Greetings scientists!
We have quite a few bits of news to share with you today, so buckle up!
1. EARLY ACCESS PLANNED TO COMPLETE IN 2024
Today we announced that our team is on-track to release the full version of Forever Skies in late 2024.
We don’t have an exact day and month for you yet because we ourselves will only know that closer to the end of development. We also need to see how the work and feedback on our next big updates go. But rest assured, once we know and feel the date works for our team we will announce it.
And yes, co-op is still planned to be added before the release of the final version. Our work there is progressing well but we are still adamant that it will be released once we feel it is ready.
2. WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH SONY
Our next big news is that we have partnered with Sony! We have actually been quietly working with them for a few years but today we can make it official.
With their help we have been able to focus on making Forever Skies the best it can be for its console debut. So, at the end of PC Early Access when we're ready to release the full game, we'll be launching it exclusively on PlayStation 5 for consoles and Steam on the same day.
We released a new trailer and got a cool story on PS Blog about the inspiration behind the game. You can check out both here:
3. 20% SALE + RIFTBREAKER BUNDLE
Along with the news and new patch (see the bulk below) we’ve got a 20% sale on Steam right now. We also have our ongoing bundle with The Riftbreaker live still.
The Riftbreaker is what would happen if Diablo and Starcraft had a baby. Mechs, base-building, survival, and hack-and-slash combat all in one. You are an elite scientist/commando inside an advanced Mecha-Suit sent to terraform a hostile alien planet. Hack & slash swarms of enemies, build up your base, collect samples, and research new inventions to survive.
If you already own Forever Skies you can use the bundle to get an additional 15% off from The Riftbreaker
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/37896/FOREVER_SKIES_X_THE_RIFTBREAKER/
4. NEW QUALITY OF LIFE PATCH IS LIVE!
The Quality-Of-Life patch - EA.1.4.2 ha arrived and includes QOL improvements, bug fixes and gives much-needed love to the forgotten tool of Forever Skies, The Flashlight!
New(ish) Item: The Flashlight
Finally, after 7 months in Early Access all players will know that they can use a Flashlight in game!
The blueprint for this tool can be acquired early on after visiting your first Radio Tower and collecting some Electrical Parts. This will prompt the blueprint to unlock, at which point the player can research it.
Players don’t need to worry about another item taking up valuable inventory space as The Flashlight gets its own dedicated slot, in the same way as your Oxygen Tank. It now runs on batteries and will need to be charged like most tools.
QOL Improvement: Airship Base Adjustments
If you’re replacing any normal wall module with a Door, then any attachments you had on the wall will simply drop into your inventory, unless you’re inventory is full. And with Patch 1.4.2, that just got easier too!
QOL Improvement: Inventory Management
Your inventory, storage boxes, and freezers have had a couple of new functions added to make moving items around easier than ever.
Store All - This will remove all items currently in your inventory and move them into the storage box/freezer that you’re interacting with.
Take All - This will move all items in that Storage Box or Freezer into your Inventory.
Sort - This one is self-explanatory, it will sort all of your items so slots are more organized and will group stacks of the same item together.
Store Similar - This function is useful when you have a Storage Box for a specific resource. It will remove the item or resource out of your inventory that matches the item or resource that’s already in the Storage Box, meaning you don’t have to comb through your inventory to find that stack of Machine Parts you want to store. It can be done at the click of a button once you interact with your Machine Parts Storage Box.
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Full Patch Notes:
New elements:
- Flashlight added as an equipable and rechargeable player’s tool
QoL improvements:
- Inventory sorting and stacking added, also in various containers
- “Deposit All” option added - the ability to deposit all container-specific items into a container with a single click
- “Deposit Similar” - the ability to deposit all items from the Inventory that are of the same type as the items in the container.
- “Take All” option added - the ability to take all items from a single container into inventory
- Changes to the quest progression in the Underdust location:
- Most of the sub-quests were rewritten to give a better understanding of the quest progression
- Removed Battery used to power up the lift in the Descent to the Underdust location
- Path to the Lab in the Underdust should be more accessible
- Lab section slightly changed, e.g. Medical Reagents, crucial in the progression, are more exposed
- Dead Virus Carrier lore tablet, crucial in the progression, is more exposed
- Airship wall and floor types can now be changed without the need to remove attached devices and artifacts (which previously blocked such changes)
- Interaction with the Cooking Station should now be accessible only from the front of the device
- Note Sticker - action buttons switched - holding E now enters edit mode
- Immunity Booster now blocks any new virus infections for its duration
- While being infected with any given virus, another infection with the same virus resets its timer
- Thunderstorms should now be less frequent (approx. twice less often)
- Database - locations’ entries’ background images added
- Basic Engine Thrusters’ visuals improved
- Boiled Lulling Grass Cricket’s icon changed to differentiate it more from the raw Cricket
- Boiled Dust Lettuce’s icon changed to differentiate it more from the raw Lettuce
- The Chromatic Aberration toggle option was added to the Settings
- Thunderstorm volume slider added to the Audio Settings
Fixes:
- Flying debris can’t damage an airship, while it’s docked at the Descent to the Underdust location
- The player no longer dies after using the Medical Station while being infected with Hemorrhagic Fever
- Storage Boxes cannot be placed on other Storage Boxes anymore
- Insect Catcher no longer works when it’s in collision with parts of locations
- Damaged Upgraded Turbines no longer reset their health state upon being picked up
- To-Do list no longer marks already-seen tasks as new
- Souvenir Mug’s icon now matches the in-game mesh
- Thorn Bee Hives placement fixed - they shouldn’t spawn in strange places anymore
- Music tracks should play and change while exploring various locations
- A glass wall with door frame scanning description fixed
- Breathnut descriptions now show how much oxygen it replenishes
- Immunity is reset to the proper value after the player dies
- Minor typos in text fixed
Known issues:
- Shadows flicker badly while an airship is moving (the more noticeable the lower quality settings)
- Some broken crates may appear as not damaged
- Database - some icons are missing in the locations’ entries
That's all for now!
Team Far From Home