Read this post on our website.

I really think everybody has heard all about this and nothing else over the last few weeks, but yes, the Coronavirus.

For now, with Factorio, everything seems okay. We are all working from home, the team is still going, and so far we are following our plan quite well. We released the Character GUI and Statistics GUI last week, and some improvements such as new water splashes and leaf animations this week. Things are still moving along.

However it is still early days, we haven't really had any experience having the whole team work remotely, so there may be some challenges we need to tackle as time goes on. At the moment we don't know whether this will affect our 1.0 release date, I guess it will one way or the other, but for now we aren't announcing any changes.

Apart from the development side still running, our e-shop is also remaining operational, and we have just restocked on all variants of our t-shirts. While we can't guarantee anything, if you order from us at this time, we should still be able to get your t-shirts to you.

Last week there we had quite a few more players than usual, and Krastorio 2 was released, which meant a lot more hours into a lot more areas of the game. During the week, Boskid and I received quite a few desync reports with mods. Generally we believe, that it is probably the mods causing the problem, as it is quite easy to cause a desync with the control scripting if you don't know some very important gotchas.

But still, we decided to investigate to help the players find out which mod is causing the problems.

One quite tricky desync we found, is related to cyclic references, and the way serpent serialises the global Lua data.

Take the example here of the Construction Drones mod. You have a player which dispatches the drones to go do work; the player needs to keep track of what drones he owns, and the drones need to remember which player they belong to.



Now this works fine during runtime, you can access the drone from the player object, and access the player from the drone object. When the game is saved, Serpent goes through all the data in 'global' and serialises it for later. To handle the cyclic references, if serpent detects that it has 'seen' an object already, it writes a placeholder value, and comes back to fix it later.

The problem, is that serpent chose nil as the placeholder value. In Lua, writing a table value as nil is the same as deleting the key, and the key won't be seen when looping the table in the future. When serpent then goes back to 'fix-up' the placeholder values, it ends up with each peer saving a different table ordering (because of some even deeper technicalities with our custom version of Lua).

So the problem is deep and was quite hard to find, but the fix is quite simple. Boskid simply changed the placeholder value from nil to 0, and now the iteration order is saved and loaded correctly every time.

Another report came in from a player using Krastorio 2 and Rampant mods. This one on the surface really seemed like the mods fault, since all the diffs in the desync reports were related to unit positions, and the Rampant mod is all about units.

The desync was extremely fragile, and was very hard to reproduce, but eventually Boskid managed to narrow it down. This is a screenshot taken on the exact tick that the desync occurred.



What jumped out to me as immediately suspicious, is that the biter is only just moving onto the creep. This is because the creep (from Krastorio 2) gives the units a speed bonus when walking on it. I did a quick experiment by commenting out the tile bonus code in the engine, and the desync did not occur again.

But of course removing the code here would only treat the symptom, and the cause will be something deeper (FFF-296). So with lots of patience, Boskid narrowed it down further and further, deep into the movement and unit behaviour logic. What we found, is that the unit is part of a unit group, and this group was caching the value of its 'max speed' based on the fastest unit in the group. However this value was not saved with the save game, but was recalculated each time the game was loaded. Since the unit was walking on creep, it has a higher max speed, so the group calculated a higher max speed when the game was loaded.

Now this logic has been in the game since unit groups began, but it only became a problem more recently. In versions of Factorio 0.16 and before, a units max speed was always going to be based on its prototype, which does not change after the game is loaded. With version 0.17 we added 2 (really nice) mod capabilities:

• Allowing units to be affected by tiles;
• Allowing scripts to change unit speeds directly.

It didn't come up as a problem initially, as the freeplay base game doesn't really use these capabilities.

Well every change has the potential to break things. Since we know the only 2 cases where the units speed can change, Oxyd made it so that the unit will notify the group to recalculate its max speed when it is necessary.

Commanders, we've detected a swarm of UFOs entering New Earth's atmosphere. Dropships are being shot down across every region!

We should be able to rescue any surviving troops if we can reach the Downed Dropship sectors in time. This event will run until TUESDAY 31st March at 1pm (UTC).

Enjoy the event and stay safe, Commanders!

Dear SO community!
As everyone already knows, citizens of all countries are struggling with the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
We join containment measures and urge you to stay home during this difficult time for all of us. Do not forget about the rules of personal hygiene and follow them!
In order to brighten up your time this week, today, after rebooting the server, and until Monday, April 6, all players will receive double experience from all sources.
Take care of yourself!
Sincerely yours,
Team SO

A good Lumberjack is always ready to put out the fire at any time!

Add Lumberhill to your wishlist to be up to date:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/976900/Lumberhill/

Welcome to Show and Cell, where we showcase the Community's creativity! As we are always impressed with the prisons that you guys share over the internet, we decided to create a small corner to highlight some of our favourite creation. Here in Show and Cell, you can find some inspiration and read about the people that create fan art/gameplay videos, and prison builds!

Would you like to have your prison to be featured next? You can use the hashtag #showandcell!

