🚂 Mid-Sized Update: Muskets, Train Ziplines, Vertical Ladders, and Text Chat

🚂 Content Update: Muskets, Train Ziplines, Text Chat, and Quality-of-Life Improvements

Dear Conductors,

This update introduces improvised muskets, train ziplines, and vertical ladders. Take a musket into battle, set up ziplines between different trains, and use ladders to make more of the vertical space on board.

We've also added in-game text chat and improved saving, controller support, and the Steam Deck experience. There are adjustments to shop stock, some technologies, and item stats, alongside fixes for multiplayer gathering, loot attribution, train brakes, and character animations.

Read on for the full update notes.

🔥 The Age of Firearms: Improvised Muskets Arrive

Three new items join the game:

• Improvised Short Musket

• Improvised Long Musket

• Universal Musket Ammunition

Both muskets are single-shot weapons and can only be reloaded if you have musket ammunition in your inventory.

Musket ammunition also unlocks in Tier 3 technology.

Neither musket can currently be repaired. Starting at full durability, the short musket breaks and disappears after its 20th shot, while the long musket breaks after 100 shots.

We've also fixed abnormal durability consumption and inaccurate durability displays for the short musket, so its remaining durability now reflects actual use.

Hitting a teammate with a musket sends them flying but deals no damage. When firing near a carriage edge, watch where your teammates might land.

Stock up on ammunition before setting out, and leave yourself a way to retreat while reloading!

Gunpowder Changes

• Previously available without an unlock, gunpowder now unlocks in the Tier 3 “Age of Firearms” technology pack.

• Updated the gunpowder description with guidance on where to find sulfur, making crafting materials easier to locate.

🪢 New Structure: Train Zipline

You can now use the building hammer to build zipline posts, connecting two endpoints for quick travel between carriages.

Ziplines can connect endpoints on the same train or endpoints on different trains, with no limit on the distance or height difference between them.

How to Use

• **Ride Both Ways:** Aim at a zipline post or cable and press E to grab on. You can start from either end.

• **Let Go Anytime:** Press E again or jump while riding to let go.

• **Automatic Dismount:** You'll automatically let go when you reach the end.

Watch for obstacles along the route and check where you'll land. Colliding with an obstacle knocks you off, and if there's no solid footing below the endpoint, you'll keep falling.

🪜 New Structure: Vertical Ladder

You can now build vertical ladders with the building hammer using planks.

Vertical ladders let you climb straight up and down while taking up less space. Connect different floors on your train and free up room in compact carriage layouts.

💬 In-Game Text Chat Is Here

You can now chat directly in-game with the other conductors in your lobby.

Keyboard Controls

• Press Enter to open the chat box on the left.

• Type your message, then press Enter again to send it.

Chat History and Drafts

• Notifications appear in chat when friends join or leave the lobby.

• The latest 100 messages are kept for the current session only.

• You can also open chat in single-player.

• Unsent drafts are preserved when you close the chat box.

• If sending a message isn't confirmed, its content is kept so you can try again.

Controllers and Steam Deck

• Hold View／Select to open chat.

• A short press still opens your inventory.

• You can bring up the Steam on-screen keyboard to type.

💾 Save System Improvements

We've improved the saving process when exiting the game and strengthened save protection.

• **Visible Save Progress:** When exiting, you can see saving progress and what's currently being saved.

• **Automatic Retries for Temporary Issues:** Temporary saving problems now trigger automatic retries, reducing the need to manually handle error pop-ups.

• **Stronger Save Validation:** Improved save checks and protection for older saves, with fewer redundant saves.

🎮 Controller and Steam Deck Improvements

We've continued improving control prompts and menus for controller users.

• Added controller prompts to the inventory and crafting screens.

• Press Y on the crafting screen to quickly craft the highlighted recipe.

• While holding the building hammer, press D-pad Up to open the building selection menu.

• Improved menu selection highlights so it's clearer where you are.

• Improved page navigation and the reliability of button prompts.

• Improved Steam Deck launch compatibility and fixed some launch options not taking effect.

🥚 Eggs Now Permanently Available in the Shop

The shop now always stocks the following items, with no refresh required to buy them:

• Chicken Egg: 5 Oxygen Coins each

• Duck Egg: 5 Oxygen Coins each

• Goose Egg: 5 Oxygen Coins each

Even if you haven't found an egg carton on a handcart, you can buy eggs from the shop to start raising poultry.

