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 ]

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.

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.