Steam 'Early Access' users will receive this update today, Thursday February 22nd, 2018.

The Basebuilding update is Astroneer's biggest update to date. Whether underground, on a mountaintop, or on far away planets, the all new Basebuilding and Power systems will allow you to create efficient bases that are all your own. This update includes 20+ new art pieces, which includes new platforms, modules, items to print, and much more. With that being said, this update is only the beginning for Basebuilding as a system. We have already begun development on more features and content to continue growing the already robust foundation. Check out the basebuilding trailer below!

https://youtu.be/GCA80QgMTNU
You will find these updates in 0.6.0.0, the current build of the game.


Creating bases has changed fundamentally at its core. Now Astroneers can create bases however they like with a variety of new movable platforms and new ways to connect those platforms together.

We have introduced free standing movable base platforms. Three all new Platforms have been added. Two versions of the Medium Platform, and a platform for base modules, the Large Platform. These objects can now be placed and rotated individually, allowing for greater flexibility in base configurations. Lock platforms into place by connecting them to power. If you want to move them again, just disconnect all power lines.

Introducing: Fabricators. Fabricators are portable printers that allow you to make bases. Pop up the new control panel, pick what you want to fabricate, and in the end you will have a crate you can unpack immediately or bring with you anywhere you go. The Small Fabricator allows you to bootstrap an entire base from your Backpack and is used to print Medium Platforms and Medium Fabricators. The Medium Fabricator is for printing Large Platforms and Base Modules. Medium Printers and Vehicle Bays remain unchanged for now.

The starting Habitat module has received a visual update. Complete with a built in Oxygenator, Power Generation System, nighttime running lights, and 4 power connectors, the new Habitat is top of the line Exo Dynamics technology.

All printed base Modules and Platforms now come in the form of packaged crates. This allows them them to be moved or stored before deploying. Hovering over a crate on the ground or a Module on a Platform will show a hologram preview of its orientation. Base module crates can only be unpacked while on top of a platform, so keep that in mind when planning your base.


Added a new Landing Pad which automatically deploys next to a new Habitat. The Landing Pad is used to call in your first packaged items, and as zone for other players who join your session to land. Be aware that calling in new packages to the landing pad will destroy the extant ones. We plan on adding more functionality to the landing pad in the future. For now, shuttles will still land in the area in front of a vehicle bay.

Bases created in previous builds will automatically migrate to the new Basebuilding system. When loading into an old save, Platforms and Modules will be converted to their movable, packaged form. We tried to support old saves as best we could so there was no loss of items, but terrain might not always generate properly. As always though, use old saves at your own risk.

All holograms have received a visual update. They should now be much more readable at all times of day.

The introductory landing sequence has been updated. We will continue to improve on the introductory sequence in future updates.



Changed the Power System over to a system that uses streaming shared power pools. That means items that need power pull from available power generators on a connected network. All Modules, Rovers, and crashed solar arrays have been migrated to use this new power system. To see how a network is doing, check out the new power indicators on platforms.

Cable and Cable Connector Art has been updated. Cables and their Connectors are now indicators for how much power is running through a network. When the indicator is red, the network needs power and all Modules connected to it will not run at optimal efficiency. As you add more power, the indicator will begin to expand, and connected Modules will run faster.


Added a new directional power tool, Extenders. Extenders are printable in bundles of six from your backpack. Extenders provide directed power flow, which redirects excess power from one pool to another. Drag a cable from the extender to indicate the direction of power and where you would like it to flow. Power flow is indicated by the large chevron on the cable.

Added small standalone platforms for small power items. When placed on the ground, Small Solar Panels, Small Generators, Small Wind Vanes. and Worklights will now deploy standalone bases with two Power Connectors on them. Use these to add power to your network, power bespoke standalone platforms, or as extenders that also add power. Small worklight bases also contain spikes can now stick to any terrain surface regardless of orientation.


A new interaction verb “Use” has been added to the game. Holding Use (by default E on keyboard and X on the Gamepad) triggers using an object. It is also used to get in and out of vehicles and the Habitat.

A new interaction verb “Examine” has been added to the game. Holding Examine (by default Q on keyboard and Y on the Gamepad) triggers examining an object or its control panel.

Holding Q on keyboard or Y on Gamepad will now open the Catalog whether or not the Backpack is open. This is a change from the double-Q / double-Y interaction from previous releases.

• Shoulder buttons can now toggle items in the Backpack Auxiliary slots on and off.
  
• Interactions that need to be held rather than tapped, like Use and Examine, now have a visual indicator ring around them.
  
• Platforms and Modules can be rotated using Z / X keyboard and RB / LB on Gamepad by default.
  
• When standing close enough to power slots, Gamepad users will auto-select slots that can pull connections.
  
• The Backpack printer can now be used with the directional pad and A button, rather than having to use the Gamepad cursor.

