Dear Stormworkers,

On Thursday 17th September 16:00 UTC, Stormworks Version 1.0 will release. This week we are announcing previously unannounced features and details.

Version 1.0 Countdown

Spreadable fire is being added in Version 1.0. This new fire system has been frequently requested, and many players even predicted this feature would be added based on hints in previous upcoming announcements (well done!).



In the new spreadable fire system, fire spreads across surfaces, slowly creeping across the surface of a vehicle. This means that fire can spread into a significant and overwhelming problem if not tackled quickly, in a similar way to how the wild fires can quickly overwhelm the player and grow beyond a fightable size. This also means that fire is a much greater threat to players, and greater attention must be given to fire suppression systems, and fire fighting equipment.

The fire damages components that it touches. This means that as fire spreads across a vehicle, the function of the blocks it reaches is destroyed. Vehicles will slowly lose function as they are eaten by fire.



The fire also damages players that it touches. Players may now want to consider fire escape routes on larger vehicles and consider potential risks, escape distances, alternative routes, emergency escape lighting, signage, refuge points, and more.

Submergence in water extinguishes fire. Fire will not creep below the water line on the outside of a ship, and waves will wash fire away. Internal water also extinguishes fire, so flooding a compartment to put out the fire is a viable strategy.



Fire extinguishers and water hoses extinguish fire. Fire can be fought with vehicle component based water cannons, hand held extinguishers, and hoses.

The fire is compartmentalised and won't jump through walls or closed doors. The fire creeps along the surface and will only cross through a seal-able door if it is open.



We are very excited about the new fire system and cannot wait to share it with you in less than 2 weeks.

Let us know what you think, and let us know your thoughts on how we can use this system in the new missions!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

This week we have fully reworked the gimbal camera with a host of upgrades, all focused around search and rescue gameplay!

The new stabilized gimbal camera now has a laser, stabilization, and target tracking modes. The laser works in a similar way to the existing laser distance sensor - when activated, the laser points along the direction that the camera is facing, giving the range to contact of the laser. The GPS coordinates of the laser target are also output to the composite output of the camera.

The new stabilization option means that as the vehicle rotates and tilts, the camera will counter this motion in order to continue to face in the same direction. This gives a much smoother experience for camera operation, making it much easier and more comfortable for a camera operator to use the camera.



The new tracking option locks the camera to look at the current laser target. As the vehicle moves around, the camera continues to track the same position, making it easier for a camera operator to keep track of what they are looking at.

The gimbal camera continues to have an infrared mode to display night vision, while the camera properties allow the option of an IR laser beam rather than a visible one.

This new update focuses on search and rescue gameplay, which is a big focus of v1.0, releasing on Sept 17th 2020. Some of the new missions do not have exact coordinates, and players must begin search operations in order to find craft in distress or persons overboard. These new camera options and functions focus on this new gameplay and the simulation game experience of Stormworks.



We look forward to hearing what you think! Please let us know how you find the new gimbal camera, and any other ideas you have about improving the search and rescue gameplay.

With just 3 weeks left until version 1.0, we are hard at work focusing on improving the new features and improving the quality of the game as much as possible.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Patch Notes

v0.10.36

Feature - Laser Gimbal Camera

Fix - Fixed surface shape of electric diode bottom faces
Fix - Added laser tag to laser distance sensor

Dear Stormworkers,

Version 1.0 is fast approaching with just 4 weeks to go before the big release (17th September 2020)!

This week we discuss what you will be able to do outside of the vehicle editor, in the world of Stormworks. As previously discussed, Version 1.0 is focused on game-play, vehicle operation, and creating a challenging and dangerous world to test your vehicles and your abilities.

When working on Version 1.0, the first element we added was server side LUA scripting. Within LUA, we can manage many different elements of the game (and are adding new functionality all the time), and we can modify and reload these scripts in game as we are testing. The effect is that it's much easier and quicker to build an idea with a much more powerful set of tools. This is what we have been building with it:

Rescue Missions



The new missions are a complete re-imagining of what missions are and how they work in Stormworks. Missions are now generated procedurally, and can appear in thousands of locations across the Stormworks world.

Land missions may begin with a notification that an aircraft is in distress with engine failure, and have activated their emergency transponder. Checking the map, you might see a huge area outlined in red, with a tooltip explaining that this is the search area for the aircraft.

Before heading out, you may want to check you have the necessary equipment. A search operation can take some time, so if the mission will run into the night you may wish to equip illumination flares, night vision goggles. Are casualties expected? Check you have a defibrillator and med kits. With this mission, a transponder locator is a very good idea and will greatly assist locating the downed aircraft.

Once locating the aircraft, you will know more about the situation at the landing site. How damaged is the aircraft? How many casualties are there? Are there fires? As you get close, the mission will update with extra information on your objectives - perhaps you need to put out fires, recover the flight recorder, or simply rescue survivors to any hospital facility (not just the specific hospital island like the old missions).

Casualties may have minor injuries requiring simple med-kit treatment, or otherwise have been incapacitated. You cannot use a defibrillator in the water, so you may need to move incapacitated survivors to safety first before attempting to revive them. This is all against the clock, as incapacitated casualties will eventually die. If you damage your own vehicle or a survivor is incapacitated during the rescue, the new first person equipment also means you have the chance to recover the situation, repair your vehicle, and revive the survivor.

This is just one possible type of mission and story that the player could encounter. Others could include towing a vessel with engine failure, fighting a fire on an oil tanker, delivering inspectors to investigate regulation violations, recovering a person overboard, or any other scenario the script can generate. Meanwhile, this is all within a world with a day-night cycle, the all new weather simulation with stronger winds. Situations may change, where fire or structural collapse could cause a vessel to start sinking.

Please let us know your thoughts on other mission types - there is still time before the big release, and plenty of time after as we continue to develop the game!

Logistical Operations



If you fancy making some money on the side, various cargo terminals are present around the map. At these locations, you will find cargo addressed to various other terminals, as well as information on rewards for delivery.

Delivering the cargo to the correct destination will result in a cash reward, and can be a great way of generating money. You can reinvest this cash in building bigger container ships, cargo handling equipment, or even logistical networks with unmanned barges. In limited fuel mode, fuel is a resource that costs money, so you will need to balance the rewards against the costs of business.

We are currently developing this as a series of container terminals, where the player can move containers around the world to develop revenue. However, this system has huge potential for expansion - simply by tagging cargo terminals with info on what type of cargo may spawn there, and what type of cargo it will accept, you can create logging logistics, working mines, and other industries.

The Workshop



The most important part of the new LUA game modding, is that it can be shared on the Steam workshop. This means all players will have access to the same tools that we do to create these new in game stories and systems, and we are very excited to see what players come up with.

The new experimental branch also allows us to get feedback from players on new LUA functionality and develop it further, while giving players information on what new functions they can start to use in upcoming releases. We expect a new phase of collaboration with players as build our own stuff, but also support you with your creations.

LUA scripts can also access vehicles, locations, and other rigging data from all mission scripts that are active, meaning players can build simple packages that interact with the existing official LUA scripts with little or no code - you could create a crashed mission location, medical ship, container terminal or other content, and simply by following the correct naming convention and tagging objects with the right names, they will be used by our script and other scripts as content. This type of extensibility makes it really easy to mix and merge workshop locations into the game in a seamless and simple way.



As I am sure you can tell, we are super excited about the upcoming release. We are working hard to get all the extra features, fixes, and finishing items into this release and are doing everything we can to make Version 1.0 as good as it can be.

We also have some great minor updates planned - check back next week for a really cool new minor update!

And remember - if you or your friends do not yet own Stormworks - the price is increasing on 17th September 2020, so be sure to get it at the current, lower price.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

This week we add a new electric charger component as a minor update! This new component behaves a bit like a step-up charger or diode, in order to control the flow of electrical energy in one direction, and to regulate energy.

In Stormworks, electrical energy flows from high charge to low charge components. Often the battery is the component with the highest charge, and so energy flows from the battery storage to other components that are using electrical energy.

This component takes energy from the input side, and transforms it across to the output side to full charge. This means you can charge batteries and power components with full power, even when the input circuit has low charge, for example where batteries are running out of energy. With a small size of only 2 blocks, this component has a limited rate and it takes some time to charge.



The main expected uses for this component is to regulate charge output of your batteries, so lights or other electronics do not dim when battery charge is dropping, or to charge a battery to full from another battery that is almost empty.

Electrical systems will be all the more useful in the upcoming v1.0 release on Sept 17th 2020, where players will be able to connect systems easily using the new hand held cables to link electrical points.

Let us know your thoughts on the new electric charger component, and any other ideas you have on the electrical systems, and how we could develop them further.



This single component is just a small minor update as we invest most of our energy in all the full release.
We continue to work hard on improving the new features and quality of the Version 1.0 Update, and with less than 5 weeks to go, we are all super excited to share what we have been working on with you.

