A new update (Build 152) is now on the Steam beta branch.

Added creeper object to enable desktop and VR users to work under the car.

• Interact with the creeper head rest to use the creeper.
  
• Move using normal inputs (slower than normal, and VR teleport is disabled).
  
• Desktop: Rotate creeper with creeper turn inputs (default left/right angle brackets).
  
• Desktop: Exit creeper by standing up (default space bar).
  
• VR: Exit the creeper by adjusting crouch/stand height (see below).

VR:

• Allow VR players to crouch/stand, enabling better play for seated users.
  
• Hold forward on the right thumbstick/pad to enter crouch/stand adjust mode.
  
• While in crouch/stand adjust mode, use the left thumbstick/pad forward/back to adjust standing height.
  
• While in crouch/stand adjust mode, press the use button to reset standing height.
  
• Automatically reset location and crouch/stand height under some conditions (e.g. putting head through wall/floor)

Desktop:

• Restrict minimum crouch height.

Add missing 29mm socket to impact socket kit.
Minor tweaks and bugfixes.

We decided there were too many little bugs to leave unfixed so we are releasing another update primarily focused on bugs. We also re-enabled physics in VR for held objects so you can slam things together again.


VR:
- Added on screen object information under some conditions.
- Added on screen action information for some context sensitive interactions.
- Adjusted movement to work better with environment collision.
- Added teleport indicator visuals.
- Added handling for attempting to walk through or put head through wall collision. (e.g. in room-scale VR)
- Fixed bugs allowing player to climb walls in certain places.
- Most objects are now physics-enabled when picked up. (note: only large objects for multiplayer clients)
- Added functionality to adjust tool settings with VR finger touches.
- Fixed bug preventing installation of parts after switching hands.
Desktop:
- Added "Field of View" user setting.
- Fixed bug causing "Sprint Mode" user setting to not work.
VR/Desktop Player: Added gravity and ability to step up small collision differences such as curbs.
Torque Wrenches: Added touch interaction points for adjusting in VR.
Flashlight:
- Added multiplayer support.
- Fixed general functionality.
Radio:
- Added multiplayer support.
- Improved knob interactions.
Boxes & Pallets: Added physics-based destruction. Slam your old boxes against walls to break them down into smaller objects!
Floor/Wall-Mounted Objects:
- Desktop: Adjusted inputs to be closer to normal object manipulation.
- Desktop: Added support for switching between snapping or freeform placement.
- VR: Improved general behavior.
- Added collision checks to prevent them from being placed overlapping other objects or walls.
- Fixed bugs allowing objects to get onto high collision such as roofs, power lines, etc.
- Fixed bugs causing unmounted wall objects (pegboards, tire rack) to float in the air.
Improved collision environment in the residential garage to be closer to the visuals.
Added physics impact sounds.
Minor bugfixes and tweaks.

Known Issues:
Physics impact sounds are not working for multiplayer clients.

We put out an update to fix the more problematic bugs in our last beta release and also allow players to throw away trash. We are not planning to do another dedicated bug fix update and want to move on to finishing game systems needed for the new game loop and moving to the main branch. We plan to release beta updates with new features as we make progress so expect new things to come to the beta branch relatively quickly.

Build 150 is now on the beta branch. You can now get rid of those pesky pallets and boxes! And we fixed a variety of other issues.

Added a toter (trash bin) and dumpster
Refined desktop input and some default key binds
Client now has access to apps on their UI and can submit orders
Engine stand now works - pick up the engine after removing the securing bolts
Improve quality of catalog preview images.
Fixed a bug causing unstable physics when putting assemblies or tools with attachments in boxes
Fixed a bug allowing objects to be put into closed boxes
Tool batteries and charger now save
Prevent clients from saving (only host can save the game)
Fix bad socket fit messages not reporting to clients
Implement replication for floor tiles
Implement replication for desktop mode headlamp
Disable Ray Tracing in VR (this is causing a crash in the Residential Garage that we need to track down)
Minor part fixes
Catalog bug fixes including adding the socket organizers to the catalog

How to use the toter: Put unwanted items in, close the lid, and put it at the street in the residential garage or near the garage door in the big garage for collection.
How to use the dumpster: Rent one, put unwanted items in, and wait a few minutes for it to be collected. The dumpster is also collected, so fill it up!