If you are looking for more inspiration, and to get all the latest news and updates on Prison Architect, you can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.


"This is the neatest prison I’ve ever served time in, and I served time in Norway! 10/10 would evade again” - Inmate # 10482178"

KeiwaM is the creator of this prison, and it’s design and layout are stunning! The prisoners have access to an outdoor space and can enjoy the snow. For safety, the prisoners are separated into different cellblocks to avoid fights between gangs. The daily income for this prison is over 31.000$ per day, and even if this is a giant prison, KeiwaM is already working on a bigger one.

Here are some questions we asked KeiwaM.

How long did it take to create this prison?
This prison took around 15 hours of gameplay to build.

Anything you want to say about this prison?
It is a bit on the smaller side of what I usually do, but I really enjoyed the smaller cellblocks. Usually, I'm the type that would stuff all prisoners in one canteen, but splitting them up really helps with both management and troublemakers.

Did you plan the layout of the prison before you build it?
Yes, I always plan first. The Planning tool is one of the most valuable tools in the game if you ask me. It is extremely useful to plan the layout before spending thousands on building and removing it.

How long have you been playing Prison Architect?
I have been playing Prison Architect since Alpha 2.

What made you start playing Prison Architect?
I have always been a fan of management games, and I liked the art style, then I just saw it in my recommended, so I gave it a shot.

Any tips for someone new to the game how to get better on planning and building their prison?
Patience is key. Planning can be an annoying task, but in the end, it will really help. I also recommend messing about with unlimited funds and maybe even Cheats & Developer Tools just to get a feel for your building style. Everyone builds in their own style and having unlimited money to discover it is a great way to start off. Other than that, I would simply say, don't copy others. As said, everyone has their own style, find which style you find enjoyable and try, rather than copy prisons you've seen off youtube.

Do you want to try this prison? Then you can download it here!
Bedford State Prison

Thank you for this time and look forward to the next Show and Cell!
The Prison Architect Team.

As you’ve already learned here, the southern city states are places where medieval science flourishes. Advancements in medicine, astrology and alchemy are unlike anything found in the north. You’ve also learned a good deal about the alchemy part already, but now it’s time to look at their finest alchemical achievement: Gunpowder weapons. This requires a bit of an introduction, so let’s start!

Battle Brothers is set in an era spanning the early to high medieval ages as we move from Scramasax to Greatsword and across all the tiers of equipment. There’s a few outliers, such as the Fencing Sword, but by and large this dictates what kind of equipment may make its way into the game. It’s also the reason why there isn’t any full-blown plate armor available. Naturally, the same restrictions apply to any gunpowder weapons we’re going to introduce.

Until the ‘Blazing Deserts’ DLC, the setting was limited to draw inspiration from Europe. Gunpowder weapons weren’t much of a thing there at the time, but it doesn’t mean that other cultures weren’t employing them. The gunpowder weapons we’re going to introduce aren’t the muskets that many people may immediately think of, because these clearly would fall out of the era that Battle Brothers covers. Instead, they are very early firearms based on what eastern cultures actually had available at the time.



Gunpowder weapons work differently from any other ranged weapons in the game and fill their own niche. Their attacks don’t target individual opponents, but instead hit an area of effect covering multiple tiles and always hit both body and head. Also differently from any other weapons, the skill of a shooter and the defenses of a target don’t determine whether a target is hit at all, but rather for how much damage it is hit. The higher the skill of a shooter, the more damage a target receives. The higher the defenses of a target, the less damage it receives. For example, while you’ll have a hard time dodging a load of shrapnel being shot at you in its entirety, a shield offers good protection against it and will reduce any damage you might otherwise take.



Because it’s important to understand the area of effect an attack with a gunpowder weapon will cover, not least to avoid friendly fire, we’ve revised how these are displayed in the game. No matter if a tile is empty or not, you’ll now always see which tiles are in the line of fire. Naturally, this goes for any melee attacks already in the game as well. So with all that said, let’s take a closer look at the gunpowder weapons available for you to use.

The Firelance is an explosive charge mounted on a wooden stick. Once ignited, it will spew fire in a straight line covering multiple tiles in front of the shooter. It has limited range, but can still be safely fired from the backline without hitting your own men. Victims caught in the jet of fire may suffer one of the new burning injuries.



The Firelance has a single use in combat, after which it is burned out and useless. Like throwing weapons, it is automatically refilled after each battle and can be used again in the next one. Firelances are particularly useful to soften enemy ranks in deep formation, as they are able to set ablaze opponents in their backline that are out of reach of most polearms or Greatswords and are guaranteed to hit. The conscripted armies of city states regularly make use of them before battle lines clash.

The Handgonne is a massive cast iron cannon with a wooden handle. It fires shrapnel in a cone and can hit multiple targets with one shot for devastating damage, but at less range than either bow or crossbow. Similar to a crossbow, it has to be reloaded after every shot with shrapnel and powder carried in the ammunition slot. As it is heavier and more cumbersome to reload than even a crossbow, a character carrying a Handgonne can not fire, reload and move in the same turn.



