Dear Stormworkers,

It is announcement week, with an update being released last week and one planned for next week!

Next weeks minor update includes several new components that many players have asked for over a long period of time for various reasons!

One component being released next week is the new steam piston! Players have been asking for other ways to make steam engines, including smaller engines for some time and this new update will do this. The new steam pistons come in various sizes, and are designed for low-speed high-torque applications.

The steam pistons work in a very mechanical way, similar to real steam pistons. There are 4 steam ports on each piston cylinder, with 2 ports above the piston head, and 2 below. There is also a connecting rod and a crank shaft that rotates in the expected way. The valves opening and closing each port are controlled by the position of the crank shaft. A typical way to use this new component would be to supply high pressure steam to the input ports, and add exhausts to the output ports.

In one direction of the stroke, the piston will open the input valve of the compressed side of the piston, and the output valve of the expanded side. The difference in pressure between the two side of the piston will create torque and motion. As the piston reaches the other end of the cylinder, the valves reverse, exhausting the high pressure steam, and allowing high pressure steam into the other side.

Like a real steam engine, either a flywheel or multiple out-of-phase pistons are advisable to avoid stalling. This is because the torque action on the crank shaft has low-efficiency zones at the ends of the strokes, just like real pistons. Adjacent pistons placed next to each other are locked together, but can be spawned with player-defined crank cycle offsets. This allows a huge amount of control over how engines are built.

Along with steam pistons, there are several other related components that we will announce next week! And of course, there will be the usual bug fixes and improvements!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

In this weeks update, we have re-engineered train signals so that they are an add-on rather than being baked into the world.

The implications of this is that train signals can be replaced with an add-on. This is something that the train community has been asking for, for a long time. It means that different styles of signals can be used, as well as mechanically different signals that follow different logic, unlocking the potential for automation and other mechanics.



This update is of course, a minor step in expanding what can be done with modding. While the headline might be "train signals", the majority of this update is actually bug fixes, as we continue to work through all the issues and defects in the game, and tighten up the quality of experience. While plenty remains to be done, we have made huge progress so far this year, as we have rebalanced our time and processes to avoid adding new issues, while clearing out the backlog of existing problems. While it can be difficult to measure from playing the game, we are counting the issues, and only a fraction remains compared to how the year started out.



There are many different ways to play Stormworks, and we want to make all players happy, so the minor updates focus on different areas as rotate our focus around the different Stormworks communities. This can cause friction in the comments section.

Our advice is not to take the comments too seriously. We make an active effort to count and measure players requests, and we won't count one opinion over another. To the vast majority of players giving calm, constructive, and valued feedback, thank you. We do our best to be fair with our release plans, and while everyone may not benefit from this weeks headline as we show some love for the trains community, hopefully all will notice benefit from the fixes, and all will enjoy something more relevant to their community in the next few updates.

Please see below for the patch notes with the full list of fixes and improvements.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers



Patch Notes

v1.5.3

Changes that include a #NUMBER relate to fixes or features submitted by the Stormworks community via 'geometa.co.uk/support/stormworks' which can be accessed via the 'Report Bug/Request Feature' button in-game.

Posting a submission to this tracker ensures we review your suggestion/report since we may not see reports submitted via other channels.

Feature - #2181 Train Signals Addon

The default train signals have now been converted to an addon, with an updated default signal. This conversion much like the other default playlists makes it very easy for players to replace with their own and upload to the workshop to share with the Stormworks community.
Additionally, in this update we have reworked ropes and winches to fix several longstanding issues including crashes, freezes and unexpected rope based deaths.

Fix - #3360 #8720 Winch lengths reverting to default length on vehicle load (sometimes crashing/freezing the game)
Rework - Winches now auto spool back to their max length and winch max length no longer includes the attached rope's current dynamic length
Rework - Slightly increased winch rope max lengths to compensate for the above change
Rework - Players can no longer detach ropes that are longer than the first-person-rope maximum (40m)
Fix - #5016 Held ropes no longer detach when a vehicle spawns

Fix - Damage rendering desync issues for clients when loading vehicles
Fix - #8391 Fixed Host voice chat not working
Rework - #4903 #9022 Greatly improve multiplayer fire sync

Rework - Rail signals now toggle their state client-side to improve sync
Rework - Added size=null tags to certain default ocean path nodes to prevent bad paths generating under diagonal train bridges
Rework - #8185 Updated workbench disabled messages to indicate if the setting is disabled or the client is unauthorized
Balance - #1829 Rebalanced the repair speed of the handheld welding torches

Fix - #258 Vehicle editor undo not remembering sub-component colours
Fix - #7749 #8972 Updated some default mission zones that were too close to terrain
Fix - Path node tags are now correctly combined for overlapping nodes that get merged
Fix - #7737 Flares black square graphical glitch
Fix - #8052 Moon glare rendering issue
Fix - #8156 Lightning intensity visual glitches
Fix - #8194 Buttons no longer trigger the lua event when the player is out of interact range
Fix - #8394 Updated logic node descriptions for coaxial rotors
Fix - #8419 #8689 Fixed several issues around floating geometry
Fix - #8742 Fixed Nataera ruins physics mesh height issue
Fix - #8716 Passive sonar hits no longer have a projected y bounds of 5m
Fix - #8731 Fixed turret ring mesh issues
Fix - #8781 Fixed search light odd coloured mesh
Fix - Fixed additive rendering as yellow in the component inventory
Fix - Fixed train-line geometry at Terminal Trinite
Fix - End effector no longer triggers onButtonPress when releasing for all dynamic components

Dear Stormworkers,

This week is announcement week where we discuss our development plans and release new information. There are no huge announcements this week so we will keep it brief.

The Steam Summer Sale is now on, and for the first time in Stormworks history, we are in the sale! Stormworks is currently 30% off, and 20% off for the DLC.



Next week we have a new minor update planned with many fixes, and some reworks, including replacing some existing game content with add-on content to make the game a little bit more moddable. More info on this next week with the release!

While we are testing next weeks minor update, we are also adding the finishing touches to the following one. In the following minor update, we plan to add some new equipable outfits! These are new outfits that fit in inventory boxes in a similar way to scuba / diving / firefighting, except with a different function.



Other projects in progress is the next major update which is looking awesome but sadly not due for release for a few months, and some technology tests for the new game engine that we are working on. We are having a lot of fun working on all these new updates and improvements and there is a lot for players to look forward to over the rest of the year and beyond.

Catch you next week for the minor update!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

In this weeks minor update, we are adding the new vehicle mounted welders and end-effectors, designed for use with autonomous and unmanned vehicles, and manned submarines.

The new welder is an electric type welder and works underwater. As you may expect, when active it repairs any damaged blocks immediately in front of it.

The end-effector component can interact with any button immediately in front of it, as well as interacting with doors.



With the combination of these 2 new parts, players can now achieve a great many tasks previously requiring manual operation. This can be particularly useful when in hazardous or hostile environments such as high temperature, deep under water, or around radioactive materials.

As well as these new components, there are many important bug fixes and improvements. Please see the full changelog below for full details.



We look forward to reading your feedback, and seeing what players create and get up to with the new components!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers



Patch Notes

v1.5.2

Changes that include a #NUMBER relate to fixes or features submitted by the Stormworks community via 'geometa.co.uk/support/stormworks' which can be accessed via the 'Report Bug/Request Feature' button in-game.

Posting a submission to this tracker ensures we review your suggestion/report since we may not see reports submitted via other channels.

Feature - #587 Mounted Welder and Mounted End-Effector components
Feature - #656 Solid Rocket Nozzle Max Power slider

Fix - #8588 #8613 Fixed default damage values for collisions
Fix - #7101 #7505 #7619 Natural disasters sirens can now be disabled globally with a button on them
Fix - Old saves will now initialize damage_tracker in mission lua script

Rework - #8717 Sonar active ping reworked*
Fix - #8838 #8728 Radar does not detect tilted vehicle
Fix - #8790 Inactive sonar jammer consumes power
Fix - #8562 Sonar Jammer node mislabels
Fix - #8593 Sonar description spelling mistake
Fix - #8668 Sonar Data node info

