Aug 3, 2015

[August 3, 2015] New Update (Release Candidate): AI drones in space and new player spawning system

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

Hi Closed-Alpha participants,

We have uploaded a new version to Steam (Pre-Alpha 1.2.1), which is the Release Candidate 1 for the Wednesday release on Steam. We would really need your help to test this version and find any deal breakers (major bugs) - it is the last effort before the official Steam release. We will follow the bug report section closely. Thank you already in advance.

In the new version, we have integrated AI in space. In particular, we have now activated the Space Drones that you know from the Launch Trailer. In addition, we have implemented a new player spawning system that allows you to choose different spawn points after you die. With this new spawning system, we hope to prevent any "game over" situations.

Here are some screenshots of the Space Drones:

Screenshots from space battles:

New community build "Habitat Beta" which can be found on Omicron Moon (thanks Hummel-o-War):

CHANGELOG FOR PRE-ALPHA 1.2.1 (Release Candidate 1):

Features:
- Added AI drones in space
- Added spawning system after death: now you can choose between different spawn points (current location, medic station or Omicron starting position)
- Added tabs for BA, CV, GV, SV in Creative Menu - blocks now have color coding to distinguish for what they are used.
- Added color hint icons (SV, GV, CV, BA) in player's inventory
- Control panel now shows missing essential components
- Added icons in Control Panel's list of controllable units
- Added explosion effect to laser based weapons
- Desert Golem and Arachnid appear now also in the mountains of Omicron during night

Improvements / Changes:
- Changed functionality Drill: LMB and RMB -> drilling (strong, weak), Fillertool: LMB -> filling, RMB -> flatten
- Placing starter block for BA / CV / SV / GV is more accurate now
- Added (transparent) window to Constructor templates
- Added community builds: Lightning Shuttle in Creative Orbit and "Habitat" on Moon
- Added special charge for repair tool
- Added lights to filler + repair tools
- Added filler/flatten tool to Escape Pod loots.
- Added flashlight to Assault Rifle
- Increased armor of passenger seat
- Increased rotation speed of enemy turrets.
- Orbital spire is now better defended.
- Improved drilling so that no ores should get lost anymore
- Auto turret stop attacking if target is dead.
- Auto turret is deactivated if switched off in Control Panel
- Some tweaks to sniper scopes (less tint color and larger dot)
- Tweaked jetpack rotation speed (less sensible now)
- Nerfed Minigun SV / GV
- CV now gets destroyed when trying to land on a planet -> 2 warning messages when approaching planet (temporary solution)
- Increased range of Sentry Guns.
- Increased defence of Orbital Spire
- Slightly increased health of Desert Golem.
- Added 'Close' button to Options menu when in game
- Disabled 'Access' button in Control Panel (since not functional)
- In-game tutorial messages now use the actual currently configured input (if used)
- Added Filler/Flatten to Escape Pod
- Enabled SSAO now already in "good" quality mode
- Slightly increased effective distance of removal tool

Bug fixes:
- Fixed bug: 'moving' of SV when adding/removing blocks.
- Fixed collider on Turrets GV and Fuel Tank
- Fixed error that appears sometimes when leaving turret
- Fixed bug that sometimes terrain is not generated
- Fixed constructor exploit 'craft item without needed inputs after removing currently crafted item from queue'
- Fixed jetpack not showing when switching 1st and 3rd person
- Fixed bug that when work light was picked up it disappeared
- Possible fix for bug when deleting old save games
- Fixed exception when client tries to connect, canceling a connection attempt returns to Multiplayer window.

Aug 3, 2015

[August 3, 2015] New Update (Release Candidate): AI drones in space and new player spawning system

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

Screenshots from space battles:

New community build "Habitat Beta" which can be found on Omicron Moon (thanks Hummel-o-War):

Jul 30, 2015

[July 30, 2105] New Update: Auto turrets, turrets for ground vessel, graphic improvements, new creature and POIs

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

Hi everyone,

Today, we are excited to present you the new update for Empyrion. Pre-Alpha 1.2.0 is now live on Steam for the Closed Pre-Alpha participants.

We have integrated auto turrets, turrets for your ground vessel, several graphic improvements, a more user-friendly behaviour to fast move items from the inventory to other objects, a new scary creature on the lava planet (sorry no screenshot - we don't want to spoil it), several POIs (community builds) to explore in Survival mode and much more....

