Saw lots of comments under the island announcement asking about a faster vehicle that could be stored in the drillship.

And even though we don't plan to add one before the new (and way bigger) island is here...

We figured, why not give you a little taste of what that vehicle could look like?

Let me know what you think!

- Rich


PS: Volcanoids is currently 30% off on Steam, so if you guys wanna support us, let your friends know!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/

After the Tesla Update we noticed a lot of you saying things like:





So this whole announcement is going to be about the new island we've been quitely working on for the past couple months.

The current island has served its purpose.

It was the best we could do back then considering our team size and resources.

But thanks to the amazing support from y'all (thank you very much) we are now more than equipped to create something that better tells the Story of Volcanoids!

Before we get into the details tho, there are two BIG disclaimers:

1) First the boring old PR phrase "none of these represent the final product".

It's all one big work-in-progress from textures, to lighting, particles, even entire assets. So don't get hung up on the details. This is just to give you a rough idea of what's coming.

2) The new island is NOT coming in the next update. I'm talking about it now because more and more people seem to ask about it. I go into more detail about how we plan to release the new island at the end.

OK ROLL THE TEASERS!



First, I would like to show you this snippet that nicely captures the scale of the new island. The island is going to be bigger than the current one.

But we're not making it bigger just for the sake of it.

We need to make it bigger so we can fit all the unique locations, events, and points of interests we want for you to explore and learn more about the story.




If you paid a bit of attention, you'll know that the current island is divided into 3 areas.

The new island will be roughly divided like that as well but each area is going to be completely different now (like a new biome).

The first area is going to be looking the nicest. Lot of greenery, waterfalls, lakes, and so on.

Storywise, this is also going to be the part of the island where most people lived and where you'll start your journey.

Area 2 however, is going to look noticably different from that.

Taking inspiration from Yellowstone, this area is going to have lots of geysers, toxic lakes, damaged nature with the occasional patch of greenery.

Storywise, this is where a lot of the minning took place.



Area 3 is going to step it up even more.

So much so that the working title for it right now is "MORDOR" because, I mean, look at it.

For this part of the island we draw inspiration from the Saint Helen volcano because its eruption ripped through the side of the mountain. That's why this area is going to look the most devastated with lava flowing everywhere.




The new island is going to have many different types of cave systems.

Each offering different events, points of interests and challenges.

The first type will be closest to the surface and therefore have lots of light, waterfalls and sun rays piercing through the ceiling cracks.

Some you'll even be able to access on foot.



The next type of caves will be in medium depths with main charasteristics being low visibility, high environment and toxic atmosphere.

You will need a gas mask in order to survive in these types of caves.



Located the deepest will be the darkest and most dangerous caves.

We're talking small lava eruptions, extremely hot temperatures, falling rocks, and more.

Heat resistant suit will be required to withstand the atmosphere in these.




There are also going to be specialzed caves with bosses that I'm saving for upcoming teasers.

So stay tuned!

All I'm gonna say now is that the lava lasers you had to face now will be nothing in comparison to the boss caves that await you on the new island.

Here's a little sneak peek at an entrance to one of those:




Bunch of new enemy tech will be introduced on the new island for you to sabotage.

Like the excavator.



Or this refinery rig and many more.




Having proper cities that tell the story of how the humans lived on the island is a massive priority.

Here's a snippet of one of the cities we're working on so you get a sense of how much more complex they'll be compared to the current ones.



Since all the houses are going to be destroyed on the surface level we plan to make up for it with a robust underground system with sewers, tunnels, basements, caves - all connected.

That way you will be able to sneak around undetected and safe from the eruptions.


To achieve the level of polish and complexity we want, we won't be able to release the entire island all at once anytime soon.

But at the same time, we do get that you guys are hungry for some new locations to explore.

So the current plan is to release a couple more updates focused on other parts of the game to keep the regular updates going while we simultaneously get the first chunk of the new island ready for you.

Once it's ready the new island will be introduced and you'll be able to explore that first chunk of it.

Then we will keep releasing more parts of the island in the subsequent updates till the whole thing is released.


If you got any questions, drop them below and I'll continually update this section.

And watch out for those teasers!

- Rich

EDIT:

Q: Will you be able to access the old island once the new one gets released?
A: Yep, you will definitely be able to access it in some way.

Q: Will you add a driveable vehicle to move faster around the island?
A: Some smaller vehicle (like a motorbike) to drive around the island is planned. But likely won't make it in the game before the new island is available.

Q: Do you have any estimate for when the first chunk of the new island will be released?
A: Doing our best to get it ready by Q1 of 2024. Will keep you updated.

We just pushed a patch for the Tesla Update.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, keep it coming!

Here're the most notable changes for those who aren't into lists of patch notes:

First, we made it easier to fight teslas in area 2 where you don't have the antimaterial sniper ammo yet.

Tesla turrets (both on drillships and tanks) have less health now.

And you can also unlock the explosive sniper ammo much sooner for the Marshal in area 2 (instead of area 3).

We also added indicators for when your projectiles get zapped by enemy teslas.

And COGs with tesla guns won't shoot through the ground anymore, yay!

