Hey Everyone,

We keep working on Snow Scout and this patch improves the general stability, fixes some bugs and is preparing for the next bigger update. We are almost done overhauling the cannon operation, complete with some new graphics and sound effects, but it will take a while until we can roll this update out. Still, the current solution works alright too, so hit those slopes for some stay-at-home workout.

If you'd like more information if Snow Scout could be a game you enjoy, have a look at this review from ImpulseGamer - We think they pretty much nailed it.
https://www.impulsegamer.com/snow-scout-vr-pc-review-meta-quest-2-via-air-link/

More importantly though, it's Halloween tonight! So if you happen to own our game Rainbow Reactor, be sure to fire it up today or tomorrow for a little spooky surprise ːDottieHeartː

All the best from

The Tunermaxx Team

Hey Prospectors,

Matt here with a new update for you.

Add some gladiatorial guise to your GSO Techs with the new Roman Skin.

We've added the Damage and Damageable types of each block to their Block Descriptions.

You can now Quick Select blocks by using the middle mouse button.

Enjoy!

• Roman GSO Skin

• The Damage and Damageable types for each block have been added to their Block Descriptions.
  
• Scenery objects (Trees, Rocks etc...) have received a damageable type update on their info panel.
  
• You can now Quick Select the block your cursor is currently pointed at (if available in your inventory) using the middle mouse button.

The following Blocks have had their names changed:

• Fixed an issue that caused blocks to sometimes disappear from the Inventory UI.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Reticule Research Precision Laser would intermittently visibly stop-start when next to a resource.
  
• Fixed an issue where tire tracks would sometimes leave behind a polygon (square).

Translations have been updated for our Japanese friends.

Many thanks to the TT Translator team, in particular recent translations from:

• Yuuki
  
• yukke

Raiders & Beasts!

Today's newsletter is going to be a special one. It's Halloween time – the night of pumpkins and glowing eyes, of bats and spooky stories! It's time to tell you more about the Vampire – our new Beast in the game!



It's important to mention that the Vampire is still in development. Do not expect this Beast to be added in the next public Alpha-test. Nevertheless, we've already put so much work into this character, so we've got A LOT to share with you!

Where did it all begin?

it’s necessary to start from the beginning. The original idea of Beast Hour could be described like: "knights run away from werewolves in a gothic castle". As one of our very first gameplay prototype testers noticed back then: "the game is like Super Mario with multiplayer & Werewolves – all you can do is run, jump and collect coins".



Game rules were very simple – in the beginning of the match two random players out of ten became Werewolves. The remaining human players (it was before we came up with the name "Raiders") had to find, collect and bring spheres to activate portals. Once a player collected enough, he/she would be able to escape & win the game. Werewolves had to hunt down Raiders to turn them into monsters! With each minute the number of Raiders was decreasing and the number of Beasts – increasing! As a Raider you didn't have a chance to slack off because even the most skilled player couldn't stand against a pack of Werewolves.

Initially, we were not going to make each Raider unique. On the contrary, the plan was to have a blank slate to customize as much as possible. Only selected few pieces of armour could impact the hero's abilities. Yet, the following series of tests proved that our audience was not interested in this approach, and, truth be told, neither were we.



We decided to go with individual personalities and gameplay styles. Many players enjoyed playing as Werewolves – not many games bring them to the fore – we also realized that we needed more Beasts diversity too.

Why the Vampire?

We asked a bunch of people: "What other Beasts would you like to see in Beast Hour?" The answers varied, but the most common one was evident – Vampires! That's really not surprising, as vampires are very popular in modern games and movies. Plus, they are ideal for our game's setting! On top of that, we wanted to make something completely different from Werewolf gameplay – we wanted to make a flying Beast!



It was obvious that our Vampire should not only be easily recognizable, but also unique and memorable. We intentionally did not use the image of a "vampire aristocrat" – it would have gone against our vision. The character should be "the terror that flaps in the night".

We started to work on first sketches (yes, they were made on copy papers with a pencil):



Our sources of inspiration came from games and movies first of all. We were especially interested in characters from the "Van Helsing", "Underworld" and "Batman" movies. Talking about games, the greatest influence came from "Nosgoth", “Castlevania” and “Order 1886”. That's how we made reference boards like this one:



Typically, Vampires are portrayed like dark angels with human hands and webbed wings behind their back. But notice the fact that bat's wings are also their hands, which is a very unusual concept for Vampires in pop culture. So, this was the approach we used for our character.