NOTES:
- Because we had to rotate some blocks like the stairs and several decorative blocks (bookshelf, TV Table, Toilet, Shower etc) so that they are now can correctly used with the symmetry plane, these blocks will not be correctly rotated anymore in your save games. We are sorry for the inconveniences.
- It seems that after updating, sometimes the "player name" in the Main Menu is set to default. Make sure to switch it back your old name - otherwise you will not be able to see your old save games under Resume Game.

Several new turrets for your ground vessel:

Ground fog on the planets:

Several POIs to explore:

New Setting for Orbit scene in Creative:

CHANGELOG FOR PRE-ALPHA 1.2.0

Features:
- Add AI turrets: manual and auto mode (WIP, currently you have to enter a turret once to “activate” it for auto mode)
- Added in-game hints (first version, will be extended over time): can be disabled under Misc in Options
- Added new Shift+LMB behaviour to fast move items: If player interacts with e.g. Constructor, Shift+LMB moves items from player inventory into constructor inventory and vice versa. Also: Shift+LMB on stacked fuel pack now fills fuel tank
- All creatures now fade in (and dont just appear)
- Added turrets for GV (minigun, rocket and plasma cannon)
- Ships can now also be controlled with Arrow keys (pitch, yaw and roll)
- Changed system how new BA / CV / SV / GV is created: Now you have to craft the starter block in Constructor which then you can place as a "normal" block (i.e., you see preview of where you place block)
- Added some slight fog in space
- Added some fog on planets
- Added more space nebulas on skypbox in space
- Enemy stations are now always powered and lights are turned on
- Added several community builds in Survival mode: crashed capital vessel “Hyperion” on Moon, new base on Aestus and Ningues (thanks to our awesome community for these builds)
- Added new setting for Creative Orbit: added new community build "MS Lightning"
- Added the display of screenshots while resuming or starting a game
- You can now make a backup of your save games directly from the Resume Game menu
- Added rotor sound to drones
- Removed Unity startup dialog and added Video options
- Added new scary creature on Aestus during night
- Added Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) for better interior lighting/effects
- Added "Flatten Terrain" functionality to RMB of drill (removed "Removal" function from drill). "Removal" functionality is now LMB of "Removal and Repair Tool"
- Added new feature to GV: no you can move up/down within 2m with Space/C (great for parking in a garage ;-). Boost is activated with Shift+Space

Improvements / Changes:
- Increased light intensity during night on all planets
- Increased rotation speed of jetpack in space
- Added rotation to radar block
- Tweaked animation of Desert Golem
- Improved ore dropping
- Food Processor is now craftable also in basic constructor
- Removed line on planets (visible on water planes) that was created through overlapping of cameras
- Smoother digging
- Updated textures on console screens
- Improved terrain generation (should be more stable now)
- The height of your position is now also considered when discovering ores (i.e., now you have to fly low to discover ores)
- Making IP/port persistent in registry for multiplayer
- Added click sound to Quit (ingame).
- No game sound is played until the player is spawned.
- “Look around” (LeftAlt) is now configurable in Controls
- Different Water Reflection settings for quality levels
- More transparent menu windows
- Fading in and out of menu windows
- Increased spawning of Akua Fruit on Omicron.
- Tweaked model of Food Processor so it looks less like a space toilet
- Tweaked size of other planets on skybox (seen from planet surface) to better match planet size in space (overall smoother transition)
- Moved slightly position of Ningues in space
- Nerfed Drill (RMB removal option less strong now to reduce exploit possibilities -> before players could cut through hull blocks like butter and could salvage e.g. crashed Titan in few minutes)

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed resolution problem in full screen
- Fixed collider on hover engine
- Fixed problem that dying animation of NPCs was played again after resume game.
- Fixed backpack exploit (exit game while dying doubles backpack)
- Fixed bug that most sprouts of plants could not be picked up (as well as flashlight)
- Fixed problem that player preference were reset all the time.
- Fixed bug that objects fall too slowly on planets
- Fixed bug that player could not rename base, SV, GV, CV
- Fixed bug that game was lagging when player mined on asteroids and placed/removed block on large ship
- Fixed Constructor inventory full bug (Constructor didn't continue even if inventory has an empty slot again)
- Possible fix of turret errors
- Fixed rotation problem with some blocks: Stairs, Bookshelf and other deco blocks -> now these blocks can be correctly used with the symmetry plane.
- Fixed aiming bug with sentry guns

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next update.

Eleon Game Studios

Jul 30, 2015

[July 30, 2105] New Update: Auto turrets, turrets for ground vessel, graphic improvements, new creature and POIs

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

Ground fog on the planets:

Several POIs to explore:

New Setting for Orbit scene in Creative: