Nov 10, 2016

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

EDIT: Memory leak in Alpha 4.3.1

We have a severe memory leak in Alpha 4.3.1. We are sorry for the inconveniences

Actually, we already fixed the leak on our side but we are still testing the fix to make sure everything is fine before we want to release it. You can expect a hotfix on Friday morning 9am CET.

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Hi Galactic Survivalists,

We just released another hotfix that addresses several issues and bugs that were introduced in Alpha 4.3. In particular, there was a major problem with NPCs and turrets not attacking correctly. Hopefully all these issues are solved now.

In addition, we have good news for our players that were still suffering from the inventory crash: we could finally reproduce and fix it! The crash only happened on machines that had a certain type of Radeon graphics card installed. Thus, we had to get one of the affected graphics card before we were able to reproduce and fix it on our end. Thanks for all the detailed bug reports on this issue!

Cheers
Empyrion Dev Team

Changelog: Alpha 4.3.1 (Build 708)

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Inventory crash on machines with a certain type of Radeon graphics card
- Fixed: Drones / Predators / NPCs / Bases do not attack player anymore (MP)
- Fixed: Turrets in PvP do no fire on other factions (MP)
- Fixed: Not possible to place a BP in Orbit
- Fixed: Symmetry problem with new windows L and 3-sided (we had to adapt the default position of these 2 windows - so maybe you have to rotate these blocks on your blueprints again)
- Fixed: Icon of Autominer remains on Map and Radar if destroyed
- Fixed: Another use case of the "infinite plant pickup bug"
- Fixed: CV Thruster M group has broken preview image
- Fixed: Random error that happened when entering Omicron

Changes / Improvements:
- Enhanced player data output in console ('plys' command)
- Changed 'say' command variant addressing a single player: now using the player's persistent id
- Improved EAC handling, increased default heartbeat timeout for clients
- Optimized lights on new BA Tier 6
- Minor renaming: Walkway Blocks -> Walkway & Railing Blocks

Nov 10, 2016

Alpha 4.3.1: Patch

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

Nov 10, 2016

Alpha 4.3.0: Bug Fixes and Improvements (Part III)

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

We just released Alpha 4.3, which marks the last update with bug fixes and general improvement before entering the development cycle for Alpha 5.0.

In Alpha 4.3, we implemented more measures to avoid vessel / structure loss, added several new blocks and devices, tweaked the speed of CV versus SV, improved the Server-Client chat, re-balanced some weapons, added new stock blueprints, improved visuals, fixed many bugs and integrated other improvements as documented in the changelog below.

As always, we are very curious about your feedback regarding Alpha 4.3.

Thanks for reading.

Yours
Empyrion Dev Team

P.S: Info about using screen capture software OBS since Alpha 4.0: http://empyriononline.com/threads/obs-and-alpha-4-0.8102

Changelog: Alpha 4.3 (Build 706)

New measures to avoid vessel / structure loss and other improvements concerning playfield changes:
- Playfield change is now more stable: before changing a playfield, the target playfield is now asked if it is available
- Added additional security check to prevent entering a playfield if the max structure count would then be exceeded
- Added heartbeat message from client -> server
- Checking playfield server heartbeats and killing process if yaml configurable timeout reached
- Added 'detach' console command to help detaching a player when he has the 'stuck below cockpit' problem

New blocks and devices:
- Added 2 new window blocks: L-shape and 3-sided corner
- Added 2 new railing blocks: L-shape and round corner

- Added more CV thrusters to complete block group. Thrusters are now grouped in M, L, XL thrusters - each group has 3 thrusters: normal, slant, armored (with same specs)
- Added epic rocket launcher with homing missiles

- Added Akua berry bush, space orange tree, alien honey plant and textured plant protein plant as growable plants in BA / CV

- Added thruster M slant for HV
- Added 2 small-sized versions of jet thrusters
- Added damage states to jet thrusters and AMD

Gameplay:
- Tweaked speed of CV / SV: CVs are now slower than SVs on planets and in space (CV speed = 80% of SV speed)
- Slightly increased speed of SV in space to 115m/s (CV = 92 m/s)

New stock blueprints:
- Added CV Tier 4 (Thanks to Nosture: http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=786993317)

- Added CV Tier 5 (thanks to baddkarma74) http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=750189130

- Added SV Tier 5 (thanks to Vicomt): https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=792923923

- Added BA Tier 6 (thanks to H.P. Strangelove): http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=766326347

Improved Server-Client chat:
- Implemented server-side chatting to a specific player or faction (type "help say" in console to get usage details)
- Implemented client-side chat to server only (start chat message with "s! ", no other player will see this message)

Changes to how HUD names are shown:
- Adapted distance at which HUD tags are shown: planet 350m (instead of 250m) and space 1500m (instead of 1000m)
- Name + faction info appears at 300m (planet) and 1250m (space) - before: 200m / 500m
- Changed: unpowered structures are again showing their name in HUD