• Small Generators now auto-pull nearby Organic resources when actively generating power.
  
• Small Generators will now automatically turn on when an Organic resource is added.
  
• Firework rocket has been added to the Catalog as an unlockable object. Happy Lunar New Year!
  
• Control Panel buttons, including the Research Platform, have been updated to change color and icon depending on whether pressing it will start, stop, or cancel a process, or if there is insufficient power.
  
• Tutorial help menu carousel has been updated to include Basebuilding, Power, and Interaction changes.
  
• Informational widgets that appear at the bottom of the screen have received updated visuals.
  
• Optimized rendering of hovering info text that appears over holograms, along with other minor framerate optimizations.
  
• Made several changes to the gravity system to improve stability of Rovers.
  
• Medium Generators now provide about 30% more power

If you want to see the other stuff that happened this month that didn't make it, check out our vlogs for weekly insight to what the team is doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1IZkCB0zo&t=25s

• Fixed several issues causing Rovers to float when outside of physics range. There should now be fewer instances of Rovers going on a beautiful journey into space.
  
• Unified the simulation of the vehicle chain. This should mean many less vehicle physics freakouts going forward.
  
• Fixed an Xbox One crash that sometimes occurred when players were transitioning into Multiplayer games, improving overall stability.
  
• Fixed a PC crash that sometimes occurred when players were transitioning into Multiplayer games, improving overall stability.
  
• Fixed a minor issue where large rocks would not despawn when dislodged, causing untidy bases.
  
• Fixed an occasional bug where the mouselook camera would do a single wild 360 degree swing.
  
• Fixed an issue where players were sometimes able to pick up things inappropriately while seated.

The following major features are continuing during development, but are not included in this release. Now that we are in Alpha, you can expect to see all of these items implemented during the first half of 2018. Click here to see the full roadmap.

Dedicated Servers - (Q2 2018)
We now have our final plan for implementation and player workflow when it comes to dedicated servers and have begun implementation. The rollout plan is to have servers provided through a 3rd party during Early Access for stress testing, and then DIY hosted servers at a later date.

Basebuilding - Implemented & In Progress
Its finally out! As mentioned above, we still have plenty more we want to add to this system. We would love your feedback once you get your hands on it.

Research 2.1* - Implemented & In Progress
The next steps include working on items that instantly grant you research points, and unlockable blueprints that can only be found out in the world and never be unlocked via the catalog. Expect this to keep getting more content for our next few updates.

Weather and Hazards - (Q2 2018)
As a part of Terrain 2.0 we will also be introducing an entirely new weather and hazard system to challenge players. First on the list is fixing the wind system so it is more predictable and players can rely on it as a source of power generation.

Terrain 2.0 - (Q2 2018)
Not much has changed here. The terrain system is now stood up, and final tools are being implemented to account for item placement in the world. Adam has begun generation of terrain and exploration of new planets and biomes.

Thanks for reading all of this! Really excited to get these sweeping changes into the hands of players.

-joe

Steam 'Early Access' users will receive this update today, Thursday February 22nd, 2018.

The Basebuilding update is Astroneer's biggest update to date. Whether underground, on a mountaintop, or on far away planets, the all new Basebuilding and Power systems will allow you to create efficient bases that are all your own. This update includes 20+ new art pieces, which includes new platforms, modules, items to print, and much more. With that being said, this update is only the beginning for Basebuilding as a system. We have already begun development on more features and content to continue growing the already robust foundation. Check out the basebuilding trailer below!

https://youtu.be/GCA80QgMTNU
You will find these updates in 0.6.0.0, the current build of the game.


Creating bases has changed fundamentally at its core. Now Astroneers can create bases however they like with a variety of new movable platforms and new ways to connect those platforms together.

We have introduced free standing movable base platforms. Three all new Platforms have been added. Two versions of the Medium Platform, and a platform for base modules, the Large Platform. These objects can now be placed and rotated individually, allowing for greater flexibility in base configurations. Lock platforms into place by connecting them to power. If you want to move them again, just disconnect all power lines.

Introducing: Fabricators. Fabricators are portable printers that allow you to make bases. Pop up the new control panel, pick what you want to fabricate, and in the end you will have a crate you can unpack immediately or bring with you anywhere you go. The Small Fabricator allows you to bootstrap an entire base from your Backpack and is used to print Medium Platforms and Medium Fabricators. The Medium Fabricator is for printing Large Platforms and Base Modules. Medium Printers and Vehicle Bays remain unchanged for now.

The starting Habitat module has received a visual update. Complete with a built in Oxygenator, Power Generation System, nighttime running lights, and 4 power connectors, the new Habitat is top of the line Exo Dynamics technology.

All printed base Modules and Platforms now come in the form of packaged crates. This allows them them to be moved or stored before deploying. Hovering over a crate on the ground or a Module on a Platform will show a hologram preview of its orientation. Base module crates can only be unpacked while on top of a platform, so keep that in mind when planning your base.


Added a new Landing Pad which automatically deploys next to a new Habitat. The Landing Pad is used to call in your first packaged items, and as zone for other players who join your session to land. Be aware that calling in new packages to the landing pad will destroy the extant ones. We plan on adding more functionality to the landing pad in the future. For now, shuttles will still land in the area in front of a vehicle bay.

Bases created in previous builds will automatically migrate to the new Basebuilding system. When loading into an old save, Platforms and Modules will be converted to their movable, packaged form. We tried to support old saves as best we could so there was no loss of items, but terrain might not always generate properly. As always though, use old saves at your own risk.

All holograms have received a visual update. They should now be much more readable at all times of day.

The introductory landing sequence has been updated. We will continue to improve on the introductory sequence in future updates.



Changed the Power System over to a system that uses streaming shared power pools. That means items that need power pull from available power generators on a connected network. All Modules, Rovers, and crashed solar arrays have been migrated to use this new power system. To see how a network is doing, check out the new power indicators on platforms.

Cable and Cable Connector Art has been updated. Cables and their Connectors are now indicators for how much power is running through a network. When the indicator is red, the network needs power and all Modules connected to it will not run at optimal efficiency. As you add more power, the indicator will begin to expand, and connected Modules will run faster.


Added a new directional power tool, Extenders. Extenders are printable in bundles of six from your backpack. Extenders provide directed power flow, which redirects excess power from one pool to another. Drag a cable from the extender to indicate the direction of power and where you would like it to flow. Power flow is indicated by the large chevron on the cable.

Added small standalone platforms for small power items. When placed on the ground, Small Solar Panels, Small Generators, Small Wind Vanes. and Worklights will now deploy standalone bases with two Power Connectors on them. Use these to add power to your network, power bespoke standalone platforms, or as extenders that also add power. Small worklight bases also contain spikes can now stick to any terrain surface regardless of orientation.


A new interaction verb “Use” has been added to the game. Holding Use (by default E on keyboard and X on the Gamepad) triggers using an object. It is also used to get in and out of vehicles and the Habitat.

A new interaction verb “Examine” has been added to the game. Holding Examine (by default Q on keyboard and Y on the Gamepad) triggers examining an object or its control panel.

Holding Q on keyboard or Y on Gamepad will now open the Catalog whether or not the Backpack is open. This is a change from the double-Q / double-Y interaction from previous releases.

• Shoulder buttons can now toggle items in the Backpack Auxiliary slots on and off.
  
• Interactions that need to be held rather than tapped, like Use and Examine, now have a visual indicator ring around them.
  
• Platforms and Modules can be rotated using Z / X keyboard and RB / LB on Gamepad by default.
  
• When standing close enough to power slots, Gamepad users will auto-select slots that can pull connections.
  
• The Backpack printer can now be used with the directional pad and A button, rather than having to use the Gamepad cursor.

• Small Generators now auto-pull nearby Organic resources when actively generating power.
  
• Small Generators will now automatically turn on when an Organic resource is added.
  
• Firework rocket has been added to the Catalog as an unlockable object. Happy Lunar New Year!
  
• Control Panel buttons, including the Research Platform, have been updated to change color and icon depending on whether pressing it will start, stop, or cancel a process, or if there is insufficient power.
  
• Tutorial help menu carousel has been updated to include Basebuilding, Power, and Interaction changes.
  
• Informational widgets that appear at the bottom of the screen have received updated visuals.
  
• Optimized rendering of hovering info text that appears over holograms, along with other minor framerate optimizations.
  
• Made several changes to the gravity system to improve stability of Rovers.
  
• Medium Generators now provide about 30% more power

If you want to see the other stuff that happened this month that didn't make it, check out our vlogs for weekly insight to what the team is doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1IZkCB0zo&t=25s

• Fixed several issues causing Rovers to float when outside of physics range. There should now be fewer instances of Rovers going on a beautiful journey into space.
  
• Unified the simulation of the vehicle chain. This should mean many less vehicle physics freakouts going forward.
  
• Fixed an Xbox One crash that sometimes occurred when players were transitioning into Multiplayer games, improving overall stability.
  
• Fixed a PC crash that sometimes occurred when players were transitioning into Multiplayer games, improving overall stability.
  
• Fixed a minor issue where large rocks would not despawn when dislodged, causing untidy bases.
  
• Fixed an occasional bug where the mouselook camera would do a single wild 360 degree swing.
  
• Fixed an issue where players were sometimes able to pick up things inappropriately while seated.

The following major features are continuing during development, but are not included in this release. Now that we are in Alpha, you can expect to see all of these items implemented during the first half of 2018. Click here to see the full roadmap.

