Hi Galactic Survivalists!
Welcome to our first Experimental 7.0 release! Be aware that this is still a very rough version - so expect bugs and unpolished features. But we wanted to release Alpha EXP 7.0 as early as possible to get your feedback!
What is Alpha 7.0 all about? Short answer: Creative tools, textures, visuals and a rebalancing of some of the game contents and functions such as the game start, templates and mining. With Alpha 7.0 we also introduce a new type of playfield: handmade, heightmap-fixed planets.
As this is a lot of info to pack into a single announcement, we used the same approach like with the previous major updates and created FAQ threads for all of the major changes.
The following threads offer additional details, small howtos and explanations and will be monitored for you dedicated feedback and questions!
New Game Start & Rebalancing
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-new-game-start-rebalancing.15374/
Building Block Texture Update:
- Wood Textures
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-wood-textures.15373/
- Concrete Textures
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-concrete-textures.15372/
- Metal Textures
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-metal-textures.15371/
Offline Protection Enhancements
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-offline-protection-enhancements.15370/
Heightmap Terrain + Texture Editor
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-heightmap-terrain-texture-editor.15369/
Mining
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-mining.15368/
New Building Tools
https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-new-building-tools.15366/
As an advice: before reporting a bug, issue or suggestion, check these threads for info about KNOWN ISSUES and PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS. ;-)
Please report bugs and issues over here: https://empyriononline.com/threads/bug-reports-alpha-experimental-7-0.15379/
We are looking forward to your feedback
Cheers,
Empyrion Dev Team
====================================================
CHANGELOG: Alpha Experimental 7.0.0 (Build 1259)
New Planetary Terrains:
- Added more realistic handmade terrains (based on heightmaps and splatmaps)
- Extended terrain height to 500m. This applies for both handmade and procedural playfields. Save games should be compatible.
- Improved map generation for heightmap planets
- Added a simple Texture Editor to easily change textures on a heightmap planet (accessible via console cmd "terraineditor" or "te")
- All planets in the default scenario are the new heightmap planets, except: Masperon, Aitis and all the Moons
Note: We actived the new handmade terrains also in the MP default scenario. However, we did not yet adapt the balancing to a MP setting (e.g., the resource amount is not correctly balanced etc.)
Major Texture Update for Building Blocks:
- Added 38 new textures (19 Metal, 15 Concrete, 4 Wood)
- Added several new interchangeable textures on Page 2 for Concrete (+additional metal textures) and Wood (+additional metal & concrete textures)
- Updated most of existing textures
Metal:
Concrete:
Wood:
Added Parallax Occlusion Mapping (POM) shader for building blocks:
With this new shader all block textures have a 3d look
New Game Start and Rebalancing:
Some highlights of the new game start:
- Warp Drive for Small Vessels
- Crafting: We felt that the game is currently very front loaded with things you can build right from the start, giving you little motivation to explore the galaxy and visit other planets.
- Armored concrete block
- Weapon updates
- Many other changes and balancing
Please refer to this separate thread for more details: https://empyriononline.com/threads/a7-0-experimental-faq-feedback-new-game-start-rebalancing.15374/
We would be very interested in what you think about these changes. Please test the new setting in SP and give us your feedback
New Underground Resources for Mining:
- Added 3d models instead of Voxel terrain for resource deposits
- Added Ore Scanner (it is active when you have the drill equipped and the Ore Scanner in your inventory)
Better Creative / Building Tools:
- Added selection box as building tools (N window): Copy, Paste, Cut, Delete whole areas: WIP
- Added possibility to save and display Blueprint parts: WIP
- Separated building and debug tools in N window
- Symmetry plane can now positioned on a half block basis.
