When you update Trailmakers today, you can try a brand new version with some great features. We’ll be back in August after a lovely Summer break with more new features, fixes and improvements!

• Implemented a new Splat Map system that makes the environment much better looking.
  
• The Game Mode images in the Main Menu have a new look.
  
• New “True Reflection” system has improved the look of the blocks, the water, the character models etc.
  
• Controller usage is now enabled by a toggle in the Preferences menu from the main menu.
  
• You can now toggle between the speed display being MPH or KPH.
  
• The UI has been tidied up in numerous places, such as the Block Configuration menu!
  
• The pressing Space to fly “bug” in Sandbox mode is now officially a feature! When your character is not in a seat, just press and hold Space to fly up into the air using the high powered Maker Tool Beam ™ (please stop reporting it as a bug).
  
• The character will now actively move out of the way if you happen to build over them in Build mode. No more vehicle dropping on their head when leaving Build mode!

• We have changed the start of the Expedition in several ways - give it a go even if you’ve played it before. This is just the start when it comes to changes to Expedition...
  
• There’s a brand new tutorial car, created by community member OffaLimb who won our competition to design a new tutorial car, congratulations!
  
  
  
  
• Power Cores are now physical objects in the Expedition meaning we can make the ways you collect them a little more playful.
  
• Functional blocks are now found in new Block Boxes rather than the T-Crates. Accessory blocks are still found inside T-Crates.

• The much-requested UNDO feature has made its way into the game. If you make a mistake while building, hit Ctrl+Z to undo it.
  
• Two new block categories are added to the menu - Electrical and Balance.

• Many basic building blocks have received a graphical overhaul to make them more bright and vivid. So intense.
  
• When picking colors on blocks, the secondary color-pick will now change the color of the attachment-nub.
  
  
  
  
• NEW: Dispenser Blocks - A new range of blocks that dispense physical objects in the game world. Use them to cause chaos, or maybe map out custom race tracks?
  
  • Metal Crate Dispenser
    
  • Beach Ball Dispenser
    
  • Concrete Wall Dispenser
  
  
• NEW: Detachable Block - Put this between two blocks to make them detach from each other with the press of a button.

• Added Dynamic Resolution option in Preferences.
  
• Added more graphical settings that allows the game to run on lower-end PCs.
  
• Added an Alternative GPU rendering toggle intended for usage by users on integrated GPU cards.
  
• Lots of tiny improvements have reduced RAM usage by a lot.
  
• Improved how we handle LOD around the world.

• Fixed some issues with the Steam Workshop.
  
• Numerous terrain fixes across Expedition mode.
  
• A number of collectibles within Expedition decided to hide themselves, we put them out in the open again.
  
• Updated the tool tip on the Armoured Seat to make it clearer that it can’t be used in Expedition!
  
• Fixed mirroring on the Bulldog Engine and Helicopter Blade.
  
• The character will now die faster when touching lava. Ouch.
  
• Enabled Secondary colour tinting on blocks it wasn’t previously enabled on.
  
• Fixed the ramp.

This is the second water-themed update for Trailmakers, and we call it “Submarine”. While the first water update, “Build-A-Boat”, was centered around surface-vehicles, this update is focused on the sub-surface. The list of changes might seem small, but once you try the new blocks you will discover just how big this update really is.

• There’s new Loading Screen Hints!
  
• We removed our Redshell implementation. If you’re curious what this means, you can read more here.
  
• Gifs recorded with F6 now include post processing effects.

• The Ocean around Sandbox Island has been updated with cliffs, caves, coral, plants, small fish... and a very big fish.
  
• The ineffective Piranhas have given up and moved on somewhere else!

• When loading into Race Island you’ll now start at a new Checkpoint which is next to the new Underwater Race. How convenient!
  
• A new race has been added to Race Island - the Underwater Race. Build a fast submarine, and see if you can beat the other racers on the leaderboards.
  
• The Ocean around Race Island has been updated with cliffs, caves, coral, plants and fish.

• NEW: Diving Bell - A seat that will not eject you when submerged. Time to build some submarines!
  
• NEW: Buoyancy Control Device - A block with an inflatable and deflatable airbag.
  
• NEW: Weight Block - Small, compact, 30 kg of weight in a 2x2x1.
  
