It's finally here!
The first public beta version of v0.3 is now available to everyone! Whilst the update is still in deveolpment, I feel confident in allowing everyone to hop in and try it out now.
IMPORTANT: v0.3 uses a different launch option then the current live build; you MUST select this launch option when launching the experimental branch, otherwise you will get a launch error. (you can tick on "Always use this option" so that you don't need to check this every time)
Patch Notes (Summarized)
v0.3 represents a fundamental overhaul of the game’s core technology, finally paying down the technical debt that’s accumulated over the past few years. While I’ve done my best to summarize what’s changed, this update touches so many systems that it’s impossible to fully capture everything here.
Below are the major highlights:
Infinite worlds: The game now uses an infinite chunking system, enabling truly infinite worlds. Chunks can be purchased with resources, allowing you to expand endlessly at your own pace.
New Model Rendering System: A brand-new rendering pipeline that dynamically generates sprite atlases and batches draw calls using modern GPU features. The performance gains from this change alone are substantial.
Engineering: A new system that allows buildings to be modified in ways that fundamentally change how they function. Supports stat modifiers, FSM state replacement, and behavior injection, enabling deep player-driven customization of turrets, drones, collectors, and more.
Questing: The first introduction of quests, which serve as the game’s primary storytelling vehicle. While research remains the main progression path, quests complement it by encouraging players to fully utilize what they’ve unlocked.
Enemies v2: Enemies now use full finite state machines (FSMs), allowing for unique movement patterns and attack behaviors. Only a small selection of units are currently available, but more will be added soon to fully showcase the system’s capabilities.\[/p]
Drones v2: An entirely new drone system that redefines how drones are configured and behave. Drones now use the same FSM framework as enemies and can dynamically change roles based on installed extensions (e.g., fixer, cargo, etc.).
Turrets v2: Like enemies, turrets now use full finite state machines (FSMs), enabling unique behaviors, targeting logic, and functional roles. Only a small selection is currently available, but more will be added soon to fully demonstrate the power and flexibility of this system.
Power v3: Power outages are gone. Exceeding your power capacity now reduces turret efficiency instead of completely disabling them, leading to smoother and more forgiving gameplay.
Resource Clusters: An early preview of the new clustering system, which replaces the old click-and-drag service areas. Drones are now assigned to clusters, and cluster changes are handled automatically—set it once and forget it!
Research v2: A complete top-to-bottom refactor of the research system. Progression is now visualized through a node-based tree, making advancement clearer and allowing for seamless support of modded content.
Alternate Recipes: Discover alternate recipes for existing resources throughout the world. Unlocking them allows you to reshape and optimize your resource distribution networks.
Entity Modules v3: The third (and final) iteration of the entity module system. Modules are no longer tied to MonoBehaviours and are now fully simulated in code, resulting in a more flexible, performant, and maintainable foundation.
Entity Manager v2: A complete refactor of the entity management system, redefining how entities are tracked and simulated. This results in a massive performance improvement and enables the removal of physics-driven detection in favor of a fully code-driven solution.
And so, so much more.
While this update still has a few rough edges, a significant amount of time has gone into ensuring the game’s underlying technology can properly support the content I want to deliver going forward. Many gameplay systems were rebuilt or refined specifically to make adding new features faster, cleaner, and more sustainable. This was not possible in v0.2, and while that update hosted it's own impressive tech improvements, it ultimately wasn't enough to realize my full vision.
If you’d like to check it out, the first beta is now available! I’ll be iterating quickly and relying heavily on your feedback to continue polishing v0.3 and gradually shape the game into a tower-defense experience that offers endless replayability and truly meaningful player choice.
You can provide feedback on the beta here: https://forms.gle/19gxPJi2DeXD4sZr9
If you're not quite ready to hop in yet; be sure to keep your eye on updates. There's a whole lot to come!
P.S. Vectorio is on sale now for 50% off - grab it before the winter sale ends!
See you in cyberspace, construct.
~ Ben