The EA Phase is coming! To help you quickly familiarize with this new world, we'll post some of the most frequently asked questions and brief answers here. Without further ado, let's get started!

Soulmask is a survival sandbox game that aims to deliver a "Real Experience." As the "last person" of a tribe empowered by mysterious masks, you'll eke out a living on this ancient land of mysterious cults and blaze your own trail to civilization. Explore, build, and recruit tribesmen to develop your clan from scratch.

Since it's an EA version, the current visuals, sound effects, performance, and other aspects are not definitive. We're doing our best to make this game better with your help!



Due to reasons concerning review and release, the product's release time on the page may be adjusted slightly. Please stay tuned for community messages.

We will only launch it on Steam, but we are also preparing to launch it on other platforms. To learn more about our further plans, please check our posts in the community.


The EA's Minimum and Recommended requirements are as follows. You can also check the [System Requirements] on the store page at any time:




Yes! We will support NVIDIA DLSS/AMD FSR

If the above function doesn't take effect, please update your graphics driver to the latest version, restart your computer, and try again.

Besides, there is a chance that you may encounter flashing and overexposure using DLSS in the EA version. FSR would be a better choice.


In fact, Soulmask now has a controller/SteamDeck scheme, but after some testing, it has not met the expected experience.

Therefore, to ensure a good experience for all controller players, we will not publicly announce support for controllers and Steamdeck during the Early Access, but you can still use this unfinished feature. We are fully committed to optimizing it. In the near future, we will comprehensively enhance support for game controllers and Steamdeck!


Short answer: Yes. The PVP mode is still in EA's early gameplay test phase, and you may find some flaws, like the lag problem when the server is filled with players (it often happens when the online players are over 30). We'll constantly optimize the related content to provide a better experience.


The EA will release 4 modes: Solo Mode, LAN Online Mode for up to 8 players, PVE/PVP Official Server Mode and Private Servers

In light of users' demands, we'll optimize the official server categorization based on the former test. The details are as follows:


Note:Server Capacity, Building Damage Time, and other rules may be adjusted according to the actual server pressure and user feedback in the early EA. We'll post notices timely.

If you want to know the specific information about our first round servers, please click here.

For the first play, you might want to try Solo/Multiplayer Mode or rent an exclusive server to get a smoother experience. In the meantime, we'll keep optimizing the related content and make the official server better!

The official servers for this EA include America Server, Europe Server and Asia Server.

The private server providers GPORTAL and CLAWCLOUD now support one-click rental and configuration. The server rental links are as follows:

CLAWCLOUD
GPORTAL

If you have your own server, check out this comprehensive tutorial we prepared for you. Click to learn more: Tutorial Link

Sorry for the frustrating game experience. Soulmask still has some unresolved compatibility issues during the EA phase. You can try verifying the game's integrity or restarting your computer. If the problem persists, you can visit our Official Discord to contact our staff. We'll solve it as soon as possible.

The official online mode is still imperfect in the EA phase. When the server is swarmed with players, it activates many units on the map. Due to the precise action checks, combat may stutter or get stuck. We'll continue to optimize the related content to provide a smoother experience! If you encounter this issue, we suggest trying our Solo Mode, Multiplayer Mode, or Private Server first.


Don't worry, Soulmask has prepared a comprehensive tutorial to see you through the toughest early stage!

Or you can check out our Steam Guides for more guidance and strategies.


In cooperation with the Wiki platform and FANDOM, we've prepared an exclusive Wiki for chieftains. This will release after EA launches!

You may refer to it for any in-game information. Since the Wiki is an open and ongoing project, your corrections and contributions are always welcome!


And that's where one of the main Soulmask features comes in: Tribesmen! By intimidating the wild barbarians, you can absorb them into your tribe. They can then help you with Gathering, Crafting, and other quests, even forming an entire automatic production line.

Don't know where to start? These tribesmen's strategies will definitely be of help!


The PVP Mode revolves around freedom. You choose whatever game style you like, and there are no fixed PVP battles. Besides survival and combat, you may need to communicate, negotiate, and even build tribes or wage war with other players. We believe this will diversify the gameplay and give it more freedom, and we hope that players can fight fair and talk freely!