Fix - #7633 Fix being able to save while dead when quitting to main menu
Fix - #7640 Scroll bar not appearing for updated ui containers
Fix - #7650 C4 placement rendering when in a seat
Fix - #7827 C4 placement on moving vehicles for clients
Fix - #7652 Pilot mask rendering issue with some outfits
Fix - #7702 Wrong editor mesh for Camera Gimbal and Stabilizer Camera
Fix - #7862 Floating terrain at Terminal Trinite
Fix - Optimized parsing for some scene values
Fix - Coaxial rotor entire mesh rotating

Fix - State data network messages being sent for vehicles with no stateful components
Fix - #1197 Game occasionally getting stuck on audio mutexes

*Sonar ping input must now be held to continue receiving information from that ping; passive data is no longer output while actively pinging.

Dear Stormworkers,

This week is an announcement week, with the new major update launching last week, and we have a minor update planned for next week including 2 new components and loads of fixes!

Next weeks update includes 2 new components for performing tasks normally performed manually - with a vehicle. We are adding a new welder component that can repair vehicles, and a new interaction component that can press buttons and open doors. This enables players to create remote operated vehicles that can perform repair and maintenance tasks. These new components are in response to the fantastic player feedback we have received about the new underwater update, and they will go a long way to giving new functionality and purpose to ROVs.



Our development plans continue as normal, with several minor updates in the works. The next few minor updates include new features, many of which are interesting new components. As always, we prefer to share info only once the update is ready to avoid disappointment. We look forward to releasing this new minor updates to the usual schedule, which is every 2 weeks.



We have also been working on several big updates, which we expect to release as major updates or over time as minor updates. One update in particular is coming together really well, and we are getting really excited about other ways we could improve and expand it into something much bigger. So, we are considering greatly expanding that update into something far bigger than a major update, and perhaps a whole new DLC, but no decision has been made yet. It will all make more sense when we are further along and can share more info and made more decisions!



As always, we look forward to your thoughts and feedback. See you here next week for the minor update!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

The new underwater major update is out now!

This update includes:

Underwater Biome

The new biome includes a series of volcanic islands, based on many of the volcanic islands in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Many of these new islands are active volcanoes and can erupt at random or on request from the custom menu.

The biome also includes new under-sea features, including a trench, sea floor cabling, ruins, wrecks, and many kilometers of winding an interlinked underwater tunnels. The tunnels can be accessed from underwater, and also new caves on some islands.

There are many new locations, named in honour of great community members and workshop creators. Thank you to the selfless and kind people who give up their time to help other players, and thank you to the talented creators who have reached high popularity with incredible creations on the workshop. There are many more community heroes and creators than we have had chance to honour, and look forward to naming more locations in the future.



Underwater Missions

There are several new mission types, including submersed rescues, salvage, and repairs. These missions can spawn in many locations across the world, as well as specific new locations in the new biome.

It is now easier to see underwater as we have increased visibility and lighting, to help with underwater operations.



Glow Sticks

To help keep track of locations and add some softer illumination at night or underwater, we have added new glow sticks! The color of the glowsticks can be painted in the editor, and they will last a long time when deployed.

Sonar

We have added new sonar components, that behave in a more realistic manner. Sonar can now listen in all directions at once, and can operate in active and passive mode. In active mode, the sonar emits a loud ping which travels far through water, bouncing back off vehicles and other objects with a delay relative to the distance travelled. Passive sonar simply listens and can detect propellers, engines, and other noisy parts.



We are really excited to release this new update and can't wait to hear back from players on your thoughts and feedback! Thanks to all the support and feedback we have received that has made this new update possible.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers



v1.5.0 Underwater Update

Changes that include a #NUMBER relate to fixes or features submitted by the Stormworks community via 'geometa.co.uk/support/stormworks' which can be accessed via the 'Report Bug/Request Feature' button in-game.
Posting a submission to this tracker ensures we review your suggestion/report since we may not see reports submitted via other channels.

While we made no infrastructure changes in this update we still recommend creating a new save file as various new environment zones have been added to the default scripts to allow the new mission types to spawn.

