Another dose of tidying-up. Next week will see Update 17 release, and hopefully this is the last Hotfix before then. Overall there have been a lot more hotfixes needed than usual because of the extreme number of shifts to the codebase during Update 15 with the new prologue and ability to replay things on existing profiles. Thank you to everyone for the patience you've shown related to that. I usually avoid having that much carnage.
0.656 Hotfix 17
Background Conflict Remnants Removed: Not a bugfix, this is just a thing that is now complete. There is a new Pressure Points mechanic that fully supplants this concept (also replaces the Rogue Escalations concept I've talked about for a bit, as that did not do super well).
Turns In Older Saves Fix: Fixed a regression introduced in Hotfix 16 where if you loaded older saves of a timeline in the profile you they belong in, they would reverse-merge some central information including the turn you were on and a bunch of other bits that should not have been reverse-merged.
Demo Fixes: Fixed some demo-specific errors that were preventing the demo from working properly.
Grey Goo At Apocalypse Fix: Fixed a bug where if you started chapter 2 by grey goo AFTER having tried to start it a different way, then when you got to the final doom, it would do part of the grey goo situation.
More Structure Replacement Fixes: Fixed an issue where if you had a bunch of broken structures of a higher-priority job using some internal robotics (like repair spiders) and you tried to build more of something else using their same internal robotics type (like contraband jammers), then the job you just tried to build would self-destruct rather than it destroying the older broken thing.
Early Revelation Fix: Fixed an issue where "The Revelation" contemplation was erroneously available during the initial grace period that has been added for new timelines.
Contemplations Too Close Together Fix: "Coupon Program" and "Nicotine Introduction" now have different seeding logic that is not based on your own machine structures. This will naturally cause them to spread out more, rather than being clustered on top of each other.
Contemplations At Same Building Fix: Fixed an edge-case bug that was allowing contemplations to spawn on literally the same building in some cases. This is corrected immediately on loading existing savegames where that problem was extant.
Resource Categorization Fix: Corrected "Human Biodata" to no longer be included in the Metals and Military filter categories. It's now properly in the Economic category.Full notes here.
“Does the machine speak for us, or do we now speak for the machine?”
— William Gibson, Neuromancer
New Minds, Start Here
For those just stepping into the Machine’s world, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the basics. The Heart of the Machine Beginner's Guide is your gateway to understanding the systems at play and building your foundation. After all, every complex network starts with a single connection.
Connect with the Machine
Want to stay in the loop or share your thoughts? Join the conversation across these platforms:
💬 Discord – Best place to share feedback, get direct responses, and to talk about Heart of the Machine.
📜 Reddit – Discuss strategies, share ideas, and exchange tips with the community.
Here is a link to prior recent patches in case you missed them.
https://steamcommunity.com/ogg/2001070/announcements/detail/524217913946669733
https://steamcommunity.com/ogg/2001070/announcements/detail/524216645064853158
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2001070/view/502822010104053992