For new players, this mode can be exceedingly competitive, as they have to deal with threats from both nature and other players. This means that your Home, Resources, and Tribesmen are subject to attacks from other players. So new players are better off starting with Solo/Multiplayer Mode.


PVP Season Reset is a common feature in many games, as it can enliven the game and make it more challenging. In Soulmask, the PVP Season will be reset after it ends, which means that the game data will be reset to give everyone the same start in the new season. The rules are as follows:

• [PVP Season Span] The PVP Season will last about 120 days, and then it will be reset, and a new season will start. We'll still be testing the PVP mode during EA and may adjust the Reset Time accordingly. The adjustment notice will be released at least one month in advance. After confirmation, we'll change the [To be Announced] status to a specific date.
  
• [PVP Cross-server Group] 21 days into the season, players of a server can teleport to another server in the same cross-server group. Please note that each independent server's Online Players Cap still stands.
  
• [No season plans for the PVE Server for now] However, we may still make evaluations and adjustments during the EA Phase, and if there are any changes, we'll announce them at least 3 months in advance.

At the early stages of EA, we have an initial blueprint for the future. Of course, we will make proper adjustments based on your feedback and the actual situation. For now, let's share our current "ambitions" with you:



Play Soulmask with the same Steam account used in the test, and raise the character to Lv.15 in any mode to unlock the Mask Decor Table. You can then equip mask appearances in the Special Mask section.

①: Raise the character to Lv.15 to unlock the Mask Decor Table. Craft and place Mask Decor Table



②: Open the Mask Decoration interface



③: Scroll down to the bottom and find Special Mask to equip mask appearances



We noticed that some players entered the wrong Steam ID when claiming [New Mask Appearances], so their accounts can't activate them normally. Please go to our
Official Discord at and in the [#New Mask Appearance] Reissue Channel, enter your Steam ID and the tested character name. After verification, we'll reissue the [New Mask Appearance] for you in the next version.

With our new update, we have disabled the "icon" clicking issue that caused problems with Scan and Loot. Now all you have to do is select the fighter to scan or loot and right-click on the shipwreck to be scanned or the find to be looted.




With this update, you can now select fighters and turrets with the number keys.

To select fighters, you can use the 1,2,3,4 and 5 keys. This order depends on which BAY the fighter is assigned to. Number 1 for fighter in BAY 1, number 5 for fighter in BAY 5... Also, during combat, you can see the pilot's name and BAY number of the fighter under the Fighter sprite.

To select the Turrets, you now had to press the Turret number with the +SHIFT key. In previous versions, Turrets could only be selected by pressing the 1,2,3,4,5 keys, but after the auto-fire feature, the fire control of mini turrets was largely automated. You can use combinations of SHIFT+3 for the Large Turret and SHIFT+6 and SHIFT+7 for the Missile launchers. You can also select these turrets by left-clicking on the Mothership, or you can open the Turrets panel and click on the relevant turret's panel. This way you can select them and have them ready for target selection.






Among the fighter control buttons, there is now a "Recall All" button in the 3rd row to call all fighters in space to the mother ship at once. When you press this, all fighters on duty in space will return to the mother ship. We believe that this is a button that will make the job of our players much easier after conflicts and collecting loot.

As our experienced players will notice, there are no Scan and Loot buttons in the button row anymore. As we explained in the first title, you can now automatically start the scan and loot process by right-clicking on shipwrecks.

***
Some small reminders:

Level:
We see that some of our players have not yet noticed the Levels of friendly and enemy warriors. The game awards XP to Captain Lionheart and fighter pilots every time you destroy an enemy ship. This is not yet noticeable, but in the following battles you may encounter enemies of much different levels. You can see the Levels of your friendly warriors at the top of the fighter sprite. If you are going to attack a very high level enemy, we recommend that you organize your fighters as a team, because high level enemies can be strong enough to cause heavy damage even to the mother ship, and of course, they can cut your fighters's armors like paper.

Pilot priorities:
You should not expect the pilots under your command to strictly obey your every command. If these NPC pilots, under the control of artificial intelligence, sense an emergency, they may decide to abandon their mission and intervene in this emergency. For example, you may have tasked a pilot with scanning enemy debris. However, one of his comrades may have been under heavy enemy attack at that time. In this case, the NPC pilot may choose to abandon the scan mission you gave and run to the aid of his friend. In many situations like this, you may witness pilots leaving your command by analyzing the situation around them. Don't panic, you can try giving orders to your pilots until they accept your authority. But we don't know if it will work. Artificial intelligence's mind can work differently.