You'll also notice a new pop-up in the main menu mentioning analytics.

The game will now collect anonymized data from your gameplay.

NO personal data.

This will help us massively with improving the game in the future and finding potential issues.

However, if analytics are an absolute no-go for you...

You can easily disable them in settings.

- Rich

PS: Stay tuned for a new announcement coming soon going over plans for future updates.

• Changed HP for T1 tesla turret modules from 200 to 150
  
• Changed HP for T2 tesla turret modules from 300 to 250
  
• Changed HP for tank cockpit tesla light turret from 190 to 140
  
• Changed HP for main tank turret tesla light from 250 to 200
  
• Changed power of sniper ammo T3 from 80 to 70
  
• Sniper ammo T2 is now available in area 2

• Changed power consumption for tesla light turret
  
• Small cog shelf is now indestructible
  
• Added an indication telling the player that his projectile has been destroyed by tesla
  
• Added new audio when Cogs shoot down your projectile
  
• Added pitch variation to some sounds
  
• Item restacking now works for drillship storage

• Fixed cogs shooting with Tesla weapons through terrain in some cases
  
• Fixed quest marker hidden behind tunnel icon
  
• Fixed tanks shaking when going uphill on client
  
• Fixed large drones spotlight doesn't blink when stunned
  
• Fixed small drones sliding when stunned
  
• Fixed tesla turrets missing on laser devices when loading older save files
  
• Fixed double button on tesla light turret top module
  
• Fixed tesla weapon VFX when switching weapons
  
• Fixed Small cog deconstruction issue
  
• Fixed infinite zoom issue on weapons
  
• Fixed zoom/equip position issue on weapons
  
• Fixed weapons shaking in 3rd person
  
• Fixed drones explosion misplaced after stun
  
• Fixed tanks not dying when killed while stunned
  
• Fixed broken movement sounds for enemis when player gets far away and back
  
• Fixed electricity effect visible while equipping tesla rifle
  
• Fixed flashing light when equipping weapons on client
  
• Fixed teleportation of stunned cogs on client
  
• Fixed random noise sound (low frequency “bump”)
  
• Fixed tesla audio
  
• Fixed buckshot scrap recipe
  
• Fixed grenades don't explode when shot down
  
• Fixed tesla modules are glitching through the ceiling while being packed/unpacked
  
• Fixed explosion effect on Cog mortar when hit by Tesla
  
• Fixed shutdown valve not closing tesla modules
  
• Fixed electricity effect on tesla cannon when equipped
  
• Fixed small debug mesh on Cog research
  
• Fixed tesla mini turret can shoot through walls
  
• Removed debug variant of tesla mini turret (other mini tesla variants stay in game)
  
• Fixed large queue increase in production screen when using controller
  
• Fixed quests ignoring wall-mounted radio
  
• Fixed missing Tesla rifle and cannon hit effects on client
  
• Fixed shelf description
  
• Fixed tesla turrets module description
  
• Fixed names of tesla heavy and tesla light
  
• Fixed spelling error in copper floor descriptionFixed quest don't count wall radio as a radio
  
• Fixed Mod SDK

The most shocking update yet is here!

Bringing you tesla guns, turrets, explosives, and more!

Thanks everyone for the support during the lead up for this update! Hopefully everyone managed to survive my endless barage of puns.

For those that haven't pulled the trigger yet, Volcanoids is also 30% OFF right now.

And now let's take a closer look at everything that's been shown in the trailer:



The new update brings two new guns to your arsenal.

Now, their strenght isn't in doing a lot of damage but in complimenting your other guns with their abilities.

The first one being the Tesla Cannon that shoots electric beams at multiple targets at once dealing continous damage to all of them.



The cannon can also be used for shooting down projectiles (like mortars).



And if you right-click, an energy shield will be deployed to protect you from incoming fire.



Upgrade needed for Tesla Cannon: Upgrade Advanced Production



The second gun is a Tesla Rifle that shoots quick zaps that will stun smaller enemies like the small drones or humanoid COGs.



This is perfect in combination with something like the shotgun for finishing off the stunned enemies.

And it can also zap projectiles in the air, but it's much harder to pull off than with the cannon.

Upgrade needed for Tesla Rifle: Upgrade Basic Production


Extra pro tip: The tesla ammo batteries that are used by both the cannon and rifle can be replenished by using the armor station.


Prepare to make some space for two more turrets on your drillship.

Placable on the roof or the sides, Tesla Turrets are going to make a world of difference when it comes to defending your drillship.



Similarly to the tesla rifle, the Tier 1 will shoot quick zaps at enemies stunning the smaller ones for a few seconds.

And as you've probably guessed, the bigger Tier 2 will shoot beams at multiple enemies at once.

Most importantly, both of them can shoot down explosives too!



And again, while they are great for defense, don't rely on them exclusively. Combine them with some of the regular turrets for best results.

Upgrade needed for T1 Tesla Turret: Upgrade Basic Production

Upgrade needed for T2 Tesla Turret: Upgrade Advanced Production



Saw a lot of people asking if you'll be able to to put tesla weapons in the drones we added in the previous update.