As always, we will be back with more details and information on upcoming development next week.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

v0.10.34

Fix - Environment mod 0 limit not spawning multiple instances

v0.10.35

Feature - Electric Charger

Dear Stormworkers,

Two weeks ago we announced that v1.0 is coming on September 17th 2020. This week, we are discussing the new modular engines and how the new experimental branch will work in more detail. These new engines will launch on the same date above, but only as an experimental and in-development feature on this new branch.

The new modular engines are a series of components that can be assembled in various configurations to form working engines. This is the top voted new feature in the recent poll, has been requested many times on our feature tracker, and has even been prototyped in 3d by some of our community members (Nacon's design is frequently shared on Discord).

These modular engines are broken down into:

Crankshaft



The crankshaft is the core of the engine, which most other parts connect to. This is a modular part and can be chained with other crankshaft components to create longer parts.

Piston



The piston part connects to the crank shaft. It consumes fuel and air and produces exhaust.

Power Manifold



The power manifold connects onto the end of the crankshaft, providing a connection manifold for belt driven engine accessories.

Starter and Alternator



The starter motor and alternator are both belt driven modular components that connect to the power manifold. The starter is for getting the engine running using electrical power, while the alternator is a small generator.

Pump And Coolant Manifold



The fluid pump and coolant manifold are separate components. The fluid pump turns energy from the engine into fluid pressure, while the coolant manifold provides a fluid cooling interface with the engine.

Clutch



The clutch is a single block component that connects onto the end of the crankshaft, allowing the engine to connect and disconnect from any external torque pipe system.

Experimental Branch

Experimental branch is an optional version of the game that all players will be able to play if they wish. This new branch launches on September 17th 2020, with v1.0. This new branch of the game is to allow us to collaborate more closely with the community, get your feedback earlier, and be more open and transparent with the current development of the game.

With the new modular engines, we have barely scratched the surface. We have started with these small parts, but there are other components to add, larger component sets, and more to investigate. Let us know your feedback on where we should take this new feature, and share your vision of what modular engines should mean.

We can't wait for the v1.0 release, to share all the new stuff we have been working on, and to enter a new chapter of closer collaboration with the community!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

The New Radar Detector Block

This week we add a single component while our focus remains on v1.0 with less than 7 weeks to go before the big release!

We are adding the radar detector block. This new component detects when radar is actively interrogating the block. This completes the radar components set, allows you to detect nearby radar systems, and indicates your own radar visibility.



The New Telemetry API

Following the previous telemetry minor update, we discussed this feature with the community and revised the feature so that it allows simple HTTP GET communication, only with the your own PC. This means you can be confident that any workshop items that you download does not have access to your local network and cannot use your internet connection, which was a major concern for some players.

If you wish to communicate with network or internet resources, this can easily be done by running your own script or program outside of Stormworks that can talk to Stormworks using the new telemetry API. This also means any use of your network or internet is explicit and you are entirely in control of your connection.

Fixes

We have also been working hard on bugs and fixes, and several important issues are resolved with this update and previous hot fixes over the last couple of weeks. This includes a fix for a major cause of crashes in multiplayer. We continue to work hard on these quality improvements and are investing a lot of time and energy into continuing to improve the quality and stability of Stormworks.

V1.0

Following some confusion, we will make clear - if you have bought Stormworks, you own Stormworks and will not have to buy it again when the new update comes out!

As always, we continue to work hard on the upcoming v1.0 update. Thank you to everyone who sent us messages of support, we really appreciate it, and makes all the work much easier :-)

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Patch Notes

v0.10.32

Rework - Http command reworked and re-enabled
Fix - CTD caused by microprocessors in multiplayer
Fix - Minor MacOS fixes

v0.10.33

Feature - Radar Detector

Fix - 64bit Spark particle issues
Fix - Occasional CTD when returning a vehicle with ropes to workbench

Dear Stormworkers,

On September 17th 2020, we will be releasing v1.0 of Stormworks to mark the 3 year anniversary since we first launched the public alpha. Since then, we have released over 250 updates, and you have spent over 1400 years playing the game, shared over 70,000 workshop creations, all while helping us understand where to take the game next.

And, this is only the beginning.

The next chapter of Stormworks kicks off with the Stormworks v1.0 Update - we are leaving Steam Early Access with several major updates rolled into one colossal mega update. The new updates are listed below in detail.

Updates will continue as normal, with major updates every 2 or 3 months, and minor updates every other week. Development will continue at a pace as least as fast as you have been used to during the last 3 years of live development. Just because we are leaving Early Access doesn't mean there isn't more to do.

Features

First Person Handheld Equipment



The new first person system gives you a body in first person, with a 5 inventory slot system. 18 new hand held items add new rope, medical, navigation, and radio mechanics to the search and rescue gameplay. The new items include a fire extinguisher, binoculars, night vision, compass, defibrillator, first aid kit, flares, flare gun, rope, cable, hose, flashlight, radio, welders, and more.

