Hello Riftbreakers!

We have just published a patch to the experimental branch of the game that addresses some of the most common issues reported by the community. Thank you for the reports and apologies for all the issues you have experienced. If you have run into any of the following problems, you can try downloading the experimental version and seeing if the issue has been fixed.

Since we haven’t fully finished testing this update yet. We strongly recommend you to back up your save files before moving onto the experimental branch.

How to join the experimental branch:

1. create a backup copy of your save folder (Documents/The Riftbreaker)
   
2. disable Steam Cloud save backup
   
3. go to your Steam Library
   
4. right-click on The Riftbreaker
   
5. select 'Properties,’ then 'Betas,’ and use the following password: IknowWhatImDoing

After that, you will be able to choose 'experimental' from the drop-down menu. Download the update, play the game and let us know if you encounter any issues. We also have a channel on our Discord: #rb-experimental-feedback - we highly encourage you to join in and share your feedback.

• Enabled wave spawn markers in all jungle biome attack waves.
  
• Fixed building selector size bug that occurred after jumping to another biome through the Orbital Scanner action menu.
  
• Fixed a crash in DiscoverableSystem.
  
• Fixed unsynchronized access to audio sources that caused crashes.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused players not to get AI cores back after selling a damaged defensive tower.
  
• Fixed multiple obscure crash bugs and minor glitches.

EXOR Studios

We have just released a new experimental build of the game, featuring many changes that we would like to try out before they go out to the public.

This update is very important for modders, as it adds support for Mod.io - a 3rd party mod hosting service. Mod.io is integrated in the same way as Steam Workshop - you can access it in-game through the Mods menu. Once Mod.io is populated with user-generated content you will start seeing mods from that site on the available mods list. The Riftbreaker World Editor Suite is getting an update that will allow mod creators to upload their mods to both Steam and Mod.io.

Adding mod.io support is an important step, as it will allow non-Steam users to participate in the modding scene. We strongly encourage you to experiment with this platform and upload your mods there. All feedback when it comes to this integration is crucial to us.

The changes that are likely to have the most significant impact on your gameplay experience are the additional hard and brutal difficulty waves that were added to the Desert, Acid, and Magma biomes in Survival Mode. The two higher difficulty modes for these biomes were not quite on par with Jungle and Metallic Valley regarding the power level. With the addition of the new waves, all biomes should now be challenging on the hard difficulty and really demanding on brutal.

This patch also fixes several crash bugs and other errors that you pointed us toward in your reports. Thank you for that. To test these changes thoroughly, we have included some additional debugging logs and tools in this build. It means that the experimental build is very likely to run slower than the default version of the game. Once we gather enough information and deem these changes to be safe, we will remove the extra logs, and the performance is going to go back to normal.

Since we haven’t fully finished testing this update yet. We strongly recommend you to back up your save files before moving onto the experimental branch.

How to join the experimental branch:

1. create a backup copy of your save folder (Documents/The Riftbreaker)
   
2. disable Steam Cloud save backup
   
3. go to your Steam Library
   
4. right-click on The Riftbreaker
   
5. select 'Properties,’ then 'Betas,’ and use the following password: IknowWhatImDoing

After that, you will be able to choose 'experimental' from the drop-down menu. Download the update, play the game and let us know if you encounter any issues. We also have a channel on our Discord: #rb-experimental-feedback - we highly encourage you to join in and share your feedback.

• Mod.io modding integration added. This service allows you to upload and install mods using the mod.io website and through the in-game interface in the Mods menu. This service is implemented in a similar way as Steam Workshop. This will enable users from platforms other than Steam to access mods.
  
• HBAO improvements incoming! Our old SSAO was running at 720p res, which didn't yield great results. The new HBAO utilizes adaptive resolution (and a few tweaks), resulting in a much greater quality-to-performance ratio. If you don't use raytracing, you should see a noticeable difference in the ambient occlusion quality after this patch.
  
• New Hard and Brutal difficulty balancing in Survival Mode on the Acidic Plains, Radioactive Desert, and Volcanic Area biomes. They are much more difficult now. You have been warned! (Feedback will be much appreciated)
  
• Added Acidic Plains biome alpha and ultra attack waves for survival mode.
  
• Added Radioactive Desert biome alpha and ultra attack waves for survival mode.
  
• Added Volcanic Area survival mode alpha and ultra waves.
  
• Enabled difficulty-specific final attack waves in the survival game mode in the Acid, Magma, and Desert biomes.
  
• Enabled difficulty-specific regular attack waves in the survival game mode in the Acid, Magma, and Desert biomes.
  
• Added wave spawn markers in multiple desert biome attack waves, which were previously missing.
  