Feature - New Volcanic Archipelago biome (#5171 #879 #2019)
Feature - New underwater themed missions and mission improvements
Feature - New Glowstick Equipment (#801)
Feature - Advanced Sonars and Sonar Jammer (#337)

The new 40x40km volcanic archipelago biome is located south-west of the sawyer isles and is the new home of the Kraken.
The region features a series of small volcanoes interspersed with deep trenches, sunken landmarks and an intricate network of submerged passages.

With the addition of several underwater themed mission scenarios we also made various fixes and improvements to the existing mission infrastructure.
Missions should now have an easier time spawning as some theme filtering was previously limiting mission spawning too strictly, meaning some mission scenarios were previously unable to spawn successfully.
The Repair mission objective has been expanded in functionality to several mission types; players can expect to require an underwater welder for some of the new missions, with search-and-rescue missions sometimes offering an optional reward for repairing the vehicle in distress.

Feature - Added additional hospital-boat AI ships that now patrol specific biomes
Feature - New icon for addons with editable settings (in the addon selector menu)
Feature - #6898 Spawn Kraken button added to custom menu
Feature - Addon editor ocean toggle
Feature - 'Show timers' and 'Show rewards' mission addon settings
Fix - #1200 Vehicle save/load not serializing basic block damage & not generating damaged mesh on load
Fix - Ropes now use a constant number of physics nodes
Fix - Fixed 3 map icons sharing names internally causing them to render as a different icon
Fix - #5663 #6568 Missions/Cargo now check if spawn area is clear before spawning
Fix - Mission zones with no size now default to large instead of never spawning
Fix - Zone filtering causing certain mission locations to never spawn
Fix - #3132 Relative to seafloor mission tag behavior restored
Fix - Breakers/relays/chargers are no longer explode on damage
Fix - #7993 SRB fins now work underwater
Fix - Corrected buoyancy surfaces for large and medium warheads
Rework - The Kraken now only naturally spawns within the underwater biome.
Rework - Updated how mission descriptions are generated
Balance - #5026 Rebalanced mission rewards to be more generous
Balance - #5026 Rebalanced ocean lootboxes to be rarer
Balance - Increased cost of diving outfit to 2000

Addon Lua Api:

Added isLocationClear(transform, size_x, size_y, size_z)
Added getOceanFloor(transform)
Added "static" to getVehicleData()
Added to "parent_vehicle_id" and "parent_relative_transform" getZones()
Updated getCharacterData().interactible -> .interactable (Legacy spelling remains available)
Added radius param to addDamage and unlinked magnitude value from the radius.
Added a voxel pos optional override for setCharacterSeated instead of requiring to use the name
getVehicleData now includes a table named "components" which currently contains tables for seats, buttons and signs

Additional info is included in the in-game addon lua help tabs.

v1.4.20-24 (Hotfixes)

Fix - Issue with radar detection
Fix - Game audio issues / Mac audio crackling
Fix - Crash caused by door particles

Dear Stormworkers,

The next Stormworks major update is almost here! (Release date: 2nd June 2022) The new major update includes a new "ring of fire" biome with a series of fault-line volcanoes, underwater tunnels and trenches, new missions, and new sonar components! Here is some more info on what to expect:



New Sonar!

With the major update, we will add new sonar components. These new sonar parts are much more true to life, as they can listen in passive mode, as well as operate in active mode.

In passive mode, the new sonar parts detect noise producing components such as propellers, engines, etc. Sonar continuously listens in all directions at once, and this info is output to a composite channel in a similar way to radar.

In active mode, sonar emits a "ping" on command. This ping travels through water at 1480m/s and reflects off vehicles, returning their contact with a delay relative to their distance. Pings are considered noise producing, and are visible to passive radar.



New Missions!

The new missions include a variety of new types. Ocean floor rescue missions involve rescuing divers or submariners from below the surface, in a similar structure to the existing rescue missions. The depths of these missions is usually known and the player may need specialist rescue equipment. Occasionally these missions can occur where cave divers require rescue. These missions are probably the most dangerous as the underwater tunnel network is vast and it is easy to get lost.

Salvage missions involve recovering anchors, live munitions, or wrecked ships from the sea floor, and transporting them to their destination. These missions are more passive, with much longer timers as they are not emergencies and much less urgent. This allows more time to prepare, time to wait for the best weather, and perhaps even complete these missions in stages or in groups for maximum efficiency.