We wish you hours of fun in the game and we welcome your feedback.

In the last 2 weeks we were mainly working on adding spoken dialogues, replacing soundtracks with real ones, balancing and bug fixes.

• [Dialogs] Added spoken dialogues (experimental).
  
• [Dialogs] Player now speaks after collecting any item (experimental).
  
• [Enemies] Added new enemy called Ancient Scarab.
  
• [Music] Added real Ancient Desert level track.
  
• [Music] Replaced Shop track with real one.
  
• [Meta Progression] Unlocked items now spawn near NPCs locations so you can test them right away after unlocking.
  
• [Starting Room] Teleporting Altar now always spawns very close to the Spellweaver location.

• [Localization] Shortened all items and perks descriptions.
  
• [Audio] Reduced Shop, Quest and Spellweaver NPCs music change range.
  
• [Settings] Adjusted default audio settings.
  
• [Enemies] Flying enemies are now unable to spawn in Challenge Rooms because they could fly away from it, making it impossible to finish them.
  
• [Challenges] Changed Lucky Survivor challenge: Now it required to kill the boss with 35 or less HP instead of the need of finishing a level with 35 or less HP.
  
• [Level Generation] Reduced length of higher levels.
  
• [Level Generation] Changed how levels are generated in the Void.
  
• [Spells] Changed Energy Ball sprite to pixel art.
  
• [UI] Improved visuals of Cooldown Icons (made them a little bit transparent).
  
• [Enemies] Reduced Void Worm's Gravity Zone duration 3.5 => 2.25
  
• [Enemies] Reduced Hemlock Dragon's Thorn Spikes attack range 20 => 15
  
• [Enemies] Reduced enemies health and damage on highest difficulty levels.

• [Curses] Enemies from Curse of the Eternal Battle will no longer spawn when dialog or minimap window is active.
  
• [Curses] Fixed a bug where cursor was really hard to see when Curse of the Darkness was active.
  
• [End Screen] Fixed a bug where enemies could spawn and attack you while End Screen with run stats was visible (they couldn't damage you anyway so it was just a visual thing).
  
• [Inventory] Fixed a bug where when playing using Chinese language then the Inventory Items were overlapping each other (because of translation issues).

Make sure to check out our official Discord server to discuss anything you want and give your suggestions!
https://discord.com/invite/nS6FvfzhJv

Stay tuned for the next updates!

I'm really excited to bring you this update!

It introduces a more personal experience to you and your avatar and introduces the foundation for the end-game content.

You can now customize your character a bit, change their hair and its color, their clothes color, and purchase and equip hats! Or hide your hat and or hair, if they don't suit you.

Earn "Fish Tokens" when you go on a personal fishing trip to a secret fishing area in the woods, once you've unlocked it. I know we've all been jealous of our fisher people customers getting to reel in all of the fish, and now it's your turn!

As always, I will be playing all day, and waiting for your feedback to ensure the quality of this update is up to par with the rest of the game.

Thank you for all of your support!

• Customize your character to bring yourself into the game.
  
• Purchase new hats for your character.
  
• Go on personal fishing trips to a secret location in the woods.
  
• Earn Fish Tokens by catching fish on your personal fishing trips.
  
• 3 new achievements to earn.

After a bit more testing, I will begin to lean into the rest of the end-game content.

There will be new fishing spots with more variations, unique fish at the new spots, and even more hats.

Fish Chartering will allow you to bring your customers to new areas to fish and provide an entirely new gameplay experience once you've completed the base game as it currently is.

And who knows what else? I'd love to hear your feedback on the Discord server, perhaps you have a great addition!

Join the Discord

This game has passed Steam's review, and the release date has been set for June 17, 2024.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1114390/Air_Combat_MF/

Remaked some supercore effects

The first playable demo of Tactical Breach Wizards will be in the June Next Fest, sneaking out a little early on June 3rd. Then at 10am Pacific on June 12th, special guest hbomberguy will be livestreaming the full game on our store page, continuing on from roughly where the demo leaves off.

