Hello! We have a surprise update for you to celebrate the Thanksgiving Black Friday Cyber Monday Holiday Weekend! The Cartography Update!
Pirate Bases on the Mining Claim
For starters we're introducing a big change to the mining claim map. Pirate Bases! In the past pirates threat would just be uniform throughout the region on asteroids of a given class, but now pirate stations are physically present and only asteroids that are passing within range of a pirate base will be affected by pirates.
There has also been a big change to how pirates arrive on the asteroid. Previously pirates could just drop anywhere on the asteroid making it difficult to meaningfully plan any type of defenses. Now pirates will arrive at the edges of the asteroid targeting edges that they can physically reach from their pirate base.
You're probably asking yourself how you’re ever going to know where the Pirate Bases even are - once you're on the asteroid you can't possibly keep track.
New Asteroid Map View
Well now you can! Enter the new Asteroid Map view! When you open up the map and zoom all the way out you'll see the asteroid heading vector as well as vectors pointing to nearby pirate bases that will be sending enemies your way. This will help you place defenses and focus on building up in safe zones that you can meaningfully protect.
This map is not just for tracking pirates. It has the capability for you to track all your equipment, distinguish surface rocks, identify biomass, resources above ground as well as those you've discovered down below and get a quick view of all your structures. It'll also help you find the pirates, which you'll have to pay closer attention to because they now have the ability to cut through the rocks and they’ll be making off with your resources if you let them run wild.
New Repair Tool (Level 1 and 2)
Speaking of pirates running wild - we have a new repair tool for you! Both level 1 available at TW Gems and level 2 available at Ceres Vesta are entering the game. Level 1 lets you slowly repair any structure you built with Molten Iron using just the energy on your Commandbot. Level 2 lets you do that faster but also lets you patch damage up with molten iron quickly which solidifies over time restoring the structure’s health after you’re gone.
New Pirate with Mining Laser
The Pirates are also welcoming a new addition - the Miner. A small pirate equipped with a mining laser, so you'll have to keep track of them and make sure they don't clean out the other side of the asteroid while you're not looking. You'll also notice that pirates now have a chance of dropping a new resource - the Pirate Core. It is the working heart of a pirate and you'll find some lucrative contracts that will request their delivery.
Pathfinding Updated!
Also worth noting is the updated pathfinding library which should speed up pathing calculations and reduce some of the error states we’ve seen shared in the player.logs of bug reports. So not only you (the player) will have an easier time getting around the asteroids
Astronomics will be on a 25% discount for two weeks and we've also got two new bundles to share with you in this Black Friday celebration! The very cool Deep Space Exploitation which has some nice asteroid mining parallels to our game and the newly co-op updated Occupy Mars! Check those out for an extra discount if you already own Astronomics!
Occupy Astronomics Bundle
View game pageAstronomical Exploitation Bundle
View game page
Thank you again for all your feedback, reports and ideas. Our roadmap keeps growing but we’re very excited for what's ahead.
Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating. Happy deal hunting to those shopping. Cube Corp wishes you all a thankful and prosperous day.
-hube