Repair missions introduce a new objective type where vehicles may need repairing with a repair torch. Some of these vehicles are on the surface, while others may be on the sea floor.



We are really excited to release this major update in just a few days on 2nd June 2022! Thank you to all the players who have given us feedback and support to make this update possible.

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

This weeks update is dedicated to bug fixes and improvements, as we prepare for the big major update in just 2 weeks!

There is a huge list of fixes and improvements, with the full change log below. Once major change is that we have completely replaced the audio code, to fix a range of audio issues, including those on Mac. The new audio code is based on our new audio library that we developed for use in Carrier Command 2. This was a lot of work but was an important change as it fixed some wide ranging issues.



In our ongoing mission to improve multiplayer, we have also greatly reduced freezing when a vehicle loads in. This freeze was caused by the vehicle data being sent in order to load the vehicle on clients. This is now done in the background, with only a small amount of compressed info being time-critical for the final stage of spawning the vehicle. This freezing was causing players to experience a few seconds of lag immediately after a vehicle loaded in which made vehicles unresponsive for a few seconds. This delay is greatly reduced and responsiveness greatly improved.

Thanks to everyone who has reported issues using the official issue tracker. The issue numbers are included in the change notes below for extra detail.

With just 2 weeks to go, we are adding the final touches to the upcoming underwater major update! We will release more info next week about a new component included in the major update, changes to the ocean, and the new missions! We are really excited for this update and can't wait to share more in this new release!



We recommend preparing with submarines, remote operated submersibles, and diving equipment!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers



Patch Notes

v1.4.19

In this update we have reworked the sound library that underlies all of Stormworks' audio effects, these changes should result in a much more stable experience especially for MacOS players.

Fix - #756 Sound library rework
Fix - #2765 Sliding Connector not connecting in certain circumstances
Fix - #2852 Train wheels now activate when applying torque
Fix - #1899 Water falling effect render issues around turret ring
Fix - #6636 Vehicle overwrite save file warning was case insensitive
Fix - #7154 Time and weather overrides not saving correctly
Fix - #6995 Prefab rocket launchers mirror incorrectly
Fix - #7388 Npcs not taking vehicle fire damage
Fix - #7473 Terrain issues near Mount Goldblum
Fix - #7524 Clouds / Lightning not generating correctly
Fix - #7555 Fixed mesh issues with monitors
Fix - #7558 Audio settings not updating
Fix - #7615 Laser point stops showing when moving 170m away
Fix - #7673 Updated small warhead meshes to match with SRBs and radar
Fix - #7690 Several minor component graphical defects
Fix - #7692 SRB nozzles using wrong force direction when flipped
Fix - #7705 Corrected cannon belt mass values
Fix - #7854 Voice chat range issues
Fix - #7868 Propellers repair

Dear Stormworkers,

The next major update is almost here - and it will be the new Underwater Biome Major Update!

The new underwater biome includes over 40 square kilometres of underwater landscape, a volcanic ring of fire with several active volcanoes, underwater trenches, ruins, wrecks, and a vast network of underwater tunnels!



The new biome has many new named locations, in honour of the great community members and vehicle creators in the Stormworks community. These players have been selected because of their dedicated and selfless help given to other community members, or because of their incredible workshop creations that have risen to popularity on the workshop by community choice. We look forward to honouring these players in this major update.



There are also new missions including ocean floor submarine emergencies, ship salvage, sea floor cable maintenance, and more! Many of these new missions are ideal for spawning in the underwater biome, but can also appear all over the world of Stormworks.

We are adding a new glowstick first person item which can be used in a similar way to flares except is much less bright, has a much longer lifetime, and greatly assists location and path marking underwater.



The much-requested Kraken button will also arrive with this major update, allowing players to summon the kraken from the custom menu.



We can't wait to share this new major update on the 2nd June at 4pm UTC! Join us then for the big launch. And until then, be sure to check back here next week for an exciting minor update!

Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers

Dear Stormworkers,

In this weeks minor update, we bring new train bridges to make it easier to get taller ships past the trainlines!