Hope this part of the trailer answered it.



The support drone wasn't left out either. It now has a tiny tesla turret on top of it that can zap projectiles.




For the first time ever, you'll be able to set up some defenses inside the drillship as well!

These small tesla turrets can be placed on the ground or even in the wall sockets where you'd normally put something like a light (inside and outside).

So now, any intruders that somehow sneaked their way past the turrets outside will get a shocking welcome!



Upgrade needed for interior tesla turrets: Upgrade Starter Production



The update also brings some upgrades in the explosives department.

Both the EMP grenade and mortar shells can disable enemies of all sizes and even modules.

Perfect for disabling tanks and hiting them in a weakspot or for disabling turrets during a raid.



Upgrade needed for EMP grenades: Simple Explosive Schematic


Upgrade needed for EMP mortars: Upgrade Basic Production



As you could see in the trailer, you are not the only one that will have tesla tech available to them.

Which means you'll have to be more methodical with your attacks.

So if you encounter a tank with a tesla turret...

Or a drillship with a tesla turret.

Make sure to TAKE THOSE OUT FIRST!

That's because otherwise, they will destroy your explosvies in the air just like you can destroy theirs.



"But what do I use if I can't use explosives?"

Enter the...


We added a new type of ammo for the scoped sniper rifle (not Marshal) exactly for this purpose.

As the name suggest, it will deal increased amount of damage against tanks and modules.

So use it to pick off those pesky tesla turrets on drillships (or tanks) and then you can go nuts with your explosives.



Upgrade needed for Anti-material Ammo: Advanced Exposives Schematic



This update also brings 3 new achievements:

1. Grounded: Destroy a large drone with your pickaxe.
   
2. Funko COG: Pick up a collectible hidden somewhere on the island.
   
3. Hot Tub: Kill a large drone by making it fall into a lava pool.

Now, let's address the dredded "turrets not shooting" bug first. We've been able to fix it and have been testing it nonstop to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. However, if it still SOMEHOW happens to some of you, let me know asap.

Ok, now we can continue with the list.

• Fixed turrets being stuck and not shooting
  
• Fixed turret shaking when tracking moving target
  
• Fixed turrets in caves not rotating for multiplayer clients
  
• Fixed quests taking into account inventories of sleeping players
  
• Fixed grenade being thrown from the belly position
  
• Fixed drillship paint on Helper drone modules
  
• Fixed Mine coal achievemens not obtainable by multiplayer clients
  
• Fixed Cogs killed achievements not obtainable by multiplayer clients
  
• Fixed weapon reload animations for Revolver, Machine Pistol, Shotgun and Mortar
  
• Fixed Cogs hidden inside soil around drillship
  
• Fixed Helper drones cannot be repaired
  
• Fixed Helper drone visibility issues and object poping
  
• Fixed Pickaxe showing gatling ammo
  
• Fixed blinking of drillship modules
  
• Fixed excessive tank honking sounds
  
• Fixed icon visibility and ordering in the map and travel window
  
• Fixed minor grammar issues in descriptions

• Added particle effect when enemies fall into lava
  
• Added particle effect when bullets hit lava
  
• Added new achievements: Hot Tub, Funko COG, Grounded
  
• Drillship walls no longer need to be fully repaired to place new modules
  
• Improved performance when Wrench is equipped
  
• Improved audio of Gatling, Mortar and Grenades
  
• Turret low ammo notification now includes the type of ammo which is low
  
• Changed Multitasking achievement icon to show HUBs
  
• 2D kill confirmation sounds are now played only for distant kills

• Fixed player getting stuck in COG lava extractor

If you got any questions, drop them below and I'll continually update this section.

- Rich

EDIT:

Q: Why is my tesla gun not shooting?
A: Make sure you also crafted the tesla battery ammo for it.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/

It's TRAILER TIME everyone!

Get amped up for the Tesla Update dropping this Saturday, June 24, 10am pt.

And let me know what's your most anticipated feature below!

- Rich

Another shocking feature you can expect in the new update next week...

Is a TESLA CANNON!



With it, you'll be able to:

• Shoot electric beams at multiple COGs and/or objects at once
  
• Zap incoming projectiles (just like the tesla turrets)
  
• And one more thing I'm gonna save for the trailer

But definitely not the last feature

That's coming in the new update...



Next week.

In case you haven't figured it out from the teasers and terrible puns by now...

The next update (coming in June) is bringing TESLA TURRETS!

The bigger Tier 2 will be able to shoot an electric beam at multiple COGs at once!



While the smaller Tier 1 will shoot these quick zaps that can send COGs to sleep for a few seconds.



But there's something else.

Something else that makes these turrets different from all the other ones...

Not needing ammo, only energy?

Yeah, sure, that too.

But most importantly...

The ability to DESTROY PROJECTILES!

Not all, but the most destructive ones like mortars or grenades.

So anything bigger than a bullet is going to have a much harder time reaching your drillship.


Remind you of a certain comic?

And that's it. That's all the cool tesla tech you're gonna get.

...

Yeah, right ;)

More shocking news (or teasers) soon!

- Rich