Hello everyone!
I hope you are all doing well - it has been quite some time since the last update, and so I just wanted to put out a post going over some of what I've been working on lately, and give some information regarding why this update is taking so long, but more importantly, when you can expect to get your hands on it!
Get Vectorio 20% off (Spring Sale)
A quick side note - Vectorio is currently on sale for 20% off during the Steam spring sale! However, I don't wanna spend much time on this since I know many have been patiently waiting for the next update, so I'll leave the link here and get straight into what's coming in v0.3!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2082350/Vectorio/
What's coming in v0.3
A lot has changed since I last made a post on Steam, both in regards to what the original plan was for the next update (originally slated as v0.2.4) and what's actually changing with the update.
There are a lot of BIG changes coming in, so let's get into it!
Infinite Worlds!?
That's right – the biggest change to the game yet is officially ready and set to go live with v0.3: infinite worlds! This update has been a massive undertaking, but it was absolutely necessary to bring the expansion gameplay loop to the next level.
The first prototype of this system was completed back in February, with testing primarily focused on chunk generation and resource seeding. (below is a gif of this in testing)
This was by far the most time-consuming part of the new system. It required a fundamental overhaul of many underlying mechanics, as everything had to be reworked to support this change.
Before this update worlds were finite in size, which severely limited what I could add to make the expansion gameplay loop more interesting and rewarding. With the new system, you start with a small plot of land and can expand in any direction, chunk-by-chunk, to build out your world.
Expanding is straightforward – just feed the Hub resources! Each expansion has a cost that increases the further out you go, eventually requiring Region Cores as the final cost for infinite expansion.
Now that the core of the system is in place, I’ve begun working on integrating even more exciting features you’ll encounter while exploring these endless worlds. Some of the new additions include:
- Redesigned Outposts
- Expansion Beacons
- Derelicts
- Incursions
- New Bosses
- Booster Zones
- And much more!
The goal is to ensure there’s more than enough content for you to discover and experience before this update goes live. There’s a ton of exciting things to look forward to, and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this new system! It truly is a game changer.
Node Generation
In addition to the introduction of infinite world expansion, another significant upgrade coming in v0.3 is how resource nodes are now generated in the game. Rather than using pre-made node shapes, I’ve implemented a noise algorithm that brings a new level of depth and variety to how resources appear.
Here is a little screenshot of how the node data is generated in the editor, and what it then looks like in-game spawning in the world.
The beauty of this noise algorithm is that it allows for much more organic and varied resource placement, whilst ensuring that similar resource types spawn in a structured & characterized way.
Additionally, you now have the ability to adjust resource size in the world settings, giving you full control over whether you want a world rich in resources or one that's more scarce and challenging.
Furthermore, as you expand further into the world, both resource size and density dynamically increase, rewarding your progress and ensuring that the deeper you go, the more you’ll find—offering both a sense of growth and greater variety as you push further into the void.
The goal with this change was to add more variety & control in how resources appear in your world. While the preset node shapes was fine for a time, it was always intended as more of a placeholder for a more fleshed out system like this, which is now ready to go live in v0.3!
Build Planner
The long awaited Build Planner from classic is making it's return in v0.3, allowing you fine-tuned control over how your builder drones deploy and what order they deploy in.
This has been long-overdue and should help instances where drones don't build exactly what you want. In addition to type-priority, you can also individually manage blueprints to prioritize specific ones, which is especially useful for more costly buildings.
This panel is optional and can be hidden, but is very useful in controlling your drones. It is also automatically synced across clients in a multiplayer environment, so can be used by all players in a session. (however the host can manage who has permissions to use it)
Multiplayer Chat
In addition to all sorts of UI improvements (which I'll touch on below), a chat has now been added to the game! This will allow you to communicate with friends or other players within the game now.