Wrench has been in a state of redesign and rewrites for the last 3 years. This beta update includes our first pass at co-op multiplayer support. We do not have enough work finished on the new car starting and symptoms systems to support our new game loop, and we are waiting on a new game loop before we move everything to the main branch. Some progress on things like the new electrical solver with individual wire/pin level continuity simulation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H5tuUkj_CM

We are aware that we still have polish work to do on multiplayer code and that desktop key binds still need some streamlining. Regardless please report issues that you have. We wanted to share some of our plans for where Wrench is headed in the very near future:

Multiplayer
Multiplayer is not required and we are intentionally building the game to be a single player experience that your friends can join you in. That said, wrench in multiplayer is an extremely cooperative social experience. Players are working on the same car literally handing each other tools, pointing things out, teaching, helping organize and track parts, etc. Few other games have this depth of player to player cooperation.


Living assembly
We are working towards building detailed simulations for each subsystem of the car. Our latest projects have been a new electrical solver that accurately simulates current moving through a circuit and a procedural animation system to handle engine, chassis, and suspension movement. The ultimate goal is to make the car feel fully interactable and not limited to nut, bolt, and part install interactions. Eventually we want suspension arms to move when grabbed, the steering rack to operate, wheels to be free spun when the car is on jackstands, latches to operate correctly, etc. We are also building the car starting/running condition systems so that the car can exist in any number of broken or incomplete states and the player will get natural feedback instead of text statements telling them what the car is doing. Example: Pull a spark plug while the car is running and the system will misfire. Remove the chassis ground and expect sensor noise/failure, etc. Pull an electrical connector or fuse and the correct cascade of events will occur. We also are removing all text based information about the car and the condition will be something players observe through audio, visual, and performance information. The running condition of the car should exist in a gray area where there isn’t necessarily a clear distinction between running well and running poorly. An intermittent misfire from a leaking injector o’ring isn’t going to keep your car from running but it will impact the engine based on the severity. This complexity will all be layered into the game experience so new players can focus on getting the car running and then progressively dig deeper into the car to fix more issues as they become comfortable.

Moving away from maintenance
Maintenance will always be part of Wrench but we want the focus of the player's time to be spent on car building and creative problem solving - not repeat oil and pad changes. You will still be responsible for maintaining the car but the game is moving away from immediately having the player enter endurance races which will reduce the number of race hours and mechanical wear so there will be less repetitive work. The same systems that feed the running condition of the car also allow for intricate and creative car performance tuning. In our upcoming game loop we will give the players challenges that use a combination of performance targets and constraints. We are building the car systems so that there can be many possible routes to solve a problem. An example might be: Achieve a certain lap time at a track but you must use a specific set of tires and the car must weigh at least x number of lbs. Or build a car capable of a lap time at a specific track using a limited selection of aero parts and a peak horsepower less than x amount. We want players to combine parts and tune their cars for specific goals instead of building unrealistic vehicles that are just faster at everything. Car performance will be an interaction between assembly quality, specific part selection, part condition, and chassis + engine tuning.

Hi Everyone,
We have intentionally been quiet about what we are working on for the last few months. Multiplayer is nearly ready! We think co-op in Wrench is a pretty unique experience. Player to player interaction feels more meaningful than most other games and it is genuinely helpful to have another person work with you, hand you tools, or help organize tasks. It’s an extremely social experience and it adds a whole new dimension to the game and we think you all will really enjoy it.

We are moving from the beta to the main branch in early June. Our move from beta to main branch will include a first pass at our co-op multiplayer support. We will provide more details on the what else is we are working on we are ready but for now enjoy this multiplayer test footage.

Patch Notes (Build 148)

-VR finger threading
-Torque wrench bug fixes
-Desktop: Fix bug preventing placing sockets into organizer while holding tool
-Desktop Fix input priority bugs and place and throw (left v right hand)
-Changes to texture memory pool size at each texture quality setting
-Adjusted denoiser settings for raytraced reflections


Hatchback art improvements:
New materials for car paint and dirt
Engine bay detailing pass including seam filler and spot welds
Rework of front fenders and hood
Added plastic trim pieces into the design
Two tone body work with black lower body line

-Garage art improvements

We have identified a few themes in user feedback from the first beta and we are working on addressing them. This iteration makes some progress on interactions, playability, and also fixes a few major bugs from the last update.

The most consistent feedback we got was from players struggling with tool interactions and socket selection. The game doesn’t provide much feedback about wrong socket sizes and we require players to test out and learn which sockets fit where. This gets made unnecessarily tedious by a clunky system to swap sockets. We would like to improve the feedback players get when testing sockets, and make managing and testing sockets more seamless.

