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Machine Hunt Update: Coldfix
[ 2024-12-19 18:14:13 CET ] [ Original post ]
Improvements
- minor performance improvements
- reduced VRAM usage a little
Balance changes
- increased respawn time for Tanks and Spiders in Area 3 by 30s
- reduced threat growth by 30% in Area 3
Fixes
- fixed crash on game exit
- fixed player Drillship disappearing after loading a save file
- fixed Cog Drillship spawned inside the player Drillship when underground
- fixed issue with too many Drillships when loading an old save file
- fixed Iron Frame and Iron Gear unlock conditions
- fixed Table recipe not visible
- fixed kill colliders in water under cliffs
- fixed Hunt in caves can be ended by killing Cog Drillship
- fixed Tank having no loot in one of the boxes
- fixed Corundum drill quest message
- fixed other minor Quest descriptions
- fixed outdated Inventory Full notification
- fixed and reuploaded Captain mods
- fixed Tutorial screen forcing player to take inventory when shown in unexpected moment
- fixed outro playing on Multiplayer client incorrectly after joining a game
- fixed wrong Hunt message on Multiplayer client
AI Fixes
- fixed Cog Spider stuck after player leaves with his Drillship
- fixed self-spawning Cogs not spawning when Cog mission resumes
- fixed Cogs not patroling for Cog side missions
- fixed Cogs not moving when Cog work mission resumes
- fixed Cogs not resuming their behaviour after player is lost
- fixed Cogs not returning into their Drillship before eruption
- fixed Tanks getting stuck on sloped terrain
- fixed issue with Cog missions when landing site is occupied
Visual improvements
- fixed minor TAA issues (occasional ghosting, overall quality)
- fixed ocean floor visible through water
- fixed Cog Spider animation when jumping out of the ground or returning back
- fixed Cog Spider animation when stunned on drillship soil
- fixed Cog animation when stunned on drillship soil
- fixed visual issues with Tutorial screen
- fixed camera clipping issues in Submarine and Blast shelter
- fixed LODs for self-spawning unit elevator
- fixed overlapping texts in the UI
[ 2024-12-19 18:14:13 CET ] [ Original post ]
Machine Hunt Update OUT NOW
Before we dig into the new enemies and structures, we have to cover this major behavior change on the COG side. The way things were untill now is that COGs would attack you semi consistently as long as you were somewhere around the island (aside from the harbor). But now the COGs are a bit more passive, minding their own business, you know. Only doing their work missions around the island and the occasional patrol. So you will see the refinery, research or production types around the island (red, green, blue). BUT once you, dirty little saboteur, start causing some trouble, the COGs will slowly start to notice. And once they get fed up with your bs,.. They will go into HUNT MODE Which means that the military structures will spawn in the area along with military grade enemies. Those will come after you until one of two things happen: [olist] Either you go on the defensive and hold them off for 10 minutes.
Or you go on the offensive and destroy these structures (or the laser device)
[/olist]
This will stop the hunt mission and things will go back to normal.
Until you piss them off again.
One of the new enemies that will spawn during these HUNT MISSIONS is the one and only Spider COG Which is the biggest, loudest, scariest and definitely the most complex enemy we've ever added so far. Equipped with a gatling gun and a variety of moves this enemy will definitely give you a run for your money.
Second new enemy is the self-spawning tank. Which means it doesn't need a drillship to drop it off, it can just dig its way up by itself. These tanks are also part of the hunt mission.
Last but not least are the new COG structures. As mentioned, these are critical to target, if you want the hunt mission to end sooner.
For all you completionists, we added a few more achievements for you to complete. And a new Easter Egg as hinted in yesterday's comic.
[ 2024-12-07 18:08:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=xthcNHHUsd8;full][/previewyoutube] The last non-island related update is here! And boy do I think it will shake things up. Volcanoids is also 30% off right now [INSERT MARKETING SPEAK HERE] And without further a do, let's break down the trailer scene by scene!
COG Hunt
Before we dig into the new enemies and structures, we have to cover this major behavior change on the COG side. The way things were untill now is that COGs would attack you semi consistently as long as you were somewhere around the island (aside from the harbor). But now the COGs are a bit more passive, minding their own business, you know. Only doing their work missions around the island and the occasional patrol. So you will see the refinery, research or production types around the island (red, green, blue). BUT once you, dirty little saboteur, start causing some trouble, the COGs will slowly start to notice. And once they get fed up with your bs,.. They will go into HUNT MODE Which means that the military structures will spawn in the area along with military grade enemies. Those will come after you until one of two things happen: [olist]
COG Spiders
One of the new enemies that will spawn during these HUNT MISSIONS is the one and only Spider COG Which is the biggest, loudest, scariest and definitely the most complex enemy we've ever added so far. Equipped with a gatling gun and a variety of moves this enemy will definitely give you a run for your money.
Self-spawning tanks
Second new enemy is the self-spawning tank. Which means it doesn't need a drillship to drop it off, it can just dig its way up by itself. These tanks are also part of the hunt mission.
COG Structures
Last but not least are the new COG structures. As mentioned, these are critical to target, if you want the hunt mission to end sooner.
Achievements and Easter Egg
For all you completionists, we added a few more achievements for you to complete. And a new Easter Egg as hinted in yesterday's comic.
Full Patch Notes
Features
- reworked enemy drillship and unit spawning
- added Cog Hunt
- added Cog Military structures
- added new enemy: Cog Spider
- added new enemy: Self-spawned tank
- added new way of spawning humanoid Cogs
- added 5th drillship segment
- added 4 new achievements
Improvements
- improved Cog AI
- improved quest item navigation
- improved positioning of HUD icons for player, drillship and modules
- reduced range of Cog tesla weapons
- modified positions of trees, rocks and deposits to accomodate 5th segment
- modified terrain to accomodate 5th drillship segment
- helper drones are no longer selected when opening map by game controller
Fixes
- fixed client cannot see modules on some segments
- fixed kill quests stop counting when host dies
- fixed custom settings affecting new game
- fixed terrain and invisible obstacles in caves
- fixed player teleporting when using device with a tool
- fixed tank movement when driving on the edges
- fixed player placement after using devices like worktable or pilot seat
- fixed tunnel tooltips on the map
- fixed Lava Source and Volcano tooltips
- fixed typos in item and quest descriptions
- fixed quest description
- fixed Drillship inventory full message, when there is free space
Visual improvements
- fixed double highlight in inventory and production screen
- fixed heat distortion
- fixed wrong icon on drone modules
- fixed coloring of modules on the drillship
- fixed blurry dials on newly spawned drillships
- fixed production large drone engines shutoff
- fixed quest description overlayed with other elements
[ 2024-12-07 18:08:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Imperial Rose
[previewyoutube=qfKsqh0WSJE;full][/previewyoutube]
The Imperial Rose was once the pinnacle of luxury and status for the upper-class citizens of Adranos, offering an unparalleled vacation experience. The cruise ship frequently sailed around the island, boasting its own private harbor, where the elite would gather to come aboard. Its reputation was bolstered by posters plastered everywhere across Adranos, inviting the wealthy to indulge in the ship's luxurious cabins, lavish bars, and exclusive amenities. But its golden age came to a tragic end during the catastrophic first eruption. As the volcano unleashed its fury, the crew of the Imperial Rose sprang into action, offering refuge to desperate islanders trying to escape. Despite their heroic efforts and the many lives they managed to get onboard, their mission was abruptly cut short. Showers of volcanic rock rained down from the sky, severely damaging the ship before it could make a safe escape. The once-magnificent vessel found itself stranded in shallow waters, rendered immobile and beyond repair. With the lifeboats insufficient to evacuate everyone, chaos ensued as passengers scrambled for survival. Many had no choice but to abandon their belongings, leaving them aboard the wrecked ship or scattered along the nearby shore. Adding to the ship's mystique is a long-standing rumor that a treasure is hidden somewhere inside its cabins, waiting to be discovered. To this day, the Imperial Rose remains a haunting sight, stuck in the shallowsa decaying monument to the sudden, terrifying transformation from luxury to horror. It stands as a reminder of nature's unforgiving power. - Let me know if you like this format of having a quick look at each landmark with a bit of lore. Next would be: The Orchard Harbour Other than that, here's a bird's eye look at all the 'puzzle pieces' in the first area of the new Adranos. This is the area you will get to explore once the first chapter drops.
Out of all the areas, this one will be the least destroyed visually. But it will definitely have its fair share of surprises and challenges for you to overcome. And unlike the current island, theres going to be a lot more variety, not just slightly different village layouts with more or less the same buildings. Unique lore elements, loot, and easter eggs will be scatered all around to make sure exploring feels rewarding. Also, the connectivity, especially through the underground network, is going to be on another level. No more waiting in a cramped 5x5 square basement for the eruption to pass. Instead, youll be able to use all kinds of tunnels and cave systems to move around the island without having to stick your head out.
As for non-island related news, the last non-island related update is right around the corner. Watch out for the trailer dropping soon!
[ 2024-11-22 18:42:52 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Got a short update for you about the new island. So far weve been mainly working on standalone concepts. Now were taking them and putting them together like puzzle pieces to make sure it's all connected as we imagined. And so, here's a sneak peak at one such puzzle piece with a bit of lore as well...
The Imperial Rose
[previewyoutube=qfKsqh0WSJE;full][/previewyoutube]
Lore
The Imperial Rose was once the pinnacle of luxury and status for the upper-class citizens of Adranos, offering an unparalleled vacation experience. The cruise ship frequently sailed around the island, boasting its own private harbor, where the elite would gather to come aboard. Its reputation was bolstered by posters plastered everywhere across Adranos, inviting the wealthy to indulge in the ship's luxurious cabins, lavish bars, and exclusive amenities. But its golden age came to a tragic end during the catastrophic first eruption. As the volcano unleashed its fury, the crew of the Imperial Rose sprang into action, offering refuge to desperate islanders trying to escape. Despite their heroic efforts and the many lives they managed to get onboard, their mission was abruptly cut short. Showers of volcanic rock rained down from the sky, severely damaging the ship before it could make a safe escape. The once-magnificent vessel found itself stranded in shallow waters, rendered immobile and beyond repair. With the lifeboats insufficient to evacuate everyone, chaos ensued as passengers scrambled for survival. Many had no choice but to abandon their belongings, leaving them aboard the wrecked ship or scattered along the nearby shore. Adding to the ship's mystique is a long-standing rumor that a treasure is hidden somewhere inside its cabins, waiting to be discovered. To this day, the Imperial Rose remains a haunting sight, stuck in the shallowsa decaying monument to the sudden, terrifying transformation from luxury to horror. It stands as a reminder of nature's unforgiving power. - Let me know if you like this format of having a quick look at each landmark with a bit of lore. Next would be: The Orchard Harbour Other than that, here's a bird's eye look at all the 'puzzle pieces' in the first area of the new Adranos. This is the area you will get to explore once the first chapter drops.
Out of all the areas, this one will be the least destroyed visually. But it will definitely have its fair share of surprises and challenges for you to overcome. And unlike the current island, theres going to be a lot more variety, not just slightly different village layouts with more or less the same buildings. Unique lore elements, loot, and easter eggs will be scatered all around to make sure exploring feels rewarding. Also, the connectivity, especially through the underground network, is going to be on another level. No more waiting in a cramped 5x5 square basement for the eruption to pass. Instead, youll be able to use all kinds of tunnels and cave systems to move around the island without having to stick your head out.
As for non-island related news, the last non-island related update is right around the corner. Watch out for the trailer dropping soon!
[ 2024-11-22 18:42:52 CET ] [ Original post ]
We hear you
[ 2024-09-30 17:23:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey y'all! Heard you loud and clear on the latest Steam post which was the Expediton Day 9. Completely understand where you guys are coming from. It's been a long wait and sharing cryptic teasers is not helping. And even though I can't promise you the new island next week or even month. There's still going to be some changes to how we do things from now to reflect your feedback. There's going to be one more Expedition Teaser post to wrap up that story (was planning on ending it at 10 anyway, so it's not like we're cutting it short). And from then on, I will just focus on sharing actual island progress with you as often as possible. Until the first part of the island releases. As far as updates go, there is one more smaller sized update right around the corner (similar to the Interior Innovations one) before the first part of the new island will be released. That being said, I brough some location concepts from the new island I think you'll enjoy. Just keep in mind that these may or may not be in the first chapter of the island. [previewyoutube=CevurKySzNE;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=0idE6tCJUM8;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=XwugBkyr808;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2024-09-30 17:23:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 9
[ 2024-08-08 17:28:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 8
EXPEDITION DAY 7
EXPEDITION DAY 6
EXPEDITION DAY 5
EXPEDITION DAY 4
EXPEDITION DAY 3
EXPEDITION DAY 2
EXPEDITION DAY 1
[ 2024-08-08 17:28:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 8
[ 2024-07-20 18:13:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 7
EXPEDITION DAY 6
EXPEDITION DAY 5
EXPEDITION DAY 4
EXPEDITION DAY 3
EXPEDITION DAY 2
EXPEDITION DAY 1
[ 2024-07-20 18:13:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
Interior Innovations Update: PATCH 2
[ 2024-07-12 06:49:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Improvements
- added AoE fear to the CoG leg
- added UI audio for schematic view
- added hit animation to mine and shelter doors (now it shakes on hit)
- added notification for phonograph when no songs are installed
- added shuffle button icon to the phonograph
- added cancel button when creating decal pack
- added more painting variations
- added core eject audio
- remote control upgrade is now installed automatically
- improved camera on the interactive devices
- improved deploy turret drone quest
- fixed schematic view screen does not close when drillship explodes
- fixed drillship view doesn't change with new drillship
- fixed navmesh for the devices
- fixed colliders on new interactive tables
- fixed missing open/close audio for production table
- fixed turret closed notification when drillship surfaces
- fixed revive icon blinking when entering/leaving interactive devices
- fixed cartography table scrap recipe
- fixed proportional threshold mode misspelling
- fixed bed placement issue
- fixed placeholder names in quest descriptions
- fixed obsolete description in quests
- fixed CoGs standing with grenade and doing nothing
- fixed some units not shooting at the player
- paintjobs uploaded to Steam workshop are public by default
Multiplayer fixes
- fixed client gets kicked from armchair when reloading the savefile
- fixed client animation desync on the new interactive devices when reloading the savefile
- fixed soil and rock rumble sounds on client when reloading the savefile
Visual improvements
- improved refinery and research desk animations
- improved revolver animations
- fixed broken legs when sitting in pilot seat
- fixed holes on T1 window top module
- fixed broken visuals on the hand computer radio
- fixed broken visuals on hand when holding detonator
[ 2024-07-12 06:49:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Interior Innovations Update: PATCH 1
[ 2024-06-28 12:08:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Fixed edit mods window for existing saves
- Fixed support for mods with recipes with no input (creative mod)
- Removed hand computer upgrade from the submarine
- Fixed broken Start button in custom game menu
[ 2024-06-28 12:08:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
Interior Innovations Update OUT NOW
There's been a ton of requests over the years to add some cosmetics/furniture for the drillship. And since these aren't that demanding when it comes to development. We decided it was a good time to explore this area. So you can finally cozy up your drillship! And get that well deserved break with your pals in between stopping volcanoes and whatever else you weirdos do. We got... The comfiest armchairs the steampunk era has to offer.
They go really well together with the coffee mug and the new coffee table. And friends (or so I've heard, I don't have any).
We got phonograph to make the atmosphere just right. (There are 9 different song tracks scattered around the island for you to find)
Picture frames with art you might already recognize .
We also got a bunch of new tables each with their unique animation that will play from the 3rd person. They are mostly cosmetic as well. However, the blue, red, and green ones (production, refinery, research) will generate some boosts for their areas. For example, if someone is interacting with the refinery table, you will be smelting copper ingots faster.
For those who want to completely transform the interior, we added these fancy wooden panels that can be placed on the floor, walls, and even ceilings.
And the cherry on top are these cathedral-like window modules.
Not all features are cosmetic though. The drillship view is a super handy gadget that will allow you to get a birdseye view of all modules on your drillship. From the comfort of your own wrist! At a glance, you can see hp, ammo, energy output, but also do things like closing/opening modules and much more.
We can all agree that the saw kinda sucked despite looking cool. So we decided to do something we should've done from the start. Which is making the saw deal damage for as long as you hold down the attack button which makes it SO much more effective.
ALSO There's one more melee weapon included in this update, if you haven't noticed it you might wanna check the trailer again. Or read this comic which should make more sense now.
The ending sequence was pretty anticlimactic so we gave it a major facelift with a little cinematic that will play before the lore part kicks in.
[ 2024-06-27 17:08:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=9mQ5JXJaDgs;full][/previewyoutube] While we're all waiting for the new map... We decided that we could still put together an update compiled of things that wouldn't take time away from the island development. Stuff that doesn't require a lot of development resources or that's been mostly finished but postponed in the past. This way you still get at least something new and fun to mess around with in the meantime. Because even though the island has been progressing nicely (more teasers coming soon). It's definitely going to NEED more time in the oven. Since it's going to be a huge opportunity for the game to catch a second wind in popularity. We don't want to waste it by rushing things. So the current plan is to release one or two more updates like this while the first chapter of the new island gets ready. Hope y'all understand and let's take a look at what this unexpected update brought:
Furniture
There's been a ton of requests over the years to add some cosmetics/furniture for the drillship. And since these aren't that demanding when it comes to development. We decided it was a good time to explore this area. So you can finally cozy up your drillship! And get that well deserved break with your pals in between stopping volcanoes and whatever else you weirdos do. We got... The comfiest armchairs the steampunk era has to offer.
They go really well together with the coffee mug and the new coffee table. And friends (or so I've heard, I don't have any).
We got phonograph to make the atmosphere just right. (There are 9 different song tracks scattered around the island for you to find)
Picture frames with art you might already recognize .
We also got a bunch of new tables each with their unique animation that will play from the 3rd person. They are mostly cosmetic as well. However, the blue, red, and green ones (production, refinery, research) will generate some boosts for their areas. For example, if someone is interacting with the refinery table, you will be smelting copper ingots faster.
Wooden Panels
For those who want to completely transform the interior, we added these fancy wooden panels that can be placed on the floor, walls, and even ceilings.
Window Modules
And the cherry on top are these cathedral-like window modules.
Drillship View
Not all features are cosmetic though. The drillship view is a super handy gadget that will allow you to get a birdseye view of all modules on your drillship. From the comfort of your own wrist! At a glance, you can see hp, ammo, energy output, but also do things like closing/opening modules and much more.
Making The Saw Great Again
We can all agree that the saw kinda sucked despite looking cool. So we decided to do something we should've done from the start. Which is making the saw deal damage for as long as you hold down the attack button which makes it SO much more effective.
ALSO There's one more melee weapon included in this update, if you haven't noticed it you might wanna check the trailer again. Or read this comic which should make more sense now.
Cinematic Ending
The ending sequence was pretty anticlimactic so we gave it a major facelift with a little cinematic that will play before the lore part kicks in.
Full Patch Notes
Features
- added cosmetic devices for drillship interior
- added phonograph device with songs
- added drillship overview to hand bracer
- added new weapon: Cog leg
- added Steam Workshop support for drillship designs, paint jobs and decals
- reworked Circular saw
- added quests: Kill cogs, kill tank, kill drones
- added new achievements
- added UA localization
- updated localizations
Improvements
- improved CoGs AI
- fixed movement issues with Gatling CoGs and Sniper CoGs
- fixed CoGs footsteps
- added inventory restacking to drillship storage
- added notification when all turrets are closed
- updated submarine interior, added new devices
- fixed drillship drill colliders
- fixed player movement issues near blast shelters, mines and rocks
- fixed drillship travel issues (underground map)
- added sounds for laser devices destruction
- added confirmation when claiming another drillship
- fixed bed killing the players in certain cases
- fixed wrong icons on recipes
- changed attack angle for pistol turret
- fixed enemy drillship marker in cave visible from surface
- changed the position of deposits on the minimap
- fixed issues with unread tutorials
- fixed multiple issues with quests
- removed obsolete information from quest descriptions
- fixed typos in item and quest descriptions
- unified item naming and descriptions
- added passages on travel map between area 1 and 3
- fixed closing multiple windows with ESC
- fixed aggressive zoom in paint tool
- changed position of turrets on laser device in Area 2
Multiplayer fixes
- fixed false hit confirmation for melee attacks on client
- fixed client errors when server reloads savefile
- fixed client errors when quickly getting in and out of the gunner seat
- Visual improvement
- fixed broken highlights on research worktable
- fixed light intensity on light tesla module dial
- fixed text on light tesla turret
- improved drillship lighting when on surface
- changed animation for last laser device
- added window to the door
- fixed FoV issue on mortar
- improved the lava stream shape and visuals
- improved highlights on helper drones and modules
- updated audio for melee impact flash
[ 2024-06-27 17:08:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
Boss Area Teaser
[ 2024-05-24 17:13:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
I got it! I got a teaser from the upcoming island that's not filled with placeholders. And it's not just any teaser. It's a BOSS AREA TEASER!!! This will basically replace one of the laser caves on the new island. Now I don't wanna spoil these boss areas too much. But at the same time I was too excited to keep it a complete secret. This teaser isn't saying that the island update is right around the corner (will cover the update plans in the next Steam post coming soon). But more to show you that despite the development taking long, we're making real progress. Enough small talk though, here it is: [previewyoutube=8Wyy4S9Uug0;full][/previewyoutube] Now, aside from working on the hottest boss levels you've ever seen. (pun inteded) We are also taking part in our first ever bundle with the awesome devs behind Forever Skies for all you moving base enjoyers! It's a first-person post-apocalyptic survival game where you fly, upgrade and customize your mobile high-tech airship base. And I know how much y'all love your airships! They are 25% off and if you own Volcanoids already, you can still use the bundle to get another 10% off to "complete the bundle". https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/41771/Volcanoids_x_Forever_Skies Enjoy the teaser, enjoy the bundle! And talk soon, - Rich
[ 2024-05-24 17:13:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 7
[ 2024-05-16 17:35:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 6
EXPEDITION DAY 5
EXPEDITION DAY 4
EXPEDITION DAY 3
EXPEDITION DAY 2
EXPEDITION DAY 1
[ 2024-05-16 17:35:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 6
[ 2024-04-26 19:03:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 5
EXPEDITION DAY 4
EXPEDITION DAY 3
EXPEDITION DAY 2
EXPEDITION DAY 1
[ 2024-04-26 19:03:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 5
[ 2024-04-04 18:09:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXPEDITION DAY 4
EXPEDITION DAY 3
EXPEDITION DAY 2
EXPEDITION DAY 1
[ 2024-04-04 18:09:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
Performance Update: COLDFIX
[ 2024-03-26 13:49:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
Improvements
- Changed duration of coffee boost from 6 to 12 seconds
- Added post process effect to coffee speed boost
- Added Coffee cup into more loot drops
- Rewards are no longer given for skipped quests
- Quests now take into account devices placed on the drillship walls
- Medium panel can be unlocked by researching Advanced control schematic
- Added post process effects to main menu background scene
- Added more tutorial videos
- Added more options to unlock cerain recipes
Fixes
- Fixed coffee cup achievement to work as intended
- Fixed backwards compatibility of Quests
- Fixed issues with loading background scene
- Fixed backpack stuck inside a tree
- Fixed missing healing audio for medkit
- Fixed infinite log when accepting specific quest
- Fixed COGs shooting through trees
- Fixed black screen when starting multiplayer game with mods
- Fixed main menu music being played during Intro
- Fixed segment icons after loading old game versiom
- Fixed light tesla turret modules text glitch after load
- Fixed sniper zoom in Options
- Fixed tesla helper drone holograms have wrong weapon models
- Fixed errors when save/loading game during COG drillship departure
- Fixed floating bullet impacts on small drones on Client
- Fixed missing healing particles on other players on Client
- Fixed quest issues after loading old savefile
- Fixed position of chest on medium wall slot
- Fixed bright light of lights above doors
- Fixed text errors on mini tesla stand
- Fixed player shadows arms
- Fixed several spelling errors
- Fixed drillship tracks not moving when drillship surfaces/submerges
- Fixed ghosting visible when using TAA antialiasing
- Fixed missing T3 Control schematic
- Fixed collider on the back of a drillship
- Fixed start-up logo scale
- Fixed empty quest with no completion steps
- Fixed quests guiding players back to previous areas
- Fixed infinitely repeating quest
- Fixed ModSDK errors
[ 2024-03-26 13:49:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
Performance Update: HOTFIX #1
[ 2024-03-09 20:54:28 CET ] [ Original post ]
Fixed bracer not being available for people who already had it bug. - Rich
[ 2024-03-09 20:54:28 CET ] [ Original post ]
Performance Update OUT NOW
These 3 came out as the top troublemakers when it came to performance: rendering, lighting, and enemies. So we tried to optimize the hell out of them. Then we looked into some other areas where we could squeeze out some more performance such as animations and audio. This, together with the switch from Unity Built-in Pipeline to Universal (that's one of the main reasons why the game has this new look to it) hopefully got a major performance boost for y'all.
The quest line got tweaked a lot - everything from quest descriptions to their order. Some stayed untouched but most got reworked or replaced altogether with new ones. Main goal being: improving the learning curve for new players.
Aside from changing the already existing quest line, we also added a new feature: side screens
They will pop up at different points during your gameplay, giving you useful info about a relevant feature and demonstrating it on a video. Don't worry veterans, you will be able to turn these off.
Not related to the learning curve but another new feature in this area is side-quests with rewards. As the name suggests, you will occasionally get a side quest that you can either complete or ignore without halting your progress.
If you choose to complete it, you will be rewarded for your efforts with new items. These quests come in 3 tiers (gold being the highest one) representing how hard the side-quest is going to be and the value of the reward. Rewards will be deposited in your inventories after you complete the side quest (unless your inventory is full, in that case, a crate will appear in front of you).
You can now view your storage in the drillship two different ways. First view shows you all your items across all the different storage modules, drill, etc. aggregated together (just like you're used to). However, the new view will let you see which storage modules hold which items like this:
You can switch between the two types of views using these new buttons.
Two more quality of life improvements I would like to point out are: Being able to add new segments on the surface (you had to dive underground to do that before). And newly researched upgrades will be automatically installed.
Another performance boost (for you tho, not the game) will be coffee!
It only made sense that the main substance letting us do these updates in the first place would make it in the game at some point. Massive thanks goes to Maxis "Engie" Maximov Jr. from our Discord for the mug inspiration he shared a long time ago!
Since then it's been slowly appearing in many of the teasers (here, here, and most recently here) And today it's finally in the game! You can find it at the end of area 2, and once you do, you will be able to craft it from that point forward. And if you take a sip, not only will you get a nice jolt of energy, and be way less likely to kill your teammates when they do something stupid, but you will also get a temporary speed boost!
Last but not least, we added 5 new achievements for all you completionists out there. [olist] You horned your last honk - Destroy a tank by hitting its weak spot.
UNLIMITED POWER! - Hit 6 enemies with Tesla Cannon at the same time.
Whac A Mole! - Destroy an enemy mining drone.
"Aaah" - Take your first sip of coffee.
Serial Sipper - Get multiple back to back caffeine induced speed boosts.
[/olist]
[ 2024-03-09 18:10:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Performance Update is here!
If you haven't read the previous announcement, we really wanted to address the performance issues before fully committing to the new island.
So hopefully COGs will become your biggest enemy again instead of fps drops.
Performance Improvements
These 3 came out as the top troublemakers when it came to performance: rendering, lighting, and enemies. So we tried to optimize the hell out of them. Then we looked into some other areas where we could squeeze out some more performance such as animations and audio. This, together with the switch from Unity Built-in Pipeline to Universal (that's one of the main reasons why the game has this new look to it) hopefully got a major performance boost for y'all.
Quest Changes
The quest line got tweaked a lot - everything from quest descriptions to their order. Some stayed untouched but most got reworked or replaced altogether with new ones. Main goal being: improving the learning curve for new players.
Side-Screens
Aside from changing the already existing quest line, we also added a new feature: side screens
They will pop up at different points during your gameplay, giving you useful info about a relevant feature and demonstrating it on a video. Don't worry veterans, you will be able to turn these off.
Side-Quest With Rewards
Not related to the learning curve but another new feature in this area is side-quests with rewards. As the name suggests, you will occasionally get a side quest that you can either complete or ignore without halting your progress.
If you choose to complete it, you will be rewarded for your efforts with new items. These quests come in 3 tiers (gold being the highest one) representing how hard the side-quest is going to be and the value of the reward. Rewards will be deposited in your inventories after you complete the side quest (unless your inventory is full, in that case, a crate will appear in front of you).
Quality of Life
Storage Views
You can now view your storage in the drillship two different ways. First view shows you all your items across all the different storage modules, drill, etc. aggregated together (just like you're used to). However, the new view will let you see which storage modules hold which items like this:
You can switch between the two types of views using these new buttons.
Segments and Upgrades
Two more quality of life improvements I would like to point out are: Being able to add new segments on the surface (you had to dive underground to do that before). And newly researched upgrades will be automatically installed.
COG MUG
Another performance boost (for you tho, not the game) will be coffee!
It only made sense that the main substance letting us do these updates in the first place would make it in the game at some point. Massive thanks goes to Maxis "Engie" Maximov Jr. from our Discord for the mug inspiration he shared a long time ago!
Since then it's been slowly appearing in many of the teasers (here, here, and most recently here) And today it's finally in the game! You can find it at the end of area 2, and once you do, you will be able to craft it from that point forward. And if you take a sip, not only will you get a nice jolt of energy, and be way less likely to kill your teammates when they do something stupid, but you will also get a temporary speed boost!
Achievements
Last but not least, we added 5 new achievements for all you completionists out there. [olist]
Full Patch Notes
Major Changes
- upgraded render pipeline from Built-in to Universal
- major rendering, lighting & enemy optimizations
- minor animation & audio optimizations
- added tutorial side-screen with short videos
- reworked quests, introduced quest rewards
Minor Features
- added new storage overview for drillship storage
- added 5 new achievements
- researched upgrades are automatically installed into drillship
- upgrades installed on the drillship are no longer visible in research
- drillship segments can be installed on the surface
- enemies can now drop down through floor hole
- small drones can now fly through floor hole (both up and down)
- removed obsolete narrow stations
- reworked main menu scene and added an intro before it
Gameplay Improvements
- player can no longer upgrade stations in enemy drillships
- skipping intro and outro now requires holding a key (prevents accidental skip)
- immobilized tanks will now self-destruct after some time
- fixed tesla shield not blocking tesla stun and tesla damage
- fixed enemies shooting through drillship walls at certain positions
- fixed mini-tesla shooting through walls
- fixed indestructible mini-tesla turrets and exterior lights
- fixed tesla drones losing track of target without line-of-sight
- fixed turrets not shooting
- fixed submarine periscope camera position
- fixed unreachable ore in mines
- fixed issues related to being run over by enemy drillship
- fixed issues related to being stuck in enemy drillship underground
- fixed issues caused by saving game while drillship is going underground
Visual Improvements
- improved textures on houses
- improved laser device explosions
- improved audio on drillship devices
- improved damage audio and effects of shelter and mine doors
- improved drillship explosion effects
- added get-hit animations to large drones
- fixed invisible tesla grenade
- fixed black smoke visibility through fog
- fixed visual issues of tesla weapons and turrets
- fixed weapon clipping issues during zoom
- fixed weapon zoom while using devices
- fixed tank tracks animation
- fixed drillship dust particles disappearing without fade
- fixed T4 drill distortion in fog
- fixed tank explosion effects playing again after load
- fixed missing loot effects for small drones
- fixed small drones shooting from random places instead of muzzle
- fixed logo orientation on the back of the drillship
- fixed decals on helper drone modules
- fixed large drone fly-up animation after spawn
- fixed missing weapon fire audio on multiplayer clients
- fixed wrong drillship energy values on multiplayer clients
[ 2024-03-09 18:10:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
State of Dev and More Island Leaks
[ 2024-03-04 18:03:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Wanted to take a little break from all the teasers and actually go over the state of dev right now so everybody is on the same page. And also show you some new stuff. So we are currently really close to the upcoming update release. As mentioned in the 2023 wrap up post, it will be focused on the performance issues, but you can also expect some QoL improvements, and a bunch of changes to the quest system. And one tiny but fun feature that was teased here. We were planning for a February release for this update but had to postpone it due to some hurdles. Once this update is out, the entire team will go full throttle on the first chapter of the new island (right now only a part of it has been working on it). There's no ETA for the update but hopefully it will be ready sometime during summer for y'all. Now, with that out of the way, here comes the good stuff. First off, we have a new landmark that might look familiar. [previewyoutube=2mXpYGmIjtA;full][/previewyoutube] Next we have a look at one of the new cities. Everything is a placeholder as we're prioritizing the layout of everything before we start making our own models. Focusing on tons of verticality, tons of cover, and tons of ways to get around. [previewyoutube=7EuaBwFGKX8;full][/previewyoutube] And then there's some experimental stuff I think you're really gonna dig. [previewyoutube=-RK5RvXqf9s;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=MIP4LV3pHtE;full][/previewyoutube] Let us know what you think in the comments and see y'all soon! - Rich PS: How freaking good is Helldivers? https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2024-03-04 18:03:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
2023 Wrap Up
[ 2023-12-24 13:34:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
As the year slowly comes to an end, I wanted to give you guys sort of a state of dev update. We were hoping to release one more update this year but we ran into some hurdles The upcoming update is going to focus almost solely on improving performance and the quest systems and its taking a lot longer than we expected. We really want to get it right since the next update after that is going to be the first chapter of the NEW ISLAND And when that launches, its going to be like a second release for the game so we really want to take care of anything that could seriously hurt it. So right now, the technical side of the team is going deep on all the stuff thats causing the performance to nose-dive like a drillship before an eruption... And in their spare time, they are working on improvements to the quest system. (We also got 2 new programmers on board to help with this) Meanwhile, the artist team is hammering away at the new island getting ready as much as possible. Currently, our estimate is that the performance/tutorial update will be released sometime in Q1 next year. And then its going to be full steam ahead at the first chapter of the new island! And to prove that were not pulling a Day Before on yall, here are some fresh teasers: (As always, keep in mind that everything you see is a work in progress and that if something looks like a placeholder, it probably is) [previewyoutube=MPYosfjQelc;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=AaXIPVHOaVI;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=10Kmg9CCtn4;full][/previewyoutube] Alright everyone, thank you so much for your patience and support, have amazing holidays, and I will see you all in 2024! - Rich
[ 2023-12-24 13:34:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
Introducing Steamroller 2.0
[ 2023-09-22 16:21:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Whoa, seems like you guys really liked the monowheel concept!
Well, we didn't.
Why?
Because there was not really any room for customization.
So we want back to the drawing board...
And made it modular!
Do you want a chest for your loot?
Done.
Do you want an extra seat for your buddy?
You got it.
How about a freaking turret while we're at it??
Say. no. more.
[previewyoutube=hij9oTLgYIA;full][/previewyoutube]
Now, I feel like I should mention again that it's still not coming in the next update.
It started off as a simple teaser.
And then when we saw how much you liked it, we just couldn't resist improving the concept a bit on the side.
Let me know what you guys think and have a great weekend!
- Rich
PS: Big teaser from the new island coming next week
[ 2023-09-22 16:21:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hell Of A Ride
[ 2023-09-02 18:52:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
Saw lots of comments under the island announcement asking about a faster vehicle that could be stored in the drillship.
And even though we don't plan to add one before the new (and way bigger) island is here...
We figured, why not give you a little taste of what that vehicle could look like?
Let me know what you think!
- Rich
PS: Volcanoids is currently 30% off on Steam, so if you guys wanna support us, let your friends know!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2023-09-02 18:52:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
Future of the Volcanoids Island
First, I would like to show you this snippet that nicely captures the scale of the new island. The island is going to be bigger than the current one. But we're not making it bigger just for the sake of it. We need to make it bigger so we can fit all the unique locations, events, and points of interests we want for you to explore and learn more about the story. [previewyoutube=9ym7AkQmWlU;full][/previewyoutube]
If you paid a bit of attention, you'll know that the current island is divided into 3 areas. The new island will be roughly divided like that as well but each area is going to be completely different now (like a new biom). The first area is going to be looking the nicest. Lot of greenery, waterfalls, lakes, and so on. Storywise, this is also going to be the part of the island where most people lived and where you'll start your journey. Area 2 however, is going to look noticably different from that. Taking inspiration from Yellowstone, this area is going to have lots of geysers, toxic lakes, damaged nature with the occasional patch of greenery. Storywise, this is where a lot of the minning took place. [previewyoutube=vuMvjWVwNGI;full][/previewyoutube] Area 3 is going to step it up even more. So much so that the working title for it right now is "MORDOR" because, I mean, look at it. For this part of the island we draw inspiration from the Saint Helen volcano because its eruption ripped through the side of the mountain. That's why this area is going to look the most devastated with lava flowing everywhere. [previewyoutube=hHC--jdrQms;full][/previewyoutube]
The new island is going to have many different types of cave systems. Each offering different events, points of interests and challenges. The first type will be closest to the surface and therefore have lots of light, waterfalls and sun rays piercing through the ceiling cracks. Some you'll even be able to access on foot. [previewyoutube=IgGm_kS4RCg;full][/previewyoutube] The next type of caves will be in medium depths with main charasteristics being low visibility, high environment and toxic atmosphere. You will need a gas mask in order to survive in these types of caves. [previewyoutube=CqONCTgpk5Q;full][/previewyoutube] Located the deepest will be the darkest and most dangerous caves. We're talking small lava eruptions, extremely hot temperatures, falling rocks, and more. Heat resistant suit will be required to withstand the atmosphere in these. [previewyoutube=86a6g3NGayM;full][/previewyoutube]
There are also going to be specialzed caves with bosses that I'm saving for upcoming teasers. So stay tuned! All I'm gonna say now is that the lava lasers you had to face now will be nothing in comparison to the boss caves that await you on the new island. Here's a little sneak peek at an entrance to one of those: [previewyoutube=Oid0JpIamLQ;full][/previewyoutube]
Bunch of new enemy tech will be introduced on the new island for you to sabotage. Like the excavator.
Or this refinery rig and many more.
Having proper cities that tell the story of how the humans lived on the island is a massive priority. Here's a snippet of one of the cities we're working on so you get a sense of how much more complex they'll be compared to the current ones. [previewyoutube=-Hzi85pSqiQ;full][/previewyoutube] Since all the houses are going to be destroyed on the surface level we plan to make up for it with a robust underground system with sewers, tunnels, basements, caves - all connected. That way you will be able to sneak around undeceted and safe from the eruptions.
To achieve the level of polish and complexity we want, we won't be able to release the entire island all at once anytime soon. But at the same time, we do get that you guys are hungry for some new locations to explore. So the current plan is to release a couple more updates focused on other parts of the game to keep the regular updates going while we simultaneously get the first chunk of the new island ready for you. Once it's ready the new island will be introduced and you'll be able to explore that first chunk of it. Then we will keep releasing more parts of the island in the subsequent updates till the whole thing is released. Let me know if you got any questions below. And watch out for those teasers! - Rich
[ 2023-08-04 16:33:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
After the Tesla Update we noticed a lot of you saying things like:
So this whole announcement is going to be about the new island we've been quitely working on for the past couple months.
The current island has served its purpose.
It was the best we could do back then considering our team size and resources.