Not only this, but commands are also being added as part of this new system, allowing you to not only manage players more effectively ('/kick', '/ban', '/banip', etc.) but also customize your game session with new developer tools ('/cheats', '/gamerule', '/save', etc)
This has been another big undertaking, as I've never added a tool like this in one of my games before. However progress is coming along nicely, and I expect it to be finished soon after this post goes live!
Interface Updates
As mentioned above, I have spent a lot of time updating many parts of the games UI. This is done in an effort to create a more coherent design standard across the game.
Prior to this there was not a consistent design across different UI elements, however I've gone through many different windows, overlays, and other sections of the interface and touched up their design to follow this new standard. A lot of this is directly working towards how the UI will look for 1.0's release.
Above is a collage of just a few UI elements that have been touched up since the last update, and you expect a whole lot more to follow this design change.
Game Balance
A major point of contention in the past has been game balance, so one of my main goals this year is to change how I approach it and dedicate more time to assigning values that actually make sense.
To achieve this, I’ve created a detailed graph that tracks the performance of each building. The performance calculation takes into account various factors, which are then combined and weighted according to how much each stat influences a building’s overall performance.
This has given me a clearer view of the game's numbers, and as a result, many values have already been updated for v0.3, with more adjustments on the way. Below are some of the updated values.
I’ve also shared detailed posts about these changes on our Discord server, and I’ll compile a full list of updates once v0.3 goes live. As always, this is an ongoing process, and while there will be plenty of balance changes in the next update, it won’t be a final, all-encompassing list.
Above are some of the changes I've compiled on our Discord server, for those that are interested.
New Music
As with any major Vectorio update, there's some new music coming your way made by our amazing and lovely producer Drew! This update includes 3 new in-game tracks, 2 of which are ambient based used during gameplay, and the other used for one of the new secret features in this update!
Below is a preview of the track being used in the new secret feature. Take a listen if you dare!
In addition to new music, the Vectorio OST will also be available for purchase on Steam! It is currently available for wishlisting, however it will not be made released until I have this update ready to deliver - I do not feel at all comfortable charging anything more until I have delivered on my end.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3231400/Vectorio_Soundtrack/
WIth that said, wishlisting does help a lot, so if this at all interests you give it a look above! It is slated to go live alongside v0.3's live release :)
Steam Achievements
That's right - Steam achievements are also finally being added in v0.3! This has been a highly requested feature over on our Discord, and I'm super excited to announce it here for the first time.
This has been another big undertaking, both in integrating achievement tracking in-game but also designing all of the achievements that will be available upon v0.3's release. There is a lot, and even more will be added as the games development continues into the future.
If you have any suggestions or ideas for achievements, do feel free to let me know. I know this is a particular feature that people have been interested in contributing too, so I'm all ears!
A lot more to come!
This is just a small & dirty preview of what I’ve been working on lately—there’s much more coming in this update, some of which I’ve kept under wraps to avoid spoilers, and others which I've talked about in other posts. I’m really excited for everyone to experience it, but it's still not quite ready!
This update has taken much longer than I expected—what was originally planned as a v0.2.4 release last year. But as I’ve mentioned before, I’m focused on the full vision of what Vectorio can be, not what it is right now. I know it’s not ideal to leave the game in its current state for this long, but I’m approaching this update in the way that works best for me as a solo-developer, even if it means taking extra time and hurting the games image in the short-term. (which I know isn't ideal)
With that said, I just want to re-assure everyone that I am very much committed to getting this game to a 1.0 state. I know it can’t stay in development forever, and I’m doing everything I can to get v0.3 wrapped up sooner rather than later. This means setting firm deadlines and cutting some things (temporarily, where needed) to get it to you as soon as possible.
While I’ve misjudged timelines before, I’m aiming for a release by the end of April or early May at the latest. It will go into experimental for a few weeks before hitting live.
Thanks so much for your patience—I truly hope everyone will feel that this update was worth the wait once it's live! As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I will do my best to respond to all questions or concerns in the comments below :)
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/Vectorio
~ Ben