New Procedural Missions



We have completely reworked missions to be dynamic, procedural events. You are unlikely to ever see the same mission twice, with the new mission scripting system providing many more tools to allow even more creativity. Mission information is now displayed on the map, with many missions displaying a search area rather than a location. You will have variable levels of information, and parameters can change as situations evolve. The new first person equipment allows medical emergencies, fires, and more sophisticated search and rescue mechanics. Be ready for a much more in depth experience.

Logistics and Transport Missions



The new logistics system adds cargo depots and terminals, with new cargo objects addressed to various locations. Transporting these cargos provides financial rewards, while cargo comes in various shapes, sizes, and weights from small crates to huge containers. This is another new layer of the game powered entirely by a new game scripting system, and is extendable and adaptable by players and on the workshop.

Game Mode Scripts and Modding



The new game scripting system is huge. We are using it to create the new missions system and tutorial, but the potential uses are endless. You will have control over game settings, server operation, NPCs, missions, vehicles, weather, UI, and much more. This allows new modding possibilities - from NPC vehicle traffic to whole gamemodes.

We have also reworked the base rules for the game. Basic vehicle mechanics are removed in favour of a host of in-game options, changeable in real time, to customise your experience exactly as you wish to play. Simply select between 'Career' mode to play with the fixed, SAR focused rules, or select 'Custom' to start playing with the new creative options menu where you can toggle damage, infinite money, electric, fuel, clear the fog, teleport, no-clip, and more.

Weather Simulation



The new weather simulation brings dynamic localised weather to the Stormworks world. Be ready to brave huge storms, take shelter, or navigate around weather systems. Weather will be more predictable and play a bigger part in the Stormworks world.

New Tutorial



With this release, we are adding an all new tutorial comprising new starter vehicles, starter mission, and many new tools and help for new players getting started in Stormworks. The tutorial is designed to help without being intrusive.

Quality Improvements



We have been working on (and continue to work on) a huge number of quality improvements and fixes. This is version 1.0, and we want the quality of the release to reflect the significance of this milestone. Expect a huge change list with many important boosts to the quality of the game.

The Future Of Stormworks

Experimental Branch



We are launching a new experimental public branch of the game - available to all players - sharing development changes as they happen, giving (the players who are interested) the earliest possible insight into new features, and the chance to discuss and feedback input. This means we can design future updates closely with the community, and changes can be much better considered as they go live on the main branch of the game.

The experimental branch launches with v1.0, where we will begin testing the next major update - modular engines! We are already thinking ahead on where next to take Stormworks, and modular engines were chosen by the community as the most popular new feature in the recent poll. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

Price Update

With the launch of v1.0, the price will be increased to ($24.99 / £19.49 / €20.99) to reflect the new stage in development, and to acknowledge all the players who have bought the game early and supported us in early access. The price will remain at the current lower price up to the release date. Stormworks has never been on sale on Steam and we have no plans to run a discount, so buying before Sept 17th is the cheapest way to get Stormworks.

From The Developers



When we started Stormworks, we didn't imagine the game would be as big as it is, have such a kind, intelligent, and creative community, or continue to be growing years after initial release. We are a small independent team of game developers, and it is a huge privilege to be servicing the game for such a wonderful community of players. We look forward to continuing to do our best for years to come to make Stormworks the best possible game it can be. Thank you so much for supporting this game, it has had a huge impact for all of us.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworks,

This week we add the ability to communicate with a http server from within a lua script.

What does this mean? Get ready for an extremely technical update announcement!

Telemetry

With the ability to send and receive data to and from a http server on your computer, players could connect telemetry systems for their home cockpits. You can use this new feature to control any connected system such as real world cockpit lights, indicators, dials, the lighting in your room, hydraulics, force feedback and more.

For our more technical players who are interested in electronics and software, this means Stormworks can start to enter the real world. Piloting could become much more in depth for players with with cockpit hardware, introducing a whole new dimension to vehicle building.



Rich Presence

Players can send any data they wish from a LUA script to their own http server software. If you can script a http server, then buttons or information in Stormworks can be fed anywhere. When you eject, do you want to announce your coordinates as a distress message on Twitter? Do you want your Discord status to reflect your speed and heading? Perhaps you run a server and you want time and weather data with a real time ATC style map showing where all vehicles or radar contacts are?