But thanks to the amazing support from y'all (thank you very much) we are now more than equipped to create something that better tells the Story of Volcanoids!
Before we get into the details tho, there are two BIG disclaimers:
1) First the boring old PR phrase "none of these represent the final product".
It's all one big work-in-progress from textures, to lighting, particles, even entire assets. So don't get hung up on the details. This is just to give you a rough idea of what's coming.
2) The new island is NOT coming in the next update. I'm talking about it now because more and more people seem to ask about it. I go into more detail about how we plan to release the new island at the end.
OK ROLL THE TEASERS!
Adranos 2.0
Scale
First, I would like to show you this snippet that nicely captures the scale of the new island. The island is going to be bigger than the current one. But we're not making it bigger just for the sake of it. We need to make it bigger so we can fit all the unique locations, events, and points of interests we want for you to explore and learn more about the story. [previewyoutube=9ym7AkQmWlU;full][/previewyoutube]
Areas
If you paid a bit of attention, you'll know that the current island is divided into 3 areas. The new island will be roughly divided like that as well but each area is going to be completely different now (like a new biom). The first area is going to be looking the nicest. Lot of greenery, waterfalls, lakes, and so on. Storywise, this is also going to be the part of the island where most people lived and where you'll start your journey. Area 2 however, is going to look noticably different from that. Taking inspiration from Yellowstone, this area is going to have lots of geysers, toxic lakes, damaged nature with the occasional patch of greenery. Storywise, this is where a lot of the minning took place. [previewyoutube=vuMvjWVwNGI;full][/previewyoutube] Area 3 is going to step it up even more. So much so that the working title for it right now is "MORDOR" because, I mean, look at it. For this part of the island we draw inspiration from the Saint Helen volcano because its eruption ripped through the side of the mountain. That's why this area is going to look the most devastated with lava flowing everywhere. [previewyoutube=hHC--jdrQms;full][/previewyoutube]
Caves
The new island is going to have many different types of cave systems. Each offering different events, points of interests and challenges. The first type will be closest to the surface and therefore have lots of light, waterfalls and sun rays piercing through the ceiling cracks. Some you'll even be able to access on foot. [previewyoutube=IgGm_kS4RCg;full][/previewyoutube] The next type of caves will be in medium depths with main charasteristics being low visibility, high environment and toxic atmosphere. You will need a gas mask in order to survive in these types of caves. [previewyoutube=CqONCTgpk5Q;full][/previewyoutube] Located the deepest will be the darkest and most dangerous caves. We're talking small lava eruptions, extremely hot temperatures, falling rocks, and more. Heat resistant suit will be required to withstand the atmosphere in these. [previewyoutube=86a6g3NGayM;full][/previewyoutube]
Boss Caves
There are also going to be specialzed caves with bosses that I'm saving for upcoming teasers. So stay tuned! All I'm gonna say now is that the lava lasers you had to face now will be nothing in comparison to the boss caves that await you on the new island. Here's a little sneak peek at an entrance to one of those: [previewyoutube=Oid0JpIamLQ;full][/previewyoutube]
COG Tech
Bunch of new enemy tech will be introduced on the new island for you to sabotage. Like the excavator.
Or this refinery rig and many more.
Human Ruins
Having proper cities that tell the story of how the humans lived on the island is a massive priority. Here's a snippet of one of the cities we're working on so you get a sense of how much more complex they'll be compared to the current ones. [previewyoutube=-Hzi85pSqiQ;full][/previewyoutube] Since all the houses are going to be destroyed on the surface level we plan to make up for it with a robust underground system with sewers, tunnels, basements, caves - all connected. That way you will be able to sneak around undeceted and safe from the eruptions.
The Plan
To achieve the level of polish and complexity we want, we won't be able to release the entire island all at once anytime soon. But at the same time, we do get that you guys are hungry for some new locations to explore. So the current plan is to release a couple more updates focused on other parts of the game to keep the regular updates going while we simultaneously get the first chunk of the new island ready for you. Once it's ready the new island will be introduced and you'll be able to explore that first chunk of it. Then we will keep releasing more parts of the island in the subsequent updates till the whole thing is released. Let me know if you got any questions below. And watch out for those teasers! - Rich
[ 2023-08-04 16:33:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Tesla Update: PATCH 1
[ 2023-07-11 14:20:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
We just pushed a patch for the Tesla Update. Thanks for the feedback everyone, keep it coming! Here're the most notable changes for those who aren't into lists of patch notes: First, we made it easier to fight teslas in area 2 where you don't have the antimaterial sniper ammo yet. Tesla turrets (both on drillships and tanks) have less health now. And you can also unlock the explosive sniper ammo much sooner for the Marshal in area 2 (instead of area 3). We also added indicators for when your projectiles get zapped by enemy teslas. And COGs with tesla guns won't shoot through the ground anymore, yay! You'll also notice a new pop-up in the main menu mentioning analytics. The game will now collect anonymized data from your gameplay. NO personal data. This will help us massively with improving the game in the future and finding potential issues. However, if analytics are an absolute no-go for you... You can easily disable them in settings. - Rich PS: Stay tuned for a new announcement coming soon going over plans for future updates.
Patch Notes
Tesla Balance:
- Changed HP for T1 tesla turret modules from 200 to 150
- Changed HP for T2 tesla turret modules from 300 to 250
- Changed HP for tank cockpit tesla light turret from 190 to 140
- Changed HP for main tank turret tesla light from 250 to 200
- Changed power of sniper ammo T3 from 80 to 70
- Sniper ammo T2 is now available in area 2
Improvements
- Changed power consumption for tesla light turret
- Small cog shelf is now indestructible
- Added an indication telling the player that his projectile has been destroyed by tesla
- Added new audio when Cogs shoot down your projectile
- Added pitch variation to some sounds
- Item restacking now works for drillship storage
Fixes
- Fixed cogs shooting with Tesla weapons through terrain in some cases
- Fixed quest marker hidden behind tunnel icon
- Fixed tanks shaking when going uphill on client
- Fixed large drones spotlight doesn't blink when stunned
- Fixed small drones sliding when stunned
- Fixed tesla turrets missing on laser devices when loading older save files
- Fixed double button on tesla light turret top module
- Fixed tesla weapon VFX when switching weapons
- Fixed Small cog deconstruction issue
- Fixed infinite zoom issue on weapons
- Fixed zoom/equip position issue on weapons
- Fixed weapons shaking in 3rd person
- Fixed drones explosion misplaced after stun
- Fixed tanks not dying when killed while stunned
- Fixed broken movement sounds for enemis when player gets far away and back
- Fixed electricity effect visible while equipping tesla rifle
- Fixed flashing light when equipping weapons on client
- Fixed teleportation of stunned cogs on client
- Fixed random noise sound (low frequency bump)
- Fixed tesla audio
- Fixed buckshot scrap recipe
- Fixed grenades don't explode when shot down
- Fixed tesla modules are glitching through the ceiling while being packed/unpacked
- Fixed explosion effect on Cog mortar when hit by Tesla
- Fixed shutdown valve not closing tesla modules
- Fixed electricity effect on tesla cannon when equipped
- Fixed small debug mesh on Cog research
- Fixed tesla mini turret can shoot through walls
- Removed debug variant of tesla mini turret (other mini tesla variants stay in game)
- Fixed large queue increase in production screen when using controller
- Fixed quests ignoring wall-mounted radio
- Fixed missing Tesla rifle and cannon hit effects on client
- Fixed shelf description
- Fixed tesla turrets module description
- Fixed names of tesla heavy and tesla light
- Fixed spelling error in copper floor descriptionFixed quest don't count wall radio as a radio
- Fixed Mod SDK
[ 2023-07-11 14:20:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Tesla Update OUT NOW!
The new update brings two new guns to your arsenal. Now, their strenght isn't in doing a lot of damage but in complimenting your other guns with their abilities. The first one being the Tesla Cannon that shoots electric beams at multiple targets at once dealing continous damage to all of them.
The cannon can also be used for shooting down projectiles (like mortars).
And if you right-click, an energy shield will be deployed to protect you from incoming fire.
Upgrade needed for Tesla Cannon: Upgrade Advanced Production
The second gun is a Tesla Rifle that shoots quick zaps that will stun smaller enemies like the small drones or humanoid COGs.
This is perfect in combination with something like the shotgun for finishing off the stunned enemies. And it can also zap projectiles in the air, but it's much harder to pull off than with the cannon. Upgrade needed for Tesla Rifle: Upgrade Basic Production
Prepare to make some space for two more turrets on your drillship. Placable on the roof or the sides, Tesla Turrets are going to make a world of difference when it comes to defending your drillship.
Similarly to the tesla rifle, the Tier 1 will shoot quick zaps at enemies stunning the smaller ones for a few seconds. And as you've probably guessed, the bigger Tier 2 will shoot beams at multiple enemies at once. Most importantly, both of them can shoot down explosives too!
And again, while they are great for defense, don't rely on them exclusively. Combine them with some of the regular turrets for best results. Upgrade needed for T1 Tesla Turret: Upgrade Basic Production
Upgrade needed for T2 Tesla Turret: Upgrade Advanced Production
Saw a lot of people asking if you'll be able to to put tesla weapons in the drones we added in the previous update. Hope this part of the trailer answered it.
For the first time ever, you'll be able to set up some defenses inside the drillship as well! These small tesla turrets can be placed on the ground or even in the wall sockets where you'd normally put something like a light (inside and outside). So now, any intruders that somehow sneaked their way past the turrets outside will get a shocking welcome!
Upgrade needed for interior tesla turrets: Upgrade Starter Production
The update also brings some upgrades in the explosives department. Both the EMP grenade and mortar shells can disable enemies of all sizes and even modules. Perfect for disabling tanks and hiting them in a weakspot or for disabling turrets during a raid.
Upgrade needed for EMP grenades: Simple Explosive Schematic
Upgrade needed for EMP mortars: Upgrade Basic Production
As you could see in the trailer, you are not the only one that will have tesla tech available to them. Which means you'll have to be more methodical with your attacks. So if you encounter a tank with a tesla turret... Or a drillship with a tesla turret. Make sure to TAKE THOSE OUT FIRST! That's because otherwise, they will destroy your explosvies in the air just like you can destroy theirs.
"But what do I use if I can't use explosives?" Enter the...
We added a new type of ammo for the scoped sniper rifle (not Marshal) exactly for this purpose. As the name suggest, it will deal increased amount of damage against tanks and modules. So use it to pick off those pesky tesla turrets on drillships (or tanks) and then you can go nuts with your explosives.
Upgrade needed for Anti-material Ammo: Advanced Exposives Schematic
This update also brings 3 new achievements: [olist] Grounded: Destroy a large drone with your pickaxe.
Funko COG: Pick up a collectible hidden somewhere on the island.
Hot Tub: Kill a large drone by making it fall into a lava pool.[/olist]
Now, let's address the dredded "turrets not shooting" bug first. We've been able to fix it and have been testing it nonstop to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. However, if it still SOMEHOW happens to some of you, let me know asap. Ok, now we can continue with the list.
If you got any questions, drop them below and I'll continually update this section. - Rich https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2023-06-24 17:03:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=UPBS3oKbdm8;full][/previewyoutube]
The most shocking update yet is here!
Bringing you tesla guns, turrets, explosives, and more!
Thanks everyone for the support during the lead up for this update! Hopefully everyone managed to survive my endless barage of puns.
For those that haven't pulled the trigger yet, Volcanoids is also 30% OFF right now.
And now let's take a closer look at everything that's been shown in the trailer:
Tesla Cannon
The new update brings two new guns to your arsenal. Now, their strenght isn't in doing a lot of damage but in complimenting your other guns with their abilities. The first one being the Tesla Cannon that shoots electric beams at multiple targets at once dealing continous damage to all of them.
The cannon can also be used for shooting down projectiles (like mortars).
And if you right-click, an energy shield will be deployed to protect you from incoming fire.
Upgrade needed for Tesla Cannon: Upgrade Advanced Production
Tesla Rifle
The second gun is a Tesla Rifle that shoots quick zaps that will stun smaller enemies like the small drones or humanoid COGs.
This is perfect in combination with something like the shotgun for finishing off the stunned enemies. And it can also zap projectiles in the air, but it's much harder to pull off than with the cannon. Upgrade needed for Tesla Rifle: Upgrade Basic Production
Tesla Turrets
Prepare to make some space for two more turrets on your drillship. Placable on the roof or the sides, Tesla Turrets are going to make a world of difference when it comes to defending your drillship.
Similarly to the tesla rifle, the Tier 1 will shoot quick zaps at enemies stunning the smaller ones for a few seconds. And as you've probably guessed, the bigger Tier 2 will shoot beams at multiple enemies at once. Most importantly, both of them can shoot down explosives too!
And again, while they are great for defense, don't rely on them exclusively. Combine them with some of the regular turrets for best results. Upgrade needed for T1 Tesla Turret: Upgrade Basic Production
Upgrade needed for T2 Tesla Turret: Upgrade Advanced Production
Tesla Turret Drones
Saw a lot of people asking if you'll be able to to put tesla weapons in the drones we added in the previous update. Hope this part of the trailer answered it.
Mini Tesla Turrets
For the first time ever, you'll be able to set up some defenses inside the drillship as well! These small tesla turrets can be placed on the ground or even in the wall sockets where you'd normally put something like a light (inside and outside). So now, any intruders that somehow sneaked their way past the turrets outside will get a shocking welcome!
Upgrade needed for interior tesla turrets: Upgrade Starter Production
EMP Grenades and Mortars
The update also brings some upgrades in the explosives department. Both the EMP grenade and mortar shells can disable enemies of all sizes and even modules. Perfect for disabling tanks and hiting them in a weakspot or for disabling turrets during a raid.
Upgrade needed for EMP grenades: Simple Explosive Schematic
Upgrade needed for EMP mortars: Upgrade Basic Production
Tesla Enemies (and how to deal with them)
As you could see in the trailer, you are not the only one that will have tesla tech available to them. Which means you'll have to be more methodical with your attacks. So if you encounter a tank with a tesla turret... Or a drillship with a tesla turret. Make sure to TAKE THOSE OUT FIRST! That's because otherwise, they will destroy your explosvies in the air just like you can destroy theirs.
"But what do I use if I can't use explosives?" Enter the...
Anti-material Sniper Ammo
We added a new type of ammo for the scoped sniper rifle (not Marshal) exactly for this purpose. As the name suggest, it will deal increased amount of damage against tanks and modules. So use it to pick off those pesky tesla turrets on drillships (or tanks) and then you can go nuts with your explosives.
Upgrade needed for Anti-material Ammo: Advanced Exposives Schematic
Achievements
This update also brings 3 new achievements: [olist]
Additional Patch Notes
Fixes
Now, let's address the dredded "turrets not shooting" bug first. We've been able to fix it and have been testing it nonstop to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. However, if it still SOMEHOW happens to some of you, let me know asap. Ok, now we can continue with the list.
- Fixed turrets being stuck and not shooting
- Fixed turret shaking when tracking moving target
- Fixed turrets in caves not rotating for multiplayer clients
- Fixed quests taking into account inventories of sleeping players
- Fixed grenade being thrown from the belly position
- Fixed drillship paint on Helper drone modules
- Fixed Mine coal achievemens not obtainable by multiplayer clients
- Fixed Cogs killed achievements not obtainable by multiplayer clients
- Fixed weapon reload animations for Revolver, Machine Pistol, Shotgun and Mortar
- Fixed Cogs hidden inside soil around drillship
- Fixed Helper drones cannot be repaired
- Fixed Helper drone visibility issues and object poping
- Fixed Pickaxe showing gatling ammo
- Fixed blinking of drillship modules
- Fixed excessive tank honking sounds
- Fixed icon visibility and ordering in the map and travel window
- Fixed minor grammar issues in descriptions
Improvements
- Added particle effect when enemies fall into lava
- Added particle effect when bullets hit lava
- Added new achievements: Hot Tub, Funko COG, Grounded
- Drillship walls no longer need to be fully repaired to place new modules
- Improved performance when Wrench is equipped
- Improved audio of Gatling, Mortar and Grenades
- Turret low ammo notification now includes the type of ammo which is low
- Changed Multitasking achievement icon to show HUBs
- 2D kill confirmation sounds are now played only for distant kills
Sample Mod Fixes
- Fixed player getting stuck in COG lava extractor
-FAQ-
If you got any questions, drop them below and I'll continually update this section. - Rich https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2023-06-24 17:03:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
Tesla Update Trailer & Release Date
[ 2023-06-21 17:17:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's TRAILER TIME everyone! Get amped up for the Tesla Update dropping this Saturday, June 24, 10am pt. And let me know what's your most anticipated feature below! - Rich [previewyoutube=UPBS3oKbdm8;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2023-06-21 17:17:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
UNLIMITED POWER!
[ 2023-06-15 18:00:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
Another shocking feature you can expect in the new update next week...
Is a TESLA CANNON!
With it, you'll be able to:
- Shoot electric beams at multiple COGs and/or objects at once
- Zap incoming projectiles (just like the tesla turrets)
- And one more thing I'm gonna save for the trailer
To be continued...
[ 2023-06-15 18:00:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
Last Teaser
[ 2023-06-14 17:12:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
But definitely not the last feature
That's coming in the new update...
Next week.
[ 2023-06-14 17:12:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Shocking Reveal
[ 2023-05-27 17:09:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
In case you haven't figured it out from the teasers and terrible puns by now...
The next update (coming in June) is bringing TESLA TURRETS!
The bigger Tier 2 will be able to shoot an electric beam at multiple COGs at once!
While the smaller Tier 1 will shoot these quick zaps that can send COGs to sleep for a few seconds.
But there's something else.
Something else that makes these turrets different from all the other ones...
Not needing ammo, only energy?
Yeah, sure, that too.
But most importantly...
The ability to DESTROY PROJECTILES!
Not all, but the most destructive ones like mortars or grenades.
So anything bigger than a bullet is going to have a much harder time reaching your drillship.
Remind you of a certain comic?
And that's it. That's all the cool tesla tech you're gonna get.
...
Yeah, right ;)
More shocking news (or teasers) soon!
- Rich
[ 2023-05-27 17:09:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Ground Support Update: PATCH 2
[ 2023-04-04 19:17:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
Got another small batch of fixes for you today. We hopefully managed to fix the "turrets not shooting" bug some of you reported after the previous patch. So if you encountered this, let us know below if your turrets work fine now. Thanks! - Rich
-PATCH NOTES-
- Fixed Large Drone turret aiming
- Fixed Helper Drone module paint
- Fixed inventory always moving full stack
- Fixed inventory "Upgrades" tab inaccessible through devices
- Fixed Cogs going through terrain when their drillship is leaving
- Fixed turrets not shooting under certain conditions after loading a save file
- Fixed crash on Intel i7 970X and CPUs in the same family
[ 2023-04-04 19:17:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
Ground Support Update: PATCH 1
[ 2023-03-30 13:12:28 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey y'all! We just pushed the first patch for the Ground Support Update. As you guys suggested, we added an option to choose how much ammo turret drones take with them, and if they STILL run out, they will now automatically go back to the drillship to restock and then return to their position (instead of being idle). Thanks everyone who reported bugs and shared feedback! - Rich
-Patch Notes-
Improvements
- Community suggestion: Added option to choose the amount of ammo Turret Drones will load
- Community suggestion: Turret Drones now return to Drillship to resupply ammunition, then get back into the fight
- Improved progress bar for Helper drones
- Improved target selection for enemies and turrets
- Improved performance of target selection
- Improved performance of tank movement
- Added aggro to enemies and helper drone turrets
- Changed narrow Stations to have same capabilities as wide variants
- Inventory filters now work separately for left and right panel (right-click changes both)
- Upgrades tab in inventory can be accessed through any device on the Drillship now
- Control Bracer can be used while sprinting now
- Explosives now create chain explosion instead of destroying each other without exploding
Fixes
- Fixed Small Banner recipe (no longer produces Large Banner)
- Fixed Cog navigation around Middle segment of the Drillship
- Fixed Mining Drone Module All ore icon
- Fixed Drone Modules being ignored by Module controllers and shutdown valves
- Fixed HP/Armor capsules animation on support drone
- Fixed Support drone not emptying inventory when theres space in Drillship
- Fixed missing crosshair, hit and kill indicators for Gunner Seat
- Fixed light source pointing inwards on left part of the Drillship Middle Segment
- Fixed Repair Kit HP not refreshing
- Fixed cannot repair objects with full inventory
- Fixed Drillship dirt not touching ground
- Fixed Override Core automatically installing into the Drillship after production
- Fixed Sniper rifle reload animation
- Fixed Revolver reload animation
- Fixed textures disappear at certain locations in caves
- Fixed player being able to walk inside textures in caves and Volcano
- Fixed missing collider on rocks in the Mine
- Fixed Cargo Module energy consumption tooltip
- Fixed wide Station 10x production speed
- Fixed audio playing when set to zero in Options
- Fixed Energy Depleted sound not affected by Audio/Notifications option
- Fixed issues with weapon scraping
- Fixed the quest "Titanium Hull"
- Fixed scrap recipe for "Pump"
- Fixed Gatling ammo recipe
- Fixed Leave Drillship quest does not work when theres another player inside the Drillship
- Fixed Research Module 2x scale
- Fixed inaudible distant impact sounds
- Fixed items switching during drag-and-drop operation in inventory
- Fixed cursor visibility when using Gamepad
- Fixed crouching after pressing Crouch while using Stations or other devices
- Fixed quest instructions when placing module to the top or side of the Drillship
- Fixed issue with Backpacks spawning under the ground
- Fixed tab switching issue in Multiplayer Options when typing Server Name or Password
- Fixed typos in Sulfur ore and Refining
- Fixed minor localization errors in the Czech language
Sample Mod Fixes
- Modded weapons: now behave like other weapons when using Dump All
- Pixel Pickaxe: Fixed missing recipe
- Green Eruption: Fixed color
- Cosmetic Modules: Fixed glow
- COG Heat Extractor: Fixed colliders to allow easier walking
- Cartoon Village: Fixed huge scale
[ 2023-03-30 13:12:28 CET ] [ Original post ]
Ground Support Update is OUT NOW!
The stars of the show this time are of course the new drones. And as opposed to the previous update, these are for you and you only!
They'll be of massive help if you're a solo player and at the same time really fun in multiplayer due to all the tactics you can do when you have more people on hand. The drones come in 3 different flavors: Turret, Support, Mining The turret and support drones will let you bring some of the most useful parts of your drillship away with you into combat no matter where you are. While the mining drones will completely automate resource gathering for you so you never have to touch the pickaxe again (except when you need to hit a COG with it). You will unlock the drones around the end of Area 2. As far as actually getting them, you have to build a module for the type of drone you want. Once you do, the module will automatically create and store the drone (1 drone per module).
After that's done, you can deploy them using the new drone gadget added to your bracer toolbar or the map (more on that later). This doesn't apply to mining drones which are fully automated.
They are essentially walls that you can build anywhere you need for cover. But you can go as far as building full-fledged pop up fort with them!
However, there's a lot more going on behind these walls than meets the eye:
To send items back, simply click the inventory hatch on the drone itself when it's deployed to open its inventory, drag and drop items in it and then click the red button above it.
The second type of drone is the turret drone. They come with 8 different types of turrets, pistol turret being the default one.
You can easily change the type on the drone's module. The only requirement is that you have the weapon you want to put on the drone (eg. rocket launcher) available in the drillship inventory. Though you also want to make sure there's corresponding ammo (eg. rockets) available in the ship's inventory for the drone to take.
As some of you noticed in the trailer, you will indeed be able to hook up the gunner seat to your turret drones giving you manual control over them! So there can now be a dedicated gunner who sits back at the drillship while the others deploy turret drones for him out in the field.
Aka the pickaxe killer is completely automated, meaning you don't deploy it like the others. It goes out on its own.
Once you build the module and it constructs the mining drone, it will automatically start going out mining all the resources around your drillship. Unless you set a specific resource to look for on its module. To know, which resources are nearby, we added a new marker to the map to show you exactly that. The colors reflect the resource yield (green = high, yellow = medium, red = low).
Aside from the markers, you will also notice two new buttons on your map in this update. The drone button will bring out a menu with all the available drones. After that, you can simply select one of the drones and click on the map to deploy it in that location. The second button will bring all the currently deployed drones back to the ship.
When it comes to the less exciting stuff, we focused on fixing the issues related to the often mentioned hit registration. We also began optimizing different parts of the game but we're still in the early stages, so a lot more is coming on that front. Other than there's two new achievements, two new languages, some QoL improvements, audio improvements and a whole bunch of bug fixes.
If you got any questions, drop them below and I'll continually update this section. EDIT: Q: Do the drone turrets use normal or turret ammo? A: Normal. So the same ammo you use in your weapons. Q: The turret drones don't take enough ammo with them when deployed. Is there a way to specify it? A: Not yet but we will definitely look into it since we've seen this issue mentioned a lot. In the meantime, remember that you can drop more ammo in the turret's inventory when it's deployed. Like this: https://i.imgur.com/usB9Gyq.mp4
[ 2023-03-11 18:06:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=x-LrzyT3sAo;full][/previewyoutube]
The Ground Support Update is here bringing you the Turret, Support and Mining Drones amongst many other improvements and fixes!
Volcanoids is also 30% OFF, so now's a good time to get your friends on board!
Eruption-sized thanks goes to everyone who's been patiently supporting us while we brought this update to y'all! Hope you have a ton of fun with the new content!
- Rich
Player Drones
The stars of the show this time are of course the new drones. And as opposed to the previous update, these are for you and you only!
They'll be of massive help if you're a solo player and at the same time really fun in multiplayer due to all the tactics you can do when you have more people on hand. The drones come in 3 different flavors: Turret, Support, Mining The turret and support drones will let you bring some of the most useful parts of your drillship away with you into combat no matter where you are. While the mining drones will completely automate resource gathering for you so you never have to touch the pickaxe again (except when you need to hit a COG with it). You will unlock the drones around the end of Area 2. As far as actually getting them, you have to build a module for the type of drone you want. Once you do, the module will automatically create and store the drone (1 drone per module).
After that's done, you can deploy them using the new drone gadget added to your bracer toolbar or the map (more on that later). This doesn't apply to mining drones which are fully automated.
Support Drones
They are essentially walls that you can build anywhere you need for cover. But you can go as far as building full-fledged pop up fort with them!
However, there's a lot more going on behind these walls than meets the eye:
- Each drone has platforms that let you do what I call the "peak-shoot-crouch combo".
- There are little windows you can use to spot your next target.
- You also have medical and armor stations attached to them.
To send items back, simply click the inventory hatch on the drone itself when it's deployed to open its inventory, drag and drop items in it and then click the red button above it.
Turret Drones
The second type of drone is the turret drone. They come with 8 different types of turrets, pistol turret being the default one.
You can easily change the type on the drone's module. The only requirement is that you have the weapon you want to put on the drone (eg. rocket launcher) available in the drillship inventory. Though you also want to make sure there's corresponding ammo (eg. rockets) available in the ship's inventory for the drone to take.
As some of you noticed in the trailer, you will indeed be able to hook up the gunner seat to your turret drones giving you manual control over them! So there can now be a dedicated gunner who sits back at the drillship while the others deploy turret drones for him out in the field.
Mining Drones
Aka the pickaxe killer is completely automated, meaning you don't deploy it like the others. It goes out on its own.
Once you build the module and it constructs the mining drone, it will automatically start going out mining all the resources around your drillship. Unless you set a specific resource to look for on its module. To know, which resources are nearby, we added a new marker to the map to show you exactly that. The colors reflect the resource yield (green = high, yellow = medium, red = low).
Map Changes
Aside from the markers, you will also notice two new buttons on your map in this update. The drone button will bring out a menu with all the available drones. After that, you can simply select one of the drones and click on the map to deploy it in that location. The second button will bring all the currently deployed drones back to the ship.
Other Drone-Related Features
- Opened production modules increase the speed of drone construction.
- If a dial on the drone turns red, it indicates a critical problem preventing the use of the drone (eg. no ammo in the drillship's inventory for the drone to take).
- If a helper drone is closed or the entire drillship goes underground, the helper drones will go underground as well. Meaning you have to have the drillship on the surface in order to use the helper drones.
- If your drillship is low on power, drones will malfunction.
- Destroyed drones get automatically reconstructed by their modules.
- Loot carried by a drone that got destroyed can be looted from the drone's wreck.
- Damaged drones get repaired automatically when returned to the home module.
- Players can repair drones in the field with the wrench and repair kits.
- Drones can be seen on HUD when the control bracer is equipped.
- Control bracer has a new drone build tool, allowing you to place drones in the proximity of the player. This includes mines and basements.
- Map can be used to place support and turret drones over distance. Use the return button to call all drones home in case of need.
- Mining drones will escape when under fire. Turret and Support drones will withstand for as long as possible till critical HP is reached.
- When the drillship goes underground, all helper drones return automatically and empty their inventory into the drillship's storage.
Additional Patch Notes
When it comes to the less exciting stuff, we focused on fixing the issues related to the often mentioned hit registration. We also began optimizing different parts of the game but we're still in the early stages, so a lot more is coming on that front. Other than there's two new achievements, two new languages, some QoL improvements, audio improvements and a whole bunch of bug fixes.
General
- Added two new achievements
- Increased the speed of weapon projectiles
- Chat messages have a different color than server messages
- Changed the size of world map icons
- Reduced enemy lock time for all cog units
- Added missing scrap recipes and rebalanced all of them
- Quests now point the player to the drillship boiler instead of individual cargo modules
- Added input hints for switching ammo in the gunner seat
- Default input hints are now set to Auto (fixes missing controller hints)
- Improved cog and tank avoidance
Optimizations
- Optimized island transitions
- Optimized tank movement
- Optimized 3d audio processing
- Optimized ambient audio processing
- Improved performance of damage effects on drillship modules
Localization
- Added two new languages - Japanese and Dutch
- Updated other localizations
- Fixed grammar mistakes in descriptions
Audio
- Adjusted sound on the rocket launcher, marshal, and rattlesnake
- Added new audio clip for drillship inventory error message
- Added new audio for modules getting damaged in the interior
- Adjusted volume of weapons in caves
- Added spark and death sound for large drones
- Added new steam sound variations for module explosions
- Improved machine gun audio
Fixes
- Fixed issues related to hit detection
- Fixed colliders not being large enough on small drones
- Fixed weapon reload issue on clients in multiplayer
- Fixed custom logo resolution issues
- Fixed low ammo warning on turrets when using non-default ammo
- Fixed cogs stuck underground when loading a save file with an enemy drillship going underground
- Fixed submarine hatch collider issues
- Fixed issues related to turrets not shooting in lava sources
- Fixed tanks sinking into the ground
- Fixed issues with tank debris not being properly synced in multiplayer
- Fixed toolbar - slot symbols are no longer localized
- Fixed issue with large drone module on cog drillships
- Fixed icon rendering on chests in the fog
- Fixed visual issue on smoke particle effects
- Fixed a few small localization issues where the translation was missing
- Fixed geothermal module - removed production points (that was never intended)
- Fixed large drones shooting from the wrong position
- Fixed large drones having wrong scale
- Fixed wrench object placement blinking
- Fixed scrap recipes
- Fixed screen shake caused by explosions far away
- Fixed HP not being updated in multiplayer on roof modules
- Fixed steam sounds on newly placed modules
- Fixed steam sounds on drillship modules
- Fixed rocket launcher audio
- Fixed cogs not being able to navigate some mines and shelters
-FAQ-
If you got any questions, drop them below and I'll continually update this section. EDIT: Q: Do the drone turrets use normal or turret ammo? A: Normal. So the same ammo you use in your weapons. Q: The turret drones don't take enough ammo with them when deployed. Is there a way to specify it? A: Not yet but we will definitely look into it since we've seen this issue mentioned a lot. In the meantime, remember that you can drop more ammo in the turret's inventory when it's deployed. Like this: https://i.imgur.com/usB9Gyq.mp4
[ 2023-03-11 18:06:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
48 Hours Till The Drones Arrive
[ 2023-03-09 18:03:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
So close, you can feel the ground start to shake! The trailer below showcases some of the many ways you will be able to use the new underground drones... In the upcoming Ground Support Update dropping this Saturday, March 11! [previewyoutube=x-LrzyT3sAo;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2023-03-09 18:03:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Reinforcements Are On The Way!
Another type of drone that will help you TURN THE TIDE in combat. They will:
Just use your bracer (or map) to call them and the drillship will send them over like an underground torpedo!
'How many types are there?' I hear you asking. Good question, the answer is a lot! You get to choose the type by feeding one of your guns into the drone's module, which will then produce the drone. Got a spare rocket launcher? BOOM! Rocket Launcher Turret Drone!
Most of the heavy lifting is done and we're getting closer to the finish line, but there's still quite a bit of work left to do before we can release. We're eyeing late February or at the very latest, early March. But worry not! We have one more ace up our sleeve for this update in the meantime. Stay tuned. PS: Had a ton of fun reading through all your theories under the previous posts! Here are some of the folks who correctly predicted the turret drones:
[ 2023-02-02 18:12:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hold onto your tophats folks! It seems like the upcoming update will not only transform mining but combat as well! That's because we decided to dig deeper with the drone tech and also bring you...
Turret Drones
Another type of drone that will help you TURN THE TIDE in combat. They will:
- increase your firepower
- help you out of sticky situations
- harass COGs and enemy ships on your behalf
Just use your bracer (or map) to call them and the drillship will send them over like an underground torpedo!
'How many types are there?' I hear you asking. Good question, the answer is a lot! You get to choose the type by feeding one of your guns into the drone's module, which will then produce the drone. Got a spare rocket launcher? BOOM! Rocket Launcher Turret Drone!
Update when?
Most of the heavy lifting is done and we're getting closer to the finish line, but there's still quite a bit of work left to do before we can release. We're eyeing late February or at the very latest, early March. But worry not! We have one more ace up our sleeve for this update in the meantime. Stay tuned. PS: Had a ton of fun reading through all your theories under the previous posts! Here are some of the folks who correctly predicted the turret drones:
[ 2023-02-02 18:12:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
"This will turn the tide lads"
[ 2023-01-23 18:02:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Pssst Volcanoids is 30% off right now during the Steam Base Builder Fest if you haven't taken the drillship for a spin yet
https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2023-01-23 18:02:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Before we wrap up for the holidays...
[ 2022-12-22 18:15:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
I just wanted to make one more post to thank everyone who played Volcanoids, participated in events, or even just followed the development this year! We truly appreciate you all!
Got some EPIC updates coming next year that I'm already excited about!
THANK YOU for 2022! See you in 23!!
- Rich
PS: Volcanoids is now 30% off during the Steam Winter sale!
[ 2022-12-22 18:15:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
Behold The AUTOMINER
These bad boys will let you automate mining in the later stages of the game. That way, you will be able to focus on the things that are actually important instead of stumbling around with your pickaxe, looking for some coal.
Just select which resource you need using the module and they'll be on their way!
Once they finish mining, they'll return and deposit the ore in the ship's inventory. After that, if there's more ore nearby, they will head out again until there's none to be mined or until you stop them. Now, will this new tech stop at mining, or will it be used for something else as well?
[ 2022-12-19 18:06:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
As much fun as posting teasers and reading your speculations is, I'd say it's time we balance it out by finally revealing something again! So as a lot of you masterfully figured out from the teasers, the upcoming update is going to revolutionize mining by introducing...
Mining Drones
These bad boys will let you automate mining in the later stages of the game. That way, you will be able to focus on the things that are actually important instead of stumbling around with your pickaxe, looking for some coal.
Just select which resource you need using the module and they'll be on their way!
Once they finish mining, they'll return and deposit the ore in the ship's inventory. After that, if there's more ore nearby, they will head out again until there's none to be mined or until you stop them. Now, will this new tech stop at mining, or will it be used for something else as well?
To be continued...
[ 2022-12-19 18:06:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids now supports NVIDIA GeForce NOW
[ 2022-10-31 17:08:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids has joined the NVIDIA GeForce NOW library as many of you requested!
So if you've been patiently waiting for this announcement, you can finally put on your best pair of steampunk goggles and take the drillship for a spin!
Without mods tho. For some reason, they won't get added to the game if you play via GFN. Really sorry about that, we'll release a fix as soon as we figure out what's causing it.
That's it for now.
- Rich
PS: A big teaser from the next update is coming soon
[ 2022-10-31 17:08:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Heavy Machinery Update - Coldfix 1
SMALL DRONES
[ 2022-10-20 17:27:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
Got another fix update for you today! Thank you so much for sending in reports and posting feedback everyone! Before we get into the patch notes I have some things I would like to expand on: First, we buffed the rocket launcher. It now does more than twice the damage, has a faster reload speed, and also projectile speed. It now immobilizes any tank with one hit, instakills any large drone, and destroys every turret (except the Gatling turret) with two hits max. So now it's up to you to use it and abuse it! Next, we added a new feature in multiplayer: when you start moving the drillship (eg. pressing the up/down lever) a notification will be sent in chat to notify other players that you are moving the ship. This way you can quickly spot WHO KEEPS MESSING with the ship. This is only a small step towards solving the griefing problem but before a more complex system gets added, this could help in the meantime. We also improved accuracy of turrets so they stop wasting ammo and hit targets reliably. This only applies to player's turrets though. COG turrets still have the same accuracy as before. So don't worry, you won't get evaporated the second you walk too close to an enemy ship. - Rich
Patch Notes
New Features
- If a player triggers movement of the drillship during multiplayer, a notification will be sent to chat so everyone can see who did it
Changes
- Increased rocket damage from 110 to 230
- Increased rocket launcher projectile speed by 33%
- Increased rocket launcher reload speed
- Made rocket launcher ammo cheaper to produce
- Decreased rocket launcher blast radius by 25%
- Decreased handmortar high explosive ammo damage from 200 to 150
- Increased handmortar blast radius by 25%
- Increased the probability of boiler item to drop
- Improved player's turrets accuracy so they're able to hit even fast-moving targets (applies only to player's turrets, COG turrets have the same accuracy as before)
- Decreased the amount of items dropping from tanks
- Increased Marshal's accuracy
Fixes
SMALL DRONES
- Fixed small drones flying into obstacles making them impossible to kill
- Fixed small drones being able to fly through drillship walls
- Fixed small drones not chasing the player inside the drillship
- Fixed small drones facing down while flying around
- Fixed small drones staying in place when losing the player out of their sight
- Fixed small drones getting stuck on ragdolls
- Fixed small drones not shooting at the player when crouched
- Fixed small drones not facing clients while attacking
- Fixed small drones having giant shadows
- Fixed small drone ragdolls moving weirdly on the client
- Fixed tanks honking all the time making you feel like you're in the middle of Manhattan
- Fixed tanks dropping only a small part of the loot if you destroyed them before shooting off every part
- Fixed tanks shooting at player inside drillship even when they don't have a line of sight
- Fixed tanks having no smokes coming out of their chimneys
- Fixed the Rattlesnake stamina drain - if you equipped it while running it would drain all your stamina
- Fixed rocket launcher and rocket ammo not having scrap recipes
- Fixed tier 3 production module not being able to produce some of the tier 1 modules
- Fixed production station missing recipes for most of the tier 3 modules
- Fixed drone and tank spawner modules not being able to retreat drones and tanks after loading the game
- Fixed spawner modules spawning units immediately after loading the game ignoring the saved cooldown
- Fixed bugged list of mods
- Fixed Linux not auto-restarting after switching mods
- Fixed Wardrobe mod inifnitely loading
- Fixed some issues that caused the Linux version to crash often
- Fixed not being able to switch to other turrets in the gunner seat
- Fixed submarine beds - if you saved the game in them and then loaded it would instakill you
- Fixed COGs being stuck in the beginning drillship
- Fixed not being able to access wardrobe chest from the wardrobe mod
- Fixed the wrist computer having two overlapping logos
- Fixed floating or clipping backpack when player equipped any tool or weapon
- Fixed "Raid COG drillship" quest being offered too soon
- Fixed not being able to complete the "Longer drillship" quest
- Fixed "Refinery Module T2" quest being in the wrong order
- Fixed some tank/drone parts having incorrect sounds
- Fixed eruption and UI sounds being extremely loud even when the volume is set to 0
[ 2022-10-20 17:27:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
New weapon has entered the chat
A brand new weapon that you can NOW craft in your drillship. With its low bullet drop and high damage, it's perfect for destroying tanks especially from longer distance.
When using it against the large drones you no longer have to account for the bullet drop like with the handmortar and it has higher damage.
While the rocket launcher is great, don't ditch the handmortar and regular grenades for it because it has some weaknesses too, such as slow reload + character speed. So combining them together is where the rocket launcher truly shines. For example, you can disable tank's tracks from a safe distance with rocket launcher and then get closer from an angle where the turret can't see you to finish it off with grenades. Using the rocket launcher to pick off tank/drone spawning modules on an enemy drillship from a distance before raiding it is also very effective.
[ 2022-10-03 18:21:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
We've read your feedback and realized that it can be daunting for solo players (especially) to face tanks and massive drones without a specialized weapon to counter them. The hand mortar can help but isn't ideal due to its large bullet drop which requires you to get close to the enemies. Same goes for regular grenades. And you can't take the aa turrets with you. So, over the weekend we've prepared a new weapon to level off the playing field more. Enter the...
Rocket Launcher
A brand new weapon that you can NOW craft in your drillship. With its low bullet drop and high damage, it's perfect for destroying tanks especially from longer distance.
When using it against the large drones you no longer have to account for the bullet drop like with the handmortar and it has higher damage.
While the rocket launcher is great, don't ditch the handmortar and regular grenades for it because it has some weaknesses too, such as slow reload + character speed. So combining them together is where the rocket launcher truly shines. For example, you can disable tank's tracks from a safe distance with rocket launcher and then get closer from an angle where the turret can't see you to finish it off with grenades. Using the rocket launcher to pick off tank/drone spawning modules on an enemy drillship from a distance before raiding it is also very effective.
Patch Notes
- Added the rocket launcher
- Increased the time it takes tanks and large drones to spawn from 30 seconds to 3 minutes
- Fixed duplicate decals on the wrist device
- Fixed immobile tanks dealing damage when player gets close to the front
- Fixed tank spawner module becoming invisible when looking at it from a long distance
- Fixed client seeing destroyed parts of a tank on the ground twice
- Fixed client seeing already destroyed tank turrets as still working
- Adjusted hud scale for Steamdeck
[ 2022-10-03 18:21:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
Heavy Machinery Update - Hotfix 1
[ 2022-09-30 20:32:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hi everyone! We just released a Hotfix for the Heavy Machinery Update. There's going to be another one but we wanted to get the first batch of fixes to you as soon as possible. Thank you so much for sending in all the reports and being patient with us!
Fixes
- Fixed the auto-walking issue - player walking in random directions without input
- Fixed keybinds for switching between buildable being set to page/up down - it's back to scroll up/scroll down now
- Fixed not being able to craft ammo for the Lewis Gun
- Fixed broken particles on small refinery drones in the fog
- Fixed the "Disable COG front drill" quest
- Fixed small drones not chasing the player
[ 2022-09-30 20:32:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
Heavy Machinery Update is OUT NOW!
The biggest reinforcement COGs got since the Combat Update. There are many types differentiated by armor, guns, combat behavior, and missions.
Before we dive into the tank types, let's take a look at something they all have in common. Pretty much every single part of a given tank (tracks, turrets) can be destroyed individually and will have some effect. For example, if you destroy its tracks on one side, the tank won't be able to drive away from you or turn fast.
Or if you destroy their turrets, they won't be able to shoot but will try to run you over.
Every tank also has parts that will critically damage the tank when hit (aka weakspots). Those are usually on the back and look like an engine but can be covered by armor, so you need to shoot off the armor first to expose them.
Destroying their tracks so they can't move and then getting behind them to hit the engine weakspot should be your priority during most tank encounters. If you put in the effort to strategically target those key parts, you will have a lot of success destroying tanks.
As the name suggests, these types are the most armored and have the deadliest turrets. Their mission is to guard key areas of the island or COG drillships. When spotting you the lighter and faster combat tanks will circle around while shooting. The heavier but slower version will drive straight ahead at you with all its firepower. Hitting the weakspots is especially important when you encounter this type of tank.
These have medium armor and only one light driver turret. Transporting materials and other types of cargo around the island is their purpose which makes them the perfect target for ambushing. As opposed to combat tanks, these will default to trying to get away from you when spotting you. However, if you manage to destroy their only turret they will try to run you over as a last resort.
You can actually shoot the cargo off of them while they're trying to escape.
Utility tanks have the weakest armor of them all and also have only one turret. Their mission is to deploy in key areas and start digging or researching. If you attack them, they too will try to get away from you as fast as possible and will resort to running you over if their turret gets destroyed.
Will be another new enemy that will shake up the combat dynamic in a major way. From the small drones that will swarm you like annoying insects...
To massive drones flying above the tree line hunting you down with their spotlights and heavy weapons. Some you will be able to outrun, some you won't.
3 iconic weapons have been added to your armory in this update. And if you've been following the Steam posts, you know that there was an opportunity to suggest the in-game names for them. So thanks again to everyone who shared their ideas! The highlighted names below are the ones the team and I ended up choosing and that actually made it in the game.
A new light machine gun that will go by its WW1 nickname "The Rattlesnake" suggested first by: RavnosFX
A bolt action rifle that will go by the name "The Marshal" suggested by: "Peritacus" in our Discord server
And last but not least, an automatic pistol that will go by the name "The Officer's Pistol" suggested first by: Smuckers rasp berry jelly
Helping you deal with the new airborne enemy will be the new anti-air turrets coming in 6 variants. As with the regular turrets, they are automatic by default but you can control them manually using the gunner seat.
Controller enthusiasts, we see you, and we got something in this update for you too. Volcanoids now has full controller support!
The last big-ish feature is the ability to place production, refinery, and research modules on the roof (instead of just on the walls). Which is something mostly players that love to optimize their drillships to the maximum will appreciate.
Q: Can the tanks and drones be driven or used by players? A: Not yet, we weren't able to fit it in this update but it is something we would love to pursue in the future. Will keep you updated! Q: Can the anti-air turrets also shoot at enemies on the ground? A: Yes they can, but they have more blind spots than the regular turrets if the enemy gets close enough to the drillship.
[ 2022-09-29 17:03:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Heavy Machinery Update is finally here! Tanks, drones, guns, aa turrets, and more are waiting for you once you open your Steam library and click that little blue "update" icon! In case you haven't seen the trailer yet, give it a watch here: [previewyoutube=QwPn2CuxxOc;full][/previewyoutube] To celebrate another big release, Volcanoids is also 30% OFF right now! Lastly, before we dig into patch notes (pun intended), MASSIVE thanks goes out to everyone who's been patiently supporting us while we brought this update to you all! - Rich
Tanks
The biggest reinforcement COGs got since the Combat Update. There are many types differentiated by armor, guns, combat behavior, and missions.
Destructibility and Weakspots
Before we dive into the tank types, let's take a look at something they all have in common. Pretty much every single part of a given tank (tracks, turrets) can be destroyed individually and will have some effect. For example, if you destroy its tracks on one side, the tank won't be able to drive away from you or turn fast.
Or if you destroy their turrets, they won't be able to shoot but will try to run you over.
Every tank also has parts that will critically damage the tank when hit (aka weakspots). Those are usually on the back and look like an engine but can be covered by armor, so you need to shoot off the armor first to expose them.
Destroying their tracks so they can't move and then getting behind them to hit the engine weakspot should be your priority during most tank encounters. If you put in the effort to strategically target those key parts, you will have a lot of success destroying tanks.
Combat Tanks
As the name suggests, these types are the most armored and have the deadliest turrets. Their mission is to guard key areas of the island or COG drillships. When spotting you the lighter and faster combat tanks will circle around while shooting. The heavier but slower version will drive straight ahead at you with all its firepower. Hitting the weakspots is especially important when you encounter this type of tank.
Transport Tanks
These have medium armor and only one light driver turret. Transporting materials and other types of cargo around the island is their purpose which makes them the perfect target for ambushing. As opposed to combat tanks, these will default to trying to get away from you when spotting you. However, if you manage to destroy their only turret they will try to run you over as a last resort.
You can actually shoot the cargo off of them while they're trying to escape.
Utility Tanks
Utility tanks have the weakest armor of them all and also have only one turret. Their mission is to deploy in key areas and start digging or researching. If you attack them, they too will try to get away from you as fast as possible and will resort to running you over if their turret gets destroyed.
Drones
Will be another new enemy that will shake up the combat dynamic in a major way. From the small drones that will swarm you like annoying insects...
To massive drones flying above the tree line hunting you down with their spotlights and heavy weapons. Some you will be able to outrun, some you won't.
New Guns
3 iconic weapons have been added to your armory in this update. And if you've been following the Steam posts, you know that there was an opportunity to suggest the in-game names for them. So thanks again to everyone who shared their ideas! The highlighted names below are the ones the team and I ended up choosing and that actually made it in the game.
Lewis Gun
A new light machine gun that will go by its WW1 nickname "The Rattlesnake" suggested first by: RavnosFX
Lee Enfield
A bolt action rifle that will go by the name "The Marshal" suggested by: "Peritacus" in our Discord server
C96 Mauser
And last but not least, an automatic pistol that will go by the name "The Officer's Pistol" suggested first by: Smuckers rasp berry jelly
Anti-Air Turrets
Helping you deal with the new airborne enemy will be the new anti-air turrets coming in 6 variants. As with the regular turrets, they are automatic by default but you can control them manually using the gunner seat.
Controller Support
Controller enthusiasts, we see you, and we got something in this update for you too. Volcanoids now has full controller support!
Roof Modules
The last big-ish feature is the ability to place production, refinery, and research modules on the roof (instead of just on the walls). Which is something mostly players that love to optimize their drillships to the maximum will appreciate.
FAQ
Q: Can the tanks and drones be driven or used by players? A: Not yet, we weren't able to fit it in this update but it is something we would love to pursue in the future. Will keep you updated! Q: Can the anti-air turrets also shoot at enemies on the ground? A: Yes they can, but they have more blind spots than the regular turrets if the enemy gets close enough to the drillship.
[ 2022-09-29 17:03:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
They Come Tomorrow.
[ 2022-09-28 17:06:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
In the meantime, I'll let the trailer speak for itself. [previewyoutube=QwPn2CuxxOc;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2022-09-28 17:06:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
BLOW THAT PIECE OF JUNK OUT OF THE SKY
Using any of the 6 variants, those drones will think twice before attacking your ship!
And if you're a hands-on type of guy/gal, you will be able to connect them to the gunner seat and blow them out of the sky yourself! Literally:
PS: check the first comment
[ 2022-09-22 17:23:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
With the upcoming ANTI-AIR TURRETS
Using any of the 6 variants, those drones will think twice before attacking your ship!
And if you're a hands-on type of guy/gal, you will be able to connect them to the gunner seat and blow them out of the sky yourself! Literally:
To be continued...
PS: check the first comment
[ 2022-09-22 17:23:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
They Are Coming
The biggest feature will be without a doubt the TANKS! (as many of you successfully figured out) For now, I will share that there will be different types for different purposes and that you will be able to destroy or disable them in A LOT of ways. We didn't want them to be just bullet sponges. You can see concepts for the military and refinery tank below. Keep in mind these were just concepts and will look much different (less modern, more steampunk) when the update releases.
(you might recognize this one from a certain blueprint)
Another thing that will spice up the combat dynamic will be the new DRONES! The smaller types will be guarding the lower airspace of the island.
While the much larger drones will hunt you down from above the trees.
And since you guys seemed to like the April Fools' airship so much, we tried to figure out how to add one in a way that would make sense for the scope of this update. So this other large drone below is our attempt at it. It's not the big-scale (even though it is pretty big) airship you were probably hoping for but it was the best we could do with the given time and resources.
This update will also bring you 3 new craftable weapons inspired by real-life models:
[ 2022-09-01 16:59:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! The next major update is getting close so let's shine some light on what's been hiding behind some of the recent teasers! As far as the release goes, the current plan is to release the update around the end of this month (September). I know the wait has been long but as you'll soon see, I really think it will be worth it. So thank you so much for being patient with us!
Get ready for
Tanks
The biggest feature will be without a doubt the TANKS! (as many of you successfully figured out) For now, I will share that there will be different types for different purposes and that you will be able to destroy or disable them in A LOT of ways. We didn't want them to be just bullet sponges. You can see concepts for the military and refinery tank below. Keep in mind these were just concepts and will look much different (less modern, more steampunk) when the update releases.
(you might recognize this one from a certain blueprint)
Attacks from above
Another thing that will spice up the combat dynamic will be the new DRONES! The smaller types will be guarding the lower airspace of the island.
While the much larger drones will hunt you down from above the trees.
And since you guys seemed to like the April Fools' airship so much, we tried to figure out how to add one in a way that would make sense for the scope of this update. So this other large drone below is our attempt at it. It's not the big-scale (even though it is pretty big) airship you were probably hoping for but it was the best we could do with the given time and resources.
New Guns
This update will also bring you 3 new craftable weapons inspired by real-life models:
- Lewis Gun (machine gun)
- Mauser C96 (automatic pistol)
- Lee Enfield (bolt action rifle)
To be continued...
[ 2022-09-01 16:59:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
We Need Your Help
Comment below this post what names YOU would give to these guns and the team and I will: [olist] Select one name for each gun that we liked the most from the comments
We put the names on the guns in the upcoming update
We give you credit in the update patch notes (if we pick your name)
And once the update releases, you (might) find yourself shooting a gun that you named yourself!
[/olist]
Now you don't have to suggest names for all 3 guns. If you came up with a killer name just for the Lewis but got nothing for the other two, post just the one! Just make sure it's clear what gun you're suggesting a name for like: "Lee Enfield - Steamfield"
Once the update releases, the names will appear whenever you point at the guns in your inventory, crafting table, etc.
The contest will end on Sunday, August 14th. Excited to see what you guys come up with! - Rich
[ 2022-08-10 16:59:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
If you haven't heard yet, we will be adding 3 new guns (amongst other things) in the upcoming major update:
- The Lewis Gun
- The Lee Enfield
- The C96 Mauser
Gun Naming Contest
Comment below this post what names YOU would give to these guns and the team and I will: [olist]
The contest will end on Sunday, August 14th. Excited to see what you guys come up with! - Rich
[ 2022-08-10 16:59:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
Whole-lotta-fixes Update
[ 2022-08-03 15:56:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Even though we're going full throttle at the next major update, we still wanted to push out a smaller update in the meantime fixing bugs that have been lingering in the game for quite some time now. So that's what this update is. That being said the upcoming major update (that I've been carefully teasing) is getting closer and there will be a more detailed Steam post about it soon! Lastly, Volcanoids is 30% off during the Steam Survival Fest right now so if you have any friends that were looking to give the game a try, now might be a good time to recruit them for your crew.
Patch Notes
Changes
- Added more scrap recipes for destroyed parts that can be scrapped into copper ingot
- Added autoupgrade to Wide Stations and Hubs, all upgrades now install automatically except Segment
- Changed order of recipes in Research station
- Increased stock value of all ingots
- Increased default drillship storage on the start
- Changed default mode of HUBs to Queue when built
- Removed Military COGs from T1 ships to make the first combat easier for new players
- Adjusted repair kits to allow stack, it will keep used repair kits in different slot
- Changed icon in Volcano Heart quest to properly show the icon of entry to the last level
Fixes
- Description of an icon does not fit and wrong texts
- Quests dead end
- Quest Explore nearby mine doesnt lead to nearby mine
- Client cannot finish control bracer quests
- Quests ignore cog pickaxe
- Texture streaming setup
- Hand computer adjustments for camera
- Player - hand computer was moved into Skeleton, revert this change
- No completable quests available
- Quest: Find Upgrade advanced production incompletable
- SuperSoaker mod crash
- Find grenade instead of produce grenade
- Host does not see armor breaking up effect when destroyed by client
- COGs without weapons - STR updated
- Stuck in the loading screen
- Upgrading drillship core with override core freezes quest
- Quest Disable COG Front Drill leads me underground to tunnels for no reason
- Boiler is reflecting lava
- Intro cinematic black screen
- Quest Hardened Drill - Find COGs heads
- Building menu mentions Q for rotating items but it brings out the bracer
- Cannot load enclosed savefile without mods - stuck on entering the game
- Find cogs head quest
- Broken fog near lavapools (particles, distortion layers, etc..)
- Quest Prepare for attack tells you to find materials
- Station wide refinery needs refinery module to operate
- Quest: Upgrade refinery worktable not possible
- Find Upgrade starter refinery
- Find upgrade starter research
- Free hands animations visible and offset
- Cannot access boiler inner storage
- Interior houses have doors and doubled walls and pipes (z fighting)
- Please change Level of detail to be related to tangens function with FOV
- Refinery T3 recipe only in hub
- Dropcrates are missing the icon on top
- Client cannot put armor on himself
- Storage door description old
- Quest control drillship with bracer bug
- FrontBoiler - lighting retest on master
- Player keeps walking animation when accessing any device
- Broken detonator animation
- Recheck duplicating items in mp
- Modded SMG has free hands
- Handcomputer display and diodes blinking/corrupted - arm shaking
- Updated front boiler model
- Fix hand computer mesh, player can see through
- Quest saying explore house but it leads into the mine
- Dropping crates can be hear all over the map
- Player looking weird while using camera
- Stuck on entering the game
- Drillship override core 1 needs T3 component
- Periscope can see through itself
- Advanced research quest available after tutorial
- Cannot access storage through wide stations
- producing the pistol turret takes too much time
- Grenade empty hand
- Grenade off hand bug
- Player armor destroyed but still visible
- Lavapool missing sounds
- Energy production doesnt update
- Hand computer is spazzing in 3rd person when holding armor
- Command function called on pure server (no client)
- All objects have a purple texture
- Cant hide the Control Bracer toolbar using the dev console
- Story intro screen shows a black screen halfway in
- Players got into T2 without destroying laser device
- Starting new game results in hand bug
- Hidden mods prevent worlds from loading
- Quests do not check if pickaxe is in player inventory
- Fixed many issues on stuck quests, by adjusting recipes - Mine Coal quest - Gatling - Advacned Research T3 - Modified tracks - Drillship core and engine - Geothermal module - Hand mortar - Power plant T1
[ 2022-08-03 15:56:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
And the next gun coming soon is...
A bolt action rifle as many of you correctly guessed from the clip in the previous teaser!
I also saw some folks in the comments asking for a higher-quality version of the previous teaser to use as a wallpaper. Here it is in 4K: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/196lwm-Lz5lRpjMOXSbmLLjj-2Imx8kwt Last but not least, in case you haven't picked up Volcanoids yet, it is now 20% off during the Steam Summer Sale till July 7th! - Rich https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/ PS: new teaser coming soon
[ 2022-06-24 16:28:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
LEE ENFIELD
A bolt action rifle as many of you correctly guessed from the clip in the previous teaser!
I also saw some folks in the comments asking for a higher-quality version of the previous teaser to use as a wallpaper. Here it is in 4K: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/196lwm-Lz5lRpjMOXSbmLLjj-2Imx8kwt Last but not least, in case you haven't picked up Volcanoids yet, it is now 20% off during the Steam Summer Sale till July 7th! - Rich https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/ PS: new teaser coming soon
[ 2022-06-24 16:28:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
Quick Update on State of Development
The Cold Fix update that should fix everything the Control Bracer Update broke
The NEXT. MAJOR. UPDATE.
[/olist]
But let's start with the Cold Fix since that's coming sooner.
Is pretty much done when it comes to fixes regarding technical bugs, AI navigation, and the other usual suspects. And most of the team has already moved on and is working on features for the next update. So far so good.
Even though everything seems to be ready, we ran into an issue related to balancing and progression in general. The way we've been balancing things until now has been pretty wobbly. In simple terms, we just continued adding things on top of things hoping it would hold together, and till now it somehow did. But this less than ideal approach has finally caught up with us as we released the last update and showed that things need to change. So now we're trying to build a more sustainable system that can be reliably used for every update. Sort of like a tech tree that takes everything into account and can be quickly adjusted for every update without so much room for error. So to wrap this part up before you fall asleep, the Cold Fix is taking so long because the last update caused some balancing issues and in order to fix them, we need the new system I mentioned in place. As far as when it should come, we don't really have an estimate but I'll keep you updated.
Now the rest of the team that's not working on balancing issues has begun working on the NEXT MAJOR UPDATE!! woo big hype We do have a pretty solid idea about all the things we want to add in it but you already know I won't spoil it all right away. But don't worry, I won't leave you empty-handed either. Here come the teasers!
Flying drones will be a new type of enemy unit in the next major update! OGs might remember the concept art from some time ago. There will be 4 classes of them (like the current units) each with their unique abilities. Here's a REFINERY DRONE, TIER 1:
And here's concept art of MILITARY DRONE TIERS:
The Mauser C96 will be added to your arsenal in the upcoming update. As well as a couple of other well-known guns from the same era.
Another thing that's finally coming is proper controller support that you guys have been asking for. The reason why we've been putting it off is because it will require a pretty significant overhaul of the game's UI. And yes, this is a stepping stone for the eventual console release. Don't have any details yet though.
Meaning this won't be part of the next update but some update later on. Our level designer is knee-deep in working on the island rework I mentioned at the bottom of this announcement some time ago. From what I've seen so far, I can confidently say that once all the map changes get released, it will feel like a whole new game. Here's a sneak peek at one of the new locations, THE MILITARY BASE:
And that's it for this quick progress update. So keep an eye out on our socials for updates about the Cold Fix as well as more teasers from the upcoming major update! Take care guys and as always, thanks for the support! - Rich Social Links Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter for more teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update) https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
bonus leak
[ 2022-05-04 17:04:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Got a quick progress update for you so let's dig into it, shall we? First, just clarify, the airship announcement was, as most of you skillfully recognized, a joke for April Fools'. Drillships are here to stay and airships are NOT coming (but you know what they say, never say never). Now, as far as development goes we are currently working on two main things: [olist]
Cold Fix
Is pretty much done when it comes to fixes regarding technical bugs, AI navigation, and the other usual suspects. And most of the team has already moved on and is working on features for the next update. So far so good.
Why is the Cold Fix taking so long then?
Even though everything seems to be ready, we ran into an issue related to balancing and progression in general. The way we've been balancing things until now has been pretty wobbly. In simple terms, we just continued adding things on top of things hoping it would hold together, and till now it somehow did. But this less than ideal approach has finally caught up with us as we released the last update and showed that things need to change. So now we're trying to build a more sustainable system that can be reliably used for every update. Sort of like a tech tree that takes everything into account and can be quickly adjusted for every update without so much room for error. So to wrap this part up before you fall asleep, the Cold Fix is taking so long because the last update caused some balancing issues and in order to fix them, we need the new system I mentioned in place. As far as when it should come, we don't really have an estimate but I'll keep you updated.
Next Major Update
Now the rest of the team that's not working on balancing issues has begun working on the NEXT MAJOR UPDATE!! woo big hype We do have a pretty solid idea about all the things we want to add in it but you already know I won't spoil it all right away. But don't worry, I won't leave you empty-handed either. Here come the teasers!
Drones
Flying drones will be a new type of enemy unit in the next major update! OGs might remember the concept art from some time ago. There will be 4 classes of them (like the current units) each with their unique abilities. Here's a REFINERY DRONE, TIER 1:
And here's concept art of MILITARY DRONE TIERS:
New Gun(s)
The Mauser C96 will be added to your arsenal in the upcoming update. As well as a couple of other well-known guns from the same era.
Controller Support
Another thing that's finally coming is proper controller support that you guys have been asking for. The reason why we've been putting it off is because it will require a pretty significant overhaul of the game's UI. And yes, this is a stepping stone for the eventual console release. Don't have any details yet though.
More teasers loading...
Other stuff we've been working on for the future
Meaning this won't be part of the next update but some update later on. Our level designer is knee-deep in working on the island rework I mentioned at the bottom of this announcement some time ago. From what I've seen so far, I can confidently say that once all the map changes get released, it will feel like a whole new game. Here's a sneak peek at one of the new locations, THE MILITARY BASE:
And that's it for this quick progress update. So keep an eye out on our socials for updates about the Cold Fix as well as more teasers from the upcoming major update! Take care guys and as always, thanks for the support! - Rich Social Links Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter for more teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update) https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
bonus leak
[ 2022-05-04 17:04:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
Airships Replacing Drillships
[ 2022-04-01 09:17:15 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone!
The team and I decided to make a pretty major change to Volcanoids. The drillships were cool and all, we had our fun with them but I think we can all agree that they are getting kind of boring and overdone at this point.
So to keep the game fresh and original we've decided that for the next update, we will remove all the drillships and replace them with airships.
As for the core gameplay mechanics, this change won't affect them all that much. For example, instead of hiding underground from the eruptions, you will have to fly away from the island for a bit and so on.
We really think this is a step in the right direction and we hope you're on board with the idea. Stay tuned for more updates, pilots!
- Rich and the team
Social Links
Join the community on Discord
Follow us on Twitter for more teasers
Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2022-04-01 09:17:15 CET ] [ Original post ]
Control Bracer Update OUT NOW
The first and biggest addition is the "control bracer" aka as everybody calls it "the steampunk pip-boy". With it, we took all the different gadgets that were previously scattered all over and put them in one place. How does that work in practice? Pulling the bracer out (using the "Q" key) will bring up a second toolbar with these gadgets. Some you already know (eg. drillship calling) and some that are new.
One of the new ones is remote access to the periscope. Basically, no matter where you are, you can always access your periscope using the bracer and quickly check on the drillship. In the case shown below the turret takes care of the attack but if it didn't, you could just easily send the drillship underground using the control bracer as well.
Second new gadget is the camera. When you run into something and you're not quite sure what it is, you can just activate the camera, snap a picture of it and the archive (which is like our in-game wiki) will open with info about it.
But wait there's more! The camera can also work as a diagnostic tool. If you just point at things around your drillship (like a turret module) the screen will show you a bunch of useful info that was previously hard to find. And in case of the turret (and couple other things), you can use the scroll wheel to get even more information.
Last thing I should mention is the watch part of the bracer. It tells you 3 vital pieces of information: [olist] Red light on the left = volcano is about to erupt soon
Green light on the right= the location you're currently in is going to keep you safe from the eruption
Time = how much time is left before the volcano erupts
[/olist]
This is one of the features that has been looong overdue. You now can:
We noticed a lot of new players getting overwhelmed by the amount of information and interactable parts the old boiler had. So we selected only the most vital parts to keep and improved them.
The new dial above the driving handles actually shows how the drillship is moving when someone's driving underground.
While the dial above the diving lever shows how the drillship is going underground, back up, deploying, and so on.
TLDR version: you can now produce and refine basic items underground the same way you would if the drillship was on surface but slower. Longer version: Each module adds a certain amount of production/refinery/research points to the drillship. You can now see how many points each module adds by pointing the camera gadget I mentioned in the beginning on it.
The more points you have in each category, the faster you can produce/refine/research. Now to start production you'd also need access to storage and energy. BEFORE, the drillship would have zero points in each category on its own so you needed for example a production module + storage and energy modules to be deployed in order to start producing something. NOW the drillship has some points in each category on its own. Storage works the same way no matter where the drillship is. And the boiler produces energy even underground. So now even if you're underground and all modules are closed, you can still produce and refine some basic items (like ammo, small components, etc.). It will be slower than if you'd be on the surface with deployed modules (therefore had more production points) but it's better than nothing. We decided to make this change because we noticed that a lot of you didn't like how there's not much to do underground. Especially if you're playing co-op and someone is already driving. Now one of you can be driving while others are setting up basic production lines preparing ammo and other supplies in the meantime.
Now what if you overdo it with the production underground and the boiler isn't able to produce enough energy to cover it? Enter the geothermal module! This new roof module that comes in two sizes (T1 and T3) gives you an alternative way to produce more energy underground.
The way you can do that is, when you drive through lava the module will convert the heat to energy and store it so you can continue producing. We added a new indicator to the travel view window that shows the energy output/input and how much you have stored.
Be careful not to stay in the lava for too long or it will destroy your modules or even the whole drillship.
Periscope finally got a proper model that pops up from the ground (or the drillship) when someone's using it.
Another improvement is related to using the periscope underground. Till now, the periscope would only work in a few selected spots. Not anymore though, you can now use it anywhere.
If you open your inventory you will notice these new little boxes with small icons on them. They are filters that allow you to quickly show only a specific type of items in your inventory (eg. ore, tools, ammo).
Say adios to tediously pointing the wrench at each thing making sure it has full hp. Damaged parts are now going to be marked on your UI when holding the wrench.
Once you acquire necessary upgrades you can now upgrade the worktables into stations and eventually the stations into hubs. This is possible because we changed how they relate to each other. Each version can do what the previous one could and something extra. We also changed the station's visual to better reflect this change.
There's a way now to claim enemy drillship without needing to destroy majority of modules first. You can now use the "bypass core" upgrades that are much more expensive and harder to get, but let you capture an enemy drillship without damaging it.
Fixes
future content leak
[ 2022-02-28 18:15:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! You know the drill... another major update is here and we've got a lot to cover! Two things before we look at the new stuff though. 1) In case you haven't read the two previous posts, this update is dedicated to some of the most requested features by you guys mainly related to overall quality of life but also production, quests, and other parts of the game that needed some long overdue love. BUT there's some brand new stuff as well. 2) Volcanoids is 20% OFF for the next 48 hours! So if you (or your friend) have been waiting for a sign to finally take the drill for a spin, this might be it! Now that we got that out of the way, it's time to answer the ultimate question:
What's new?
Control Bracer
The first and biggest addition is the "control bracer" aka as everybody calls it "the steampunk pip-boy". With it, we took all the different gadgets that were previously scattered all over and put them in one place. How does that work in practice? Pulling the bracer out (using the "Q" key) will bring up a second toolbar with these gadgets. Some you already know (eg. drillship calling) and some that are new.
One of the new ones is remote access to the periscope. Basically, no matter where you are, you can always access your periscope using the bracer and quickly check on the drillship. In the case shown below the turret takes care of the attack but if it didn't, you could just easily send the drillship underground using the control bracer as well.
Second new gadget is the camera. When you run into something and you're not quite sure what it is, you can just activate the camera, snap a picture of it and the archive (which is like our in-game wiki) will open with info about it.
But wait there's more! The camera can also work as a diagnostic tool. If you just point at things around your drillship (like a turret module) the screen will show you a bunch of useful info that was previously hard to find. And in case of the turret (and couple other things), you can use the scroll wheel to get even more information.
Last thing I should mention is the watch part of the bracer. It tells you 3 vital pieces of information: [olist]
Customizable Toolbar
This is one of the features that has been looong overdue. You now can:
- drag and drop items on the toolbar
- left-click on an item in inventory to place in an empty slot
- right-click a slot to remove the item in it
- drag one item over another to switch their places
Reworked Boiler
We noticed a lot of new players getting overwhelmed by the amount of information and interactable parts the old boiler had. So we selected only the most vital parts to keep and improved them.
The new dial above the driving handles actually shows how the drillship is moving when someone's driving underground.
While the dial above the diving lever shows how the drillship is going underground, back up, deploying, and so on.
Production Changes
TLDR version: you can now produce and refine basic items underground the same way you would if the drillship was on surface but slower. Longer version: Each module adds a certain amount of production/refinery/research points to the drillship. You can now see how many points each module adds by pointing the camera gadget I mentioned in the beginning on it.
The more points you have in each category, the faster you can produce/refine/research. Now to start production you'd also need access to storage and energy. BEFORE, the drillship would have zero points in each category on its own so you needed for example a production module + storage and energy modules to be deployed in order to start producing something. NOW the drillship has some points in each category on its own. Storage works the same way no matter where the drillship is. And the boiler produces energy even underground. So now even if you're underground and all modules are closed, you can still produce and refine some basic items (like ammo, small components, etc.). It will be slower than if you'd be on the surface with deployed modules (therefore had more production points) but it's better than nothing. We decided to make this change because we noticed that a lot of you didn't like how there's not much to do underground. Especially if you're playing co-op and someone is already driving. Now one of you can be driving while others are setting up basic production lines preparing ammo and other supplies in the meantime.
Geothermal Module
Now what if you overdo it with the production underground and the boiler isn't able to produce enough energy to cover it? Enter the geothermal module! This new roof module that comes in two sizes (T1 and T3) gives you an alternative way to produce more energy underground.
The way you can do that is, when you drive through lava the module will convert the heat to energy and store it so you can continue producing. We added a new indicator to the travel view window that shows the energy output/input and how much you have stored.
Be careful not to stay in the lava for too long or it will destroy your modules or even the whole drillship.
More Periscope Improvements
Periscope finally got a proper model that pops up from the ground (or the drillship) when someone's using it.
Another improvement is related to using the periscope underground. Till now, the periscope would only work in a few selected spots. Not anymore though, you can now use it anywhere.
Item Filters
If you open your inventory you will notice these new little boxes with small icons on them. They are filters that allow you to quickly show only a specific type of items in your inventory (eg. ore, tools, ammo).
Damaged Part Prompt
Say adios to tediously pointing the wrench at each thing making sure it has full hp. Damaged parts are now going to be marked on your UI when holding the wrench.
Worktable -> Station -> Hub Upgrading
Once you acquire necessary upgrades you can now upgrade the worktables into stations and eventually the stations into hubs. This is possible because we changed how they relate to each other. Each version can do what the previous one could and something extra. We also changed the station's visual to better reflect this change.
Bypass Core
There's a way now to claim enemy drillship without needing to destroy majority of modules first. You can now use the "bypass core" upgrades that are much more expensive and harder to get, but let you capture an enemy drillship without damaging it.
Additional Patch Notes
Fixes
- Fixed flashlight making weapon scopes brighter than the Discord light theme
- Fixed doors closing by themselves in enemy drillships
- Hard difficulty can now be selected only if you already finished the game once
- Increased the time it takes for the drillship to explode when all its modules are destroyed
- Removed non-vital devices from submarine to make it less cluttered and easier to navigate for new players
- Removed non-vital devices from the starter drillship to make it less cluttered and easier to navigate for new players
- You can now drag and drop items anywhere outside the inventory window to drop them on the ground
- Hid destroyed drillship icons on travel map
- All interior subpart sockets (round things on the wall you can build stuff on) now require hull upgrade 2 or higher to appear
- The basement door and the mine gate are now visually damaged to indicate there is something behind them
- Optimized default module textures
- Optimized COG unit navigation (should no longer get stuck thinking where to go next)
- Player gets notified about every new item that enters player's or drillship's inventory (can be disabled in settings)
- Improved the damaged core model and added VFX to make it easier to spot for new players
- Added warning text when the drillship is about to explode
- Added an option to audio settings to change volume of the menu sound effects (eg. that clicking sound when you point at a button)
- Installing higher Core upgrade now adds extra inventory slots for the front drill default storage
- Installing higher Core upgrade increases default energy storage value and boiler power plant output
- Added sounds effects that play when you complete or acquire a quest
- Drillship doors now get visually damaged
- Backpacks on the ground disappear when fully looted
- Lots of adjustments have been made to the quest system
future content leak
[ 2022-02-28 18:15:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
THE NEW UPDATE IS COMING...
That's 6 days away!! As for what you can expect from this update, we dedicated it to some of the most requested features by you guys mainly related to quality of life but also production, quests, and other parts of the game that needed some long overdue love. Pretty much every change or improvement we did for this update was based on some suggestion, request, or feedback we got from you or from watching gameplay videos. So lots of improving here and there but we also got some completely new stuff for you as well as you'll see below. Enough small talk let's get to the best part...
Hope you liked the teasers! Will be sharing more leading up to the release on our socials (links below). So I'll see you there and if not, then see ya on Monday! - Rich and the team Social Links Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter for more teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update) https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2022-02-22 19:02:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
FEBRUARY 28th, 2022
That's 6 days away!! As for what you can expect from this update, we dedicated it to some of the most requested features by you guys mainly related to quality of life but also production, quests, and other parts of the game that needed some long overdue love. Pretty much every change or improvement we did for this update was based on some suggestion, request, or feedback we got from you or from watching gameplay videos. So lots of improving here and there but we also got some completely new stuff for you as well as you'll see below. Enough small talk let's get to the best part...
TEASERS!
Hope you liked the teasers! Will be sharing more leading up to the release on our socials (links below). So I'll see you there and if not, then see ya on Monday! - Rich and the team Social Links Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter for more teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update) https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2022-02-22 19:02:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
End-of-year Development Update
The upcoming update is going to be dedicated to the most requested features by the community regarding quality of life, the steep learning curve, production, and many other aspects of the game. There is still a lot of play-testing and figuring out how to approach the changes. But the main focus is on production, simplifying the systems, and allowing things that were not possible before.
We've seen so many players getting confused by the predefined toolbar. So in the next update, you will be able to just drag and drop items from your inventory into any toolbar slot like you're used to. No more hectic scrolling during intense firefights.
How annoying is it that the moment you decide to go exploring, you get a notification that your drillship is under attack? And now what... do you go back or continue exploring risking that you'll return to a destroyed drillship? Well, we are working on a feature that will allow you to access your drillship's periscope from anywhere so you can see how serious the situation is.
Say bye to running around checking each module's HP individually, any damaged parts will show up on your UI when holding the wrench.
This module will passively produce energy when the drillship is close to lava underground.
As mentioned in the beginning, the steep learning curve is a big issue, especially for new players and we really want to do something about that. Above is an example of one of the many improvements we'll be making. We've noticed that new players always have a hard time capturing the first drillship because they can't find the core.
[olist] Making online storage (the collective inventory of all storage modules) function underground
Making it possible to keep production going even when underground
[/olist]
These two changes combined mean that you and your crewmates can do a lot more while waiting for the eruption to blow over. For example, you can arm yourself while heading towards the next laser cave, or set up the production line so that you can run out the door as soon as the drillship lands. No longer you'll have to sit underground with almost nothing to do, just waiting for the volcano to calm down.
So what's the point of deploying on the surface then?
Production on the surface is going to be way more efficient than underground. Also in future updates, we plan to add more survival mechanics that will make underground production more resource-heavy than on the surface.
The idea behind these changes is that we want to reward players for having a deeper knowledge of the game's systems, rather than punish them if they don't. So the better the knowledge the better you will be at utilizing all the production systems and getting the most out of your resources and time, and therefore progress much faster. And if you don't have the knowledge yet, you won't be as heavily limited as you were before.
The impact of these changes already solves some of the most requested QoL changes:
But that will be leaked in the coming weeks because I don't want to spoil everything right away hehe.
The to-do list for this update is still fairly big but we are definitely aiming for Q1 2022. I'll let you know once there's a closer estimate.
