploit with Cargo Lifts.
  
• Removed archaic snow particles
  
• Reworked Snow Mist to render in the correct order; lasers (etc) should now no longer appear behind the snow
  
• Flickering mist/snow - fixed...?
  
• Optional Missions no longer turn 'critical' and flash
  
• Fixed crazy basic laser transmitters!
  
• Conduits should always drop 9 items when destroyed, not 9-or-10
  
• Chromed Machine Blocks now use more Chrome
  
• Magnet Machine Blocks now use more Molybdenum
  
• Fixed crash with null LoadSegment
  
• Mission system will cease warning you about offline PTGs when you have Solar and/or Jet Turbines
  
• Killing CryoSpawners should cause players to correctly unlock FlatLand.
  
• Transport Pipes now use 3 Hardened Machine Blocks instead of Nickel + Titanium Bars. This should help players understand about crafting intermediary blocks much sooner.
  
• Transport Pipes now require Alloys research.
  
• Explosives now requires Refined Liquid Resin. It's suggested that a player will now use a combination of Nano Disintegration and Resin Handling in order to deal with Hiveminds. Once you get access to the soft core, explosives will do just fine to clear up the infestation.
  
• Creep Inferno now marked as a multiblock machine
  
• Fixed an issue where the Gas Storage might lose pressure when connected to a Gas Bottler.
  
• Added some specific Mission audio
  
• Tweaked a number of missions based on watching streams
  
• Removed Q and E prompt when >100% threat
  
• Removed incorrect E prompt from Storage Hoppers
  
• Added /missions to toggle all missions. Requested by the community, but NOT RECOMMENDED.
  
• Crafting Panel now shows current category
  
• Removed some server spam
  
• Added SCT to Automated Smelters for new bases
  
• Tweaked specular on the Ore Scanner, to hopefully be more readable.
  
• Made timed-out critical/progression missions significantly more flashy and in-your-face. If it's flashing, you really should deal with it! (this isn't stuff like "Ore Extractor Offline", this is progression, BLOODY WELL DO IT FFS AND STOP IGNORING ME type missions)
  
• Missions when on Greg difficulty give a huge amount longer amount of time to complete before prodding you.
  
• Fixed Audio Spatialisation on PSBs
  
• AFK mode should no longer drop you into the cold cave with 0 power
  
• Reinforced Wood uses up Construction Paste.
  
• CPH/Charge health should be back
  
• CPH/Charge should disappear when all surface attacks are cleared
  
• Calmers can now be used when a C5 has been built AS LONG AS the C5 has not been powered up.
  
• Care Package should no longer become 'unresearched' on a restart (I think! Lemme know if this doesn't work)
  
• Care Package now available to Patreons
  
• Added T4 mission for scanning T4 ores, if you have the Frozen Factory Expansion Pack installed.
  
• Added audio reward for completing critical missions. GO YOU! ANNE PERKINS!
  
• Altered CryoPlasm spawning behaviour; it should now be much more consistent across worlds. There's just 2... slight problems.
  1) If you have an existing world with CryoPlasm, the CryoPlasm might just simply not work well, and be no threat at all.
  2) If you have an existing world with CryoPlasm, it might spawn in upto 8 new spawners, and be really quite hard. This is unpredictable, and is based on the vertical placement of your C5.
  
• Increased CryoPlasm loop rate; hardcap is 8x higher too
  
• CryoPlasm is now much keener to cut through soft rock
  
• Vsync should save and load correctly now
  
• Workfloor excavators no longer do Bad Things to Cargo Lift Rack Rails
  
• SpiderBot power readout can no longer stack with the upgrade requsts
  
• SpiderBot weapons should do significantly less damage to the ground now.
  
• SpiderBot will now remain significantly closer to your CPH during combat - it was within range of a FALCOR setup anyways, but this should hopefully alleviate a number of people's complaints.
  
• Space Window should drop Paste now
  
• Workfloor Exacavators should no longer break any sort of pipe
  
• Fixed an issue where HoloHoppers appeared next to Smelters - rotating the Smelter will usually fix this for now tho.
  
• Fixed Lancer warning when C5 is offline/underpowered.
  
• You'll no longer be harrassed about SpiderBot Cannons before you can make 'em
  
• Induction Charger is no longer placeholder!
  
• Iron-based missions no longer trigger until you've automated your smelter
  
• Other mission-related tweaks to avoid confusing new players
  
• Added Mission related to Orbital Debris
  
• Fixed debounce with music; both LEFT and RIGHT control now toggle the music with Ctrl-M
  
• Implemented a completely new music system. All the old music is gone. If you want it, it's available on iTunes, Zune and Google Music. All the money goes to the musician.
  
• Conduits and Trenchers will now work on non-dedicated servers.