Hello everyone,

Do you still remember that counter ticking down until Hellion’s Early Access release back in February 2017? For us at Zero Gravity, it marked the beginning of an adventure in a solar system many light years from Earth. It combined the thrill of exploration, discovery with all the dangers of a space for us and thousands of colonists that woke up amidst the ruins of mankind’s first interstellar colony. Thank you our dear colonists for helping us stay on track through your feedback and for taking part in the creation of this truly unique gaming experience.

Today, we want to announce the next step in Hellion’s development: “Rude Awakening” update that is coming out on November 29!

Starting next week we’ll begin warming up for the upcoming update and revisit all the important, interesting and fun facts related to the Hellion star and the world revolving around it, unique game mechanics, extreme survival, and many more. Stay in the loop by following us on Twitter and join our community on the official Hellion Discord server.

Fly safe,
Zero Gravity

Hello colonists,

Zero Gravity’s small team is silently forging the future of Hellion. For all of you who appreciate a unique gameplay experience Hellion has to offer, we’ll try to make it even more compelling by adding an important spice - the story that lies behind.



Our next update will be called Rude Awakening and it’s coming out in November.

We have updated our roadmap so you can follow changes that will be introduced with Rude Awakening. With each step of its development, Hellion is becoming better and richer game. We would like to thank our fantastic community for providing us with important feedback and for being patient during this space journey.

Thanks a ton,
Zero Gravity

While our programmers are working on a multitude of bugfixes, optimization and even some new features we are not yet ready to reveal, our creative team puts its back into fleshing out and implementing the story of Hellion. So today we are going to talk about the way narrative will be handled in the upcoming update, scheduled to leave warp in November.



In our last blog we briefly touched on our decision to implement the story and also mentioned what the players can expect from the narrative. This time we are going to shed some light on the structure, mechanics, work we are putting into it and of course the story telling method.

Hellion’s narrative is broken down into chapters, or episodes if you like. Each episode is part of the larger main story and is thematically linked to certain locations within the Hellion system and told by characters that played a crucial role in the events that preceded the player’s awakening. Thus each chapter will be a story in its own right, but only a piece of the larger puzzle in the overarching plot. With each game update a new episode of Hellion story will be introduced.

Quests or missions represent the basic building blocks of the season and are centered around important characters and major events that shaped the Hellion system. Note that these are past events, rather than present ones and that they occured while many of the colonists were still asleep in their cryopods. Players waking up now are faced with the aftermath of those events, but that doesn’t mean that they are unaffected by them. The past still shapes the present and many of the problems players will be expected to face and overcome stem from the actions of important characters from the past. Understanding why they did what they did will play a crucial role in solving these problems.

To further help you in immersing yourselves in the world and its lore, all of the stories will be fully voiced. In addition we are adding voice overs and a plethora of new sounds to various interactions, warnings and events. Whether it’s a breach, power loss or a deadly debris field you will hear about it!



Quests come in many different shapes and sizes. From an immersive tutorial that will guide new players step by step, to large and complex plots where understanding the world and game mechanics will play a key role in figuring out what to do next. In case of the later category going an extra mile (or several thousand) may reveal details that would otherwise be missed, details that might prove crucial in the future.



Since Hellion is not a classic RPG, but rather a survival game, we wanted to inspire players to go into full role-playing mode by giving them a believable world to explore. Also, unlike the single-player action adventure games with a linear story-based experience, the world in Hellion is open for creative players that want to tell their own stories. This is why the story of Hellion will serve as a framework in which the gameplay occurs.



We are still talking about the 0.3 update because the official name is yet to be discovered during our long brainstorming sessions. If you have any blank suggestion, without knowing the content of the update, share it with us, maybe you’ll hit the target. :)

Fly safe,
Zero Gravity

“John was still deep in sleep when the first wave of pain washed over his body, then came the second one and the third until all he could feel was just sharp unrelenting pain. He opened his eyes and tried to scream but no sound came out. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain receded and his whole body loosened up as his dormant lungs filled up with air, for the first time in a century. Doors of the chamber opened and he stumbled onto the cold floor coughing. Emergency wakeup procedure, he remembered. He was still dizzy, from all the steroids in his system, but at least he was alive. The floor felt slippery beneath his fingers and it took him a lot of effort just to stand up. When his eyes finally focused, what he saw sent chills down his spine. The air was cold and thick mist shrouded the room while the flickering emergency lights gave it a hellish glow. Pieces of ruined wall padding and glass shards littered the floor while thorn cables hung loosely from the ceiling along with what remained of the covering panels. Cryopod to his left lay crushed against the opposing wall, thrown probably by the same force that almost tore open the module’s hull. He immediately knew why the floor was wet, there was no need to check for vitals.”