Dedicated Servers - (Q2 2018)
We now have our final plan for implementation and player workflow when it comes to dedicated servers and have begun implementation. The rollout plan is to have servers provided through a 3rd party during Early Access for stress testing, and then DIY hosted servers at a later date.

Basebuilding - Implemented & In Progress
Its finally out! As mentioned above, we still have plenty more we want to add to this system. We would love your feedback once you get your hands on it.

Research 2.1* - Implemented & In Progress
The next steps include working on items that instantly grant you research points, and unlockable blueprints that can only be found out in the world and never be unlocked via the catalog. Expect this to keep getting more content for our next few updates.

Weather and Hazards - (Q2 2018)
As a part of Terrain 2.0 we will also be introducing an entirely new weather and hazard system to challenge players. First on the list is fixing the wind system so it is more predictable and players can rely on it as a source of power generation.

Terrain 2.0 - (Q2 2018)
Not much has changed here. The terrain system is now stood up, and final tools are being implemented to account for item placement in the world. Adam has begun generation of terrain and exploration of new planets and biomes.

Thanks for reading all of this! Really excited to get these sweeping changes into the hands of players.

-joe

Steam 'Early Access' users will receive this update today, Wednesday January 17th, 2018.

This update is a followup to the Research Update! The team took some much needed time off for the holidays and were going to hold off on updating till February, but decided to keep to the "update every month" schedule to spend time fixing some bigger crash bugs and add another feature to the Research system!

You can find these updates in 0.5.1.0, the current build of the game.

Research System now uses Multi-Phase rates
This release we've made a big update to the research system that debuted in our last update. Now every research subject contains multiple phases with different Byte values. Some items have their most valuable phase early, some much later, and some in between. So if you really want to maximize your research operations, you have lots of new decisions to make about what to research, when, and for how long. To help you make these decisions and figure out how much you want to min-max as a player, the Control Panel on the Research Chamber now shows a timeline of all the current item's phases.

If your current research subject has moved into a lower-rate phase, and want to replace it something that's higher value, you can stop the current research operation and and load in the new subject right away. But be careful, stopping a research operation early means sacrificing any uncollected points! So don't be reckless, okay?


Update to the lighting system has been implemented
In this patch we included an overhaul to the lighting system. The main goal was to get the game running using the ACES tone mapper, so we could then get the game running in HDR in a future update. That meant spending lots of time recreating the look of Astroneer in a completely new system. We aren't completely done tweaking this, but overall this approach is a huge step in the right direction.

If you want to see the other stuff that happened this month, check out our vlogs for weekly insight to what the team is doing. The most recent one shows off the new Basebuilding system:
https://youtu.be/W78XPyYHneo


BUGS

• [AS-1522] - Fixed a number of issues that were causing save files to be deleted when the game crashed or the application was closed. In the most common case, this occurred when very large saves took enough time to write out that the user had time to close the window before the file finished.
  
• [AS-1958] - Fixed an issue causing inconsistent playback of Gas Hazard audio
  
• [AS-2097] - Fixed a minor issue where the Astroneer could still walk around when scrolling through the pages of the Help screen.
  
• [AS-2104] - Fixed an annoying Multiplayer bug which prevented the Client player from exiting a flipped vehicle in Multiplayer games.
  
• [AS-2113] - By adjusting a few things in the engineering team’s favorite part of the code, local wind effects should now only spawn for the relevant player rather than all players in a Multiplayer game.
  
• [AS-2158] - Fixed a bug where the Research platform remained in the "completed" state if it lost power while in that state.
  
• [AS-2172] - Base platforms no longer have "ghost" slots on the front that store only Compound. Goodbye, secret Compound storage.

CRASHES
With automated crash reporting coming online last month, during this release cycle we focused on fixing some of our most common crashes. There are a dozen or so more, but are pretty technical so I tried to summarize them here.

• [AS-2148] - Fixed a crash that occurred when entering the pause menu
  
• [AS-2150] - Fixed a crash that occurred while printing an item
  
• [AS-2153] - Fixed a crash that occurred while opening your backpack in certain situations
  
• [AS-2155] - Fixed a crash that occurred while loading a save game

We just completed a comprehensive overhaul to the roadmap! Now you can see projected time frames for upcoming content, as well as our ideas for free post launch content. The following major features are continuing during development, but are not included in this release.

Dedicated Servers
We currently have a dedicated server running with a third party that we can connect to. There are plenty of bugs still yet to deal with, but we are getting closer and closer to public launch.

Basebuilding
We have already completed a couple of playtests, but this is feeling really great right now. If you watched the above vlog, you can catch some glimpses of basebuilding in action, but here is an image that Spencer made during one of our recent playtests that sums up a lot:



(none of the above art is final*)

Research - Implemented & In Progress

We just keep going! This update As with all of the new systems we are shipping, these are just base implementations that we will now work on expanding. Multi Phase items are now in, and the next steps include working on items that instantly grant you research points, and unlockable blueprints that can only be found out in the world and never be unlocked via the catalog. Expect this to keep getting more content for our next few updates.

