This update fixes a lot of bugs, thank you for your feedback alerting us to them. We've also updated our pathfinding system to support multiple AIs - soon we will start adding new enemies and wildlife!

We're aware of an issue where the airship can get caught in the terrain. If this happens to you please submit a feedback, we've added some extra information to the logging to help us resolve it.

• Optimised seeker spawn stutter
  
• Optimised location loading stutter
  
• Autosave now occurs when you land rather than when you get near a location
  
• The "recover your items" message after dying now specifies your coffin's location
  
• Coffins now disappear after being emptied
  
• Hopefully fixed issue with disappearing terrain
  
• Fixed crafted nail/screw boxes only giving 1 nail/screw (now 5)
  
• Fixed crafted bullet boxes only giving 1 bullet (now 6)
  
• Fixed issue where you wouldn't respawn after dying and could access inventory but not move or do anything else.
  
• Fixed fortune teller wobblehead not appearing in inventory when picked up
  
• Fixed not being able to pick up food tin in Badlands iron cave
  
• Fixed error if you looked at the burner while trying to build another apparatus
  
• Fixed loading error if a coffin was saved and loaded twice
  
• Fixed error where a coffin on the airship would appear floating in the air
  
• Fixed error where a coffin or item on the airship wouldn't stick to the airship after save and load

Desert Skies now has a fixed open world map instead of one that is procedurally generated as you fly. This makes exploring the deserts a more engaging experience which will keep getting better as we fill the world with lots of details to find and explore. Press M to view the in-game map to help you navigate the world as you search for locations, caves and resources.



The current version of the world is just the beginning. It was mostly created using our old procedural generation tools with a bit of manual editing. Now that it's fully operational we will be working on new world creation tools to empower us to hand-craft lots of interesting areas to find and explore in the deserts. As we improve the world over coming updates borders will shift, biomes will become unique, and the landscape will grow with hills, valleys, canyons, roads/rails and more.

We now have artwork for our menus, in-game HUD and interfaces!



The build menu will also be updated after we make some gameplay changes to how you find and learn schematics to build.

Our old inventory system could not work with multiplayer, so we rebuilt it. The new system is multiplayer ready and has improved features - you can split item stacks, it will remember which slot you like to keep each tool and consumable in, and it intelligently picks which stacks to add items to and remove from.

• The wind can now blow in any direction instead of always pointing westerly. We have improved how the wind and engine interact so that it's easier to fly the direction you want even when it's against the wind.
  
• White Sands is now a biome of towering dunes interspersed with fields of bright red flowers, while Salt Flats is now very flat. These are the first steps in these biomes' development, with more to come as we improve our world building tools.
  
• We have created a weather system. This first version changes cloud formations when the weather changes, and in future will support additional weather effects like dust, lighting, wind intensity and sandstorms.
  
• In-game interactions like opening doors and harvesting resources are now using a rebuilt interaction system which supports multiplayer.
  
• We have rebuilt our save system to support the fixed open world. Currently resources and locations will reset when you fly away and return to an area, but once we've added more content we will switch over to permanent saving - any changes you make to the world will be there forever.
  
• As a side effect of rebuilding our systems, several bugs no longer exist. Any existing problems with inventory or items are gone, as well as bugs like planted prickly pears not growing fruit or duplicate items appearing at workstations after loading a game.

We are close to having multiplayer ready for testing. The initial multiplayer release will be a quiet one to find any major bugs or connectivity issues. Once we're sure everything is ready we will make an announcement for the proper release.

Desert Skies will use drop-in multiplayer so you will be able to invite friends to join your game at any time without needing to start a separate multiplayer game/mode. Initially multiplayer will be locally hosted with friends able to join your game via the Steam friends list, but later we will release a dedicated server.

This update brings caves to Desert Skies!



Caves are a fun diversion from flying across the desert and are a great source of coal, iron, gold, sulfur and saltpeter. Keep an eye out for cracked walls while spelunking and hit them with a pickaxe to reveal secret tunnels!



There are two unique caves in each biome (16 total). We developed new generation tools to help us create the caves and over time we will expand those tools with new tunnel types and more unique cave scenes so that we can make bigger and better caves. The cave generation tools will also serve as the basis for new location generation tools, to help us for example create a series of larger and more complex towns.

We're going to spend the next week researching what we need to complete cooperative multiplayer, then we'll post a timeline on our forum. We're also looking at switching to a fixed map - once we have a playable version we'll be seeking your feedback whether that's the best direction for Desert Skies.

• Each biome has two caves to explore (look for the silver beacons).
  
• New drop flare item to help when exploring caves.
  
• Loot has been rebalanced in all locations.
  
• Mines on surface have been rebalanced across biomes.
  
• The old small points of interest have been removed in favour of mines, we will re-use them in future.
  
• Airship turning speed has been doubled.
  
• Fixed bug where loading save deep in gold mine could result in instant death.
  
• Fixed bug where already looted items could reappear after loading game.

