Hi everyone!
Since the first version of the demo is out, we gathered all your precious feedback and worked hard on improving your game experience.
Here is the latest version of the demo build, now downloadable on Steam.
Get ready for new features and a huge amount of fixes. See the changelog for details.
We count on you to skyrocket downloads and wishlists stats. It will help us a lot, especially since we are looking for funds to rush the production phase 😉
To celebrate this particular occasion, we reworked the branding of the game and the Steam page with new artworks and logo. Tell us if you like it!
CHANGELOG 1.12.12
Gameplay
- Save system is live! No need to rush your games from now. Just save and load them later ;)
- The first piece of equipment is ready to use: beacons. Install them when you are exploring the area to extend your camera’s range and highlight specific zones
- A second piece of equipment is ready to use: ziplines. Equip the zipline to cross rifts and cliffs
- A third piece of equipment is ready to use: explosives. Explosives offer you the capability to destroy rocks that could block your way through some areas of the map
- New character action: climb. Without a zipline, you can try to climb riffs, even if it is more risky
- New feature to collect resources: probe scavenging. A few satellites that have crashed on Io can be scavenged to gather construction material
- Station production engines can now be equipped with automation upgrades. Let the robotized arm collect resources for you and chill
- It is now possible to eat together in the restaurant. A new set of 3D assets and animations have been implemented for this action
- Crates and loots are more diversified and their placement has been reworked.
- Some future and not yet functional features are showcased in the demo build to help you embrace the vision of The Pioneers
Ergonomics
- A new way to use airlocks and doors has been implemented. They now automatically open when a pioneer approaches. An action is also available to keep the doors open
- The station elevator is now easier to use. It can embark all your characters instead of one
- Camera has been reworked to offer a smoother navigation experience. It should now be less jumpy when moving above rugged terrain
- A new tooltip system is now live and will be progressively extended to welcome more information in a more readable way
- Roofs work a lot better when you stand inside and outside the station.
- New tutorial steps to guide through the new features
Optimization
- Game performance is highly increased for small configurations. This update should provide a 10 to 20 FPS boost to players
- Graphic settings are now available in the main menu. You can choose between presets of custom configuration according to your hardware performance
- A link to our bug report and feedback platform is available in the main menu and in the game scene. Do not hesitate to use it. It helps us a lot!
Localization
- New localized strings and fixes on english, french and spanish languages
Branding
- The Pioneers has a new look (cover, Steam page, logo…) to reflect in a better way the actual mood and future of the game
Minor changes
- Construction robot Maggie has now a better look thanks to new lights, animations. Construction visual effect has also been reworked to be more realistic
- Animations, VFX and SFX has been added to various character actions
- New welcome message in the main menu
- A temporary artwork is now replacing missing images in various events
- A pioneer lifepod can now be found on the map
Bug fixes
- Fix of a visual bug that generated glitches on an iced terrain
- Fix of a major bug that changed character placement when closing a door
- Fix of a major bug that impacted multiple pathfinding issues
- Fix of a bug on “sleep” action. Characters no longer wake up when you ask them to sleep
- Fix of a bug that generates breakdowns on an already broken Maggie during storms
- Fix of a major bug that sometimes prevented players to launch a new game
- Fix of a bug that sometimes prevented players to end the game even if they had lost their three pioneers
- Characters should no longer be stunned forever on certain failed actions
- Fix of bugs that swapped portraits and voice lines after a character’s death
- Fix a many bugs that let the players trigger actions even if their character was far from the interaction area
- Fix of a bug that impacted soundtrack rotation from dramatic to calm ambient
- Fix a many collider bugs between characters and other game assets
- Fix of various bugs in the user interface that prevented players to see or click on some buttons
- Fix of a bug that sometimes prevented players to choose their favorite language in the main menu
- Fix of various visual and audio bugs
- Fix and tweaks on displayed information and tooltips