Dec 9, 2024

Forever Skies - FFH_Greg

Greetings scientists…

After just over a month of closed playtests, we’re super hyped to answer the oldest and most important question asked by our community: “Co-op when?” The answer is NOW!

We've named this update the “World Evolved & Co-op Update” because, while we're thrilled about the addition of the co-op mode, calling it just the “Co-op Update” wouldn't do justice to the amount of new content introduced in EA.1.7.0. Check out our latest trailer below:

Coop Launch Bundles

Since coop is all about friends, we’ve teamed up with a few pals of our own from around the industry to create some notable bundles. So if you or your friends already own Planet Crafter, Medival Dynasty, or Pacific Drive you can get an additional 10% off Forever Skies or vice versa.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/35708/SCIFI_SURVIVAL_BUNDLE/

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/48180/Pacific_Drive_x_Forever_Skies/

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/47915/Forever_Skies_X_Medieval_Dynasty/

Themed In-Game Items

We also wanted to memorialize this special moment in our game’s history with our friends, so we created a series of themed items inspired by Frost Punk 2, Planet Crafter, Medieval Dynasty, and Pacific Drive which have been added to the game for free. These posters and artifacts are scattered around the world for you to find and adorn your airship with. Happy hunting!

Welcome to Co-op Mode

Forever Skies can now be fully played in traditional Single-Player or our brand-new Co-op Mode. The co-op will only become available once you have completed the game's tutorial and have taken flight for the first time. A notification will appear when it becomes available.

The co-op gameplay loop is structured around one host and up to three friends (or volunteers). Volunteers join the host world and will become the crew of the host’s Airship base, in order to build, scavenge, research and survive together.

When starting a new Co-op game, on the main menu players will have a couple of options available to them when hosting a world:

Single-Player - Offline mode. Players can pause their game in this mode, no players can join your world.
Co-op Mode - The new mode where you will get a few different types of co-op modes to choose from. All of these modes require you to be online, which means no pause is available. Here are the different versions of Co-op you can play:

- Friends-Only - Your game is visible and accessible only to friends on Steam.
- Public - This mode is visible to everyone, whether from the in-game Sessions menu or from within Steam.

After you have chosen between single-player or co-op, you can then choose your difficulty level of Easy, Medium or Hard. You also get the option of what Airship Building ruleset you wish to use:

Normal - The new ruleset that's been added as part of the World Evolved & Co-op update, that places tighter restrictions on shipbuilding at the start but more in-depth freedom with airship upgrades as you progress.
Legacy - The previous ruleset you already know that gives players more freedom on where they could place Airship components

Please note: This Legacy building mode is a temporary solution for players who prefer the old building system. Eventually, this will be replaced with a full Creative Mode.

It's only possible to join another player's Co-op session once you have completed the tutorial yourself. When joining a session, you join the world of the host with no resources of your own, only your trusty Extractor. You will have to rely on the resources of your host before gathering them yourself. You can’t bring resources over into the host's world either.

Once a save has been created past the tutorial, the save can then be played in either Single-Player or Co-op mode depending on how you want to play that day.

New Gameplay Loop

The most important thing before playing is to forget everything you thought you knew about Forever Skies. If you try to play through the game and its objectives while holding onto previous knowledge and expecting the game to work the same as before, it could leave you at a disadvantage. The core game loop and progression has been reworked. This was done for a few reasons, but it mainly stems from player feedback about the previous loop and to make the game translate better to a co-op experience, while maintaining a fun single-player experience. Here are some of the changes and additions made to the game in EA.1.7.0:

Handcrafting, allows you to craft certain items and components via a built-in Suit Printer, enabling crafting while exploring instead of being tied to an on-board Fabricator.
A complete overhaul of the hand Extractor's design and accessibility. The tool will now be part of your suit near the start, with a self-recharge function in emergencies. We’ve also adapted our level design to provide more resources in the world for extraction, puzzles to solve with the Extractor, and a range of upgrades for players to discover, research and attach.
The Ship Workstation, now known as the Decoration Fabricator will also be made available just after the tutorial. We want players to start customizing their airships closer to the start of the game.
Objectives have been re-worked from the start of the game. This includes a more in-depth tutorial so new players learn how to manage their stats correctly, more focus on vertical gameplay and improvements to make objectives more understandable where needed.

