Hi Galactic Survivalists!
We just released Alpha 4.3, which marks the last update with bug fixes and general improvement before entering the development cycle for Alpha 5.0.
In Alpha 4.3, we implemented more measures to avoid vessel / structure loss, added several new blocks and devices, tweaked the speed of CV versus SV, improved the Server-Client chat, re-balanced some weapons, added new stock blueprints, improved visuals, fixed many bugs and integrated other improvements as documented in the changelog below.
As always, we are very curious about your feedback regarding Alpha 4.3.
Thanks for reading.
Yours
Empyrion Dev Team
P.S: Info about using screen capture software OBS since Alpha 4.0: http://empyriononline.com/threads/obs-and-alpha-4-0.8102
Changelog: Alpha 4.3 (Build 706)
New measures to avoid vessel / structure loss and other improvements concerning playfield changes:
- Playfield change is now more stable: before changing a playfield, the target playfield is now asked if it is available
- Added additional security check to prevent entering a playfield if the max structure count would then be exceeded
- Added heartbeat message from client -> server
- Checking playfield server heartbeats and killing process if yaml configurable timeout reached
- Added 'detach' console command to help detaching a player when he has the 'stuck below cockpit' problem
New blocks and devices:
- Added 2 new window blocks: L-shape and 3-sided corner
- Added 2 new railing blocks: L-shape and round corner
- Added more CV thrusters to complete block group. Thrusters are now grouped in M, L, XL thrusters - each group has 3 thrusters: normal, slant, armored (with same specs)
- Added epic rocket launcher with homing missiles
- Added Akua berry bush, space orange tree, alien honey plant and textured plant protein plant as growable plants in BA / CV
- Added thruster M slant for HV
- Added 2 small-sized versions of jet thrusters
- Added damage states to jet thrusters and AMD
Gameplay:
- Tweaked speed of CV / SV: CVs are now slower than SVs on planets and in space (CV speed = 80% of SV speed)
- Slightly increased speed of SV in space to 115m/s (CV = 92 m/s)
New stock blueprints:
- Added CV Tier 4 (Thanks to Nosture: http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=786993317)
- Added CV Tier 5 (thanks to baddkarma74) http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=750189130
- Added SV Tier 5 (thanks to Vicomt): https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=792923923
- Added BA Tier 6 (thanks to H.P. Strangelove): http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=766326347
Improved Server-Client chat:
- Implemented server-side chatting to a specific player or faction (type "help say" in console to get usage details)
- Implemented client-side chat to server only (start chat message with "s! ", no other player will see this message)
Changes to how HUD names are shown:
- Adapted distance at which HUD tags are shown: planet 350m (instead of 250m) and space 1500m (instead of 1000m)
- Name + faction info appears at 300m (planet) and 1250m (space) - before: 200m / 500m
- Changed: unpowered structures are again showing their name in HUD
Weapon Balancing:
- Tweaked weapon ranges (BA turrets have now a higher range than CV weapons):
* slightly increased weapon range for Bases for some turrets
* slightly reduced weapon range for CV for some turrets
* increased weapon range for HV turrets
- Added homing missile to turret HV
- Slightly increased speed of homing missile SV
- Increased RPM for Alien Ion Turret (Planet) and Alien Sentries
- Increased Rotation Speed for all Alien Turrets and Alien Sentries
- Increased damage, hitpoints and range for Alien Sentries and Player Sentries
- Slightly increased projectile speed for Alien Turrets and Sentries
- Increased stack size of several ammo types
General Balancing:
- Increased overall drop rate of crushed stone
- Added crushed stone also in top layer on Omicron to make it easier to find crushed stone
- Re-balanced all jet thrusters
Improved visuals:
- Improved visuals of weapons in first person (improved shader)
- Improved turret HV: we are now using the same base for all turrets in order to have a more coherent style. In addition, we added better color masks and improved overall textures
- Re-added old icon for base (for better differentiation to terrain placeables) - now using same base icon on map as in creative menu
- Updated RCS block with better model
- Better implementation for destroying large and small deco trees/bushes when CV collides with them
- Adjusted 3rd person camera position on all stock vessels (stock blueprints)
- Improved weapon hold on chainsaw and miniguns
- Slightly tweaked smoke effect on lava planet
- Slightly increased size of Ammo Type field in HUD
- Tweaks to grass shader lighting
Other tweaks / improvements:
- Added “Search” box for Blueprint Library (F2)
- Player character: Implemented simple texture LODs for saving VRAM in multiplayer
- Added better names for some weapons and ammo (to fit into GUI field) + better preview icons for better differentiation (color differentiation depending on type)
- Added better names for Sentry Guns
Easy-Anti Cheat (EAC):
- Updated EAC
- Added possibility to enable extra log outputs in dedicated.yaml (for debugging purposes)
=> by enabling extra log outputs on your server and sending us the log files, you can help us tracking down a problem that we are currently trying to solve in connection with EAC
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: "Stuck below cockpit" problem for many use cases (if it still happens -> use console cmd 'detach')
- Fixed: Problem that a playfield server that was started could sometimes "drag you back in" and result in a "stuck below cockpit' situation
- Fixed: Problem that turrets did not lead target correctly anymore
- Fixed: Upgrading a Autominer does not upgrade ore/h and Limit
- Fixed: Problem that faction member ore info on map did not update correctly if other faction members discovered new deposit
- Fixed: Problem that animals got stuck sometimes at rocks
- Fixed: Problem that HV Harvester module did not work in 1st person reliably
- Fixed: Problem that NPC Zirax and Robots often needed very long to attack or missed completely
- Fixed: Problem that vessels jumped around after spawning and touching ground
- Fixed: Problem that sun was shining through planets in space
- Fixed: Problem that homing missiles sometimes circled around target
- Fixed: Problem with explosion center for explosion damage on objects that are larger than 1x1x1
- Fixed: Problem that options setting "Fullscreen Window mode" had no effect
- Fixed: Problem that block grid became visible from a close distance
- Fixed: Problem with normal map of jet thrusters
- Fixed: More than 20 internal errors reported on support email and collected on HWS Server (thanks so much!)