• NEW: Heavy Weight Block - Same as above, but 50 kg.
  
• NEW: Rubber Shark Fin - To scare the bejesus out of swimmers.
  
• CHANGED: Gimbal Jet - Now has a particle effect to better visualise it being in use.

• We fixed an issue for users with Controlled Folder Access being enabled which prevented us storing saved Trailmakers data (Save Game and Saved Blueprints) in the Documents folder. If you do have Controlled Folder Access enabled the storage location will default to C:\Users\Username\Trailmakers.
  
• Fixed the Start Zone for the Three Bridges race on Race Island being larger than life.
  
• Fixed being unable to Teleport to Checkpoints which you hadn’t visited in Race Island.
  
• Fixed an issue with Continuing Expedition setting you at the start of the World rather than your last visited Checkpoint.
  
• Fixed an issue with you sometimes spawning into Race Island in the middle of the Race Track.
  
• Squashed another stuck in Build mode bug!
  
• Fixed an issue with the Piston Block not responding to T and G bindings.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Rotating Servo returning to it’s default position at a different speed to that it was set to.
  
• Fixed an issue with the motion blur effect being applied to blocks inside Build mode.
  
• Fixed an issue with certain vehicles self accelerating. Spooky.

When you update Trailmakers today, you will be able to play a brand new version of Trailmakers with a bunch of new features. We call the update “Block Hunt”, named after a new mini-game in the Sandbox. We have added a bunch of cool new Seats to the game, but instead of giving them to you for free you will have to work for them. That’s where the Block Hunt comes in!

• Block Hunt - Explore the Sandbox to find strange beacons hidden in the sand. Activate one to start a Block Hunt. The Block Hunt will send you on a dash to activate a series of beacons before time runs out. Complete the hunt in time, and you will be rewarded with a seat block!
  
• The Sandbox Island map is now completely displayed, no more shroud! This means you can open the map up [TAB], and fast-travel by clicking the Checkpoints making it easy to find the perfect spot to build, experiment and blow up!
  
• Points of interest such as the Ball Puzzles, the Block Hunt start beacons and the Football field are now visible on the map!

• Two new races have been added to Race Island. The Archipelago Race and the Grand Island Tour. These races have Start Zones in the water to encourage the use of pontoon-based floating vehicles.

• We updated the tutorial to make things clearer to a new player.

• NEW: Go-kart Seat - This seat provides very little protection, but is super lightweight.
  
• NEW: Armoured Seat - This seat is indestructible. You will never get ejected from it, and it can’t explode.
  
• NEW: Cockpit - This seat disables tilting air control, but has great aerodynamics!
  
• NEW: Operator Seat - This seat just looks radical.
  
• NEW: Drag Racing Wheel - High top speed, good traction on tarmac.
  
• NEW: Truck Wheel - Good universal traction, but not built for speed.
  
• NEW: Slim Wheel - Very lightweight but fragile wheel.

• CHANGED: Piston - You can now toggle “Auto Reset” of the piston to its starting position when letting go of its activation button. There is also a slider for setting the Starting Position and it has more power. That’s always good, right?
  
• CHANGED: Rotating Servo - You can now set the max angle to 360, and set a hold position
  
• CHANGED: Steering Hinge - New option to "hold position".
  
• CHANGED: Large Hinge - New option to "hold position".
  
• CHANGED: Gimbal Jet - New graphics.
  
• CHANGED: Small Tailfin - New graphics.

• You can now build and repair your vehicle while in the water. This feature is only available in game modes where the Piranhas are harmless - Sandbox and Race Island.
  
• The build button and the repair button will now work even though you are in motion. You no longer need to slow down. This feature is disabled in Dethrone where it would give an unfair advantage.
  
• We have improved the mirroring in the builder as demonstrated in the gif below. Select one or multiple blocks, move the camera to face the surface you want to add a mirrored selection to. Click the duplicate button [Insert].

• Improved “aiming” at a vehicle you want to enter build mode with.
  
• Every block available in the game is now displayed in the builder interface. The ones you have not unlocked yet are greyed out. Hover over them to find a hint about how you can unlock them.
  
• In the Blueprints menu, it should now be much clearer if a blueprints is unavailable due to locked blocks.

