Hello everyone!

The time has come to share our progress. Although its clear from previous posts that the primary focus has been on the gameplay component (which Id like to save for the Ecliptica 1.5 playtest), there are still significant improvements we can share today.

So, let\'s dive into what we\'ve managed to achieve:

1. Visual Enhancements: Dynamic Clouds and Soft Lighting

Although this was partially shown in the previous post, it was without video, and to be honest, it wasn\'t quite clear what the new atmosphere looked like. So, I added it to the video to showcase:

• Dynamic Clouds and Atmosphere.

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• Soft Lighting.

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2. Volumetric Terrain (Parallax Occlusion Mapping)

I finally managed to correctly implement Parallax Occlusion Mapping (POM). Now the ground textures have volume and localized small irregularities, which makes the world significantly more appealing.

3. New Resource Mining System

This is not just a visual update; it changes the approach to mining certain resources.

• Mineral resources are now laid out in deposits deep within the ground. For example, Uranium ore can no longer be mined from simple red rocks.

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• Mineral deposits can be very deep, so for full-scale extraction, you will need an industrial mine and a quarry with dozens of workers. While you can still dig the ore yourself, it won\'t be as efficient.

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• I also plan to add more items, technologies, and structures to the game to help players locate large deposits.

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4. Global GPU Optimization and Increased Draw Distance

Weve done a tremendous amount of work on GPU usage optimization. I managed to improve game performance, which allowed me to remove the aggressive culling of distant objects. This has made the game\'s landscape more interesting and visually cohesive.

Important: Culling will still be active on low settings, but it will no longer be as aggressive.

5. Technical and Gameplay Improvements

This is far from all the improvements; many of them did not make it into the video:

• Full PhysX Transition: I have completed the full transition to using PhysX for all scene objects, which allows for correct collision handling. In the old version, integration was incomplete, so the character could sometimes crash into \"air,\" and applied damage didn\'t always hit the targeted object.

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• New Quest Mechanics: The game now features a fully functional mechanic for non-linear and dynamic quests. But I\'ll tell you more about this once the feature is fully polished.

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Important Release News

Unfortunately, I had to postpone the release until 2026. While I still hope to release an exciting demo in 2025, it will simply not be possible to launch the full multiplayer experience (which is the criterion for starting sales) in 2025.

In any case, this decision was made with the goal of making the game interesting and stable, rather than rushing the process.

Thank you all for reading the updates and following the game!

Hello everyone!

There hasn\'t been any news for a long time, so it\'s time to tell you what we\'ve been working on.

Results of the Ecliptica PreDemo v1.4 Playtests

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the playtest, especially those who wrote feedback or reported bugs. Thanks to you, we have already fixed most of the annoying and critical bugs. This includes the low performance on devices with integrated graphics, namely the Steam Deck, so the new update will definitely run much better.

What technical improvements have we implemented so far:

• We now have soft lighting support, which makes the game feel richer.

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• Game performance has been significantly improved.

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• Texture filtering has been added.

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• Volumetric, living clouds have been added.

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• Aerial perspective visualization has been improved.

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• In-game animations have been improved.

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• Quest mechanics have been added.

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What\'s next and when to expect the update?

We are currently working diligently on the gameplay part of the game, which was so lacking in PreDemo 1.4. We are reviewing the balance and working on a new story start.

We will not yet reveal details of the story start and specific gameplay moments.

The release of Ecliptica PreDemo v1.5 is planned for the near future. Simultaneously, we will begin the transition to the second stage of the Ecliptica game\'s evolutionthe Demo version, which will feature complete gameplay.

Screenshots of the improved visuals in the game

Here are a few screenshots showing the improved visuals in the game:

Aerial Perspective

Before [img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/59f98802e5d5d86a65d024e75e1d168404809cff.png\"][/img] After

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/2fb178f04b68dcfb44c2e8a326d38e95b4cfc269.png\"][/img]

Soft Light

Before [img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/76c08233188758723a0bec548364490a2a77abd2.png\"][/img]After

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/d4e70e2cbcd7ff719444242b12576df574de364b.png\"][/img]

And Living Clouds

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/4456f348198fc34d50373ec3553f986976fa489e.gif\"][/img]

Thank you for following the Ecliptica game!

Hello, Ecliptica community!