Beta update changes:

Fixed a bug that caused high frame rates (over 200fps) to prevent tools from attaching to fasteners correctly

Fixed a bug that caused right clicking while fastening to enter a context menu state that appeared broken

Fasteners now automatically move to the corner after being loosened.

Fasteners now automatically get finger threaded a few turns on install

These changes are working towards eliminating the state where fasteners float in front of threads but aren’t actually threaded on. It also makes removing fasteners a smoother experience.

Added a socket organizer. Both a mobile and a pegboard variation. Sockets will auto place into the organizers. Note: This hasn’t been discussed but holding the left control key while clicking acts as a small part only filter. This is useful for preventing misclicks when you are removing parts from an assembly that isn’t bolted down. This is really useful for things like the socket organizer as it prevents accidentally grabbing the organizer instead of a socket. The same concept applies to working on any loose subassembly.

Added a hotkey for tool direction changes (x)
Added a hotkey for socket installation and removal (z)
Added a hotkey for tool modes (f)

Improved the message log feedback for socket sizes to be more specific

Added hud information on how held tools are currently set up (socket size, tool direction, power mode)

Improved procedural animations for sockets and tool handling

We plan to do an input key binding pass in the future so keybinds will be improved/changed once all of the interactions are nailed down.

We still have more changes to make to improve tool handling and socket handling.

We are also planning a sound pass. The game is missing a lot of sounds and needs some sounds reworked.

Today’s beta release is a limited test of all of the new game systems. We disabled saving, part ordering, and there is no progression or game loop. The game interactions are all totally new code and they work differently than any previous release. The controls are different and the way players interact and manage parts is a fresh design. We want feedback on this, especially areas where you find friction or frustration. Our general approach has been to keep things very physical and in the world. Parts can be handled as groups, stored in containers, and managed more easily. We want the players to keep track of their parts by managing them in the world on a per task basis, not using a large inventory that quickly becomes confusing to sort through. In desktop mode we have tried to eliminate the need for constant camera motion and small trips- the old system required repeat mouse look actions to get and install every part and often involved small trips back and forth. We plan to do another pass on control binds and are aware that some inputs are a little awkward right now. We are open to feedback. We don’t want players accidentally dropping or losing things so please let us know if you run into issues.

Some key concepts to point out:


Desktop
Small parts move to the corner and can be cycled through with control + mouse wheel.

Tools can have sockets and batteries installed on them in the world but can also be interacted with by cycling through points of interest. Cycle points of interest with the V key and then click to interact. This is also how you do things like change tool directions or impact power modes.


Holding the E key allows you to place parts into the world on surfaces instead of dropping them in place. Small parts require using the E key to place them into the world (or a bin). This is to prevent accidentally dropping and losing small parts or clumps of small parts. Misclicking and suddenly dropping a handful of bolts into the engine bay is a gameplay ruining experience and we want to avoid that without making the game difficult to play. Large parts are easily dropped in place by clicking and can also be placed with the E key + click.

There is still a pocket function in desktop but it is less like an inventory and more like just storing a clump of parts in your actual pocket. Pocket contents populate in and out of what you are carrying in your corner hold and are toggled with the Q key.

In desktop mode the B key functions as a simple headlamp.

VR:
Scoop up groups of loose small parts by holding the palm grab. Small parts can be dropped into a face up open hand and will pour out of your hand if turned sideways. Pick through your held clump using the pinch grab.

Long range grab has been limited to loose parts and can no longer uninstall parts. We will probably make more changes to limit the use of long range interactions but we want to keep some functionality for getting things from the floor and also for other types of part interactions. We also want to change the visual around the laser pointers to make them less distracting.

We are using a single interact button to do things like toggle tool direction or interact with world objects (A or X on oculus). For example, this is how you place pegboard hardware or tools into pegboard in VR.


Sockets, batteries, etc are manually installed with simple physical installs similar to parts.


Final note:
We are in the middle of aggressive optimization of the neighborhood environment. Many assets were pulled out and will be worked back in after being improved. For now we placed obvious signage to make it clear the art is not final.

As we have shared in previous updates, we have been working on new tools and content, improving interactions, and designing a refined core experience in Wrench. Here is a new look at many of the features that you will see soon and what you can expect in upcoming builds.