The trainline has long been a difficult obstacle for large ship creators, and a solution to this issue has been a frequent request from players.

With these new bridges, there are frequent passing places for tall ships to be able to cross the boundaries. We are also including AI pathing data for these new tiles, so that AI ships can better navigate across the trainline.



This update is also a huge bug fix update, with at least 40 new fixes! As previously discussed, we have been putting more focus into bug fix updates recently, with huge progress on the backlog of issues, and few new issues being introduced.

Please see the changelog below for full details of these new fixes and improvements!

EDIT: Here is the developers Q&A video as promised!




Much love <3,

The Stormworks Developers



Patch Notes

v1.4.18

Feature - Bridge Train Track Tiles (#3507 #2197 #1090)
Feature - Expanded Addon Lua pathfinding (#7030)

Rework - Client movement now always uses client camera direction instead of server authored direction
Fix - #3873 Suspension rendering when flipped
Fix - #3904 Jet Exhaust rendering when flipped
Fix - #1840 Pick-block raycast not accounting for sub-mesh offsets
Fix - #4570 SRB fin mirroring issues
Fix - #6426 #6877 Hotkeys still activating when typing in a text field
Fix - #6558 Removed ability to place C4 on characters
Fix - #6295 Improved voice listener position data when transmitting audio
Fix - #7218 Assorted typos
Fix - #7113 Can't spawn mission editor test on Mac
Fix - #7100 Vehicle editor allowing multi-body components to go beyond bounds
Fix - #7099 Cleaned up old Bugsplat files
Fix - #7077 #7256 Reworked ?reload_scripts so that it now correctly reloads workshop addons. Removed unused addon data from scene.xml.
Fix - #7074 Documented server.dlcWeapons()
Fix - #7056 Fixed empty inventory names
Fix - #7054 Heli rotor blades wrongly detected by lasers when folded
Fix - #6967 Respawn button not getting un-focused with controller
Fix - #6895 No underwater effect with window when shooting underwater
Fix - #6884 Updated description for onButtonPress callback to be clearer about its function
Fix - #6826 Different cameras in sealed container behave incorrectly while submerged
Fix - #4951 Wind direction not updating correctly
Fix - #2898 Robotic hinge rendering in select mode
Fix - #2467 Unconscious characters imparting force when loading a save
Fix - #2142 Coal does not get refunded when despawning a Vehicle
Fix - #2126 Ammo Belts not refunding when editing a vehicle
Fix - #2003 Inverting radars causes them to detect behind the radar/inverted detection
Fix - #132 Tanks with both ports connected pressure issues
Rework - Adjusted underwater welding brightness
Fix - #7250 #7270 #7431 Improved safeguards against logic thread freezing
Fix - #7253 Weapons can now fire underwater
Fix - #7360 Fix crouch speed horizontal movement being affected by look direction
Fix - #7372 Fix setVehiclePosSafe using sub-grids in bounds calculations
Fix - #7379 Fix component inventory sometimes rendering incorrectly
Fix - #7485 Robotic door hinge tooltip
Fix - Crash caused by invalid logic slot data
Fix - Lua vehicle spawning failing occasionally when the spawn point is very far from any islands
Fix - #7625 Updated propeller sounds
Fix - #7532 Added buoyancy surfaces to rotor/prop hubs
Fix - #7576 Removed animation from component inventory
Fix - Ai boats no longer initialize with a path that leads them straight ahead (into islands)
Rework - Reduced max particle buffer size to save memory
Fix - Updated dedicated server default playlists to include all playlists
Fix - Weather overrides now parse correctly

Addon Lua Changes:

Added { = {x = world_x, z = world_z} } = server.pathfind(matrix_start, matrix_end, required_tags, avoided_tags)
Passing "ocean_path" as a required tag will produce the same behavior as server.pathfindOcean.

Default Ai addons now navigate different paths based on their size.
Large ships can no longer path through the sawyer river or under standard train bridge tiles.

Waypoint offsets are now randomized within the game code and can be adjusted by providing a "precision=X" tag which will confine the randomness within X metres of the node. As an example we have included this tag on all bridge waypoints in the default_paths playlist.