The 1.0 beta test starts today! Here's how to get in and what to expect.
What's the purpose of the test?
The main goal of this test is to gather feedback about the game's balance and how progression feels. It's also an opportunity to try out many of the new features coming later this year. At this point of development we're focused on balancing and polishing to make sure the whole journey through the game feels as good as possible.
To put it simply: if you love making deliveries and clearing milestones, if you're an absolute farming freak beast, we need your skills!
We recommend starting a new save for this test to experience the game as intended.
How do I participate in the beta test?
You can participate in the beta test by playing on the “beta” branch on Steam.
To play on the “beta” branch, do this:
Right-click on Lightyear Frontier in your Steam library, then click "Properties"
Go to the "Game Versions & Betas" tab
Enter the password "backupyoursave" in the "Private Versions" field
Select “beta” in the dropdown menu of “Select the beta you would like to opt into:”
Close the "Properties" window
And you're done! You may have to restart Steam to download the new build.
If you want to switch back to the normal version of the game, select “None” in the dropdown menu of “Select the beta you would like to opt into:”.
Participating in the beta test requires owning Lightyear Frontier on Steam.
We strongly recommend making copies of any save files you want to use on the beta branch. If you do not, you run the risk of save file incompatibility, loss of progress, loss of access until the update release, and other unfun stuff. Please read the "What about my save files?" section further below for more info.
Can I talk about what's in the test? Can I make videos/streams?
Since many players want to wait until the full release to see everything 1.0 has to offer, we want to ask our beta testers to not share stuff and spoil things for others. This policy of keeping quiet also applies to videos, live streams, and similar content - we appreciate you holding off until the actual 1.0 release!
We have a channel dedicated to beta branch feedback, bug reports, and discussion on our Discord server, and we have also made a subforum for it on Steam. Please keep any discussion about the 1.0 beta there! We reserve the right to take action against content related to the beta branch that is posted outside of these places.
As always, you can also use the in-game feedback tool by pressing “Give feedback” in the pause menu to share your thoughts and report bugs directly.
What's in the test?
This test includes most of the additions, changes, and improvements coming to Lightyear Frontier in the 1.0 update, including:
Delivery menu overhaul and improved progression - Fewer, more meaningful deliveries that are easier to make, with the ability to queue multiple deliveries among other things
Automation changes and improvements - Auto-craft is now possible without Automators! Constructs will now use directly connected storages as their inventory for auto-crafting. Storages now have Outputs, and can now both send and receive items. You can now set filters for Storages to control which items go where. Also, up to 3 recipes can be queued for Auto-craft in Crafting Constructs.
Automators will be removed from progression and you won't be able to build new ones, but existing ones will remain. Pipes are now the key to Auto-craft
New biomes - You can now explore the southern part of the world: the Sandswept Highlands and the Hollow Marsh! That's a 40% increase in world size! (Note that these are late-game areas, so story content will be missing in the beta and not all resources may be relevant at this stage)
New Mech Parts, Tool levels, Mod Chips, and Transform modes - Including the Seed Minigun and Skyblazer flight mode!
Mech customization menu overhaul - A whole new menu and way to upgrade your parts and tools, fewer but stronger individual Mod Chips, and lots of QoL improvements
Crop rotation overhaul - Harvesting Mutated crops gives both Mutated and normal crops, and growth results are previewed when looking at a Mound
Seamless day transitions and dynamic weather - Keep playing from night to morning, with weather changing over time
New milestones
Re-balanced milestones, unlock requirements, crafting costs and more
Map & guidance improvements - Add text when placing stamps, see Animals and Trailers on the Map, scan for resources, see markers for things you need to craft, and more
Various quality of life improvements - Planning Mode for placing holograms without contributing resources, Lola can retrieve lost trailers and caches, etc
Trailblazer changes - You can now transform to the Trailblazer mode while hauling, the Trailblazer's stability is improved, boost can be held, and more
Spike Saw Swing improvement - The Spike Saw now has a sweet back-and-forth swing that improves the feel
Weak points - Nodes, chunks, logs, and other breakables now have weak points that you can target for extra damage
And more!
What is not in the test?
The test does not include the final missions, milestone, and ending of the game. We want all our players to experience that part of the game at the same time, so you'll have to wait until later this year for those!
