Dear Stormworkers,
This week we will discuss the upcoming major updates we have started working on, and are in the pipeline to be delivered to players over the coming months.
We have taken players feedback, as well as the latest poll results very seriously, and aim to make the best improvements we can to your game.
Let's discuss the roadmap for upcoming major updates!
Modular Engines
Modular engines are currently being publicly tested over on the experimental branch of the game. So far we have added components for 1, 3 and 5 scale engines. We have already shared a render of the modular engine meshes, with many components yet to add, and balance yet to be completed.
We are hoping to make solid progress on modular engines over the next few weeks, and get more components and a better balance on experimental as soon as possible. Modular engines will be the next major update.
Nuclear Power
We are currently looking at component designs for nuclear power. The design concept is that nuclear reactors would be large and heavy and serve as a propulsion system for the biggest ships and submarines.
We are considering including components such as nuclear fuel rods, reactors, steam generators, steam turbines and condensers. In this way, nuclear reactors would be modular and players could arrange and connect them in many ways depending on their application.
We are still early in the design phase and would love to hear players ideas and feedback.
Steam Engines
We are currently looking at component designs for steam engines. There would be some component and system cross over with the nuclear steam components, but would be a lower sized and lower power set for medium sized vehicles.
Components could include coal bunkers, coal screws, furnaces, boilers, and piston drivers.
Let us know your thoughts and ideas, and what applications you would like to see steam engines used for.
More AI Vehicles
With AI boats now live on the main version of the game, we are also looking at AI helicopters and AI planes. These new vehicle types would work in a similar way to boats, with the seat type tagged to use a specific AI type and control input scheme. You would occasionally see aircraft in the sky flying past.
We are working on a set of AI compatible vehicles, the new AI code for piloting them, and the updates to the AI vehicles script to support spawning them.
Vehicle Weapons DLC
As the close second most highly voted request on the most recent poll, modular vehicle weapons are in development. This will be a paid DLC to reflect how big a change it is to the game experience, and to protect the base game as a search and rescue sandbox.
We are considering a variety of vehicle weapons, from 50cal machine guns, up to huge howitzer cannons, or explosive charges for your own mines, missiles, and torpedoes. The gun systems would be modular to incorporate gun cycle and chambering mechanics, and ammunition handing and feeding mechanics. Weapons would cause damage in a similar way to collisions and the new explosions that we quietly added in version 1.0.
With weapons and all other features in development, we look forward to working with players to design the best possible new features for Stormworks.
We have our work cut out, with many months of work planned. We continue to carefully consider players feedback and will be sure to run another poll after we have had chance to release at least a couple of these features so all players can have a fair say in the future direction of Stormworks.
We have also made some fixes and improvements. See patch notes below!
Much love <3,
The Stormworks Developers
Patch Notes
v1.0.24
Rework - Added Max error value setting for the PID block (set to zero to disable clamping)
Fix - Quit button disabled for multiplayer clients
Fix - Quit button disabled while incapacitated
Fix - Stormworks not responding while saving
Fix - SetVehiclePos() not correctly updating vehicle physics positions
Fix - Updated AI vehicles script to remove unused objects that were causing errors