• Added some acid biome attack wave spawn markers, which were previously missing.
  
• Added additional safe mode localization strings.
  
• Reduced sound volume for some buildings in 'working' state.
  
• Added a popup that informs players about the Terms of Service of the modding feature.

• Fixed a crash that occurred when performing a Power Jump skill.
  
• Removed unnecessary button from the Tower Ammo Factory action menu.
  
• Fixed a crash that occurred when building the Planetary Scanner before researching it (through cheats).
  
• Mini Miners no longer keep working indefinitely after leaving them behind on an Outpost.
  
• Fixed a missing header on the Sentry Turret entity.
  
• Prevent building overlap by making sure that the grid culler nodes are populated after building spawn.
  
• Research Screen: fixed a research tooltip when the subspecies field is empty.
  
• Buildings should now connect to pipes in a proper way.
  
• Safe Mode now ignores any startup commands and launches the game in an intended way, with the safest values possible.
  
• Fixed random crashes that occurred during loading.
  
• Increased the limit of world entities from 300.000 to 1.000.000.
  
• Fixed a crash in the inventory system.
  
• Fixed Day Only/Night Only time of day modes in Custom Difficulties.
  
• Fixed the appearance of the seasonal event popup.
  
• Fixed a crash that occurred when stereo files were used for spacial sound on multichannel (e.g., 5.1/7.1) systems.
  
• Fixed FSR 2.1 ghosting effect on DirectX 11.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused players not to get AI cores back after selling a damaged defensive tower.

EXOR Studios

We have just published a small hotfix that solves the following issues:

The Riftbreaker Hotfix, December 5th, 2022, EXE: 635 DATA: 255:

• Fixed a SwapBuffer error issue that happened because of a mouse cursor rendering error.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused double buffering of the graphics scene that could lead to crashes and slowdowns.
  
• Fixed an issue with the ConcurrentQueue function that caused crashes during loading.
  
• World entity limit increased from 300.000 to 1.000.000 entities.
  
• Fixed an error during pipe removal.
  
• Fixed a deadlock that occurred due to an error when a seasonal event is active.

There are no other changes in this build.

Hello Riftbreakers!

Humans have always had the tendency to look at the stars in search of the unknown. While stargazing, it is pretty easy to forget that space is not the only place that holds secrets. Hundreds of unresolved mysteries could be waiting closer than you’d think. Sometimes all it takes is to know where to look. The Riftbreaker: Into the Dark is the second World Expansion for our game, this time taking Ashley and Mr. Riggs on a journey beneath the surface of Galatea 37.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2108630/The_Riftbreaker_Into_The_Dark/

Into the Dark begins with Ashley and Mr. Riggs encountering groups of native Galatean creatures affected by what seems to be a parasitic, crystalline growth, similar to what Ashley encountered before on Orion. This unknown pathogen affects the creatures’ physical abilities, as well as their behavior, as they viciously attack Mr. Riggs and Ashely’s base. An investigation into the source of the attacks leads Ashley to discover a giant, maze-like structure of underground caverns that seem to emit strange signals. There is only one thing our heroes can do - venture into the dark and seek the source of this newfound threat.


Some concept art for the new types of crystals you're going to find in the Crystal Caverns.

The second World Expansion will allow you to enjoy a new portion of the Story Campaign that takes place in a previously unexplored, underground caverns biome. Given that it is wildly different from every other area of Galatea 37 that we have previously seen, you will be able to employ various new tactics and mechanics in order to stay alive. One truly groundbreaking addition to The Riftbreaker arsenal will be the ability to dig out your own tunnels and caverns.


An early preview of the excavation mechanic. We're going to tweak it so that it feels satisfying and quick.

Using Mr. Riggs’ upgraded drilling arm, you will be able to excavate portions of the softer rocks that make up the majority of the structures you find underground. By doing so, you will find large deposits of valuable resources, as well as give yourself an opportunity to set up an outpost in the cavern system itself. You will need one in order to conduct research and analysis of your underground findings. However, defending it will prove to be challenging in itself. The inhabitants of these caverns will not make your life easy.


Thousands of brand-new mushrooms (and more!) await the meeting with your Bioscanner!

The Crystal Caverns biome comes complete with its own little wildlife kingdom. Apart from the crystallized forms of other Galatean creatures you might have encountered earlier, you will also discover some entirely new species capable of traversing the caves and corridors much more efficiently than you, even utilizing the walls and ceilings. There are even giant behemoths that dig their own tunnels! Be wary of your surroundings when exploring the area. The potential rewards are great, as exploration will grant you new abilities and technologies that will help you survive in the unknown.