Tom, designer, writing this, hi, will also be on stream to answer his & your questions, and desperately try not to backseat-game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/

If anyone's not familiar, Harry makes meticulously-researched deep dive videos on games-adjacent stories that you think you're not going to watch all of but then somehow you have and you don't regret it.

Obviously, a collaboration of this magnitude has been years in the making, and some day Ben Affleck will direct a movie dramatising the untold story. But briefly, it was like:

Him: Can I play your game?
Me: Sure.
Me: Actually, can we stream that?
Him: Sure.

(I actually quite liked Air, for what that's worth.)

It's here. Praise METEM. Right on top of the Actu Gaming French Direct!

Without further ado, here's Update 4, including the Roguelite Endless Mode we've been excited to share with you, along with new perks and abilities! And a seriously long list of bug fixes... (see below)

Again Special Thanks to the Void Crew community for all their feedback! Here’s a recap of the big headlines, in a 'new player' friendly video:







What is more to say? Go try it out!

Getting Endless to work required a lot of work, including rework of the Astral map to show various stages and rewards during an endless run, while still being compatible with the standard pilgrimages.

We also wanted to give players tangible rewards after each objective, so players would get some power progression at least... but time your exit if you want to grab that delicious Void Jumping Supply Drop! And you better not forget it, cause those enemies will keep coming and they keep getting more nasty! Even Proximity mines won't go down with one shot after a few jumps...

And if that wasn't all, endless mode supports stacking of twists in a single sector! Combined with dynamic support of changing solar system in an Endless run means you'll never be quite sure of what will come your way...

And it wouldn't be a Roguelite if we didn't make sure you'd have to adapt your strategy for every run... so your fabrication options will be limited! But we are sure you'll make the best of it. Or die trying. Probably the latter.



We've kept the 'capped' 30 ranks, and named those Ascension Ranks: Basically finite levels of worthiness of METEM. The purpose of Ascension ranks is to ease players in, unlocking content as they progress.

But how do you show off how cool you reaaaally are? That's where the infinite METEM Favor Levels come in! After capping your Ascension Rank, you start earning Favor Levels. Now you can truly show who should be the Captain...

And don't forget: Each rank up - for both types - grants you a cosmetic box. Milestone ranks grant higher tiers of cosmetics boxes - with improved duplicate protection!



First things first - we had to change how Gene Points work - They are now finite, and you get one per Ascension Rank.

IMPORTANT! What about all your hard-earned Gene Points? Worry not - Your collected Gene Points will be converted into generous XP - you can claim those XP in the Personal Loadout Terminal!

Secondly, we love the idea of multi-speccing, so now you can spend points in all classes. You can spec deep or broad it is all up to you!

Thirdly, there are now THREE types of things you can invest your gene points into: Perks, Blueprints and Abilities. Lets see what each class is offered:

The Gunner gets access to perks that buff their ability to damage whoever stands in your way. And you'll need it! But of course, choice will have to be made: Do you opt for Energy damage? Kinetic? Or a lower but shared damage buff. Range? Firerate? Accuracy?

The blueprint available to the gunner is higher tier weapon mods, otherwise unavailable in Endless mode.

The Gunner's special ability is their Empower Weapon, which deals super-effective damage no matter the type of armor or shield the enemy has!

The Pilot tree perks buff their ability to maneuver their ship, but also ability to charge void drive faster, longer lasting Thruster Boosts and more resilient shields to keep the ship intact for as long as it takes!

The Pilot gets blueprint access to a module which grants additional Thruster Boosts! Of course you'll have to convince your crew that is a sane investment...

The Pilot's special ability is their Empower Ship, which almost instantly gain omnidirectional protection... great for when you get into a tight spot!

The Engineer has some interesting perks, like the Magnetic Boots, limiting floating up into the air on ship power loss and be less affected by that pilot who pulls the Void Lever prematurely... yeah you know that person!

The Engineer gets the blueprint which allows fabricating the very expensive Ship System Upgrader... a very lucrative item indeed for those seeking higher tier modules...

Is the Ship falling apart again? Well, the Engineer will save you with their Repair Instinct that makes them run faster and instantly repair stuff!