But who is John? What’s his background, how did he end up in this situation? How many characters opened their eyes inside a cryochamber and asked themselves, how on Earth did we end up in this mess, only to realize that something is missing? After all, it’s hard to roleplay when you don’t have a proper setting. What is the Expedition, what is Altair Corporation? How are they connected to SDS or what was their agenda? But most importantly, what the hell happened in Hellion? What could have caused such system wide devastation and why are we only waking up now after everything had ended… Or did it? What if there is yet a purpose for the survivors of Hellion? What if it was all part of a plan?

Up until now Hellion was but a blank canvas on which stories of many players were painted. We’ve enjoyed reading them on forums and we knew that if this sketch of a world enthralled so many players that we were probably on the right track. But we never forgot what we had promised when we announced the game. A story, a deep narrative permeating all the places you can explore and a history behind every doomed outpost and every derelict you’ve come across.

So far our development team has been working primarily on basic gameplay mechanics and the story was left on backburner. Starting with 0.3 we are bringing this aspect of Hellion into focus and starting the work on proper mission and progression structure as well as quests that will guide you as you uncover the events that preceded the first moment you opened your eyes in Hellion and saw a world in ruins.

We had never intended Hellion to be a one-time experience, where you get in the game, take a ride, kill some enemies and than leave. We had envisioned it as a unique experience that stays with us long after we’ve logged out and keeps playing in the back of our minds until the moment we log back in. We wanted to depict the frightening situation where people would wake up to find themselves all alone in the vacuum of deep space. A place where the future world became the world of doom. Survival was taken out of classic context and set in the most unforgiving environment imaginable, the one that none of us are familiar with. After all the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.

Implementing a narrative in Hellion’s environment represents a big challenge for us, since our goal is to both paint the world and allow players to create their own personal stories within it. We hope that you will enjoy this new experience that will be coming to Hellion with the next update.

Until then, fly safe
Zero Gravity team

Hello everyone,

Every time we publish a devblog players reach out to us asking about the roadmap updates, while others criticize us for adding new features without care for optimization or existing content. So, this time we’ll try to explain the logic behind Hellion’s development process.



When we initially envisioned Hellion as a game, we had this grand idea of a game we always wanted to make. As we began putting ideas and concepts together it became obvious that an ambitious multiplayer open-world game like that might just be beyond what a small team like Zero Gravity could deliver. So we gradually began toning down the scope of Hellion. That’s when we decided to go with Early Access model after we thought of all the benefits it would include. First one was feedback directly from the player base, since we believe that players should be the ones to decide if something is suitable for the game or not since they are the ones who will be playing it for hours. This model also helped us iron out some of the major flaws in our development process, as some features did look great on paper and seemed to fit perfectly into the game world, when in actual gameplay they felt totally out of place.
So we’ve learned to adapt and listen to each other and most importantly to our players. We have also decided not to plan every single thing from start to finish and always leave room for changes based on feedback. After all we are not making a universe, but rather a game that is fun to play. So if there is a feature that we believe would be great for Hellion, we now first consider player submitted suggestions to try and see how well it would fit in with the current level of gameplay and existing mechanics. This often leads us to a conclusion that other features need changes or improvements before the new options can actually add to the player experience rather than take away from it.

Since our plans frequently change as the result of what is often called emergent development (concept borrowed from creators of ARK), we plan to start sharing mostly things that are planned for the next update. One of the things we most certainly do not want to do is over promise and then face backlash for not being able to deliver. This does not mean that we have given up on our “vision”. That vague but nevertheless grand outline is always with us and we believe that we are slowly moving towards it, one update at a time.
So, here’s the updated Roadmap containing mostly things that were already announced. For more, you’ll have to come back and check it regularly.


Most optimization techniques that are frequently used in games like Occlusion Culling, Light Baking, Static Batching, etc. require that the scenes that make up the game world be static. Since in Hellion everything is in the state of constant motion and each module is a scene in the engine, most of those techniques were simply inapplicable. In order to optimize Hellion we had to write our own solutions from scratch.

Dynamic lights (along with dynamic shadows) had the most impact on the GPU and we always knew we would have to do something about that. Baking light onto the textures of the level is the most efficient way of making the scene look good while reducing the number of dynamic lights. Unfortunately for us, Unity only supports light baking for static scenes, so we had to modify our shaders as well as our pipeline (not an easy task by any account) to support pre-baked lightmap load in runtime. However, once we were done, it allowed us to drastically reduce the number of dynamic lights per module. And since lightmaps retain shadow information and apply it properly, they also remove the need for lights to cast realtime shadows.
Just for reference, a command module before the light bake had more than 20 dynamic lights with most of them casting shadows and after the light bake the same module has less than 10 lights with only 2 of them casting shadows. The final look is more or less the same. The only downside is that in some specific parts of the module you might notice that your character is not casting a shadow, if you look closely. On the upside, the light looks more realistic with calculated global illumination and even illumination from emissive surfaces. But the most important thing is the huge performance boost.