Weapon Balancing:
- Tweaked weapon ranges (BA turrets have now a higher range than CV weapons):
* slightly increased weapon range for Bases for some turrets
* slightly reduced weapon range for CV for some turrets
* increased weapon range for HV turrets
- Added homing missile to turret HV
- Slightly increased speed of homing missile SV
- Increased RPM for Alien Ion Turret (Planet) and Alien Sentries
- Increased Rotation Speed for all Alien Turrets and Alien Sentries
- Increased damage, hitpoints and range for Alien Sentries and Player Sentries
- Slightly increased projectile speed for Alien Turrets and Sentries
- Increased stack size of several ammo types

General Balancing:
- Increased overall drop rate of crushed stone
- Added crushed stone also in top layer on Omicron to make it easier to find crushed stone
- Re-balanced all jet thrusters

Improved visuals:
- Improved visuals of weapons in first person (improved shader)

- Improved turret HV: we are now using the same base for all turrets in order to have a more coherent style. In addition, we added better color masks and improved overall textures

- Re-added old icon for base (for better differentiation to terrain placeables) - now using same base icon on map as in creative menu
- Updated RCS block with better model

- Better implementation for destroying large and small deco trees/bushes when CV collides with them
- Adjusted 3rd person camera position on all stock vessels (stock blueprints)
- Improved weapon hold on chainsaw and miniguns
- Slightly tweaked smoke effect on lava planet
- Slightly increased size of Ammo Type field in HUD
- Tweaks to grass shader lighting

Other tweaks / improvements:
- Added “Search” box for Blueprint Library (F2)
- Player character: Implemented simple texture LODs for saving VRAM in multiplayer
- Added better names for some weapons and ammo (to fit into GUI field) + better preview icons for better differentiation (color differentiation depending on type)
- Added better names for Sentry Guns

Easy-Anti Cheat (EAC):
- Updated EAC
- Added possibility to enable extra log outputs in dedicated.yaml (for debugging purposes)
=> by enabling extra log outputs on your server and sending us the log files, you can help us tracking down a problem that we are currently trying to solve in connection with EAC

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: "Stuck below cockpit" problem for many use cases (if it still happens -> use console cmd 'detach')
- Fixed: Problem that a playfield server that was started could sometimes "drag you back in" and result in a "stuck below cockpit' situation
- Fixed: Problem that turrets did not lead target correctly anymore
- Fixed: Upgrading a Autominer does not upgrade ore/h and Limit
- Fixed: Problem that faction member ore info on map did not update correctly if other faction members discovered new deposit
- Fixed: Problem that animals got stuck sometimes at rocks
- Fixed: Problem that HV Harvester module did not work in 1st person reliably
- Fixed: Problem that NPC Zirax and Robots often needed very long to attack or missed completely
- Fixed: Problem that vessels jumped around after spawning and touching ground
- Fixed: Problem that sun was shining through planets in space
- Fixed: Problem that homing missiles sometimes circled around target
- Fixed: Problem with explosion center for explosion damage on objects that are larger than 1x1x1
- Fixed: Problem that options setting "Fullscreen Window mode" had no effect
- Fixed: Problem that block grid became visible from a close distance
- Fixed: Problem with normal map of jet thrusters
- Fixed: More than 20 internal errors reported on support email and collected on HWS Server (thanks so much!)

Nov 10, 2016

Alpha 4.3.0: Bug Fixes and Improvements (Part III)

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

- Added Akua berry bush, space orange tree, alien honey plant and textured plant protein plant as growable plants in BA / CV

- Added CV Tier 5 (thanks to baddkarma74) http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=750189130

- Added SV Tier 5 (thanks to Vicomt): https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=792923923

- Added BA Tier 6 (thanks to H.P. Strangelove): http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=766326347

- Improved turret HV: we are now using the same base for all turrets in order to have a more coherent style. In addition, we added better color masks and improved overall textures

- Re-added old icon for base (for better differentiation to terrain placeables) - now using same base icon on map as in creative menu
- Updated RCS block with better model

Nov 3, 2016

Alpha 4.2.0: Bug Fixes and Improvements (Part II)

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

EDIT: November 6, 2016 Updated Server to Build 693
- Fixed several internal errors

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Hi Galactic Survivalists!

We have just released a new version - Alpha 4.2. New features include tracer effects for bullets, the possibility to change the 3rd person camera position in vessels, decorations that can get destroyed with vessels, we added several new wings and thrusters as well as two new weapons that shoot homing missiles. Moreover, we rebalanced several weapons, fixed many bugs and added other improvements to the game.

Try out the newest version and let us know what you think!

Yours,
Empyrion Dev Team

Changelog: Alpha 4.2 (Build 688)

Main Features:
- Added tracer effects for bullets to certain weapons

The new tracer effects that we added to several weapons (including mounted weapons and turrets)

- Added possibility to change 3rd person camera position in vessels by Page UP and Page DOWN buttons (saving camera y and z offset in blueprint)

You can now adjust the third person camera for you vessels to find your preferred position.