How do you play it?

During the creation process an obvious question appeared: "What's it like to play as a Vampire?" To answer this we played many games with somewhat similar gameplay we wanted to deliver in Beast Hour. First of all, let's mention Nosgoth. Our team loves this title and thanks to a still very active and supportive community on Discord we managed to get a lot of useful info about the game mechanics and its heroes.



Sentinel from Nosgoth became a reference character for a number of Vampire abilities in Beast Hour. For example, we implemented our variation of Wing Flap skill. In Beast Hour it comes in handy considering we've got a very vertical oriented gameplay where you can throw enemies off the rooftops.



Also, Takeoff ability from Nosgoth seemed fitting to Beast Hour gameplay. This skill allows you to very rapidly gain altitude from any open area on the map.



Sentinel's flight had almost no limits – you could fly all over the map as you please, but for Beast Hour we decided that it would be a wrong decision to copy that. We call our game "parkour horror" for a reason – all Beasts should also explore the streets, use walls and look for prey in underground pathways. That's why we chose to use gliding.



For this mechanic we took inspiration from Batman Arkham Knight. In this game you could glide and do a cool move called Dive Bomb. It's a special attack you can make while gliding – your character starts to fall down to a point on the ground you picked and deals damage to enemies around the landing spot. By the way, if you haven't yet played this phenomenal game by Rocksteady Studios – go ahead and do it asap!

Is the Vampire ready?

No. We want to stress once again that this Beast is not yet ready. Or, as we call it, ready in "grey form".



That's how we make characters for Beast Hour: it starts with a concept art. Then we create a draft 3D-model in A-pose and see how it looks like in the engine (we use Unity). After some adjustments implemented (to make sure the size and body proportions of the character work fine in an actual game environment) the draft model is used to create rigs and animations. At this point we also make VFX. Once satisfied with the results – we build a high poly model, create and add textures, fix bugs.



Right now we are in the very final phase. Thus, to give you the Vampire to play with, we first need to finish its visuals and resolve bugs. The thing is that the Vampire has three types of movement – running, parkouring and flying. The transition mechanics between these states are the most challenging to fix, yet we've almost finished that process!



Do Vampires have any lore?

For every character, faction and location in the game we come up with lore. It's much easier to create visuals and build a gameplay style if you are aware of the hero's background. Now we are ready to share the most vital facts about these creatures, but be ready to find out much more in the game itself!

So, Vampires in the Beast Hour universe are united under the Eternal Ones clan banner. They got their name due to the almost eternal lifespan every Vampire is blessed with. Some of the clan members remember how the world looked like more than 3,000 years ago!



Eternal Ones have a single leader and are divided into two generations:

1) Aztli Talla ("Blood Mistress") – the Empress of the fallen empire and the head of the Vampires. She possesses an unprecedented power when in her Beast form, but she also can turn into a human.

2) The First Generation – the higher nobility and the circle of Aztli Talla's closest servants. As a result of their long hibernation they have lost the ability to return to human form. Their power is inferior to Blood Mistress.

3) The Second Generation – the youngest (not older than 550 years) and the most numerous generation. They still can turn into humans, but their power is significantly inferior as compared to the First Generation.

Eternal Ones believe that the end of the world – Beast Hour – shall soon come. In their interpretation of the prophecy the Blood God will return and plunge the whole world into darkness, thus making Vampires no longer afraid of the sunlight. In this new age the Eternal Hunt shall start – an endless battle between Werewolves, Vampires and other clans will rage across the continents. Only the strongest and most worthy will prevail in this battle to rule over the new eternity.



To sum it up

Our whole team behind Beast Hour development can't wait for you to get your hands on the Vampire! If you have any questions – go ahead and ask, we'll do our best to answer. Have no doubt – we're making Beast Hour for you!

Please, make sure to check out our livestreams we regularly have at our Youtube and Twitch channels for almost an entire year by now. The next stream will take place in the middle of November, and the latest one you can found on Youtube.