Data Display

The new LUA functions mean you can read any data outside of Stormworks into your LUA block. If you can script a http server, you can send any information you want into game. Get real world news headlines on screen, have an in-game Discord chat, or get notifications of what games have just been discounted on Steam.



Limitations

In multiplayer, these scripts are run locally, so while a script may read cockpit buttons correctly in single player, the script does not know what information should be replicated on the network, and thus a players own cockpit telemetry will not affect the simulation on the server. This is only a minor limitation as Stormworks already supports 48 button inputs via the Direct Input API, which work over multiplayer.

We can't wait to see what players do with this new feature and are really excited to see what new intelligent systems are created.

While we respect that this feature doesn't necessarily impact all players immediately, it is the kind of feature that Stormworks should have, and many players have asked for. There is also the usual list of improvements and fixes in the patch notes below.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Patch Notes

v0.10.29

Fix - Physics acceleration client desync

v0.10.30

Feature - Microprocessor Telemetry HTTP Requests
async.HTTPRequest(fail_callback, success_callback, url, method, headers, body)

A further example can be found in the lua help tab.

Rework - Editor warnings no longer generate on vehicle load if they are toggled off (this should boost load times back to previous rates, editor warnings are now generated when the setting is toggled on)
Rework - Winch physics nodes now more consistent and less buoyant (reduced winch physics issues in water)
Rework - Removed blood particles from heat-box damage
Rework - Reduced number of blood particles when damaged by propellers

Fix - macOS several issues including shader issues and crashes

Dear Stormworkers,

The Big Announcement

Many of you have asked us questions about when this major update will release, what is in this update, and what is in future updates, We will answer all these questions on the 24th July (in 2 weeks). We will announce the release date, full details on what is in the update, our new plans for allowing players to be more involved in the development, our plans for more major updates, and another secret announcement which may be the most exciting part of all.

This will be a huge announcement with a lot of information and we cannot wait to share it with you all. Make sure to check the news on 24th July for the big announcement.



The New Weather Simulation

In the upcoming major update, there is a new weather simulation system. Weather is now different in different places, and you can view this information in real time on the map. Simulated data includes wind, temperature, precipitation, lightning and fog.



Weather slowly changes as the simulation progresses. While the simulation is turbulent, it is possible to estimate what the weather is going to do over the next few days.



With localised weather, players will need to consider conditions and plan routes to avoid the worst weather as they travel across the world of Stormworks. Players will also need to make sure they have the correct equipment as the weather has such a significant impact on gameplay.



Temperature will also fluctuate with seasons. This means players will have to battle different temperatures at different times of the year. Personal equipment and the need to stay warm will play an increased role during the winter months, even when outside of the arctic.



With the new temperature system, we are also looking to integrate temperature more closely with other systems within the game, to give greater impact to the significance and consequence of the new weather simulation.

In the mean time, please know we are continuing to work hard on this huge update which is getting bigger and bigger. The end is in sight!

We also have some great minor updates and fixes planned. We will catch you all soon for more minor updates and the big announcement!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

This week we have returned to focus on water jets, turbine jets, and solid rocket booster improvements! We have made a series of changes, improvements and fixes to improve the player experience. This update was inspired by a group of feature requests from the issues board.

Jet turbine engines and solid rocket exhausts now damage the player (when player damage is turned on) so players must now use care when around live engines.

We have also fixed rotor and propeller damage so now these are back to being extremely dangerous. When player damage is turned on, they will apply huge force and damage if they come in contact with a player or survivor.

Water jets are back! We have re-balanced water jets to be more powerful, but with a power ceiling, making jets most suitable for small boats or manoeuvring thruster control on larger boats.



Please see the patch notes below for the full list of all changes.

Please stay tuned for many, many more fixes and improvements yet to come. If there are specific changes or fixes that are important to you, please make sure we know using the "feature request" and "report a bug" buttons in game.

Make sure to check in next Friday for more info on the upcoming major update!

Much love <3

The Stormworks Developers

Patch Notes

v0.10.27

Fix - CTD when updating a microprocessor that has connected logic nodes

v0.10.28

Feature - Solid Rockets and Jet Engine Damage Hitboxes

Balance- Water Jet now requires electric to modify controls
Balance - Ski now requires electric to steer
Balance - Water Jet thrust now more powerful

Fix - Multiplayer physics frame acceleration leading to stuttering
Fix - Editor warnings on offset nodes disregarding component rotation
Fix - Manual hinged doors faces missing
Fix - Network desync between open state of custom doors
Fix - Door physics raycasting overwriting closer raycasts
Fix - Removed redundant electric nodes from Gripper and Fluid Connector
Fix - Propellers not applying damage
Fix - Component centre of mass calculations improved