- Added possibility to color and texture large areas
- Added possibility to rotate block textures
- Changed “Build Settings” window to toggle mode (instead of holding down "N" to keep open)
Improved Autominers:
- Added first version of new deposit-depleting Autominers
- Deposit-depleting Autominer calculates its efficiency via the remaining deposit size
- Autominers can be configured in dedicated.yaml whether they deplete the resource deposit or not (see dedicated.yaml)
Improved Offline Protection:
- Added delay before OP is active ("ProtectDelay" defined in dedicated.yaml)
- Turrets continue shooting but do not use ammo when OP is active
Visuals / Sounds:
- Increased strength of emissive on block textures
- Improved transition orbit-planet: less clouds on planet, bit more clouds in space and seen earlier, less fog on planet seen from orbit
- Integrated New Camera Effects:
* Frost: appears if suit temperature is below 15C
* Heat: appears if suit temperature is above 40C
- Tweaked screen space reflection to have a less oily look on the hull reflection
- Added new gun scope shader
- Updated model for capacitor (deco)
- Updated model for warp drive
- Updated model for warp drive tank CV
- Updated model for railing blocks
- Updated model for elevator block
PDA Update:
- Added PDA log
- PDA reward can now be XP, UP and levels (increase or set) in addition to known items
- All individual player stats, armor boost settings and status effects can be changed
- Implemented chapter and task start delay
- Implemented enhanced message format
- Added task start and completed messages
- Added SpawnDrone (around player). Allows to specify a target to be attacked (near player or by Blueprint group name)
- Added more pre-checking if PDA actions are already complete when they are activated
- Simplified PDA console command
- Notification popup messages now use a specific PDA version (more space, with PDA title)
Changes:
- Added new drill "DrillDebug" for faster drilling (only for testing in Creative - not available in Survival)
- Added POM and Anisotropic Filtering to Quality Options
- Supporting splat map for procedural terrain (WIP)
- Re-arranged worklights in Techtree.
- Improved drop positions of items (backpack, drop container etc) to prevent flying through terrain
- Moved all terrain files (dll, xml, raw) into same folder.
- Switch to half-res textures when RAM < 10 GB (<5 GB quarter, VRAM < 2GB half)
- Improved: Since some players have problems with access rights we do a file system test write/delete to warn the player if a problem exists
- Group / Spawn name can now also be set for player SV's and HV's
- When spawning a new structure it gets the name as listed in the Blueprint Library (in contrast to be simply named "Small Vessel (SV)", for example). If a Spawn name has been assigned, that one has priority, though.
- Godmode invisible is now able to place blocks within an OP protected area
- Crushed Stone is now dropped by more terrain blocks.
- Reduced time between escape pod hits ground and fading to black by 0.5s
- Changed display of estimated ore amount in HUD: now rounded the 100th amount of ore (not greater than the original value)
- Almost all POIs are regenerating in MP default scenario
Gameplay:
- Removed Core from targeting options (AI and turret) and added warp drive instead
- When withdrawing o2 / fuel you now obtain Large O2 Bottle and Fuel Cell.
- Added more exact colliders for turret bases
- Player gets full health after respawn (instead of 50% before)
- Visibility of HUD markers for enemy / other faction structures increased from 350m to 500m on planets
- AI planet vessel: When PV is down, devices start to explode but own core can be placed to extend looting time
- Improvement behavior of drone when it lost target
- Drill mode: terrain removal deactivated on Drill T2 (not needed anymore because drill is now more powerful anyways)
- New console command to spawn guard area drone type
- Changed return rate of Multitool when deconstructing a block (T1: 30%, T2: 60%)
- Reduced effect of height on temperature on planets by 20%
Optimizations:
- Major optimization by combining devices
- Optimizations with threading
- Memory optimization when sending chunks from server to client
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Problem that when a door was open and the game continued, this door shown closed
- Fixed: Blocks with mirror issues (Note: blocks that have left/right version still have mirror issues)
- Fixed: Problem that sometimes backpack was flying through terrain after dying (detter backpack drop position)
- Fixed: XP exploit still possible in cases when you find NPCs that are stuck moving around at max render distance
- Fixed: Map marker is positioned at the wrong place when clicking outside of the checkbox
- Fixed: Problem with Map Markers when resource Y position get overridden by ground position - Fixed: Ambient sound is muted in some use cases
- Fixed: Problem that no snow particles were visible during Snow Light
- Fixed: Problem that particle effect of texture and color tool was briefly active when tool was equipped
- Fixed: Drone bases do not spawn below water anymore
- Fixed: gaps / holes in terrain when entering a planet from space
- Fixed: Texture artifacts on Food Processor and Constructor
- Fixed: Having fixed and random POI activated at the same time leads to no drones showing up
- Fixed: Some NPC glows from distance
- Fixed: Problem that top speed for some CV's is 115m/s & HV's could reach 40m/s.
- Fixed: Issue with placing a symbol on Corner Long B.
- Fixed: Strange color on Lizard Mule when far away
- Fixed: Tooltips going off screen in some Aspect Ratios
- Fixed several internal exceptions
KNOWN ISSUES:
Distorted view of overlays (eg symbols) in some use cases with Parallax Shader