Wishlist Beast Hour on Steam, follow us on social media channels and support on Patreon – it does help our small indie team to bring Beast Hour to a next level!

By the way, Beast Hour needs your help to prepare German, Italian, Portuguese and Korean translations! And if you know French, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Arabic or Japanese – we have a bunch of texts awaiting your proofreading! You can contact us via email: info@beasthour.com

And if you want to take a deep dive in development or discuss other forms of cooperation, use this: bizdev@beasthour.com

The Beast will come!

The Containers you’ve grown used to in Techtonica feature four ports, one on each side of a 3x3x3 box.

Containers with ports are super helpful for factory automation games. Coupled with the right combination of Inserters and Belts, Containers can serve as hubs for complex layouts or temporary sinks for starter spaces.

But, the large Containers on display during the Alpha and Demo were not meant to be around forever.

3x3x3 is a lot of space to consume on a factory floor, especially when Groundbreakers grapple with optimizing layouts for maximum efficiency. We’re talking about 27 voxels occupied by a machine with only four ports.

Oh, sure, we loved them for how ridiculous they were! One early playtester dubbed their first Container a block of cheese. As a team, we affectionately refer to the Container as Chonkin’ Charles.

Chonkin’ Charles? He’s going away before the game releases into Early Access.



Jokes aside, the Container players found and either loved or loathed in the Techtonica Demo was always placeholder. We’ve had alternate, permanent iterations in our backlog for a while now.

So, what’s replacing the 3x3x3 Container we called Chonkin’ Charles?


Yep! When Groundbreakers delve below the surface of Calyx in Techtonica as it launches into Early Access, they’ll find a smaller, more efficient Container waiting for them.

Gone is the massive box with only one port per side. In its place comes a Container that occupies only eight precious voxels in your factory. Even better, it comes with double the port count, featuring two on each side.



Check out a sample of the concept process done by our art team above. Below, you’ll see a screenshot of the new Container at work in our in-development build of Techtonica.



The new ports and smaller space requirements will allow players to squeeze out way more efficiency for their factories, and we can’t wait to see how Groundbreakers put them to use.

As for its internal name? Obviously, we call it Medium Melvin.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/

If you haven’t heard the news, the Techtonica demo will leave Steam on November 8th, 2022, as we shift our focus to building the Early Access version of the game.

We’ll fill the gap left by the demo’s departure with lots of behind-the-scenes and in-development news for Techtonica. That includes posts like this one.

Thanks for reading, Groundbreaker! We have so much planned for Techtonica, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Alongside F1® 22's recent 1.15 patch, all ten F1® teams have had significant face-lifts to bring them closer to their real-life counterparts. This is known as the Sport Liveries Update and is available now for all F1® 22 players.



Throughout the season, F1® teams make refinements to their team colours, branding, attire, and more. However, the most important changes are those made to the cars themselves.

As teams across the grid look to eke out those fractions of a second over their rivals, F1® car designs evolve throughout the season. What might look like small aesthetic changes to an untrained eye can be the result of thousands of hours of research, potentially being the difference between a point's finish and a spot on the podium.

With the Sport Liveries update released to F1® 22, changes to vehicle geometry, bodywork, sponsors, and colours have been made, as well as updates to team attires, hospitality spaces, and garage looks throughout the F1® grid. This will bring them closer to their real-life counterparts for enhanced visual realism.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the changes made to each of the teams in the most detailed Sport Liveries Update we’ve made to-date:

Oracle Red Bull Racing

Sidepod, top canopy, shark fin, side vents, and front floor strakes have been changed. Sponsor logos have also been updated, most notably the addition of Honda to the engine cover, introduced during this year's Japanese Grand Prix. Additionally, the colour of the RB18 has been refined to better suit its real-life counterpart in-game.




Scuderia Ferrari

Tweaks to the rear wing, wing mirrors, front brake duct, DRS housing, and slight sidepod changes on the rear end have all been made.




Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

The front wing and front wing end plates, floor sides, floor front strakes, DRS housing, and the sidepod shape have been updated.




BWT Alpine F1 Team

Changes to the sidepods, sidepods/top canopy vents, top canopy and shark fin, floor front strake, and the rear wing lower planes have been made. There have also been changes to the livery pattern, most notably the increase in exposed carbon fibre at the top of the sidepods, between the BWT pink section and the Alpine blue section of the car.