While working on the new update, we also keep polishing the workshop guides and adding information that modders reported to be missing or confusing. To experiment with some new directions modding in Volcanoids could go, several new mods were created for you to check out! For anyone who would like to continue fighting some more COGS after finishing the quests, this mod will send one last wave of COGs in the third area: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2688256552 Would you like to have some COGs in your crew? Well, turn yourself or a friend into one with this mod: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2683793090 This mod is great for keeping track of ongoing drillship production, as it informs you about every item that lands in your drillship's inventory. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2687954635
Finally, the whole team wishes you a great holiday season and all the best in 2022! Hope you had fun playing or even just following the development this year. And thank you for all the support! Rich Social Links Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update) https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-12-21 17:59:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! The end of 2021 is slowly approaching so we figured an end-of-year development update would be in order before the team leaves for the holidays. So first things first, let's cover what you're all here for...
Theme of the *Next Update*
The upcoming update is going to be dedicated to the most requested features by the community regarding quality of life, the steep learning curve, production, and many other aspects of the game. There is still a lot of play-testing and figuring out how to approach the changes. But the main focus is on production, simplifying the systems, and allowing things that were not possible before.
Translated into features, you can expect stuff like
Customizable toolbar
We've seen so many players getting confused by the predefined toolbar. So in the next update, you will be able to just drag and drop items from your inventory into any toolbar slot like you're used to. No more hectic scrolling during intense firefights.
Remote access to periscope
How annoying is it that the moment you decide to go exploring, you get a notification that your drillship is under attack? And now what... do you go back or continue exploring risking that you'll return to a destroyed drillship? Well, we are working on a feature that will allow you to access your drillship's periscope from anywhere so you can see how serious the situation is.
Damaged parts showing up on UI
Say bye to running around checking each module's HP individually, any damaged parts will show up on your UI when holding the wrench.
New modules
This module will passively produce energy when the drillship is close to lava underground.
Early-game improvements
As mentioned in the beginning, the steep learning curve is a big issue, especially for new players and we really want to do something about that. Above is an example of one of the many improvements we'll be making. We've noticed that new players always have a hard time capturing the first drillship because they can't find the core.
Two big changes regarding production
[olist]
- The front drill storage no longer gets full with items, forcing you to stop driving and move items elsewhere. Now those items will just continue pilling in the free storage modules you have on the drillship.
- Waiting underground can be now used much more effectively since all the drillship systems continue working (e.g. production, research)
- Many quests are no longer going to be interrupted by the eruption and you will be able to continue doing them underground.
And much more...
But that will be leaked in the coming weeks because I don't want to spoil everything right away hehe.
Rough release estimate
The to-do list for this update is still fairly big but we are definitely aiming for Q1 2022. I'll let you know once there's a closer estimate.
New mods in Workshop
While working on the new update, we also keep polishing the workshop guides and adding information that modders reported to be missing or confusing. To experiment with some new directions modding in Volcanoids could go, several new mods were created for you to check out! For anyone who would like to continue fighting some more COGS after finishing the quests, this mod will send one last wave of COGs in the third area: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2688256552 Would you like to have some COGs in your crew? Well, turn yourself or a friend into one with this mod: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2683793090 This mod is great for keeping track of ongoing drillship production, as it informs you about every item that lands in your drillship's inventory. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2687954635
Happy Holidays!
Finally, the whole team wishes you a great holiday season and all the best in 2022! Hope you had fun playing or even just following the development this year. And thank you for all the support! Rich Social Links Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get only the most important news in your inbox (e.g. new update) https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-12-21 17:59:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Workshop Update Coldfix
Thank you for your patience and all the feedback on the modding guides! We are constantly reflecting on your feedback and adding more info to places that are not explained well enough. And we will continue doing that until the guides are easy to follow and clear for everyone. So if you ever get stuck on some step, don't hesitate to post into the modding-help channel in our Discord (and tag Tomas#9155, he specifically requests that) or in the Workshop forum. And please always mention the guide you have an issue with and which section. It will help us a ton!
That's it for now folks! Once again, if you get stuck somewhere in one of the modding guides, don't hesitate to reach out to Tomas on Discord or post in the Workshop forum (+ mention the guide and section). If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, post them in the comments below. Stay tuned on our socials for sneak peeks from the next update. And as always... Have a blast y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-11-04 16:38:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
First of all...
Thank you for your patience and all the feedback on the modding guides! We are constantly reflecting on your feedback and adding more info to places that are not explained well enough. And we will continue doing that until the guides are easy to follow and clear for everyone. So if you ever get stuck on some step, don't hesitate to post into the modding-help channel in our Discord (and tag Tomas#9155, he specifically requests that) or in the Workshop forum. And please always mention the guide you have an issue with and which section. It will help us a ton!
Patch Notes
Main Game Fixes
- Added Mod info window when loading saves (it informs you about the differences between mods set in main menu, and mods set in the save file)
- Steam launch dialog on Linux allows you to choose between OpenGL and Vulkan
- "Load game" menu now shows settings and delete buttons above each save (it used to show only when you hovered over them)
- Improved player's jumping, giving you a better chance to escape from spots where you'd previously stay stuck
- Fixed multiple issues where you'd get stuck in spectator view above the submarine when loading a save
- Fixed broken armor equipping animation
- Fixed issues where mods caused connection problems in multiplayer games
- Fixed issue with the Captain not having a proper dress code for the Halloween event
- Fixed wrong order of the new dragon and skeleton decals for paint jobs
Steam Workshop
- Added new tags: starter, design, visual
- Starter tag - Used for any mod, that affects the starter drillships (starter drillship = the first drillship you capture in the game after completing the first few quests for the Captain)
- Design tag - Used for mods that adjust devices in the starter drillships
- Visual tag - Used for mods that change paint jobs of the starter drillships, for example, a mod that would give a starter drillship a dragon paintjob
Mod SDK Fixes
- All creation scenes are now automatically duplicated and available for modders
- Duplicated creation scenes have the option to be reset to the default state when Mod SDK gets a new update (this is optional)
Mod Guide Fixes
- In general we added and keep adding more information to all Captains modding guides based on your feedback
- The guides are being constantly tested, and any reported issue is being reflected
New Captain Mod
- Blind Cogs - COGs are blinded from constant work in dark caves with super bright lava. It is almost impossible for them to spot you unless they are fired upon, or damaged in any other way. If that happens, they will charge in the direction of incoming fire and fight back!
Mod Fixes
- Large Backpack - Fixed issue with dropped backpacks having only 32 slots, when it was supposed to be 100
- New Crew - Captains skin no longer stretches in random directions when wearing a modded armor
- Advanced Armor - Fixed issue with armor preventing revive or respawn
- Advanced Armor - Fixed issue where wearing armor would block you from changing skin in wardrobe
- Green Eruption - Is finally green again
- Cosmetic Modules - Now support paint jobs
- Submarine Pier Chests - Saving and loading now works correctly
- Auto Burrow - Fixed issue where clients could not change settings of this feature
- Additive Scene - Fixed issues with saving and loading
- Interior Device - Fixed wrong camera position when player was seated in the throne
Wrap up
That's it for now folks! Once again, if you get stuck somewhere in one of the modding guides, don't hesitate to reach out to Tomas on Discord or post in the Workshop forum (+ mention the guide and section). If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, post them in the comments below. Stay tuned on our socials for sneak peeks from the next update. And as always... Have a blast y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-11-04 16:38:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
Spooky season has entered Volcanoids
The island got spookier!
And Martin from our team also made this mod with Halloween decals for the drillship: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2634643953
Lastly, Volcanoids is 20% off during the Steam Halloween sale! Adding something for Halloween was sort of a last-minute decision but we still wanted to give you guys something. Next year around we plan to do a lot more for it. Happy Halloween y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-10-29 15:10:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
WATCH OUT
The island got spookier!
And Martin from our team also made this mod with Halloween decals for the drillship: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2634643953
Lastly, Volcanoids is 20% off during the Steam Halloween sale! Adding something for Halloween was sort of a last-minute decision but we still wanted to give you guys something. Next year around we plan to do a lot more for it. Happy Halloween y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-10-29 15:10:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
Workshop Update is AVAILABLE NOW
And with it, almost 60 different mods already available in the workshop for you to play and tinker with! There are mods for every area of the game. Gun mods, enemy mods, character mods, building mods, quality of life mods, I don't even know what to call these... mods and more! To celebrate the workshop release, Volcanoids is 25% OFF this week! We also created a Workshop forum and a bunch of modding-related channels in our Discord so feel free to discuss all things modding there. Shout out to Melodic Albuild, Lord Gregory, Labyrinth, and everyone else who already jumped in and started creating their own mods and guides for the community! Last thing I want to mention in this section is that the mods you'll see below are what we call "official mods" which means that they are from us, the devs. All are posted under the Captain's account. The reason why we made them is to show you what can be done with the workshop support and create some foundation. Now, they are fully at your service. The support is here, as well as the guides and documentation (+ more on the way). So feel free to use these mods, adjust and republish them, or create your own from scratch!
when it comes to mods
The revolver, shotgun, SMG, and sniper all got their modded counterparts with different attributes. Get this mod
Add a creepy giant drill head that's inspired by the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. I highly recommend not running into him during the ash storm. Get this mod
Mix up the battlefield even more with new COG soldiers. Get this mod
Finally, everyone in the crew will be able to have a different character. Just add the wardrobe device to your drillship and pick one of the characters. Get this mod
Add the new heat extractor structures around the map. Get this mod
Finally be able to enter houses in the villages. Get this mod
Equip new types of armor that look like you put them together from COG scraps. And on top of looking badass, they will also give your entire crew different buffs such as faster production. Get this mod
Turn your drillship into a certified battleship with these new turrets. Get this mod
Fill the bland empty spaces on your drillship with these shiny cosmetic modules. Get this mod
Increase your character's backpack inventory with the Large Backpack mod. Get this mod [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/33896950/e98de829fe542a24827b96c90697f7801f8dc819.jpg]
Sprint for as long as you need with the Infinite Stamina mod. Get this mod [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/33896950/6030619f6f5eafb46e82edaf0c4846ad71cbcd46.jpg]
Regenerate your health without med packs with the Slow Passive HP Recovery mod. Get this mod [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/33896950/19397e60edecccd7c884705e726cf26ed2124946.png]
Check out all the mods
It's really simple. Just follow this guide once and I bet you will remember the steps from then on. 1. Start Volcanoids and click on the "Mods" button in main menu and then the "Open Workshop" button.
2. Steam overlay will open on the workshop page. Here you can browse all the available mods. If the author is the Captain, then it's from us.
3. Once you find the mod you want to try, just click on the green "subscribe" button.
4. Then use the SHIFT + TAB combination to hide the Steam overlay and the mod will appear in the mod table. Now just click the checkbox and then the "Apply Configuration" button.
5. The game will restart and you're good to go. To double-check if the mods applied when you start a new game this table with mods should appear telling you which mods are you playing with.
For anyone who would like to start making mods, we put together this separate guide that goes into detail on how to set everything up: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2625530587
Yes! The way it works is that the person who creates the server has to choose the mods (as shown above) and then anyone who joins him/her will automatically download those mods without having to do anything.
Yep, check out the guide below. When you hover over a save file the gear icon will appear. Click on it and the "Edit settings menu will appear. All the way down is an "edit" button. Click it to open the mod menu. There uncheck any mods you want removed, click "ok" and then "save and start". The game will restart and the save will load without the mods you unchecked.
All the mods that have the Captain as the author, are from us. We call those the "official mods" and they are fully at your service. You can use them, adjust and republish them, whatever you want. Any mods that don't have the Captain as the author are from the community. Browse all the official mods here.
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there. This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game! We look at it as an opportunity to create a new form of communication between you and us.
Not even close haha. The reason why we're adding workshop now is similar to why we added multiplayer so soon as well. Because it's real pain to add it later on in the development when there might be some stuff implemented that didn't take workshop into account etc.
We realize that no matter how cool we make the mods, some of you are simply not fans of modding. But don't worry, even though this update has been dedicated to adding the workshop support, we parallelly worked on a lot of new things for the vanilla game. I don't want to spoil too much but among other things we've been making good progress on the island map rework as well as the lore aspect of the game that will tie into the map locations. Basically, we are committed to fixing the repetitiveness of the island areas. DISCLAIMER: Almost everything you see on the 2 pictures below (except the stuff you already know like the drillship) is placeholder, meaning it's not final art and will look a lot different once it gets released. We are using these low poly assets to get a sense of the scale and different locations.
Can't wait to see what mods you guys will come up with! As always, if you got any questions, feedback or suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below. Have a blast y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-10-18 17:03:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=-_4fOFFwH_M;full][/previewyoutube]
The Steam Workshop support is here
And with it, almost 60 different mods already available in the workshop for you to play and tinker with! There are mods for every area of the game. Gun mods, enemy mods, character mods, building mods, quality of life mods, I don't even know what to call these... mods and more! To celebrate the workshop release, Volcanoids is 25% OFF this week! We also created a Workshop forum and a bunch of modding-related channels in our Discord so feel free to discuss all things modding there. Shout out to Melodic Albuild, Lord Gregory, Labyrinth, and everyone else who already jumped in and started creating their own mods and guides for the community! Last thing I want to mention in this section is that the mods you'll see below are what we call "official mods" which means that they are from us, the devs. All are posted under the Captain's account. The reason why we made them is to show you what can be done with the workshop support and create some foundation. Now, they are fully at your service. The support is here, as well as the guides and documentation (+ more on the way). So feel free to use these mods, adjust and republish them, or create your own from scratch!
What's new?
when it comes to mods
Gun Mods
The revolver, shotgun, SMG, and sniper all got their modded counterparts with different attributes. Get this mod
Enemy Mods
Add a creepy giant drill head that's inspired by the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. I highly recommend not running into him during the ash storm. Get this mod
Mix up the battlefield even more with new COG soldiers. Get this mod
Character Mods
Finally, everyone in the crew will be able to have a different character. Just add the wardrobe device to your drillship and pick one of the characters. Get this mod
Building Mods
Add the new heat extractor structures around the map. Get this mod
Finally be able to enter houses in the villages. Get this mod
Armor Mods
Equip new types of armor that look like you put them together from COG scraps. And on top of looking badass, they will also give your entire crew different buffs such as faster production. Get this mod
Module Mods
Turn your drillship into a certified battleship with these new turrets. Get this mod
Fill the bland empty spaces on your drillship with these shiny cosmetic modules. Get this mod
Quality of Life Mods
Increase your character's backpack inventory with the Large Backpack mod. Get this mod [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/33896950/e98de829fe542a24827b96c90697f7801f8dc819.jpg]
Sprint for as long as you need with the Infinite Stamina mod. Get this mod [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/33896950/6030619f6f5eafb46e82edaf0c4846ad71cbcd46.jpg]
Regenerate your health without med packs with the Slow Passive HP Recovery mod. Get this mod [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/33896950/19397e60edecccd7c884705e726cf26ed2124946.png]
And a lot more...
Check out all the mods
How to add mods to your game
It's really simple. Just follow this guide once and I bet you will remember the steps from then on. 1. Start Volcanoids and click on the "Mods" button in main menu and then the "Open Workshop" button.
2. Steam overlay will open on the workshop page. Here you can browse all the available mods. If the author is the Captain, then it's from us.
3. Once you find the mod you want to try, just click on the green "subscribe" button.
4. Then use the SHIFT + TAB combination to hide the Steam overlay and the mod will appear in the mod table. Now just click the checkbox and then the "Apply Configuration" button.
5. The game will restart and you're good to go. To double-check if the mods applied when you start a new game this table with mods should appear telling you which mods are you playing with.
How to make mods
For anyone who would like to start making mods, we put together this separate guide that goes into detail on how to set everything up: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2625530587
FAQ
Can we play multiplayer with the mods?
Yes! The way it works is that the person who creates the server has to choose the mods (as shown above) and then anyone who joins him/her will automatically download those mods without having to do anything.
Is there any way I can remove mods from my save file?
Yep, check out the guide below. When you hover over a save file the gear icon will appear. Click on it and the "Edit settings menu will appear. All the way down is an "edit" button. Click it to open the mod menu. There uncheck any mods you want removed, click "ok" and then "save and start". The game will restart and the save will load without the mods you unchecked.
Which mods are from the dev team?
All the mods that have the Captain as the author, are from us. We call those the "official mods" and they are fully at your service. You can use them, adjust and republish them, whatever you want. Any mods that don't have the Captain as the author are from the community. Browse all the official mods here.
Why don't you just add this to the vanilla game?
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there. This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game! We look at it as an opportunity to create a new form of communication between you and us.
Why adding the workshop now, is the development coming to an end?
Not even close haha. The reason why we're adding workshop now is similar to why we added multiplayer so soon as well. Because it's real pain to add it later on in the development when there might be some stuff implemented that didn't take workshop into account etc.
What we've worked on besides workshop
We realize that no matter how cool we make the mods, some of you are simply not fans of modding. But don't worry, even though this update has been dedicated to adding the workshop support, we parallelly worked on a lot of new things for the vanilla game. I don't want to spoil too much but among other things we've been making good progress on the island map rework as well as the lore aspect of the game that will tie into the map locations. Basically, we are committed to fixing the repetitiveness of the island areas. DISCLAIMER: Almost everything you see on the 2 pictures below (except the stuff you already know like the drillship) is placeholder, meaning it's not final art and will look a lot different once it gets released. We are using these low poly assets to get a sense of the scale and different locations.
Wrap up and bonus leak
Can't wait to see what mods you guys will come up with! As always, if you got any questions, feedback or suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below. Have a blast y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-10-18 17:03:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
Workshop Update Release Date & Preview Branch
That's less than a week from today!! Phew, we got some work to do.
That being said the update is now available for testing on the Preview Branch. So if you feel like checking the mods RIGHT NOW, you can! Just see the "How to play with mods" section below. We created a Workshop forum and a bunch of modding channels in our Discord so feel free to discuss everything workshop related there. All patch notes will be posted in the Preview Branch forum and our Discord leading up to the official release next Monday. Lastly, keep in mind that some stuff is not final yet and will be fixed before the update releases.
To keep up with the Spooktober spirit we added a Giant COG with a drill for its head. Used the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill as a reference. Mod link
New type of building that will can be found around lava pools. Mod link
A variety of new skins will be available. Mod link
Take the submarine for a drive. But don't scratch it! or the Captain will kill you. Mod link
Mod link
Apart from being able to take more damage, they will also give the crew buffs such as faster production. Mod link
When the eruption drops. Mod link
It's really simple. Just follow this guide once and I bet you will remember the steps from then on. 1. First, you need to be on the Preview Branch, the screenshot below shows how to switch branches.
2. Start Volcanoids and click on the "Mods" button in main menu and then the "Open Workshop" button.
3. Steam overlay will open on the workshop page. Here you can browse all the available mods. Easy way to check if the mod is "official", meaning it's made by the dev team, is to see the author. If the author is the Captain, then it's from us and the mod should 100% work (don't quote me on that tho haha).
4. Once you find the mod you want to try, just click on the green "subscribe" button.
5. Then use the SHIFT + TAB combination to hide the Steam overlay and the mod will appear in the mod table. Now you just click the checkbox and click the "Apply Configuration" button.
6. The game will restart and you're good to go. To double check if the mods applied when you start a new game this table with mods should appear telling you which mods are you playing with.
For anyone who would like to start making mods, we put together this guide that goes into more detail on how to set everything up: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2625530587
Yes! The way it works is that the person who creates the server has to choose the mods (as shown above) and then anyone who joins him/her will automatically download those mods without having to do anything.
As mentioned in the guide, the mods that have Captain as the author, are from us. We call those the "official mods" which just means that they should do what's stated in their description, shouldn't break anything in your game, and that we will continue updating them. Check out all the official mods
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there. This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game! We look at it as an opportunity to create a new form of communication between you and us.
Not even close haha. The reason why we're adding workshop now is similar to why we added multiplayer so soon as well. Because it's real pain to add it later on in the development when there might be some stuff implemented that didn't take workshop into account etc.
Hope everything is clear! If not drop a question below, harass me on Discord, whatever works for you and I'll try my best to help! Have a blast with the mods, don't break them too much, and keep an eye out on our socials. I'll be leaking some more stuff and got some giveaways planned too! Cheers everyone, - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-10-13 15:25:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! We got a lot to cover: the release date, preview branch, how the workshop works, and more! So first things first, the Workshop Update drops...
October 18, 2021
That's less than a week from today!! Phew, we got some work to do.
Live on Preview Branch
That being said the update is now available for testing on the Preview Branch. So if you feel like checking the mods RIGHT NOW, you can! Just see the "How to play with mods" section below. We created a Workshop forum and a bunch of modding channels in our Discord so feel free to discuss everything workshop related there. All patch notes will be posted in the Preview Branch forum and our Discord leading up to the official release next Monday. Lastly, keep in mind that some stuff is not final yet and will be fixed before the update releases.
Some of the mods we've been preparing
Giant Drillhead
To keep up with the Spooktober spirit we added a Giant COG with a drill for its head. Used the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill as a reference. Mod link
Lava Factories
New type of building that will can be found around lava pools. Mod link
Skins
A variety of new skins will be available. Mod link
Submarine Driving
Take the submarine for a drive. But don't scratch it! or the Captain will kill you. Mod link
New Enemy Type
Mod link
COG Armor
Apart from being able to take more damage, they will also give the crew buffs such as faster production. Mod link
Dancing
When the eruption drops. Mod link
And many more...
How to play with mods
It's really simple. Just follow this guide once and I bet you will remember the steps from then on. 1. First, you need to be on the Preview Branch, the screenshot below shows how to switch branches.
2. Start Volcanoids and click on the "Mods" button in main menu and then the "Open Workshop" button.
3. Steam overlay will open on the workshop page. Here you can browse all the available mods. Easy way to check if the mod is "official", meaning it's made by the dev team, is to see the author. If the author is the Captain, then it's from us and the mod should 100% work (don't quote me on that tho haha).
4. Once you find the mod you want to try, just click on the green "subscribe" button.
5. Then use the SHIFT + TAB combination to hide the Steam overlay and the mod will appear in the mod table. Now you just click the checkbox and click the "Apply Configuration" button.
6. The game will restart and you're good to go. To double check if the mods applied when you start a new game this table with mods should appear telling you which mods are you playing with.
How to make mods
For anyone who would like to start making mods, we put together this guide that goes into more detail on how to set everything up: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2625530587
FAQ
Can we play multiplayer with the mods?
Yes! The way it works is that the person who creates the server has to choose the mods (as shown above) and then anyone who joins him/her will automatically download those mods without having to do anything.
Which mods are from the dev team?
As mentioned in the guide, the mods that have Captain as the author, are from us. We call those the "official mods" which just means that they should do what's stated in their description, shouldn't break anything in your game, and that we will continue updating them. Check out all the official mods
Why don't you just add this to the vanilla game?
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there. This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game! We look at it as an opportunity to create a new form of communication between you and us.
Why adding the workshop now, is the development coming to an end?
Not even close haha. The reason why we're adding workshop now is similar to why we added multiplayer so soon as well. Because it's real pain to add it later on in the development when there might be some stuff implemented that didn't take workshop into account etc.
Wrap up and bonus leak
Hope everything is clear! If not drop a question below, harass me on Discord, whatever works for you and I'll try my best to help! Have a blast with the mods, don't break them too much, and keep an eye out on our socials. I'll be leaking some more stuff and got some giveaways planned too! Cheers everyone, - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and teasers Subscribe to our Newsletter to get notified only when there's a new update release or dev log https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-10-13 15:25:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Workshop Update News
It's good to see you again! Hope you got some rest and enjoyed the summer! We certainly did but we've also been busy with the upcoming update coming next month. As the title suggests, it's going to be the WORKSHOP UPDATE and once it's out, you'll be able to mod pretty much anything in the game. And I mean ANYTHING. Don't believe me? Well, let me show you some of the mods we've been working on:
There's a bunch of cool skins that you and your friends will be able to choose from using a wardrobe device in your drillship.
Finally! With this mod, you will be able to enter most of the village houses.
Wear the skin of your enemies.
Bunch of modded guns will be ready at release but we are preparing everything you could possibly need in order to easily create more.
Same thing I said about the modded guns applies to turrets too.
Got a bunch of decal package mods ready for you as well but you'll essentially be able to take any picture and import it in the game to use it as a decal.
As mentioned in the beginning, the update will come sometime in mid-October. We still want to polish the example mods, update Volcanoids mod SDK and create more documentation on how to create your own mods. Will let you know once we set the exact date.
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there. This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game!
Very few and mostly related to quality of life. We've decided to postpone some of the other bigger features to focus all our energy on making the workshop as easy to use as possible for anyone who wants to play with mods or create them. But don't worry, all the postponed features will still be added to the game in the coming updates.
Hope that answered your questions! If not, drop them in the comments, as well as your ideas for any other mods that you'd like to see. I will get into more detail about how to use the mods and create your own as we get closer to the release. Stay tuned for more sneak peeks on our social media since I still have some pretty epic mods up my sleeve that haven't been shown yet. Thanks for the support everyone and take care! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-09-21 18:26:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
Heeello everyone
It's good to see you again! Hope you got some rest and enjoyed the summer! We certainly did but we've also been busy with the upcoming update coming next month. As the title suggests, it's going to be the WORKSHOP UPDATE and once it's out, you'll be able to mod pretty much anything in the game. And I mean ANYTHING. Don't believe me? Well, let me show you some of the mods we've been working on:
Character Skins Mod
There's a bunch of cool skins that you and your friends will be able to choose from using a wardrobe device in your drillship.
House Interiors Mod
Finally! With this mod, you will be able to enter most of the village houses.
Captain getting his well-deserved rest... Mod
COG Armor Mod
Wear the skin of your enemies.
Gun Mods
Bunch of modded guns will be ready at release but we are preparing everything you could possibly need in order to easily create more.
Turret Mods
Same thing I said about the modded guns applies to turrets too.
Toxic Eruption Mod
Decal Mods
Got a bunch of decal package mods ready for you as well but you'll essentially be able to take any picture and import it in the game to use it as a decal.
And more to be revealed soon...
Questions you might be asking
Update when?
As mentioned in the beginning, the update will come sometime in mid-October. We still want to polish the example mods, update Volcanoids mod SDK and create more documentation on how to create your own mods. Will let you know once we set the exact date.
Why don't you just add this to the vanilla game?
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there. This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game!
Any features coming to the vanilla game in this update?
Very few and mostly related to quality of life. We've decided to postpone some of the other bigger features to focus all our energy on making the workshop as easy to use as possible for anyone who wants to play with mods or create them. But don't worry, all the postponed features will still be added to the game in the coming updates.
Wrap up and bonus leak
Hope that answered your questions! If not, drop them in the comments, as well as your ideas for any other mods that you'd like to see. I will get into more detail about how to use the mods and create your own as we get closer to the release. Stay tuned for more sneak peeks on our social media since I still have some pretty epic mods up my sleeve that haven't been shown yet. Thanks for the support everyone and take care! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-09-21 18:26:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
Customization Update Coldfix & Workshop Announcement
Got a new dev log for you with bug fixes that went live today and more importantly, our plans for the next major update that revolve heavily around workshop! Let's take a look, shall we?
Version 1.25.338.0 The main fixes were focused on issues with turrets not being able to counter COG attack waves. It got solved by increasing loaded ammo for each turret type, meaning the turrets spend more time shooting and less reloading. Next to that, all COGs with mortars have lowered range by 50% meaning that every turret except shotgun can now reach a unit shooting mortars at it. The second major issue reported by the community was being stuck in the spectator view above the harbor. It was caused by an issue in save files that were created in the previous version.
Together with the coldfix update, we would like to announce that we're working on Steam Workshop support! Development started in parallel with the recent Customization Update, and we got to a point where in order to progress with final implementations, it had to go public on Steam. By announcing the development, we want to avoid confusion where players see it on the Steam page but it has nothing in it yet. Even tho there is already a lot done, it is still not ready to be fully released. If all goes well, it will be released in the next update as one of the main features.
To give you an idea of what you can expect from the Workshop, please see the following examples that are already done and being tested. Huge thanks to Alex and Greg from the community for creating them!
Passive Health Regen - with this mod, your health will passively regenerate at all times (but very slowly)
No Stamina - there's no stamina, so you can sprint without having to take breaks
Unlimited Core Slots - your drillship will have unlimited core slots which will allow you to open all your modules at once The community has often requested a way to remove the core slots and allow to have all modules opened. While we can't officially add it due to performance reasons, with the mod above it will be possible!
The mods will allow you to make minor adjustments to game-play or adding completely new devices, modules, weapons, etc. The decision is up to you!
But this is not all! The goal is to give modders the best tools possible so that they can tweak the game in any way they want. We are still working on guides, example mods, and support game assets to make it as easy as possible for anyone to mod the game. To again give you an example, see the following pictures that represent shape galleries for weapons. These files will be publicly available, and anyone can use them to create new assets for the game. This way, you don't need to be a professional artist yet still achieve designs that fit the game visual.
By combining the shapes, you can quickly and easily create many cool weapons! The goal is to make modding as easy as possible for anyone interested.
And here are pictures from the game, as seen by the player. Behold the four-barrel shotgun!!! Again, all put together from the shape gallery. The same process will be applicable to other things like cosmetic interior devices (not just weapons).
We are still working on Unity engine support so that you can create mods in the same environment as game developers. That should make a lot of things much easier for everyone. Once the Workshop is out, we will provide several example mods of weapons, devices, modules, and pretty much anything that needs to cover an area of the game. You will be able to use them as a starting point for your mods and get them up and running much faster than if you had to build everything from scratch.
Together with all the above, the drillship customization will also get an update. Based on all the awesome designs you did and shared on Steam and Discord, there will be an option to share anything you create with the community. You will be able to publish your design ideas to Steam workshop, where anyone will be able to download them and use them in their game. Many new decals are already in production based on community concept art. Such as the dragon and skeleton decals that look super awesome! Dragon paintjob art creds to Qwasich
Skeleton paint job art creds to lucyrocketdog
That's it for this dev log. As always if you have any questions, feedback, or ideas, let us know below. And stay tuned on our socials for more sneak peeks! Take care everybody, - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-07-15 16:05:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone!
Got a new dev log for you with bug fixes that went live today and more importantly, our plans for the next major update that revolve heavily around workshop! Let's take a look, shall we?
Coldfix Patch Notes
Version 1.25.338.0 The main fixes were focused on issues with turrets not being able to counter COG attack waves. It got solved by increasing loaded ammo for each turret type, meaning the turrets spend more time shooting and less reloading. Next to that, all COGs with mortars have lowered range by 50% meaning that every turret except shotgun can now reach a unit shooting mortars at it. The second major issue reported by the community was being stuck in the spectator view above the harbor. It was caused by an issue in save files that were created in the previous version.
Fixes
- Fixed issue where players got stuck in spectator view above submarine after load
- Fixed issue where drillship in save files created in 1.24 did not have the default paint jobs applied
- Fixed issue with copy-pasting color values and settings
- Fixed missing scrap recipe for the Dispenser device
- Fixed scrap recipe for Saw Gauntlet
Changes
- COG mortar weapons range lowered by 50%
- Increased HP of all default modules by 80%
- Increased amount of loaded ammo in all turrets, meaning they can shoot longer before reloading is needed
Workshop is in the works!
Together with the coldfix update, we would like to announce that we're working on Steam Workshop support! Development started in parallel with the recent Customization Update, and we got to a point where in order to progress with final implementations, it had to go public on Steam. By announcing the development, we want to avoid confusion where players see it on the Steam page but it has nothing in it yet. Even tho there is already a lot done, it is still not ready to be fully released. If all goes well, it will be released in the next update as one of the main features.
Mod Examples
To give you an idea of what you can expect from the Workshop, please see the following examples that are already done and being tested. Huge thanks to Alex and Greg from the community for creating them!
Passive Health Regen - with this mod, your health will passively regenerate at all times (but very slowly)
No Stamina - there's no stamina, so you can sprint without having to take breaks
Unlimited Core Slots - your drillship will have unlimited core slots which will allow you to open all your modules at once The community has often requested a way to remove the core slots and allow to have all modules opened. While we can't officially add it due to performance reasons, with the mod above it will be possible!
The mods will allow you to make minor adjustments to game-play or adding completely new devices, modules, weapons, etc. The decision is up to you!
Modding Support Assets
But this is not all! The goal is to give modders the best tools possible so that they can tweak the game in any way they want. We are still working on guides, example mods, and support game assets to make it as easy as possible for anyone to mod the game. To again give you an example, see the following pictures that represent shape galleries for weapons. These files will be publicly available, and anyone can use them to create new assets for the game. This way, you don't need to be a professional artist yet still achieve designs that fit the game visual.
By combining the shapes, you can quickly and easily create many cool weapons! The goal is to make modding as easy as possible for anyone interested.
And here are pictures from the game, as seen by the player. Behold the four-barrel shotgun!!! Again, all put together from the shape gallery. The same process will be applicable to other things like cosmetic interior devices (not just weapons).
We are still working on Unity engine support so that you can create mods in the same environment as game developers. That should make a lot of things much easier for everyone. Once the Workshop is out, we will provide several example mods of weapons, devices, modules, and pretty much anything that needs to cover an area of the game. You will be able to use them as a starting point for your mods and get them up and running much faster than if you had to build everything from scratch.
Sharing Drillship Paintjobs
Together with all the above, the drillship customization will also get an update. Based on all the awesome designs you did and shared on Steam and Discord, there will be an option to share anything you create with the community. You will be able to publish your design ideas to Steam workshop, where anyone will be able to download them and use them in their game. Many new decals are already in production based on community concept art. Such as the dragon and skeleton decals that look super awesome! Dragon paintjob art creds to Qwasich
Skeleton paint job art creds to lucyrocketdog
That's it for this dev log. As always if you have any questions, feedback, or ideas, let us know below. And stay tuned on our socials for more sneak peeks! Take care everybody, - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-07-15 16:05:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Customization Update is OUT NOW!
The Customization Update is now live and to celebrate the release Volcanoids is 20% OFF! Let's take a look at what the update brought this time!
This feature has been requested for a very long time and we're really excited to finally add it! With the addition of paint tool, you can now change the color of the drillship to ANY color you want! Don't want to have the entire drillship in one color? That's cool too, you can change the color of each part (drill, wings, etc.) separately. Or have a blend between two or more colors horizontally or vertically. You can even go as far as having each module in a different color (you lunatic).
Oh, and you can even paint the interior if you want.
But wait there's more! Along with colors, you can also add decals with the paint tool and place pretty much anywhere. The decal library offers everything from simple shapes to a freaking steampunk octopus.
From now on, each time you install a new drill upgrade, the drill is going to completely change its visual. The laser drill is the tier 4.
And here's the tier 2 (left) and 3 (right).
The first two of many melee weapons have been added: The Saw Gauntlet and the COG Pickaxe!
This one's reeeeally fun! Just build it anywhere in your drillship and take manual control of any of your turrets. You can easily switch between them with the scroll wheel, close them, open them and even choose which one should be accessed first when you use the gunner seat.
The UI inside the turret gives you all the info you could possibly need such as reload cooldown, turret health, ammo, and a small guide in the top left corner.
After the eruptions, the island is now going to be covered in a thick fog for some time reducing your vision significantly.
And for that occasion, we also added the shoulder light that you can deploy with the "N" key.
3 new devices will be making it in this update that you can build in the interior as well as on the exterior of the ship. The dispenser spews out 3 items of your choice from the ship's inventory so you can just quickly grab them on the go.
The medic and armor station will replenish your health/armor instantly after using it. You can use each one 4 times before there's a cooldown.
Finally, you will be able to drop stuff on the ground. Not a big deal for singleplayer players, huge deal for co-op players!
I would highly recommend you to consider checking out one of the two paint tool guides below. Even if you just want to learn the basics. Since we wanted to give you the freedom to create pretty much any paint job you want, the system can seem complex at first. But once you get the hang of it, it's really straight forward and these guides are going to massively help you with that. Here's a video guide from Tomas with timestamps going from basic to advanced stuff: [previewyoutube=ZMOXq__oIBw;full][/previewyoutube] And here's a written guide from TheFireDragon: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2489200340 Really hope you enjoy the new stuff! As always, if you got any questions, feedback or suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments or on our socials. Have a blast y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-06-24 17:20:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=jJ11jmyCTp4;full][/previewyoutube]
The time has come...
The Customization Update is now live and to celebrate the release Volcanoids is 20% OFF! Let's take a look at what the update brought this time!
What's new?
Color Customization
This feature has been requested for a very long time and we're really excited to finally add it! With the addition of paint tool, you can now change the color of the drillship to ANY color you want! Don't want to have the entire drillship in one color? That's cool too, you can change the color of each part (drill, wings, etc.) separately. Or have a blend between two or more colors horizontally or vertically. You can even go as far as having each module in a different color (you lunatic).
Oh, and you can even paint the interior if you want.
DECALS
But wait there's more! Along with colors, you can also add decals with the paint tool and place pretty much anywhere. The decal library offers everything from simple shapes to a freaking steampunk octopus.
New Drills
From now on, each time you install a new drill upgrade, the drill is going to completely change its visual. The laser drill is the tier 4.
And here's the tier 2 (left) and 3 (right).
Melee Weapons
The first two of many melee weapons have been added: The Saw Gauntlet and the COG Pickaxe!
Gunner Seat
This one's reeeeally fun! Just build it anywhere in your drillship and take manual control of any of your turrets. You can easily switch between them with the scroll wheel, close them, open them and even choose which one should be accessed first when you use the gunner seat.
The UI inside the turret gives you all the info you could possibly need such as reload cooldown, turret health, ammo, and a small guide in the top left corner.
Lingering Fog
After the eruptions, the island is now going to be covered in a thick fog for some time reducing your vision significantly.
And for that occasion, we also added the shoulder light that you can deploy with the "N" key.
New Devices
3 new devices will be making it in this update that you can build in the interior as well as on the exterior of the ship. The dispenser spews out 3 items of your choice from the ship's inventory so you can just quickly grab them on the go.
The medic and armor station will replenish your health/armor instantly after using it. You can use each one 4 times before there's a cooldown.
Item Dropping
Finally, you will be able to drop stuff on the ground. Not a big deal for singleplayer players, huge deal for co-op players!
Additional Patch Notes
- Damaging modules from the inside is going to deal much more damage than from the outside
- Shoulder light and drillship remote call hotkeys next to the toolbar - many players has no idea they can call their drillships to nearby landing sites remotely
- Remaining module marker - marks the remaining modules on almost destroyed drillships, making it easier to spot that one roof module that is overlooked
- Backpack above soil - backpacks now get pushed up, it should no longer get stuck under soil hills when ship leaves a landing site
- Water damage over time - water will no longer instakill you, instead will deal low damage
Paint Tool Guides
I would highly recommend you to consider checking out one of the two paint tool guides below. Even if you just want to learn the basics. Since we wanted to give you the freedom to create pretty much any paint job you want, the system can seem complex at first. But once you get the hang of it, it's really straight forward and these guides are going to massively help you with that. Here's a video guide from Tomas with timestamps going from basic to advanced stuff: [previewyoutube=ZMOXq__oIBw;full][/previewyoutube] And here's a written guide from TheFireDragon: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2489200340 Really hope you enjoy the new stuff! As always, if you got any questions, feedback or suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments or on our socials. Have a blast y'all! - Rich and the team Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-06-24 17:20:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
UPDATE IS COMING
As the title suggests, the next major update is getting dangerously close to its release. So let's take a look at all the new features this update will bring!
