Hello there!
Armed with a ton of feedback and bug reports since launch we've spent the past two weeks brewing up a large new update that fixes a bunch of issues and adds many requested changes.
Here are the main changes and additions:
Categorized Side Inventory
The old inventory system has been replaced with a new collapsible side inventory that can filter your cargo based on it's type.
That's not all however as it can also list the nearby modules floating around you and serve them to you on a plate, ready for attachment.
Once you select them there is another new feature - the Continuous Building System which lets you attach modules as fast as possible as long as you keep them selected.
New Spawning System
Since the old system of hostile NPC ships spawning right on top of you wasn't exactly great if you wanted to rebuild your ship on the spot we've optimized the ships to unload when far away - which enables them to prespawn in the system on load without any performance issues.
That way you can start assaults when you're ready and won't get any unwanted surprises in the shape of high velocity bullets.
It's not all however, you can now clear systems of hostile craft and they will be replaced by neutral ships that wander around (and will defend themselves if attacked). In future updates we plan on expanding the interaction with them further with communications, mercenary work and the like.
"Cereal" B.O.X. Conning Tower Pod
The second Mk2 pod to enter the game is the brand new industrial conning tower.
It's more suited as a command center for medium and larger ships as it does not pack any engines or fuel tanks, but makes up for that by being a whole lot sturdier, having a better power generator and a faster fuel collector.
Graphical Improvements
We've redone most of the weapon particle effects. You should see new explosions, more realistic bullet hits for miniguns, new flak blasts and new plasma detonations. As long as you keep the bloom filter turned on there are some additional explosion debris effects as well.
On top of that there's a newly rendered skybox that features animated stars if you have the bloom filter enabled while showing a massive drop in color banding overall.
Changelog:
Additions:
- new inventory system
- continuous building mode
- small debris effects for explosions (if you have the bloom filter enabled)
- the conning tower command pod
- more ship names and prefixes
- new NPC ships
- an option to revert to the old broadside mode controls
- an easter egg
Changes:
- reworked most weapon particle effects
- shields now block 50% of plasma and flak damage when running
- replaced the skybox with an animated one (if you have the bloom filter enabled)
- switched to a static spawning system with "clearable" systems that spawn neutral ships afterwards
- ore prices increased to hopefully make mining more viable
- there are now alerts (with cancel instructions) on screen when the ship is aligning for long distance warp
- improved performance for some of the projectiles (flak and plasma shots)
- space stations are now distinguishable from planets on the minimap (marked with a cube)
- flak now does less concentrated and more splash damage
- minigun damage numbers are now yellow
- reorganized the workshop upload screen
- starting in creative will give you any of the 3 faction flagships (Rasputin, Prometheus or Corvette)
- reduced the chance for the station "Hello There!" prompt to appear from 100% to 33%
- added a background to the Steam Workshop ship images
Fixes:
- fixed NPC ship movement slightly
- fixed a crash that would happen if steam functionality did not load (before the game itself finished loading)
- after warping, the camera mode returns to the mode it was previously in (instead of forcing build mode)
- fixed a big inconsistency issue with distance checking in the game
- you now receive more starting money to compensate for the Prometheus selling workaround
- fixed the damage pickup sphere particle efffect’s position
- fixed planets not casting shadows correctly
- saving in a black hole system no longer spawns you inside the void on reload
The "known issues" paragraph has remained unchanged since 1.04d in case you've already read it.
Known issues as of 1.05:
- Some players are unable to select systems in the galaxy map after saving and loading the game (You can now use the A and D keys as a temporary workaround to switch systems in case it happens).
- The music slider does not update the volume until the options menu is closed.
- Larger ships are rather intensive on performance right now
- Task and chat windows can appear off-screen on large resolutions (2560x1440 and above)
Thanks for reading, fly safe!