Terrain 2.0, Weather, and Hazards

This is still in a similar place as last update. Zabir is working hard on ironing out some of the last authoring tools that the art team will use to create planets, biomes, and weather. The next step here will be generating one of the existing playable planets with the new system for testing!

Also, the first versions of aggressive flora were shown off in the last vlog. We are now working on making variations that utilize some of the cool behaviors Andrew created.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for details of our next update, which will probably be our biggest one to date!

-joe

Steam 'Early Access' users will receive this update today, Wednesday January 17th, 2018.

This update is a followup to the Research Update! The team took some much needed time off for the holidays and were going to hold off on updating till February, but decided to keep to the "update every month" schedule to spend time fixing some bigger crash bugs and add another feature to the Research system!

You can find these updates in 0.5.1.0, the current build of the game.

Research System now uses Multi-Phase rates
This release we've made a big update to the research system that debuted in our last update. Now every research subject contains multiple phases with different Byte values. Some items have their most valuable phase early, some much later, and some in between. So if you really want to maximize your research operations, you have lots of new decisions to make about what to research, when, and for how long. To help you make these decisions and figure out how much you want to min-max as a player, the Control Panel on the Research Chamber now shows a timeline of all the current item's phases.

If your current research subject has moved into a lower-rate phase, and want to replace it something that's higher value, you can stop the current research operation and and load in the new subject right away. But be careful, stopping a research operation early means sacrificing any uncollected points! So don't be reckless, okay?


Update to the lighting system has been implemented
In this patch we included an overhaul to the lighting system. The main goal was to get the game running using the ACES tone mapper, so we could then get the game running in HDR in a future update. That meant spending lots of time recreating the look of Astroneer in a completely new system. We aren't completely done tweaking this, but overall this approach is a huge step in the right direction.

If you want to see the other stuff that happened this month, check out our vlogs for weekly insight to what the team is doing. The most recent one shows off the new Basebuilding system:
https://youtu.be/W78XPyYHneo


BUGS

• [AS-1522] - Fixed a number of issues that were causing save files to be deleted when the game crashed or the application was closed. In the most common case, this occurred when very large saves took enough time to write out that the user had time to close the window before the file finished.
  
• [AS-1958] - Fixed an issue causing inconsistent playback of Gas Hazard audio
  
• [AS-2097] - Fixed a minor issue where the Astroneer could still walk around when scrolling through the pages of the Help screen.
  
• [AS-2104] - Fixed an annoying Multiplayer bug which prevented the Client player from exiting a flipped vehicle in Multiplayer games.
  
• [AS-2113] - By adjusting a few things in the engineering team’s favorite part of the code, local wind effects should now only spawn for the relevant player rather than all players in a Multiplayer game.
  
• [AS-2158] - Fixed a bug where the Research platform remained in the "completed" state if it lost power while in that state.
  
• [AS-2172] - Base platforms no longer have "ghost" slots on the front that store only Compound. Goodbye, secret Compound storage.

CRASHES
With automated crash reporting coming online last month, during this release cycle we focused on fixing some of our most common crashes. There are a dozen or so more, but are pretty technical so I tried to summarize them here.

• [AS-2148] - Fixed a crash that occurred when entering the pause menu
  
• [AS-2150] - Fixed a crash that occurred while printing an item
  
• [AS-2153] - Fixed a crash that occurred while opening your backpack in certain situations
  
• [AS-2155] - Fixed a crash that occurred while loading a save game

We just completed a comprehensive overhaul to the roadmap! Now you can see projected time frames for upcoming content, as well as our ideas for free post launch content. The following major features are continuing during development, but are not included in this release.

Dedicated Servers
We currently have a dedicated server running with a third party that we can connect to. There are plenty of bugs still yet to deal with, but we are getting closer and closer to public launch.

Basebuilding
We have already completed a couple of playtests, but this is feeling really great right now. If you watched the above vlog, you can catch some glimpses of basebuilding in action, but here is an image that Spencer made during one of our recent playtests that sums up a lot:



(none of the above art is final*)

Research - Implemented & In Progress

We just keep going! This update As with all of the new systems we are shipping, these are just base implementations that we will now work on expanding. Multi Phase items are now in, and the next steps include working on items that instantly grant you research points, and unlockable blueprints that can only be found out in the world and never be unlocked via the catalog. Expect this to keep getting more content for our next few updates.

Terrain 2.0, Weather, and Hazards

This is still in a similar place as last update. Zabir is working hard on ironing out some of the last authoring tools that the art team will use to create planets, biomes, and weather. The next step here will be generating one of the existing playable planets with the new system for testing!