- Deco trees/bushes/rocks get destroyed when CV collides with them (larger deco will not get destroyed, smaller deco does get destroyed)

Remember the situations when a little bush prevented your vessel from landing? These times are over now...

- Added several new wings + possibility to change wings of same size via Change Tool (equip tool, aim at the wing and hit LMB to cycle through the variants)

This picture shows a part of the new set of wings that we integrated - the full set of wings is waiting for you! (note: as shown in screenshot, you can easily change the texture on the wings)

- Added new set of thrusters for SV

This is the new set of jet-style thrusters

- Added new weapons: Mounted rocket launcher with homing missiles for SV and hand-held rocket launcher with homing missiles

Try out the brand-new handheld rocket launcher with homing missiles. It is a lot of fun to shoot down drones with this goodie!

Changes / Improvements:
- Slightly increased zoom of turrets and reduced rotation speed if player zooms in a turret
- Nights are darker again on some planets (changes take effect in New Game or for unvisited playfields)
- Added directional tags to thrusters in Control Panel
- Re-balanced HV Thrusters, Hover Engine T2 and Hover Booster based on community feedback
- Re-balanced SV Thrusters based on community feedback
- Reduced size of muzzle flash for certain weapons
- Added damage states for emergency o2 generator
- Improved ship statistics: swapped m/s with degree/sec for pitch, yaw, roll based on ships current torque
- Optimized polygon count on several building blocks to avoid problems with large blueprints
- Disabled Undo and Redo in building-helper menu for Survival Mode
- Reduced mass of small O2 tank
- Reduced output in template for purified water
- Renamed "Small Constructor" to "Mobile Constructor" for SV and HV
- Some renaming of homing missiles
- Better faction output in 'ents' console command
- Better wireframe blue/red displaying of rotate tool
- Some internal weapon optimizations

Weapon Balancing:
- CV: Allowed Rocketlauncher/Pulse Laser (fixed weapons) for planetary use
- SV: Increased RPM for Plasma Gun, Railgun and Rocketlauncher
- HV: Increased RPM for Plasma Gun and Rocketlauncher
- SVHV: Increased range of all weapons and turrets (~50-100m)

Updates:
- Updated Unity to 5.4.2
- Updated Easy Anti Cheat (EAC) to newest version

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Problem that shooting was still in-accurate for minigun and cannon turrets
- Fixed: Problem that turrets could still be shot manually from underground
- Fixed: Problem that up/down rotation on player characters was not working in MP
- Fixed: Problem that upgrading autominers did not work correctly
- Fixed: Problem that highest-tier Autominer T3 still showed upgrade possibility -> by using this, you get the components infinitely
- Fixed: Problem that equipped weapons are shown for other players when on motorbike (MP only) - partially fixed
- Fixed: Lockcode exploit: "Go Back" arrow could lead to full access of private structures (e.g. constructors)
- Fixed: Blueprint client-side exploit: copy blueprints in cache folder in BpProducts and use on MP server
- Fixed: Problem that splash of Player-turrets could kill Players in PvE
- Fixed: Problem that waypoint arrows in HUD were missing after relogin (MP only)
- Fixed: Problem that Lock Code 0000 (public access) did not work with certain devices
- Fixed: Problem that vessels rolled while trying to yaw with mouse (left right movement)
- Fixed: Problem that some trees jumped around when being harvested
- Fixed: Problem that light of spotlights traveled through solid blocks, but not through curved windows
- Fixed: Problem that inside of windows was very milky in certain light conditions
- Fixed: Problem that it was still possible to dive and move underwater in deep water with vessels
- Fixed: Glossiness / white dots on NPCs and some plants
- Fixed: Graphical issue in player inventory -> strange reflection on helmet
- Fixed: Layer problem on Aitis and Akua (now only grey rocks as layers on Akua)
- Fixed: Several line-placed block shapes had missing faces
- Fixed: Problem that no smoke was visible when watching other players falling down with capsule
- Fixed: Weapon hold on chainsaw
- Fixed: Wings were offset in blue preview box
- Fixed: Visual issue when looking from certain angle on hull texture
- Fixed: Preview color of blocks was wrong for certain blocks
- Fixed: Texture problem with wings for certain textures
- Fixed: Square flare around Sun
- Fixed: Idle animation on certain NPC (animation did not loop)
- Fixed: Error reported on support email linked to turret shooting - #CE018
- Fixed: Error reported on support email linked to Resume Game menu - #85A8B

Nov 3, 2016

Alpha 4.2.0: Bug Fixes and Improvements (Part II)

Empyrion - Galactic Survival - EmpyrionGame

This is the new set of jet-style thrusters

- Added new weapons: Mounted rocket launcher with homing missiles for SV and hand-held rocket launcher with homing missiles