Of course the Scavenger gets perks suited for exploration and for those long-walks in EVA. One team favorite is the Long Throw perk, allowing charging up to throw that valuable loot back to the ship.

The Scavenger gets the blueprint to fabricate the Oxygenated Blood Pack, a tiiiiiny syringe-like item which grants additional oxygen and health on those long space walks. And it is okay to share too!

But where the Scavenger really shines is their fancy new Grappling Hook, making them the fastest Ectype out there...


Whatever your choice, we are sure you'll have a better chance of surviving with than without!




This takes immersion to a new level. The Pilot talks through speakers around ship, EVA'ing Ectypes talk through “radio with static noise effect”, and voice is manipulated based on proximity to source. Of course it comes with the option to disable in the settings if you aren't into immersion and stuff.


These things just add up (in a good way). Here's a simple overview of what to look out for:

• Salute with gesture and voice to praise METEM!
  
• Due to various reported airlock accidents occurring on METEM ships, High Command decided to re-direct the suits built-in C02 exhausts to eject with body movement, resulting in natural forward movement when Ectypes are in No Gravity Zones, like space: what we call, "Space Swimming". Losing power and engaging Void Jump will make your ship a No Gravity Zone, so careful now!
  
• Tactile hands shows animations when repairing defects
  
• Player core animations have received an overhaul
  
• Inverse Kinematic driven hands have been implemented (to show carryables in hands)

We thought we get it out there sooner than later, so try out our Beta version and give us feedback on our Discord!


Mmmmm... so pretty! God rays, moody interiors and unexplained light sources is all we are saying.


A few more cosmetics for the fashionable Ectype, including a 'winged' chestpiece, patterns and colorful... ehm... colors.

• Esc-menu updated with new functionality for muting/kicking etc
  
• All damage values are (visually) increased
  
• Large numbers have “comma separation”
  
• Twinkle effect on carryables in space position tweaked
  
• UI markers size reduction
  
• Improved sound when involuntarily dropping carried objects
  
• Added (color) variation to data shards
  
• Jump signatures are now faction colored
  
• Made character jumping feel better
  
• Adjustments to KPD - includes a guiding laser and is able to target proximity mines
  
• Added support for Misophonia (disabling of uncomfortable sounds for some players)
  
• HOLLOW Reclaimer now comes with intimidating sounds
  
• Shield absorption now shown in pilot HUD and shield module screen
  
• Deconstruction enabled in all loadouts
  
• Improved collision in a lot of places (to accommodate the grappling hook); Note: Still some work left
  
• Central Computer Core switch changed to “hold to turn” instead of click
  
• Player ship shield visibility tuned up
  
• Life Support now supports exterior “oxygen refill”
  
• Sitting in chairs/sarcograph now consistently requires hold F
  
• Update to the way the rewards are being dealt to players (including graphics/icons)
  
• Update to Cryptic UI visuals
  
• Projections now support stackable animations (some projections now behave a bit differently)
  
• [SOLO] Twists (asteroid / scorching pulse) now adapt to player count
  
• [SOLO] Frostmorph nerfed to allow more player ship movement (allowing alignment of BRAINS and longer duration before freezing)
  
• Protect rebalanced a bit (harder), and will now aggro enemies in more sticky manner
  
• Download station health reduced (harder), duration lowered 1 minute
  
• Repairs keycombo scales based on defect stage
  
• Jump feeling improved
  
• New variant of the Download objective
  
• New variant of the Raid objective
  
• New sub-randomization for wreck interiors/exteriors
  
• HOLLOW Prism: Rebalanced various nodes and activation steps
  
• REMNANT Comm Relay: Rebalanced turret placement and health
  
• Litany miniguns reloading rebalanced (in particular for MkII and MkIII)
  
• Added total XP counter to tally xp bar
  
• Added platform icon collection
  
• Added keybind control image on ESC menu
  
• UX: Hold F to committing actions like being seated in chairs
  
• Added confirmation popups main menu and quit game button
  
• Removed Stealth Destroyers in Priority Targets optional objective
  
• Added Quality Settings
  
• Removed various unused rendering options
  
• Various LODs added
  
• Wreck markers updated
  
• HOLLOW Destroyer fires a barrage of homing missiles and has just become very evil
  
• Updated HOLLOW missiles look (used by HOLLOW Destroyer and HOLLOW Heavy Fighter)
  
• Moved the rear-mounted B.R.A.I.N. to port side, and scoop closer to the shelves in the Lone Sentry (Loadout)
  
• Gravity scoop attraction angles and pull speed tweaked
  
• Interdiction reinforcements rebalanced, and lowered amount based on player count.
  
