*Note - These changes are only on the Experimental Branch. To access the Experimental Branch, be sure to select it in your Steam Library. If this app does not appear, please check if this app is hidden in your Library. Experimental Branch changes upgrade to the primary branch monthly.
Hello explorers! Coming back from the holidays gave us fresh eyes on the UI and we put substantial focus into improving the UI and HUD across the game for this update.
Full and Centered
The most noticeable difference? Everything is now CENTERED as opposed to being on the right side of the screen, and Menus are now full screen.
Clean, Expanded Interaction
We also attacked the Interact HUD. Inactive options are now faded out. Interaction title and info are now centered.
You can now Open and Use objects while holding any kind of repair tool.
Minerals and More in your Map
HUD Map now displays your settings from the Map Menu, so anything from minerals to base objects can be viewed while exploring.
Vehicles now display the HUD Map too.
Stats are Back
Physical Stats and Leveling Up have been added back with an improved interface. You can now increase your abilities as you progress in level.
Inspect Those Vitals
Your Vitals can now be inspected with a tool tip to display detailed information of your health, nutrition, hunger, and more.
Clear, Minimal 3D HUD
The Lower HUD is now 3D. We also mute nominal Vitals from the HUD.
We Have a "Fill" Button
We added a "Fill" option to easily transfer your inventory. There is also a "Fill Like" that intelligently fills like-typed items for easy item management.
Progress Goals
Build options now show the required structure to unlock and for builds requiring proximity to specific Utilities.
Numerous Touches Throughout
We added small but helpful touches such as the Battery Icon now pulses when using your Flashlight and Inventory weight displayed with a meter. Planet day cycle and location are also shown.
You can also now teleport your drones to your position.
Lots of Fixes, Too
Your feedback helped us identify some subtle issues we may have missed, such as walking diagonally taking stamina. We also cleaned up some old bugs like unfinished Habitats with walls that appear on reload. Both fixed, along with many more. Here's our full list:
Change List
Added - 3D HUD
Added - Animate the HUD based on input
Added - New Deposit All and Deposit Like buttons to inventory UI
Added - Fade out nominal vitals
Added - Fade out Equip Slots, fade in when used for a time
Added - Harvest interact is based on what you're holding
Added - Level Up physical stats with improved interface
Added - Cleaned up Item descriptions panel
Added - Player Model back into Inventory Screen
Added - Weight Meter in Inventory Screen
Added - Faded out inactive Interacts
Added - Better interact instructions for Geysers
Added - mouse overs to Vitals in Menu Screens
Added - Battery icon pulse when flashlight is on
Added - Tab Circle when pressing Tab in a menu
Added - Inspection Descriptions now turn off when going to a menu and resume when leaving menu
Added - Voice Log system added as a pickup and raid item
Added - Voice Log Listening interface
Added - support to bring in debug missions for testing
Added - more detail to auto typing text
Added - Fuel Cell upgrade to Forge
Added - Full screen layout for all menu modes
Added - Turn off Stat Elements when in Map and Skills Screen
Added - Planet day cycle data Show Planet Rotation Speed in Hours on Clock
Added - location coords to Menu
Added - Planet Name and site to Menus
Added - Fail safe to teleport droid to base
Added - location type to Menus
Added - locked build objects to menus
Added - Unlock requirements to locked build objects
Added - Level Up Alert
Added - Show Structures in Map Screen
Changed - Text and layout pass on all UI menus
Changed - Smoothed out rock textures when viewed from a distance
Changed - Set raid object to always give listed objects for missions
Changed - Repositioned Battery Icon
Changed - Cleaned up Center Queue alerts
Changed - Improved Centered Interact Text
Changed - Forge no longer requires Fuel Cell to build
Changed - Forge by default requires fuel
Changed - Forges built before this update will gain the Fuel Cell Upgrade by default
Changed - player slightly moved to center in 3rd person
Changed - Minerals now properly render on the minimap
Changed - Utilities/Inventories can now be accessed and operated while holding a Tinkering tool
Changed - improved and clarified UI in Crash Pod tutorial sequence.
Changed - Improve HUD meters on all objects
Changed - Compass text size
Changed - Clean up various Inventory screens
Changed - Tweaked build object colors for various states
Changed - Improved description in unstuck Buttons
Changed - Rework Map controls in Map Panel
Changed - Discovery now shows Minerals first
Changed - Improved Depository material
Changed - Improved Printer Collision
Changed - Improved Printer active lights
Changed - Spacecraft and Space Appliances are now all unlocked with the building of a Laboratory
Fixed - Map now is displayed in all vehicle types
Fixed - New Mission gets turned off after viewing missions
Fixed - Duplication bug when quick stacking items into multiple stacks
Fixed - Optimized runtime impact of the Minimap and GPS screens
Fixed - Numerous issues with items not properly rendering on the minimap or GPS map
Fixed - Graphics settings will no longer reset to defaults after planet travel
Fixed - Walking diagonally reduces stamina
Fixed - Redicle re activates when going in and out of menus
Fixed - some objects not pickable in 3rd Person
Fixed - Disappearing Space debris on Proteus 2
Fixed - Habitats with walls missing will no longer render ghost walls after leaving and returning
Fixed - Weather is now properly persistent in save games
Fixed - Issues causing Weather to not sync to other players properly in multiplayer
We'll send these additions to the Main Branch once everything looks good. For now we have plenty more to do, so we'll get right back to it!
-Brian
This exchanged cracked me up recently:
"Did you catch any of that?" – Boba Fett
"Something about friendship?" -Fennec
"We really need a protocol droid." – Boba Fett