Howdy, Pioneers,
It’s been another busy month on the trail, and we’ve got plenty to share before the year wraps up.
Artisan Craft Fair
Earlier in November, we had the chance to visit an artisan craft fair, full of skilled folks who build museum-quality replicas from all sorts of historical periods.
It gave us a rare opportunity to get hands-on with a Kentucky Long Rifle, as well as meet wheelwrights and blacksmiths who were generous enough to share their knowledge.
Pioneer gear!
A few sharp-eyed Pioneers pointed out that some of the equipment in our early screenshots and videos wasn’t quite period accurate. You were right. We’ve been using placeholder models while building out the game systems and environments. Armed with everything we learned at the fair, we turned our attention this month to updating those assets to bring them closer to authentic 1842 gear.
Here’s a look at the modeled and texturing the Kentucky Long Rifle that’s now in the game.
Our character models have also been updated, with more authentic frontier clothing to better match the era.
Modelling and refining characters and world objects will continue throughout development. It’s an ongoing process, and we’re committed to getting the details right.
Gameplay and Systems Update
On the gameplay side, the crafting and building interface has had a major overhaul and is now nearly complete. The updated UI and controls offer a smoother and more intuitive experience.
All in all, we’re making steady progress along the trail, heading toward the Early Access release next year.
Looking Ahead
Our next update will arrive in early January. December will be a quieter month for us, since the studio closes over the holidays. It gives the team time to recharge their batteries, enjoy the season, and come back refreshed for the new year.
That said, we’re still pushing hard to squeeze in as much progress as we can before the Christmas break.
A Word to Our Community
Our community means a great deal to us, and we want to thank everyone on Discord for their support and feedback. Your discussions and suggestions truly help shape Red Rust Pioneers as we build it.
If you have questions, ideas, or just feel like shootin’ the breeze, come join us on Discord. We’d love to hear from you. Or just add comments here on Steam (now I've worked out where to find the discussions!)
Until next time, have yourselves a wonderful holiday season, and we’ll see you back on the trail in 2026.
– Rusty and the Rusty Robot dev team
P.S. Don’t forget to boil your tea.