Additional New Content

Capsule Drops sent from the Ark. These capsule drops will occur every so often when flying above the dust layer and will be worth scavenging. You can expect to find all kinds of useful resources inside, including upgrades for your tools!
Introducing the Metal Collector. This new handy bit of kit can be crafted and placed on catwalks along your airship exterior and will collect metal scraps from underneath the dust layer. Yes, we’re moving away slightly from floating metal in the sky, this still happens, but will only occur rarely. Your main source of metal now comes from the Metal Collector or extracting it from buildings and ruins.
A brand new intro cutscene. While we like our current opening cinematic, we believe it doesn't give the player much information to begin their journey on ruined Earth. The new cutscene gives players more context to how the player got back to Earth, and why. The cutscene also includes a picture of your crew aboard the Ark before the virus took its toll on everyone aboard. We also made this photo an item in-game that you can place on your Airship and take with you throughout your entire journey.
Improvements to Radio Tower locations. Radio Towers are now typically much larger than before. With multiple levels and buildings to explore and scavenge. You will also find more stories and secrets from the previous inhabitants here.
Scrapwing Hatchery - a new threat has appeared in the skies! As you explore above the dust, keep your eyes and ears out for this parasite. The Hatchery will attach itself to the side of your Airship and feast on the metal Catwalks. If this goes unchecked, after some time, it will tear off the Airship Catwalk along with whatever precious equipment you had on it! So be on alert unless you want to say bye bye to your Water Condensers.

You can read about every addition, change and fix to the game below in our changelog. Our team are also in the process of working on additional features and QoL which are planned for the upcoming EA.1.7.1 patch. More news to follow on that at a later date.

The Legacy Branch

As most of you know by now, your existing saves will be reset & will not be compatible with The World Evolved + Co-op Update. ICYMI, you can read the full details of that announcement by clicking here..

If you wish to retain your existing EA.1.6.0 saves, you can transfer your save file over to our new Legacy Branch.. This branch will receive no further updates, remaining as EA.1.6.0. You can then install this branch if you wish to visit your OG Airship builds or explore the world in its current state before EA.1.7.0

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Patchnotes/Changelog

NEW CONTENT:

General:

Co-op mode
Ping system – players can press V to ping items and places in the world to other players
New Intro cutscene
New settings - Building Mode
- Normal (new rules apply)
- Legacy mode (locked on Combat update 1.6.0 version - from all the rework and building restrictions; this mode won’t be supported going forward)
New settings - Arachnophobia Mode - changes some enemy models into non-arachnid-looking ones

Enemies:

Scrapwing Hatchery

Tools & Devices

Suit Printer
Metal Collector
Metal Collector Head
Extractor Upgrade - Capacity
Extractor Upgrade - Reload
Extractor VFX - rods represent energy level

World:

Basic Radio Tower locations diversified with living quarters
A height barrier surrounds the starting area of the map
Solar Towers as source of Silicon for starting height
Single Wind Farm towers with Copper accessible after the first height upgrade
Solar Panels added as floating debris, a source of Silicon
Drop Capsules with loot
New lore texts added

New resources:

Copper Elements
Silicon extracted from Solar Panels
Synthetic Conglomerate
Energy Container
Upgrade Parts (needed for upgraded tools and devices)

Player:

Suit Printer menu allows crafting directly from inventory
Dedicated slot for Extractor Upgrade under inventory
Death Screen lists all items lost due to player death
Additional HUD info notifications according devices and items placement
Animation for the first Extractor equip action
New first-person animations for climbing ladders and using Helm
TPP player animations and VFXs
Database updated for the current content additions and changes
Ability to Wake up players who ran out of energy

Airship:

Airship Catwalks can be destroyed along with everything that was placed on them by Scrapwing Hatchery.
New artifact - Family Photo
Posters for Medieval Dynasty collaboration (x3)
Posters for Planet Crafter collaboration (x2)
Posters for Pacific Drive collaboration (x2)
Artifact for Pacific Drive collaboration
Posters for Frostpunk 2 collaboration (x2)
Artifact for Frostpunk 2 collaboration
Metal Half-Wall
Bloom Half-Wall
Sprinkler area coverage visuals

CHANGED:

Tutorial progression and mechanics reworked
Starting location adjusted to the new Tutorial
Extractor available from the tutorial
Extractor as a default tool when joining co-op session
Extractor has a limit of charges before its energy depletes
Extractor has an option to be recharged manually
Lander visuals adjusted to the intro cutscene
Printing timers added to printer devices
Deck Extractor is available to unlock on the first Lift to Underdust location
Solid State Batteries are now craftable from Suit Printer Menu
Research Station and Helm devices can be printed from Device Fabricator
Transformers are no longer craftable and can be only found on locations
Changed logic for spawning Data Cards
- There can no longer be multiple Data Cards on one location
- Data Cards with items for specific tools/devices should be spawning only if the player obtained this tool/device first
Play menu name changed to Single Player
Rudder Controller name changed to Helm
Basic Fabricator name changed to Device Fabricator
Ship Workstation name changed to Furniture Fabricator
Water Tank’s name changed to Large Water Tank
Plastic Scrap name changed to Synthetic Compound
Device Fabricator can be crafted from Suit Printer
Basic Turbines and Engines can no longer be placed on Room frames [“Normal” building mode]
Some items like posters, cabinets, and some hanging devices can no longer be placed on Room frames [“Normal” building mode]
Basic and Upgraded Turbines height additions and limits changed
Every player needs a separate Bed for sleeping
Falling out of the ship does not kill the player but teleports them back
The percentage of items dropped due to death was increased:
- To 50% on Normal difficulty level
- To 60% on Hard difficulty level
Players now spawn not directly in front of the Helm, but on one of the floors closest to it
Player stats are rebalanced in the tutorial. The player now won’t die from Hunger/Thirst until they finish the food and water tutorial quests (or skip them by leaving the location before finishing them)
Increased regeneration of Hunger and Thirst from boiled food and clean water
Parameters should drop slightly slower while the player is sleeping
Seed container models changed from pouches to containers
Garden Pots crafting costs and mechanics changed - Dirty Water container capped at 1 unit
Garden Pots and their icons visuals changed - water tanks removed from the back of them
Plants growing times rebalanced
Wind Farm and Greenhouse Tower locations now have their lower and upper parts related to the changes in height progression
Small Cockpit is available in the Airship Builder from the beginning
Automatic Deck Extractors are now printable in the Upgrade Station
Wrecked Radar moved from Wind Farm to Radio Tower location
Wrecked Basic Turbine moved from Radio Tower to Wind Farm location
Tool Charger’s recipe moved from a Radio Tower (Electric Elements) to a Wind Farm (Circuit Board)
Small Water Tank capacity reduced to 50 units
Epoxy removed completely from Garden locations
Epoxy icon changed
Boiled Dust Lettuce icon changed
Boiled Sunmelon icon changed
Boiled Chili Pepper icon changed
Aircutter icon changed
Copper icon changed
Amber Bed icon changed
Evolved Flora Hologram icon changed
Size of Inventory slots changed by ~10%
Language settings moved from Audio to Gameplay Settings
Underdust Suburbs enemy spawners reworked
Permadeath removed
Sticky Note temporarily removed from the game (it needs more work)
Hypothermia Booster cost changed (Medical Reagent removed)
Overall rebalance of resources spawn and crafting costs
Many text changes to quests and lore tablets
Many level design and level art adjustments to existing locations
Location Radar now shows the closest quest location instead of multiple, marked with “!”
The number of Broken Crates spawned in the world increased
Loot rarity in Broken Crates raised (better items to be found inside)
Cost for repairing Broken Crates raised from 2 to 3 Repair Patches
Wrecked Automatic Deck Extractor moved to Infected Garden location
Wrecked Filtering Deck Extractor moved to Rooftops location
Filtering Deck Extractor can now extract Silicon
Metal Collector Heads and all Lures are now stackable (10 items)
Changed nutrition values of Dust Moth (from 15 to 10), Fat Dust Moth (from 15 to 20) and Glowing Dust Moth (from 15 to 25)
Changed nutrition values of Boiled Dust Moth (from 30 to 40), Boiled Fat Dust Moth (from 40 to 55) and Boiled Glowing Dust Moth (from 50 to 75)
Plants growth times are updated globally
Dust Fertilizer is no longer needed to grow some plants, right now it speeds all plants growth three times faster
Organic Fertilizer speeds all plants growth two times faster
Players can obtain Metal Collector study recipe even if they don’t scan Wrecked Metal Collector during the relevant quest (temporary solution)
All players within one session have to run the same build version
More optimization works

FIXED:

Blood Coagulator Booster no longer causes the player to become immortal after applying
Boiled fruits and plants which looked like Boiled Chili Pepper now have their proper Boiled version meshes
Bloom Walls no longer show yellow makeshift tape from default Room
Wrecked Flashlight model changed to the proper Wrecked item
Noah’s graffiti is scannable again
Fixed bugs where the wrong objects were visible in the Studies menu

KNOWN ISSUES:

Some missing translations for languages other than English
Random disconnecting from sessions - we’re investigating tons of logs now and trying to fix the most common problems
After rejoining a session quest-related parts of some locations may not be visible for joining players (clients)
Paint Tool shows wrong info “Not Enough Resources” when players joining session.
Friendly Insect is duplicated for clients in the Underdust: Tunnels
Friendly Insect may behave oddly once in a while
Clients may have better visibility on Underdust locations - the dust isn’t distributed properly
Ladder Room ladder mesh will be replaced, right now animations don’t match
Every player hears other player characters coughing (from the lack of oxygen) as loud as they would hear themselves
Upgraded Engines and Turbines tend to rotate oddly for clients
When two or more clients extract a resource at the same time, and one of them stops it, it won’t get extracted. The players then have to stop extracting and only one of them should start extracting again.
Oil Barrels don’t show the correct state when the clients exit and join the game again. They appear full, but they aren’t.
When a player is left on a location and the rest of the crew fly away a certain distance, if the stranded player uses the UNSTUCK button, the world may not load properly for them when they return to the airship
Building Mode: Legacy doesn’t allow for placing the engines on room frames

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Thats all for today! Have an awesome time in the skies with your friends!
Team Far From Home.