Another thing that we kept putting off and finally found time to mess with is the Texture Density. Texture density is the relation between the size of the pixels in the texture and the pixels on the screen. The object that most of the time occupies a very small portion of the screen needs to have its texture resolution reduced to correspond with the size on the screen. So we had to go through all the models that exist in Hellion and set the appropriate texture resolution for each of them, and there was no way in doing that automatically. In the end it also brought us an additional few frames per second, something that Hellion always needs.

The last thing that we have yet to do is the implementation of a custom Level of Detail and Occlusion Culling system. While we know that it can never be as efficient as it would be in a static environment we believe that it will also bring better performance especially for larger stations.

That’s all for today, folks. We’ll be at Gamescom next week, so if you want to meet us, be sure to ping us on Discord.

Fly safe,
Zero Gravity

What’s up space survivors how’s the vacuum these days? We know that some of you probably wonder why the silent treatment over the past weeks? Well, we have decided to leave this plane of existence and transcend, leaving our mortal…Wait, wrong script! Ok jokes aside, there was a good reason for the silence as all of us have been rather busy working on the next update, aptly tagged 0.3. Why do we say aptly? Because it represents a substantial step towards the idea of Hellion that was in our minds when we started this project.



Major improvements are on their way and we are about to start revealing them one by one in this and future devblogs. Due to the sheer amount of work that is going into the 0.3 features (old and new) it might be some time before the update arrives at Hellion, but it will be worth it!


As mentioned in our last blog we had decided to take the old inventory system apart. We kept the good parts, threw away the trash and introduced fresh concepts and ideas, many of which have been suggested and requested by the Hellion community for a long time. We analyzed the feedback, mixed in some of our own ideas and the result was the Inventory 2.0, a complete visual and functional overhaul of the original system.

“Redesigning the inventory did not include just simple interface changes, but rather a complete re-work of both item functionality and the way character interacts with them.
Looking back to 2016 when we designed the first version, we weren’t aware of the full scope of requirements a game like Hellion would put on the inventory system. So when we started working on the overhaul, we realized that the entire system was so hard coded that it forced us to go back to the beginning. We had to start thinking about how the interface in a survival game should function and then added Hellion’s unique requirements. If I had to say which game mostly inspired this rework, it would be Rust, due to its simplicity and the amount of information it provides, Stefan Lolic said, Hellion’s UX developer.
Abandoning the old radial menu gave us a lot of space and allowed us to use inventory not only as a tool for transferring items, but to also help players understand the systems and items around them in a simple and easy way.
Probably the hardest part of refactoring was adding new features onto an old base and avoiding mishaps that could have compromised entire base functionality. So we had to tread very carefully.
But as we started writing the code from scratch, we began finding new options and solutions that would have been impossible with the old code. And that’s how we got to transportable crates, proximity item slots…”, Stefan concluded.


Time to show a few short clips of the new inventory in action. Let’s start with an old annoyance that has tormented many a space miner since their arrival in Hellion: Mining Drill and the infamous canister/battery swap.


Ahh, much better now, thank you!

As Stefan mentioned, the old radial menu is gone, replaced with a more intuitive breakdown of item slots and upgraded with a character view and a simple drag and drop system which allows for much easier item management.


This was one of the much requested features. As many players noticed, looting items from shelves was far easier than putting them back in, making sorting your storage a rather time consuming process. With the proximity system in place, looting can now be done directly from the inventory and allows players to add or remove items from any nearby item slots. Of course, the old interaction system is still there and you do not have to open inventory to take or place items.


Let’s just take these…


...and put them where they belong.


Next on the list are suits and their inventory slots. As before players will still need to equip a suit in order to gain access to various item slots, like helmet and jetpack, however it is now possible to remove an entire suit along with all of its equipment at once, as well as equip it. This allows players to create “sets” with the equipment they want to use for specific tasks, like mining, repairs, etc. Or to use suits as portable item containers.

When looting a fallen enemy, you can choose to take only the items that you need, or take the entire suit with everything in it.


I need your clothes, your helmet and your motorcy… ehrr, ship.


Finally lets talk about storing all those items. Shelves and lockers are great when you need to quickly gear up, but sometimes you just need a way to store items you come across without putting them on display. This is where transportable crates come in. These large storage containers can be taken on a salvage run to increase your carry capacity, or on a mining run, to hold all those extra canisters. They can also be placed in ships and modules for extra storage space.


That’s one heavy box, better put it down…

We know you are all waiting for some news and updates on development, and we appreciate your patience. Piece by piece, a big picture of what the new update is all about will be revealed.

