Hello Colonists! It's time for a development broadcast! There are some important changes and fixes, so please check the list below. Thank you for reporting all issues, so I could polish the state of the game.

List of improvements

• Cable cars no longer "lose" connection when undocking and reloading the game
• When the player is in the blueprint designer, vehicle designer, or map - oxygen barriers are still working
• Transport drones can now pick resources directly from drills.
• Fixed issue where the decider would not apply the state on/off on the machine after reloading
• Fixed problem with no collisions when going to the map / blueprint designer
• Fixed rare crash when removing cable car pole
• Fixed crash related to use of logic deciders
• Fixed rare dedicated server issue where docking state wouldn't be recovered

Please check the Steam broadcast. It was recorded today (26.01.2025), so there are many new things about the game discussed. As a reminder, the game is currently discounted during Steam Weeklong Deal! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please don't forget to join Our Discord community to let me know about your Astro Colony wishes ;)
Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2025-01-26 18:54:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! In preparation of a major content update "Threats & Defense", I just published another improvement and stability update. Below, you can check what actually changed in the game.

FARM PLANT SELECTION IS BACK

Farms and barns are now allowing to select what plants/creatures are used. This is a great way to restrict farms / barns to doing one thing and not accidentally harvesting another plant.

BALANCE AND UI CHANGES

The game received quite a few balance changes, new UI improvements, new order for slots, and more relevant recipes.
The technology tree has been adjusted, recipes require technologies, and the blueprint voxel designer only works after the appropriate technology has been discovered.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Farm selection is back, locking farm to one selected resource
• Extended tech tree is better organized
• Tidied up recipes and balance changes
• Construction screen with improved order

FIXES

• Cable car system got refactored with many small fixes
• Cable car pathfinding improved, always being up-to-date after player changes
• Docking sequence is now interrupted if another docking action is performed
• All icons are now hidden when possessing a device
• Fixed blueprint pole connection
• Fixed some hotkey preview for tools and interactions
• Fixed a few cases of unlocked recipes by default and not by related technology
• Pressing "E" is no longer closing the window when input field is selected

GAME DISCOUNT

The game is currently discounted -40%. Please tell your friends! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/

STREAM

I will be streaming and then re-streaming the game on Steam. Please check Discord for more info. Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2025-01-19 16:46:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

HAPPY NEW YEAR Colonists! It was very busy end of the year adding improvements and fixes. To find out about all changes, please check the list below!

NEW FEATURES

• Selecting new devices is now automaticly closing interactions
• Pathfinding for cable cars is now improved
• Each stargate requires proper technology to be researched first

FIXES

• Fixed crash related to cable car pathfiding invalid state
• Fixed crash related to player action changing
• Fixed inventory sensor line to be visible again (white)
• Selection box now can be controlled while moving station
• Electronic panel shader movement fixed
• Pasting decider is no longer attaching automaticly to already constructed devices (only blueprints)
• Docking station after upgrade is no longer giving "free" power
• Oxygen barrier collisions improved
• Gas level visuals are now fixed
• Some 3d models improved to better fit space
• Adjusted emissive levels of some effects like comfort ring etc.
• Remote fabricator antenna is now correct when possesed
• Arriving astronauts shuttle is no longer visible in blueprint designer
• Fixed head glitch related to reseting head animation (entering kitchen after no oxygen pose)

I would like to ask for your understanding and support. Making a complex automation game is not an easy task. As a reminder, the game is currently discounted during Steam Winter Sale! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please don't forget to join Our Discord community to let me know about your Astro Colony wishes ;)
Happy New Year everyone! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-12-31 21:47:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! The Major Update Life of a Colonist is here! I am presenting Major Update changes in the short re-stream. Thanks to the author of 990 for sharing the savegame! Please check archives streams at: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel
Please don't forget to join Our Discord community to let me know about your Astro Colony wishes ;)
Thank you for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-12-14 11:50:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The next Major Update Life of a Colonist is OUT! Please get the latest changes from STEAM.
New challenges await! Together with the already-existing needs, oxygen consumption and comfort are now in the game! Decorate your stations to create cozy space and increase satisfaction of your Astronauts!

OXYGEN

Providing oxygen to the astronauts is now mandatory to make them able to live on the colony. Without it, humans will simply lay down on the floor and notify need of assistance.
But no worry! You can share your own oxygen or build the oxygen barrier to rescue them.
Moreover, the barrier will now turn red if not enough oxygen tanks are provided.

COMFORT

As an additional need, it won't punish the player, but rather help to increase efficiency. When the level of comfort is high, all other needs are consumed slower. Now astronauts are checking if there are enough decorations placed nearby.

Improvements

As always, every update brings more improvements overall: 1. Hearing many complaints, I decided that the starting hotkey layout has to be reworked, making it more similar to other established games.

• Q - construction menu
• Tab - Inventory
• H - hide hand / selection mode

2. UI elements got reworked with more round backgrounds and icons.
3. The interaction panel will appear hovering objects to let players know when unique interaction is possible.

DEMO 4.0

Together with the major update, a new DEMO version is released. It has all QOL improvements alongside with improved UI. If you don't own the FULL GAME yet, check this instead! The game is currently discounted https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please don't forget to join Our Discord community to let me know about your Astro Colony wishes ;)
Thank you for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-12-09 18:00:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is celebrating Autumn Sale (-50% discount) Please check the stream on:

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-11-29 17:21:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, Colonists! Nominations for this years Steam Awards are now open! If youve enjoyed your time as an Colonist and would like to show your love for the game, I would be so happy if you could nominate Astro Colony for the Labor of Love category. You guys are amazing! Without you, the last two years of Astro Colony development wouldn't be possible!
PS. The next Major update comes December 9th. The game is now 50% OFF on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thank you for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-11-29 16:06:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! This month we celebrated the two years of Early Access! The next Major Update Life of a Colonist is around the corner and comes December 9th! I would love to share some info about it:

LIFE OF A COLONIST comes December 9th

Last month new devices were introduced, such as elevators to allow vertical movement of astronauts and robots and cable cars to transport goods over long distances and multiple stations. With the upcoming update, to make astronauts more "human" and less NPC, more effort is required to provide for them. Together with the already-existing needs, oxygen consumption and fulfilling comfort are added.

OXYGEN

Providing oxygen to the astronauts is now mandatory to make them able to live on the colony. Without it, humans will simply lay down on the floor and notify need of assistance.
But no worry! You can share your own oxygen or build the oxygen barrier to rescue them.
Moreover, the barrier will now turn red if not enough oxygen tanks are provided.

COMFORT

As an additional need, it won't punish the player, but rather help to increase efficiency. When the level of comfort is high, all other needs are consumed slower. Now astronauts are checking if there are enough decorations placed nearby.

Improvements

As always, every update brings more improvements overall: 1. Hearing many complaints, I decided that the starting hotkey layout has to be reworked, making it more similar to other established games.

• Q - construction menu
• Tab - Inventory
• H - hide hand / selection mode

2. UI elements got reworked with more round backgrounds and icons.
3. The interaction panel will appear hovering objects to let players know when unique interaction is possible.

2 years of Astro Colony on Steam

It's incredible how fast time flies by and how the game development is progressing.
The game since the Early Access launch has received over 260 patches and at least 5 major updates, such as:

• ARCHITECTURE - hundreds of architectural elements and themes to customize them
• PERFORMANCE - huge performance boost together with shader movement system for stations
• TERRAFORMING - animals and plants collected on planets, new environments in universes II, III, IV
• SANDBOX - new game modes giving freedom of construction
• MULTIPLAYER 3.0 - with more reliable experience and solutions for default engine problems

We are not stopping there! On the way to release 1.0 I foresee additional updates, as illustrated in the current roadmap.

Techtonica released

Our friends from Techtonica recently released their title! It's a game about building factories and exploring procedurally generated voxel underground worlds. Don' t forget to check it out as you like the genre! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/43157/Techtonica__Astro_Colony/ Please don't forget to join Our Discord community to let me know about your Astro Colony wishes ;)
Thank you for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-11-24 20:13:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! The MODKIT just got big update to support all recent project changes related to Transport & Locomotion major update. Prepare yourself to unleash your creative side!

Gettings Started

All you need for modding is Unreal Engine 4.27 downloaded from Epic Games: https://www.epicgames.com/ and on the same hard drive the AstroColonyMOD project, which you can download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_a7RrhsYSqnMV-JhTC6RtUcS5hPwbkI9/
All example mods are updated:

• Racing
• Menu Music
• Cheat Console
• NewRecipe

and more examples will come soon!

Documentation

The documentation is now updated, showing new functionality. Please check this useful guide that shows step by step how to create a mod for the game, zip it and then share it with the community https://bit.ly/AstroColonyDoc I would love to post a tutorial about modding and simplicity of using Modkit 2.0.

Sharing your creations

To share your creations or find Mods, you can use two platforms Steam Workshop or Curseforge in the modkit!

MODS can be uploaded from Editor

In the modkit there are now 3 possible actions (buttons) located in the toolbar menu:

• Create MOD
• Package MOD - creates zip which can be tested and uploaded
• Upload MOD (new) - uses Steam authentication to upload mods to CurseForge

Uploading mods becomes extremely easy. It only requires runningSteamin the background, which will let you send mods directly to your Steam Workshop & CF library, at the same time sharing them with Astro Colony community!
Modkit has 100% functionality of the game, so you can do crazy stuff with it, like:

• designing new voxel planets
• creating space stations
• defining new recipes
• adding new devices
• overriding game rules

Please join Discord modding channel where you can share your thoughts and get modding advises. Expect more announcements soon regarding modding contests. I cannot wait to see your creations! See you soon Colonists!

[ 2024-10-27 10:58:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! Today I am going to stream Astro Colony, showcasing the newest update about Transport & Locomotion! Please come and say hello and share your feedback during the stream. I will answer all of your questions!

WHEN (TUESDAY 21.10)?

• 20:00 CET
• 18:00 UTC
• 14:00 EST

WHERE?

• STEAM
• TWITCH

It may happen that we will get interrupted by my newborn son crying (obviously due to bugs) :D For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel
The game also yesterday received the hotfix update, which fixed all remaining reported issues.

Bugfixes

• Fixed crash when picking up (MMB) twice the same thruster
• Improved loading and cleanup when quitting the game. It's now faster and more reliable.
• Fixed markers of Wagons to save their state
• Starting cinematic is no longer showing HUD
• Fixed issue where snap elements coulnd't be selected after loading planet of another universe
• Fixed issue of rotating and moving snap elements in blueprint designer
• Fixed issue of creating snap objects for walls
• Improved construction of docking stations on the planet

Please don't forget to join Our Discord community to let me know about your Astro Colony wishes ;)
Thank you for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-10-20 12:36:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just received the Major Update about transport and locomotion! There are new systems in the game which improves astronauts, robots and resources movement.

CABLE CAR

Cable car is the new advanced way to transport resources, water and gas between stations and planets. Its purpose is to cover great distances as you build a big space station docked together with other entities. This can replace the docking station's system of inside conveyor belts.
The system is composed of wagons (three typologies according to the resource to transport), depot (where wagons are built), ports (load-unload of resources), and poles in cases where the distance to cover is huge.

LIFT SYSTEM

Elevator is an architectural addition to create faster vertical movement for astronauts and robots. Build it next to the floor to make the entrance appears.
Two segments above the floor are enough to let astronaut to walk.

MERGING BARRIERS

In addition to many other changes, long awaited barriers are now merged properly. Build as many barriers as you want, and they will be all merged into one big oxygen area.

NEW MUSIC

Our composer Casper was recently busy working on Astro Colony music, there are already 2 more tracks composed. This update adds one of them to the game!

What's next?

This update was originally planned to introduce new human needs and ways to refill them. Some work was already begun. This means that you should expect another major update soon. "Life of a Colonist" will come before Christmas. In the meantime, you can also expect smaller patches improving stability and adding some missing elements like rotations of depots or the possibility for the player to use elevators as well! Please share your feedback with me on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-10-15 15:17:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! The next Major Update is just around the corner, it should come out next month. In the meantime, I would love to invite you to celebrate Astro Colony during the Steam Space Exploration Fest!
What makes Astro Colony a bit different from other automation / colony sim games is the exploration of the endless universe!

Space Exploration has never been cheaper

You can get Astro Colony with a 50% discount during the Space Exploration Fest, until September 9th. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please share your feedback with me on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-09-02 20:03:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! As You know, the game is coming OUT next year! The development of the game is not slowing down. The first part of the year brought 5 Major updates, and 2 more are coming in 2024. The first part of the year brought

• ARCHITECTURE - hundreds of architectural elements and themes to customize them
• PERFORMANCE - huge performance boost together with shader movement system for stations
• TERRAFORMING - animals and plants collected on planets, new environments in universes II, III, IV
• SANDBOX - new game modes giving freedom of construction
• MULTIPLAYER 3.0 - with more reliable experience and solutions for default engine problems

We are not stopping there! On the way to release 1.0 I foresee additional updates, as illustrated in the current roadmap.
Speaking of content, here is a brief description of what they consist of:

LIFE OF A COLONIST

To make astronauts more "human" and less NPC, the idea is to require more effort to provide for them. Together with the already-existing needs, oxygen consumption and fulfilling comfort are required. Besides, new devices are introduced, such as elevators to allow vertical movement of astronauts and robots, and cable cars to transport goods over long distances and multiple stations.

THREATS AND DEFENSE

Along with having some new cosmic events happen more often, you will need to use a defense shield to defend your colony. You will also train astronauts to control it, making it automated.

NEW ASTRONAUT ARRIVED!

As the last news, I want to share my personal joy with you! I just became a father, so there is a new member of the crew ;) Please stay tuned and have faith in Astro Colony!

[ 2024-08-25 13:36:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The new build with more improvements is here! It changes object collisions and eliminates hitches! Thanks to the M4D_4LI3N report, I was able to change physics and remove game stuttering.

ROVER FLIP

Since many physical collisions are now gone, the game needs to rely on optical (query) physics. There is a new system in place to prevent the rover from clipping, going through planes and flipping over.

SMOOTH VEHICLES

Spacecraft is no longer using physical movement and default replication but instead custom movement similar to character movement with collision detection. I could turn spacecraft into another "character" type, but I preferred keeping it as a simple Pawn and making use of Smooth Sync technology, which precisely synchronizes positions between clients and a server.

ELIMINATING HITCHES

Reducing the number of physical collisions allowed for a great reduction in the number of hitches caused by physics when moving the station. Before the change, it was taking up the entire frame CPU budget (33ms). Right now, it's not even noticeable.

QOL

"Hold" interactions got improved and accurate. Arrows of box selections are no longer "jumping" and are very precise thanks to better collision plane tracking drag.
There are new levels of transferring electricity, water and gas. Expert docking is now capable of sending 5k electricity!

FIXES & IMPROVEMENTS

• Fixed crash related to picking parking bot
• Fixed construction rotation for walls - is now possible to rotate objects and change camera rotation
• Fixed multiple hitches caused by physics calculations
• Gas, water, and electricity now have different values for each docking level 1,2,3
• Improved drag interactions
• Fixed single player Colony Origin construction position
• New, easier-to-construct drills and giant drills
• Fixed scaling of animated decorations like FAN
• Fixed scaling of snap elements like lamps
• Changing decal colors is now supported in multiplayer
• Copy/pasting of objects, snap, and decals are now previewing the correct rotation and scale

It was a very busy week, so I hope you will like the changes. Please let me know if you encounter any issues on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w

SALES

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-07-30 14:35:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is currently broadcasted live! Please check the stream on:

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/tefel/ Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-07-20 17:43:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! The game just received more improvements!