We\'re incredibly excited to announce that we\'ve finally reached the point where we can let you get a taste of our game. This isn\'t the final version, but rather a \"raw\" sample of what awaits us in the future. The goal of these playtests is to let you see the look of our game and also check how it performs on your hardware.

Please note: this update includes only 1/16 of the planned content. It features just one, still very rough, construction mechanic, and lacks full gameplay.

How to Participate?

A detailed guide on how to launch and play the demo can be found here: https://ecliptica.fandom.com/wiki/How_to_play

Changelog What\'s New and What\'s Been Done

We\'ve combined all our previous internal developments so you can see the full journey we\'ve taken and all the key innovations available in the current version.

• Added a trading mechanic and new items (protein-carbon bar, purified metals, ore, and construction blueprints).

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• Implemented a seamless and infinite world mechanic that no longer relies on chunks.

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• Added new biomes: Plains, Forests, and Highlands. The forests are now divided into sub-biomes by height, and the Plains have been completely reworked.

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• Significantly reworked graphics and performance: improved shader visualization, completely redone shadows, and increased render distance to 15 km.

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• Added graphics and sound settings, as well as the main menu and in-game audio.

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• Added the first mob the Resident (colony inhabitant).

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• Implemented an in-game physics system.

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• Added the ability to destroy and change the world, along with many other improvements.

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New Trailer!

We\'re also presenting you with an updated game trailer so you can see all the visual changes.

We\'re Looking Forward to Your Feedback

Your feedback and bug reports are invaluable to us. Yes, we know there are a lot of bugs... and we\'re really hoping for your help in finding them!

Thank you for your support!

Hello, friends!

We\'re incredibly excited to share our tenth dev diary with you. In this video, we\'re showing off some new features that we\'ve been working on. And with that, let\'s go!

Dynamic and destructible world

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45621583/ad3a36090f3c1abfdb4bbe6df0dd45ec957c7744.jpg\"][/img]

One of the biggest new features you\'ll see in this dev diary is a fully interactive and destructible world. We\'re showing how players will be able to destroy landscape elements such as large boulders, trees, grass basically everything in the game.

Landscape deformation

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45621583/ef1a42f302a77720d87a2a0e0a7fcf2d7f85860e.jpg\"][/img]

Our world is not only destructible, but also subject to change. You can dig, build, and pile up, which makes the landscape player-controllable.

Support for Rigging, Morphing, and other Qt Quick 3D features

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45621583/4201352ac862362c6ed4bd42d54d701dbbb6f9f2.png\"][/img]

Finally, we\'ve gotten to integrating Qt Quick 3D\'s game features such as the particle system, rigging, and morphing animation. These are quite basic functions in game development, and without them, the game would have looked bland. But now you don\'t have to worry about that anymore!

Landscape blueprint system

[img src=\"https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45621583/a7c6e358b5616924c7a40ad38497f7541e3fb716.png\"][/img]

We are constantly thinking about how to give you more creative freedom. That\'s why we have developed a new landscape blueprint system. This intuitive interface will allow you to create and save your own landscape designs. You will be able to plan, modify, and save terrain changes to easily return to your favorite creations or share them with others. What\'s more, in the game, every blueprint is essentially commercial property that can be sold!

Next steps

We continue to work hard on Ecliptica and thank you for your support and interest. Your feedback is very important to us. Be sure to check out the full video.

Watch the full Devlog 10 here:

[dynamiclink href=\"https://youtu.be/cBZpczFAvJI\"][/dynamiclink]

Thanks for following our project! Don\'t forget to leave your comments and ask questions.

Hello, survivors!

We\'re excited to present our new devlog! This time, we focused on making the world of Ecliptica even more alive and beautiful.

We\'ve completely updated the jungle graphics. Now there are new plants, more realistic shadows, and, the coolest part, trees now sway in the wind. This adds an incredible atmosphere to the game world.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/0385252b5f46ca18f88d5a5c5a65c1f61fe1bbbe.png\"][/img]

We also worked on the drawing distance. The horizon no longer looks blurry, and distant objects are now much more detailed. This will help you get even more immersed in the game\'s atmosphere.

We hope you like these changes. And that\'s not all! We\'re continuing to work hard, and in the next devlog, we\'ll show you other things we\'re currently working on.

