Hello Everyone! As we approach the start of the likely long experimental phase for v0.2.0, I wanted to get everyone on the same page for how you can expect this update to be deployed on the experimental branch. Due to the sheer size of this update, I will be gradually rolling it out in pieces; making it more manageable for me to collect, analyze, and action your feedback. This update isn't just touching on numerous gameplay enhancements; it's a comprehensive revamp of several core systems. The main focus of this testing will be ensuring the stability and efficiency of the new database system, which has affected EVERY part of the games underlying code base. So, here's the plan right now...

Initial Gameplay Test | 2024-04-19

The first test will start in just under 2 weeks from now, which will be primarily focused on testing all the gameplay changes running on the new database system. This is the most crucial part of the entire test, and I will be working closely with everyone to ensure a smooth deployment of it. What will be in this test?

• New database system, drastically reducing load times & optimizing library calls.
• Improved simulation stack - higher entity performance across the board.
• Multiple stability passes on individual entities (bug fixes reported in v0.1.4)
• Redesigned initial region, with a vastly improved generation algorithm.
• Balance changes to mid-late game, improving power vs. heat growth.
• New enemy mechanics, including base-reconstruction & outpost core connections.
• Redesigned user interface - all new windows with more intuitive navigation.

Multiplayer Test | 2024-05-03

The second part of the testing will be on multiplayer. The reason this is excluded from the initial update is to focus testing on the core system changes; trying to pinpoint and fix specific problems would be a lot more challenging in a multiplayer environment, as certain bugs may only happen in MP. What will be in this test?

• Multiplayer - join forces with friends (or strangers) on a shared base!
• Steam lobby & matchmaking support, play with others from around the globe.
• Iterations on the initial gameplay test; fixing up initial bug reports & actioning feedback.

Full Update (with Phantom Plains) | Date TBD

The final part of the update is of course the new region, Phantom Plains. This is the big content portion of the update, which is what everything prior to this has been building towards. The date will be based on how the prior tests go, but most likely it will go right onto live after multiplayer is finished testing :) What will be in this test?

• An entirely new region - Phantom Plains, with a new research tree & unique challenges.
• Iterations on the previous test; fixing up Multiplayer bugs & actioning more feedback.

Additional v0.2 FAQ

I'm sure many of you will have questions, so I've tried to address the top ones which come up repeatedly in our Discord server. (I will also try to answer any in the discussion thread)

• When will the update be deployed on live? I don't know yet! It will depend on how testing goes during the experimental stages.
• Can I test multiplayer early? No, there are still a few things missing from multiplayer for it to work seamlessly across clients, and I want to focus the initial testing on the other changes coming in this update first.
• What will be changed in the first gameplay test? Assume everything. While it will still play similarly to how it did in v0.1.4, you'll notice a lot of little changes across the board to every part of the game, based on the feedback provided in v0.1.4!
• Is insert bug here fixed? I honestly can't answer this. While many reported bugs were directly addressed, others have been fixed indirectly from changes going on under the hood. It will be hard to say until I get a larger audience testing it, but as a general consensus; the stability of the game has improved drastically.
• Will my save transfer to v0.2? Yes, although with a bit of caveat. There are changes that have been made to the world generator which I can't retroactively apply to older bases, as it'd cause all sorts of conflicts to arise. I strongly recommend starting a new save if you want to experience the full update, but if not, your older saves should continue working and will be converted to the new database system when loaded.
• Why not release Phantom Plains with the initial gameplay test? To answer honestly, it's not ready yet. This update has been such a massive undertaking that certain parts of the new region still aren't complete, and while it won't take much time to finish it off, there are changes to the initial region that I'd rather focus on right now and get smoothed out. This is going to be the final major update to the first region, so I want to make sure it's done right so I don't need to keep coming back to it and updating it every few months.
• What will be in the new region? You'll have to wait and see for yourself :)
• What's next after v0.2.0 is live? I'll probably spend a few weeks running continuous fixes on the live branch after its deployed, making sure it's in a good state before moving on. The next update coming after this though will be another new region, which should hopefully only take a fraction of the time to put together and release now that the game is closer to running how I want it to on the engine.