The OG drill is going to have some competition. Each drill upgrade is now going to have its own visual.
Highly requested feature for a long time. You will be able to change the color of the entire drillship as well as just individual parts (wings, roof, one module, etc.). What colors are going to be available you ask? All of them.
Along with colors we also added decals that you can place pretty much anywhere. The decal library offers everything from simple shapes to a freaking steampunk octopus.
Since it's the first-ever melee weapon that we are going to add, we wanted to start with a bang! So let me introduce you The Saw Gauntlet:
This one's reeeeally fun! Just build it anywhere in your drillship and take manual control of any of your turrets.
The eruptions are now going to cause a longer-lasting fog that will last for quite some time reducing your vision significantly.
did you notice the COG?
3 new devices will be making it in this update that you can build in the interior as well as on the exterior of the ship. The dispenser spews out 3 items of your choice from the ship's inventory so you can just quickly grab them.
The medic and armor station will replenish your health/armor after using it.
This one's been long overdue.
This update is now available for testing on the Preview Branch if you want to hop in early! Just keep in mind that some stuff might not be 100% yet. Full patch notes are available in the preview branch section in our Discord as always. If you already know what the Preview Branch is then you can skip the faq section below. If you don't know but you're interested, keep reading.
Q: What's the Preview Branch? A: The "Preview Branch" is where we will post upcoming updates (like this one) before they get officially released on the "Main Branch" so you can help us test the new features if you want to. Q: Where can I find patch notes for the Preview Branch? A: They are available in the preview branch category in our Discord server.
Q: How do I switch to Preview Branch? A: It's really simple actually, here's how:
If things don't go horribly wrong, you guys can expect the official release of this update in the second half of this month. Will make another announcement as soon as I'll have an exact date. Thanks for the support and take care y'all! - Rich Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-06-10 18:26:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello!
As the title suggests, the next major update is getting dangerously close to its release. So let's take a look at all the new features this update will bring!
What's coming
New Drills
The OG drill is going to have some competition. Each drill upgrade is now going to have its own visual.
Color customization
Highly requested feature for a long time. You will be able to change the color of the entire drillship as well as just individual parts (wings, roof, one module, etc.). What colors are going to be available you ask? All of them.
Decals
Along with colors we also added decals that you can place pretty much anywhere. The decal library offers everything from simple shapes to a freaking steampunk octopus.
Melee weapon
Since it's the first-ever melee weapon that we are going to add, we wanted to start with a bang! So let me introduce you The Saw Gauntlet:
Gunner Seat
This one's reeeeally fun! Just build it anywhere in your drillship and take manual control of any of your turrets.
Lingering Fog
The eruptions are now going to cause a longer-lasting fog that will last for quite some time reducing your vision significantly.
did you notice the COG?
New Devices
3 new devices will be making it in this update that you can build in the interior as well as on the exterior of the ship. The dispenser spews out 3 items of your choice from the ship's inventory so you can just quickly grab them.
The medic and armor station will replenish your health/armor after using it.
Item Dropping
This one's been long overdue.
Available now on the Preview Branch
This update is now available for testing on the Preview Branch if you want to hop in early! Just keep in mind that some stuff might not be 100% yet. Full patch notes are available in the preview branch section in our Discord as always. If you already know what the Preview Branch is then you can skip the faq section below. If you don't know but you're interested, keep reading.
Preview Branch FAQ
Q: What's the Preview Branch? A: The "Preview Branch" is where we will post upcoming updates (like this one) before they get officially released on the "Main Branch" so you can help us test the new features if you want to. Q: Where can I find patch notes for the Preview Branch? A: They are available in the preview branch category in our Discord server.
Q: How do I switch to Preview Branch? A: It's really simple actually, here's how:
UPDATE WHEN?
If things don't go horribly wrong, you guys can expect the official release of this update in the second half of this month. Will make another announcement as soon as I'll have an exact date. Thanks for the support and take care y'all! - Rich Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-06-10 18:26:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
Next Update Sneak Peeks
Drill upgrades are finally going to change the actual look of the drill as well. Check out the T3 and T2 drills!
Will let you take full control of your drillship turrets one at a time but with the ability to switch between them easily.
At first, the plan was to add an actual melee weapon but then the team and I have collectively agreed that this capoeira kick will fit the game better.
still a work in progress tho
When used, this device will instantly restore your armor (there's going to be the same exact device but for health as well). There are 4 charges, after that, you will have to wait for cooldown. This will give you a big advantage when defending your drillship.
Like the default pickaxe but better.
Let's have a moment of silence for all the items that were accidentally destroyed while people were attempting to drop them on the ground. But no more. From the next update on, you will be actually able to drop them. And when you do, one of these boxes will fly out of you with the item in it so somebody else can pick it up.
By basic, we really mean only being able to download/upload basic mods that can change values such as health, damage, speed, etc. Bigger and better integration will come in a future update later on. With this, we're just trying to set the modding foundation.
Got some new concept art for how the male character could possibly look in the future.
Have a great Easter everyone and thank you so much for the support! - Rich Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-04-01 14:53:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey y'all! I'd say it's about time to start sharing some sneak peeks from the next update! So here's the first batch but stay tuned for more as we get closer to the release. (our Twitter, IG and Discord got to see some of these early)
Alright, here's the confirmed stuff so far
New Drills
Drill upgrades are finally going to change the actual look of the drill as well. Check out the T3 and T2 drills!
Gunner Seat
Will let you take full control of your drillship turrets one at a time but with the ability to switch between them easily.
Melee Attack
At first, the plan was to add an actual melee weapon but then the team and I have collectively agreed that this capoeira kick will fit the game better.
still a work in progress tho
Armor and Health Restoring Devices
When used, this device will instantly restore your armor (there's going to be the same exact device but for health as well). There are 4 charges, after that, you will have to wait for cooldown. This will give you a big advantage when defending your drillship.
Upgraded Pickaxe
Like the default pickaxe but better.
Item Dropping
Let's have a moment of silence for all the items that were accidentally destroyed while people were attempting to drop them on the ground. But no more. From the next update on, you will be actually able to drop them. And when you do, one of these boxes will fly out of you with the item in it so somebody else can pick it up.
Basic Steam Workshop integration
By basic, we really mean only being able to download/upload basic mods that can change values such as health, damage, speed, etc. Bigger and better integration will come in a future update later on. With this, we're just trying to set the modding foundation.
Something that won't be in the next update but I still wanted to show you
Got some new concept art for how the male character could possibly look in the future.
More sneak peeks are coming
Have a great Easter everyone and thank you so much for the support! - Rich Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-04-01 14:53:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update Localization
[ 2021-03-17 17:21:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everybody! Just released a small update focused on localization. A larger announcement is coming later this month with sneak peeks from the next major update. So keep an eye out and take care!
New
- Added Japanese translation
- Updated all the other translations
Fixes
- Fixed intro not translated after switching language
- Fixed text size in options for translated texts
[ 2021-03-17 17:21:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update Coldfix
[ 2021-02-03 19:54:29 CET ] [ Original post ]
Heyy! More fixes and changes just went live. Hopefully, this Coldfix will wrap up the Combat Update and we will be able to start working on the next one!
Fixes
- Fixed issue where backpack stayed in lava pools, now it gets destroyed
- Basement work tables are now indestructible
- Fixed issue where small panel settings could not be used in certain situations
- Fixed issue where clients did not see bullet holes in objects
- Fixed issue with door frame colliders, where COGs would shoot through
- Fixed issue where certain symbols in names caused errors
- Fixed Dead end screen stuck in the main menu
- Fixed multiple areas where player got stuck
- Fixed problem where the client did not see revive highlight after reconnect
- Fixed low energy error that did not show when drillship energy low
- Fixed issues with using bed in multiplayer
- Weapon crosshair is no longer visible in drillship movement animations
- Chests on the wall can no longer be accessed from behind a wall
- Fixed disconnect animations on client not triggering properly
- Drillship doesn't clip through terrain on Flat Trail landing site when surfacing anymore
- Fixed missing damage indicator overlay
- Fixed not being able to revive host on max distance while crouching
- Fixed research worktable collisions
Improvements
- Players can now mention their Discord name when sending feedback
- Changed order of essential event quests, energy quest is now the top priority
- Set maximum spawn limit on COG units, to avoid issues in games with custom settings
- Added help texts on front boiler visible in the right bottom corner
- Removed shadows below player in 1st person (no flying gun and perfect sphere shadow, when looking at other players you can see their shadows)
- Added list priorities to quests, most important quests are now at the top of the quest log and HUD list
- Adjusted players death view
- Large improvements on player revive system
- Increased intervals between drillship errors to 45 seconds (low ammo, no coal, full inventory)
- Players can now cancel drillship surface or descent order within a limited time after the sequence started
- Added low health warning overlay that informs you about critical low health
- You don't have to stand perfectly still anymore in order to heal, revive or armor up somebody
- Attack sound level can be now adjusted with the same slider as drillship siren
- Added chat messages when players join or leave a multiplayer game
- All drillships now surface faster due to shortening the underground path they have to follow each surfacing procedure
- Increased time it takes for another COG drillship to spawn after a COG drillship was destroyed to 180 seconds
- Increased bullet velocity for player's SMG, Gatling, Revolver, Shotgun
- Updated Send feedback screen with different UI and extra buttons for easier access to LOGs, Crashes, etc.
- Periscope is now part of the drillship by default, accessible from the front boiler pilot wheel
- Changed button names and swapped the order of buttons in bed, to avoid confusion
Known Bugs
- Multiplayer chat bug - one message gets sent multiple times
- Game crashes when player is climbing out of the submarine
- Items in cargo modules not visible to players and production modules
[ 2021-02-03 19:54:29 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update Hotfix
[ 2021-01-21 00:03:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! We pushed a small hotfix so if you haven't been able to join someone in co-op, it might be because you have different versions of the game (you can see the version number in the main or ESC menu). So make sure to update.
Biggest Improvements
- Added worktables to all blast shelters
- Improved revolver iron sight for better view and accuracy
- Revive tool can be crafted on worktables from start of the game
Improvements
- Decreased HP of all interior objects
- All human ammo does little bit of damage even outside of shooting range
- Player character no longer ignors cave lighting
- Ammo stacks were decreased for better convenience when taking ammo from cargo
Fixes
- Fixed issue where cave attack quest could unlock before drillship upgrade quest
- Fixed wrong icon on Damage Drillship T2 quest
- Fixed wrong icons on new turret modules scrap recipes
- Fixed some buttons shining in caves
- Fixed a bug where cogs would throw grenades close in front of them
[ 2021-01-21 00:03:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update is OUT NOW
Combat was the weakest aspect of the game. But not anymore. This update completely changes the combat experience with new guns, gear, enemies, turrets, and overhauled weapon mechanics. Before we get to the specifics though, I would like to say that the support during the making of this update has been absolutely insane and we've reached so many milestones. So THANK YOU all so much, none of this would be possible without you! To celebrate the launch of the Combat Update, Volcanoids is currently 25% OFF till January 25!
We went back to the drawing board and completely overhauled the way weapons behave and how you use them. We added things like:
All animations got improved and many were added to support the new weapon behavior.
From what I've seen, the two most requested guns were: 1. something light with a high fire rate 2. something long-range Based on that we decided to add the SMG
and Sniper Rifle
I want to address the aimbot first since it's the most mentioned thing in reviews. There will be no more aimbot because the things mentioned above, now apply to COGs as well. One of those things is that they are now also shooting actual projectiles that you can see and dodge.
Every class and every tier now has its unique look, set of weapons, behavior, and sound effects (including voice lines).
Additionally, COGs now carry more than one weapon and can switch between them based on the situation (eg. SMG while attacking you, grenades while attacking your drillship). They position themselves better. If a COG has a longer-range weapon (sniper, pistol) he will stay in the back but COGs with shotguns and SMGs will charge forward. Also if a COG is low on HP he will retreat to the back.
Last but not least, COGs can be knocked out/down for a few seconds, so make sure to finish them off before they get back up!
You won't have to pop medkits every 5 seconds during large fights now. 3 sets of armors have been added that will extend your health bar. With the highest tiered armor, you will able to withstand twice as much damage as you would without it.
Prepare to move some modules around because 5 new turrets are making it into the game! 3x tier 2 turrets: The Mortar, Gatling and Sniper turret
2x tier 1 turrets: The SMG and Shotgun turret
We've added an old-school defibrillator so you can electrocute your crewmates back to life and also the ability to armor up and heal them too. Teamwork!
Lastly, we added a ton of new sound effects and improved the old ones. From gunshots to seagulls on the beach, everything should sound much better.
Since December 20th, the Combat Update has been available on the Preview Branch. Big thanks to everyone who gave it a try and sent over feedback. It helped us big time with fixing and balancing everything. Below are all the patch notes for anyone interested (you can also find them on our Discord). Initial Release of Combat Update on Preview Branch Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.279 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.348 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.353 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.369 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.381 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.407 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.431 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.445 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.461 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.469 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.471 Super excited to finally deliver this update to you all and start working on the next one! Hope you guys have an absolute blast with the new stuff (pun intended) and thanks again for everything! - Rich and the other weirdos Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-01-19 17:57:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
[previewyoutube=RZUXPQSlcyA;full][/previewyoutube]
As many of you mentioned...
Combat was the weakest aspect of the game. But not anymore. This update completely changes the combat experience with new guns, gear, enemies, turrets, and overhauled weapon mechanics. Before we get to the specifics though, I would like to say that the support during the making of this update has been absolutely insane and we've reached so many milestones. So THANK YOU all so much, none of this would be possible without you! To celebrate the launch of the Combat Update, Volcanoids is currently 25% OFF till January 25!
What's New?
Reworked Combat Mechanics
We went back to the drawing board and completely overhauled the way weapons behave and how you use them. We added things like:
- aiming down sights
- recoil
- bullet drop & spread
- hit indicators, kill confirms (hidden in trailer)
- actual projectiles (instead of hit scans)
- and more...
Reworked Animations
All animations got improved and many were added to support the new weapon behavior.
New Guns
From what I've seen, the two most requested guns were: 1. something light with a high fire rate 2. something long-range Based on that we decided to add the SMG
and Sniper Rifle
New Enemies WITHOUT AIMBOT
I want to address the aimbot first since it's the most mentioned thing in reviews. There will be no more aimbot because the things mentioned above, now apply to COGs as well. One of those things is that they are now also shooting actual projectiles that you can see and dodge.
Every class and every tier now has its unique look, set of weapons, behavior, and sound effects (including voice lines).
Additionally, COGs now carry more than one weapon and can switch between them based on the situation (eg. SMG while attacking you, grenades while attacking your drillship). They position themselves better. If a COG has a longer-range weapon (sniper, pistol) he will stay in the back but COGs with shotguns and SMGs will charge forward. Also if a COG is low on HP he will retreat to the back.
Last but not least, COGs can be knocked out/down for a few seconds, so make sure to finish them off before they get back up!
New Gear
You won't have to pop medkits every 5 seconds during large fights now. 3 sets of armors have been added that will extend your health bar. With the highest tiered armor, you will able to withstand twice as much damage as you would without it.
New Turrets
Prepare to move some modules around because 5 new turrets are making it into the game! 3x tier 2 turrets: The Mortar, Gatling and Sniper turret
2x tier 1 turrets: The SMG and Shotgun turret
New Tool and Abilities
We've added an old-school defibrillator so you can electrocute your crewmates back to life and also the ability to armor up and heal them too. Teamwork!
New Sound Effects
Lastly, we added a ton of new sound effects and improved the old ones. From gunshots to seagulls on the beach, everything should sound much better.
Preview Branch Patch Notes
Since December 20th, the Combat Update has been available on the Preview Branch. Big thanks to everyone who gave it a try and sent over feedback. It helped us big time with fixing and balancing everything. Below are all the patch notes for anyone interested (you can also find them on our Discord). Initial Release of Combat Update on Preview Branch Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.279 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.348 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.353 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.369 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.381 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.407 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.431 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.445 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.461 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.469 Combat Update - Preview Build 1.24.471 Super excited to finally deliver this update to you all and start working on the next one! Hope you guys have an absolute blast with the new stuff (pun intended) and thanks again for everything! - Rich and the other weirdos Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-01-19 17:57:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update Drops January 19th
Stay tuned! - Rich and the other weirdos Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-01-12 20:48:25 CET ] [ Original post ]
Mark your calendars everyone, the Combat Update is dropping JANUARY 19th That's 1 week from today!! Bunch of giveaways will be happening in the next 7 days across all our platforms and a new trailer is coming too. I compiled a list of teasers below so you can see what you will be getting into. However, if you want a more detailed list of the new features, check out the previous announcement.
Teasers
Stay tuned! - Rich and the other weirdos Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2021-01-12 20:48:25 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update Release Date
First things first, hope y'all got through this year and kept your sanity. Secondly, thank you so much for being patient with us this whole time. This update is taking super long. Much much longer than we expected but I got some good news for you. The estimated release of the Combat Update is mid-January 2021. HOWEVER, as we do realize that the update is taking too damn long already, it is possible to play it right now!
The Combat Update is available on the Preview Branch and you can play it right now! Just keep in mind that this is a testing branch so not everything is going to be working optimally yet.
The Preview Branch is where we will post upcoming updates (like this one) before they get officially released on the Main Branch so you can help us test the new features if you want to.
It's really simple actually, here's how:
don't make fun of my humble Steam library
You might find your answer in the frequently asked questions here. If not feel free to ask below.
We basically reworked combat from the ground up since it was the weakest point of the game. Bullet drop, recoil, aiming down sights, better sound effects, and much more have been added to make combat more immersive and fun.
A lot of you requested something for long-range as well as something light with a high fire rate. So check out the brand new sniper rifle and SMG!
New visuals, weapons, voices, sound effects, and behavior. The only thing we didn't change is their name.
You will be able to secure your precious base with 6 different types of turrets.
Armor up with 3 different types of armor.
Last but not least, the ability to armor up, heal, and even revive crewmates is also coming.
You can find the full patch notes on the "Preview Branch" forum here.
The current plan is to polish the Combat Update during the holidays based on your feedback from the Preview Branch. And if things don't completely fall apart, the official release of the Combat Update will be mid-January 2021. That being said, the team and I would like to wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Your support this year was nothing short of amazing and as we often say in our private dev group (to keep y'all humble), you are the best community we could ever ask for. ~ Rich and the other weirdos Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2020-12-21 16:48:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone!
First things first, hope y'all got through this year and kept your sanity. Secondly, thank you so much for being patient with us this whole time. This update is taking super long. Much much longer than we expected but I got some good news for you. The estimated release of the Combat Update is mid-January 2021. HOWEVER, as we do realize that the update is taking too damn long already, it is possible to play it right now!
Combat Update on Preview Branch
The Combat Update is available on the Preview Branch and you can play it right now! Just keep in mind that this is a testing branch so not everything is going to be working optimally yet.
What's the Preview Branch?
The Preview Branch is where we will post upcoming updates (like this one) before they get officially released on the Main Branch so you can help us test the new features if you want to.
How to Switch to Preview Branch?
It's really simple actually, here's how:
don't make fun of my humble Steam library
Got more questions regarding the Preview Branch?
You might find your answer in the frequently asked questions here. If not feel free to ask below.
What to Expect
Reworked Combat
We basically reworked combat from the ground up since it was the weakest point of the game. Bullet drop, recoil, aiming down sights, better sound effects, and much more have been added to make combat more immersive and fun.
New Weapons
A lot of you requested something for long-range as well as something light with a high fire rate. So check out the brand new sniper rifle and SMG!
Reworked COG Units
New visuals, weapons, voices, sound effects, and behavior. The only thing we didn't change is their name.
New Turrets
You will be able to secure your precious base with 6 different types of turrets.
Armor
Armor up with 3 different types of armor.
Co-op Features
Last but not least, the ability to armor up, heal, and even revive crewmates is also coming.
Full Patch Notes
You can find the full patch notes on the "Preview Branch" forum here.
Estimated Release
The current plan is to polish the Combat Update during the holidays based on your feedback from the Preview Branch. And if things don't completely fall apart, the official release of the Combat Update will be mid-January 2021. That being said, the team and I would like to wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Your support this year was nothing short of amazing and as we often say in our private dev group (to keep y'all humble), you are the best community we could ever ask for. ~ Rich and the other weirdos Join the community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram for more sneak peeks and updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2020-12-21 16:48:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Combat Update News
That's right! The majority of the feedback after the Co-op Update mentioned the state of combat. Seeing that, we decided to make combat the top priority and dedicate this next update to improving all aspects of it. DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind that many things are still unfinished/placeholder-ish and will look different when the update releases.
The 1st person view is no longer just a static hand with a gun. Anything you do will trigger some kind of response from the player model. We spent a lot of time analyzing these "immersive effects" in other games. There are still tons of adjustments to do, but the system is done and now its just about tweaking the values.
One of the biggest community complaints was about the hit-scan shooting. All weapons are now projectile-based with recoil, bullet drop, muzzle velocity, and many more features that you're used to from other games. This includes the ability to hip fire or aim down-sights.
Some of you might remember when I shared the old concepts for improved COG units a few months back. Well, the time has come and COGs will be getting a major facelift along with a new brain (smarter behavior). Since they're getting smarter they will be able to use a larger array of new weapons to cause you all kinds of trouble. Defending your drillship or attacking theirs won't be as straight forward anymore.
Apart from that, COGs won't be hit-scan shooting anymore either and their aim won't be as perfect too. We are also working on audio clues for them to signal things like spotting you, losing you, being idle, and so on.
The long-awaited new turret is finally making an appearance and it's even better than what you hoped for! Because we are not going to add just one new turret but a whole bunch of them! These will even out your chances against attacks from the now smarter, better equipped, and noisier COGs.
One of the biggest issues in combat was that you couldn't increase your health as the game got more challenging. So to solve that, basic armor is being added to increase your chances against tougher enemies. However, it is not the planned "power armor" suit yet but more of a bulletproof vest. The "power armor" suit is planned for a later update.
As the enemies get tougher, proper teamwork will be even more necessary. That's why we're adding the ability to heal or revive your crewmates. Being able to drop items like you're used to from other survival games is also happening.
We expanded our team even more recently, which forced us to update our project management systems but everything seems to be working better than ever now. Our concept artist, for example, is already able to work on things for future updates wasting no time. Why is this important? Well, it should really help with the long delays between each update since a lot of the work is being done in advance. Here's one of the things he's working on:
Last thing the team wanted me to mention is that maybe not all of these features will make it in this update. We are very aware that this update is taking way too long... again, so if some feature starts being overly complicated, we will push it into the next update. Still, the combat focus of this update stands, and I'm sure most of these will make it in. And that's all for now. Thank you so much for your amazing support! Let us know what you think and if you have any questions, leave them below or ping me on Discord. ~ Rich Join our community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for sneak peeks and short-form updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2020-09-17 14:40:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's been some time since the Co-op Update was released and we understand that not everyone is following us on our social media where I post sneak peeks and other short-form updates. So here's some news about the upcoming update mainly for folks that follow us only here! But don't worry, even if you follow us everywhere (stalker alert), I'm still going to include things I haven't leaked anywhere else yet.
Next update = Combat update?
That's right! The majority of the feedback after the Co-op Update mentioned the state of combat. Seeing that, we decided to make combat the top priority and dedicate this next update to improving all aspects of it. DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind that many things are still unfinished/placeholder-ish and will look different when the update releases.
Here's what we've been working on
First Person Animations
The 1st person view is no longer just a static hand with a gun. Anything you do will trigger some kind of response from the player model. We spent a lot of time analyzing these "immersive effects" in other games. There are still tons of adjustments to do, but the system is done and now its just about tweaking the values.
Improved Shooting & Projectiles
One of the biggest community complaints was about the hit-scan shooting. All weapons are now projectile-based with recoil, bullet drop, muzzle velocity, and many more features that you're used to from other games. This includes the ability to hip fire or aim down-sights.
Reworked COG Units
Some of you might remember when I shared the old concepts for improved COG units a few months back. Well, the time has come and COGs will be getting a major facelift along with a new brain (smarter behavior). Since they're getting smarter they will be able to use a larger array of new weapons to cause you all kinds of trouble. Defending your drillship or attacking theirs won't be as straight forward anymore.
Apart from that, COGs won't be hit-scan shooting anymore either and their aim won't be as perfect too. We are also working on audio clues for them to signal things like spotting you, losing you, being idle, and so on.
New Drillship Turret(s)
The long-awaited new turret is finally making an appearance and it's even better than what you hoped for! Because we are not going to add just one new turret but a whole bunch of them! These will even out your chances against attacks from the now smarter, better equipped, and noisier COGs.
Armor
One of the biggest issues in combat was that you couldn't increase your health as the game got more challenging. So to solve that, basic armor is being added to increase your chances against tougher enemies. However, it is not the planned "power armor" suit yet but more of a bulletproof vest. The "power armor" suit is planned for a later update.
Co-op Focused Features
As the enemies get tougher, proper teamwork will be even more necessary. That's why we're adding the ability to heal or revive your crewmates. Being able to drop items like you're used to from other survival games is also happening.
Other things I should mention...
We expanded our team even more recently, which forced us to update our project management systems but everything seems to be working better than ever now. Our concept artist, for example, is already able to work on things for future updates wasting no time. Why is this important? Well, it should really help with the long delays between each update since a lot of the work is being done in advance. Here's one of the things he's working on:
Last thing the team wanted me to mention is that maybe not all of these features will make it in this update. We are very aware that this update is taking way too long... again, so if some feature starts being overly complicated, we will push it into the next update. Still, the combat focus of this update stands, and I'm sure most of these will make it in. And that's all for now. Thank you so much for your amazing support! Let us know what you think and if you have any questions, leave them below or ping me on Discord. ~ Rich Join our community on Discord Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for sneak peeks and short-form updates https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2020-09-17 14:40:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Help us make the first Melee Weapon
[ 2020-07-20 14:51:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
It has proven to be very effective to go medieval on COGs in certain situations.
But do you know what would be even more effective? Going medieval with something that was actually designed for chopping off rusty robot parts rather than mining. And that's where you come in.
Submit your melee weapon ideas in our Discord server and we will pick a few of our favorite ones. After that, you guys will be able to vote which one of those will make it in the upcoming update and the person that submitted the winning weapon will get to name it as well.
You can submit your melee weapon ideas in our Discord server until this Friday, July 24 and the chance to vote will come shortly after.
Never miss an update
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- Make a suggestion for the game and upvote/downvote others on Nolt
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-07-20 14:51:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Steam Summer Sale + What's Coming Next
For anybody checking our progress after a long time, the most recent major update was the Co-op Update released on May 20 (roughly a month ago). This update added the highly requested co-op multiplayer, new devices, new items, and some QOL improvements. If this update flew under your radar, check out the trailer below. [previewyoutube=nkKnscKinQA;full][/previewyoutube]
When going through your feedback after the Co-op Update we agreed that the thing that needs the most attention right now is combat in general. So the next major update is going to revolve around that. Here are some sneak peeks of what's coming. Disclaimer: everything you'll see below is a work in progress
Friendly and not so friendly.
New look, new guns.
New weapons, new and improved first-person animations and more player-related goodies are in the pipeline as well. There aren't many sneak peeks of this right now but once we have something, we'll share it on our social media channels, so keep your eyes peeled there.
[ 2020-06-26 13:22:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone, the Summer Sale is here again and Volcanoids is joining the annual wallet massacre with a 25% discount! I know that many of you already own the game and in that case, now's a great time to recruit friends for your crew so you can commandeer drillships, survive eruptions, bathe in lava and fight robots together.
Latest major update
For anybody checking our progress after a long time, the most recent major update was the Co-op Update released on May 20 (roughly a month ago). This update added the highly requested co-op multiplayer, new devices, new items, and some QOL improvements. If this update flew under your radar, check out the trailer below. [previewyoutube=nkKnscKinQA;full][/previewyoutube]
Cool, what's next?
When going through your feedback after the Co-op Update we agreed that the thing that needs the most attention right now is combat in general. So the next major update is going to revolve around that. Here are some sneak peeks of what's coming. Disclaimer: everything you'll see below is a work in progress
New enemy units
Friendly and not so friendly.
Default unit visual overhaul
New look, new guns.
Player will get some love too, don't worry
New weapons, new and improved first-person animations and more player-related goodies are in the pipeline as well. There aren't many sneak peeks of this right now but once we have something, we'll share it on our social media channels, so keep your eyes peeled there.
Never miss an update
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- Make a suggestion for the game and upvote/downvote others on Nolt
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
Sneaky Bonus Peek
[ 2020-06-26 13:22:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
A bunch of fixes and optimizations Update
Improvements
[ 2020-06-18 15:58:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey y'all! We released a new update focused solely on fixing, optimizing, and changing things based on the feedback we got from you since the Co-op Update. Check out the full changelog below to see if that annoying bug you told us about got fixed!
What's New
Full Changelog
Improvements
- Quests now correctly handle missing devices/modules
- Items are now moved into player inventory when deconstructing chests
- Items in production are returned when deconstructing stations and worktables
- Major drillship movement & deploy optimizations
- Quest UI rendering optimization
- Cog AI minor optimizations
- Other minor optimizations
- Major occlusion culling fixes
- Achievements now work properly on clients
- Cogs now use a ladder properly after load
- Minor networking fixes and improvements
- Better system of password protection
- Fixed issue with multiplayer lobbies
- Fixed submerging lever not updating to drillship position
- Fixed disappearing doors in drillship segments
- Items no longer get lost when canceling production
- Fixed issue with missing roof module that caused a hole in the ceiling
- Items are no longer lost if player deconstructs mounted chest
- Fixed wrong scale of the logo in the end page
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- Make a suggestion for the game and upvote/downvote others on Nolt
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-06-18 15:58:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Co-op Update Hotfix
Inventory window changes:
[ 2020-05-23 16:21:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! We made some changes/fixes based on fresh feedback we got from you after the Co-op Update. See the full list of changes/fixes below. We hope you're having blast playing the new Co-op Update and have a great weekend y'all!
What's new
Inventory window changes:
- left panel contains only 'Character' tab
- right panel does not contain 'Character' tab
- renamed 'Online' tab to 'Drillship', changed tooltip
- renamed 'Move All' buttons to: 'Take all' and 'Dump all'
- 'Take All' now closes inventory (with slight delay) after moving all items into player inventory
- 'Dump All' keeps guns and ammo in player inventory when there are other items to dump
- changed default keybind for 'Take All' to [E]
- changed default keybind for 'Dump All' to [Q]
- added keybind for 'Stack', default is [R]
- all keybinds can be changed in Options
- high-power revolver ammo is now tier 1
- change stack size from 45 to 50 for all items with stack size of 45
- fixed issues with loading older saves
- fixed issues with loading older saves
- fixed unable to upgrade Engine 2 to Engine 3
- fixed long tooltips of ores
- fixed chest positioning in blast mine
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- Make a suggestion for the game and upvote/downvote others on Nolt
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-05-23 16:21:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Co-op Update is NOW LIVE
To play the new co-op mode all you need to do is choose one person that will be hosting the game and take on the role of the crew captain - ideally, the one that has the strongest PC, since it has to manage everything. Once the game starts, others can join through the "join game" screen and start playing. Quests are completely synchronized within the crew, so everyone can take part in managing the drillship systems, fighting COGs, or gathering resources.
For now, the crew can own only own one drillship but that will change in future updates. Crew captain is the only person that can save/load the game. If the captain decides to end the game, it will also disconnect all the other players. Any new player that joins the game will spawn directly to the drillship, or into the submarine in case the crew has not claimed one yet (or lost one).
New devices were added to the beginning of the game to make the learning curve smoother for new players. Submarine and the starter drillship have been updated with research and refinery worktables working as standalone devices, meaning they don't need any other modules, storage, or energy to work. This means that players have more time to learn about all the advanced module systems.
Drillships were also equipped with a main panel placed at the front wall called "the boiler". The boiler gives access to all essential controls and information that is needed to successfully operate the drillship.
Death is no longer an issue in both single and multiplayer games. You will simply respawn back in the submarine or a drillship if your crew owns one. When you get killed, a backpack with inventory will be dropped on the ground. You must act fast because it can get easily destroyed by the eruption or the COG drillships can carry it away in case you died in one. In cases you unexpectedly leave a multiplayer game, your character will stay in the game for approximately five minutes (we may or may not added a silly emote when this happens). In this time, you can still log back in and continue where you stopped, unless your character gets killed by COGs or the eruption. After the time runs out your character will die and all the loot will be dropped on the ground in a backpack.
The new bunk beds play an important role in multiplayer. You can log off through them, and safely store all your inventory while your character is sleeping. So next time you log in, you will have all your stuff, and since the bed moves with the drillship, you won't have to catch up to your crew.
Main Features
[ 2020-05-20 17:00:13 CET ] [ Original post ]
What a ride it has been towards the release of this update, wow! First of all, we would like to thank you all for the amazing support during the build-up to this update, you know it means the world to us! Now, let's move on to the main reason we're here, the Co-op Update. From now on you will be able to crew up with up to 3 other friends to commandeer drillships, scavenge, build, fight and survive together! Apart from the new co-op mode, there are also new worktables, bunk beds, items, and other improvements we made based on your feedback. We are also celebrating this update release with a 25% discount! Check out the brand new trailer for this update below: [previewyoutube=nkKnscKinQA;full][/previewyoutube]
What's New
Co-op Multiplayer
To play the new co-op mode all you need to do is choose one person that will be hosting the game and take on the role of the crew captain - ideally, the one that has the strongest PC, since it has to manage everything. Once the game starts, others can join through the "join game" screen and start playing. Quests are completely synchronized within the crew, so everyone can take part in managing the drillship systems, fighting COGs, or gathering resources.
For now, the crew can own only own one drillship but that will change in future updates. Crew captain is the only person that can save/load the game. If the captain decides to end the game, it will also disconnect all the other players. Any new player that joins the game will spawn directly to the drillship, or into the submarine in case the crew has not claimed one yet (or lost one).
New Worktables
New devices were added to the beginning of the game to make the learning curve smoother for new players. Submarine and the starter drillship have been updated with research and refinery worktables working as standalone devices, meaning they don't need any other modules, storage, or energy to work. This means that players have more time to learn about all the advanced module systems.
The Boiler
Drillships were also equipped with a main panel placed at the front wall called "the boiler". The boiler gives access to all essential controls and information that is needed to successfully operate the drillship.
Player Respawn
Death is no longer an issue in both single and multiplayer games. You will simply respawn back in the submarine or a drillship if your crew owns one. When you get killed, a backpack with inventory will be dropped on the ground. You must act fast because it can get easily destroyed by the eruption or the COG drillships can carry it away in case you died in one. In cases you unexpectedly leave a multiplayer game, your character will stay in the game for approximately five minutes (we may or may not added a silly emote when this happens). In this time, you can still log back in and continue where you stopped, unless your character gets killed by COGs or the eruption. After the time runs out your character will die and all the loot will be dropped on the ground in a backpack.
Bunk Beds
The new bunk beds play an important role in multiplayer. You can log off through them, and safely store all your inventory while your character is sleeping. So next time you log in, you will have all your stuff, and since the bed moves with the drillship, you won't have to catch up to your crew.
Full Changelog
Main Features
- Co-op multiplayer
- Quests are synchronized within all crew members
- Player respawn (Single and Multiplayer games)
- Refinery and research worktables
- Schematics (different way of upgrading production in drillship)
- Front drillship boiler (new default device)
- Bunk bed (log out location in multiplayer)
- Players drop backpack with inventory upon death
- Recipe items (dials, gun powder, alloy, bullet casings)
- New scrap recipes
- Multiplayer screen for managing players in-game (kick/ban)
- Custom logo accessible from the main menu
- Players no longer have one life, they respawn either in drillship or submarine after death
- All production stations now allow queue for crafting
- Changed submarine interior to contain only starter technology (no modules)
- Changed starter drillship interior to contain only starter technology (no modules)
- Changed tech tree
- Updated questline
- Engine upgrades no longer require Core upgrade of the same level to be installed
- Changed loot spawned in COG drillships
- Adjusted audio throughout the whole game
- Player now takes one stack of item from online storage by default (no longer taking whole coal storage - Shift = 1 item, CTRL 5 items, CTRL+Shift All items )
- Updated research icons to better show what is crafted and from what - Suggested by TheFireDragon on Nolt
- Updated scrap recipes to better reflect what happens with the item
- Scrap metal and destroyed modules can be picked up without the need to use the pickaxe to mine them (press E)
- Increased chest storage size
- Increased front drillship storage capacity
- Increased storage capacity in T2 and T3 Storage modules
- Pickaxe is mining slower
- COG respawn tube has higher HP
- Optimizations at all levels
- Fixed navigation issues in quests
- Chests and devices are now properly saved on the submarine
- Players can't accidentally downgrade their drillship anymore
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- Make a suggestion for the game and upvote/downvote others on Nolt
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-05-20 17:00:13 CET ] [ Original post ]
Co-op Mode Date Reveal
[ 2020-05-05 17:39:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
We're excited to announce that Co-op mode, the most requested feature of all, is coming to Volcanoids on May 20th, 2020!
Soon you will be able to crew up with your friends to commandeer drillships, scavenge, raid, build, fight and ultimately defeat the volcano together.
Along with the Co-op mode, the upcoming update is also bringing new items, devices, and improvements covered in this Development Update.
In case you (or your friends) haven't secured a key for Volcanoids yet, keep an eye out on our social media.
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-05-05 17:39:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
Co-op Testing Event
[ 2020-04-23 18:32:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey! Would you like to play Co-op with your buddies before it gets released? We're looking for 10-15 crews of 4 players that would stress test the Co-op mode. We also got some special rewards prepared for the most helpful crew. If you think your crew has what it takes (prepare to face unexpected bugs and glitches) head to our Discord server for more info and registration. And if you're missing some crewmates, you will surely find them in our Discord as well. Crews will be picked on Sunday, April 26th so hurry up! ~ Volcanoids Dev Squad
[ 2020-04-23 18:32:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Development Update: Co-op is upon us!
Many new features and devices were added to support the drillship "crew life". Co-op in Volcanoids will be about operating the drillship and managing tasks together as a team. One player will be able to drive the ship, while the others set up production stations, spy through the periscope or create new items before the ship hits the surface.
Friends that get caught off guard by the eruption or a group of COGs and lose the fight will also lose their loot. However, they can quickly re-join the crew by respawning directly in the drillship.
To support the idea of group progress, players can log off in the new bunk beds that work as a safe point. Now, even though you're offline and all your friends are still playing, you're still going to travel with them since the bed is placed in a mobile base. And once you log in again you will be back with your crew right away, even if they progressed to a completely different part of the map.
Based on feedback from the community and content creators the crafting system got a rework. The start of the game is now focused on being more gradual in terms of introducing new devices and systems. All the different modules, levers and buttons right from the start were often overwhelming for many players. So from now on, players will start with basic crafting stations similar to other survival games and will be gradually introduced to modules later. We hope this makes the first experience for new players way more enjoyable and removes the frustration of having no idea what all the different buttons do while also getting stressed out by the upcoming eruption.
Some of the new content is still "work in progress" when it comes to visuals, and will be until we finish all the technical parts. For now, we are going with the sailor character, that will get improved in upcoming updates.
Co-op is now at a stage where we just keep polishing and bug-fixing stuff, so to make sure everyone has something to do, artists (more on that later) started working on assets that will be added to the game in future updates after the Co-op update gets released.
Volcanoids veterans will remember the raw models of new COG units teased on the roadmap some time ago. Now they are getting complete rework by Alex.
Extra work also went also into designing new front drills, that would better reflect installed upgrades. It's based on community feedback where a lot of players got confused about which drillship has the upgrade they are looking for. There are more models to come, each representing a specific front drill upgrade.
Lastly, more locations to explore are also in the pipeline such as these (drill)shipwrecks.
Since the Co-op Update is a huge task, more people have joined the team. The ultimate goal is to bring you more content with each update, and since there is only so much a developer can do, growing the team is the only way to achieve that. There are so many great ideas from the community and concepts that still need to be added and this will make the process faster. Now let me introduce our new members! Alex is in charge of 3D modeling and animation. David focuses on audio design and his first task was to get rid of all the ear destroying sounds many players pointed out. Dusan and Tomas have been testing like crazy for the last couple of weeks, trying to catch them all! (bugs not pokemons)
[ 2020-04-17 19:54:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey! Long time no see so here's another Development Update covering most of the things we did in the past few months. But before we get to that, we hope you're all doing fine and staying safe in these weird times. We are. The only thing that changed for us is that we had to move back in our apartments, so back to how things were before Early Access. Now we got that out of the way, let's get to the new stuff!
What's Coming
Co-op Multiplayer
Many new features and devices were added to support the drillship "crew life". Co-op in Volcanoids will be about operating the drillship and managing tasks together as a team. One player will be able to drive the ship, while the others set up production stations, spy through the periscope or create new items before the ship hits the surface.
Friends that get caught off guard by the eruption or a group of COGs and lose the fight will also lose their loot. However, they can quickly re-join the crew by respawning directly in the drillship.
Bunk Beds
To support the idea of group progress, players can log off in the new bunk beds that work as a safe point. Now, even though you're offline and all your friends are still playing, you're still going to travel with them since the bed is placed in a mobile base. And once you log in again you will be back with your crew right away, even if they progressed to a completely different part of the map.
Simplified start of the game
Based on feedback from the community and content creators the crafting system got a rework. The start of the game is now focused on being more gradual in terms of introducing new devices and systems. All the different modules, levers and buttons right from the start were often overwhelming for many players. So from now on, players will start with basic crafting stations similar to other survival games and will be gradually introduced to modules later. We hope this makes the first experience for new players way more enjoyable and removes the frustration of having no idea what all the different buttons do while also getting stressed out by the upcoming eruption.
Some of the new content is still "work in progress" when it comes to visuals, and will be until we finish all the technical parts. For now, we are going with the sailor character, that will get improved in upcoming updates.
Content for future updates
Co-op is now at a stage where we just keep polishing and bug-fixing stuff, so to make sure everyone has something to do, artists (more on that later) started working on assets that will be added to the game in future updates after the Co-op update gets released.
Improved COG unit models
Volcanoids veterans will remember the raw models of new COG units teased on the roadmap some time ago. Now they are getting complete rework by Alex.
New front drills
Extra work also went also into designing new front drills, that would better reflect installed upgrades. It's based on community feedback where a lot of players got confused about which drillship has the upgrade they are looking for. There are more models to come, each representing a specific front drill upgrade.
New Locations
Lastly, more locations to explore are also in the pipeline such as these (drill)shipwrecks.
The Team
New team members
Since the Co-op Update is a huge task, more people have joined the team. The ultimate goal is to bring you more content with each update, and since there is only so much a developer can do, growing the team is the only way to achieve that. There are so many great ideas from the community and concepts that still need to be added and this will make the process faster. Now let me introduce our new members! Alex is in charge of 3D modeling and animation. David focuses on audio design and his first task was to get rid of all the ear destroying sounds many players pointed out. Dusan and Tomas have been testing like crazy for the last couple of weeks, trying to catch them all! (bugs not pokemons)
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Chat with thousands of other players and the devs on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- See the roadmap for upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers, teasers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-04-17 19:54:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Optimization Update
If you'd like to see what the game looked like approximately year and a half ago, we uploaded the build on Steam. All you have to do to play it is to switch branches from Main to the Snapshot V1.07. In case you don't know how to switch branches, check out the tutorial below. Last thing I should mention is that if you encounter any bugs (which you likely will), please don't report them. [previewyoutube=xzdGaRGwetQ;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2020-02-12 18:21:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Ondrej and Lukas worked hard on optimizing the game after we got tons of reports of poor performance. The game should run much better now, as they profiled many aspects of the game and focused on things that seemed to cause the biggest hits on FPS. Hope this update will make your game run much smoother. Please report anything that looks strange, or does not work... you know the usual. Lastly, we would like to thank you so much for bearing with us and for all the reports you guys sent us, it helped us a ton!
What's New
Changes & Fixes
- Animations optimization & thorough animation culling
- Fixed physics performance peaks, caused by slight collision movement
- GUI and HUD performance optimization
- Wagon corridor optimization
- Added lower-tier loot to higher Tier 2 and Tier 3 cog drillships
- Increased time of cog respawn from 5s to 15s
- Mine names on the map are correct now
- Fixed an error where crystals in a mine-cart could not be mined
- Fixed crash that occurred when user run out of GPU memory
The Very First Steam Build
If you'd like to see what the game looked like approximately year and a half ago, we uploaded the build on Steam. All you have to do to play it is to switch branches from Main to the Snapshot V1.07. In case you don't know how to switch branches, check out the tutorial below. Last thing I should mention is that if you encounter any bugs (which you likely will), please don't report them. [previewyoutube=xzdGaRGwetQ;full][/previewyoutube]
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with us/other players on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-02-12 18:21:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Blast Shelter Update! Available now
This feature should greatly help with the learning curve of the game. To access the main wiki, press F1. This will take you to the main screen where you'll see a list of pages. As you progress through the game, you will be able to unlock more pages by picking up items, accepting quests or just looking at objects and pressing F1. This brings sort of an exploration feel to the game since you don't see everything right away. In the future, we plan to adjust quests as well so they support the story more. Every time there is a new page, you will get an on-screen notification and the new page will be marked in the archive. Give the archive a try and let us know what information is missing. Lastly, the archive is only in English right now but will get localized eventually.
To solve the "anti-exploration" issue with you having to run back to the ship each time eruption is about to happen, blast shelters were added to the game. When you're inside a shelter, the eruption won't kill you. This greatly affects the gameplay, as you no longer have to go back and forth to your drillship all the time. Instead, you can progress on the surface and call your drillship to a landing site (by holding "G") you discover on the go. To find a blast shelter, look inside villages. Every village has at least one blast shelter. The map now also includes mines, that next to protection from the eruption also hold a large number of ore deposits. There are three types of mines - coal, normal and rare. Each of the basement shelters also has at least one chest, that contains some items. The inventory is saved so you can also use it to store items in case you are about to attack a ship and don't have enough room, or plan to fall back from a fight.
From now on, COG units will spawn from spawning tubes and drillship will no longer bring new units to surface every single time you kill some. This greatly simplifies tons of stuff and also changes the way COG drillships are raided. No longer will drillship run away from you when you're about to enter. All you need to know is that now your main priority while raiding an enemy drillship should be searching for the tubes and destroying them before new units are spawned. Tubes with color mean a specific type of COG will spawn, while no color tube is a universal spawn point. So, for example, the black tube will spawn just and only military COG units.
Due to multiplayer implementation, we had to change the way COG drillships spawn. From now on, if you destroy a lava source it means COG activity for that area is over and no drillships will spawn. You have to travel to the next area in order to find new COG units. There is a plan to have so-called "Hunter Drillships" that will attack the player directly in areas with destroyed lava sources, but that's still in progress.
Ondrej did some crazy magic and finally solved the long loading times so the loading times should be much faster. If not please report it asap.
From now on, you're not able to get to other areas unless lava source is destroyed. There is a hot lava stream that blocks the way and cools down only once lava source is destroyed. This means you can't really ignore the first lava source and go straight into area 2 anymore.
Since this update brings some major changes in map progression, we tried to cover possible issues with older saves. Few safety features have been added to solve potential problems. Such as if you destroyed a laser device too early, and your ship is stuck due to a low drill upgrade, a higher tier should install automatically. Or, if you happen to stand on a terrain that was changed, you will fall through the surface but eventually get teleported back to your drillship. In general, saves should work fine. If you still run into an issue please send me an email to tomas.rampas@volcanoids.com and I'll see what can be done to save your progress.
Based on feedback from testing, it seems some difficult scenarios and custom map settings can end up being extremely hard. We are aware of this and will focus on the problem during the rebalancing period.
The time flies by like crazy and all of a sudden it's one year since Volcanoids was officially released on Steam! First of all, we would like to say huge thanks to the community that supports the game and helps in every way possible. From feedback and suggestions that help to set priorities to testing and reporting issues found in the game. Without you, the game would not be where it is today. We would like to send out a batch of small 3D printed drillships as a token of gratitude for the support given by members of the community. Thank you so much!
If you own a 3D printer and want to print your own drillship here's the model download link.
We are also slowly growing as a team. Lukas has joined our ranks as a game designer and implementation specialist. This will greatly help with the development process and the amount of new content for each update. So stay tuned for more development updates!
We recently discovered a new platform for community suggestions that makes everything so so much easier for everyone. You can easily post suggestions without being forced to sign up (not like it's hard, you just sign up with your email) and upvote/downvote/comment on other suggestions. Where Nolt really excels is its ability to filter, search and tag suggestions you guys make. This means we will be able to keep track of what features you guys really want much easier than ever before and set priorities according to it. So go make your first suggestion here: https://volcanoids.nolt.io/
There are still so many things on the roadmap. So 2020 should be as eventful as the previous year. Starting with the multiplayer implementation that will now require our full attention. Ondrej has some of the technical core aspects done, and now it's time to start adjusting the game from a game design point of view. A few examples would be a complete rebalance of resources, recipes, and production systems. This is where all the feedback from the community comes very handy and we will do our best to address it. The overall idea is to develop an alpha version of a 4 player max. co-op multiplayer. Anyone will have chance to join the testing and try it out. Once enough feedback is gathered from the community, we will iterate and improve the game based on that.
[ 2020-01-29 22:37:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! It's our first birthday today and what better way to celebrate than with a new update! The Blast Shelter Update is now available and offers new locations, new ways to survive and a new tool filled with vital information. We also have many other things we want to talk about so please bare with us as this announcement is a little longer.
[previewyoutube=XV98G2W2_iE;full][/previewyoutube]
New Features and Changes
F1 Help Screen
This feature should greatly help with the learning curve of the game. To access the main wiki, press F1. This will take you to the main screen where you'll see a list of pages. As you progress through the game, you will be able to unlock more pages by picking up items, accepting quests or just looking at objects and pressing F1. This brings sort of an exploration feel to the game since you don't see everything right away. In the future, we plan to adjust quests as well so they support the story more. Every time there is a new page, you will get an on-screen notification and the new page will be marked in the archive. Give the archive a try and let us know what information is missing. Lastly, the archive is only in English right now but will get localized eventually.
Blast Shelters
To solve the "anti-exploration" issue with you having to run back to the ship each time eruption is about to happen, blast shelters were added to the game. When you're inside a shelter, the eruption won't kill you. This greatly affects the gameplay, as you no longer have to go back and forth to your drillship all the time. Instead, you can progress on the surface and call your drillship to a landing site (by holding "G") you discover on the go. To find a blast shelter, look inside villages. Every village has at least one blast shelter. The map now also includes mines, that next to protection from the eruption also hold a large number of ore deposits. There are three types of mines - coal, normal and rare. Each of the basement shelters also has at least one chest, that contains some items. The inventory is saved so you can also use it to store items in case you are about to attack a ship and don't have enough room, or plan to fall back from a fight.
COG Spawn Tube
From now on, COG units will spawn from spawning tubes and drillship will no longer bring new units to surface every single time you kill some. This greatly simplifies tons of stuff and also changes the way COG drillships are raided. No longer will drillship run away from you when you're about to enter. All you need to know is that now your main priority while raiding an enemy drillship should be searching for the tubes and destroying them before new units are spawned. Tubes with color mean a specific type of COG will spawn, while no color tube is a universal spawn point. So, for example, the black tube will spawn just and only military COG units.
Drillship Spawn System
Due to multiplayer implementation, we had to change the way COG drillships spawn. From now on, if you destroy a lava source it means COG activity for that area is over and no drillships will spawn. You have to travel to the next area in order to find new COG units. There is a plan to have so-called "Hunter Drillships" that will attack the player directly in areas with destroyed lava sources, but that's still in progress.
Long Loading Times Fixed
Ondrej did some crazy magic and finally solved the long loading times so the loading times should be much faster. If not please report it asap.
Changed Map Progress
From now on, you're not able to get to other areas unless lava source is destroyed. There is a hot lava stream that blocks the way and cools down only once lava source is destroyed. This means you can't really ignore the first lava source and go straight into area 2 anymore.
Save Compatibiltiy
Since this update brings some major changes in map progression, we tried to cover possible issues with older saves. Few safety features have been added to solve potential problems. Such as if you destroyed a laser device too early, and your ship is stuck due to a low drill upgrade, a higher tier should install automatically. Or, if you happen to stand on a terrain that was changed, you will fall through the surface but eventually get teleported back to your drillship. In general, saves should work fine. If you still run into an issue please send me an email to tomas.rampas@volcanoids.com and I'll see what can be done to save your progress.
Difficulty and Balance
Based on feedback from testing, it seems some difficult scenarios and custom map settings can end up being extremely hard. We are aware of this and will focus on the problem during the rebalancing period.
Development and Team News
First Birthday
The time flies by like crazy and all of a sudden it's one year since Volcanoids was officially released on Steam! First of all, we would like to say huge thanks to the community that supports the game and helps in every way possible. From feedback and suggestions that help to set priorities to testing and reporting issues found in the game. Without you, the game would not be where it is today. We would like to send out a batch of small 3D printed drillships as a token of gratitude for the support given by members of the community. Thank you so much!
If you own a 3D printer and want to print your own drillship here's the model download link.
New Team Member
We are also slowly growing as a team. Lukas has joined our ranks as a game designer and implementation specialist. This will greatly help with the development process and the amount of new content for each update. So stay tuned for more development updates!
Nolt for Community Suggestions
We recently discovered a new platform for community suggestions that makes everything so so much easier for everyone. You can easily post suggestions without being forced to sign up (not like it's hard, you just sign up with your email) and upvote/downvote/comment on other suggestions. Where Nolt really excels is its ability to filter, search and tag suggestions you guys make. This means we will be able to keep track of what features you guys really want much easier than ever before and set priorities according to it. So go make your first suggestion here: https://volcanoids.nolt.io/
What's Next
There are still so many things on the roadmap. So 2020 should be as eventful as the previous year. Starting with the multiplayer implementation that will now require our full attention. Ondrej has some of the technical core aspects done, and now it's time to start adjusting the game from a game design point of view. A few examples would be a complete rebalance of resources, recipes, and production systems. This is where all the feedback from the community comes very handy and we will do our best to address it. The overall idea is to develop an alpha version of a 4 player max. co-op multiplayer. Anyone will have chance to join the testing and try it out. Once enough feedback is gathered from the community, we will iterate and improve the game based on that.
Links
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with us/other players on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2020-01-29 22:37:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Development Update: Dec 2019 and Happy Holidays
The screen works as an in-game wiki that reveals pages as you progress through the game. We plan to improve it more based on your feedback so the first version that gets added won't be a finished deal. Right now we are focused mainly on the functionality and we added only the info that we feel is most crucial for your progress.
We're trying to make it as easy to use as possible. To find out more about an object you will simply have to look at it and press F1 - this will open a page with all the info about that object. Just like that, you can unlock new pages for the "Archive" throughout the gameplay. This should also help is with making quests more like real "quests" and not just a long tutorial, since we will be able to give you all the important info through this feature.
We noticed in your comments that since you are forced by the eruptions to always stay in close distance to your drillship you can never go exploring too much. To solve this, we added something we call "blast shelters". The premise is quite simple, these places such as basements or caves will give you the ability to survive eruptions even without your drillship. "But what about my super awesome base?? I can't just leave it behind!" You're absolutely right - just send it underground remotely by holding G while you hide somewhere else. This will let you go on longer adventures without the need to always rush back to the ship, just make sure you send the drillship underground as well. After the eruption is over you can call it to a landing site close to you by holding G again. Shelters will be also very useful when multiplayer comes and one of your friends is late and you have to leave him behind. The first version of these blasts shelters will come in the form of mines and house basements.
Mines also hold ore deposits, so you can get some extra ore during your wait.
House basements are in every town, but always only one usually attached to the biggest building, they usually store some loot in chests
The shelters sparked a lot of new ideas and we kept experimenting with how far we could take this. The main idea is to give you more places to explore while keeping the concept of the eruptions and destruction that follows when the wave hits the surface. This lead to the so-called "Iceberg" concept, that would be applied to all towns and larger COG structures.
If you look at the concepts, you can see buildings on the surface that are damaged and give you just some basic cover or place to look around. Yet beneath the ground, there can be a huge tunnel structure with rooms, loot and even hidden technology centers that would allow you to craft items.
There are tons of ideas now, and we need to do more testing of what all can be done but in general, this will allow you to explore even during the eruption times, as you will be able to move in the underground system and search for interesting items and technology. The same concept can be used to large COG structures you find in lava sources, with this we can make some interesting underground bases that don't need to fold down every single time eruption is coming (like it currently happens in lava sources), the structures would still have foldable systems on the surface but the main "stuff" would be happening underground.
COG units will now spawn from COG spawn tubes, that are placed inside the drillship.
This will greatly impact how you attack the COG ships, since killing the crew and going inside to block the ship from moving won't stop new units from coming anymore. The new tactics will require quick action in locating the spawn tubes and taking them out quickly, otherwise, new units will be created and keep defending the ship.
These will solve the issue where enemy drillships had to go underground each time they needed reinforcements - this didn't leave you with much time to loot an unprotected drillship after you defeated the crew.
There are many other important things that were worked on such as solving the long loading times by implementing several new systems, lots of bug fixes and some quality of life improvements. All that will be covered in the changelog when the update goes live. This is all for the development update. We still need to do a bunch of art assets and polishing, but other than that it's mostly ready implementation wise. There still need to be several rounds of testing tho. The update should go live in January 2020.
Our team would like to THANK YOU for all the amazing support you showed us in 2019 - we're beyond grateful and very excited for next year. Happy holidays everyone! PS: hope you like our office Christmas tree made from development boosters
[ 2019-12-24 08:42:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey, everyone! While the major multiplayer update is still in development, we are working on smaller minor updates as well. The upcoming update in progress focuses on improving the learning curve and giving you important information as the world is explored. Next to that, we are also working on a concept and early version of an underground system that will greatly affect the gameplay and progression on the surface. Some adjustments to the existing system are done as well, to prepare it for multiplayer implementation. The biggest change is the respawning of COG units and ships, that will not require ships to go underground anymore in order to bring more units.
F1 Help Screen
The screen works as an in-game wiki that reveals pages as you progress through the game. We plan to improve it more based on your feedback so the first version that gets added won't be a finished deal. Right now we are focused mainly on the functionality and we added only the info that we feel is most crucial for your progress.
We're trying to make it as easy to use as possible. To find out more about an object you will simply have to look at it and press F1 - this will open a page with all the info about that object. Just like that, you can unlock new pages for the "Archive" throughout the gameplay. This should also help is with making quests more like real "quests" and not just a long tutorial, since we will be able to give you all the important info through this feature.
Blast Shelters
We noticed in your comments that since you are forced by the eruptions to always stay in close distance to your drillship you can never go exploring too much. To solve this, we added something we call "blast shelters". The premise is quite simple, these places such as basements or caves will give you the ability to survive eruptions even without your drillship. "But what about my super awesome base?? I can't just leave it behind!" You're absolutely right - just send it underground remotely by holding G while you hide somewhere else. This will let you go on longer adventures without the need to always rush back to the ship, just make sure you send the drillship underground as well. After the eruption is over you can call it to a landing site close to you by holding G again. Shelters will be also very useful when multiplayer comes and one of your friends is late and you have to leave him behind. The first version of these blasts shelters will come in the form of mines and house basements.
Mines also hold ore deposits, so you can get some extra ore during your wait.
House basements are in every town, but always only one usually attached to the biggest building, they usually store some loot in chests
Underground Systems
The shelters sparked a lot of new ideas and we kept experimenting with how far we could take this. The main idea is to give you more places to explore while keeping the concept of the eruptions and destruction that follows when the wave hits the surface. This lead to the so-called "Iceberg" concept, that would be applied to all towns and larger COG structures.
If you look at the concepts, you can see buildings on the surface that are damaged and give you just some basic cover or place to look around. Yet beneath the ground, there can be a huge tunnel structure with rooms, loot and even hidden technology centers that would allow you to craft items.
There are tons of ideas now, and we need to do more testing of what all can be done but in general, this will allow you to explore even during the eruption times, as you will be able to move in the underground system and search for interesting items and technology. The same concept can be used to large COG structures you find in lava sources, with this we can make some interesting underground bases that don't need to fold down every single time eruption is coming (like it currently happens in lava sources), the structures would still have foldable systems on the surface but the main "stuff" would be happening underground.
New COG Units Spawn
COG units will now spawn from COG spawn tubes, that are placed inside the drillship.
This will greatly impact how you attack the COG ships, since killing the crew and going inside to block the ship from moving won't stop new units from coming anymore. The new tactics will require quick action in locating the spawn tubes and taking them out quickly, otherwise, new units will be created and keep defending the ship.
These will solve the issue where enemy drillships had to go underground each time they needed reinforcements - this didn't leave you with much time to loot an unprotected drillship after you defeated the crew.
Other
There are many other important things that were worked on such as solving the long loading times by implementing several new systems, lots of bug fixes and some quality of life improvements. All that will be covered in the changelog when the update goes live. This is all for the development update. We still need to do a bunch of art assets and polishing, but other than that it's mostly ready implementation wise. There still need to be several rounds of testing tho. The update should go live in January 2020.
Happy Holidays
Our team would like to THANK YOU for all the amazing support you showed us in 2019 - we're beyond grateful and very excited for next year. Happy holidays everyone! PS: hope you like our office Christmas tree made from development boosters
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with us/other players on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See highlights from the development, office and events on Instagram
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
[ 2019-12-24 08:42:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Small Update with Fixes and Updated Localization
NEW
[ 2019-11-28 14:43:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone, hope you're doing great! This update is focused on fixing most of the critical bugs that you guys reported (you're the best) and also on updating some of the current languages along with adding the highly requested Polish and Italian.
Changelog
NEW
- Polish language added
- Italian language added
- Russian
- French localization
- Chinese
- Portuguese (Brazil)
- Spanish
- Czech
- Player stuck first drillship
- COGs inside rocks
- Player stuck in terrain
- Laser having no sound
- Hubs inside walls on COG ships
- Player can fix enemy modules
- Missing recipe for scraping revolver ammo
- Player being able to hack enemy modules with the wrench
- Holes in geometry (landing sites)
- Mounted panel placement issue
- Player getting stuck in terrain
- Lights not saving
- Leaves in interior
- Added bottom to the soil hills
- Upgrades T4 movement not reflected in Q
- Shutdown valve accessible on the back
- Enemy custom controllers are usable
- Broken extra protection achievement
- Banners not having a logo
- Core panel stats having bad number location
- Sparks on the hacking tool having no alpha
- Redone all texts on automation devices to respect the settings
- Player drillship getting rammed (Shallow Dock)
- Player getting stuck
- Issue with Soil blob
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with us/other players on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
- See highlights from the office and story specific content on Instagram
[ 2019-11-28 14:43:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids Joins the Autumn Sale
[ 2019-11-27 16:01:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
We're joining the Steam Autumn Sale madness so you can get Volcanoids with 20% OFF for a limited time. If you want to see what will you buy into, check out our roadmap that contains most of the upcoming features such as co-op, pvp, customization and more. If you're interested in how we handled development since the Early Access launch, here are some of our biggest updates so far. [previewyoutube=-tXFaXyUcK0;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=VswT1fR2etQ;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=npaotIhlhao;full][/previewyoutube] Finally, if you got any questions, let us know in the comments and we will reply asap. ~ Rich, Volcanoids Dev Squad https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2019-11-27 16:01:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Show Off Your Base and Win Rewards
How to participate:[olist] Assemble the coolest drillship interior you possibly can
Take up to five screenshots of the interior
Share them in our Steam Community Hub or on our Discord in the #contest-submissions channel
[/olist]
Winners announcement and rewards:
3 winners will be picked next Thursday, November 28th
Good luck, have fun! ~ Volcanoids Dev Squad
[ 2019-11-21 15:54:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
Since the Automation Update added plenty of new ways to arrange your drillship interior, we would love to see all the different layouts you guys came up with! So we got a contest for you:
Interior Design Contest
How to participate:[olist]
- 1st place: $25 Steam gift card + Volcanoids Steam key
- 2nd place: $10 Steam gift card + Volcanoids Steam key
- 3rd place: $5 Steam gift card + Volcanoids Steam key
Good luck, have fun! ~ Volcanoids Dev Squad
[ 2019-11-21 15:54:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
Save 25% on Volcanoids for the Next 48 Hours
[ 2019-11-10 19:41:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids is currently 25% OFF for the next 2 days! This is our biggest sale to date so if you've been keeping Volcanoids on your wishlist waiting for a good opportunity, now is the time. In case you already have the game and enjoy it, it would mean the world if you recommended it to someone that you think would enjoy it as well. Keep in mind that we're already working on co-op so you should soon be able to raid and capture drillships together! This sale is also happening shortly after we released a major update that added over 40 new machines and tools. Check out the trailer: [previewyoutube=-tXFaXyUcK0;full][/previewyoutube] Full update notes: https://steamcommunity.com/games/951440/announcements/detail/3581976347571578442 If you need to ask a few questions before buying, feel free to do so in the comments below and we will answer as soon as we can. ~ Volcanoids Dev Squad
[ 2019-11-10 19:41:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Daily Deal - Volcanoids, 25% Off
[ 2019-11-10 18:20:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today's Deal: Save 25% on Volcanoids!*
Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
*Offer ends Tuesday 11/12 at 10AM Pacific Time
[ 2019-11-10 18:20:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Automation Update Fixes and 2 New Features
NEW
[ 2019-11-06 15:22:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's been almost a week since the Automation Update release and you guys managed to break the game already, way to go. Just kidding, thank you so much for reporting all insect that got into the game with the new update. Special thanks goes to our Discord and Steam testers that relentlessly keep on testing no matter how many new builds we throw at them.
As the title suggests with a bunch of fixes we also added 2 new features. You can see the first one in this video. Basically, you can call the drillship from anywhere to a landing site near you. Small disclaimer: if your drillship is heavily damaged you might want to reconsider this move since it could drive through lava as it's coming to you.
[previewyoutube=7CMy3vsb39I;full][/previewyoutube]
This drillship calling feature also changes the way you can move around the map. If you wanted to explore on foot before, you always had to return to your drillship. Now you can wander off and then just call the drillship to you.
The second feature is a Dead End notification for situations when you're better off loading your last save than continuing. Situations like being stuck inside a cave without a drillship - you're alive, but you can't get out of there so you're just waiting for the eruption to vaporize you.
CHANGELOG
NEW
- Player can call drillship to a free landing site near him
- Dead End screen telling you when there's no way out (e.g. stuck in caves without drillship)
- Fixed long loading times
- Fixed game not loading at all
- Fixed drillship ownership after claiming more than one drillship
- Fixed quest Hull T4 parts
- Fixed quest Titanium Hull, which kept repeating
- Fixed quest Damage Drillship T2 / T3 not finding drillship nearby
- Fixed quest Essential devices, station is no longer required when there's Hub
- Fixed no COG drillships spawning at Lava Source 3
- Fixed bad light layer on devices
- Fixed Hub stations flickering when using Proportional Threshold mode
- Fixed online storage items flickering when there's Hub with Proportional Threshold mode
- Fixed storage modules T2 and T3 button blocker
- Fixed blocked mount point
- Fixed door collider issue
- Fixed empty COG drillship after loading game and going back to previously visited area
- Fixed inventory lost when using Restack on loot inventory (cogs or destroyed modules)
- Fixed outro playing after loading finished game
- Fixed pilot seat being destroyed when drillship going under
- Fixed exterior lights being destroyed when going under
- Fixed icons disappearing on Hub station
- Fixed Hub station sounds audible everywhere
- Fixed missing roof module caused by invalid side module position
- Fixed drillship not coming when called
- Level design adjustment
- Player stuck
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with us/other players on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
- See highlights from the office and story specific content on Instagram
[ 2019-11-06 15:22:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Automation Update is now live!
Now that the update is out and ready, we would like to talk more about what is planned next. The multiplayer development has begun a month ago and we would like to continue until it's ready for a major update. Check the pictures and videos, that show the current state. Meanwhile, we will do several smaller updates including features or improvements that don't require too much programming. We are talking about new device variants, level design improvements, better F1 help screen and other. We know the last update took forever to release and will do our best to deliver these minor updates much faster as they won't be so complex.
MAIN FEATURES - Controllers = manufacture, system, shutdown, custom - Display = sizes small, medium, large - Panels = sizes small, medium, large in variations manufacture / system / core - HUBs in variations production, refinery, research, scrap - Ligts (drillship no longer has default lights, they need to be mounted from now on) - Hacking tool - Explosive and Detonator tool - New eruption particle effect NEW - Photo mode - Basic implementation of hands - COG Drillship missions (drillships now come to surface more often, not just once per eruption day) - New mount system (objects can be placed into slots placed all over the drillship and on modules) - Inventory Sort, Take all buttons - Storage input point (object that can be mounted on the wall and allows you to access online storage) - New chest variations = low chest, mountable chest, colors red / green / blue / yellow - Chest now support option to set a custom icon - New lever stand variations = mountable on walls and above doors (lets you send drillship underground) - When storage modules destroyed, they now drop item containing random items previously stored - New recipes for destroyed modules, intel items, COG heads, etc. (items can be used for more purposes) - Buttons in load screen = load latest, clear all saves - Walls and floors can now be destroyed - New main menu design - New loading screen system (picture selected based on player drillship location) - Damaged front drill and destroyed drill now have different visual - Worktable has a new model ADJUSTED - State saver has different visual - Quest log now has a picture with the main objective (e.g. the upgrade you are supposed to produce) - Players inventory has been increased - Volcano no longer erupts after the game is finished, yet the ore keeps respawning - Repair tool now shows how much repair capacity is left before it disappears - Repair tool now has animation when used - Stations play a sound when item finished - Cranes in area 1 have no default modules - Objects can no longer be built through walls and reverse - When the player attacks the core, it displays messages explaining how to access it - Recipes for Core and Engine were changed to not require research upgrade
[ 2019-10-30 14:45:28 CET ] [ Original post ]
We're beyond excited that the Automation Update is finally out! Prepare for some serious remodeling as this update adds over 40 new machines and gadgets that give you even more control over your brassy mobile base.
[previewyoutube=-tXFaXyUcK0;full][/previewyoutube]
We wanted to give you more options to utilize all the unused space we noticed in your screenshots and videos. No more empty rooms and no more empty segments. The brand new stations, panels, item displays, levers and valves, all designed to fit together like a puzzle, will turn any empty room into something straight out of a WW2 submarine (which is where we got most of our inspiration).
Take a look at these pages for a brief explanation of how each of these new devices works.
Here's also a more in-depth video explanation of the new devices:
https://youtu.be/ARNFcMloQBA
What's next
Now that the update is out and ready, we would like to talk more about what is planned next. The multiplayer development has begun a month ago and we would like to continue until it's ready for a major update. Check the pictures and videos, that show the current state. Meanwhile, we will do several smaller updates including features or improvements that don't require too much programming. We are talking about new device variants, level design improvements, better F1 help screen and other. We know the last update took forever to release and will do our best to deliver these minor updates much faster as they won't be so complex.
Changelog
MAIN FEATURES - Controllers = manufacture, system, shutdown, custom - Display = sizes small, medium, large - Panels = sizes small, medium, large in variations manufacture / system / core - HUBs in variations production, refinery, research, scrap - Ligts (drillship no longer has default lights, they need to be mounted from now on) - Hacking tool - Explosive and Detonator tool - New eruption particle effect NEW - Photo mode - Basic implementation of hands - COG Drillship missions (drillships now come to surface more often, not just once per eruption day) - New mount system (objects can be placed into slots placed all over the drillship and on modules) - Inventory Sort, Take all buttons - Storage input point (object that can be mounted on the wall and allows you to access online storage) - New chest variations = low chest, mountable chest, colors red / green / blue / yellow - Chest now support option to set a custom icon - New lever stand variations = mountable on walls and above doors (lets you send drillship underground) - When storage modules destroyed, they now drop item containing random items previously stored - New recipes for destroyed modules, intel items, COG heads, etc. (items can be used for more purposes) - Buttons in load screen = load latest, clear all saves - Walls and floors can now be destroyed - New main menu design - New loading screen system (picture selected based on player drillship location) - Damaged front drill and destroyed drill now have different visual - Worktable has a new model ADJUSTED - State saver has different visual - Quest log now has a picture with the main objective (e.g. the upgrade you are supposed to produce) - Players inventory has been increased - Volcano no longer erupts after the game is finished, yet the ore keeps respawning - Repair tool now shows how much repair capacity is left before it disappears - Repair tool now has animation when used - Stations play a sound when item finished - Cranes in area 1 have no default modules - Objects can no longer be built through walls and reverse - When the player attacks the core, it displays messages explaining how to access it - Recipes for Core and Engine were changed to not require research upgrade
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with us/other players on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
- See highlights from the office and story specific content on Instagram
[ 2019-10-30 14:45:28 CET ] [ Original post ]
Progress Report: Automation Update
This update is focused on Drillship automation systems allowing you to build assembly lines and improved control over all drillship systems. As you advance through the island depths, you get access to more advanced devices allowing higher control over ship production, module setups, and item flows. All the pictures you see, are still work-in-progress that are missing textures or something else.
Since there is going to be a huge amount of devices, we had to come up with new ways players can build drillship interiors and combine objects together. This is how the mounted devices were born, allowing you to place objects into places that were not accessible before. Finally, all the unused space in corridors and on the walls will have some use.
Also, a mounted object does not block space on the ground, so you can combine it with another object. A good example is a combination of mounted chest and the newly improved worktable.
Some objects can even be mounted on the exterior of a drillship, such as lights, displays or panels. This helps with checking the amount of most vital items each time you walk through the door.
In general, new devices usually have three versions. Low stand, high stand, and mounted version. All these versions are in one item, so if you decide to switch things around, just deconstruct the device and place it someplace else (similar to how you can deconstruct a storage module on the wall and place it on the roof).
Hub station will allow you to set six items that will be frequently produced to a set amount. An example would be, that you want 20 grenades to always be ready in storage. The hub station will check the storage boxes, and if the number is below 20, new grenades will be made. Each production type (production, refinery, research, scrap) has its own hub. This allows you to make a complete assembly line, where you only care about input and output.
Panels show important data about the usage of energy and core slots. They work as more detailed stats panel, with a new visual style. You can choose panel that shows overall info about consumption, or panel showing just info regarding consumption of refinery modules. Panels come in three sizes and are often combined with controllers.
Controllers are an advanced version of the State Selector. Each module category has a controller that sets a number of opened modules. Levers allow you to increase, decrease or close all open modules of a specific type. When combined with panels, you can tweak power and core slot consumption to get the most optimized module setup.
Displays show the amount of items in the storage. The tracked items and order is set by the player. This way, you can have a perfect overview of how the production line is working, and if all works as expected. A small icon will show if the item is assigned for production or not. Displays come in many different sizes so that you can place them anywhere needed. Including the exterior of the ship and corridors between ship segments.
Lights are now part of the interior too. There's no more preset light in the drillships you will have to set it up yourself by placing lights around. This applies even to the ship exterior, which may help with finding the door in dark caves, or give an extra atmospheric feel to your drillship when it lands on the surface during the post-eruption state.
Apart from all the above, there are many more devices that can be mounted on the walls. Also, other parts of the game got improved as well but we will save the info for the final announcement once the update is done and ready to go.
Amongst many other platforms, we also started posting development pictures in the Artwork section. Check it out once in a while if you'd like to see what is being worked on. It often has a short description to give you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming update.
Please if you would like to get notified by a Steam message once a new preview branch for testing is ready, subscribe to this discussion. If you don't know what the Preview Branch is, it contains early versions of the upcoming update with unfinished features and placeholders that we publicly share for players to test if they want to.
[ 2019-09-02 18:06:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
It has been a long time since we last posted about the development. Actually, last time we posted the school year was about to end and now it's starting again. So to those that are going back to class we wish you the best of luck!
So far this update has been in development for way longer than the previous updates, and we are very sorry about that. Our goal is still to have an update every month/month and a half maximum. Current development got prolonged by several factors such as vacations and newborn family member that required lots of changes when it comes to time management. As things are finally settling down, the working schedule is getting back to normal. Now let's talk about the new stuff!
Automation and Module Control
This update is focused on Drillship automation systems allowing you to build assembly lines and improved control over all drillship systems. As you advance through the island depths, you get access to more advanced devices allowing higher control over ship production, module setups, and item flows. All the pictures you see, are still work-in-progress that are missing textures or something else.
New Interior Building Options
Since there is going to be a huge amount of devices, we had to come up with new ways players can build drillship interiors and combine objects together. This is how the mounted devices were born, allowing you to place objects into places that were not accessible before. Finally, all the unused space in corridors and on the walls will have some use.
Also, a mounted object does not block space on the ground, so you can combine it with another object. A good example is a combination of mounted chest and the newly improved worktable.
Some objects can even be mounted on the exterior of a drillship, such as lights, displays or panels. This helps with checking the amount of most vital items each time you walk through the door.
In general, new devices usually have three versions. Low stand, high stand, and mounted version. All these versions are in one item, so if you decide to switch things around, just deconstruct the device and place it someplace else (similar to how you can deconstruct a storage module on the wall and place it on the roof).
Device Types
Hub station will allow you to set six items that will be frequently produced to a set amount. An example would be, that you want 20 grenades to always be ready in storage. The hub station will check the storage boxes, and if the number is below 20, new grenades will be made. Each production type (production, refinery, research, scrap) has its own hub. This allows you to make a complete assembly line, where you only care about input and output.
Panels show important data about the usage of energy and core slots. They work as more detailed stats panel, with a new visual style. You can choose panel that shows overall info about consumption, or panel showing just info regarding consumption of refinery modules. Panels come in three sizes and are often combined with controllers.
Controllers are an advanced version of the State Selector. Each module category has a controller that sets a number of opened modules. Levers allow you to increase, decrease or close all open modules of a specific type. When combined with panels, you can tweak power and core slot consumption to get the most optimized module setup.
Displays show the amount of items in the storage. The tracked items and order is set by the player. This way, you can have a perfect overview of how the production line is working, and if all works as expected. A small icon will show if the item is assigned for production or not. Displays come in many different sizes so that you can place them anywhere needed. Including the exterior of the ship and corridors between ship segments.
Lights are now part of the interior too. There's no more preset light in the drillships you will have to set it up yourself by placing lights around. This applies even to the ship exterior, which may help with finding the door in dark caves, or give an extra atmospheric feel to your drillship when it lands on the surface during the post-eruption state.
Other Improvements
Apart from all the above, there are many more devices that can be mounted on the walls. Also, other parts of the game got improved as well but we will save the info for the final announcement once the update is done and ready to go.
Artwork Section
Amongst many other platforms, we also started posting development pictures in the Artwork section. Check it out once in a while if you'd like to see what is being worked on. It often has a short description to give you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming update.
Preview Branch
Please if you would like to get notified by a Steam message once a new preview branch for testing is ready, subscribe to this discussion. If you don't know what the Preview Branch is, it contains early versions of the upcoming update with unfinished features and placeholders that we publicly share for players to test if they want to.
Stay Updated
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with the development team on Discord
- Receive development updates through Email
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch new trailers and tutorials on YouTube
- See highlights from the office and story specific content on Instagram
[ 2019-09-02 18:06:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
Travel Update Hotfix
[ 2019-06-18 07:16:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
First of all, we would like to thank everyone that immediately sent us bug reports! It helped a lot and gave us a chance to fix the issues way faster. So please keep on posting them as it makes the game better for everyone!
We would also like to apologize for the issues with incompatible saves. We try our best to not break them, still sometimes when a major update is done, it changes the structure of saves file. This could cause a huge amount of bugs if loaded in the new game version.
There are good news tho! Ondrej adjusted files for 1.20 update and old saves made in 1.19 should work again! Although this is something we can not guarantee 100% with every major update.
Still, from now on there will be a second branch with the older game version available to everyone. If you get incompatible save error message, switch to the older branch and you can continue playing in the older game version. See the following video to see how to switch the game version
https://youtu.be/xzdGaRGwetQ
[table]
[tr]
[th]FIXES[/th]
[/tr]
[/table]
- Saves made in 1.19 should be functional again in 1.20
- Ship hull hp issue fixed
- Lava on landing site damaging drillship was removed
- Blast door on the side of the ship won't open underground anymore
- Several places where the player could get stuck in ground fixed
- Fixed levitating stones and bunch of badly placed rocks
- Spelling mistakes + wrong sentences fix
- Unlootable COGs can be looted again
- No dual ladders in COG drillships anymore
- Quest fixes + change in the structure
- State selector animation fixed
- No giant white boxes underground anymore
[ 2019-06-18 07:16:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
Travel Update
[ 2019-06-13 14:14:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
Listen up Partisans,
We saw your feedback, plotted for days and now it's finally here! Build a pilot seat, explore underground maps, mine with your drillship, discover caves, spy on your enemies using the periscope, and more in the Travel Update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VswT1fR2etQ
Captain put together a quick manual below so you understand how each feature works and don't get toasted the second you jump outta the submarine!
With this update, our intention was to solve following issues frequently reported by community: nothing to do underground, previous traveling system being just a fancy fast travel and not being able to mine with your drillship. This is also only the first iteration. In future updates, you can look forward to things like underground combat, toolbar in the travel map view (for torpedoes, boarding drones, self-repair) and survival mechanics.
Big thanks to our amazing community for helping us name all these new locations! Coming up with names is probably the hardest part of game development (not joking).
[table]
[tr]
[th]SMALL FEATURES & CHANGES[/th]
[/tr]
[/table]
- Music audio slider in options
- Once a dead COG is looted, the outline no longer shows
- New quest hud marker system that keeps markers at the center of the screen
- Landing site numbers replaced by names suggested by the community
- Ore deposit spawn locations have been decreased, ore respawns only after the eruption
- Starter drillship has more items in inventory which makes the first few quests a lot more faster, and less about endless checklists
- COG attack groups no longer camp on free landing sites, but run between all landing sites within the node
- Unity launcher has been removed
- Ability to call drillship to other landing sites is removed, but might be brought back in future (the ability to call it under and above is still available)
- Target selector has been removed and will be remembered only in Captain's deck
- Map stand has a different texture and will be improved in future
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- Participate in contests and chat with the development team on Discord
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch update trailers on YouTube
- See highlights from the office and conferences on Instagram
[ 2019-06-13 14:14:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
Daily Deal - Volcanoids, 20% Off
[ 2019-05-01 17:06:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today's Deal: Save 20% on Volcanoids!*
Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
*Offer ends Friday at 10AM Pacific Time
[ 2019-05-01 17:06:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Localization Update
In this update, we also made some adjustments to the starter drillship to make the beginning more friendly for new players. The drillship now has coal by default, 4x breach replacements and opened coal power plant. And if you have Volcanoids in your wishlist patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity then stay tuned as there's a sale coming very soon!
[ 2019-04-30 15:21:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids got officially translated into the 8 most requested languages by the community. Big thanks to anyone that participated in community translations before this, it made the whole process much easier since we already had a foundation. You guys rock!
From now on you can enjoy Volcanoids in:
- French
- Spanish
- Portuguese (Brazilian)
- Russian
- Simplified and Traditional Chinese
- German
- Czech
Minor Changes & Incoming Sale
In this update, we also made some adjustments to the starter drillship to make the beginning more friendly for new players. The drillship now has coal by default, 4x breach replacements and opened coal power plant. And if you have Volcanoids in your wishlist patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity then stay tuned as there's a sale coming very soon!
Get Development Updates
- Get development news and sneak peeks on Twitter or Facebook
- See upcoming features on Trello
- Watch update trailers on YouTube
- See what we're up to in real life on Instagram
- Participate in contests and chat with the development team on Discord
[ 2019-04-30 15:21:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 15
Share your creations with us in the Artwork Section or in our Discord Server and we'll use them as decoration for all the empty walls we have down here. We already put up some of the awesome creations you guys shared with us. So keep them coming and help us give these bland walls some style!
Thanks again for making this possible! ~ Volcanoids Dev Team
[ 2019-04-19 12:51:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
The time has come! The time to pack our 3 PCs along with 27 monitors, leave our cozy apartments and move into a real office.
And this was only possible thanks to you. Thanks to all the support, feedback and love you've been showing this project since the very beginning. We are boundlessly humbled and forever grateful. Thank you!
Office Tour
Help Us Decorate!
Share your creations with us in the Artwork Section or in our Discord Server and we'll use them as decoration for all the empty walls we have down here. We already put up some of the awesome creations you guys shared with us. So keep them coming and help us give these bland walls some style!
Thanks again for making this possible! ~ Volcanoids Dev Team
[ 2019-04-19 12:51:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
Fixes New Feature
Player no longer gets kidnapped by COG drillships
COG Research drillships have turret ammo and turrets shoot at the player
The ghost stone in Area 1
Drillships bring new COGs with bigger delay
Several typos and errors in texts
Bug where stolen drillships from COGs can't reach the Volcano cave
Be the first one to know when Volcanoids receives an update by joining the Volcanoids Discord server and following @Volcanoids on Twitter. Big thanks to anyone that helped us track down these bugs! https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2019-04-15 19:06:09 CET ] [ Original post ]
We released a new update fixing a lot of critical bugs that snuck their way into the game in the Gear Up Update such as "enemy drillships kidnapping player" and so on.
With the fixes, we also added a new feature! If you couldn't tell from the thumbnail, from now on you can destroy just the drill of an enemy drillship to take its ability to go underground.
But remember that COGs can do the same to your drillship as well. The drill can be repaired with the repair tool just like any other module or device.
Fixes
Get Development Updates
Be the first one to know when Volcanoids receives an update by joining the Volcanoids Discord server and following @Volcanoids on Twitter. Big thanks to anyone that helped us track down these bugs! https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2019-04-15 19:06:09 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 14
To all bug hunters! There is a new bounty for BUG 002: COG Drillships Kidnapping Players
REWARD 20$ Gift card sent to a Steam account owned by the bug hunter RULES & INFO We know this bug is in the game and that it is happening quite a lot. What we do not know is what exactly needs to happen before this bug happens. The bug hunter needs to find out the exact steps that lead to triggering the bug and be the first one to share this info with a developer that successfully reproduces the bug based on the description. Be warned, saves do not help as the bug fixes itself on reload! If you catch this bug or have any valuable info, please contact fregy_cz on Steam by adding him to friends and send a message, or through Discord in direct messages to Tomas #9155 Thank you and happy hunting!
[ 2019-04-04 19:06:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids is setting a course towards a new update. This time we would like to try something new and release Developer Updates when we have something to tell or show you not just because the calendar said so. When we were working on the "Gear up Update", there were a few Developer Updates that basically said we are testing and that's something we'd like to change.
There's a clue for the next update's big feature hidden in the title and picture. Can you guess what is?
Let us know what you think about the changes and what the big feature is going to be in the comments below!
BUG BOUNTY
To all bug hunters! There is a new bounty for BUG 002: COG Drillships Kidnapping Players
REWARD 20$ Gift card sent to a Steam account owned by the bug hunter RULES & INFO We know this bug is in the game and that it is happening quite a lot. What we do not know is what exactly needs to happen before this bug happens. The bug hunter needs to find out the exact steps that lead to triggering the bug and be the first one to share this info with a developer that successfully reproduces the bug based on the description. Be warned, saves do not help as the bug fixes itself on reload! If you catch this bug or have any valuable info, please contact fregy_cz on Steam by adding him to friends and send a message, or through Discord in direct messages to Tomas #9155 Thank you and happy hunting!
[ 2019-04-04 19:06:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
Gear Up Update
Be the first one to know when Volcanoids receives an update by joining the Volcanoids Discord server and following @Volcanoids on Twitter. https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2019-03-28 14:44:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
https://youtu.be/npaotIhlhao
Its time to gear up and take out everything standing in your quest of reclaiming your lost home! The armory has been upgraded with a lot of new gear on both sides. The submarine crew has granted access to new weapons, while COGs got many new technology items. You will discover all of it on your path of freeing the island from the evil mechanical race.
Before starting the journey, decide how difficult your path will be. If this is your first quest for silencing the volcano, choose easy or normal. Both contain guidance from the Captain, informing you in the beginning and then always being there if needed. For all the Drillship veterans, the challenge of hard difficulty lays ahead of you. If accepted, prepare for tough fights for resources and territory control. No longer is the first drillship served to you. Instead, attack directly from submarine and hunt down a drillship of your choice.
Drillships systems became more demanding on precise engineering, and one sample of COG technology is not enough anymore. Instead, you need to hunt, steel or scavenge technology anywhere you can. Without that, its not possible to upgrade the ship and advance to further areas. Take abandoned tech in villages or directly attack COG surface missions to raid their drillships or hunt down the crew.
Those are all the latest news from the Adranos island. Now report to the Captain for debriefing and good luck on your journey!
Full changelog can be found here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/951440/discussions/0/1770385542769004727/
Get Development Updates
Be the first one to know when Volcanoids receives an update by joining the Volcanoids Discord server and following @Volcanoids on Twitter. https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
[ 2019-03-28 14:44:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 13
As the release is getting closer, we are going to frequently update the preview branch. If you would like to help us with polishing the final build, please feel free to join. Post any feedback or bug reports in this public thread. New builds will be announced in this thread with the following changelog of what is new in the current build. Please feel free to subscribe to the channel to get a notification each time a new message is added. Just a reminder, preview branch is a testing version of the new update available for anyone that already owns the game.
Each playtesting round, we come up with many new things that need to be tweaked or balanced. Since this update is heavily focused on combat, we need to ensure players have access to all needed equipment and that the difficulty raises gradually with progression on the map. This includes balancing the loot drops and costs of items. Player should always have a chance to fall back, recover and advance again until reaching the goal.
This update turned out to be a long development marathon. We really got to set a better plan for the next update to ensure it won't overflow so much. What was supposed to be a simple improvement of the research system and weapons turned into a complete upgrade of almost all parts in the game. With 1.17 you will get new weapons, specialized drillships, many new items, difficulty settings, new quest system, countless drillship improvements and much more. The changelog is already a few pages long.
We are going to continue polishing the final 1.17 build, together with the Volcanoids community. The quest line will need to be changed a bit, as we adjusted some of the upgrade recipes based on the community feedback. Still, the game can be played from start to finish already, so if you are already familiar with the features and would like to try the new version, jump right into the preview branch.
[ 2019-03-21 22:30:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
COGs became even smarter and more difficult lately, which is good on one side, but it would be nice to stand a chance against them. A lot of improvements were done on player detection. Even to a point where attacking a drillship will attract attention and COGs will chase the intruder that tries to sabotage their surface mission. On top of that, missed shots that went past a COG or too much noise also reveal your position. Medkits will become your number one friend.
PREVIEW BRANCH
As the release is getting closer, we are going to frequently update the preview branch. If you would like to help us with polishing the final build, please feel free to join. Post any feedback or bug reports in this public thread. New builds will be announced in this thread with the following changelog of what is new in the current build. Please feel free to subscribe to the channel to get a notification each time a new message is added. Just a reminder, preview branch is a testing version of the new update available for anyone that already owns the game.
IMPROVEMENTS
Each playtesting round, we come up with many new things that need to be tweaked or balanced. Since this update is heavily focused on combat, we need to ensure players have access to all needed equipment and that the difficulty raises gradually with progression on the map. This includes balancing the loot drops and costs of items. Player should always have a chance to fall back, recover and advance again until reaching the goal.
DEVELOPMENT RECAP OF 1.17
This update turned out to be a long development marathon. We really got to set a better plan for the next update to ensure it won't overflow so much. What was supposed to be a simple improvement of the research system and weapons turned into a complete upgrade of almost all parts in the game. With 1.17 you will get new weapons, specialized drillships, many new items, difficulty settings, new quest system, countless drillship improvements and much more. The changelog is already a few pages long.
NEXT STEPS
We are going to continue polishing the final 1.17 build, together with the Volcanoids community. The quest line will need to be changed a bit, as we adjusted some of the upgrade recipes based on the community feedback. Still, the game can be played from start to finish already, so if you are already familiar with the features and would like to try the new version, jump right into the preview branch.
[ 2019-03-21 22:30:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 12
Even though it might sound boring, tons of balancing charts were created to make sure gameplay progression moves forward and every item has its place. All is being implemented and tested immediately in new builds. The main focus was at COG drillships, their equipment, interior devices and loot randomly generated in storage. This is one of the new features, where drillships will have something new every single time you visit one. The loot is still based on the drillship specialization, but the variety of possible items is much wider.
A lot of thought went into drillship crew and their distribution around the island. In general, COGs got a lot smarter and specialized. So next time you storm a drillship, make sure you know what type it is and who might be hanging around. Refinery COGs are deadly up close, but easy to take out in open field. Also, it is beneficial to wait until all crew members leave the drillship and walk towards their locations before trying to attack. Chances of survival will rise greatly. Fun fact: you can use COG drillships to produce items, your drillship isn't capable of producing yet. So feel free to produce some of the extra ammunition in case you're running low.
Quests are completed for Area 1 now, and we keep testing them in every aspect possible. Ondrej did a very good job on this since many extra actions that players had to do in the old system were removed. New quest log and system allowing you to repeat certain quests is a new addition from this week. And since it is up to player now, whether to do quests or not, you can help yourself with a little hint from the Captain whenever you get lost. Also, the difficulty selection screen finally got new art.
Simply test, report, fix, rinse and repeat until the game is in good shape. All the new features will be available on the Preview Branch within a few days. We'll post an announcement in the Steam Discussions as well as in our Discord so keep an eye on that if you'd like to give it an early try. Alright we gotta get back to testing now, so hope you like the progress that was made this week and thanks for reading!
[ 2019-03-14 22:23:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Testing, bug fixing and game polishing is running on 100%. The same applies for all sorts of balancing and value adjustments based on gameplay experience. Community testers and us are constantly going through the game writing down notes about bugs or things that could be improved. In this phase we should have the final build for 1.17 ready within a week or so. If nothing major shows up you will soon have the new update. Now let's talk about the development from this past week.
BALANCING CHARTS
Even though it might sound boring, tons of balancing charts were created to make sure gameplay progression moves forward and every item has its place. All is being implemented and tested immediately in new builds. The main focus was at COG drillships, their equipment, interior devices and loot randomly generated in storage. This is one of the new features, where drillships will have something new every single time you visit one. The loot is still based on the drillship specialization, but the variety of possible items is much wider.
ENEMY DRILLSHIPS AND CREWS
A lot of thought went into drillship crew and their distribution around the island. In general, COGs got a lot smarter and specialized. So next time you storm a drillship, make sure you know what type it is and who might be hanging around. Refinery COGs are deadly up close, but easy to take out in open field. Also, it is beneficial to wait until all crew members leave the drillship and walk towards their locations before trying to attack. Chances of survival will rise greatly. Fun fact: you can use COG drillships to produce items, your drillship isn't capable of producing yet. So feel free to produce some of the extra ammunition in case you're running low.
QUEST SYSTEM
Quests are completed for Area 1 now, and we keep testing them in every aspect possible. Ondrej did a very good job on this since many extra actions that players had to do in the old system were removed. New quest log and system allowing you to repeat certain quests is a new addition from this week. And since it is up to player now, whether to do quests or not, you can help yourself with a little hint from the Captain whenever you get lost. Also, the difficulty selection screen finally got new art.
NEXT STEPS
Simply test, report, fix, rinse and repeat until the game is in good shape. All the new features will be available on the Preview Branch within a few days. We'll post an announcement in the Steam Discussions as well as in our Discord so keep an eye on that if you'd like to give it an early try. Alright we gotta get back to testing now, so hope you like the progress that was made this week and thanks for reading!
[ 2019-03-14 22:23:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 11
All the placeholder icons got their proper look. All the COG heads, new components, ammunition and intel components finally look like objects from the game. It took a lot longer than planned, as real models had to be done in order to keep the visuals and light effects consistent. Almost everything you see are the new items that come with the new research system. Once the preview branch gets updated, you'll get a chance to check it out yourself.
Ondrej continues the work on quests and has almost all the tasks done. They are way more dynamic and much better at adjusting to your actions. An example would be a production task, that allows you to use both production and refinery stations as soon as you can produce needed items. We are really looking forward to seeing what you think about the new system, and how it influences the learning curve for new players.
Since its more than a month since the release and we would like to give you the new update as soon as possible, we decided to postpone some of the art assets for later updates. Specifically the new COG character models, that would require at least two extra weeks just for art. And another week would have to be dedicated to implementation and optimizations. The work already done on the models did not go to waste tho, as we could use them to make the dead COG icons. For now, the 1.17 will use different emissive color to distinguish the COG tier types. Please keep in mind that its just placeholder solution for now. It was a difficult decision to make, but we dont want to prolong the 1.17 production any longer and want to move into the testing phase.
As mentioned at the beginning of the announcement, testing and bug fixing phase has started. Once the bug list we got from you guys is dealt with, we will keep playing the game over and over to polish the gameplay. Each time the preview branch is updated, we will let you know in Steam Forums or on our Discord. Thank you for being patient with us throughout the following weeks. We really appreciate it, and we hope you will find the new update worth the wait.
[ 2019-03-07 22:34:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone!
Art assets are finally done, and we are slowly going towards a more specific update release date. All major features are implemented and we can finally move into proper testing and bug fixing period. We would like to thank to everyone trying out the preview branch and sending us feedback with bug reports, suggestions and ideas. It gave us a nice list of things that we can focus on.
FINAL ICONS
All the placeholder icons got their proper look. All the COG heads, new components, ammunition and intel components finally look like objects from the game. It took a lot longer than planned, as real models had to be done in order to keep the visuals and light effects consistent. Almost everything you see are the new items that come with the new research system. Once the preview branch gets updated, you'll get a chance to check it out yourself.
QUESTS
Ondrej continues the work on quests and has almost all the tasks done. They are way more dynamic and much better at adjusting to your actions. An example would be a production task, that allows you to use both production and refinery stations as soon as you can produce needed items. We are really looking forward to seeing what you think about the new system, and how it influences the learning curve for new players.
CHANGES
Since its more than a month since the release and we would like to give you the new update as soon as possible, we decided to postpone some of the art assets for later updates. Specifically the new COG character models, that would require at least two extra weeks just for art. And another week would have to be dedicated to implementation and optimizations. The work already done on the models did not go to waste tho, as we could use them to make the dead COG icons. For now, the 1.17 will use different emissive color to distinguish the COG tier types. Please keep in mind that its just placeholder solution for now. It was a difficult decision to make, but we dont want to prolong the 1.17 production any longer and want to move into the testing phase.
NEXT STEPS
As mentioned at the beginning of the announcement, testing and bug fixing phase has started. Once the bug list we got from you guys is dealt with, we will keep playing the game over and over to polish the gameplay. Each time the preview branch is updated, we will let you know in Steam Forums or on our Discord. Thank you for being patient with us throughout the following weeks. We really appreciate it, and we hope you will find the new update worth the wait.
[ 2019-03-07 22:34:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 10
When designing the weapons, we tried to combine new designs with old feeling to it. It was a lot of fun, especially with the hand mortar. It's inspired by old hand cannons and new reload systems on today's mortars. Something similar was done with the Gatling gun, which in this form is usually seen mounted on top of a carriage. A lot might change once hands are added, as they will most likely visually block a large part of the weapon. We also paid a lot of attention to the ammunition and tried to come up with different visual styles that fit the purpose each ammo type has.
Another iteration of guns was done, but it's not the final one. The main goal was to have functional guns in the game to enhance the gameplay and make the destruction of enemy drillships easier. There is still a lot of work to be done on animations and better visual of the models. Also, the hands are missing. We are very well aware of this and our plan is to hire a professional freelancer to redesign the guns based on today's industry standards. We'll keep you updated on that.
Preview branch was finally updated and anyone interested can check out the work-in-progress version of the upcoming update. There are still many unfinished things, bugs, and placeholders. So please give it a try only if you are interested in seeing what's new and if you want to report bugs/give us feedback. We mentioned this in the previous Developer Update but will repeat it again as the branch was finally updated: to get access to preview branch and all the info about it please join our Discord and join the testers in #role-assignment channel. You will get instant access to the changelog and other info about the build. Few of the beginning quests are already implemented and we fixed the critical issues, so players that would like to test can do so right away.
The quest system has been fully updated and we are now redoing all the quests that were in the game as well as making new ones since there is a lot of new stuff that needs to be covered. Those new weapons and ammo types will need new GUI icons so that's also planned. And that's it for today! If you don't want to miss smaller updates and sneak peeks that we post throughout the week consider following our social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Enjoy the rest of your week!
[ 2019-02-28 20:08:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
This week was dedicated to art assets, minor testing, and quest system. A lot of time was spent on finding references and getting the correct feel for the visuals. Models, texturing and animating followed, which was basically going on until today.
On the technical side of the game, Ondrej completely redid the quest system and is now wiring up the quests one by one. Each time a larger amount of features gets implemented, we'll update the preview branch so you can test them out.
ART ASSETS
When designing the weapons, we tried to combine new designs with old feeling to it. It was a lot of fun, especially with the hand mortar. It's inspired by old hand cannons and new reload systems on today's mortars. Something similar was done with the Gatling gun, which in this form is usually seen mounted on top of a carriage. A lot might change once hands are added, as they will most likely visually block a large part of the weapon. We also paid a lot of attention to the ammunition and tried to come up with different visual styles that fit the purpose each ammo type has.
WEAPONS IMPLEMENTATION
Another iteration of guns was done, but it's not the final one. The main goal was to have functional guns in the game to enhance the gameplay and make the destruction of enemy drillships easier. There is still a lot of work to be done on animations and better visual of the models. Also, the hands are missing. We are very well aware of this and our plan is to hire a professional freelancer to redesign the guns based on today's industry standards. We'll keep you updated on that.
PREVIEW BRANCH
Preview branch was finally updated and anyone interested can check out the work-in-progress version of the upcoming update. There are still many unfinished things, bugs, and placeholders. So please give it a try only if you are interested in seeing what's new and if you want to report bugs/give us feedback. We mentioned this in the previous Developer Update but will repeat it again as the branch was finally updated: to get access to preview branch and all the info about it please join our Discord and join the testers in #role-assignment channel. You will get instant access to the changelog and other info about the build. Few of the beginning quests are already implemented and we fixed the critical issues, so players that would like to test can do so right away.
NEXT STEPS
The quest system has been fully updated and we are now redoing all the quests that were in the game as well as making new ones since there is a lot of new stuff that needs to be covered. Those new weapons and ammo types will need new GUI icons so that's also planned. And that's it for today! If you don't want to miss smaller updates and sneak peeks that we post throughout the week consider following our social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Enjoy the rest of your week!
[ 2019-02-28 20:08:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 9
Based on gameplay testing, players were not motivated to travel around the map and visit different parts of the areas. To make the game more interesting, certain areas now spawn only specific COG drillship types that carry a large amount of components. This together with a random selection of drillships creates interesting scenarios, where players look for drillships and make decisions whether its worth to attack or find some other chance to get the needed items. All drillships carry components, but only the specialized always carry the most. So there should always be a way to move forward.
To give players a chance to discover things on their own, and make tutorial quests less directive, a new type of help screen will be added. Each time player crosses something new, an info page will be available to explain details about a feature, enemy drillship or tip on how to automate specific production tasks. The screen will be available for all difficulties and we hope it will help with uncovering all parts of the game, that were unknown until now.
A lot of work this past week was done in written text and tables, so we dont have too many exciting pictures to show. Still, we would like to share with you the development of the quest tree and quest structure based on difficulty. The tech tree is constantly going through iterations, as we try to find a good balance between building and combat. In the previous game, the player could stay in one spot and keep building without the need to leave the area. Current quest tree is combined from combat and production tasks that go together, uncovering the new gameplay progression.
A lot of players don't like that the tutorial quests tell them everything in such detail. On the following example, you can see how quest complexity will be affected by difficulty settings. Where on hard difficulty some quests won't be visible at all or will tell player only the general information. However, Easy difficulty still covers all steps to complete the quest.
The Volcanoids story "before" and "after" is set already, but there is still a lot of space in between. With the new quests, we are also setting up story anchors, that will work as a foundation for a storyline reflected in quests and connecting them together in a coherent way. For example, the Hard difficulty will get just and only quests connected with the story, while Normal and Easy will still have extra tutorial quests to help out with learning the game mechanics.
We will continue testing and balancing the game build together with the quest line. We're sorry that the Preview branch is not ready yet, but it didn't feel right to release it since so many things changed so rapidly. Once the quests are up to date, the game build will go to the Preview branch. The art assets did not move forward too much. Still, once the system is in place and the game is playable, it will not take long to add in the pretty stuff. Thanks for reading! As always if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below or on our social media. Have a great weekend everyone!
[ 2019-02-21 22:57:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
First round of testing for the new update was done, and we got a lot of valuable feedback from the closed-testing group. The biggest input was, that we need to work more on the quest structure and help screens that would explain all the new features and content. So while a lot of balancing and minor adjustments were made, we started working on a new quest system and many support features. This is also one of the main reasons, why the build was not released on the Preview branch yet. But dont worry, we will get there.
COG DRILLSHIP LOCATIONS
Based on gameplay testing, players were not motivated to travel around the map and visit different parts of the areas. To make the game more interesting, certain areas now spawn only specific COG drillship types that carry a large amount of components. This together with a random selection of drillships creates interesting scenarios, where players look for drillships and make decisions whether its worth to attack or find some other chance to get the needed items. All drillships carry components, but only the specialized always carry the most. So there should always be a way to move forward.
HELP SCREEN
To give players a chance to discover things on their own, and make tutorial quests less directive, a new type of help screen will be added. Each time player crosses something new, an info page will be available to explain details about a feature, enemy drillship or tip on how to automate specific production tasks. The screen will be available for all difficulties and we hope it will help with uncovering all parts of the game, that were unknown until now.
QUESTS AND TUTORIAL ADJUSTMENTS
A lot of work this past week was done in written text and tables, so we dont have too many exciting pictures to show. Still, we would like to share with you the development of the quest tree and quest structure based on difficulty. The tech tree is constantly going through iterations, as we try to find a good balance between building and combat. In the previous game, the player could stay in one spot and keep building without the need to leave the area. Current quest tree is combined from combat and production tasks that go together, uncovering the new gameplay progression.
A lot of players don't like that the tutorial quests tell them everything in such detail. On the following example, you can see how quest complexity will be affected by difficulty settings. Where on hard difficulty some quests won't be visible at all or will tell player only the general information. However, Easy difficulty still covers all steps to complete the quest.
BETTER STORYLINE
The Volcanoids story "before" and "after" is set already, but there is still a lot of space in between. With the new quests, we are also setting up story anchors, that will work as a foundation for a storyline reflected in quests and connecting them together in a coherent way. For example, the Hard difficulty will get just and only quests connected with the story, while Normal and Easy will still have extra tutorial quests to help out with learning the game mechanics.
NEXT STEPS
We will continue testing and balancing the game build together with the quest line. We're sorry that the Preview branch is not ready yet, but it didn't feel right to release it since so many things changed so rapidly. Once the quests are up to date, the game build will go to the Preview branch. The art assets did not move forward too much. Still, once the system is in place and the game is playable, it will not take long to add in the pretty stuff. Thanks for reading! As always if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below or on our social media. Have a great weekend everyone!
[ 2019-02-21 22:57:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 8
First implementation of difficulty levels has been done, and the hard settings brings especially interesting challenges. Players will have to advance on their own and hunt down the first drillship by themselves. This may take some time since the drillship has to be tracked down and the crew must be defeated, all before the eruption happens. So it's possible that the submarine becomes your home base for a little longer than just a few minutes at the start of the game.
While playing on hard, there's no island safe zone (area 1) anymore and COG units (colored cones) can welcome you right when you step foot on the island.
Each area has now randomly selected COG drillships that are specialized in a certain field. You can distinguish the types based on logo markers and COG units running in the area. Each type has its items and technology players can get to upgrade their own drillship. Player's progression will often depend on what kind of enemy drillship spawns nearby and how much exploration the player does to get the needed tech.
Every new game and after each eruption, a variety of COG drillships surface on different landing sites. The picture below shows the same area once occupied by Research, Military and Refinery units, while next time it is mainly populated by Production units. The cones with different colors mark positions of COG units, while the cylinder marks a surfaced drillship.
To give you a better idea of how the tech tree progress, see the following concept showing progression from the beginning to the late game. There are now multiple ways of how to obtain upgrades and intel components. You can either search scraps on the island surface, attack patrolling COG units or directly attack a COG drillship. Some strategies can get you forward faster than others. We are still working with a lot of placeholder items and visuals tho. Right now it is all about setting the technical part of the game.
The same concept applies to all the Island areas, and each COG drillship carries new items and units. Players will have to seek and attack drillships that contain items that they need to move further on the map. Especially the movement upgrades now play an important role, as they can be produced only after obtaining damaged parts from COG drillships.
From now on, players will have to hunt down and completely destroy COG drillships to get the essential upgrade parts. These parts are crucial for upgrading the player drillship and advance towards new island areas. It is important to note, that only some drillships have the required upgrades. Players will have to inspect the drillship first, before taking the time and destroying it completely.
We will keep testing, bug fixing and balancing the current build. We still need to do the art assets, and also the whole tutorial quest line needs to be updated. Once the build is stable, we will make the test build available for further testing in the preview branch, available to anyone that owns the game. If you are interested and want to be notified once the preview branch is ready, join our Discord and join testers in the #role-assignment channel. You will get access to change logs and other info about the build. Please keep in mind that it can still contain bugs and placeholder objects, so please join only if you want to help us find bugs and polish the build before it goes public. Thanks for reading! As always if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas drop them on our social media or in the comments below.
[ 2019-02-14 23:30:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
The work on 1.17 is progressing and we will soon start testing a functional build with the Volcanoids closed-testing group. Almost all parts of the game reflect the new progression and research system. There were a lot of changes and adjustments to improve the gameplay. It should bring more unique moments and wider decision making based on available options at specific moments.
DIFFICULTY LEVELS
First implementation of difficulty levels has been done, and the hard settings brings especially interesting challenges. Players will have to advance on their own and hunt down the first drillship by themselves. This may take some time since the drillship has to be tracked down and the crew must be defeated, all before the eruption happens. So it's possible that the submarine becomes your home base for a little longer than just a few minutes at the start of the game.
While playing on hard, there's no island safe zone (area 1) anymore and COG units (colored cones) can welcome you right when you step foot on the island.
SPECIALIZED ENEMY DRILLSHIPS
Each area has now randomly selected COG drillships that are specialized in a certain field. You can distinguish the types based on logo markers and COG units running in the area. Each type has its items and technology players can get to upgrade their own drillship. Player's progression will often depend on what kind of enemy drillship spawns nearby and how much exploration the player does to get the needed tech.
Every new game and after each eruption, a variety of COG drillships surface on different landing sites. The picture below shows the same area once occupied by Research, Military and Refinery units, while next time it is mainly populated by Production units. The cones with different colors mark positions of COG units, while the cylinder marks a surfaced drillship.
TECH TREES
To give you a better idea of how the tech tree progress, see the following concept showing progression from the beginning to the late game. There are now multiple ways of how to obtain upgrades and intel components. You can either search scraps on the island surface, attack patrolling COG units or directly attack a COG drillship. Some strategies can get you forward faster than others. We are still working with a lot of placeholder items and visuals tho. Right now it is all about setting the technical part of the game.
The same concept applies to all the Island areas, and each COG drillship carries new items and units. Players will have to seek and attack drillships that contain items that they need to move further on the map. Especially the movement upgrades now play an important role, as they can be produced only after obtaining damaged parts from COG drillships.
DESTROYED DRILLSHIPS
From now on, players will have to hunt down and completely destroy COG drillships to get the essential upgrade parts. These parts are crucial for upgrading the player drillship and advance towards new island areas. It is important to note, that only some drillships have the required upgrades. Players will have to inspect the drillship first, before taking the time and destroying it completely.
NEXT STEPS
We will keep testing, bug fixing and balancing the current build. We still need to do the art assets, and also the whole tutorial quest line needs to be updated. Once the build is stable, we will make the test build available for further testing in the preview branch, available to anyone that owns the game. If you are interested and want to be notified once the preview branch is ready, join our Discord and join testers in the #role-assignment channel. You will get access to change logs and other info about the build. Please keep in mind that it can still contain bugs and placeholder objects, so please join only if you want to help us find bugs and polish the build before it goes public. Thanks for reading! As always if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas drop them on our social media or in the comments below.
[ 2019-02-14 23:30:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 7
A lot of players asked for more weapons and improved combat. Gatling gun and revolver with multiple ammunition types are being implemented, but they're still waiting for their final models. Testing is a lot of fun, especially when attacking a COG drillship with the Gatling Gun, shredding the entire crew and modules to pieces. https://youtu.be/map3ZZ0JSRM
Apart from new guns, NPCs will also get an upgrade in form of new COG variations for each type. Until now colors defined the difficulty level, but in the upcoming update, each color will suggest a specialization. Each COG will have its attributes such as speed, damage but also specialized abilities such as spotting player at longer distances. This ability makes the green research COG a priority target to make sure other units dont notice the player too early. Each specialization will have tiers, that will be deployed all over the island. The shown pictures are raw concepts to find shapes and visual differences. Once we test them in game, proper texturing and modeling will be added.
COG drillships will also get a lot of new features and will play a more important role in player's progress. Drillships will be specialized for a certain task, such as mining, refinement, research or simply guarding an area. Each ship type will have its loot, crew, and symbol so that players can easily tell what type of drillship just surfaced in front of them. Together with that, some item recipes will be adjusted, and players will have to destroy COG drillships to get the necessary components for upgrading their own drillship.
On the pictures below you can see icons for damaged movement upgrade components you'll be able to loot from destroyed enemy drillships.
And to mention some of the smaller features, drillship movement upgrades will have an actual effect on the drillship attributes. Hull upgrades will grant bonus armor to all modules, while tracks upgrades will make the drillship faster both underground and on the surface.
More features are being implemented, but there is not much to show yet. Will keep you updated about the development in upcoming developer updates and on our social media. Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.
[ 2019-02-07 22:24:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone, welcome to another Developer Update! As always here's what we've been working on for the past week.
Game design for the upcoming update is completed, and we've started with implementations. Majority of things you will see is a work in progress and there are a lot of placeholders. Every time a new feature is being added, we do multiple iteration rounds to make sure everything works well, and only then we do the final visuals and polishing.
NEW WEAPONS
A lot of players asked for more weapons and improved combat. Gatling gun and revolver with multiple ammunition types are being implemented, but they're still waiting for their final models. Testing is a lot of fun, especially when attacking a COG drillship with the Gatling Gun, shredding the entire crew and modules to pieces. https://youtu.be/map3ZZ0JSRM
NPCs
Apart from new guns, NPCs will also get an upgrade in form of new COG variations for each type. Until now colors defined the difficulty level, but in the upcoming update, each color will suggest a specialization. Each COG will have its attributes such as speed, damage but also specialized abilities such as spotting player at longer distances. This ability makes the green research COG a priority target to make sure other units dont notice the player too early. Each specialization will have tiers, that will be deployed all over the island. The shown pictures are raw concepts to find shapes and visual differences. Once we test them in game, proper texturing and modeling will be added.
ENEMY DRILLSHIPS
COG drillships will also get a lot of new features and will play a more important role in player's progress. Drillships will be specialized for a certain task, such as mining, refinement, research or simply guarding an area. Each ship type will have its loot, crew, and symbol so that players can easily tell what type of drillship just surfaced in front of them. Together with that, some item recipes will be adjusted, and players will have to destroy COG drillships to get the necessary components for upgrading their own drillship.
On the pictures below you can see icons for damaged movement upgrade components you'll be able to loot from destroyed enemy drillships.
DRILLSHIP UPGRADES
And to mention some of the smaller features, drillship movement upgrades will have an actual effect on the drillship attributes. Hull upgrades will grant bonus armor to all modules, while tracks upgrades will make the drillship faster both underground and on the surface.
More features are being implemented, but there is not much to show yet. Will keep you updated about the development in upcoming developer updates and on our social media. Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.
[ 2019-02-07 22:24:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
Current Development Plan
Main focus will be on improving gameplay outside the drillship. More weapons, difficulty scenarios and improving progression through research and gaining new technology. Smaller adjustments are also planned, such as making the eruption time longer, adding actual meaning to the drillship upgrades (speed, armor) and more.
The difficulty scenarios should ensure that players that are new to the game get all the important information from the captain, while those already familiar with the game, go into the world on their own armed with only the skill and knowledge. That will come handy especially when hunting down your first drillship, no longer served by the captain. Based on the feedback, the tutorial quests will be adjusted for the easy scenario in a way that players can access them through the radio but are not bothered if they want to progress on their own. If players get lost at any point, the captain will be there to help. The tutorial quests will update with players progress, so it should be easy to get back on track.
We will do our best to deliver the mentioned features and changes in the next update. The exact date is not set, but it should be ready in several weeks. Will keep you informed about the progress in weekly Developer updates, posted every Thursday here on Steam. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
[ 2019-02-04 21:44:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's almost a week since the game entered Early Access on Steam, and we would like to thank everyone for supporting the game. There is still a long way ahead, and a lot to add, but we are off to a good start.
We went through all the Steam discussions and read the positive and negative reviews. Thank you all for taking the time to write the feedback, it helped a lot to get a picture of what to focus at in the upcoming month.
MAIN FOCUS
Main focus will be on improving gameplay outside the drillship. More weapons, difficulty scenarios and improving progression through research and gaining new technology. Smaller adjustments are also planned, such as making the eruption time longer, adding actual meaning to the drillship upgrades (speed, armor) and more.
