Hello friends! Now that the new year is upon us, we've got our minds set on steadily moving Spaced Out! towards launch. With the major systems in place, we're going to begin a regular release cycle of testing and updates. Starting today, we're going to have a DLC branch open at all times that we update fairly frequently. Once every 3 weeks, we will stabilize the DLC test branch and then update the default branch of the game. To say that a different way: DLC owners can join the test branch for frequent updates and lots of opportunities to provide feedback as features develop, or you can remain on the default branch and enjoy updates to the game every 3 weeks. Today we're starting the public testing for our freshest content, which consists primarily of bringing many of the base game rocket modules and engines into Spaced Out!, increasing your rocketry options dramatically. (New space destinations will be coming in another update.) Additionally, there's a large rework of the Oxygen Masks which makes them behave more like the existing suits, with lockers and checkpoints. We've also taken this opportunity to expand on the suit mechanics, by adding durability and repair to the suits. This means that there will be ongoing infrastructure required to maintain your fleet of suits rather than a single one-time cost. As always, please let us know if you encounter any issues on the testing branch in the bug forums, and thanks for your feedback!
What does this testing branch contain so far? Here are the changes we've made so far in this update, loosely categorized: As always, please let us know if you encounter any issues on the testing branch in the bug forums, and thanks for your feedback!

What does this testing branch contain so far?

• DLC versions of some rocket engines and modules from the base game.
• Added new smaller petroleum engine.
• Balance pass on some rocket module key values (burden, engine power, engine efficiency, capacity)
• Oxygen Masks reworked to work more like the previous suit implementations.
  • Added Oxygen Mask Locker
  • Added Oxygen Mask Marker
  • Added Crafting Table (you craft Oxygen Masks here)
  • Added Oxygen Mask tech item.
  • Deprecated old OxygenMaskStation building
• Added durability system for equippable suits.
• Added new intro Alert message

• Swamp starting area tiles changed from Sandstone to Sedimentary Rock to match what is found in the swamp.
• Worldgen borders now gradiate temperature between the adjacent subworlds. This should prevent temperature "leakage" through abyssalite. Note: doesn't fix subworlds "spilling over" the borders.
• Fixes

• Fixed issue causing invisible lines in diagnostic/resource charts
• Fixed issue preventing diagnostic/resource charts from showing a full 5 cycle history.
• Falling dupes on the edges of worlds are teleported to the telepad, rocket control station or center of world
• Made Rocket tiles invincible and non-replaceable
• Fixed Warp Portal Receiver duplicant interact sounds
• Hid Rover pivot symbol.
• Disabled Oversee Planetoid button until the world is discovered
• Sealed Suits now actually clear the "Soiled Suit" status effect when a suit is unequipped.
• Worn out jet suits now drop remaining fuel in a bottle.
• Fix for ever growing diagnostic indicator dot in world selector issue
• Fixed crash in some old saves with Yellowcake, which has been removed from the game.
• Fixed crash that would occur when choosing destinations for rockets that had no passenger modules
• Fixed issue causing small oxidizer tank to have more capacity than intended (2700->300kg)

• Renamed Porta-Pod "Mini-Pod"
• Swapped out more placeholder strings
• Worn out suits now have unique names & descriptions
• Updated strings for Korean and Russian

• Art and animation changes for solid/liquid/gas rocket port buildings
• New animations for when Duplicants and Rovers exit their landers.
• Added dupe interact states for the porta_pod.
• Added idle states to Rover
• Removed impact fx on hit state of critter and baby_critter
• Added a missing scoutbot movement animation
• Added cap symbols to launchpad to make the connection with the conduit ports look better.
• Updated the artwork for the rocket_oxidizer_tank_small
• Revised place art for the conduit ports
• added a "worn_out" state to the suit and mask anims
• Main menu dupe anim pass
• Conduit port load/unload animations
• added art that changes the form factor of some small rocket modules when to bridge with wider modules in a more appealing way.

• Add sound for warp conduit sender/receiver duplicant interacts
• Add sounds for Sweetle and Sweetle Larva
• Hooked up some portapod sounds
• Add sounds for Rocket Orbital Deploy Cargo Module
• Add Rover sound effects.
• Add Wormwood sounds

• Removed flicker fx from the launchpad light in the main menu. Now a slow pulse.
• Trailblazer and Rover modules now have a wireframe to indicate that construction has been requested.
• Camera zooming should be smoother at low framerates and inconsistent framerates. Also, one "notch" of zoom is the same amount in both directions.
• Modified place art for launchpad and conduit port buildings
• Added status item to launch pads with rockets that have no spacefarer modules