• Fixed bug with blueprints from workshop not disappearing upon unsubscribe.
  
• Fixed a bug where the game acted weird if more than one controller was plugged in.
  
• Fixed an issue with the mouse invert enabling when using the In Game Feedback menu.
  
• Fixed an issue with Transforming between a vehicle with the standard seat and the VIP seat.
  
• Fixed the Trailer Hinge rotating incorrectly.

When you update Trailmakers today a new realm of water based possibilities will open up for you! This is just the maiden voyage for our water updates, and we have a titanic amount of things planned to further improve the Trailmakers experience on water!

• New Nautical Blocks - We’ve added three different sized Pontoons which will provide buoyancy to your creations! Alongside a new Underwater Propeller you’ll be exploring the high seas like never before!
  
• Improved Water Graphics - We’ve made our first improvements to how watery the water looks, both from above and below the depths… and buoy is it pretty!
  
• Even More Aerodynamic Blocks and Accessories - We’ve added a few more aerodynamic blocks to give you even more options when creating your vehicles. There might also be some new Accessories to find in the Expedition...

• The time for the player to be thrown from their seat when submerged in water has been tweaked to be more forgiving. Underwater exploration is still but a dream, for now…
  
• Updated lighthouse model.
  
• Being underwater now looks like you’re underwater!

• The Boat blocks have washed ashore on one of the many islands around the Expedition world!
  
• We added the Flat Connector blocks to Expedition!
  
• There’s five new accessory blocks to be found around the Expedition Islands!

• The leaderboards have received a visual overhaul.

• NEW: Small Pontoon - A block that provides buoyancy in water. You can find it in the “Frame” category for now.
  
• NEW: Medium Pontoon - A block that provides buoyancy in water.
  
• NEW: Large Pontoon - A block that provides buoyancy in water.
  
  
• NEW: Underwater Propeller - Provides propulsion in water. Works when submerged!
  
• NEW: Small Wedge 1x2 - Aerodynamic block.
  
• NEW: Small Wedge 2x2 - Aerodynamic block.
  
• NEW: Round Block 2x1 - Aerodynamic block.
  
• NEW: Shield 2x1 - Armor for your vehicle.
  
• NEW: 80s Exhaust
  
• NEW: Black Antlers
  
• NEW: Hood Pipes
  
• NEW: Metal Barrel Hood
  
• NEW: Wrench Bumper
  
• A number of blocks have received a visual overhaul including, but not limited to: Small Cannon, Large Cannon, Hover Block, Monster Truck Wheel, Trailer Hinge, and Boombox.

• Fixed some issues related to Steam Workshop.
  
• Fixed an issue with scrap not being removed correctly in Dethrone.
  
• Fixed an issue when attempting to send a leaderboard score whilst having network issues.
  
• Fixed really old Blueprints not having a game version associated with them.
  
• Fixed an issue where other players in Race Island would hear other players countdown timers.
  
• Fixed an infinite Challenge leave countdown tick tick tick.
  
• Fixed the Go-Kart Wheel being flipped 180 when dragging out from Inventory.
  
• Fixed the missing Hover Block visual effect.
  
• Fixed the repeated hint pop up when breaking crates which contained a reward the player had already collected.

Hi Trailmakers!

Today I want to talk to you about a very cool fan-made initiative called the Trailmakers Suggestions Trello - a place where you can let us know which features you would most like to see in Trailmakers.



Some enterprising players on our official Discord server (please like and subscribe) have taken it upon themselves to create and curate a very large list of feature suggestions for future Trailmakers updates. As developers, this is by no means a checklist that we feel we have to complete before 1.0, but it is a great source of reference for when we discuss updates internally.

When considering a new feature, we have to weigh a lot of factors first. Do we (the developers) want it in the game? Do the players want it in the game? Is it good for new players? And for old players? Is it time consuming to develop? The Trello list is one of the places we refer to when we ask ourselves “what do the players want?”. Some of the features on the list will be added, some will be solved by adding other features, and some of them will probably never make it to the game.

Since launch we’ve implemented these highly requested player suggestions:



If you want to vote for any of the suggestions on the list, all you need is to make a Trello account. If you want a feature added to the board, go to our Discord and post it in the #feature-suggestions room - a helpful moderator will either add it, or let you know if it already exists.