Some of you were asking for this art, so here it is in hi-res - https://imgur.com/a/H1j19GZ

Since we want to take a much more open approach during the development of Into the Dark, we are going to regularly (as much as the production’s schedule permits) release updates on how the development is going and what additions you can expect when it comes to items, enemies, technology and much more. Just as with the first World Expansion, the new Crystal Caverns Biome is going to be available as a free update to be played in Survival mode. We would also like to run some beta tests ahead of the release. This new biome introduces many completely new game mechanics that we want to iterate on together with the community. If you want to be the first to get information on that process, join our Discord at www.discord.gg/exorstudios. We will let you know once we have more details on that!

See you next time!
EXOR Studios

• Added Safe Mode launch option. If the game detects that it wasn't closed properly the last time, it will prompt the user whether they would like to launch the game in Safe Mode. This mode disables all downloaded mods and resets the graphics options to safe default values - DirectX 11, windowed mode, 1280x720. Here are some cases when this option might be useful:
  - You have some mods installed and a game update has caused one ore more of them to become incompatible, resulting in a game crash at startup. Launching the game in Safe Mode will allow you to disable the mods that cause problems and wait for a fix.
  - You installed a couple of new mods and they are incompatible with each other - just like in the previous case, Safe Mode will allow you to try and determine which mods are causing trouble.
  - You changed your PC hardware or a monitor - Safe Mode will give you the option to restore your settings to safe defaults and then allow you to reconfigure the game the way you like.
  You will be prompted about launching the game in Safe Mode every time when the game detects an unsafe shutdown. This option is also available from our Launcher menu.

• Metallic Valley Survival final wave tweaked - shorter delay before the ending waves, added flurian boss(es.)
  
• Operational radius display added to magnetic stabilizers.
  
• Added many new building 'working' state sounds and bioanomaly idle sounds. Feedback welcome!
  
• Mini-Miner and Sentry guns item category changed from 'defensive' to 'consumable'.
  
• Added effets for buildings being turned on and off.
  
• Mod Management Screen - added `Toggle All Mods' button.
  
• More performance options are displayed in the benchmark summary screen.

• Fixed the collision size in Nuclear Power Plant.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused single wall pieces to always rotate one way when not connected to any other wall pieces.
  
• Fixed a crash on loading that occurred if the save was created during a building upgrade process.
  
• Fixed a crash in BurstWeaponSystem.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused pipes to connect to walls.
  
• Fixed a crash in DestructionLevelSystem.
  
• Debug: fixed debug_recreate_buildings command to give back proper resources, not duplicate saplings, set back mods, saplings and resources in decompressors.
  
• Fixed a crash in Crafting Screen if resource doesn't exist in basket.
  
• Fixed a crash on loading if an item blueprint doesn't exist.
  
• Display a different controler shortcut if the current controller shortcuts don't exist.
  
• Fixed unlocking research on additional trees when loading old saves.
  
• Typing in the developer console now takes priority over game controls.
  
• Hardened the game logic safety around a potential campaign flow bug that could prevent the game from progressing past building the alien research laboratory. Thanks, Typhon!
  
• Fixed a crash if a save name was corrupted.
  
• Fixed a crash that occurred if a player tried to launch a new version of the game and had deprecated FidelityFX CAS or VRS options enabled.
  
• Fixed a crash in the camera system when getting back to maps where you died previously.

Hello Riftbreakers!

We have just published a patch to the experimental branch of the game that addresses some of the most common issues reported by the community. Thank you for the reports and apologies for all the issues you have experienced. If you have run into any of the following problems, you can try downloading the experimental version and seeing if the issue has been fixed.

Since we haven’t fully finished testing this update yet. We strongly recommend you to back up your save files before moving onto the experimental branch.

How to join the experimental branch:

1. create a backup copy of your save folder (Documents/The Riftbreaker)
   
2. disable Steam Cloud save backup
   
3. go to your Steam Library
   
4. right-click on The Riftbreaker
   
5. select 'Properties,’ then 'Betas,’ and use the following password: IknowWhatImDoing

After that, you will be able to choose 'experimental' from the drop-down menu. Download the update, play the game and let us know if you encounter any issues. We also have a channel on our Discord: #rb-experimental-feedback - we highly encourage you to join in and share your feedback.

• Metallic Valley Survival final wave tweaked - shorter delay before the ending waves, added flurian boss(es.)
  
• Operational radius display added to magnetic stabilizers.
  
• Added many new building 'working' state sounds and bioanomaly idle sounds. Feedback welcome!
  
• Mini-Miner and Sentry guns item category changed from 'defensive' to 'consumable'.
  
