Hello, Engineers!
This week’s update adds two essential survival blocks: the Large and Small O2/H2 Generators, which convert ice and water into usable Hydrogen and Oxygen gas.
We’re also expanding your building options with the new Armor Slope Transition Tip and its mirrored variant, letting you add even more detail and variety to your armor layouts.
Be sure to check it out - all blocks are available now!
VS 1.5 Modding
Next big update is VS 1.5 Modding. Here are some use cases that I was recently testing:
- Replace the default skybox in the game - can be done in few clicks
- Replace the texture on the default Medbay block with a chrome one
- Add a new Medbay block to the game - so it shows as a new block in the G-screen
During this testing we discovered some bugs and some weird UX issues, which are getting fixed, so it was pretty useful. Here are few examples of Modding in action:
Space Engineers 1 Couch Model imported and material adjusted.
Gizmo control of dummies.
Thruster with a light and gyroscope built in - you are not restricted by entity type anymore!
And a view of terminal with both light and thrust override.
The reason why we decided to add modding so early was that SE was always about our community and our modders and we want to support them as soon as possible, and also we hope that it will add extra value to the game, and help grow SE2 faster. But it’s hard to say, maybe starting with Survival would be a better growth strategy. Hard to say.
Gameplay: Colonizing the Almagest System
The heart of Space Engineers 2's gameplay is the new colonization system. We've divided the Almagest solar system into distinct regions, each offering unique resources, challenges, and opportunities. As you complete missions and establish infrastructure in these areas, you'll increase your "colonization index" – a measure of humanity's foothold in this distant star system. This creates a clear, visible progression path while maintaining the sandbox freedom that defines Space Engineers.
Every engineering project, exploration mission, and combat encounter contributes to your colonization efforts. Complete a power station? Your colonization index rises. Establish a mining outpost? The index grows further. Defend against threats? Your settlement becomes more secure. This system gives purpose to your engineering projects within the broader narrative of humanity's expansion.
We're framing this experience as "The New Space Race" – where players collaborate and compete to establish humanity's presence across Algamest. This creates natural objectives that are always visible and clearly communicated through mission markers, HUD indicators, and detailed objective panels. You'll always know what your current mission is, where to find essential resources, and what rewards await completion – all through intuitive visual guidance.
While Space Engineers 1 excelled at engineering, physics, and sandbox elements, SE2 will enhance these foundations with stronger gameplay loops and progression systems. We've designed the game to provide a satisfying rhythm of challenges and rewards – you'll experience meaningful accomplishments every few minutes rather than hours, keeping engagement high while building toward larger achievements.
We're implementing several accessibility features to support this vision:
- Backpack building for direct ore-to-component conversion during construction
- Enhanced projection building with our improved ghost block system
- New build planner interface streamlining the engineering process
- Redesigned blueprint system facilitating knowledge sharing between engineers
Block unlocking will be tied to both your colonization progress and your building achievements – construct basic components to unlock advanced ones, with region-specific resources enabling specialized technology.
We're also considering role-based specialization paths (Explorer, Engineer, Pilot, Industrialist) that would complement the colonization system while preserving the sandbox freedom SE is known for.
Throughout all these changes, we're improving accessibility without compromising depth. Space Engineers 2 will be easier to learn but just as challenging to master – maintaining the engineering complexity our community values while welcoming newcomers to the universe we're building together.
Please let me know your thoughts - suggestions, questions. It’s time to start discussing the gameplay with you!
Full Blog Post: https://blog.marekrosa.org/
Please join us for Space Engineers Developer Livestream!
- 🚀 Friday, May 9th, 5 PM UTC
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Image Credits: Mech by freemelody0
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