You can find the Trello here: https://trello.com/b/aSShFsXY/trailmakers-suggestion-list
And our Discord server here: http://discord.gg/Trailmakers

Let’s talk about some of the things that we are working on!

We are a fairly small team working on Trailmakers, but we have big ambitions for the game. This week, I’d like to let you in on some of the things we are working on or have planned for the future of Trailmakers! Some are coming soon, some are coming later, and some are coming sooner or later.

SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of these features are more speculative than others. Some are being implemented now, others are on the drawing board, and some might be scrapped if they end up not being fun.

Coming soon!

One of the core elements in Trailmakers is exploration. We’ve been working on something tentatively called Treasure Hunt that will lead you on a small mission for some new blocks! It’s an experiment to see if these mini-expeditions can be fun to add as recurring content. A Treasure Hunt is most fun if it’s shrouded in secrecy, so I wont say too much about it except I think the treasure will blow you off your… seat.



Coming later!

From the very launch of Trailmakers, one of the most requested features has been improved water physics, graphics, and vehicle parts to go along with it. In coming updates, we are going to get our hands wet, and give the area an overhaul.

When we launched the Alpha Demo, you could already make something that acted like a boat, due to the wheels having a bit of upward buoyancy. Stack wheels all around a vehicle, and you had a “boat”. It was a fun one-off, but not satisfying to play with at length because the water wasn’t very realistic, and the vehicles looked like floating cars.

The Ocean Update will be not be one update, but several. The first one will overhaul the graphics of the water so it looks better from above, and even when you stick your head under. This update will also add a few blocks that supports building water vehicles.

In the second update we will change the way water behaves when you interact with it. This will hopefully enable fun creations like hydrofoils, and make sure your speedboat actually skims the water.

The third update will make the water “come alive”. We want to make sure there are waves, currents, splashes and foam trails from the boats. When it comes to making water physics over network, it can have scary implications on overall performance, so the scope of the third update is very much up in the air.



Coming sooner or later!

We’ve mentioned the Challenge Editor before, and it’s still in our plans for the future. The Challenge Editor will be a way for players to make their own courses in the game by placing props like checkpoints, ramps, loops etc., and even making rules and restrictions for their challenge. The Challenge Editor will NOT be a level editor in the original sense, but a way to modify the existing terrain to make your own race courses, expeditions or engineering challenges, and then play them with friends. This feature is still on the drawing board, but we’re really excited about it.

As an addition to the Challenge Editor. We have noticed one of the ways people play the Trailmakers sandbox is by making their own mini-games. Who can float the longest without propulsion? Who can do the longest wheelie? Who can climb this mountain without using the roads? We are considering making a group of blocks that can deposit props in the world. The props wouldn’t despawn the same way that blocks normally do when they fall off your vehicle, so you can use them to make persistent objects in the world like cones or traffic lights.

How do I put this… The world in Trailmakers is very orange. We’d love to add more maps in the game with different biomes. One of the biomes that we alluded to at the end of the Expedition is an alpine tundra. It would add some much needed diversity to the environments in the game of course, but it’s also a fun way to challenge the game design. This would also be a great opportunity to introduce skis and tank treads.

As we get closer to the release of each of these updates, I’ll post a more in-depth description. Not mentioned above are all of requested features by the community. I will post about that next week, so stay tuned!

When you update Trailmakers today, you will be able to play a brand new Trailmakers update. We call it the Quality Update because we have gone to great lengths to improve the performance of the game across the board. Input latency, stutters, long frames, RAM usage, and network have all seen great improvements.

If a huge update full of performance improvements does not sound like music to your ears (it should), we have also added a lot of cool features to the game including a race event where you can win a 3D print of your vehicle. Read more below, and have fun in Trailmakers!

General

• Performance improvements!
  
  • Reduced input latency.
    
  • Removed many frequent stutters.
    
  • Removed the long frame when loading your vehicle.
    
  • Reduced RAM usage over longer play sessions.
    
  • Rewrote a chunk of the network framework - should give fewer connection issues.

Race Island

• Race Event: Compete to win a 3D print of your vehicle. The first Trailmakers Race Event will run from April 12-19. The fastest time on the new Speed Circuit in the Formula Class will win a 3D print of their winning vehicle.
  