Nearly all of the interaction systems are new. Desktop mode, in particular, plays very differently. A primary goal for desktop mode is to create an experience that feels like using two hands while keeping the interaction system straightforward. Tools no longer need to be put away to interact with parts, and multiple small parts can be carried simultaneously. This combination of features allows for fewer trips back and forth and less looking around the screen just to find something you recently needed to put down. It’s important to us that the game continues to feel physical and grounded in a realistic space. We intend to avoid large hidden inventories, and are removing some previous features that allowed automated assembly and fastening.




Desktop and VR have new systems for carrying small parts. In VR you can scoop and dump small parts in a natural way. Desktop mode allows gathering small parts in your left hand and cycling an active part with only a few inputs. The active object can be installed while continuing to hold other small objects.



Storage bins allow you to keep groups of parts together. Sorting and maintaining parts in a physical space is more intuitive than dealing with a large inventory hidden behind a user interface or toolbelt hotkeys.

For example, when doing a brake job, you can now easily keep all related small parts grouped together in a container or on a surface. When you want to re-assemble a corner of the braking system you have everything you need in one place. Logical clumps are easier to keep track of and are more analogous to real life than working out of an infinite pocket inventory.



There are many new tools and new tool systems. Sockets need to be manually selected and installed. Combination wrenches are fastener size specific. Tools are now adjusted with a point of interest system where players cycle through interactable components of the tool.





The combo automatic electric ratchet and torque wrench tools are no longer part of the game. They were fantasy tools and we are leaning heavily into tool realism. Players have to pick between impacts, combination wrenches, ratchets, and torque wrenches. Battery powered tools need to be charged, and we are experimenting with tools and sockets wearing out. We have also added finger tightening as another method to thread bolts into place before torquing them.





As much of the new content and features are coming together, we are close to being able to release our first new build in over a year. This build, which we are calling an interaction playroom, will be released on the beta branch. It will give you a chance to try out new interaction systems, tools, residential garage play space, and new content such as the street car chassis. This build focuses on new core interactions in Wrench, not high level game progression. Many existing features have been removed or disabled.

The gameplay area in the beta build will be prepopulated with a curated selection of tools and content. You will not have the ability to purchase parts, buy classified cars, or take on repair jobs. There will be no introductory tutorial experience. Saving and loading in this build will be disabled, allowing you to continue to play the existing mainline progression experience while we continue developing the new game loop.

Here are some features and content that will be in the build:

• Residential garage play area
  
• Street car
  
• Manual ratchets
  
• Combo wrenches
  
• Impact wrenches with removable and rechargeable batteries
  
• Manual selection of sockets and extensions on ratchets and impact wrenches
  
• Multi-grab functionality in VR and desktop modes
  
• Refined pocket functionality
  
• Finger tightening/loosening of unseated fasteners
  
• Basic garage furniture (shelves, workbenches)
  
• Containers
  
• Pegboards
  
• Floor tiles

We will consider bug reports and feedback and release minor iterations of this build as we see fit.

Our milestone after the beta build will be a mainline build with a new game loop that represents what progression will look like in Wrench. This build will bring back saving and loading, replacing the mainline build that is currently available.

Stay tuned for a closer look at many of these features and news regarding upcoming builds. Although we can't give a solid date for a beta release at this time, we are working toward it every day.

We wanted to make another update post to give players a better sense of what is coming. Currently VR interactions and code are being rewritten to allow for some new functionality and structurally fit together with the redone desktop mode. We think these will be really positive changes for play ability and add some powerful new features that mirror what we have done with desktop. We still have work to do on the new game mode and integrating all the new content into the game in a way that is meaningful.

The biggest change in this update is not going to be content or the new interaction systems for desktop and VR. The game loop, player narrative, and experience are being radically changed. This isn’t the last step in this evolution but a big step towards where we want to end up. The game will no longer be nearly as focused on maintenance, racing isn’t going to work the same way, and accruing race hours will not be a major focus. We think the current game loop leads to a lot of repetitive tasks and the lack of creativity in the build process + the difficulties around scaling AI to be interesting when the player doesn’t have direct control of their car never felt right. Most of the things you expect in the game will be replaced or significantly changed. Customer car jobs are going to be repurposed as training, how money is earned and used will be very different, etc.

The narrative for the new game mode is going to be centered around an individual buying a non running project car, diagnosing it, and then getting it running, and eventually make it track ready and then making it fast. The two kit cars in the game are going to become mid to late game options for the players to build and will never be available as completed assemblies.

Some screenshots of the completed new play area. The garage, driveway, and much of the front yard are all usable play space: