Hello, Engineers!
This week’s update adds the Large and Small Ore Detector models. In future Survival mode, they will be used to locate nearby ore deposits.
Be sure to check it out - all blocks are available now!
The team is almost finished with VS 1.5 Modding (should be completed this week, and then a few weeks of testing will begin). With this milestone approaching, everyone is now shifting focus towards VS 2 - Planets and Survival, which I'm personally very excited about.
Some of the basic loops in the game are already working well during our internal playtests: the ore detector now elegantly displays ore locations on your HUD, you can drill ore, and the inventory screen allows smooth movement of items between inventories and grids. During yesterday's playtest, we focused on refining the grid roll function (Q/E keys) which many of you noticed wasn't fully implemented. I'm pleased to report it's now working as intended.
The art team is polishing voxel materials for planets - cliff materials, grass, soil, sand, and more. I'm genuinely impressed with how planets look from orbit and from 1-2 km distances - the view is breathtaking. However, we still have work to do in the middle distance range (200-2000m), where some material detail patterns don't quite match the scale. This is the kind of subtle polish that will make a huge difference in the final experience.
Turning SE2 into a Game: Core/Meta Loops & Progression
This topic has become my personal priority. Many systems in SE2 are already solid and polished, so now it's time to "turn it into a game" with meaningful, satisfying loops.
Core loops in SE2 encompass exploration, engineering, combat, and various combinations of these activities. A key design principle we're implementing is accessibility - ensuring the first experience with engineering isn't overwhelmingly complex, which might discourage new players. We're designing a progression from simpler engineering tasks to more complex challenges as players gain experience, but importantly, players are free to progress in any direction they want. The game will gradually introduce more complexity and challenges, but you'll never be forced down a specific path.
Let me walk you through a concrete example: Imagine spawning on a planet where your HUD objectives guide you to a ship projection. The interface intelligently directs you to nearby resource locations. You mine ore and then use backpack building (which automatically converts raw ore to components for basic blocks) to weld the projection block by block. Within minutes, you've constructed your first ship, and your HUD guides you to the next objective. Of course, this is just one optional path - you're always free to ignore these suggestions and forge your own way through the universe.
This engineering core loop creates satisfying and rewarding moments every few minutes. It's something players will repeat regularly, so we're meticulously fine-tuning it to ensure it remains engaging. This is just one example - we have numerous core loops designed with the same care.
Meta loops provide longer-term goals. You might accept a mission, travel to a specific location, solve various challenges (exploration, combat, engineering), receive rewards, and then progress to the next mission. Through this journey, you'll unlock new areas and advance your colonization index - a visual map showing which regions of Almagest you've already colonized. This provides intuitive, visual progression feedback without resorting to arbitrary gates.
Progression in SE2 isn't about arbitrary skill trees or artificial restrictions. Our philosophy is to gradually introduce complexity, allowing players to learn the game's systems organically while providing clear visual indicators of progress. We respect player intelligence while ensuring the learning curve doesn't become a learning cliff.
What I've described is just a glimpse into the ongoing design discussions we're having. Another major topic we're currently brainstorming is the combat meta and core loops - examining why players would attack or defend, what challenges they'll face, what rewards they'll receive, optimal combat frequency and distance, and whether combat should be automated or manual. These decisions will fundamentally shape the SE2 experience.
What aspects of SE2's core loops are you most excited to experience? What other topics are you interested in? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Full blog post: https://blog.marekrosa.org/
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