Don\'t forget to add Ecliptica to your wishlist so you don\'t miss our next announcements!

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45621583/1e44adba2f322f7662af59af377d5f0ae6e92782.png\"][/img]

Hello everyone!

Today, I want to talk about our plans for launching multiplayer in Ecliptica. It\'s no secret that survival games are most fun when played with friends. And while Ecliptica isn\'t a classic survival game, playing with friends is always more enjoyable!

We plan to implement multiplayer for small groups, up to 10 people. This feature is scheduled for the Alpha version of the game. It won\'t be in the upcoming Demo release; that will be single-player only.

Game development will be divided into chapters, with each chapter including both major and regular updates.

Our Approximate Game Development Roadmap:

• 0. Pre-Demo: This is essentially the preparatory stage we are currently in. We might conduct playtests for anyone interested here before the demo release.

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• 1. Demo: Here we will showcase the basic game mechanics and, of course, Ecliptica\'s open and infinite world. This build will be available for free to all users as an introductory version of the game.

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• 2. Alpha: This will be the first paid version of the game, available in Early Access. Multiplayer will be integrated at this stage.

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• 3. Beta: At this stage, we plan to actively expand the world and its mechanics. We won\'t reveal too many details yet; you\'ll learn more as we progress.

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• 4. Release: This stage will mark the game\'s exit from Early Access. The goal is to expand the game\'s accessibility, introduce new platforms, and so on. More details will follow as we approach this stage.

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So, for now, there\'s one clear piece of news: we have definitively decided that multiplayer will be included, and we are starting its implementation!

Stay tuned for the latest updates!

Welcome to the procedurally generated, dense, infinitely vast, and stylized world of Ecliptica.

You are one of the colonists on an alien planet, fighting for the survival of both your colony and yourself. In this world, you can:

• Mine: All resources in the game are extracted, processed, and created in your colony's factories; nothing appears out of nowhere.

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• Trade: All prices for all goods are regulated solely by a free market, without any restrictions whether it's food or high-tech power cells.

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• Manage: Every worker wants to become a manager: more power means more money. But if that's not enough, you can create your own corporation and bring the entire colony under your control.

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Hello everyone! We've reached a moment to share our progress. Since Developer Journal 7, we've accomplished a lot, and today you can finally see the impact of our new vertex adaptation system.

Infinite World with Massive View Distance

Thanks to this new system, we've managed to create a truly infinite open world! The map is no longer limited by a pre-generated, fixed area as it was before. Now, the world of Ecliptica is endless, just like in Minecraft, and it boasts an incredibly large view distance of 20 kilometers in diameter.

New Biomes and Improved Shading

We've also added a new biome to the game: the Plains, and we've significantly improved the game's shading.

Convenient Construction

Furthermore, we've introduced a player-friendly building construction mode. Now, you can not only focus on building your business but also an entire city! Though, one doesn't stop the other.

Hello everyone!

The time has come to share one of our most important achievements to date. Although this is a purely technical advancement, which will likely be of most interest to other Qt developers, it will also affect all players.

From the Old System to the New: Why We Changed?

Previously, like most developers, we used a tile-based LOD system for generating the game world. Essentially, we created chunks based on heightmaps using Qt HeightFieldGeometry. This solution worked initially, but over time, our ambitions for draw distance grew. When we added rocky and sandy terrains to the game, we encountered many problems:

• Grid around tiles: Unsightly lines separating parts of the world.

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• 

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• Increased CPU load: The number of tiles reached up to 1600, heavily stressing the system.

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• Difficulties with smoothing transitions: When players changed altitudes (e.g., during resource extraction), transitions looked unpolished.

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These problems were very difficult to solve.

Inspiration from UE5 and Our Solution

In the process of finding solutions, we came across the terrain implementation in UE5, specifically their Nanite system. This impressed us greatly, and we decided to create an analogous system in Qt.

The Result: A More Detailed and Lighter World

Unlike UE5, our system currently works only for primitives (e.g., ocean or ground), but it has completely solved all our problems! Now we can create much more detailed terrain that is significantly less demanding on gaming hardware.

We are very excited about these changes and believe they will make the game world even better and more performant for each of you!
https://youtu.be/Kva9UvD_kng

These are all the missed development logs since we started publishing.

Developing Log 0

Development log 1