Also, the first versions of aggressive flora were shown off in the last vlog. We are now working on making variations that utilize some of the cool behaviors Andrew created.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for details of our next update, which will probably be our biggest one to date!

-joe

Steam 'Early Access' users will receive this update Monday, December 18th, 2017. 

The Research Update is an entirely new way to play Astroneer. As part of our Alpha launch, we wanted to lay a solid foundation by updating our core game loop. Now, using the new Catalog and Research Chamber, players can use Bytes to unlock the blueprints they want. This update also includes our first module that uses "streaming power", as well as changes to research colors and some under the hood performance changes while we continue our ongoing effort to improve game stability. Also, as mentioned earlier, we are moving into the Alpha phase of development, which means that going forward, we will be adding content and changes to the game with every update until we reach Beta. For a list of upcoming features and expected launch windows, check the roadmap update below!

You can find these updates in 0.5.0.0, the current build of the game.

The research system has been completely changed from the ground up. This will allow us to add new items to the game on a consistent basis, while giving players direct ways to unlock the items they want. Here's how it works:

We have introduced a concept called Bytes. Bytes are the way Astroneers will unlock items in the new research system.

Getting Bytes requires researching items at the new Research Chamber. Items that are researchable include: Research Chests found in the world, and resources like Compound, Resin, etc. We will be expanding the list of researchable items in the future.

Use the backpack Catalog to unlock blueprints. After you have accumulated enough bytes to unlock the items you want, open up your Catalog in your backpack to send data to Exo Dynamics in exchange for the blueprint to create said item. 



There are a few general tips for this new system. Research Chambers require a constant flow of power to continue gathering Bytes. That means power infrastructure like Batteries, Generators, Solar panels, and Wind generators will become extremely important. You can Overclock your platforms to produce more bytes by increasing the amount of power the platforms receive. 

The new Research Chamber is our first platform using "streaming" power, a system we are going to move to completely in the future. Now, rather than placing a research chest on the platform and getting a random item, you research objects to accumulate data, which you can then use to unlock whatever items you would like from your backpack. These platforms all stack, so the more powered platforms with research you have going, the more Bytes you will accumulate!



You can also Overclock your Research Chamber to accumulate Bytes faster. Examine the module connected to the platform to see the rate of Bytes, and also check if you are operating at maximum efficiency. 

Players should also be aware that after you add a researchable item to the Chamber, you cannot stop the process without destroying the contents. Cancelling for any reason means you lose the Bytes left in that subject!

The Catalog is your central hub for unlocking printable blueprints for items. Once you have enough Bytes, open the catalog using the backpack key while the backpack is open, or just click on it when your backpack is stowed. On the top if it's screen you will see the rate of Bytes Per Minute (BPM) as well as your total accumulated Bytes, and on the bottom, you can scroll through researchable items and unlock them by clicking on the green button. To cycle through the categories of research, press the buttons with the icons above the main window. 



First Implementation of the new "streaming" power system
As the first step in getting basebuilding online, the Research Chamber uses the new streaming power system to operate. That means rather than having base modules use a power bar that has to continue refilling, modules using the new mechanic search the network for sources of power and then stay connected to them as long as the power keeps coming in. 

Keeping with our ideal to try and base items in our game on actual science, we worked on updating resource colors. Items like malachite should now better reflect their real world counterparts. These are still a work in progress. 

The game now has a few usability and informational tweaks. The first is a prompt to let players know that an old save is most likely unsupported and buggy. Upon loading the older save, the game will warn you about the potential for bugs and less than ideal performance. We also added a new message of the day area on the home screen, with a link to patch notes so you can check them out anytime. 

Players will now have an on-screen prompt upon starting new saves that explains updated mechanics and content! Press F1 on your keyboard or the "View" button on your controller to pull up these tutorials at any time. 

Now, if you crash as a result of a bug, the game will automatically send a report to us for triage. We might still ask for crashdumps from time to time, but this will help us better track crashes and how many players they effect. 

Purchasers of the Astroneer soundtrack will get the new Soundtrack Volume 2 by Rutger Zuydervelt for free! If you want to purchase a physical copy, head over here! Riley also added new sounds for the Research Chamber and Catalog. 

If you want to see the other stuff that happened this month that didn't make it, check out our vlogs for weekly insight to what the team is doing. This month the team showed off some new hazard behaviors that you should be seeing in game really soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNg5TzjdVjk&t=114s

• [AS-1308] - The game now auto-saves appropriately when force quitting via the window “x” in the top right corner or by pressing ALT+F4.
  
• [AS-1713] - Fixed a visual issue where Client player’s dropship had no thrusters in Multiplayer games.
  
• [AS-1762] - Players can no longer hold objects after death or during the re-launch animation from orbit. 
  