How long does the test last?
The beta test will be open from 1 September and will run until 29 September. Something real exciting is happening on that final day - keep an eye out for more news as we get closer!
Unlike previous beta tests, this beta test will not transition immediately into the release of the next update. We want to have some time in between so we can make any necessary adjustments based on the community's feedback. This means that any save files used in the beta test will be unavailable for some time until 1.0 releases.
Should I participate in the test?
If the following applies to you:
You like to try new things, including things that are not explained
You're ready to see work-in-progress stuff
You enjoy experiencing weird glitches
You want to help improve Lightyear Frontier and can give healthy and constructive feedback
You looove finding and reporting bugs, ideally with clear steps on how to reproduce them
You are not scared of crashes or lost progress
Then you should join the beta! If not, you should stick to the main branch and wait until 1.0 is officially released.
If you're the type of player who loves getting lots and lots of resources and making huge deliveries, then this is your time to shine.
You will be interacting with unfinished, work-in-progress features and content. You may encounter errors and bugs and the game may crash.
Should I make a new save file for the beta?
We recommend making a new save file in order to have a more natural experience. We've made changes across the whole game, especially in the progression. However, if you're short on time, you could play on a late-game save file to experience what late-game progression is like.
Playing on a new save file (or a copy of an existing save file) is a good idea if you are scared of losing access to or progress on your existing save files.
What about my existing save files?
You will be able to use your existing save files on the beta branch. Our intention is for them to carry over to the main branch once the new update is officially released. However, there will be several weeks between the end of the beta and the release of 1.0.
We strongly recommend making copies of any save files you want to use on the beta branch. If you do not, you run the risk of save file incompatibility, loss of progress, loss of access until the update release, and other unfun stuff.
Warning: If you load a save file on the beta branch, you will not be able to play on that save file again on the main branch until the update comes out. DO NOT play on the beta branch if you are not okay with this.
Since you will be interacting with unfinished features in the beta branch, we can’t guarantee the integrity of your save files.
How do I copy my save files?
In the Select Saved Game menu, hover over a save file and press F on keyboard or Y on controller (default bindings) to create either a Standard or Shared copy of that save file.
What about Shared saves?
Shared saves will still work on the beta branch. However, to play on a Shared save, all players will have to be on the same branch - you can’t have one player on the beta branch and one on the main branch, for example.
If a player starts a Shared save file on the beta branch, that save file will be converted into a beta branch save file from then on. It will continue being a beta save file until the beta is over and the update is released, where it will be converted back into a normal main branch save file. We can’t guarantee that things won’t go wrong, so make sure you have copies!
Where can I give feedback and report bugs?
We have a channel dedicated to beta branch feedback, bug reports, and discussion on our Discord server.
We have also made a subforum for it on Steam.
As always, you can also use the in-game feedback tool by pressing “Give feedback” in the pause menu to share your thoughts and report bugs.
Please keep discussion about the beta branch limited to the places mentioned above. We reserve the right to remove posts related to the beta branch that are posted in the wrong places.
Are there any known issues?
Here are some issues we're aware off:
The new day counter may be marked as Day 100 and stick to the screen for longer than intended if playing as the client in a multiplayer game
Cursor does not react to some destructible resources when looking at them, however they are still destructible as intended
Some missions lack descriptions
Other players may glide around as the Exofarmer with new animations not playing properly if playing as the client in a multiplayer game
Other player's Mechs may appear jittery if playing as the client in a multiplayer game
Resource Scanner may not update when items have been picked up, leads to resources that aren’t there if playing as the client in a multiplayer game
When loading a save, some build pieces may load in before others, causing integrity issues and potentially pieces being demolished
Adjust Width functionality for Transform Modes is available before you have width to adjust
Controller focus may be lost when navigating the inventory interface
Is the beta available on Xbox? Can I play it with crossplay?
No. We are only able to offer the beta branch of the game on Steam, meaning it will not be available on Xbox platforms and crossplay will not work.
Will the beta be localized in my language?
The beta will only be available in English. We want to get this beta into the hands of y’all as early as possible, so it has not yet had the time to go through the translation and localization process. This means that any new features and content will only be available in English for this test (older content will still be localized). Rest assured, it will be fully localized for the 1.0 release later this year!