DIFFICULTY AND TUTORIAL QUEST SYSTEM
The difficulty scenarios should ensure that players that are new to the game get all the important information from the captain, while those already familiar with the game, go into the world on their own armed with only the skill and knowledge. That will come handy especially when hunting down your first drillship, no longer served by the captain. Based on the feedback, the tutorial quests will be adjusted for the easy scenario in a way that players can access them through the radio but are not bothered if they want to progress on their own. If players get lost at any point, the captain will be there to help. The tutorial quests will update with players progress, so it should be easy to get back on track.
WEEKLY DEVELOPER UPDATES
We will do our best to deliver the mentioned features and changes in the next update. The exact date is not set, but it should be ready in several weeks. Will keep you informed about the progress in weekly Developer updates, posted every Thursday here on Steam. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
[ 2019-02-04 21:44:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
EA Hotfix Update 1.16
[ 2019-01-31 20:40:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
First things first, thank you for the support during the Early Access launch! It means the world to us to see that you're digging the game!
We got a ton of reports from you guys and we're doing our best to go through all of them. Thanks a lot and definitely continue sending them through the "Send Feedback" menu or posting them in the bug report section in discussions.
Today's update is a smaller one containing mainly fixes. In case you load your game and your quest is messed up, simply abandon the quest in the quest menu (press L) and get it again from Cap.
Screenshot in header by:
CHANGED
- Quest: The first quest to craft door module as well (to ensure players won't block themselves in drillship)
- Quest: Moved turret quest after the Add segment quest (to ensure players have a free slot)
- Quest: Disabled scrap metal quest
- Quest: Contact captain quest won't show when the game finished
- HUD notification "Inventory full" now contains info about the trash icon in inventory
- HUD notification "Storage full" now contains info about the trash icon in inventory
- HUD notification "Landing site occupied" now contains info to pull the blue lever (players kept pulling the green, that did not solve the issue)
- Radio device has more HP now
- Door has sound on open and close
- Refresh rate in options now shows correct refresh rate
FIXED
- Issues with joystick inputs (player should no longer randomly move in one direction)
- Submarine ladder stuck issue
- Light orb spawned after killing a COG
- Drillship call no longer sends drillship out of a lava cave
- Player getting killed underground by eruption blast
- Multiple typos in texts
- Issue with placing production module
- Main menu background video is now working on Linux
- Main menu background video recompressed to reduce lagging
- Achievement: Kill COGs
- Achievement: Full extender
- Achievement: Multitasking
- Core upgrade no longer destroys after placing to Core stats instead to the Core on the wall
- Items in submarine and player drillship (had wrong stacks and caused issues)
[ 2019-01-31 20:40:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
OUT NOW!
[ 2019-01-29 17:01:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
After more than a year in development, Volcanoids is finally out on Steam!
https://youtu.be/DzvX6ChThSg
Our team would like to give the biggest thank you to everyone who played the game, gave us feedback and motivated us during development. Your support has been truly amazing!
We're excited to continue the development and with your help, turn Volcanoids into a great game.
Hope you have an absolute blast playing it and consider leaving a Steam review!
[ 2019-01-29 17:01:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
Preparations for Early Access Launch
[ 2019-01-28 20:39:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
We're excited to announce that Volcanoids will be hitting Steam Early Access tomorrow, January 29th, 2019! The price is going to be 19.99$
Big thanks goes out to our amazing community for being a huge part of the development and helping us shape the game into what it is now.
All Alpha keys are going to be revoked tomorrow at 3 PM CET. Anyone that received the EA key won't be affected. If you own both, just active the EA key once the Alpha gets disabled.
Here's a list of the final fixes and changes that we did based on feedback from our amazing tester group!
CHANGES
- You can now reactivate sprint at 50% instead of 75%
- All CoalPower top module tiers now take only 5 core slots
- Added info to EngineUpgrade (supports up to 2 drillship segments)
- Placed window module to higher tech tier (UpgradeBasicProduction needed)
- Improved speed of worktable
BUG FIXES
- Fixed all periscope sights in caves
- Fixed laser drillship hud marker in cave 2
- No more flying drillships approaching landing sites on high hills
- No flying COGs anymore
- Fixed ladder stuck
- Fixed player falling in void when entering LS 1 fixed
- Fixed player locked in spectator after death
- Fixed when the player calls drillship it lands on closest possible LS (won't get stuck anymore)
- Cog drillships no longer carry player custom logos if modded
- Fixed tree in drillship on landing site 25
- Fixed hud marker icons showing up everywhere
- Corrected hud markers on Volcano crane
- Fixed bad stone in volcano cave
- Fixed issue with module repair quest not triggering
- Fixed quest: Install ship engine 3
- Fixed quest: Research
- Fixed quest: Scrap station
- Fixed quest: No Coal in drillship
- Fixed slug and medkit stacking
- Fixed broken voiceover in the outro
- Fixed tree in stone at landing site 2
- Fixed repair of modules to 100%
[ 2019-01-28 20:39:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
Alpha Update 1.14
From now on if you start a new game/finish one the story will be presented to you with concept art, subtitles and a voiceover from The Captain himself.
Based on your requests we added more options in the settings menu.
You will be able to scrap up to 95% of items that you find, so grab all the loot you can!
Appear when the item can't be produced for some reason. Red = module not opened Yellow = missing resources
Changes based on how far the object you're aiming at is. If the object is in your shooting range the cross will appear + when you hit something (and deal damage) the color will change.
[ 2019-01-24 21:22:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Final content update before the Early Access release is here! So we're calling on all our Alpha testers, don't go easy on this one! From now on we'll be only polishing and fixing the current features. New content update will come after the launch.
For optimal results with this update, we recommend starting a new game instead of using old saves.
Here are few of the features with some visuals followed by a complete list of all the changes.
STORY INTRO/OUTRO
From now on if you start a new game/finish one the story will be presented to you with concept art, subtitles and a voiceover from The Captain himself.
ADVANCED OPTIONS IN SETTINGS
Based on your requests we added more options in the settings menu.
NEW SCRAP STATION BLUEPRINTS
You will be able to scrap up to 95% of items that you find, so grab all the loot you can!
NEW ITEM OVERLAYS
Appear when the item can't be produced for some reason. Red = module not opened Yellow = missing resources
IMPROVED CROSSHAIR
Changes based on how far the object you're aiming at is. If the object is in your shooting range the cross will appear + when you hit something (and deal damage) the color will change.
NEW FEATURES
- Intro and Outro with pictures, subtitles, and voiceovers
- Advanced video options giving player higher control over game's visuals
- Advanced game options giving player higher control over game's controls
- New recipes for the Scrap Station
- Ability to send drillship underground by holding G
- Localization support for quests
- New item overlay in stations when the item can't be produced
- Crosshair distance recognition and hit check
- Option to disable headbob
- Submarine doors
- First implementation of Achievements
CHANGES
- Modules can be now opened and closed in interior only by clicking the light and icon panel
- Starter drillship now has a crew of COGs that player has to fight before he claims it
- Island map has a new player and drillship icon + shows quest objectives
- Quest order has changed by moving the "Add segment" quest before going to first lava source
- Turret ammo now stacks by 5
- Lowered the amount of items looted from dead COGs
- Door window module now contains only door options, window module has now its own item
- Added message to drillship cinematics to inform player it can be skipped
- Updated credits with listed community members active in the development and community management
- The file name of the company was changed from DefaultCompany to Volcanoid which also changed the save file
BUG FIXES
- Caves no longer block long 4 segment drillships in caves
- New quest structure that improves the stability (quests line is less fragile)
- Fixed "Repair module" quest (was not possible to finish)
- Turrets on Laser drillships in caves 2-3 + Volcano cave shoot at the player
- If drillship gets destroyed before the player claims it, the player gets the quest again (before he'd get stuck)
- Stairs in submarine fixed (at some angles, you could not walk up)
- Submarine ladder fixed + added hatch (was hard to climb down)
- Volcano lava effect lowers intensity as the fog disappears (was too bright before)
- Modules no longer repair on reload
- Modules correctly show damage particle effect after reload
- Player now gets "properly" killed if dying inside a drillship hit by the eruption (player got stuck in strange spectator on death)
- Exploding drillship will kill the player if standing inside
- Closed modules no longer lower the repair speed (the armor of module was applied at repair as well)
- Objects do not pop on lower settings anymore (on low settings game objects would disappear too close to the player)
- COG drillships can now be claimed by placing Core upgrade to the Core on the wall
- Autosave should no longer save when the player is dead (it often happened autosave would override with the player already dead)
- Eruption effect no longer blocks after the 3rd eruption
OPTIMIZATIONS
- Optimized majority of drillship modules
- Optimized hull of the drillship
- Optimized visibility of underground objects such as caves and other structures
[ 2019-01-24 21:22:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 6
Intro and outro storylines are being finally added to the game, to explain where players are coming from and why they are doing what they are doing. Pictures with Captain voiceovers explain the history of island and mission of the submarine crew that just landed at the shores of the island. We won't talk about the outro too much :) so that you can enjoy it once reaching the end and silencing the volcano.
As the time for official release gets closer, the credits screen got updated with names of active members of the Voclanoids Discord server. Moderators, closed-testing group, and localization creators will be listed in the credits as the gratitude of their hard work and commitment to the game. We are still adding names, so if you don't see your self there don't worry. Also, we would like to thank everyone who sent bug reports or reported an issue with the game. We are going through them now and doing our best to fix it. Reports from you help us to make the game better, and with your help, many things get fixed faster as we get valuable data about how the issue happens.
Many people will be very excited about expanded options window, allowing them to adjust video settings to increase performance, but also things like Mouse flip Y-axis and so on. We hope this addition will make the game more enjoyable for those that had issues with low FPS.
The starter drillship that players need to claim at the beginning of the game, now has it's own crew that you have to fight before taking control. This gives us to change to introduce the COGs early in the game and bring at least a little bit of combat right at the start. From now on, it will also be possible to claim COG drillships. So if you find one that you like more than your own, feel free to claim it. Keep in mind that you lose ownership of the previous drillship, so pack all your valuable items in advance, or park closes so that carrying items from ship to ship is fast.
Modules and production stations also got some tweaks and improvements. Many players (including us), had issues with accidentally closing modules when inside the drillship. Now the modules can be opened only if the player clicks the small panel with light and module icon. The rest of the module case does not react. There is no change about opening/closing modules from outside. For production stations, new icon overlay was added when the item can't be produced because of no available module or missing materials.
Scrap station also got tons of new blueprints, allowing the player to recycle the majority of items into one base material. This comes handy after the last update, where COGs have tons of loot and players have no chance to get material even from items they don't need. Or it is possible just to scrap all old modules as the drillship gets better over time and T1 modules are not needed anymore. It can also come handy if you need one more grenade to blow up the Laser drillship but have no materials for it. Just deconstruct and scrap a device, and you can are good to go.
Many more smaller features are being implemented as well. Such as improvement of the drillship "orders" allowing players to call drillship to new landing sites (press + hold G). In 1.14 you also get chance to just tell the drillship to go underground, in cases where you need to focus on attacking the enemy and don't have time to run back to the drillship every single time a COG walks by.
Next to that island map got some new icons for player and drillship, but most importantly now also shows quest objectives and where they are. This will greatly help when planning the next destination for your drillship.
And that's it, thanks for reading! For more sneak peeks and updates consider following us on these platforms: Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids If you haven't signed up for the Volcanoids Alpha yet, you can do so here: https://mailchi.mp/volcanoids.com/alpha-signup
[ 2019-01-17 23:03:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Update 1.14 is still in the making, and all focus goes towards polishing the game before being released in Early Access. So here's a summary of all the new features and changes that we've been working on.
STORY
Intro and outro storylines are being finally added to the game, to explain where players are coming from and why they are doing what they are doing. Pictures with Captain voiceovers explain the history of island and mission of the submarine crew that just landed at the shores of the island. We won't talk about the outro too much :) so that you can enjoy it once reaching the end and silencing the volcano.
CREDITS
As the time for official release gets closer, the credits screen got updated with names of active members of the Voclanoids Discord server. Moderators, closed-testing group, and localization creators will be listed in the credits as the gratitude of their hard work and commitment to the game. We are still adding names, so if you don't see your self there don't worry. Also, we would like to thank everyone who sent bug reports or reported an issue with the game. We are going through them now and doing our best to fix it. Reports from you help us to make the game better, and with your help, many things get fixed faster as we get valuable data about how the issue happens.
IMPROVED OPTIONS MENU
Many people will be very excited about expanded options window, allowing them to adjust video settings to increase performance, but also things like Mouse flip Y-axis and so on. We hope this addition will make the game more enjoyable for those that had issues with low FPS.
CLAIMING YOUR FIRST DRILLSHIP
The starter drillship that players need to claim at the beginning of the game, now has it's own crew that you have to fight before taking control. This gives us to change to introduce the COGs early in the game and bring at least a little bit of combat right at the start. From now on, it will also be possible to claim COG drillships. So if you find one that you like more than your own, feel free to claim it. Keep in mind that you lose ownership of the previous drillship, so pack all your valuable items in advance, or park closes so that carrying items from ship to ship is fast.
MODULE IMPROVEMENTS
Modules and production stations also got some tweaks and improvements. Many players (including us), had issues with accidentally closing modules when inside the drillship. Now the modules can be opened only if the player clicks the small panel with light and module icon. The rest of the module case does not react. There is no change about opening/closing modules from outside. For production stations, new icon overlay was added when the item can't be produced because of no available module or missing materials.
SCRAP STATIONS
Scrap station also got tons of new blueprints, allowing the player to recycle the majority of items into one base material. This comes handy after the last update, where COGs have tons of loot and players have no chance to get material even from items they don't need. Or it is possible just to scrap all old modules as the drillship gets better over time and T1 modules are not needed anymore. It can also come handy if you need one more grenade to blow up the Laser drillship but have no materials for it. Just deconstruct and scrap a device, and you can are good to go.
SMALLER FEATURES
Many more smaller features are being implemented as well. Such as improvement of the drillship "orders" allowing players to call drillship to new landing sites (press + hold G). In 1.14 you also get chance to just tell the drillship to go underground, in cases where you need to focus on attacking the enemy and don't have time to run back to the drillship every single time a COG walks by.
Next to that island map got some new icons for player and drillship, but most importantly now also shows quest objectives and where they are. This will greatly help when planning the next destination for your drillship.
And that's it, thanks for reading! For more sneak peeks and updates consider following us on these platforms: Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids If you haven't signed up for the Volcanoids Alpha yet, you can do so here: https://mailchi.mp/volcanoids.com/alpha-signup
[ 2019-01-17 23:03:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Alpha Update 1.13
No more "press E and run". Now it's the real deal as you'll have to destroy all the modules located on the pillars to bring the whole thing down. Won't be easy as COGs are protecting it and some might have turrets on them as well.
Will come in handy, especially when trying to bring down one of the laser devices. Also great for taking out large groups of COGs or their drillships with turrets (as you can see in the screenshot below).
[ 2019-01-10 22:26:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! One of the final updates for the closed Alpha is here! Lots of new exciting features have been added and for the first time, there's Linux support as well!
LASER STRUCTURES
No more "press E and run". Now it's the real deal as you'll have to destroy all the modules located on the pillars to bring the whole thing down. Won't be easy as COGs are protecting it and some might have turrets on them as well.
GRENADES
Will come in handy, especially when trying to bring down one of the laser devices. Also great for taking out large groups of COGs or their drillships with turrets (as you can see in the screenshot below).
NEW FEATURES
- Laser Structures - player now has to destroy laser structures in each cave in order to win the game
- Grenade that player can use against COGs and their drillships
- COGs now have random loot, a large variety of items can drop
- Linux support!
- Real-time player map - players can now see where they are and where the drillship is located (to open map press M)
- 2 new types of shotgun ammunition, switch by pressing the middle mouse button
- Drillship safety features, player can no longer lose ship by sending it underground, press G to call it back to surface, also you can call drillship to your current location by pressing G as well (drillship will land on the closest landing site to you)
- Drillship Emergency Handles - If players get to a situation where they are stuck, and can not move the drillship (devices lost, no material etc.), they can pull the emergency handles that will send the drillship to the landing site closest to submarine, player, can this way repair their drillship and continue further
- Warning: Online cargo is full (works same as Energy or Landing site occupied)
- Closed modules now have armor, applies only to modules that can be closed and opened
- New visual of lava and smoke particle effects in lava pools, volcano, lava sources
CHANGES
- Repair kit has only one stack, to balance it lasts longer
- Video tutorial screen in the main menu has been disabled
- COG NPC navigation, COG now do better patrols and should less get blocked by an obstacle
- Increased number of COG units on the map
- Drillships now bring more COG units in one turn (before they had to go 3x times to bring all up)
- Quests - updated to reflect the Cave Laser drillships, Turret quest, Preparation to fight quest
- Quests - adjusted to warn player eruption is coming, but not blocking players progress until only 40 sec left to eruption (was 2 min before)
- Overall Cave visuals
- Modules now have detailed info about their stats in the production menu
- Shotgun reload and shooting is faster
- A different sound of the eruption
- Sulfur powder now stacks 10 and is faster to produce
BUG FIXES
- Lava not killing the player
- Random death screams no longer happen
- COG bodies were not removed by eruption blast
[ 2019-01-10 22:26:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 5
In the upcoming update, there are going be many new features improving combat and the overall need to fight more than ever before. The biggest change is that you will actually have to destroy the cave structures. No more pressing E and running before the COGs notice you.
Together with this, you will get access to some simple explosives (veeery raw and OP prototype on GIF below), that can be thrown on drillship modules or COGs. This should make the destruction of COG drillships, annoying turrets, and the cave structures.
Next to that, the shotgun will get two new ammo types that will allow the player to upgrade firepower while moving through the areas.
A lot of people will also enjoy the new armor feature, that adds armor to all modules that are closed. This means that you can better prepare for incoming attacks by closing all production modules, increasing their chances of survival.
Another big improvement was done on COG character navigation. The new system is very well optimized which allows us to add more COG units to the map. Also their ability to get to places, and chase you increased a lot as well. They should not get stuck around obstacles as easily as before.
Red and green shapes represent COGs and purple shapes represent enemy drillships.
Other smaller features that were added include: emergency levers (in case you get stuck in a cave or something), warning when online cargo gets full, random loot dropping from COGs and more.
Thanks for reading! For more sneak peeks and updates consider following us on these platforms: Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids If you haven't signed up for the Volcanoids Alpha yet, you can do so here: https://mailchi.mp/volcanoids.com/alpha-signup
[ 2019-01-03 20:40:30 CET ] [ Original post ]
What's up, everyone! Here's another Developer Update covering improvements on combat, NPC navigation, and cave structures. We also show a couple new features such as explosives, module armor and more.
COMBAT
In the upcoming update, there are going be many new features improving combat and the overall need to fight more than ever before. The biggest change is that you will actually have to destroy the cave structures. No more pressing E and running before the COGs notice you.
Together with this, you will get access to some simple explosives (veeery raw and OP prototype on GIF below), that can be thrown on drillship modules or COGs. This should make the destruction of COG drillships, annoying turrets, and the cave structures.
Next to that, the shotgun will get two new ammo types that will allow the player to upgrade firepower while moving through the areas.
MODULE ARMOR
A lot of people will also enjoy the new armor feature, that adds armor to all modules that are closed. This means that you can better prepare for incoming attacks by closing all production modules, increasing their chances of survival.
NPC NAVIGATION
Another big improvement was done on COG character navigation. The new system is very well optimized which allows us to add more COG units to the map. Also their ability to get to places, and chase you increased a lot as well. They should not get stuck around obstacles as easily as before.
Red and green shapes represent COGs and purple shapes represent enemy drillships.
OTHER SMALLER FEATURES
Other smaller features that were added include: emergency levers (in case you get stuck in a cave or something), warning when online cargo gets full, random loot dropping from COGs and more.
Thanks for reading! For more sneak peeks and updates consider following us on these platforms: Discord: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volcanoids/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/volcanoids If you haven't signed up for the Volcanoids Alpha yet, you can do so here: https://mailchi.mp/volcanoids.com/alpha-signup
[ 2019-01-03 20:40:30 CET ] [ Original post ]
Alpha Update 1.12
A lot of time was focused on COG navigation on the surface and correct deployment of units to locations. This requires a lot of test runs to find all possible choke points and issues where COGs would get stuck and never reached their location.
Apart from fixing, we also made some adjustments. Such as increased shotgun damage for the player, increased production speed in worktable and added starter items to submarine and starter drillship. So make sure to check all the chests before going out from submarine.
For those that are interested in bug hunting, there is a new type of challenge for reward. Check the bug trello board and see the second column called "Bug Bounties". These are bugs we know about, but can't fix them as we don't know when and how they get into the game. Anyone that tells us the exact steps to trigger at least 3 of the bugs listed there, will receive a key to the full game.
[ 2018-12-20 22:30:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
This week was in the name of bug fixing. We basically spent all the time going through bugs you guys reported and did our best to fix them. Some were easier than others, some are still in the game.
We originally planned to give you the hotfix update as soon as possible, but it turned out into a full week of fixing as new and new issues were popping up. That is why instead of hotfix update, there is now 1.12. Update released today. We are sorry for this and will do our best to have a better management system to give you the most important fixes sooner (especially those that kill the player for no reason).
Thank you for sending us all those bug reports, it helped us tremendously!
NPC NAVIGATION
A lot of time was focused on COG navigation on the surface and correct deployment of units to locations. This requires a lot of test runs to find all possible choke points and issues where COGs would get stuck and never reached their location.
GENERAL ADJUSTMENTS
Apart from fixing, we also made some adjustments. Such as increased shotgun damage for the player, increased production speed in worktable and added starter items to submarine and starter drillship. So make sure to check all the chests before going out from submarine.
BUG BOUNTIES
For those that are interested in bug hunting, there is a new type of challenge for reward. Check the bug trello board and see the second column called "Bug Bounties". These are bugs we know about, but can't fix them as we don't know when and how they get into the game. Anyone that tells us the exact steps to trigger at least 3 of the bugs listed there, will receive a key to the full game.
CHANGES
- despawn of COG units and drillships when the player enters another area
- improved COG guard locations, attacks and defense groups
- turret has a different sound and range adjustments
- faster worktable production
- increased player shotgun damage
- submarine and starter drillship has items in chests
BUG FIXES
- player no longer gets killed when standing in the tunnel between segments
- player no longer collides with a COG drillship when underground
- player no longer falls through the ground after loading the game
- improved COG navigation on the map and inside drillships
- COG drillships no longer become idle after a reload
- turret module no longer shoots player inside drillship
- player can no longer deconstruct modules and interior devices from enemy drillships
- enemy drillship does not go underground if player inside, instead it waits until player leaves
- player can no longer use COG drillship control panel to set a destination
- "send feedback" no longer fails if log files that are too large
- dead bodies of COGs no longer play sound after reload
[ 2018-12-20 22:30:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
Alpha Update 1.11
[ 2018-12-14 21:46:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
The long-awaited update for the Alpha is here! New features include turret modules, enemy drillships with crews, drillship destruction, ability to break COGs to pieces and more!
For an in-depth explanation of the bigger features check out Developer Update 4
NEW FEATURES
- Added the turret module
- Added COG drillships that drop off COGs on specific locations
- Added destruction of COG and player drillships
- Added notifications about the landing site availability
- Added lever animation to the target selector
- Added Santa hats (only red COGs have them)
- Increased inaccuracy when COGs shoot
- Added ability to break COGs to pieces
- Added option to turn off HUD in settings
CHANGES
- COGs no longer directly spawn in locations
- Player can now strafe while sprinting
- Player's stamina lasts longer and recovers faster
- Help screen has been updated
- New font used on all the remaining text
- Send feedback menu improved
- Drillship movement kills both player and COGs
BUG FIXES
- Player no longer gets stuck on a ladder if the ladder gets removed
- All drillship sounds should now be 3D and should play correctly based on distance from the player
- Hull integrity should now reach 100% if all modules fixed
- Fast mining no longer possible, sorry Hab :(
[ 2018-12-14 21:46:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 4
Ondrej focuses on all sorts of ways you can dismantle COG units. So shooting them with a shotgun won't be the last thing you can do to take them out. The pickaxe can be now used to break apart disabled robots to pieces and last hit that kills a COG will break apart the part that has been shot (leg, arm, etc.). This feature had to be implemented to ensure you won't get stuck in corridors if COGs board your drillship and you have to fight them inside while underground.
Drillships now kill anything that steps in their way when moving. This includes the heavy side wings that will squish anything standing too close. COGs better check twice before crossing any landing sites now!
The fleet of COG drillships is finally finished and assigned to locations. Every area and travel node will have specific COG drillships guarding the place. Each ship has different interior setup, modules, and loot.
You can see the map notes marking all locations COGs will be guarding. Each area is assigned to specific travel node, and if COG drillship surfaces there, enemy units will make their way to the location and guard it.
Ondrej also started working on localization, that will allow translation of the game to different languages. The system is still under construction, but you can already see how it's going to work.
Anyone that will wish to do a translation, will download a file that can be translated. To test the translation, anyone will be able to place this file to their Volcanoids game and see right away how the text looks. Once the file is finished, you can send it to us and we will add it to the game for future builds + giving you credits for translation.
The cave device finally got all the particles and is ready for implementation when update 1.12 takes place
All the main features are done for the 1.11 update and we have to do a lot of testing to ensure all runs well. We won't be waiting till next Thursday, but as soon as the build is stable, we'll do an announcement and the new build will be released on Steam. Summary of what will be added
[ 2018-12-06 22:02:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello everyone! This week we'll cover new ways to dismantle COGs, cave devices with effects, drillships roadkills, localization and more!
COG DEATH
Ondrej focuses on all sorts of ways you can dismantle COG units. So shooting them with a shotgun won't be the last thing you can do to take them out. The pickaxe can be now used to break apart disabled robots to pieces and last hit that kills a COG will break apart the part that has been shot (leg, arm, etc.). This feature had to be implemented to ensure you won't get stuck in corridors if COGs board your drillship and you have to fight them inside while underground.
DRILLSHIP ROADKILL
Drillships now kill anything that steps in their way when moving. This includes the heavy side wings that will squish anything standing too close. COGs better check twice before crossing any landing sites now!
FLEET OF COG DRILLSHIPS
The fleet of COG drillships is finally finished and assigned to locations. Every area and travel node will have specific COG drillships guarding the place. Each ship has different interior setup, modules, and loot.
You can see the map notes marking all locations COGs will be guarding. Each area is assigned to specific travel node, and if COG drillship surfaces there, enemy units will make their way to the location and guard it.
LOCALIZATION
Ondrej also started working on localization, that will allow translation of the game to different languages. The system is still under construction, but you can already see how it's going to work.
Anyone that will wish to do a translation, will download a file that can be translated. To test the translation, anyone will be able to place this file to their Volcanoids game and see right away how the text looks. Once the file is finished, you can send it to us and we will add it to the game for future builds + giving you credits for translation.
CAVE DEVICE PARTICLES
The cave device finally got all the particles and is ready for implementation when update 1.12 takes place
FUTURE PLANS
All the main features are done for the 1.11 update and we have to do a lot of testing to ensure all runs well. We won't be waiting till next Thursday, but as soon as the build is stable, we'll do an announcement and the new build will be released on Steam. Summary of what will be added
- Turret module
- Enemy drillships
- Drillship destruction
- Enemy drillship crew (new COG behavior
[ 2018-12-06 22:02:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 3
Enemy drillship will now be surfacing all over the island so you will have to be more careful when crossing the map.
COG units won't spawn directly in villages and close to lava pools anymore. Instead, they will come from the surfaced Drillships and walk to their assigned location.
Works as expected. Defends drillship from enemy units attacking it. Be warned tho, as the same turret will be guarding COG drillships as well!
These past 2 weeks players could submit screenshots from the Alpha to participate in the community screenshot contest. Big thanks to everyone that participated and here are our top 3 picks: "Drillship" by Mustaro
"End of my life" by Piterkooo
"Caught red handed" by The Politest of Cats
We'll get in touch with the winners and hand out prizes. If you'd like to participate in the Volcanoids Alpha, you can sign up on our website: https://www.volcanoids.com/ To keep up with all the latest news, contests and sneak peeks consider joining our Discord server: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Thanks for reading and see you next Thursday!
[ 2018-11-29 20:37:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Here's another Developer Update covering enemy drillships, wrecked drillships, turret modules, screenshot contest and more.
ENEMY DRILLSHIPS
Enemy drillship will now be surfacing all over the island so you will have to be more careful when crossing the map.
- Each drillship will have its devices and COGs that will guard it
- You will be able to attack the drillships for loot and even destroy them completely
- If enemy drillship is on a specific landing site, it blocks the point and you won't be able to surface there with your ship
ENEMY DRILLSHIP CREW
COG units won't spawn directly in villages and close to lava pools anymore. Instead, they will come from the surfaced Drillships and walk to their assigned location.
- When an eruption is coming, all COGs will return to the drillship and go under (this will add more interesting situations where you might run into a group of COGs "going to work" or running from the eruption as well)
- If you land in the same landing site node as the enemy drillship, COGs will keep attacking your drillship
TURRET MODULE
Works as expected. Defends drillship from enemy units attacking it. Be warned tho, as the same turret will be guarding COG drillships as well!
DESTROYED DRILLSHIPS
- If drillship's hull HP drops to 0, it will explode and be destroyed, killing everything inside and in close proximity
- This can happen when all modules are destroyed by enemies, or by a volcanic eruption
- Torso of the destroyed drillship stays on the landing site until it is scraped for resources or future eruption takes it away completely
- If your or COG drillship lands on the point, the torso will be removed as well
NEXT UP
- Finalize implementation of all the features mentioned above
- Localization support - community will be able to create translation sheets for the game
- Testing, testing and more testing so we can hopefully release a new update next week
COMMUNITY SCREENSHOT CONTEST
These past 2 weeks players could submit screenshots from the Alpha to participate in the community screenshot contest. Big thanks to everyone that participated and here are our top 3 picks: "Drillship" by Mustaro
"End of my life" by Piterkooo
"Caught red handed" by The Politest of Cats
We'll get in touch with the winners and hand out prizes. If you'd like to participate in the Volcanoids Alpha, you can sign up on our website: https://www.volcanoids.com/ To keep up with all the latest news, contests and sneak peeks consider joining our Discord server: https://discord.gg/volcanoids Thanks for reading and see you next Thursday!
[ 2018-11-29 20:37:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 2
Tomas finished modeling and texturing the turret module. So it is now ready for the programming implementation into the game.
The back side is a little different from the other modules. The 3 lights on the back will tell you if the module has ammunition, if it's open and if it's targeting something. The turret module is going to automatically take ammunition from the cargo module similar to how powerplant modules take coal. The only difference is that the ammo will be taken in bigger batches and not consistently since when you're under attack you don't want cargo modules to be open.
And here's a small sneak peek of how the drillship looks with the turret on it. Finally not only a mobile factory but a proper fortress as well.
Ondrej took full advantage of the new terrain optimization tools in the new Unity version and used it on the island. So the island is now way more optimized but at the same time looks better. (left unoptimized, right optimized)
The cave structure (that will replace the enemy drillships inside caves) is now fully textured and ready to be implemented.
And here's the animated version inside one of the caves (missing particles).
Hab and Wildbill have been working on the Volcanoids Discord bot that's making the weekly key lottery among other stuff soo much easier to manage, so big thanks goes to them! Hab also made this in-depth guide on how to defeat the enemy COGs: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1567396819 NoobySweede released a new video covering the State Saver device that allows you to create custom module layouts. So if you don't know how to use them yet, check out this video tutorial: https://youtu.be/zUiuEHuPlkA A lot of people suggested that once the island gets bigger it would be nice to have an additional vehicle to travel just on the surface. Schakal made this awesome sketch of how the vehicle could look like. Later on, we found out that this kind of vehicle actually exists.
Schakal also created these 2 models of crow nest modules that could work really nicely with a long ranged rifle.
And that's it for this week. Thanks for all the support, feedback and suggestions, it means the world to us!
[ 2018-11-22 22:02:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone, here's a summary of what the dev team and the community have been up to this past week!
TURRETS
Tomas finished modeling and texturing the turret module. So it is now ready for the programming implementation into the game.
The back side is a little different from the other modules. The 3 lights on the back will tell you if the module has ammunition, if it's open and if it's targeting something. The turret module is going to automatically take ammunition from the cargo module similar to how powerplant modules take coal. The only difference is that the ammo will be taken in bigger batches and not consistently since when you're under attack you don't want cargo modules to be open.
And here's a small sneak peek of how the drillship looks with the turret on it. Finally not only a mobile factory but a proper fortress as well.
OPTIMIZATION
Ondrej took full advantage of the new terrain optimization tools in the new Unity version and used it on the island. So the island is now way more optimized but at the same time looks better. (left unoptimized, right optimized)
CAVE STRUCTURES
The cave structure (that will replace the enemy drillships inside caves) is now fully textured and ready to be implemented.
And here's the animated version inside one of the caves (missing particles).
NEXT UP
- Implement Enemy Drillships that will roam around the island with COG units inside them
- For anyone interested in the behavior of the Enemy Drillships here's the Game Design Document that contains a basic description of the features
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Hab and Wildbill have been working on the Volcanoids Discord bot that's making the weekly key lottery among other stuff soo much easier to manage, so big thanks goes to them! Hab also made this in-depth guide on how to defeat the enemy COGs: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1567396819 NoobySweede released a new video covering the State Saver device that allows you to create custom module layouts. So if you don't know how to use them yet, check out this video tutorial: https://youtu.be/zUiuEHuPlkA A lot of people suggested that once the island gets bigger it would be nice to have an additional vehicle to travel just on the surface. Schakal made this awesome sketch of how the vehicle could look like. Later on, we found out that this kind of vehicle actually exists.
Schakal also created these 2 models of crow nest modules that could work really nicely with a long ranged rifle.
And that's it for this week. Thanks for all the support, feedback and suggestions, it means the world to us!
[ 2018-11-22 22:02:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
Developer Update 1
New system for efficient bug reporting has been implemented. Check out this video guide explaining how to use the new system.
The project was updated to the latest Unity version, which was followed by a lot of code adjustments (new Unity brings big optimizations for terrain). Also, a big clean up of all the outdated files happened.
Buildings were optimized as they were heavy on performance due to a large number of subobjects. Here's a comparison of the original and then the optimized building. As you can see from the picture below, you won't be able to tell the difference, but the right one is much more performance friendly.
And lastly, we got more concept art for the story.
We saw a bunch of people streaming the Volcanoids Alpha, we tried our best to drop by all of them. It was awesome seeing you guys play the game live! NoobySwede created this handy guide with tips on how to effectively take out COGs. Our Discord server has been steadily growing and we've been getting a lot of great feedback on the Alpha. Thank you so much for all the support and for spreading the word about Volcanoids! Thanks for reading and see you next week!
[ 2018-11-15 21:19:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Welcome to the first Developer Update! These will be divided into two sections, the first section is going to be dedicated to our development progress and the second one to what the community has been up to over the past week.
BUG REPORTING
New system for efficient bug reporting has been implemented. Check out this video guide explaining how to use the new system.
PROJECT CLEANUP
The project was updated to the latest Unity version, which was followed by a lot of code adjustments (new Unity brings big optimizations for terrain). Also, a big clean up of all the outdated files happened.
OPTIMIZED BUILDINGS
Buildings were optimized as they were heavy on performance due to a large number of subobjects. Here's a comparison of the original and then the optimized building. As you can see from the picture below, you won't be able to tell the difference, but the right one is much more performance friendly.
STORY CONCEPT ART
And lastly, we got more concept art for the story.
NEXT UP
- Start implementing enemy drillships
- Update the turret model and implement it
- Work on the enemy cave structures
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
We saw a bunch of people streaming the Volcanoids Alpha, we tried our best to drop by all of them. It was awesome seeing you guys play the game live! NoobySwede created this handy guide with tips on how to effectively take out COGs. Our Discord server has been steadily growing and we've been getting a lot of great feedback on the Alpha. Thank you so much for all the support and for spreading the word about Volcanoids! Thanks for reading and see you next week!
[ 2018-11-15 21:19:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Alpha Hotfix Update 1.10
[ 2018-11-12 21:02:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
Here is another small update that includes a few suggestions from community feedback and several bug fixes.
- Shotgun has particle effect when a bullet hits the surface (you can finally see if a COG got hit)
- The player can now look around with periscope (good for finding out where the COGs are attacking and quickly react afterward)
- Different type of COG spawning (they still visit the Landings sites but should get longer to get there)
- Fixed stones inside caves that would collide with longer drillships
- Optimized lights to cause fewer performance drops
- Interior devices can now be destroyed
- All side modules now have damage indication when HP drops below 80%
[ 2018-11-12 21:02:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sign up for the Volcanoids Alpha
[ 2018-11-10 15:26:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! If you'd like to hop in one of the drillships early, you can sign up for the Alpha on our website. We'd love to get your feedback on what to add/improve to make the gameplay experience more enjoyable!
[ 2018-11-10 15:26:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Volcanoids
Volcanoid
Developer
Volcanoid
Publisher
2019-01-29
Release
Game News Posts:
134
🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
🕹️ Partial Controller Support
🕹️ Partial Controller Support
Very Positive
(7090 reviews)
Public Linux Depots:
- Volcanoids Linux [2.22 G]
Set in the steampunk era, you take on an expedition to a forsaken island that you once called home. But sudden eruptions triggered by mechanical beings turned the wondrous place into an apocalyptic wasteland. In order to survive the island’s natural elements, you have to outsmart these creatures and capture one of their drillships. Use their own technology against them as you upgrade the machinery and reclaim your homeland.![]()
Take the vantage point, stay safe underground or choose a material-rich location and explore. The drillship is one of a kind base capable of joining you on every journey.![]()
Experience the tension and thrill of surviving volcanic eruptions. Time between each eruption is your most valuable resource. Use it to roam the island gathering materials, finding new technology and utilizing production.![]()
Deal with a hostile race of robots that use the volcano as a source of energy. Their units are scattered all around the island’s surface as well as below it.![]()
Customize your drillship from the inside out with colors, symbols, gadgets and more. Automate production, research technologies, set up defenses and turn the drillship into an unbreachable powerhouse.
MOBILE BASE
Take the vantage point, stay safe underground or choose a material-rich location and explore. The drillship is one of a kind base capable of joining you on every journey.
DEADLY ENVIRONMENT
Experience the tension and thrill of surviving volcanic eruptions. Time between each eruption is your most valuable resource. Use it to roam the island gathering materials, finding new technology and utilizing production.
MECHANICAL MENACE
Deal with a hostile race of robots that use the volcano as a source of energy. Their units are scattered all around the island’s surface as well as below it.
BASE MANAGEMENT
Customize your drillship from the inside out with colors, symbols, gadgets and more. Automate production, research technologies, set up defenses and turn the drillship into an unbreachable powerhouse.
MINIMAL SETUP
- OS: Ubuntu 18.04 or equivalent distribution
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GTX 470 / AMD RadeonHD 5850. OpenGL 4.5 driver
- Storage: 6 GB available spaceAdditional Notes: Optional Vulkan support
- OS: Ubuntu 18.04 or higher
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 580. OpenGL 4.5 driver
- Storage: 6 GB available spaceAdditional Notes: Optional Vulkan support
GAMEBILLET
[ 6085 ]
GAMERSGATE
[ 3241 ]
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