• Added effets for buildings being turned on and off.
  
• Mod Management Screen - added `Toggle All Mods' button.
  
• More performance options are displayed in the benchmark summary screen.

• Fixed the collision size in Nuclear Power Plant.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused single wall pieces to always rotate one way when not connected to any other wall pieces.
  
• Fixed a crash on loading that occurred if the save was created during a building upgrade process.
  
• Fixed a crash in BurstWeaponSystem.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused pipes to connect to walls.
  
• Fixed a crash in DestructionLevelSystem.
  
• Debug: fixed debug_recreate_buildings command to give back proper resources, not duplicate saplings, set back mods, saplings and resources in decompressors.
  
• Fixed a crash in Crafting Screen if resource doesn't exist in basket.
  
• Fixed a crash on loading if an item blueprint doesn't exist.
  
• Display a different controler shortcut if the current controller shortcuts don't exist.
  
• Fixed unlocking research on additional trees when loading old saves.
  
• Typing in the developer console now takes priority over game controls.
  
• Hardened the game logic safety around a potential campaign flow bug that could prevent the game from progressing past building the alien research laboratory. Thanks, Typhon!
  
• Fixed a crash if a save name was corrupted.
  
• Fixed a crash that occurred if a player tried to launch a new version of the game and had deprecated FidelityFX CAS or VRS options enabled.
  
• Fixed a crash in the camera system when getting back to maps where you died previously.

We are very excited by the amazing reception of the Integrated Mod Manager and the launch of the Steam Workshop. We see that many creators are already migrating their work from other content distribution platforms to the Steam Workshop. We are working on making other modding platforms available, which should help with promoting your work even further.

EXOR Studios started as a modding group. Before we moved on to work on our own projects, we published custom maps, skins, and other mods for our beloved games. Our first major project was D.I.P.R.I.P. - a total conversion of Half-Life 2 focused on vehicular combat in a post-apocalyptic world. We love mods and use mods for various games we play on a regular basis. We see them as a clear benefit for the players and the game itself.

However, like most things, modding needs to be regulated. Not all user-generated content is acceptable, and laws do not work the same in all countries. This is why we would like to give you our policy and state our views on modding in general. Don’t worry - we’re not going to drop a 300-page legal bomb on you. That wouldn’t do any of us any good. Instead, we’re going to set a few guidelines to follow. That will save any sort of legal hassle for both you and us.

The Riftbreaker - Rules of Modding Conduct

1. You can use all files from the original copy of The Riftbreaker as a base for your mod. Copy, edit, mix and match all the files that we made available to you to get the required result.
   
2. You are also free to use our assets from our previous productions - Zombie Driver and X-Morph: Defense for the purpose of making mods for the Riftbreaker.
   
3. You have the moral rights to any part of the mod that you publish that is your original work. If you’ve added a custom-made model into the game, recorded your own sounds, or created a custom script to make the engine do your bidding - it is yours. However, any mod elements that are based on our work are still owned by us. If you made tweaks to a skin or edited a couple of lines in a script - that is still EXOR Studios’ intellectual property.
   
4. We’ve given you access to The Riftbreaker World Editor Suite. You’re free to use those for the purposes of mod authoring and publishing. However, that software is provided as-is, and we can’t make any guarantees that it will work correctly in all cases. We do not take any responsibility for any damage that may result from using this software.
   
5. By publishing a mod for The Riftbreaker, you give us the right to showcase the mod and create derivative works from it. We may publish a Mod Showcase article on your mod, show it off on stream, and display it publicly - all while explicitly mentioning that you are the author of the mod and where to find it. We may also use your mod to create original game content based on its idea.
   
6. Your mod may not contain any of the following:
   
   
   • elements that infringe on any applicable law
     
   • elements that bear resemblance to any third-party intellectual property
     
   • any assets from games not owned by EXOR Studios
     
   • any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, corrupted files, or any other similar software or program
     
   • obscene, indecent, pornographic, offensive, defamatory, fraudulent, threatening, hateful, or blasphemous content
     
   • content that is likely to bring EXOR Studios, its affiliates and products into controversy and disrepute.
   We know that some of these statements are vague, but we reserve the right to decide whether any of the points above are applicable subjectively. As long as you don’t pirate 3rd party content and stick to good taste - you will be fine. Remember that there are humans on the other side of the screen.
   
7. EXOR Studios does not guarantee that all published mods will be checked for law or the Rules of Modding Conduct infringements.
   
8. By publishing a mod for The Riftbreaker, you guarantee that you are the rightful creator of its contents and personally guarantee that it does not break any of the rules set by EXOR Studios. EXOR Studios will not be held accountable for any instability, damages, losses, and other problems that might arise from using your mod.
   