New Year celebrations have come to the desert!



You can now find large buckets of fireworks in every location. You will be able to set them off immediately, or wait until midnight for a synchronised show.

Larger locations have more fireworks. We recommend Coalridge Station, Sunken Forest, Clifftop Cabin and Area 51 for the most impressive displays.

You don't have to be in the location to see the fireworks, they look great when flying past in your airship too!

• The Sleeping Bag and Bed now have the options to sleep until morning, evening or midnight.
  
• Fixed a rare save file bug where some apparatus would not load. This fix repairs the save file but you may lose a single apparatus (the one causing the bug).

This update introduces farming to your airship!

Harvest dirt with your shovel from new dirt mounds and build planting beds aboard your airship. With this update you can grow trees for wood and prickly pear cactuses for food and water.



We will be adding the Kitchen and food buff system soon with a lot of other crops to grow as well, along with some decorative plants to brighten up your airship.

• Build the Tall Planting Bed on your airship. Plant a seed and add some water then watch your plants grow.
  
• Joshua Trees in the Oasis and the Abandoned Manor have a chance to drop seeds.
  
• Prickly Pear cactuses will sometimes have flowers which you can pick for seeds.
  
• Dirt mounds can be found in the desert and locations, harvest them with a shovel to gather dirt for your planting beds.
  
• Fertilizer can be found in locations, add it to a growing plant to speed up its growth.
  
• Fixed a save game bug where your game would stop saving after you had died a few times. This bug was really tricky, it was triggered by an issue with the coffins, thank you for the feedback which helped us to track it down!
  
• Fixed bug with sulfur mines having no sulfur sometimes.
  
• Added wells to more locations and increased food and water in the early game.
  
• The Still can now be filled with water from a canteen or bucket as well as waterskins.
  
• Fixed bug where dying with the build menu open would lock it on screen.
  
• Dropping nails, screws and bullets now drops a box instead of the small models.

There is a lot to build and craft in this update, starting with the first of our new airship designs! Your stylish new airship has doors, windows, trapdoors, ceilings, inner and outer walls and multiple variations for each tile.





Aboard your new airship you have lots of new and updated crafting apparatus to build. With the Helm you can turn your burner and engine on or off, set the direction you want to turn towards for easier control, and has a built in compass, wind pointer, burner fuel indicator and engine charge indicator!



Here we have the new look Workbench and the new Artificer and Tesla Workbench apparatus.



Next up the new look Blacksmith and the new Gunsmith and Still apparatus.



And the new look Smelter and Grill, and new Nail Rig and Grindstone apparatus.



We have created five new storage apparatus to display all of the new resources you'll be collecting in style. These containers display your resources out in the open, allowing you to assess your supplies at a glance while adding colour and flair to your airship!



Craft new and updated tools with your new apparatus. Stone, Iron, Gold and Tesla axes and pickaxes each have different properties, and you can now wield the sickle, tap, shovel, flare gun, compass, pocket watch and spyglass! We've also updated the design on the knife, hammer, revolver and lantern.



To build and craft all of these new options you'll need to gather new resources from the desert, such as sulfur mines, agave and aloe vera plants, barrel cactuses, meteorites, and saltpeter, as well as the mysterious crystals and goo bulbs.



From these resources you'll gather a lot of new and updated items to use in your crafting.



We've also updated existing resources, mining is a new experience where you search for the weak point on a mine and crack it open with an explosive shower of rock to find the ores inside!



We've included the first of our planned changes to the Seeker experience in this update. If the Seeker gets close enough to you it will now grab you instead of melee attacking. If you have a knife in your inventory you'll be able to pass a skill check to fight off the Seeker's attack and escape without damage.



We look forward to seeing your new airship designs! With doors and trapdoors you can make all sorts of cool rooms and nooks for all of the new apparatus.

We've posted a new roadmap to our forum that goes into much more detail about the rest of our plans with Desert Skies. Instead of large major updates we're going to be releasing smaller regular updates covering a variety of gameplay. You can also follow us on Twitter @DesertSkiesGame for details of each update as we're working on it.

Airship

• New visual design with our first of the new tile sets - Rickety
  
• Taller walls with inner/outer wall support (so as we add new tile sets you can build adjacent rooms with different styles).
  
• New ceiling, door, window and trapdoor tiles.

Airship Apparatus

• Updated visual design for the workbench, grill, smelter and blacksmith.
  
• New apparatus: Helm.
  
• New apparatus: Artificer. Craft devices like the compass, pocket watch, spyglass and more.
  
• New apparatus: Gunsmith. Craft guns and ammunition, including the new flare gun.
  
• New apparatus: Tesla Workbench. Craft advanced items and tools like the Tesla Axe and Pickaxe.
  
• New apparatus: Nail Rig. An automated nail crafter for producing lots of nails.
  
• New apparatus: Grindstone. Sharpen your iron and gold tools for faster harvesting.
  