• [AS-1816] - Fixed a few issues with quick stowing of items not interacting well with the backpack printer.
  
• [AS-1829] - Fixed the Terrain Brush color ring to reflect the player color in the 'tool disabled' state (it’s no longer fuschia).
  
• [AS-1832] - Fixed a few other instances of Client players getting stuck in a wheelie while driving a Rover in Multiplayer games. 
  
• [AS-1834] - Fixed an issue in Multiplayer games where the soil burn-off effect on the drill did not display for Client players
  
• [AS-1876] - Fixed a bug in Multiplayer games on Xbox One where the 'No Power' text and symbol were not visible on Modules to Client players 

The following major features are continuing during development, but are not included in this release. Now that we are in Alpha, you can expect to see all of these items implemented during the first half of 2018. 

We are currently working diligently with a 3rd party to start standing up the dedicated server experience. There are unanswered questions regarding ownership & persistence, but we expect to be shipping our first dedicated server experience during Q2 of 2018. 

Right now the team is working on some elements that will will completely change how you build your bases, and creating "tiers" of base modules that will scale up as your Astroneer starts to master the solar system. We want there to be a sense of progression when creating bases, so that your initial base looks way different than a base belonging to a seasoned Astro. That doesn't just mean bigger, that means more complex, but also more rewarding. Right now you could technically burn organic on 30 small generators to power a big base, but what if you could just upgrade your base with more powerful and automated power sources to replace them all? The initial version of basebuilding will be shipping some time in Q1 2018. 

The first version of this is out, but that doesn't mean we are done. As with all of the new systems we are shipping, these are just base implementations that we will now work on expanding. The next steps include working on items that instantly grant you research points, and unlockable blueprints that can only be found out in the world and never be unlocked via the catalog. Expect this to keep getting more content for our next few updates. 

As a part of Terrain 2.0 we will also be introducing an entirely new weather and hazard system to challenge players. You should have gotten a taste of this in last weeks vlog. Rather than just being challenged by gas bags and dust storms, we are going to implement different kinds of weather effects, and aggressive flora that will challenge your exploration of the solar system. 

I will save you the technical talk and just say that creating new planets, biomes and caves has begun. There is still a long process to tweak the procedural system, but T2.0 is slowly being turned over from engineering to the art team so they can begin making much more complex planets with unique challenges to face. 

Wow this was a long one. Thanks to everyone who has been sharing, reporting bugs, and providing feedback on the current state of Astroneer. Keep it coming! The team is excited to continue updating the game on a regular basis.

-joe

Steam 'Early Access' users will receive this update Monday, December 18th, 2017. 

The Research Update is an entirely new way to play Astroneer. As part of our Alpha launch, we wanted to lay a solid foundation by updating our core game loop. Now, using the new Catalog and Research Chamber, players can use Bytes to unlock the blueprints they want. This update also includes our first module that uses "streaming power", as well as changes to research colors and some under the hood performance changes while we continue our ongoing effort to improve game stability. Also, as mentioned earlier, we are moving into the Alpha phase of development, which means that going forward, we will be adding content and changes to the game with every update until we reach Beta. For a list of upcoming features and expected launch windows, check the roadmap update below!

You can find these updates in 0.5.0.0, the current build of the game.

The research system has been completely changed from the ground up. This will allow us to add new items to the game on a consistent basis, while giving players direct ways to unlock the items they want. Here's how it works:

We have introduced a concept called Bytes. Bytes are the way Astroneers will unlock items in the new research system.

Getting Bytes requires researching items at the new Research Chamber. Items that are researchable include: Research Chests found in the world, and resources like Compound, Resin, etc. We will be expanding the list of researchable items in the future.

Use the backpack Catalog to unlock blueprints. After you have accumulated enough bytes to unlock the items you want, open up your Catalog in your backpack to send data to Exo Dynamics in exchange for the blueprint to create said item. 



There are a few general tips for this new system. Research Chambers require a constant flow of power to continue gathering Bytes. That means power infrastructure like Batteries, Generators, Solar panels, and Wind generators will become extremely important. You can Overclock your platforms to produce more bytes by increasing the amount of power the platforms receive. 

The new Research Chamber is our first platform using "streaming" power, a system we are going to move to completely in the future. Now, rather than placing a research chest on the platform and getting a random item, you research objects to accumulate data, which you can then use to unlock whatever items you would like from your backpack. These platforms all stack, so the more powered platforms with research you have going, the more Bytes you will accumulate!



You can also Overclock your Research Chamber to accumulate Bytes faster. Examine the module connected to the platform to see the rate of Bytes, and also check if you are operating at maximum efficiency. 

Players should also be aware that after you add a researchable item to the Chamber, you cannot stop the process without destroying the contents. Cancelling for any reason means you lose the Bytes left in that subject!