McLaren F1 Team
Floor sides and front strakes, sidepods, and side vents have been changed on top of more carbon being revealed and changes to vehicle sponsors. This includes the change from Android to Chrome on the engine cover and the rear wing DRS flap changing from blue to black. Additional sponsor logos have been added to the front wing, rear wing and headrests.




Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN
Sidepod vents, front wing end plates, the DRS mechanism, and sidepod shape on the rear have all been updated.




Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team

Sidepod, top canopy, wing mirror, rear wing main plane, and floor front strakes have been changed. The AMR22 also now features a unique-looking "end plate" on each side of the rear wing, introduced during this year's Hungarian Grand Prix and run at higher downforce tracks like Zandvoort. The livery pattern has also been adjusted, exposing more carbon fibre on the halo and engine cover.




Haas F1 Team

Floor sides, front floor strakes, sidepod vents, rear sidepod shape, and front wing end plates have been changed. The most notable change on the livery is the addition of HaasTooling.com on the front wing end plates and the engine cover.




Scuderia AlphaTauri

Sidepods, sidepod vents, rear wing lower planes, rear wing main plane, DRS shape, and front wing colour changes have been made, as well as more carbon revealed on the body. The livery is now much darker than the launch version, with the front and rear wings now taking on a carbon/navy look compared to the white versions used previously. Notable sponsor updates include Ziba Foods on the nose and front wing end plates, and Buzz surrounding the headrests.




Williams Racing

Sidepods, top canopy, side vents, front floor strakes, floor sides, rear wing main plane, and a slightly different livery with more carbon being revealed have been implemented. In addition to the sidepod updates, Virtua's logos have been updated to reflect the change in their design mid-season.




We hope that you enjoy these updates to each of the teams across the grid and beyond.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1692250/F1_22/

Hello everyone. I hope you are doing well.

Development has been really great the past weeks and I'm making a really good progress.

Recently, I've started to work on the map, choosing the right type of foliage (good-looking and as optimized as possible) and the right type of textures/materials in order to run the game the best way possible.

I've also been looking into Virtual Textures and they should drastically improve the framerate of the game as well if used!

Overall, a lot of work on optimization and choosing the right things before proceeding to build the full world!

I wish you a great week!

Romain

Hi everyone!

It's been a busy week with the Steam Scream Fest, but today's the last day! In case you missed it, the game has been on a 20% discount and has had a free demo up that allows you to transfer your progress to the full game!

If you've ever wanted to try before you buy, this is the perfect opportunity!

There's also tons of news for the game that was announced in the last update, so if you missed that check it out here.

Previously I had said that the demo was going to be limited to this Steam Scream Fest, but it will now be up past the event! This will really make sure that all of you know what to expect out of the game before you buy it!

Anyways, that's it for today's update and make sure to be quick because although the demo is now up beyond the event, the discount period is going to end today!

- Conrad, Lead Developer

The Market and Town now have a Halloween Theme!

UPDATE: The Market and Town have returned to normal

It provides a method for auto-setting skill points, which can automatically set the remaining points.
It also provides a method to reset skill points. You can reset the points before auto-setting. Then all the skill points can be set by system automatically.

Fixed minor bugs.

To celebrate Halloween this year we have decided to make a spin-off project about a secondary NPC of the game, Sibilla.

Who is Sibilla?
Sibilla is a well-known fortune teller, many people go to her to find out about their future or to ask for advice. Rumors tell that in addition to the gift of clairvoyance he also has telekinetic powers!


Don't be intimidated by her appearance, she is neither good nor bad, she's just ... different.

Ask a question to Sibilla and she will find the answers in her Cards, but be careful, the answer may not be what you hoped for!
The deck used by Sibilla contains the 22 major arcana and all 56 minor arcana.


Each card is an archetype and can have different meanings depending on how and when it is revealed.



So, on this dark and spooky night, discover your destiny right away by downloading The Blades, and if you haven't already, add Umbra sepulcri to your wishlist ːsteamthumbsupː

Download THE BLADES here

We wish you a bright fate, and a good Halloween.
The Dead Pixel Team