Jan 21, 2017
Patch 119 now live!
ASTRONEER - eonix


BUILD NUMBER: 0.2.10119.0

  • Cross-play multiplayer between Xbox One and Windows 10 Store PC versions now works!
  • Fix up the way that objects with research items get dug up. You can now kill hazards without uncovering their buried research item.
  • Make spikers destroy after a bit when you dig them up.
  • Spikers can be jumped on without hurting you, like that jellyfish scene from Finding Nemo.
  • Improve the distance at which objects have physics, allowing (for example) zebra balls to roll further from player
  • Fix the disappearance of vehicles and items, particularly when frame rates are low.
  • A couple surprises you'll have to discover.

NOTES:
  • Work is still underway for massive performance increases. Expect to see some of that in the next patch or so.
  • The team is moving offices! We're staying in Seattle but will be moving to a larger office so that we can grow our team. This is partly responsible for the increase in time between 117 and 119 patches.
  • We'll be doing a stream either this week coming up or first thing the following week to hopefully show off some of the new content coming to Astroneer.
  • Check our Twitter for the latest.
Jan 21, 2017
Patch 119 now live!
ASTRONEER - eonix


BUILD NUMBER: 0.2.10119.0

  • Cross-play multiplayer between Xbox One and Windows 10 Store PC versions now works!
  • Fix up the way that objects with research items get dug up. You can now kill hazards without uncovering their buried research item.
  • Make spikers destroy after a bit when you dig them up.
  • Spikers can be jumped on without hurting you, like that jellyfish scene from Finding Nemo.
  • Improve the distance at which objects have physics, allowing (for example) zebra balls to roll further from player
  • Fix the disappearance of vehicles and items, particularly when frame rates are low.
  • A couple surprises you'll have to discover.

NOTES:
  • Work is still underway for massive performance increases. Expect to see some of that in the next patch or so.
  • The team is moving offices! We're staying in Seattle but will be moving to a larger office so that we can grow our team. This is partly responsible for the increase in time between 117 and 119 patches.
  • We'll be doing a stream either this week coming up or first thing the following week to hopefully show off some of the new content coming to Astroneer.
  • Check our Twitter for the latest.
Jan 18, 2017
Games are best when they ignore you
ASTRONEER - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Kate Gray)

Tutorials are a lot like first dates. They re awkward but necessary, can be a total waste of time, and sometimes there s a lot more hand-holding than you d like. It would be best for everyone if we just skipped all that uncomfortable small talk and went straight to the middle part. The good part. Unfortunately, you can t have a good relationship without getting to know someone first, and you can t have fun with a game if you don t understand how to play it.

Or can you?

… [visit site to read more]

Jan 17, 2017
Steam Charts: Normal Parameters
Counter-Strike 2 - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

Cor blimey, it’s only the weekly Steam Charts! As always, these are based on the accumulated sales on Steam over the previous week, not what’s doing best for itself at this exact moment in time.

A nice number one this week, but a rather old-fashioned top ten otherwise – with one unexpected aberration.

N.B. there is NO VENGABUS this week. Repeat NO VENGA BUS. It’ll return when it is most needed. … [visit site to read more]

Jan 13, 2017
How Astroneer makes crafting fun
ASTRONEER - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alex Wiltshire)

This is The Mechanic, where Alex Wiltshire invites developers to discuss the inner workings of their games. This time, Astroneer [official site].

Astroneer is a space game about hoovering up alien materials with a magic gun and listening to them plop into your backpack. And in this Astroneer has cracked something very special in crafting and resource management: it s actually fun.

Developer System Era Software has put a peculiar focus on how resources are presented and how you manipulate them, and at its centre is an idea that s surprisingly rare in games:

THE MECHANIC: Resources are physical … [visit site to read more]

Jan 10, 2017
Steam Charts: Do You Want Me To Dance For You?
Counter-Strike 2 - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

It’s the weekly Steam charts! These are the games which sold best on Steam last week. This week, it’s the first true> chart of 2017, as the last one covered the arse-end of 2016. All change, all change.

I’m even going to do this one upside-down. New year, new rules! And I don’t want to spoil the surprise right away.

… [visit site to read more]

Jan 9, 2017
Patch 0.2.117.0 Released!
ASTRONEER - eonix


This patch focuses on bug fixes and stability for Xbox One Game Preview, Windows 10 Game Preview, and Steam Early Access as well as build version parity between platforms.

Full Xbox, Windows 10, and Steam patch notes: https://forum.systemera.net/topic/8854-117-january-9th-2017/


BUILD NUMBERS
  • Steam: 0.2.117.0.


New in 117
  • Fix four major crashes including one that could prevent saves from loading, and one that could occur on MP join.
  • Fix issue where some unburied discoveries would not simulate physics after reloading a save.
  • Fix very bad performance when training together many rovers or trucks.
  • Fix trade module save behavior. All existing lost trade ships in save games should return to earth (possibly after doing the wrong trade, but all new saves will work properly)
  • Bring in physics freeze distance by a bit, reducing incidence of cases where objects fall through ground. (More improvements incoming).
Jan 9, 2017
Patch 0.2.117.0 Released!
ASTRONEER - eonix


This patch focuses on bug fixes and stability for Xbox One Game Preview, Windows 10 Game Preview, and Steam Early Access as well as build version parity between platforms.

Full Xbox, Windows 10, and Steam patch notes: https://forum.systemera.net/topic/8854-117-january-9th-2017/


BUILD NUMBERS
  • Steam: 0.2.117.0.


New in 117
  • Fix four major crashes including one that could prevent saves from loading, and one that could occur on MP join.
  • Fix issue where some unburied discoveries would not simulate physics after reloading a save.
  • Fix very bad performance when training together many rovers or trucks.
  • Fix trade module save behavior. All existing lost trade ships in save games should return to earth (possibly after doing the wrong trade, but all new saves will work properly)
  • Bring in physics freeze distance by a bit, reducing incidence of cases where objects fall through ground. (More improvements incoming).
Jan 4, 2017
You Asked For It: The Steam Charts Return
Counter-Strike 2 - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

Out with the old, in with the new. By which I mean ‘and our weekly Steam Charts, showing the ten games which sold best over the previous week, returns – replete with most of the same names as last year.’

SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT AND NEVER BROUGHT TO MIND?

Welcome back. … [visit site to read more]

Dec 29, 2016
Patch 0.2.115.0 - December 29th 2016, STEAM
ASTRONEER - eonix


Undocumented from 0.2.111.0 (already in Steam build):
  1. Fix issue where resources hover out of backpack on loading save
  2. Fix Popper hazards spawning new research items on save load
  3. Likely fix for client being unable to click launch buttons with mouse

New in 0.2.115.0:
  1. Ensure that players joining a Steam MP session are friends with someone currently in session.
  2. Fix for client Condenser exploit that would allow player to take unfilled fuel canister.
  3. Fix for research item exploit where player could save game after getting item, and reload.
  4. Fix for clients not seeing correct light and oxygen state on tethers.
  5. Fix for clients being unable to hear anything in SFX category of sounds.
  6. Don't allow player to enter vehicles while interacting/holding anything else
  7. Updated the bones discoveries so they have random orientation to terrain.
  8. Updated the Disovery version of Geysers to not include snapping points.

NOTES: We'll continue to address performance and stability as we move through pre-alpha and early access with the games development. Look for those updates in up-coming patches to Astroneer.
...