• Rebalanced XP rewards
  
• Ported old UI to new UI system
  
• Enabled motion vectors support for TAA
  
• Player ships split up, materials merged together and tris reduced
  
• Minor occlusion added to Frigate ship
  
• Sun particles added/adjusted

BETA support for Simplified Chinese and Russian added.

• Fixed enemies ability to target the Download Dish
  
• Fixed KPD misaligned socket graphics and bullet particles
  
• Fixed Frigate side shield not working
  
• Fixed battery charger
  
• Fixed upgrading the modules while the ship is moving
  
• Fixed dropping item sound issue heard by all players
  
• Fixed HOLLOW Destroyer movement
  
• Fixed Weapon control stopped working
  
• Fixed Fabricator not showing craftables
  
• Fixed Airlock doors sound
  
• Fixed audio issue for first time spawn
  
• Fixed player kicking issue
  
• Fixed floating lootboxes in METEM wrecks
  
• Fixed Power Generator enhancement was applying effect twice
  
• Fixed player camera positioning
  
• Fixed auto station turret
  
• Fixed Logbook cannot be opened through escape menu
  
• Fixed moving while starting cryptic issue
  
• Fixed starting jetpack movement
  
• Fixed enemy shield issue on remote clients
  
• Fixed prism nodes activating inside geometry
  
• Fixed microwreck chests get stuck in geometry
  
• Fixed to exclude invulnerable AND shield nodes
  
• Fixed Players no longer get unintended markers on them
  
• Fixed Jetpack foldout animation and effects re-added
  
• Fixed elusive bug where enemy explosions would be offset for remotes
  
• Fixed Frostmorphs will no longer attack Download Bases or Protect Ships
  
• Fixed Vivox / fmod stability issues
  
• Fixed HOLLOW Reclaimer getting stuck
  
• Fixed remote not finishing void jump if master pulls
  
• Fixed oneshotting enemies will now aggro nearby enemies
  
• Fixed mission properly cancel for remotes
  
• Fixed Shield nodes teleporting
  
• Fixed issue where Destroyer engine area would be powered off for remotes
  
• Fixed elusive over-brightness and "pink asteroids" issue
  
• Fixed thruster booster icon duration in UI
  
• Fixed 0 firerate on weapons error
  
• Fixed Thruster Booster buttons audio only playing once
  
• Fixed players being stuck in printing queue
  
• Fixed player in weapon chair
  
• Fixed players t-posing issue
  
• Fixed ship hull not showing 0% when getting destroyed
  
• Fixed character skin weights
  
• Fixed hull breach decal order
  
• Fixed double cryptics on hull breaches
  
• Fixed rewards disappearing after switching difficulty on Pilgrimage quests
  
• Fixed Tutorial not being forced private
  
• Fixed Repair plate foldout animation
  
• Fixed ship repulsion and player kill triggers on a series of enemies
  
• Fixed UI player rendering occurring when not in use
  
• Fixed legacy camera rendering in death scene
  
• Fixed various audio bugs and volume tweaks
  
• Fixed various fixes to dynamic joining and host migration, including homunculus desync
  
• Fixed various input issues
  
• Fixed various geometry issues in wrecks
  
• Fixed various geometry issues on player ships
  
• Fixed various localization issues
  
• Fixed various context infos
  
• Fixed various font and UI issues

Inevitable there will be a few improvements needed in the next weeks with this big of an update, so we'll dedicate some time if need be. So if you find something don't hesitate and share with us on our Discord!

Either way, we are already very excited for the next update, but we won't spoil too much at this time...

Added tutorial menu at the pause screen
Fixed a bug that when you fire a big employee while they're not in any Big Rooms, the game crashes
Fixed a bug relating cleaning that causes persistent crash

This game has passed Steam's review, and the release date has been set for June 17, 2024.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1114390/Air_Combat_MF/