• New storage apparatus: resource pallet, resource bucket, small resource bowl, powder basket and rope pole. Your resources are now stored out in the open so you can easily see how much you have, and add some colour and flair to your airship.

Tools

• Stone axe and pickaxe now break over time.
  
• Iron axe and pickaxe now harvest faster and can be sharpened at the Grindstone.
  
• New gold axe and pickaxe let you harvest new special resources, and can also be sharpened at the Grindstone.
  
• New Tesla axe and pickaxe for the ultimate harvesting speed.
  
• New flare gun for lighting up your surroundings.
  
• New sickle for harvesting agave and aloe vera, and more plants to come.
  
• New shovel for harvesting sand, sulfur and saltpeter, and more resources to come.
  
• New tap for harvesting water in the desert from barrel cactuses.
  
• New devices: spyglass, compass, and pocket watch.

Other Changes

• New location The Blacksmith, with new wobblehead.
  
• The Seeker now grabs you when it gets close instead of its previous melee attack. If you have a knife then you'll be able to escape the grab without taking damage if you pass a skill check.
  
• New resources to harvest from the desert: stone piles, barrel cactuses, agave, aloe vera, sulfur, saltpeter, meteorite, alien crystal and alien bulbs.
  
• Big performance improvements on large airships especially when taking off.
  
• Mining has changed, now you look for the weak point on a mine and use your pickaxe to bust it open and find the ores inside.
  
• All new tool animations with visible player hands.
  
• Building hammer is now a permanent item and no longer takes up an inventory slot.
  
• Trees and cactuses now leave behind a stump when harvested.
  
• Braziers on apparatus like the blacksmith produce charcoal for making gunpowder.
  
• You no longer have to restart if you die without a sleeping bag (to avoid new player frustration, we'll bring some ruthless survival elements back in as we balance the game with all the new content).
  
• Biomes rearranged with duplicate locations as placeholders for new locations being developed.
  
• New outline effect on interactive elements instead of the old glow.
  
• Locations now have titles when you enter them.
  
• Clocks in locations tell the time.
  
• Improved airship avoidance system to stop running into buttes.
  
• Loot rebalanced to be plentiful, will be balanced in future once new content stabilises.
  
• Music now plays the whole song instead of only 90 seconds.

This update improves the progression system in the current game to be closer to our goal.

There are now 6 biomes with the locations spread out between them. The 4 new biomes are copies of an existing one with different colour schemes. We will replace these temporary versions with the real ones as we develop them. Keep an eye out for the title that appears as you fly into each biome for a hint about what it will eventually become!

We have also changed the beacon system. Locations you have not visited yet will now have a green beacon, while ones you have visited will still be gold. By visiting each of the locations in a biome you will unlock the next biome with a green beacon - so basically keep looking for green beacons to keep progressing forwards. Existing saves have had their beacons reset so it can drive you forwards into the new biomes.

We've also more than doubled the amount of desert you can see at a time, from 1 to 2.6 miles! To help you spot things in the new distance we've added a squint zoom - just hold down right mouse or left trigger to zoom in. In the crafting update we'll be adding a spyglass for even more zoom.

Other changes:

• Locations with essential items will not let you leave if you haven't looted the item.
  
• The Seeker now retreats if you stand on your airship for a short time.
  
• New graphics settings for Terrain Range, Content Range and Content Density. Lower them to improve your framerate or increase them for a larger denser desert.
  
• Added 3 new points of interest appearing in the new biomes.
  
• All locations now have campfires and lamps which you can activate to help you see at night.

Check the forum for our Plans and Previews post about our next update - Crafting - and follow us on twitter @DesertSkiesGame for dev updates about what we're working on next.

This update introduces a day and night cycle to Desert Skies!



Build lamps on your airship and carry a torch into locations to continue your journey when night falls.



Our Twitter is now active! Follow us for regular dev updates as we develop each next update.

Read our forum post for more details about the day and night cycle and bug fixes in this update.

Update 1.13 replaces the existing world generation system to create a larger and more interesting world, with biomes and more to explore.


Build the propeller engine aboard your airship and take control of your journey! The winds won't always be in your favour, build a weather vane or observe wind trails in the sky to navigate your airship.


This update introduces our first two biomes! Your journey now begins in the iconic Monument Valley before moving into an improved version of the Desert Skies classic desert.


Explore a more interesting world with location phases and points of interest in the desert.

With this major upgrade complete we can take Desert Skies to new heights. We're calling this next phase of development the countdown to Early Access 2.0. We will be releasing a series of regular patches which add new content or enhance an aspect of core gameplay, starting with a patch in around a week which will introduce a day and night cycle.

Read our forum post for more details about the future of Desert Skies.

Merry Christmas from White Rabbit Games!



This peaceful event will let you transform the desert into a winter wonderland and deliver presents for Santa to earn new decorations for your airship.

Keep an eye out for Santa's sleigh in the desert to get started.

In the main menu Settings you can now choose which event you would like to enable - Christmas, Halloween or the normal game.

We hope you all have a Happy New Year!