• New Race Track: We have heard you loud and clear! The Speed Circuit - a new tarmac-only race track has been added to Race Island.
  
• Racing Leagues: Every race now has 7 different leagues. They are Power Core limitations, and each have their own leaderboard. Compete in:
  
  • Bionic League (0 Power Cores)
    
  • Go-kart League (1 Power Core)
    
  • Muscle League (2-5 Power Cores)
    
  • Formula League (6-10 Power Cores)
    
  • Jet League (11-15 Power Cores)
    
  • Super Sonic League (16-30 Power Cores)
    
  • Space League (Unlimited Power Cores)

King’s Island

• When creating a Sandbox server, King’s Island can once again be selected as the map!

Sandbox Island

• The half pipes structures have had a slight redesign.

Blocks

• NEW: Flat Connectors 1x2 - The flat connectors are lightweight blocks that can connect two surfaces with only minor visual protrusion
  
• NEW: Flat Connectors 1x3
  
• NEW: Flat Connectors 1x4
  
  
• CHANGED: Wheel - The standard wheel has a new look!
  
• CHANGED: Bulldawg Engine - The little engine that could now takes on your primary colour for a more distinct look.
  
• Destroyed blocks now keep their colour when turning to scrap. Pretty!
  
• All blocks in the propulsion category now have a Power Core cost.

Builder

• Controller Support for the builder is now live. We are about 75% done with controller support, so don’t expect it to be completely bug free.
  
• Nudge Move - You can now nudge move a block by selecting it and pressing the arrow keys.
  
• Fixed input mapping - Your keybindings will no longer reset if you remove the seat from a vehicle, if you remove the part with binding from the vehicle, or if you repair the vehicle.
  
• Parts that are not connected to your vehicle now have a blinking exclamation mark to indicate they are unattached.

UI

• The builder has new UI for vehicle info and hotkeys.
  
  
• Error messages are now more descriptive.
  
• Implemented TextMesh Pro for improved text at various resolutions.
  
• The vehicle blueprints have a new stylish look!
  
• Added a shortcut to hide the UI - Ctrl and U!

Performance

• Made numerous improvements to garbage collection which will cause much fewer noticeable spikes.
  
• LODs tweaked throughout the game.
  
• Calculation optimisations when repairing.
  
• A bunch of optimisations when using the builder! Spawning in larger Blueprints and leaving/entering the builder should be much snappier!

Bug Fixes

• Monster Truck Wheels have brakes again!
  
• Fixed tear down flow issues.
  
• Fixed not being able to copy the VIP Seat referral link.
  
• Fixed the infinite scroll in the Steam Workshop UI.
  
• Fixed the issue with not being able to enter text in text fields.
  
• Fixed some render textures leaking upon switching islands.
  
• Fixed the close button not appearing when browsing the Steam Workshop in game.
  
• Fixed an issue with pressing Escape whilst the Quit Game pop up was displayed.
  
• Fixed block transitions in builder taking too long.
  
• Fixed an issue with RAM not being released correctly over extended play sessions.
  
• Fixed an issue when switching character whilst in game.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Escape menu being a little unresponsive.
  
• Fixed an issue with the FPS counter sometimes getting stuck when alt-tabbing.
  
• Fixed an issue with alt-tabbing affecting performance.
  
• Fixed an issue with the game failing to connect on the first attempt in a play session.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Transform menu if you deleted a Blueprint which was assigned to a Transform slot.
  
• Fixed the spooky ghost Blocks appearing.
  
• Fixed inconsistent lift from Helicoptor Servos.
  
• Fixed structures which have multiple seats placed after keybindings are set not functioning correctly.

After a week in the upcoming branch, we are happy to announce that the beta of Steam Workshop is now available for everyone. It is however still highly experimental, missing polish and most likely full of bugs.

Introducing the feature now should give everyone a head start to upload all their creations to the workshop before our soon to be released massive update!

After a week in the upcoming branch, we are happy to announce that the beta of Steam Workshop is now available for everyone. It is however still highly experimental, missing polish and most likely full of bugs.

Introducing the feature now should give everyone a head start to upload all their creations to the workshop before our soon to be released massive update!