9. EXOR Studios reserves the right to revoke anyone the right to author and distribute mods in case there is a breach of the Rules of Modding Conduct.
   
10. EXOR Studios reserves the exclusive right to make decisions in cases not mentioned in the Rules of Modding Conduct in order to uphold the good standing of the company, the game, and its community.
    
11. If you have any questions regarding modding and if you’re unsure if your work is compliant with the Rules of Modding Conduct, please contact EXOR Staff on Discord - www.discord.gg/exorstudios.

We hope that these rules will help both you and us in the long run.

EXOR Studios

When we began working on The Riftbreaker in February 2018, we did not expect that almost five years later down the line, we would be a part of something this special. Yet, here we are. Over the course of The Riftbreaker’s lifespan, we have released countless alpha and beta versions for our community testers, over 20 regular updates, and a large World Expansion. But more important than that - we are a part of an amazing community of over 1.000.000 players across all platforms. We are forever grateful for your help and support over these years. Our work is far from over, and we’re trying to make the game better every day.

With the end of the year drawing near, the annual Steam Awards are just around the corner. If you enjoy what we’ve done with the game so far, we would like you to consider voting for The Riftbreaker in the Steam Awards ‘Labor of Love’ category. We have already done a lot, but we are determined to make The Riftbreaker an even more complete game, offering something interesting to all fans of strategy, survival, and action games. Let’s take a look at our roadmap:



2022 has seen a couple of major updates for The Riftbreaker:

• Our latest release added Steam Workshop support and an integrated modding manager to make searching for new content easier and more convenient while giving additional visibility and flexibility for modders.
  
• We have added support for several new technological features: AMD FSR 2.1, AMD SSSR, and Intel XeSS.
  
• We released our first World Expansion - Metal Terror.
  
• We added multiple major quality-of-life improvements like mass repair, upgrade and sell tools.
  
• We ran a couple of community design competitions that added several new items to the game.
  
• Numerous optimizations, fixes, and balancing changes have been introduced - more than we can remember.

Quite a lot, but we have even more in store for you in the future!

• We are working on the online co-op multiplayer - the number 1 most requested feature of all time!
  
• World Expansion II is due to arrive sometime at the beginning of the next year.
  
• We’re adding several new management and quality-of-life options, like the Economy Management Screen.
  
• The Story Campaign is going to get an overhaul that will enable you to generate more missions and keep on playing even after you’ve finished the main storyline.
  
• …plus a ton of other features suggested by you in the Steam Discussions, our Discord, and our Suggestion board!

As you can see, there is still a lot of work ahead of us. If you would like to support us on our way, please consider voting for The Riftbreaker in the ‘Labor of Love’ category of Steam Awards 2022 and leaving a review for the game.

Thank you!
EXOR Studios

The Riftbreaker Hotfix #2, November 18th, 2022. Binaries #611, Package #239:

This update fixes the crash that occurred if a player wanted to travel to another outpost after visiting it before, dying there and not respawning but immediately coming back to HQ. There are no other changes in this build.

EXOR Studios

Hello Riftbreakers!

This update should fix the problems some of you have been experiencing when loading older save files. We are very sorry that happened in the first place. If you still encounter any issues, we're at your disposal at www.discord.gg/exorstudios and here on the forum. Huge thanks to everyone who sent their save files in and helped us find those issues!

• Fixed an issue in the Pipe System that caused a crash that occurred when loading an older save file. It is highly probable that your pipelines and other liquid-based buildings will stop functioning after this fix. Open the console with the '~' key and type in: debug_recreate_buildings 1 in order to get them to work again.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the game to crash when an old model of the Canoptrix nest was visible on the screen after loading a saved game.
  
• Fixed an issue with the minimap that caused the game to crash.
  
• Fixed an issue with ghost buildings in build mode that caused the game to crash.
  
• Fixed an issue in ResourceAccount method that caused the game to crash.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused Morirot nests to spawn from Morirot eggs. For real this time.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused shadow-casting lights to flicker if two or more are visible on the screen at the same time.
  
• Removed an underground liquid resource in one of the jungle tiles that was inaccessible, but played its sound back.
  
• More variables added to the benchmark results screen.
  
• Render System variable is now localized properly in benchmark results.
  
• Reflective properties of Morphium have been tweaked to show Screen Space Reflections better.
  
• Reflective Floor textures have been updated.
  
• Using FSR should no longer produce artifacts with bright particle effects.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused some dialog boxes to overlap.
  
• Chinese fonts should now be properly displayed in the Mods screen.

Have a good weekend!
EXOR Studios