Construction searchbar

Before the update, the construction menu had a simple "filter" which was just filtering the currently selected category. This update improves the system by allowing users to search items in all categories and showing a preview of the categories found.

Expert docking

Players asked for faster conveyor belts for docking, since it was slowing down resource transfer. Currently, there are 3 docking levels available: - default - can transfer electricity only - advanced - can transfer electricity and water; has faster conveyor belts - expert - can transfer electricity, water, and gas; provides the fastest conveyor belts

New tutorials

The tutorial bot got improved with better interactions and new tutorials.

Improvements

• Expert docking station added to the game
• Construction SEARCH is now providing results for all categories
• Camera for interactions can now move, this should make selection for logic blocks (sensors, deciders) easier
• Tutorial bot screen interaction + swap
• Hotbar start with 3 elements, allowing players to configure their hotbars easier I believe this change will help to understand that items from the construction menu can be dragged
• A new tutorial about recycling
• New hotkeys in the settings - next item, previous item, next category
• Resource quantity shows a million symbol if the number gets large M+ 25M+

Fixes

• Fixed shared technologies syncing when the player is joining
• Decider only updates the ON/OFF state when it has a signal; it fixes the issue where no signal would disable the logic blocker
• The upgraded smelter is now checking the iron bar recipe and activating iron bar+; the same is true for copper bar and copper bar+
• Upgraded device keeps inventory sensor link
• Fixed issue where radial menu would not turn on animal capture
• Fixed multiplayer issue where client would not have voxel collision after station undocking
• Construction of the blueprint (imported) requires all items to be unlocked to construct
• Fixed an issue where the blueprint designer would not allow removing locked objects.
• Fixed issue where Player Host would have wrong Tech Tree assigned after client join (invalid universe ID)
• Fixed issue where some first generated planets for clients in another universe would appear empty

STREAM

It's finally time for another live stream! Please check it tomorrow (Saturday) 20 CET on Steam or Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/tefel/ Thank you guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-07-19 13:05:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! In preparation of a major content update "Life of a Colonist", I just published another improvement and stability update. Below, you can check what actually changed in the game. Thank you guys, for reporting bugs and cases with lower than expected performance.

Improvements

• Improved rendering for UI, so scaled elements are sharper, especially text
• Increased chances to spawn amethyst (violet planet)
• When starting the game, random buttons cannot lock the game anymore
• Gamepad is now active in the cinematic, can rotate the camera and skip the cinematic
• Gamepad camera improvements make it's possible to control the cameras of devices
• Client interactions in blueprints are now possible
• Client copy-paste settings is now correct
• New efficient rendering of many instances (thanks Dylan Hunt)
• Voxel system improvements to make it more efficient and use less memory
• Improved hotbar UI order, so it can be used with a 130% UI scale

UI HUD elements are reordered. For example, the hotbar appears on top of every interaction window. This allows a player who uses 130% UI to be able to drag construction items to the hotbar.

Bug fixes

• Fixed crash related to invalid client interactions for blueprints
• Fixed crash when theme was pasted to an invalid cell
• Fixed hotkeys where scaling UI / saving empty settings could remove some hotkeys
• Fixed multiplayer issues to preserve player state and station movement when player joins

Updated Demo

The demo is now updated to benefit from recent fixes and improvements.

Active bundles

Astro Colony is currently partnering with the developers of Desynced and Techtonica. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/42762/Astro_Colony__Desynced/ https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/43157/Techtonica__Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-07-14 16:53:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! It's time for another major improvement to the game. Maybe I'm slowly becoming obsessed with optimization, I hope not What exactly is Async planet generation, and why is it so important?

INSTANT ASYNC PLANET'S GENERATION

Before the update, only the planet surface was calculated in the background (async). When elements of the planets (resources, rocks, and plants) were generated, it caused a hitch (lag). Right now, all planet objects are generated seamlessly (async). Player cannot even notice when a planet is generated. This change makes the experience pleasant, reduces the load on the CPU, allows older PCs to run the game, and makes Multiplayer syncing and joining quicker!

MAP IMPROVEMENTS - GAS CRATER

It was a frequently requested feature to show more types of resources, like geysers, directly on the map. There is no need to visit each planet to find gas anymore!

OPTIMIZED VEHICLES

Spawning multiple vehicles was causing a huge performance drop. After the latest improvements, this is no longer the case. It's now possible to spawn 1020 vehicles and keep 60 fps+.

IMPROVEMENTS & FIXES

• new async system to generate planets
• snap objects have the correct visuals when placing
• snap objects when picked constructed are replicated correctly to clients - keeping pasted size
• map improvements showing new types of resources like gas
• remaining multiplayer shader objects are fixed when moving (tools and some devices)
• sounds have now corrected attenuation, fixing the problem that other players in multiplayer can hear distant sounds
• asteroids should now look sharper
• new improved algorithm for anti-aliasing, making it less blurry
• vehicles are optimized (performance 10x)

SALES

The game is currently discounted, so please use this opportunity if you still haven't played it! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Despite all the effort and many improvements, the game is getting less visibility and fewer reviews than usually. It is quite concerning that the number of reviews dropped drastically, from 60 last month to only 20 this month. Soon Steam Summer Fest will start, and I will stream the game and make the demo available once again, so I hope that will help spread the word about the game! Thank you, guys, for supporting the project! Kind regards, Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-06-26 08:14:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just received the big multiplayer update, which addresses default engine replication issues. I took time to investigate the position of replicated actors, the movement system, what is going on behind the scenes, and why sometimes positions sent from the server to the client can vary.
What I found:

Data compression level is not suitable for Astro Colony

It turns out that all types of compression have limitations and can't fit large values. The replication distance limit was just about 10 million units (about 100 LY). When crossing the limit, unexpected things could start happening, such as the engine trying to teleport both players and planets. With some custom engine changes to the compression, I managed to increase the distance to 1000 LY. This should be enough to consider it reliable.

Endless exploration

In a game where the world is generated indefinitely, like Minecraft, it is important to keep precision in every calculation. The game uses various methods to update the origin (center of the universe) to keep it precise, showing shadows and smooth animations. When the game is loading, it's taking time to update World Origin.
This was always a huge problem in multiplayer, causing my headache more than hundreds of times. I managed to get two new rebasing systems for the dedicated server and the Player Host server. Right now, the server decides exactly when rebasing can happen for clients.

New shader movement for client

To keep client movement smooth. My previous approach was to let the client apply its own position. This was causing corrections from time to time from the server if positions changed too often. Right now, the server always applies the location, and all shader data is adjusted for the client.

IMPROVEMENTS & FIXES

• new replication system using compressed data suitable for long distances
• new docking system avoiding rebasing origin problems
• new client shader movement position updates, reliable to not cause teleporting issues
• new player host rebase system, 100% controlled by the server host
• transmitter energy power is now copy pasted
• preventing the rover from falling down when loading games on the server
• Capturing animals is now fixed for clients
• Parallel universe, some visuals fixed for the client - invisible asteroids
• client now shows the proper effect of capturing animals
• increased number of max selected elements, so box selection keeps working for maximum box selections
• 3d object optimizations for shader movement
• particle optimization for shader movement (combining many into one)
• fixed icons (hologram objects) to rotate towards the camera
• fixed shader offset when changing space station as a client
• fixed camera rotation for walls when first time enabled
• fixed various dedicated server warnings
• fixed issues with blueprint designer - entering grid on server and shader movement
• fixed client properly leaving grid, so planet particles are removed
• sky shader movement is working for all possessed modes

Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-06-19 22:49:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! It's time for massive performance update! I decided to finally finish work that I started 3 years ago.

Why did it take me so long?

I was afraid that not everything would work or look as it should. The change required modifying the way rendering works. Every single object is now rendered with a position offset. Many necessary engine changes were required in order to have it work. Some of the text below is technical, but I hope you will like it:

SHADER MOVEMENT PROTOTYPE 2021

I've been thinking about this technique even before the game's release. As you can see, early prototypes with cameras and some objects were very promising! Early tests allowed me to evaluate the technique and find out about visual glitches.

RENDERING ALL OBJECTS WITH OFFSET

Tricky task when the game is using more than 300 different materials. This required changing many of them and adding a shader offset.

STATION ACTORS

Every interactive station actor had to be accessed and modified when station is moving. In addition, all interactions with cameras had to be updated, where the camera offset also changed.

VIEW BOUNDARIES

The game engine is constructed to reduce the rendered objects on the screen as much as possible. If objects are outside the camera's view, they won't be rendered. Without increasing the boundaries of the object based on velocity this wouldn't be possible.

MATERIAL WORLD POSITION OFFSET

Many materials, based on position, can randomize its look. Turns out that many position based materials like shaking trees, wheat, water, ground or voxel terrain, started to scroll and had to be adjusted accordingly.

EDGE CASES

Many in-game actors required special care due to their unique roles in the game. Almost every system with interactions had to be adjusted to the new modified positions of objects and shifted cameras. Here are just some improved elements:

• rover with its complex suspension system
• spacecraft with thrusters and calculations for thrust
• bot with its animated mesh, camera, projection cone particles and text
• all other characters visible in multiplayer
• every interactive system like asteroid catchers with new "catch"
• sky and nebulas

SUMMARY

Thanks to reducing the physical location updates of all stations from 60 to just one a second, it greatly improves performance. As you can see in the example, the gain is enormous. Moving station before couldn't keep 10 fps, right now it's running at 80 fps.

RENDERING OPTIMIZATION

In addition to many CPU improvements, some GPU improvements were made. A new culling system for objects is in place, which disables updates and makes them invisible when they are far away. In addition, voxels are using LODs, so far-away planets are not affecting GPU. Please be patient and let me know about every issue encountered. I believe this is actually the biggest and the most technical update, so it's impossible to avoid some bugs. I hope to fix all of them this week. The most urgent issues will be fixed in the hotfix tomorrow. Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-06-09 23:58:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just received a big update with plenty of improvements! Movement system was completely reworked, docking stations can now transfer utilities (electricity, water and gas), decals and snap elements are now correctly rotated and pasted with a new rotation. In addition, there are many fixes and optimization improvements! Please check the list below:

NEW MOVEMENT SYSTEM

The movement system was redone to make it smoother and remove glitches in low framerate scenarios. In high-velocity situations, character could be pushed back, diagonal movement could be a little bit shaky. With new improvements, the movement is more reliable and has fewer network updates, which is good for network traffic. There are also small changes like:

• Character is moving a little bit faster (max move velocity 1400, before 1100)
• Booster max speed is capped to 11000 matching previous
• Ctrl key is now slowing down the character, useful with gravity boots, harpoon or when station elements needs to be precisely placed

Please let me know if any corrections need to be made!

NEAR STATION CONSTRUCTION DETECTION

Many new players coming to the game tried to drag elements from one docked station to another. This resulted in missing functionality, since conveyor belts belonged to two different stations. Right now, each time the system detects constructed elements near another station object or planet terrain, it will show a warning symbol (arrow). This should help players to understand that the docking station needs to be used to transfer resources (conveyor belts), electricity, water, and gas. To ensure that player knows where object belongs, it is showing station name for all looked at objects.

DOCKING CAN TRANSFER ELECTRICITY/WATER/GAS

Each docking station got new functionality to transfer utilities:

• Harpoon connector - can now configure electricity transferred (max 20)
• Docking station - can transfer electricity (max 100), water (max 100)
• Adv. docking station - can transfer electricity (max (max 1000), water (max 100), gas (max 100)

Transferring is configurable, so it allows transferring the required amount easily from one station to another. For example, all water can be pumped from one station to another and then to a third.

SNAP ROTATION & DECALS PREVIEW + ROTATION

Before the update, only snap elements could be rotated via the menu. Picked elements did not paste rotation, but only size.
Right now, decals are fully supporting rotation. Both decals and snap elements can be rotated 90 deg using R key. Pasted objects are keeping original rotation. Preview of pasted rotation is also showing correct construction result. The constructed decal is now shown with a decal preview.

FIXES & IMPROVEMENTS

• Finally fixed crash related to Apex Destruction when too many debris are spawned.
• Fixed crash related to copying player data from single player savegame to dedicated server
• Fixed parallel dimension issues not showing visuals - ex. oxygen barrier
• Fixed recent localization issues
• Joining server is now showing a prompt
• Fixed issue where gas tank would reset quantity when player joins
• Fixed issue where gas pipe would not update when gas tank is created nearby
• Fixed issue of an invalid space station reference when docked
• Fixed multiplayer issue with duplicating lights ...
• Fixed changing size of replicated snap objects like lights
• Animations of animals are now not in sync
• Fixed arithmetic block to support multiplayer
• Fixed timer pusher causing crash when the space station was removed and timer pusher had active cooldown

It was a very busy week, so I hope you will like the changes. Please let me know if you encounter any issues on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-05-26 19:11:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! It's time to announce a Developer stream during the ongoing Steam Replayability Festival! The game just received another update, which is making it more stable and performant.

IMPROVEMENTS

• MOD HUB button (H) is now re-bindable
• Saving is now faster and saves less data. The game is checking if objects are modified, it is skipping them completely.
• Optimized loading for elements updating adjacent cells like floors, foundations, cables, pipes, water tanks
• Removing savegames from the list selects the previous element
• Multiplayer client is now showing resources picked by miners
• Multiplayer client is correctly updating extracted deposits numbers
• Fixed an issue where upgraded robots could get stuck in the upgrader
• Migration screen is now more responsive

FIXES - 20/05/2024

• Auto-expanded planets, after reloading are keeping its shape
• pathfinding after reloading has a valid updated state
• drill is now generating basic science points every 5 resources mined
• geyser is now removed when the quantity reaches 0

This Sunday, 21 CET I will be streaming live Astro Colony! It's a great opportunity to find out more about this base-building game, where you need to automate your colony while exploring an endless procedurally generated voxel Universe! Don't forget to try the new demo created for the Festival! Please wish me good luck and don't forget to come over to say hello! Thank you very much for your constant support! Terad Games

[ 2024-05-19 15:05:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! For the last 2 weeks, the game has been preparing to participate in the festival on Steam! Endless Replayability Fest seems to be the perfect fit for Astro Colony. Thanks to the procedural generation and an infinite number of planet combinations, the game offers great opportunities to play it over and over again. The game receives a SANDBOX mode. More experienced players will be able to create blueprints with access to all technologies and devices. New players can check out what the game has to offer! Sandbox mode is perfect for everyone who just wants to be creative! Check the list below to find out what's new in the game

GAME MODES - SANDBOX

There are 3 game modes to select when starting the new game:

• SURVIVAL - The default mode of the game. Unlock technologies and get resources to pay the cost of buildings and construction.
• CONSTRUCTION - There is no construction cost, but progression is still required through unlocking the tech tree technologies.
• SANDBOX - Total freedom to allow your creativity to explode! There is no build cost, and all technologies are unlocked.

ENDLESS REPLAYABILITY FEST

Astro Colony is participating in the Endless Replayability Festival. It has a new Demo, Sandbox mode, updated Modkit. Please don't miss opportunity to try the demo and if you like it, get the game with a discount!

DEMO 3.0

The new demo with new tools and progression has been released! It's the perfect opportunity to try the game, if you haven't yet!

MODKIT

Modkit is now supporting all latest changes. Check out more about modding here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZDhyMEZzLPiHIUOYyHeiAVVUIPFvbwLul9WAgymHazI

Improvements & fixes

• Mass migration and transferring bots UI is performant, refreshing only updated bots
• Fixed an issue where the terrain of a planet in another universe was interactive
• Improved multi-dimension data - not showing bots that are in another universe
• Multiplayer speed limited to x1 only to avoid desync issues
• New SANDBOX mode unlocking all technologies
• Improved Demo 3.0 - new tools, technologies and progression

Please don't forget to leave a review if you played a game and enjoyed it, so it can be supported for years to come! Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-05-13 16:32:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just received massive update with more improvements! There are new systems in the game, like Mass Astronauts/bots migration, drag construction for ramps, mass bot upgrading, mass astronaut training, and more. Please check this article to find out more!

MASS ASTRONAUTS/BOTS MIGRATION

Migrating many bots/astronauts before this update wasn't an easy task. As you may know each AI is looking for a job and can migrate when finding one - for example miners to the mine, scientists to the laboratory. That was the only mechanic that could help with migrating many drones. But what about transport drones, newcomers etc? You could use menu in the Astronauts panel (P).
As you can see, only one selected astronaut could be migrated. It requires many click. With new mass migration, you decide: where to migrate, how many bots, what status (idle, all), and station.

RAMP DRAG CONSTRUCTION/SELECTION

Before the update, 12 different construction modes were present in the game, allowing players to construct vertical/horizontal lines, boxes, floors, walls, diagonal, snap elements, single and custom. Two more are now present! Creating RAMP LINES!

Improvements

• Mass migration system allowing to migrate multiple bots/astronauts at once
• Two new drag systems for ramps
• Migration in multiplayer is fully implmeneted
• Improved copy/pasting for some properties with triggers - ex. dedicated specialist count
• Making visuals subtle and not visible behind other surfaces. https://i.imgur.com/i4qdoOd.png
• School has multiplier buttons and can add many trained astronauts
• Bots upgrader has multiplier buttons and can add many trained astronauts

Bug fixes

• Fixed issue where re-tried pathfinind would remove small elements like pipes/cables
• Fixed issues with objects created "far away," preventing incorrectly constructed objects
• Fixed Host Server & Dedicated server players counter
• Fixed issue where parked bots (locked) would be called after undocking/docking
• Fixed an issue where, after loading, Player wouldn't be attached to the space station
• Fixed issue where pathfining points wouldn't update after digging terrain
• Fixed issues where transferred humans would not show heads anymore
• Fixed an issue where trained humans would not update professions for Clients
• New validation for blueprints to prevent crashes
• Fixed lights starting station

Please don't forget to leave a review if you played a game and enjoyed it, so it can be supported for years to come!

Tonight stream (Sunday) 9PM CET

I will stream again, showing new tools that just came to the game, continuing a previously started game! Please wish me good luck and check the stream on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-04-21 13:09:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! It was a busy few days focusing mainly on fixing reported bugs. Firstly, I would love to thank everyone who contributed in improving Astro Colony. Without your bug reports and feedback it wouldn't be possible!

LINUX DEDICATED SERVER IS NOW ON STEAM

I promised to add Linux Dedicated Server to Steam directly, so there is no need of getting files from google drive anymore. The day has come! You can grab Linux Dedicated Server from Steam already. Below I share with you some of the changes which makes the game way more stable. Blueprint Designer for multiplayer is now reliable and should not cause crashes when using it. Exploring other dimensions are now possible in multiplayer, where other players should also get technology tree expanded.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Improved pathfinding for bots, increasing efficiency by 90% and ensuring that long requests are not blocking other
• Improved resource requests for bots and pasting
• Improved various UI visibility issues (slider, texts, button) to not block interactions
• Each time Idle bot is requested is finding the closest to the building (bots upgrader, school)
• New sanitize systems to make savegames and blueprints compatible

FIXES

• Fixed crash related to removal of Mines with drones assigned
• Fixed crash related to loading recycling machine with invalid item
• Fixed multiplayer issue where client traveling to the next universe didn't have tech tree revealed
• Fixed multiplayer blueprint
• Fixed camera mode issue where game get stuck when going to the map
• Fixed issue where copy pasted properties would not be handled (dedicated specialist, resource requests)
• Fixed Astronauts menu to register AIs and migration tab
• Fixed issue of voxel selection tool - where rotated box would allow moving arrows

Stream starts today (Sunday) at 20CET (8PM)

Last but not least, I decided to stream the game for you guys, showing new game and progressing enough to reach at least the next dimension! I will try to be better prepared with some blueprints, so my setup will be easier to digest ;)
For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Funny moment when fixing bugs...
Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-04-13 17:09:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just released it's 3rd Major Update - TERRAFORMING. Please check the stream on:

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-04-07 08:37:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just received the Major Update about terraforming. To celebrate it with Our community, I decided to stream the game, where I am progressing far enough to show the new content. This time I will not start from the beginning, but I will try to show a little bit of advanced progression, getting into next universe and capturing some creatures!

Stream starts today (Saturday) at 21CET (9PM)

For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel I would love to share also list of recent changes (from yesterday) which eliminated various crashes and made end of the game fully playable and more balanced.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Added missing hotkeys for all tools Ctrl1-Ctrl8
• Improved greatly performance for all new plants universe II, III, IV
• Improved balance - spawning rate of Life - plants/animals

FIXES

• Fixed savegame compatibility for second universe planets
• Fixed savegame compatibility for plants and animals (farms/barns)
• Fixed unlocking of the Prism recipe
• Fixed saving/loading recipes of cobalt rods and mercury rods
• Fixed crash related Mine upgrade when miner was assigned
• Fixed the issue where rotated constructed farm with blueprints would have strange behavior
• Fixed saving/loading state for new machines like gas tank
• Fixed issue with loading the game and having issues with saving voxel planet

Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-04-06 15:28:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Happy Easter Colonists! Finally, the much-awaited major update on terraforming and progression is here! The most recent update is available on Steam! Here is a brief rundown of the newest developments in Astro Colony:

VOXEL DESIGNER

Thanks to new Voxel Designer and Blueprint Voxel Tools, you may now freely shape, alter, and build new forms for the ground, customizing your Colony's features

ANIMALS CAPTURE

The system of farming and breeding is now more challenging: both plants and creatures have to be harvested and captured on planets. Thats why now traveling and exploring new environments is extremely important.

NEW RESOURCES - GAS

One of the new resources included in the update is gas from geysers to be found on planets - which should be extracted and stored using the appropriate equipment.

NEW PROGRESSION

As you advance in the Tech Tree, you will see that new technologies are reveled, so crossing Stargate to reach the next universe has become important to progress and unlock new content. Because of this, the game's progression pace has also been rebalanced.

HAPPY EASTER - SALES

To celebrate Easter, Astro Colony is getting the highest discount ever! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Wishing you a peaceful, joyful holiday season and an even better year than the last! Happy holidays everyone! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-04-02 00:12:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is celebrating SPRING SALE and development continues! Please check the stream on:

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/tefel/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-03-19 16:28:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! I would love to share with you just a small sneak peek of the upcoming Terraforming update. I am very excited to share it with you! What is coming to the game?

CREATURES CAPTURE

An upcoming update makes exploration more meaningful, where you can find plants and creatures to capture. New Farms and Barns are using provided life and reproduce it over time.

NEW ENVIRONMENTS

The number of available biomes doubles from 8 to 16. Each has its own unique properties, different chances to generate plants/creatures. In addition, new shapes and bigger sizes of planets are available in parallel universes.

NEW RECIPES / GAS EXTRACTION

There are many new recipes and technologies in every universe. This gets us closer to the finals shape of the tech tree. It is rewarding players traveling to the second or third dimension!

BUCKET TOOL / VOXEL DESIGNER

New update brings new tools. For example, bucket tool allows reshaping terrain horizontally and vertically. Thanks to new voxel designer, it's possible to create new predefined voxel shapes to apply on the planets and sharing with community. As a reminder, Steam Spring Sale just started and Astro Colony has the highest discount since the game release! Don't forget to tell your friends about it! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please remember to leave a review, each of them helps the game to grow! Kind regards, Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-03-17 21:14:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! In preparation of a major content update, I just published another improvements and stability update. Below, you can check what actually changed in the game. I encourage you to try multiplayer with better syncing and reliable Stargate, but there are some QOL improvements and new architecture.

New architecture elements, you asked for!

Improvements

• Items/tools are unknown until being revealed (showing question mark)
• Improved parallel universe for multiplayer - traveling/saving/loading/syncing
• Resource no longer have collisions
• Improved flying movement - prevents from pushing player in the low framerate
• New improved Respawn system, allowing to teleport to the last visited space station
• New architecture (upside down blocks) allowing to create more shapes - Corner Ramp Down x3, Ramp Down, Ramp Pyramid Down
• Shape Cube is now foundation type, allowing Humans and bots to walk on it
• Bulk collection system improved - showing all possible materials collected (wood, stone, ice, dirt etc.)
• New tutorials for Grappling, Crafting

Bug fixes

• Fixed multiplayer black screen issue when joining Player Host server
• Fixed multiplayer syncing issue for voxel modified planet
• Fixed player teleporting issues
• Fixed flickering of environments related to world origin rebasing
• Fixed visual glitches in UI for tech tree
• Fixed issue where astronaut would go back to lab after removing canteen
• Fixed laboratory upgrade, not having human menu after upgrade
• Fixed vehicles issues in multiplayer

Please don't forget to leave a review if you played a game and enjoyed it, so it can be supported for years to come! Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-01-26 14:47:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! It was very busy start of the year adding improvements and fixes. To find out about all changes, please check the list below!

NEW FEATURES

• Improved movement with grappling hook to be FPS independent
• Locked elements referencing very late game are showing now indicator in the tech tree
• Music is automatically added, so all songs are available when loading an old savegame
• Tech tree improved to allow sooner access to logic signal

FIXES

• Fixed crash for loading the game related to equipping new tools (grappling, scanner)
• Fixed tools saving and loading, so they are being automatically equipped
• Fixed loading of space station/planet screen map marker
• Fixed Recycling machine issue causing recipe to get stuck
• Fixed Drill issue causing recipe to get stuck
• Fixed Asteroid Catcher issue causing recipe to get stuck
• Fixed Hand Crafting issue causing recipe to get stuck
• Fixed Laboratory tutorial to require construction of Basic Laboratory
• Fixed issues of saving/loading planets which traveled to the next dimension
• Fixed sound issues not being properly removed when destroying a device
• Fixed a dedicated server issue showing warnings
• Fixed music looping after the last track is finished
• Fixed construction tutorial to count any shape (block) as height extender
• Radial menu is now showing proper pickaxe hotkey preview
• Radial menu is now showing proper scanner hotkey preview

I would like to ask for your understanding and support. Making a complex automation game is not an easy task. Happy New Year everyone! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2024-01-03 16:55:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Merry Christmas Colonists! Finally, content update is here! You can grab the latest changes on Steam! I am very excited to present them below!

BALANCE

Every single technology in the tech tree got re-balanced, so check how it works for you! The game should be more challenging, but also more focused on automation. Basic science can also be automated with mining, including drills. I hope it is not too hard. You will need to scale your station a little bit before moving to the next technology.

NEW TOOLS

The new radial menu simplifies tools selection. New tools for extraction, movement and terrain modification are implemented. More are coming for Terraforming update!

NEW HAND CRAFTING

The interaction with hand crafting recipes is now simplified. Each recipe is directly accessible in the menu. Select the multiplication button before pressing recipe to craft x1, x5 or x25 items!

REAL AUTOPILOT

Autopilot before the update allowed you to control all thrusters at once, selecting the direction you want to move. You had to be very precise to match station velocity to reach planets. With the new Autopilot technology, you can simply pick stations/planets to go there!

STARGATE STATION TRAVEL

It's now possible to take space station to another dimension! Before going though the Stargate you have the choice to leave it behind or bring it with you!

IMPROVED LOGIC

Timer pusher is now improved, allowing to push item from conveyor belt to machines setting a specific time. Splitters are also improved: they check what resource has been pushed, making the mix of resources split independently and equally. For example: 9 carbon+ 9 gold will guarantee to have 3 for each direction (left, right, forward).

COPY AND PASTE ATTRIBUTES

Copying and pasting functionality was the most wanted feature. It allows to copy and paste device attributes. It's very handy when it comes to disable many devices, changing recipes or visuals like edges for many floors at once. Furthermore, it also supports pick element, so it will be possible to pick a device and paste it with all settings preserved.

DECORATIONS ROTATE/SCALE

Each decoration and decal can be rotated and scaled via [E] menu. Morover, the new function copy and paste attributes, makes decorations having the same look and size!

IMPROVED MULTIPLAYER API

It's now possible to use JOIN/INVITE for both dedicated servers and player servers. You can join your friends automatically.

BLUEPRINTS IMPROVEMENTS

Blueprint Designer is allowing to modify device attributes. You can configure devices, logic blocks and visual style for your blueprints before constructing them!

FOOD EFFECT

Different types of food affects speed and energy of astronauts.

STEAM WINTER SALE 2023

To celebrate Christmas, Astro Colony is getting the highest discount ever! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ I am also streaming the game tomorrow morning (EU) at 10CET (10AM) both on Steam and Twitch Wishing you a peaceful, joyful holiday season and an even better year than the last! Happy holidays everyone! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-12-21 22:15:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, Colonists! The WEEK LONG DEAL is slowly coming to the end, but if you still haven't decided to add Astro Colony to your Steam library, we have a small surprise for you! You can now get Astro Colony in a bundle with Outpath - an experimental clicker crafting game, where you build your base and buy more islands to expand! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/37155/Astro_Colony__Outpath/ If you want to create your own settlement both on the ocean surface and in space , check out our bundle! Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-12-07 16:22:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! I would love to share with you just a small sneak peek of the upcoming Christmas update. I am very excited to share it with you! What is coming to the game?

COPY AND PASTE ATTRIBUTES

Copying and pasting functionality was the most wanted feature. It allows to copy and paste device attributes. It's very handy when it comes to disable many devices, changing recipes or visuals like edges for many floors at once. It also supports pick element, so it will be possible to pick a device and paste it with all settings preserved.

BLUEPRINTS IMPROVEMENTS

In the upcoming update, you will be able to modify attributes for devices in the Blueprint Designer. It means that you can configure devices, logic blocks and visual style for your blueprints before constructing them!

NEW TOOLS

The new radial menu is coming to the game which will simplify tools selection. There are already a few new tools implemented and more will come in the future.

BALANCE

Together with reworked menus and tools, new balance is coming, which is making the game more challenging. You will be able to spend more resources to unlock later technologies. Don't forget to tell your friends about the discount! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please also help with reviews, so I can focus on developing the game and adding next cool features. Kind regards, Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-12-04 20:10:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is celebrating one-year anniversary and development continues! Please check the stream on:

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-28 21:27:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Colonists! Astro Colony is celebrating one-year anniversary in Early Access. It was a very busy year and brought many updates to the game. Starting with smaller updates like Mods support, blueprints, drill, stargate and major updates about Architecture and Dedicated Servers. It is truly a pleasure to be able to work on this amazing game and share it with you! As you know, I have been working on it for several years now, but definitely it wouldn't exist without your feedback, suggestions and help! The game will be supported for many years to come. Next content update is planned for Christmas then the Major update about terraforming in March next year! I am sure that content updates will help to bring the game into Very Positive review (+90%). Once again I would like to ask for a little bit of trust and help. To show your support you can nominate the game in the ongoing Award on Steam! The only category Astro Colony is eligible is "Labor of Love". I think that the love and passion that are coming from us all will make it grow in a great game! To nominate Astro Colony in Steam Awards go to main Steam Page I would love to celebrate this moment with you guys. Thanks guys so much for support!

[ 2023-11-28 14:00:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is celebrating one-year anniversary and development continues! Please check my stream on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-26 22:00:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is celebrating one-year anniversary and development continues! Please check the stream on:

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/tefel/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-25 14:00:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game just got an update with new logic improvements, player death and many fixes. There are also many new sounds which should help with in-game immersion.

PLAYER DEATH + TELEPORT

There is the new player death. In the past, the game could simply end when you die. Right now the system is greatly improved. It respawns the player in the most convenient place (the base station recently visited). It makes more sense in the multiplayer, where we don't want to interrupt the game but simply continue. This also makes player to be more careful of using booster and checking his oxygen meter.

STABLE CONVEYOR BELT MERGE

Many players suggested creating a merge block, which would help to merge resources on a conveyor belt. Right now all conveyor belts and pipes are intelligent, so they always balance the network taking resources from all possible directions. As you can see from the screenshot, it also nicely work for pipes. After merging hydrogen tanks, rods, oxygen tanks, gold plates they will generate perfect interlace ABCD ABCD output each time.

TIMER PUSHER

It's the new logic block which allows to better control flow of conveyor belts and transport pipes. After specifying time, it pushes resources accordingly. You can decide how often resources are pushed. This can be a great alternative to splitters!

NEW FEATURES

• New sounds for machines, vehicles, docking, movement, walking, flying
• Kicking player who joined when max number of players is reached
• The player can die due to lack of oxygen and health reaching zero. It's respawn on the last visited space station or planet
• New way of merging resources with stable merge
• New logic block Timer Pusher
• Construction blocks (devices, foundations) are now creating flying space 2 above the ground
• Dotted line for invalid path is now supported in multiplayer
• Electric cables and water pipes are now walkable, so bots and humans can walk on top of them
• Player booster now deactivates when there is no oxygen
• Loading a multiplayer savegame in the single player mode will use valid player data
• Savegames can now be filtered by name

FIXES

• Fixed the issue where double theme would not show correct visuals
• Fixed the savegame menu in multiplayer to show multiplayer saves by default
• Fixed teleporting bug related to new respawn system
• Fixed colony origin to not teleport when being constructed
• Fixed the bug where astronaut (who is starving) after reloading would go back to work
• Fixed the multiplayer bug where colony origin would teleport after construction
• Fixed colony Origin cost in the multiplayer
• Fixed vehicle falling when starting the game
• Fixed the default racing mod which did not load after recent changes
• Fixed blueprint Z hotkey which would cause problems for AZERTY keyboards
• Fixed the inventory issue where slots would stack on top of another instead of expanding

Stream starts on Staturday at 20CET (8PM)

As a reminder, the game is celebrating one-year anniversary. I would love to invite you to my stream where I will play with my wife multiplayer. We will play on a public dedicated server, so feel free to join and help us in construction! For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-17 22:28:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game is celebrating one-year anniversary and development continues! Just so you know, there are another improvements update with new QOL and fixes.

NEW FEATURES

• Cosmic event Meteor Rain is enabled in multiplayer
• Cosmic event Electromagnetic Field Storm is enabled in multiplayer
• Safe dedicated server teleporting is now also used for Player Server
• Removing themes are now allowing to keep world state like it was before theme removal
• Re-binding for menus and UI elements supports Ctrl, Alt, Shift keys

FIXES

• Fixed the issue where architecture with missing theme is invisible
• Fixed the issue where bot would reload and ignore "remove tutorial bot" setting
• Fixed the issue where control panel would not stop immiediatly (button) when being moved without autopilot
• Fixed the where decider would be out of sync client/server resulting in having things turn on (like a pusher)
• Fixed the issue where downloading of dedicated server savegame would send an empty file
• Fixed the client Player Host issue where voxels would not load after rejoining
• Fixed the client issue where heads could be invisible after re-joining the game
• Fixed the client issue where heads could be invisible when removing a building with inside astronaut (ex. hibernation chamber)
• Fixed the client issue where Human transport food on the floor
• Fixed the client issue where shared technologies would only apply to all players, but wouldn't apply after rejoining
• Fixed sounds to be in world instead of UI - annoying when someone was pickaxing far and you could hear it

SHARE A SAVEGAME

There is a new channel #share-savegame on Our Discord where you can share a savegame, so it can be used on a Public Server. This way you can share your work, so everybody can see it! It will be hosted just like: Astro Colony Official #11 (Europe) <3 Wanderer

Stream starts on Staturday at 20CET (8PM)

For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel This time I will try to start alone on a dedicated server, but feel free to join any time you want and help me to progress! Name of the server: Tefel's Game

SERVER INSTALLER

Our community member ASIDSX created an app which installs the server and starts it in a very easy manner. The program provides a convenient way for users to manage and configure their Astro Colony servers with minimal manual command-line interaction. It simplifies the process of setting up and running a dedicated server for the game. You Server Installer in the documentation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11sC1F2HdSymO44Hklg3nfrO5D66YIs7rEUrGV1GjpDM/edit Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-10 11:34:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonists! It was very busy weekend with many hours of adding last missing multiplayer features and fixing remaining bugs. I know some of you reported problems with syncing or players being teleported.

SYNCING IMPROVEMENT

There are more improvements to making syncing reliable. Downloading savegames is now supporting bigger files!

PLAYER CORRECT TELEPORTATION

It's not so simple as it looks in the endless exploration game with multiple game modes and backward savegames compatibility. Server now should correctly calculate movement with higher precision, so moving with thrusters and docking shouldn't end up teleporting anyone. There is also the new player teleport system, which ensures that player who joined is teleported to the right location. Even if that location is occupied by another buildings, now the player will be there.

NEW FEATURES

• New multiplayer teleport system helping to find valid spot to teleport - the closest to the blocked spot
• Bulk creation checks now cost before constructing, so it won't create part of the bulk creation
• Docking visuals are now on the client too
• Edge generation removal is now supported in Multiplayer
• Renaming themes is now supported in Multiplayer
• Seed is now exposed to dedicated server params
• AutosaveInterval is now exposed to dedicated server params
• AutosavesCount is now exposed to dedicated server params
• FreeConstruction is now exposed to dedicated server params
• OxygenConsumption is now exposed to dedicated server params
• SharedTechnologies is now exposed to dedicated server params
• Showing password in the pause menu can be now controlled in the Interface settings

FIXES

• Fixed the issue with client being teleported away when moving or docking due to not enough calculation server precision
• Fixed the issue with decider which couldn't be linked (now for real)
• Fixed the issue where big savegames wouldn't download
• Fixed the issue where blueprint wouldn't create if there are enough recyclable items
• Fixed the issue where blueprint in the hotbar would not save in the multiplayer
• Fixed the issue where blueprint would have missing devices when constructing
• Fixed the issue where encrypted password would show instead of normal
• Fixed the issue where human faces were not randomized
• Fixed the issue where docking station would keep changing client planet location after docking causing planet jump
• Fixed the issue where recycling machine of dedicated client would not show garbage container items
• Fixed the issue where player hosted server would duplicate themes twice
• Fixed the issue where themes were not synchronized when player joined

I would like to ask for your understanding and support. Making a complex multiplayer game is not an easy task. Hope together we can create something big! Kind regards, Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-06 14:24:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! The game just got some small updates regarding stability and multiplayer improvements. Thanks to your report, the game is finally in a good technical spot. If you are planning to play with your friends, now is your moment!

IMPROVEMENTS

• Dedicated server password is now encrypted
• FPS counter uses F11 key instead of F12, so it's not creating a screenshot on Steam

BUG FIXES

• Fixed the issue where client couldn't interact with Decider logic block
• Fixed syncing issue where planets would never start generating (causing the lock)
• Fixed issue with leaving the player while possessed (ex asteroid catcher) where dummy character was left "Text" and locked possess state
• Fixed black screen syncing stuck problem for listen server
• Fixed issue with thruster movement teleporting and camera jumping
• Fixed upload save screen visibility of UI elements
• Fixed blueprint bug which would erase last opened blueprint
• Fixed blueprint bug where scene would scroll (move) when entering blueprint designer while holding a key

I would love to invite you to the stream tomorrow 20CET (8PM) where I am going to start a new game with my wife :) You can find the stream directly on Steam or Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tefel/ Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-11-03 20:18:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Small update recent game changes, so you know what exactly was improved and fixed recently in the game!

IMPROVEMENTS

• New improved syncing player with loading bar. If the connection is very bad it will just slow down sending data instead of kicking a player out.
• New bot interactive tutorial plane (round corners) with improved interactions
• Multiplayer pause menu is showing also proper server icon Player Host vs Dedicated
• Authenticated player can now also save the game from the menu

BUG FIXES

• Fixed issue where autosave did not clean autosaves and create more than 10 autosaves
• Fixed issue where after loading legacy savegame inventory wasn't in sync with the server
• Fixed issue where docking station state would not sync to the client if there are more planets docked
• Fixed issue with tutorial bot screen where translucency was inverted
• Fixed issue where loaded location relative to the station was incorrect
• Fixed issue where sync wouldn't start due to late asteroid replication
• Fixed issue where sync wouldn't start due to late planet replication

Thank you very much to all of you who have reported recent problems with dedicated servers. I think the situation has improved a lot of thanks to you guys! If you have encountered an error in the game, please report it on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w in the #bugs-reports section. Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-10-27 14:04:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! It's time for the next update and stream during our Multiplayer 2.0 Major update! Thank you everyone who joined Dedicated Servers and helped me to improve them in the first days of their existence! Some recent changes to the new version posted right now:

DEDICATED SERVER

• Authentication system allows uploading savegames to dedicated server
• Dedicated server now automatically finds and loads the latest save when restarting
• Saving / loading screen can now access saves in multiple places (single player, multiplayer, dedicated)
• Name and password are now visible in the pause multiplayer screen
• Dedicated server has latency visible (green, yellow, red)
• Dedicated server can now be protected with a password
• Dedicated servers list is now ordered alphabetically

BUGFIXES

• Fixed the Dedicated Server issue, where the server wouldn't fully start until player joins (creating glitches)
• Fixed the issue where a joined player would be spawned in incorrect place after station moved
• Fixed the issue where a joined player would not find correct legacy location (single player location)
• Fixed crash where player caused by changing hotbar when possessing asteroid catcher

If you are managing your own Dedicated Server please check updated documentation with many parameters to configure your server! https://bit.ly/AstroColonyDedicatedDoc Tomorrow, for the first time I will stream multiplayer at 8PM CET. If you cannot watch on Steam check my Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-10-23 19:41:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! The long wait is over! Get ready to play Astro Colony on Dedicated Servers! Thanks to the collaboration with GPortal about 50 public servers are provided!
When joining the server, pick the one closest to your location:

• Europe
• US West
• US East
• China
• Japan

Each provided server has unique number in the name. Remember it to rejoin and to continue your adventure.
Together with dedicated servers, many improvements and fixes are already there. The advantages are numerous: more stable connection between players Please keep in mind that the Dedicated Servers are currently experimental. For now, it's not yet set how long one public server session should last and how often servers should be restarted. If you have suggestions, please let me know on the Discord #multiplayer channel. Further patches will be released in the coming days with more functionalities for the servers. You will be able to download savegames from the running server, so you can continue in a local game or a private server. This way you won't lose your progress, and you have access to the backup savegame.

Local Machine

If you have access to the local machine, where you can run Window Server build of the game, follow the guide I prepared for you ;) https://bit.ly/AstroColonyDedicatedDoc Each dedicated server is created autosaves, so you can access them in the /savegame directory.

GPortal

To get your private server, please check Astro Colony on GPortal: https://www.g-portal.com/astro-colony Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-10-20 21:37:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

fixed issue where asteroid catcher after upgrade would have invalid state fixed issue saving attracted asteroids fixed issue with player position not being saved fixed issue where legacy savegame data would be lost after rejoining fixed localization issues with missing icons fixed rover not showing actions fixed player rotation not being correct after loading in multiplayer fixed issues with construction not updating warehouse state for other clients

[ 2023-10-18 07:43:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists!

The second Major update is here! You can already download it from Steam!

What's new?

Multiplayer Menu

There is a new menu where you can find Player Servers & Dedicated Servers (soon). When creating a server, you can also protect it with a password.

Multiplayer game features

It really took long to bring the game to the state where all single player mechanics are working in the multiplayer game. Here are features which got implemented:

• In game chat
• Blueprint Designer
• Vehicles Designer
• Stargate construction
• Parallel universes
• Cosmic events (ex. black holes)
• Screen player markers have nicknames, so you know where your friends are
• Independent chunk creation, so each player can explore and discover new planets. Depending on how far away the generated planet is, it will appear on the map. All planets modified by other players will also appear.
• Asteroids for every player - when generating asteroids, the location of each player is checked, so each player has asteroids around him
• Players assigned to their Steam accounts - each player is recognized by its unique Steam ID, so each time you re-join the game, your progress will be automatically restored.
• Each player is visible on the map
• Clients can now join mid-game and progress is synchronized.

Dedicated Servers

It's already confirmed that dedicated servers by GPortal will be enabled soon! They are making a huge difference when it comes to game synchronization and additional features like joining during the session. Finally, to celebrate this moment with you, Astro Colony is starting a discount week (-25%). https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Have fun grounding new colonies together! Invite Your friends to play and join Our community: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w To all single players, don't worry! New content features are already planned for Terraforming update. Feel free to share your ideas on Discord #suggestions. Thank you for all suggestions which made this update possible! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-10-16 20:11:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, Astro Colony explorers! Just a quick update about the work in progress over the last few months, after the Architecture Update! As you may already know, and as I have mentioned dozens of times, I am working on the dedicated server, which is the next major update!

When can you expect a new update?

9th of October
The dedicated update was basically ready this month, but I decided to push development to another level, transitioning to Unreal Engine 5! The new version of the engine gives new ways to solve existing issues like world origin rebasing, with which multiplayer has had tons of problems in the past.

What are the upcoming features?

There are plenty of changes and improvements in stability and QOL. Let me just share some of the upcoming changes:

• independent chunk creation, so each player can explore and discover new planets. Depending on how far away the generated planet is, it will appear on the map. All planets modified by other players will also appear.
• asteroids for every player - when generating asteroids, the location of each player is checked, so each player has asteroids around him
• players assigned to their Steam accounts - each player is recognized by its unique Steam ID, so each time you re-join the game, your progress will be automatically restored.
• each player is visible on the map
  
• screen player markers have nicknames, so you know where your friends are
  
• game simulation running on a dedicated server, so you can join mid-game and your progress is synchronized. You can also rejoin if you lose connection without losing progress
• loading savegames on dedicated server - both single player and legacy multiplayer are compatible!
• in game chat
  
• multiplayer blueprint & vehicle designer
• multiplayer cosmic events - black holes, stargates
• travel to parallel universe with your space station

If you have friends with whom you would like to play multiplayer, tell them that the game is now at a 25% discount, if they want to get acquainted in the meantime :) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Thanks guys, so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-08-29 22:54:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey, Colonists! The Summer Sale is slowly coming to an end, but if you still haven't decided to add Astro Colony to your Steam library, we have a small surprise for you! You can now get Astro Colony in a bundle with Havendock - cozy colony sim, where you try to survive in the middle of the sea. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/33580/Havendock__Astro_Colony/ If you want to create your own settlement both on the ocean surface and in space , check out our bundle! I would love to invite you to Architecture Dev Stream #6 (the last one). Feel free to comment if you want to see something in particular. Start today (Wednesday) at 20:00CET (8PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-07-12 11:20:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! In today's update, more architectural features have been added to the game:

• auto-generated corners for walls
• the way to interact and disable auto-generated edges for floors

Auto-generated corners

For each 90-degree wall corner the game generates edges that also match themes.

Floor interaction - disable edges possible

Each side of the floor can be independently turned off.
It also supports big walls, so edges can be disabled there as well! Some bugs got resolved, thanks a lot for every report!

Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue where a smelter could leave gates visible after removal
• Fixed a multiplayer crash when loading inside humans
• Fixed wall rotation after picking the world element
• Fixed a multiplayer issue where pushing items could lead to desync inventory
• Fixed some translucency problems (ex. water tank)

As you probably noticed, the Steam Summer Sale is here! Many games, including Astro Colony, are currently on sale! In addition, the game cooperates with other developers to create bundles!

Void Train

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/33359/New_World_Explorers/

Occupy Mars

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/32436/Occupy_Mars__Astro_Colony_Bundle/
I would love to invite you to Dev Stream #5 Please come to say hello and share your thoughts with me! Start today (Sunday) at 20:00CET (8:00 PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for your support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-07-09 00:12:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! It's time for another update regarding navigation, pathfinding and bot requests. There are many new ways to make the navigation and request systems reliable. In addition, many small improvements and changes.

Finding the right path

Previously, bots were automatically locked to the nearest device that contained the desired resource. This was creating confusion for some players and looked like a bug, where transport bots could get locked. There was a dotted line indicating that a transport bot wanted to get somewhere. Currently, each single request (starting from the highest priority - most desired) is checked on all possible devices to make sure that it can reach its destination.
It's also working for astronauts! Previously, starving astronauts who picked food from a canteen would lock themselves to the closest dining table. Even if we tried to build closer to the astronaut, it wouldn't go there because it was locked to the first dining table. Right now, it's finding new tables when we build them. You can still see a dotted line for a split second, indicating a closer device (more efficient), but it cannot be reached, so instead a longer path was taken.

Improved Transport Bots requests

In addition to many navigation improvements, there is an option to choose between device types providing resources (producer vs storage):

• producer is a device that is crafting new items, for example, an asteroid catcher, smelter, kitchen
• storage is a container that has resources via transport, e.g. a base warehouse, storage container

List of changes

• Resource requests can now define a device type
• New savegame system with compression data, allowing to reduce savegame sizes by 70-80%.
• New water shader and updates based on the render side only
• Transport bot can now deliver and pick resources from devices blocked by conveyor belts

Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue where migrated bots would not save when creating a savegame
• Fixed an issue where asteroid catcher would not start a new crafting
• Fixed an issue where switching to other items when having active drag construction would cause a crash
• Fixed an issue where moving station would leave player behind after possessing asteroid catcher
• Fixed a multiplayer issue where the state was corrupted (having invalid docks)

I would love to invite you to Dev Stream #4 Please come to say hello and share your thoughts with me! Start today (Wednesday) at 21:30CET (9:30 PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-06-21 13:25:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! Exciting news: the blueprints library (collections) is already in the game! You can share your favorite blueprints with the community or use them when starting a new game!

Blueprints Library

Blueprints Library is a place where you can create blueprint collections from existing game blueprints or add new ones from locally stored blueprint collection files. The screen is divided into three sections:

Left section

The left panel shows all your current game blueprints. You can select elements and save them as collection.

Middle + right section

Shows a list of blueprint files located in %localappdata%/AstroColony/Saved/BlueprintLibraries After selecting a file, you will have access to all blueprints stored. Pick blueprints you are interested about and add them to your current game!

Missing theme?

What if a blueprint is created with a theme that is not part of my game?
Don't worry, you can decide if you want to create a custom theme based on the missing theme or use the default theme.

Sharing blueprints

To share your blueprints simply go to the save BlueprintLibraries directory and copy files you want to share with the community. There is the new channel #blueprints on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w

List of changes

• New Blueprints Library screen allowing to save and load blueprints from collections
• New save extension used .bprt for blueprint collections
• Seamless glass wall added

Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue where the construction screen item preview wasn't visible when starting the game
• Fixed an issue where possessing an auto-catcher when moving would make the camera jumping
• Fixed an issue where updating water level could cause a rendering crash
• Fixed multiplayer issue where using transfer all button would cause global inventory desync
• Fixed an issue where big floors in blueprints had invalid cost
• Fixed an issue where big walls in blueprints had invalid cost
• Fixed an issue where robots assembler would push robot even if there was not enough space
• Fixed pushing into conveyor belt ramps

I would love to invite you to Dev Stream #3 Please join and share your game ideas, or just say hello! Start today (Thursday) at 21:30CET (9:30 PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-06-15 15:07:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! It's time for a second update with fixes and development broadcast #2. There are some important changes and fixes, so please check the list below. Thank you for reporting all issues, so I could polish the state of the game.

List of changes

• Blueprints can now be shifted in 6 directions
• Blueprints can now be rotated
• Blueprints are now scrollable
• New decals added to the game
• Decals collider is showing size of the decal
• Decals can now change colors
• New way of rendering decals in the construction menu
• Speed of miners increased

Bugfixes

• World deposits no longer can be selected to create a blueprint
• Box selection can no longer select world objects - resources/trees etc
• Multiplayer custom themes are now saved properly
• Logic blocks no longer re-enabled when loaded from a savegame
• Auto-catcher can be manually controlled - no auto catching when possessed
• Encyclopedia overlapping items fixed

I would love to invite you to the Dev Stream #2 Feel free to comment if you want to see something in particular. Start today (Sunday) at 21:00CET (9PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-06-11 17:00:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! There is a new updated version of the game with plenty of fixes and improvements. Thank you once again for reporting every tiny issue you found, it was very useful to polish state of the Architecture update.

List of changes

• Foundations are now walkable. Both blocks and foundations let you construct floors.
• New improved pathfinding to help resolve paths blocked by walls
• Menus are now focusing inputs to quick value change - example logic splitter to change ratio

Bugfixes

• Oxygen no longer consumed when being in the blueprint designer
• Saving/loading of bots and astronauts fixed (yesterday)
• Blueprint designer no longer loses interactions (yesterday)
• Blueprint designer no longer shows interactions with asteroids (yesterday)
• Improved validation for blueprint construction (yesterday)
• Selection tool menu visible (yesterday)

Feel free to comment if you want to see something in particular. Start today (Friday) at 22:00CET (10PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-06-08 19:17:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The first Major update "Architecture & Design" just went live! You can download it from Steam. To celebrate this moment with you, Astro Colony is starting a discount week (-25%). https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ What's new?

Architecture elements

With many new architecture blocks and 3d models, it's now possible to design a space station of any kind and shape. Combining them will allow creating also round shapes like a tunnel.
Walls & Floors have many different shapes you can pick from. Some of them are combining two themes, so it's finally possible to match different looks. In addition, there is a section of big sides with unique appearance.

Blueprint Designer

It's a powerful tool to experiment and design different station layouts and to place them in the world. I encourage you to experiment with:

• automation - inventing the most efficient setups for your catchers/smelters/conveyor belts etc.
• design and decoration - creating blocks/walls/devices with different attachments on them
• complex architectural structure to build your colony

Themes

Attachments & Decals

In addition to systems mentioned before, there are also new decorations which can be directly attached to any surface (device, block, floor, wall, etc). It will be treated as part of it. Each attachment will be rotated/removed together with the device.
Attachment and decals are not following a grid, so you can place them anywhere.

Selection Tool

There is a new way of selecting grid objects in the 3D space. The selection tool creates a volume that can be easily controlled with arrows or specifying dimension directly. It can also filter item types (ex. wall, floor, block). There are still more things coming to the update later this week:

• sharing blueprint and copying them
• multiplayer Blueprint support
• system to rotate/scale every attachment
• more attachments

I hope you will have a lot of fun playing Astro Colony! Please share your creations - and soon blueprints - with the Astro Colony community: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w If you want to see this update in action, you can join my stream on Wednesday and Saturday 20CET. Thank you for all suggestions which made this update possible! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-06-05 19:51:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! After a very long waiting and preparation, finally there is the date of the update! Architecture Major update will be available on Monday 5th June 18:00 CET. The game will also get a discount for about a week to celebrate the new version released! If you don't know what to expect, here is a small sneak peek of upcoming features:

Blueprint Designer

A huge part of the update is a quick way to design parts of the station - combining walls, floors, architecture blocks and devices together.
Then with a simple click, the blueprint can be constructed.
Each blueprint can also be part of the hotbar, which makes it easy to use.

Architecture

There are many architecture shapes and design elements which can nicely fit into a grid system. As you may know, previously all Astronauts ignored walls and doors. This is now going to change, so please be sure that your creations are respecting new rules ;)

Themes

There is a new theme system implemented which allows assigning many different looks to any object in the game. In addition, each theme can be customized with colors of your preference. This creates endless ways of designing your Astro Colony!

Attachments

In addition to systems mentioned before there are also new decorations which can be directly attached to any surface (device, block, floor, wall, etc). It will be treated as part of it. Each attachment will be rotated/removed together with the device. Right now, more than ever, the game needs your support. If you believe in the project, please don't forget to leave a review, share suggestions and obviously test the new version! Thanks guys for being with me so long! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-06-01 17:53:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! In preparation of a major content update, I want to improve overall performance and stability for both single and multiplayer. Knowing how much you struggled with AI disobedience, I finally managed to improve them.

Pathfinding

As you can see, with the new pathfinding astronauts and bots are finding the shortest path. It checks all possible ways to reach buildings and picks the best result. This also prevents from having invalid paths - showing the red line.
Previously, bots only checked the closest point, which could create a problem when it wasn't really reachable by any path.
In the new solution, multiple points path is checked, so it's finding the best match.

Game performance

I managed to improve performance of giant stations, which now scale way better and let you enjoy the game in high framerate practically indefinitely. The station before the update had some optimization issues, but with a few tricks - more LODS, better CPU calculations or disabling distant particles - it now runs at 60+ fps. Expect more optimization improvements in the future, especially one improving movement of a space stations.

Multiplayer

After many reports regarding sync issues, I took time to look into all of them and ensures that savegames can now sync without issues when starting a multiplayer game from a savegame.

Bug fixes & improvements

• fixed an issue with upgrading devices not having a correct state (showing red)
• fixed an issue where gates couldn't animate when resource moved through
• fixed an issue where max request resources stopped at 100
• fixed an issue where more transport bots were assigned than specified
• fixed a multiplayer issue where asteroid catcher would block another player when possessed by 2 players
• fixed a multiplayer issue where starting players would force gravity mode
• new auto-generated names for game lobbies

Please don't forget to leave a review if you played a game and enjoyed it, so it can be supported for years to come! Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-04-29 00:07:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! It was a very busy week! Astro Colony traveled with me to America for the Pax East in Boston. It was a great experience seeing players trying out Astro Colony for the first time! The game has been presented on a Steam Deck which worked very smoothly.

Steam Workshop

As you may know, the last few updates were dedicated to the Mod system. There was still one thing missing which was highly requested: sharing mods via Steam Workshop! Now this is finally possible! You can simply upload a mod using a new version of a Modkit.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_a7RrhsYSqnMV-JhTC6RtUcS5hPwbkI9/view?usp=share_link Even if this decision in the future may make some mods less accessible for other platform users like GOG and Epic Store I decided to make it possible. To make your creation more accessible and popular, consider publishing it to both Workshop and Curseforge.

Standalone MOD Uploader

Modkit has a new standalone app which is authenticating Steam login for you! You just need to make sure that your Steam launcher is running in the background. This will ensure that your profile is linked and you can preview your Mods and be able to add new!
You can easily upload new mods to selected platform:

• Steam Workshop
• Curseforge

Pax East

Pax East is a one of the biggest events, so I was extremely happy to be able to showcase the game at that time. I met many other game developers and publishers. It was a very important experience for me, seeing many players trying Astro Colony for the first time.

Thanks to feedback and interaction I will be able to improve the game in the future.

Steam Deck compatibility

During the event I've been able to test how the game is performing on a Steam Deck. There were a few minor issues like a guidebook videos not playing, that have now been resolved.

What's next?

A major update is around the corner, so please be supporting and stay tuned! See You soon in the next update!

[ 2023-04-04 19:03:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonizers! It's time for a small update and an announcement!

Steam Cloud

In the new version there is a Cloud savegame system which makes easier switching from one device to another, for example Steam Deck. After closing the game, your savegames will get automatically uploaded to the cloud and imported to the new device on launch.

Spring Sale

The game is currently participating in the Steam Spring Sale until March 23! If you still have the game on your wishlist, now is a perfect moment to grab it with a discount. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Recently, I've been updating the game and fixing some mods issues. Steam Workshop support is coming soon and a next big content update somewhere in April about the architecture, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to share it with me. Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-03-18 16:50:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Modders! In this update, modkit is getting big improvements. There is a new version ready to download! First thing what you will notice is a way cleaner UI with only necessary buttons remaining.

Controlling MOD Flow

With a new FLOW asset now is possible to handle Init, BeginPlay and EndPlay.
Modders are finally able to control a game in the most important moments:

• INIT - is perfect to configure game values, adding new recipes
• BEGIN PLAY - is great to interact with all game actors, spawning new actors
• END PLAY - can be used to clean the game state when map finishes

Mods assets can now be discovered

Previously to add new game items (like walls, floors, devices, blocks) modders had to place every new asset in the original directory Game/Items. Right now, each asset will be automatically picked up, as long as it is part of the Mod directory.
There is a new example showing how a new smelter is added to the game just by creating a config and placing a new asset in the MOD directory.

MODS can now be uploaded from Editor

In the modkit there are now 3 possible actions (buttons) located in the toolbar menu:

• Create MOD
• Package MOD - creates zip which can be tested and uploaded
• Upload MOD (new) - uses Steam authentication to upload mods to CurseForge

Uploading mods becomes extremely easy. It only requires runningSteamin the background, which will let you send mods directly to your CF library, at the same time sharing them with Astro Colony community! Steam authentication is a big step towards havingSteam Workshopintegrated. Soon, it will also be possible to upload your mods directly to the Steam. Check documentation since there are more ways to control and modify mods, new utility functions. All you need for modding is Unreal Engine 4.27 downloaded from Epic Games: https://www.epicgames.com/ and on the same hard drive the AstroColonyMOD project, which you can download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_a7RrhsYSqnMV-JhTC6RtUcS5hPwbkI9/
Please join Discord modding channel where you can share your thoughts and get modding advises. Expect more announcements soon regarding modding contests.

Lumencraft released

Our friends just released their game Lumencraft. It has a bundle right now with Astro Colony, so please tell your friends! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/30055/Automation__Exploration_Bundle/ I cannot wait to see your creations! See you soon Colonizers!

[ 2023-03-04 22:06:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! The official MODKIT is finally OUT! Prepare yourself to unleash your creative side!

Gettings Started

All you need for modding is Unreal Engine 4.27 downloaded from Epic Games: https://www.epicgames.com/ and on the same hard drive the AstroColonyMOD project, which you can download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_a7RrhsYSqnMV-JhTC6RtUcS5hPwbkI9/
There are already three MOD examples:

• Racing
• Menu Music
• Cheat Console

and more examples will come soon!

Documentation

I have prepared a very detailed documentation that shows step by step how to create a mod for the game, zip it and then share it with the community https://bit.ly/AstroColonyDoc I am also working on a series of tutorials that will illustrate the process in a few minutes.

Sharing your creations

All mods can be uploaded directly to CurseForge platform via website: https://www.curseforge.com/astro-colony/mods
Soon the modkit will support Steam Workshop and allow uploading them directly from editor. To interact directly in the game, use MOD HUB [H]
Modkit has 100% functionality of the game, so you can do crazy stuff with it, like:

• designing new voxel planets
• creating space stations
• defining new recipes
• adding new devices
• overriding game rules

Please join Discord modding channel where you can share your thoughts and get modding advises. Expect more announcements soon regarding modding contests. I cannot wait to see your creations! See you soon Colonizers!

[ 2023-02-23 19:03:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! New improved mods are coming to the game. It's now possible to download, install and uninstall mods directly in the game!
MODKIT will be shared in the upcoming week. It has 100% functionality of the game, so you can do crazy stuff with it! For example:

• designing new voxel planets
• creating space stations
• defining new recipes
• adding new devices
• overriding game rules

You can already check a new MOD HUB by pressing H in the game!

Please let me know what you think about mods and how important Modding community is for you! Currently CourseForge is the only mod provider, but I am considering adding also a Steam Workshop. I am working on tutorials and documentation, so that anyone can easily start modifying the game. See you soon where I will share a Modkit with you!

[ 2023-02-12 21:17:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! It's time for the last Developer stream during Steam Base Builder Fest. Thank you everyone who joined me in the last few days! That was a great pleasure to play the game with you! Some recent changes to the new version posted right now:

BUGFIXES

• Horizontal inverted mode fixed
• Fixed an issue where typing in the middle of a textbook would move cursor to the end
• Fixed an issue where landing spacecraft directly on a planet wasn't possible
• Fixed an issue where upgraded asteroid catcher wouldn't show asteroid inside
• Fixed an issue where removing conveyor belt wouldn't pick a resource
• Upgrading conveyor belt no longer removes a resource
• New beam effect for extraction asteroids - fixes glitches while moving

QOL / BALANCE

• Increased number of max delivered resources to 9999999 :)
• Tech tree can now remember (save and recover) previously opened state
• Increased number of Quartz contained in rocks
• While moving tree shaking effect less noticeable
• Dust effect less noticeable

If you haven't checked the Demo yet, do it before the end of the festival. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Tonight I will start stream at 9PM CET. If you cannot watch on Steam check my Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-01-29 08:09:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! Today is another day of celebrating Base Builder Festival on Steam. The new Demo 2.0 is available on the website, so don't forget to check it out. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Tonight I will be streaming once again, so please come to say hello! Start today (Saturday) at 20CET (8PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-01-28 15:52:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! I am Tefel (Astro Colony developer) and I would love to invite you to my second stream tonight! Thanks for coming yesterday to see my play. I hope you all enjoyed it! As a reminder, we are celebrating Base Builder Festival You can grab a new Demo 2.0 from a website and get the game with a discount here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Feel free to comment if you want to see something in particular. Start today (Friday) at 20CET (8PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, I am also streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-01-27 13:37:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! I am Tefel (Astro Colony developer) and I would love to invite you to my stream tonight! Astro Colony is currently participating in the Steam Base Builder Fest, so I will focus on creating an amazing base in space! Start at 20CET (8PM) For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Thanks guys so much for support! Don't forget to tell your friends about the game, since there is a new free demo 2.0 to try it out! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2023-01-26 12:05:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Colonizers! This week, Astro Colony will participate in the Steam Base Builder Fest, so get ready to build your Colony in space! Here is a Teaser I prepared for this special occasion using creations of Our fantastic community! [previewyoutube=65hHzOxmlfg;full][/previewyoutube] If you want to play it, the Demo is going to be available throughout the event! The game will also be discounted during it. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ A big thank you to all of you who already played the game and shared your thoughts here and on Discord! Also sending a big shout out to all the players who already reviewed the game! It is essential to its longevity. There is a new update from yesterday. There are new mechanics like Gravity boots, many fixes and QOL improvements. You can find out more about latest changes here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1614550 Hope to see your creations during the Fest!

[ 2023-01-22 15:58:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Hope you are having a great weekend! I am preparing Astro Colony for the upcoming Steam Festival, which starts on Monday - official announcement is on the way. Pay attention to the new Gravity Boots [X] mechanic, finally as many players requested character is levitating by default. There are many QOL improvement, guides and fixes including additional localization.

SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Stationary Jetpack mechanic changed to gravity boots
• New tutorials and guides - gravity boots, construction, destruction, astronauts
• New introduction with a flying sequence
• Fixed an issue where interactions could be not precise while moving
• Spacecraft now having landing legs by default
• Fixed an issue where rover would fall after opening vehicle designer while moving
• Fixed an issue where rover would fall after loading the game while moving
• Fixed an issue where human would rotate when climbing on a ladder
• Fixed an issue where station would move away after reloading the game
• Fixed an issue where transport bots would stop moving after being reassigned to the game task
• Fixed a Stargate issue, where traveling far away would break a Stargate and cause player death
• New Demo compatibility changes, padlocks, tips, versions (demo available for the Steam Fest)

QOL

• Planets contains more dirt instead of water and stones
• Encyclopedia shows relevant technologies for floors, walls, foundations etc
• Encyclopedia shows more different ways of crafting (ex. hand crafting)
• Intro is now localized to all languages
• Hotbar F3 - F7 empty by default, showing tip to manually configure it with [K]

See you next time in a Steam Festival announcement!

[ 2023-01-21 23:05:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Time to start 2023 with a first update! It's mainly dedicated to fixing multiplayer desync, which is currently the most common issue. In fact, in very high latency scenarios and packages loss it was possible to achieve incorrect inventory state in a few different ways. I also completed spacing for bulk construction of big walls and floors.

New drag construction for big Walls & big Floors

As you can see, spacing is now helping to position floors and walls, so they are better aligned. In addition, there are red highlights if an element cannot be constructed.

QOL

• Big walls support drag construction with proper spacing between them
• Big floor support drag construction with proper spacing between them

SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed an issue where selected walls couldn't switch to variants when picked from world
• Fixed UI hit box for technologies
• Wall staple diagonal now has a correct texture

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed an issue where client couldn't destruct while having technology unlocked
• Fixed an issue where destruction of multiple elements didn't pick recyclables
• Fixed an issue where removed asteroid catcher would leave asteroid "ghost"
• Fixed an issue where client could pay warehouse cost double
• Fixed an issue where invalid construction could take resources
• Fixed a desync problem after re-opening quickly the same container
• Fixed a desync problem after re-opening container and doping items
• Fixed a desync problem after removing container with conveyed resource
• Fixed a desync problem after merging and moving items by server

Wish me good luck and productivity in 2023 :) See you next time!

[ 2023-01-09 23:23:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Christmas holidays are coming and Winter Sale as well! If you want to play a multiplayer with your friends and family, it's a perfect opportunity to get Astro Colony with a discount! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Please continue sharing your feedback and suggestions. It means a lot to me! Have a great Christmas time! See you soon in the colony!

[ 2022-12-23 15:45:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Hope you are having a great time! I am fixing some remaining issues, trying to not introduce any new features, so nothing is broken during Christmas holidays! The line glitch is finally gone steamhappy

SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Big floor improvements for detecting invalid construction (red highlight)
• Big floor now prevents from invalid rotations
• Big floor rotation correctly updates construction space and pathfinding
• Fixed an issue where NO PATH lines sometimes were not cleared
• Fixed an issue where Logic Block couldn't rotate when placed directly on a conveyor belt
• Fixed an issue of showing incorrect water production number
• Fixed an issue where rotated wall would have incorrect rotation

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed an issue where sometimes desync movement would create a "ghost"
• Fixed an issue where stationary jetpack was not synchronized for client

Please let me know if we are in a good spot! See you next time!

[ 2022-12-20 21:13:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! The game was released last month and development continues! I am happy about all feedback you gave me and how the game is well received! Also, I am impressed what players can create in the game spending hundreds of hours! To celebrate it I would love to invite you to the third development stream. I want to show your creations and also play multiplayer together with my wife <3 Please share your savegames if you would like me to present your work!

Stream starts at 20CET (8PM)

For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel Don't forget to come over and say hello! Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2022-12-18 14:25:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Some small changes from today. Mostly bug fixes.

SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed an issue where picker was picking resources and let you duplicate them
• Fixed an issue where picker was picking bots and astronauts and let you duplicate them
• Fixed an issue where undocking harpoon connector would produce 5 electricity
• Fixed an issue where drones can get into an endless nudge loop causing a crash
• Advanced conveyor belts look improved

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed an issue where missing player data would not teleport him closer to the host
• Fixed an issue where the game cannot be loaded due to missions data sent
• Fixed an issue where early rebase world origin would teleport a planet

Multiplayer is in a good spot. I am trying to reproduce the last remaining bug with swapping items. Hope I can make progress there!

[ 2022-12-14 22:25:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Another update is here, with some interesting QOL systems.

Docking can now transfer electricity

I know many of you tried this in the past, and it wasn't possible. Right now, docking stations will power other docking stations if they are connected to an electricity source!

Middle click to pick item

This improvement speeds up construction and allow for precise station modifications. For example, you don't have to find the exact floor tile in the construction menu, you can just press the middle mouse button on an existing one in the world!

Cancellation with right click

I know players are somehow used to right click cancel action. This is now also part of the game. You can use Q or Right click to cancel an action :) List of changes:

QOL

• Picker Tool - Middle mouse button now picks pointed element (device, floor)
• Cosmic Harpoon Energy - harpoon connector can now transmit energy to the planetoid
• Pressing Right mouse button switches to empty hand

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed an issue where loading client had no gravity when starting - had to reset the jetpack
• Fixed an issue where client camera is wrong for controlled flying vehicle
• Fixed an issue where client looks tilted on client when unpossessing vehicle

See you next time!

[ 2022-12-12 21:03:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Ol Colonizadores!
This update is adding Portuguese to the game! Thanks to BrenoCoelho is 100% completed! steamhappy
In addition, many multiplayer optimizations. List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed an issue where asteroid catcher beam is visible for one frame
• Fixed an exploit where removing resources after moved on conveyor would generate free resource
• Fixed recycling machine returning recyclables when is destroyed

MULTIPLAYER

• Moving drones/astronauts is using 80% less networking data
• Fixed an issue where client couldn't set requested resources

Vejo voc em breve!

[ 2022-12-11 21:45:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers!
After 3 days of testing and fighting with multiple networking problems, such as: - syncing timers - different framerate server-client - client low framerate - client slightly ahead or behind - pushing/taking resources from containers - pushing with logic blocks - removing conveyor belts, transport tubes - docking Automation and transport system is now usable with minimum of replication data. I tested multiple scenarios, where client has only 12 fps and host has 60+ fps. I am quite satisfied about the result. There is almost no replication data for automation, which is great if it works :D Client still may have some visual glitches when removing many elements.

SINGLE PLAYER

• Transport is now independent of the game framerate (will keep the same speed in 15fps and 60fps)
• After destroying a conveyor belt resource is automatically picked up
• Fixed an issue where marker stays after deleting the colony
• Fixed an issue where marker stays when moving far away

MULTIPLAYER

• New synchronization system showing Syncing when loading a savegame
• Character is now teleported next to the vehicle when going out
• Fixed an issue where teleported character is tilted
• Fixed an issue where character is falling thorough floor when map is enabled

There are more optimization needed for multiplayer, especially where you have many moving bots. It should be now way simpler to synchronize them without using too much network transfer. So, I am just getting back to work! Let me know if there are any issues! Please be patient and supportive :)

[ 2022-12-08 14:10:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 27 summary is here!
I've been working recently on reducing network usage by running simulation on the client and synchronizing it only when necessary. After the last patch, there is 90% less communication needed between the server and the client. In the result, giant space stations can now be loaded fully on the client. All actions got way more responsive, since server has more time to handle them. List of changes:

MULTIPLAYER

• New system to compensate latency and synchronize simulation client / server
• Client side transport simulation & prediction reduces replication by 90%
• Fixed a shared technologies issue where client pays cost double
• Fixed an issue where client would fall through a floor if standing and interacting with asteroid catcher

See you soon, colonizers! Wish me another productive week :)

[ 2022-12-04 23:01:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 25 summary is here!
I am working on the multiplayer, trying to eliminate all weak points of the replication based on a profiler. As you can see the most expensive is transferring bots and resources from one cell to another.
I hope to reduce network usage by 90% when the new client simulation system is finished. List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Sleeping BOT won't wake up when new mission (technology) is unlocked
• BOT can no longer chase you under the platform
• Splitting box now auto focuses number, so player can start typing without mouse action
• Fixed an issue where reloading a savegame could create a double terrain
• Fixed an issue where coming back from parallel universe result in no-interaction state
• Fixed split operation with locked shift key
• Fixed black holes in parallel universes
• Fixed an issue where Far away actors could be despawned

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed an issue where Client after loading has slower speed

BALANCE

• Quartz recipe added to Circular saw - requires 30 dirt
• Stone recipe added to Hydro Generator - requires 50 water and 20 dirt
• Basic science recipe removed (taking all ores) since Auto-catcher generates enough

See you tomorrow, colonizers!

[ 2022-12-02 22:46:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! The new update is here!
It improves many systems, so they can work, save and load in multiple universes. You can keep progressing and rest assured that your creations are safe in another dimension! Now it is also possible to unlock the last achievement "END GAME" just by reaching the last universe! In the future parallel universes will bring more challenges and higher difficulty level, more recipes to unlock, more technologies and unique objects / plants to discover! Next time I will make possible to bring space station with you! List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed an issue where recipe started twice after reloading the game
• Fixed Harpoon Connector conveyor belts
• Fixed an issue where oxygen barrier can be visible in other universes
• Fixed an issue where asteroid catchers can affect parallel universe
• Fixed an issue where loading a savegame in parallel universe would lead to planet removal

I am now focusing back on the remaining multiplayer problems. The most common reported problem is swapping items for clients, which I am going to resolve. Please be patient and supportive :)

[ 2022-11-30 13:51:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Colonizers! Astro Colony is coming out 100% from your loyal support in these past weeks (and even many, many months from backers!), and it is truly a pleasure to be able to work on this amazing game and share it with you! As you know, I have been working on it for several years now, but definitely it wouldn't exist without your feedback, suggestions and help! It will be awesome if you can nominate it for "Labor of Love" Award on Steam! I think that the love and passion that are coming from us all will make it grow in a great game! To nominate Astro Colony in Steam Awards go to main Steam Page I would love to celebrate this moment with you guys. Join me tonight during my stream on Twitch or Steam! CET 8:30PM Please share your creations, so I can show them tonight! Recent changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed the speed glitch when harpoon wants to attract docked planet
• Fixed the issue where oxygen is consumed when game is paused
• Fixed the issue where player is locked in the menu or Map when character is dead
• Fixed the issue where multiple selected elements couldn't be upgraded when not pointing on upgraded element

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed multiplayer stationary jetpack visual for other clients
• Fixed the issue where drag drop items could lead to a crash
• Fixed the issue where undocking cause client falling through the ground
• Fixed the issue with upgraded multiplayer docking
• New synchronized global time dilation for multiplayer - limited to x4
• Fixed the issue with multiplayer tilted character after loading

Thanks guys so much for support!

[ 2022-11-27 09:29:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 18 summary is here! I've been working mainly on the multiplayer improving movement, so it's smooth also when stations are moving with Our friends!
In addition, many remaining multiplayer crashes got fixed. List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed an issue where destroying a station was giving many Colony Origins
• Fixed an issue where recipe can stuck at 99% (once again) - this time for real I hope ;)

MULTIPLAYER

• Decider block condition and number can be now modified by Client
• Fixed an issue where client global quantity is not correct when loading a game
• Fixed an issue where player can deactivate grid after moving to the next one - checks if other player is using the same grid
• Improved server-client position correction
• Fixed an issue where HOST had no construction effect when constructing many elements
• Booster for client is now more responsive
• Stationary jetpack for client is now more responsive
• New Custom movement mode for moving characters - smooth sync and UE hybrid - fixing problem of moving stations

See you tomorrow, colonizers!

[ 2022-11-25 15:35:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 16 summary is here! I am continuing works on the multiplayer. This time, a new system for replicating movement between the server and the client was added to the game. It makes the movement on the client side almost perfect! In addition many major crash fixes, which makes the game way more stable.

Smooth sync - client server movement replication

As you can see, it was very difficult to move on the client in very high latency conditions. It was also causing many disconnects. New system is not only working nicer but also reducing greatly the network bandwidth cost. List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Visual improvements to models, for example copper wire is now more visible
• Improved navigation in some menus, so it's possible to move from one input to another using tab

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed issue where game couldn't be loaded for many devices
• Fixed a crash when transferring items in a HIGH LATENCY conditions
• Fixed an issue where bots left a ghost inside a building
• Fixed an issue when sometimes voxel terrain was not in sync (missing) from server
• Fixed an issue where possessing devices at the wrong time could lead to crash - ex. asteroid catcher, decider block, vehicle
• New experimental World origin rebasing for Multiplayer - improves movement, shadows and animations
• New experimental planet position correction, so they are always synchronized with the HOST

New rebasing is experimental, so it's enabled only when the game is first time loaded from the savegame. I will work on more improvements and fixes in upcoming days. Please be patient and supportive :)

[ 2022-11-23 21:12:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 14 summary is here!
This time I've been working mainly on the multiplayer features making it more stable without disconnection when performing some bulk actions like construction or destruction of many devices. List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Docking can now be upgraded, so conveyor belts are faster
• Fixed an issue where disabled Mines are sending Miners to dig resources

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed an issue where constructing many objects at once as client could cause a crash
• Fixed an issue where destroying many intractable object (ex thrusters) could lead to a crash
• Fixed an issue where loaded game had invalid setting for client (bot tutorial, oxygen)

See you tomorrow, colonizers!

[ 2022-11-21 22:10:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Colonizers! Today's update brings many changes to the multiplayer.

JOINING TO ONGOING GAME NO MORE POSSIBLE

Players who previously experienced problems with other players joining their games uninvited, can breathe a sigh of relief. It's not anymore possible to join during the session. The player who tries is simply kicked out. Also already started game should not be listed.

3 AND MORE PLAYERS MODE ENABLE

With recent multiplayer improvements I feel more comfortable to open 3 and more players mode. Please be very careful when playing together with more than one friend, because it might still be unstable. In case of crash, like always please report it directly to me, so it can be quickly fixed!
Building 1500 tiles floor is not anymore a problem ;) Other changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed the effect of stargate
• Fixed tooltip for upgrade transport pipe
• Fixed suit glitch in cinematic when starting the game
• Fixed missing texture for spacecraft windshield
• Fixed colliders of Metal pillars and column mods
• Changed colliders (conveyor belts) to overlap preventing from blocking drag

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Lobbies updated to not show the game when is started
• Players who joined started lobby is kicked out
• Players who joins lobby with max players reached is kicked out
• Max number of players limited to number of starting players
• Fixed issue where head could fly away on the client after entering a building
• Fixed issue where three and more players have missing player names
• Fixed an issue where constructing multiple elements would cause disconnect

I also want to launch a stream tonight, just for a short time, so if you have a moment come and say hello ;) Thanks guys so much for support!

[ 2022-11-20 20:42:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 12 summary is here! This time I've been focused on some late game mechanics - Stargate and Black Hole. Plus, I did many important fixes like Miners and Drills not being able to change terrain if it's far away and deactivated.

Stargate

Black holes now belong to multiple universes. When traveling they will stay, same as Stargates, so you can safely travel back!
Soon more improvements are coming, so you will be able to take your space station with you! List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed an issue where Miners and Drills couldn't drill when visiting other planets
• Fixed an issue where conveyor belts had desynchronized effect
• Added 1920x1200 resolution to the game
• Fixed an issue where stargate would disappear when moving far away

MULTIPLAYER

• Client can now create colony origin to found a new colony!

Tomorrow I want to look into multiplayer 3+ mode and all other multiplayer improvements. See you tomorrow, colonizers!

[ 2022-11-19 22:48:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 11 summary is here! Once again I would love to thank everyone for finding valuable bugs and crashes which got quickly resolved today!

List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed an issue where astronaut after loading couldn't complete eating
• Fixed case where Farmers and Breeders could freeze after completing action in farms/pastures
• Planting crops are now sorted by distance
• Adding animals are now sorted by distance
• Fixed an issue where Miners would choke after being nudged
• Fixed cost of advanced conveyor ramps
• Conveyor ramps are now 25% faster, so they keep up with normal conveyor belts being better synchronized
• Fixed an issue where second asteroid was black when caught
• Astronaut Hint text fixed
• Lights and other decorations fixed
• Fixed Crash related to Human Needs

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed an issue where client had no screen markers and scanner indicators

I also started completing Stargate feature for parallel universes and doing additional multiplayer improvements. That's coming tomorrow. Have a pleasant weekend!

[ 2022-11-18 21:30:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 10 update brings recovery system for multiplayer. In multiplayer, it's very common that someone is loosing connection or being kicked! Before, this would lead to a situation where progress of one player was lost, unless autosave was created beforehand. Right now, when the client leaves the game, the host is notified and a recovery savegame is created:
All recovery savegames are stored in the /Multiplayer directory and are limited to 5 like autosaves. You configure that number in the settings.
Additional improvements and bugfixes

SINGLE PLAYER

• Farmers when watering plants can no longer go to the same farm
• Breeders when feeding animals can no longer go to the same pasture
• Farmers / Miners pushed into the empty space (without floor) cannot find the way out
• Fixed an issue where Spacecraft had no collision with planets
• Fixed issue where bushes provided quartz
• Bot when reloaded no longer wakes up, if disabled previously
• Fixed an issue where flying very fast would cause generated instances to have incorrect positions

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed an issue where client could start with missing hotbar (low performance case)

More improvements and fixes are obviously coming tomorrow! Please be patient and supportive :)

[ 2022-11-17 18:53:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 9 summary is here, Shared technologies for Multiplayer are now part of the game! I know many of you guys really wanted it, so here it is!

Shared Technologies

Now, in the Lobby settings, HOST can turn on Shared Technologies. This allows players to share technologies and points and keep progressing together.
This also works for savegames, so you can decide to use HOST technologies for all other players. If you have a multiplayer savegame that will replace other clients technologies. If it's a single player game, it will simply apply HOST technologies, letting everyone to have the same progress. Each technology will unlock for both of them, so booster will allow both of them to move faster etc.

Single Player in Multiplayer?

Since you can easily turn on shared technologies, there is no reason why you should not try a single player saved game in the multiplayer ;) You just need to copy the savegame and turn on shared technologies option. %LocalAppData%\AstroColony\Saved\SaveGames to Multiplayer directory Don't forget to select Shared technologies (otherwise) your friend won't have technologies unlocked ;) Here is my single player game I streamed on Twitch in the multiplayer
Many bugfixes also came to the game today!

SINGLE PLAYER

• Fixed an issue where distant miners cannot dig voxels in result not providing any resources
• Fixed an issue where Miners not starting work because deposit is blocked by another building
• Fixed crash when flying with a vehicle to the planet can cause the crash
• Player inside vehicle no more consumes oxygen
• Main Menu framerate cap to 30fps

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed oxygen consumption for when using Booster for Host and Client

Today I also started a recovery system for multiplayer disconnection - it works like auto-savegames, the moment player disconnects. There is still some work required, so this will come tomorrow. See you tomorrow, colonizers!

[ 2022-11-16 20:59:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 8 summary is here, There are new systems and improvements in place, also a lot of bugfixes, so please check this out!

Auto Asteroid Catcher can now select resources to catch

After many requests of you guys, that would be great to just select resource type to collect in the Asteroid Catcher, I added this option today!

Farmers

They can now fly and reach devices in the sky. Also, if there is not enough space to exit the building, they will appear above the ground, so no worries that you can easily block them by cables or pipes.

Miners, Transport Bots & Humans improved

Many pathfinding issues are now gone. There is also improved system to find the top position of the terrain, allowing miners to climb even higher! In addition, Miners can now destroy Trees, Bushes and Rocks providing quartz and wood.
Other changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Main manu optimization and frame rate cap to 60 fps, so it's not consuming GPU anymore
• Auto catcher upgraded from catcher consumes 4 electricity
• Human no longer go to canteen without the food
• Fixed issues with floor colliders for height extenders
• Fixed issue with missing collisions
• Fixed issue with planets showing inside

Today my main focus was on a single player, Tomorrow is going to be a day of multiplayer improvements - crash fixes, new modes and missing client functionalities. Wish me another productive day! Please be patient and supportive :)

[ 2022-11-15 19:57:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Colonizers! With today closes the first week of EARLY ACCESS launch! These have been pretty intense days, full of feedbacks, ideas and updates! Thanks all of you for believing in Astro Colony! Keep staying active in the community to report bugs and to help in the development! I invite you - if you aren't there yet - to join above all our Discord, where you will find a great team and a lot of answers!

As a reminder, launching 10% discount ends in about an hour (18CET)

Below you can find a summary of DAY 7 and bug fixes!

SINGLE PLAYER

• Farmers improved - assigned to the farm field, so other farmers are sent elsewhere
• Breeders improved - assigned to the pasture, so other breeders are sent elsewhere
• Fixed Crash related to Remote Fabricator transport bot delivery
• Fixed Transport bots delivery stuck in Asteroid Catcher
• Fixed Barrier disabled - not removing the barrier
• Fixed disabled Farm to stop sending Farmers to plant crops
• Fixed disabled Barn to stop sending Breeders to get animals

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed the crash related to asteroid spawner

Updates are going always to privilege crashes and serious bugs. Then, in the weeks to come more QOL adjustments will be done. I really hope you are enjoying the game and you see the potential of it, even if it's only in early access. Please stay tuned and have faith in Astro Colony!

[ 2022-11-14 15:55:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! I am Tefel (Astro Colony developer) and I would love to invite you to my second stream tonight! Feel free to comment if you want to see something in particular. I will check some of Our community creations and having a lot of fun! Start at 21CET (9PM) For people who has Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel It won't last very long, since I want to rest a little bit and sleep, so I can start this new week fresh! Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2022-11-13 18:13:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 6 summary is here, I did great improvements both in Single and Multiplayer I would love to share, but before important announcement: Due to negative reviews for experimental 3 and more players mode, I decided to close option until all problems are resolved. It will take some days, but as soon as is open again I will let you all know! Your multiplayer feedback is very valuable, thank you! I ask for your patience and comprehension.

SINGLE PLAYER

• Cables, pipes improvement to not accidentally build them on another station
• Lowering Main Menu graphic requirements based on community feedback
• Reduced visible dust effect on planets

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Multiplayer 3 and more players mode temporarily closed
• Fixed an option to upgrade devices for Clients
• Fixed an issue with pickaxe grid not displayed for the client
• Fixed an issue where Colony Origin is not visible for client when constructed
• Fixed an issue where docking station is not docked on the client and having no conveyor belts
• Fixed an issue with teleportation planets around client
• Crash fixed related to Asteroid Catcher

Today my main focus is on many Single Player improvements like transport bots, miners, farmers. Wish me another productive day! :)

[ 2022-11-13 10:00:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! I am Tefel (Astro colony developer) and I would love to invite you to my stream tonight! Feel free to comment if you want to see something in particular. I will check some of Our community creations and having a lot of fun! Start at 22 CET (10PM) Thanks guys so much for support! Tefel (Terad Games)

[ 2022-11-12 20:11:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 5 summary is here! I would love to thank everyone for finding valuable bugs and crashes which got quickly resolved today! In addition special thanks to Aquailis & antiqwiz who helped to complete Hungarian localization to 100%!
List of changes:

SINGLE PLAYER

• Added 100% Hungarian Localization
• Fixed crash related to selection of empty Hotbar item
• Oxygen generator swap mechanic added
• Cactuses missing visuals fixed

MULTIPLAYER

• New improved multiplayer Wolrld Origin for endless exploration
• Splitter is now supporting multiplayer
• Fixed issue where Colony Origin did not recover in multiplayer game
• Fixed an issue where planets could have wrong location after loading

I think we are ready for the weekend! steamhappy I will be busy with more improvements, but you can enjoy the game a little bit more! See you on Astro Colony!

[ 2022-11-12 03:50:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Day 4 summary is here, multiplayer works continues and makes it more stable.

SINGLE PLAYER QOL

• Conveyor Belts allowing to place logic blocks directly on them
• Oxygen generator having mechanic to swap input/output

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Sevagame recovery system - teleporting players closer to the host when data is missing
• Savegame showing number of players saved - missing player data detected
• Crash fixed related to client early grid initialization
• Crash fixed related to client drill recovery
• Crash fixed related to client transfer resources inside containers
• Crash fixed related to client move resources on conveyor belts
• Fixing various issues causing crash when loading a savegame

There are known multiplayer issues related to endless exploration and world origin changes: - when loading a savegame client may have "moved" generated planets on the map - client may experience "jump" of generated planets when host is moving - client may have incorrect generation of planets I will let you know when next fixes are here, during the day! Wish me good luck ;)

[ 2022-11-11 06:22:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! I have great news for you, it was another productive day, more bugs fixed!

SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Removed Far Away indicator, which was confusing for players and causing additional problems
• Carbon Reactor exploit is now removed - setting number of crafting will disable device
• Fixed crash with base warehouse where invalid items are stored
• Fixed incorrect names for plants and rocks
• Improved UI, so all buttons are visible when using 130% scaling

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Fixed various multiplayer savegame problems, so loading should be always possible
• Fixed issues with planets not being loaded
• Fixed issues with planets to not have valid terrain state
• Removing docking is not causing the crash

Multiplayer should be already way more stable. More updates are coming next days.

[ 2022-11-10 00:47:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! Another exciting day in Astro Colony! Once again, thank you all for your support! Many important bug fixes are coming to the game. Our community is really fantastic, highlighting new issues, so they are quickly resolved! You are guys, amazing! SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Vehicles are now saved and loaded with all components
• Fabricator bot recipe is now unlocked in the Tech Tree
• Stargate expedition cost updated
• Crash resolved when constructing a docking harpoon on a planet
• Crash resolved when using a drill

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• Resolved issues with long seed being invalid for clients
• Fixed issue with recipe quick add button (1,5,max) for devices
• Crash resolved when loading a savegame related to planetoid synchronization
• Various crashes resolved related to server-client synchronization

More fixes are coming today, so I will let you know about next improvements.

[ 2022-11-09 07:38:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

What a day! Thank you everyone who already supported Astro Colony! It was in fact very intense day and long day. I've been trying to keep track with every bug reported. As promised I am posting a bugfixes list for Day one of the Early Access release! SINGLE PLAYER BUGFIXES

• Chinese language for tutorial bot is now present
• Planetoid generation is now improved and should always provide early resources
• Menu Music can be controlled by settings in the game
• Occasional crash fixed related to construction of docking harpoon

MULTIPLAYER BUGFIXES

• recycling machine not causing crashes anymore
• scrollable list of lobbies to join
• crash releated to taking and moving items inside container is now fixed
• private server option is now temporarily removed

[ 2022-11-08 00:05:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Colonizers! The day has come! From today 7th of November, 6PM, Astro Colony is finally released into Steam Early Access! We are so happy to have reached this important milestone after 4 years of work! I would like to thank those who helped me shape the game during this journey, from modelling to music, and a big Thank You goes to the whole community who supported me and helped in the battle against bugs! Please continue to report them to help me fix them steamhappy There is the Discord Community already settle for it! For this launch there is a 10% discount limited for this week of release, so be fast! As you may have seen in the post https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1614550/view/3405311447045407628 the colony will continue to grow after the EA, with new updates that are going to come soon! A huge thank you again for the support and believing in the project! But now, go and play Astro Colony!

[ 2022-11-07 16:59:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! I am getting panic before the game is released, so to relax I am doing a pre-release Stream. When? Tonight (Sunday) at 8PM CET TIME! Where? You can watch it both on Steam & Twitch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel It's a perfect opportunity to ask me anything before the game is released tomorrow! Please wish me good luck and don't forget to come over to say hello! See you tomorrow!

[ 2022-11-06 16:49:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonizers! As You know, the game is coming on Monday to Early Access. This is a huge milestone for us, but obviously is just a beginning of the journey!
In the roadmap, you can quickly check what features are planned in the upcoming months!

LINUX & MAC

The first important update will be dedicated to finalizing versions for Mac and Linux. I've been testing them, but I want to deliver the best experience possible, without cutting any features or sacrificing visuals! Tests for playable version will be shared on Discord soon, so please join and check channels:

• iOS
• Linux

Dedicated servers

To improve multiplayer experience, dedicated servers will be provided to guarantee stability of the gameplay.

3+ players

Two players mode is currently the most enjoyable and stable configuration. This update will improve greatly, 3 and more players mode!

Controller support + Steam Deck

The game allows already to use controller for navigation. This update will bring controller support to another level, detecting both PS and XBox controllers and adding needed features for a great Steam Deck experience.

Next big updates

The vision for the game is including more exciting features in Q1 and Q2 2023 including planets terraforming and detailed customization of the space station. Please stay tuned and have faith in Astro Colony!

[ 2022-11-05 17:16:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Colonizers! It's only 5 days left until EA release NOVEMBER 7! I would love to invite you for the short Early Access celebration stream! When? Tomorrow (Thursday) at 8PM CET TIME! Where? You can watch it both on Steam & Twitch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel It's a perfect opportunity to ask me anything before the game is released in just 5 days! Please wish me good luck and don't forget to come over to say hello! See you tomorrow!

[ 2022-11-02 16:09:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello STEAM friends! We are getting closer to the Early Access release (7 November)! Everyone who supported the project with Steam Key is going to receive it soon. You will be able to activate the key on Steam, but the game won't let you download it until 7 November, when the game is released!

The BETA version

If you have access to the current beta version, it will remain how it is, but won't be anymore updated in the future.

The DEMO version

The demo which is still available on the Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ is going to be removed end of the month. If you still haven't tried the game, you have time until 31st of October!

Is the release date safe?

Yes, there is no risk of postponing the release date. The game is in the late polishing and optimization stage and multiplayer is very stable as well. Please check Astro Colony refreshed trailer prepared for the game release! [previewyoutube=syKPaZDa56o;full][/previewyoutube] Don't forget to tell your friends about upcoming Astro Colony release. Invite them, so you will have someone to play with! ;) Join our Discord community See you soon colonizer!

[ 2022-10-26 16:35:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! We are extremely happy to announce that Astro Colony was awarded by Epic Mega Grant! It's a great honor to us! We would like to thank Epic Games for this award!
This additional help gives us extra confidence for our Early Access release in just about three weeks! Save the date: November 7th! [previewyoutube=wtdfDORKsuA;full][/previewyoutube] Add Astro Colony to your wishlist, so you will get reminded about upcoming release! Join our Discord community Get ready to explore the Universe in less than a month!

[ 2022-10-16 17:26:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello Colonists! We are extremely happy to announce that Astro Colony is going to be released in about a month! It took our small team a year from the Kickstarter to get where we are now.

7 November 2022

EA release is scheduled for 7th of November. There is already a counter on the website and Steam page shows it too! Let's look closer into additional features we squeezed before the game release!

Animated Cinematic is Our way to tell you the story about first colonists exploring the universe!

A voxel exploration game could not exist without a variety of biomes and hundreds of plants!

Play the game in the co-op mode with your friends or join other hosted lobbies.

There are currently cosmic events available. They will surprise you! Use the new redar system to detect them!

Browse, install and unistall mods directly from the game!
New astronauts are joining the crew! We managed to add all faces sent to us by Our Kickstarter supporters.

We found very talented music composer (Casper) who is helping us to create best matching sci-fi music for Astro Colony! There is about 10 min of unique soundtrack composed and more is still coming! [previewyoutube=31mdoKBsLH4;full][/previewyoutube]
Optimization was always a strong Astro Colony point, especially now just before the game release! CPU - many small systems got converted into very performant global systems, like asteroid catchers into one global catcher system. Number of components created got reduced to absolute minimum. Important change for empty (not visited by player) planets. GPU - although plenty of new models got added to the game like trees, plants, rocks etc, they all got greatly optimized with many level of details. Other expensive effect are disabled automatically based on CPU / GPU benchmark scores. This allows to reduce significantly minimum specs. MEMORY - Loading times got greatly improved due to memory cleanup. There are fewer references (elements loaded) into the memory and 90% of assets are loaded in the background!
There are obviously more things to come. We have a Roadmap which we would love to share soon. So you know what is going to happen with the game after the release on Steam November 7. For example, we want to add controller support and versions for Linux/Mac before end of 2022. Expect plenty of interesting updates like terraforming, new devices and tools, architecture, single player and multiplayer mods! Add Astro Colony to your wishlist, so you will get reminded about upcoming release! Join our Discord community See you soon colonizer!

[ 2022-09-28 22:18:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! It's time to announce a second Developer stream during the ongoing Steam Festival! This Saturday 15 CET (6:00am PDT) I will be streaming live Astro Colony demo! It's a great opportunity to find out more about this base building game, where you need to automate your colony while exploring an endless procedurally generated voxel Universe! Don't forget to try the demo, as long as it's available during the Festival! This time I will be playing the game longer, trying two different approaches:

• First - starting again from the tutorial and explaining game mechanics
• Second - speedrunning it, focusing on automation part and growing colony as fast as possible

Please wish me good luck and don't forget to come over to say hello! Thanks guys so much for support! Terad Games

[ 2022-06-17 22:07:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey Astro Colonists! I have some wildly exciting news to share with you today. During Steam Next Fest (Wednesday 20 CET) I will be showcasing livestream Astro Colony demo! If you want to check it out, make sure to set a reminder for June 15 at 11:00am PDT. I will be playing the game (Tefel) showing everything from start to finish! If youre as pumped as we are, then please, tell your friends! Tell your foes! Tell every stranger who crosses your path! And as always, thank you so much for your continued support. We love you SO HARD!!! Terad Games

[ 2022-06-14 16:28:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, Astro Colony explorers! We are happy to announce that we are participating in the Summer Next Fest on Steam starting on the 13th of June! Everybody will have access to the demo, available on our Steam Page, and will be playable throughout the event. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/ Check our official Summer Next Fest Teaser! [previewyoutube=IMiCAkWHgG8;full][/previewyoutube] We hope you will join our Discord community to share your feedback! https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w

[ 2022-06-10 15:23:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello, Astro Colony friends. These are strange and challenging times were all living through. I hope that our game brings you happiness and some kind of healthy distraction.

BETA

December last year, weve been able to successfully launch Astro Colony Beta on Steam. We sent personalized keys to all our Kickstarter supporters. We approached closed beta tests, which will allow us to focus entirely on the Early Access release Q3 this year!

Astronauts

Our Astronauts recognize both genders and generates additional visuals for hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and beard!

MODS

The game supports mods. We are planing to make mod-kit publicly available, so our Astro Colony community can help us creating interesting mods for the game! [previewyoutube=B_Yfx2P_JA4;leftthumb][/previewyoutube]

Architecture

There are many new construction blocks in the game. In addition there is a new generation system which creates floor edges.

Localization

Thanks to our fantastic community we are almost 100% complete in the localization process. If you would like to help us improving existing translations and adding missing, please check our community localization website: https://astrocolony1.vps.webdock.io/projects/astro-colony

Find out more

Check more interesting facts on the Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teradgames/astrocolony/posts/3477193

[ 2022-04-15 21:01:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

As you have seen in the past days, Astro Colony Beta Version is out! You can already enjoy it and help us improve the game!
Let's meet on our Discord and talk! https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w If you are not our supporter, you can find out more on the official website: https://astrocolony.com/

[ 2021-12-22 16:38:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Modular Vehicles are now part of the game, where you can pick attachments, positions, sizes, layouts and colors. Each vehicle can be crafted in the Hangar by providing necessary resources. [previewyoutube=_1SlWtq0dJs;full][/previewyoutube] Vehicles are useful to move on planets and to shape the terrain. Depending on the purpose you can attach more tools during a design phase.
The designer is very flexible, allowing for various shape modification, wheels placement which will result with a unique look of your vehicle!
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/unrealengine/comments/qlz5lr/added_modular_vehicles_to_my_voxel_game_astro/ Let us know what type of modules would you like to see in the vehicle. Join our Discord and start discussion now!

[ 2021-11-03 22:53:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

The social translation of the game has just opened. If you are fluent in one of the following languages, you can help locate Astro Colony. Thanks to you, people who use this language will also be able to enjoy the game, same like you do!
At the moment, 6 translations from English have been opened:

• French
• Italian
• German
• Russian
• Chinese
• Polish

All the main phrases related to the gameplay itself and the sandbox mode are available for translation. How to translate? Step 1: Register at [url=https://astrocolony1.vps.webdock.io/]https://astrocolony1.vps.webdock.io/ If you cannot see the confirmation email, check your spam directory. Step 2: Start translating by selecting preferred language. Remember to keep the same formatting as in the original text - special characters etc. Example 1: ASTEROID CATCHER -> (French) CAPTEUR D'ASTRODES Example 2: " saved" -> (German) " gespeichert" Example 3: Container to store water -> (Polish) Kontener do magazynowania wody In case of any questions join our Discord Thank you for your support!

[ 2021-10-04 16:39:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's now possible to support the game directly on the website, pre-ordering it with 20% discount and getting access to the beta-testing end of this year! Support Astro Colony here
What's next? We are currently working on next updates related to the goals achieved during the Kickstarter and polishing the game. We want to publish our roadmap soon and make social translation available, so people can help us to make perfect translation for each language in the game! To join our fantastic community, check our Discord Thank you for your support!

[ 2021-08-21 12:53:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

It was indeed an amazing month! I am impressed by players overwhelming feedback and support! I couldn't imagine better Kickstarter outcome! We've found so many passionate players! They joined our Discord community server, which currently has almost 500 members! The Kickstarter campaign is now over! 1325 backers HELPED with 34,763 to bring this project to life! Congratulation and thank you!
What is coming next? Later today I'll be sending out your Kickstarter surveys.

• you will get your Discord role, suggest name of the planet and astronaut
• if you got "Design Your Astronaut" reward we will send you instructions next month, so we can start preparing 3d models based on provided (photos)
• for designing a space station and a cosmic event we will contact you directly!

When can I play the BETA? The beta access will be provided to all our supporters on Steam end of this year! Can I still play the demo? Yes, the demo will stay available! You can expect few updates which will improve playability and fixing the majority of bugs. Every new demo version will be announced on our Discord. The beta access will be provided to all our supporters on Steam end of this year! One again thank you for your support!

[ 2021-07-30 14:09:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

We just reached our goal of 30000 thus securing the Story Mode with a professional voice acting! This means that bot-interactions will have a voice over explaining where you come from and what is your next task! Thank you and congratulations to all our supporters!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teradgames/astrocolony Our next goal is a MODS support at 40 000! I know how modding of the game is important for the game longevity! There is not much time left, but I believe that together we can achieve it!

[ 2021-07-28 08:04:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

We just reached our goal at 25000. It means that Astro Colony will be released on consoles (Xbox & Playstation) with QOL improvements and full controller support! This will also greatly improve experience on devices like the upcoming Steam Deck! Thank you and congratulations to all our supporters! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teradgames/astrocolony
Our next goal is a Story mode with a professional voice acting at 30 000! You can expect that your "personal assistant" a-bot will talk to you during the gameplay! You can expect funny dialogues and interactions similar to the game Portal 2! I cannot wait to see our next goal secured!

[ 2021-07-25 09:11:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

We just reached our 20000 goal, thus securing the creation of a modular vehicle system! There are prototypes which allow attaching multiple thrusters and wheels to the vehicle! With this goal secured, we will be able to make the whole system complete, adding a smaller grid and plenty of tiny construction blocks, so each vehicle will be truly unique!
Our next goal is to release the game on consoles, improving already existing controller support and making sure that console versions run smoothly. We will continue our talks with publishers and picking the best option for the game. Check Kickstarter website, there are only 6 days left! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teradgames/astrocolony

[ 2021-07-23 12:50:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

We've reached the Extended Multiplayer goal, which means that full Steam integration is going to be part of the game when it is released in 2022! This means that the game will integrate invites, messages, finding server and ranks!
Yes, there is going to be a multiplayer! It will be a part of Early Access release next year! Our next goal is to provide complex mechanics of constructing modular vehicles. It will work similar to TerraTech where you attach components and this just works. We've created already few prototypes testing how vehicles with 3, 4, 5, 8 wheels are behaving. The same principle applies to the smaller thrusters as well! I just cannot wait to see what type of vehicles people will create! Hope we will reach our next goal! You can read more on the Kickstarter website! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teradgames/astrocolony

[ 2021-07-13 13:02:35 CET ] [ Original post ]