🔨 Building and Train Control Improvements

Faster Building Hammer

Each swing of the building hammer takes about 35% less time, making repeated building, repairs, and upgrades faster.

Occupied Seat Protection

Fixed chairs being movable while someone was sitting on them.

Trying to move an occupied chair now prompts you to wait until the seat is empty and try again.

Brake State Fixes

Fixed placement previews and inactive brakes incorrectly affecting train movement, and improved brake state synchronization in multiplayer.

Speed Limit Lever Sound Effects

Added a lever sound when changing the speed limit lever's setting.

Nearby players can also hear it. The sound fades with distance and carries up to 10 meters.

🔌 Electronic Module Support and Fixes

Refrigerators Now Support Capacity Modules

You can now install capacity modules in refrigerators, each adding 1 storage slot.

Rocket Energy-Saving Module Fix

Fixed energy-saving modules having no effect when installed on a rocket.

With 1 energy-saving module installed:

• The electricity required for launch drops from 10000 to 9000.

• The power display updates accordingly.

• The control console's launch-ready status updates accordingly.

🏹 Combat, Technology, and Item Adjustments

Multiplayer Bow Kill Attribution Fix

Fixed loot from animals killed with a bow in multiplayer incorrectly going to the host. It now goes to the archer as intended.

We also improved kill attribution for damage over time. When poison arrows are added in the future, kills caused by their damage over time will also be correctly credited to the archer.

Arrow Stack Size Changes

The stack limit for all arrow types has increased from 16 to 20.

Iron Spear Recipe Added

Added the iron spear recipe to the **“Iron Tools” technology pack** in Tier 2 blueprints. You can craft it once unlocked.

Boss Disengagement Fix

Fixed bosses staying in combat for too long after being hit by ranged attacks.

Bosses now return to camp once you stop attacking and move far enough away, provided there are no other combat targets nearby.

Bear Encounter Event Adjustments

Improved how progress toward triggering bear encounter events is accumulated, so the trigger conditions aren't overly demanding.

🤝 Multiplayer Gathering and Lobby Password Fixes

Long-Distance Gathering Fix

Fixed repeatedly shoveling without gathering anything, or being unable to dig sand and dirt piles, when far from the host in multiplayer.

Password Notifications and Screen Updates

• Fixed the input panel obscuring the incorrect-password message when joining a lobby.

• Updated the appearance of the incorrect-password screen as well.

🧍 Character Animation and Held Item Fixes

This update addresses several issues with how arms and held items appear in different situations.

• Improved first- and third-person musket holding and reloading animations, with further refinements to first-person reloading.

• Fixed arms occasionally disappearing when turning the camera.

• Fixed muskets separating from the hands when opening the inventory or crafting screen, preserving the correct grip.

• You can now dance normally while holding a gun. The weapon is temporarily put away during the dance.

• Fixed arms and held items becoming misaligned after dancing or switching items.

• Fixed extra first-person arms appearing in the photo camera view.

• Adjusted the fishing rod holding position and fixed arms staying raised when crouching.

• Fixed an issue that could occur when closing the inventory, ensuring the hotbar and held item models return to normal after rapid repeated switching.

📦 Storage Structure Visual Updates

Updated the models of these structures:

• Medium Chest

• Automatic Supply Chest

• Wooden Shelf

These changes improve the models' appearance while keeping their original size, functionality, and placement behavior, so your existing carriage layouts remain usable.

💬 Thank You for Your Support and Feedback

Thank you to every conductor who has boarded OxyRail.

From new combat equipment and ways to move between carriages to multiplayer communication and everyday controls, we hope this update gives you more choices for life on the rails and makes your journey smoother.

If you run into issues with muskets, ziplines, text chat, or anything else, please keep sharing your feedback through the Steam Community. Describing what was happening when the issue occurred helps us track it down and fix it faster.

⭐ Your Reviews Matter to Us

If you enjoy OxyRail, we'd love for you to leave an honest review on Steam.

Every review and suggestion helps more players discover the game and helps us decide which improvements to prioritize. If you feel something still needs work, please tell us about the specific issues in a review or in the community.

Thank you for being with us on this journey. We look forward to traveling even further together!

—The OxyRail Development Team