The Catalog is your central hub for unlocking printable blueprints for items. Once you have enough Bytes, open the catalog using the backpack key while the backpack is open, or just click on it when your backpack is stowed. On the top if it's screen you will see the rate of Bytes Per Minute (BPM) as well as your total accumulated Bytes, and on the bottom, you can scroll through researchable items and unlock them by clicking on the green button. To cycle through the categories of research, press the buttons with the icons above the main window. 



First Implementation of the new "streaming" power system
As the first step in getting basebuilding online, the Research Chamber uses the new streaming power system to operate. That means rather than having base modules use a power bar that has to continue refilling, modules using the new mechanic search the network for sources of power and then stay connected to them as long as the power keeps coming in. 

Keeping with our ideal to try and base items in our game on actual science, we worked on updating resource colors. Items like malachite should now better reflect their real world counterparts. These are still a work in progress. 

The game now has a few usability and informational tweaks. The first is a prompt to let players know that an old save is most likely unsupported and buggy. Upon loading the older save, the game will warn you about the potential for bugs and less than ideal performance. We also added a new message of the day area on the home screen, with a link to patch notes so you can check them out anytime. 

Players will now have an on-screen prompt upon starting new saves that explains updated mechanics and content! Press F1 on your keyboard or the "View" button on your controller to pull up these tutorials at any time. 

Now, if you crash as a result of a bug, the game will automatically send a report to us for triage. We might still ask for crashdumps from time to time, but this will help us better track crashes and how many players they effect. 

Purchasers of the Astroneer soundtrack will get the new Soundtrack Volume 2 by Rutger Zuydervelt for free! If you want to purchase a physical copy, head over here! Riley also added new sounds for the Research Chamber and Catalog. 

If you want to see the other stuff that happened this month that didn't make it, check out our vlogs for weekly insight to what the team is doing. This month the team showed off some new hazard behaviors that you should be seeing in game really soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNg5TzjdVjk&t=114s

• [AS-1308] - The game now auto-saves appropriately when force quitting via the window “x” in the top right corner or by pressing ALT+F4.
  
• [AS-1713] - Fixed a visual issue where Client player’s dropship had no thrusters in Multiplayer games.
  
• [AS-1762] - Players can no longer hold objects after death or during the re-launch animation from orbit. 
  
• [AS-1816] - Fixed a few issues with quick stowing of items not interacting well with the backpack printer.
  
• [AS-1829] - Fixed the Terrain Brush color ring to reflect the player color in the 'tool disabled' state (it’s no longer fuschia).
  
• [AS-1832] - Fixed a few other instances of Client players getting stuck in a wheelie while driving a Rover in Multiplayer games. 
  
• [AS-1834] - Fixed an issue in Multiplayer games where the soil burn-off effect on the drill did not display for Client players
  
• [AS-1876] - Fixed a bug in Multiplayer games on Xbox One where the 'No Power' text and symbol were not visible on Modules to Client players 

The following major features are continuing during development, but are not included in this release. Now that we are in Alpha, you can expect to see all of these items implemented during the first half of 2018. 

We are currently working diligently with a 3rd party to start standing up the dedicated server experience. There are unanswered questions regarding ownership & persistence, but we expect to be shipping our first dedicated server experience during Q2 of 2018. 

Right now the team is working on some elements that will will completely change how you build your bases, and creating "tiers" of base modules that will scale up as your Astroneer starts to master the solar system. We want there to be a sense of progression when creating bases, so that your initial base looks way different than a base belonging to a seasoned Astro. That doesn't just mean bigger, that means more complex, but also more rewarding. Right now you could technically burn organic on 30 small generators to power a big base, but what if you could just upgrade your base with more powerful and automated power sources to replace them all? The initial version of basebuilding will be shipping some time in Q1 2018. 

The first version of this is out, but that doesn't mean we are done. As with all of the new systems we are shipping, these are just base implementations that we will now work on expanding. The next steps include working on items that instantly grant you research points, and unlockable blueprints that can only be found out in the world and never be unlocked via the catalog. Expect this to keep getting more content for our next few updates. 

As a part of Terrain 2.0 we will also be introducing an entirely new weather and hazard system to challenge players. You should have gotten a taste of this in last weeks vlog. Rather than just being challenged by gas bags and dust storms, we are going to implement different kinds of weather effects, and aggressive flora that will challenge your exploration of the solar system. 

I will save you the technical talk and just say that creating new planets, biomes and caves has begun. There is still a long process to tweak the procedural system, but T2.0 is slowly being turned over from engineering to the art team so they can begin making much more complex planets with unique challenges to face. 

Wow this was a long one. Thanks to everyone who has been sharing, reporting bugs, and providing feedback on the current state of Astroneer. Keep it coming! The team is excited to continue updating the game on a regular basis.

-joe