The Handgonne excels against multiple lightly armored targets, but can also be effectively employed for damaging several more heavily armored opponents at once. Because the Handgonne covers a wide cone, smart positioning and watching out for friendly fire is important. Used right, it can quickly even the odds if overwhelmed by superior enemy numbers - after all, the more enemies, the more targets to hit. And any target thus hit may suffer both piercing and burning injuries.

• Child zombies are now smaller
  
• Size of zombies adjusted so that you can tell which are the stronger, higher level version (bigger = stronger)
  
• Bosses now only regen 10% of their health after getting back up or crawling (was previously 50%)
  
• Tendril and Hulk have had their HP reduced by 25%
  
• Chance of finding Meds has been reduced by 12.5%
  
• Chance of finding Ammo has been increased by 12.5%
  
• Chance of finding Fuel has been reduced by 50%
  
• You no longer lose food kcal, hydration, or HP while in an outpost
  
• Rate of hunger & thirst everywhere else has been increased by 20%
  
• SMG damage has been reduced by 15%
  
• Pistol aim speed has been increased by 33%
  
• Pistol reload speed has been increased by 33%
  
• Size of the PvP zone will be halved from reset tomorrow

NOTE: You may need to restart the game client before all of these changes will take effect

We now have a 45% Sale Celebrating 1 Year Anniversary of The Secret of Gillwood! Thanks for this year!http://[img

Got any junk lying around? Here is something for you!
A blue storage box is our new bestseller! You can't fit a nuke in there, can you?

Greetings warriors of Calradia!

After eight years of blood, sweat, and tears, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's Early Access release is finally upon us. In just a few short days you will be able to gird on your sword, don your armour, summon your followers and ride forth to win glory on the battlefields of Calradia!

But before we move on to discuss the release of the game, we want to take a moment to talk about the current coronavirus pandemic. It probably goes without saying, but this certainly isn't the scenario we envisaged for the release of the game. However, we have tried to make the best of a bad situation and thankfully, with the help of our IT team, have been able to continue work on the project from home. This has come with its own challenges of course, but we are still very grateful and lucky to work in an industry where it is possible to work remotely, which we know isn't the case for many of you. It might seem like a pretty ideal time to release a game (after all, everyone is at home right!?), but we know that the current situation has placed a lot of people in a difficult position when it comes to balancing their finances and risking their health.

With that in mind, we have decided to make the game available for 10% off for the first two weeks of sale. In addition to this, anyone who owns any previous Mount & Blade title will be eligible for an additional 10% off in select digital stores. Also, you can breathe a sigh of relief because there won't be a delay... In fact, quite the opposite! We have decided to bring forward the release of the game to 10.00 am UTC, March 30th.

So, you know the release date and the price, but what content is included in the Early Access release?

In singleplayer, you will have access to Custom Battle and Campaign game modes. Campaign is a new and somewhat more structured approach to the Mount & Blade experience that blends a storyline and key events with the traditional sandbox gameplay that our players are familiar with. Campaign aims to provide players with clear goals and missions that can lead to a successful conclusion to a playthrough. However, if you refuse to take any direction and prefer to plot your own rise to power, you can simply ignore the campaign missions and go about your business!

During a campaign playthrough you will do most of the things that you would expect from a Mount & Blade game, including creating your own character with their own backstory; exploring a vast, re-envisioned continent of Calradia; hiring companions to accompany you on your journey; raising warbands and armies to devastate your enemies on the battlefield; conquering towns and castles; progressing your character skills and equipment; learning and mastering the game's much-improved combat mechanics; and commanding and fighting alongside your troops; among a host of other things, many of which have been featured in previous blog posts!

And while there is definitely plenty of content for players to dive into and enjoy, we must be clear in reminding you that this is an Early Access release. There may be bugs and glitches, there will certainly be balancing issues, some features may be missing or currently disabled, and certain aspects of the game might not receive full-support until later down the line. You can expect to see reused scenes (our eventual aim is that each town and castle will have its own unique scene) as well as other types of placeholder content, such as voice lines, animations, quests, etc.

In terms of multiplayer content, you can expect a continuation of the recent multiplayer beta, which features 4 different game modes: Skirmish, Captain, Team Deathmatch, and Siege. We will continue to work on multiplayer throughout Early Access by introducing new features, game modes, and other additional content. We expect to enable our community to host private servers closer to the full release of the game.

Our current plan is to localize the game into the following languages: French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish and Turkish. However, during EA, localisations for these languages may be missing entirely or may be incomplete. Other languages may be added later.

If you would like to experience everything that Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord has to offer, then we strongly encourage you to hold off on buying the game until the full-release.

Finally, we would like to announce that we are officially drawing a close to this series of blogs. With the game on the verge of release, we would prefer to switch our attention and limited resources to work alongside our community. Of course, if we feel that we have something newsworthy or a new feature that we want to highlight and discuss, we will share a post, but for now, this will be our last scheduled blog post.

We wish you all the best during these difficult times and hope you and your family stay safe. Now go wash your hands!



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