Fly safe,
Zero Gravity team

How’s it going you crafty colonists? Has the single player update been treating you well? Or do you find the emptiness of the void unbearable without some proper orbital piracy? Well whatever the case we’ve got some exciting things in store for you in the upcoming months.



In our last Let’s Play video we mentioned a few changes coming to Hellions economy. Our goal here is to make every activity in Hellion worthwhile and give players a sense of progression. However, before we start discussing resources and crafting we need to take a step back and turn our attention towards something that precedes them.


Ever since Hellion launched back in 2017, inventory remained mostly unchanged. As any seasoned asteroid miner can tell you managing items in your inventory can be tedious, to put it mildly.

At the moment we are working on improving the inventory management system and make it a lot easier for players to access, store and use various items they come across. New inventory screen will show your character, your equipped items and inventory slots as well as any additional information relevant to your character. The following image is still work in progress, but should give you an idea of what we are aiming for.



Since our goal is to improve the way inventory works as a whole we are also expanding its functionality to allow players to loot, store, equip and refuel items in a much more intuitive and user friendly manner

Since inventory is directly tied to your equipped suit, picking the right suit for the job may become paramount as different suits will have a different distribution of equipment slots and offer different levels of protection, speed, oxygen supply, but more on this topic at a later date.

That’s all for today colonists. Until next time, fly safe and see you in Hellion!
Zero Gravity team

Being stranded a thousand light years from civilization certainly comes with various benefits, like the absence of tax collectors, managers or politicians. It does however come with its own set of drawbacks like no supermarkets or hardware stores and the lack of any movies and TV shows. But worry not! We got you covered with another Let’s Play video!

It’s been quite a while since we last did a Let’s Play and the last one we did was a bit on the long side. So today we bring you a short video that aims to cover all major changes that came to Hellion since the Kessler update. It also provides a number of helpful tips for new players that should help them avoid various mistakes and hazards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzvcIiGwITY

Dear Colonists,

Summer is coming! Actually, it has officially started with the summer solstice. A perfect time for the new Hellion update to be released - Singleplayer is now live!



Hellion solo travel deals - 33% off during Steam Summer Sale!

Looking for a way to survive the upcoming summer heat and those long and dreadfully hot days? How about a vacation in the dark and cold vacuum of Hellion? Best consumed in single player mode while floating alone in a debris field. Our dedicated solo traveller concierge at each station will contact you pre-arrival.

You need a quick summer night adventure? We offer you a dark Hellion sandbox playground where you’ll be able to build abomination bases and demolish them with torpedoes. Or maybe you prefer teleporting to locations you’ve never been able to travel to - right to the heart of the Sun. It’s all there, Hellion is open for your experimentation.

We wish you all a beautiful Summer!

Love you all
Zero Gravity team

Greetings Colonists,

Did I leave my station in a stable orbit, did I hide it well enough? Where the hell was that fabricator module again? Did I fix my ship before I logged, is it still going to be there when I’m back? What about the base, what if it was too close and someone managed to raid it? Whatever the case might be, the new single player mode has it covered!

Through the magic of save/load you now have all the time in the world to make those split second decisions or plan your next few actions. Regardless if you are a seasoned veteran or a fresh arrival to the Hellion system you can now experiment in peace or learn the ropes at your own pace.

Single player mode will feature two basic game modes: normal and sandbox. Normal puts you in a default starting position but without other players to worry about. It is an excellent choice for new players as it lets them learn all of the game basics and get a hang of Newtonian physics, most notably inertia and zero-g movement. It’s also perfect for those who can’t afford to play the game each and every day. Sandbox mode is meant for players who love experimenting and testing things as it comes with all dev commands unlocked. Activate God mode, spawn all modules, smash them into pieces by launching a torpedo container, build the largest base ever or freely teleport between locations, whatever comes to your mind. Use the game as a playground and feel free to express your creativity.

Singleplayer Update will be deployed on Thursday June 21. Servers will be down from 4PM UTC/9AM PDT until 5PM UTC/10AM PDT. There will be no server wipe this time.


New single player options added:

• Normal
  
• Sandbox + free spawn selection

Added a new menu for using dev commands (Default F2)
Implemented partial texture optimization
Added in-game Data Privacy button for Unity Analytics


Incorrect pistol clip shelf orientation
Disappearing pressure suit after clicking “remove suit” icon
Clustered objects in navigation panel text rapidly changes
Docking panel - all ports listed below a single object
Cannot grapple Fabricator module bug
Debris Junk 002 missing collision
Steropes - force open Airlock opens locked doors
Asteroids missing collision after server restart
Warping into asteroids
Update warp maneuver when entering a new ship
Multiple client errors
Server error (An item with the same key has already been added)

Until tomorrow,
Zero Gravity team