Dear Stormworkers,
The open free beta for Stormworks: Build and Rescue will launch Wednesday 7th February on Steam!
We will also be announcing the release date of Stormworks Steam Early Access in the next couple of weeks.
Thank you to all the players who participated in alpha 1 and 2. Without your enthusiasm, support, and feedback we would not have been able to push Stormworks to where it is today. We have enjoyed talking to you on the Steam forums, discord, emails, the issue tracker, and elsewhere and we are really looking forward to what you think about the beta.
As always, we are fixing issues and make improvements, so please do use the in-game buttons to report problems and suggest new game features, and we will be releasing patches regularly as we complete the improvements.
However, it isn't over. We have big ambitious plans for the game, and in the coming weeks, we will also be announcing our development road map, our plans for new features, and the order in which we will work on them. As we close the alpha, this also brings an end to long breaks between alpha versions. We are looking forward to continuing to develop and support Stormworks, especially as we enter this new open phase.
To keep updated with the latest news:
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Much love <3,
The Stormworks Developers
Major New Beta Features
New Missions System
We have overhauled the story of the ocean around you, and created a new AI system where NPCs are persistent in the world, and can drive vehicles on their own or as a crew around the ocean. Their activities sometimes go wrong, and these persistent background stories can become a mission. This is now how all missions work. There is all new mission content, as well as a lot of the older content reworked to work in the persistent simulation.
New Environments
There are all new locations to visit in the world, as well as upgrades to existing locations. Many of these locations are designed with the new missions system in mind and may become important as we expand the missions in the future.
Submersibles
Water no longer comes inside spaces that are enclosed by the water-tight doors, windows and blocks. These spaces provide buoyancy, but if water comes in through an open door or the new water pumping components, compartments will start to fill up and will lose it's buoyancy. These new parts can be used for submarines as well as adding interior areas below the waterline of existing boats.
New Graphical Effects
All new visual effects have been added such as water impacts, spray, fire, splashes and bubbles. Some existing effects have also been refined and improved.
Wildlife
You now share your environment with a host of bird species and sea-life. Below water there are new plants and rock formations to explore, while above water, the world is divided into biomes in which certain bird species cohabit.
Full Change Log
New Features
- Submersibles
- Water will no longer enter sealed compartments
- Doors and hatches will stop water when closed
- Water will flow between open compartments
- Water can be pumped in and out of compartments to float/sink them
- Added new water components
- Water meter
- Water inlet
- Water outlet
- 2 types of water pump
- Hose
- Water connector
- Improvements to the world
- Multiple types of birds can be found
- Multiple types of fish can be found
- Underwater rock formations
- Underwater plants
- NPC boats can be found
- Reworked mission system
- NPC characters, vehicles and locations persist between missions
- Some missions only spawn when others have been completed
- Missions will repeat when there are none left to spawn
- Graphics
- Particle effects on propellers and other underwater components
- Underwater dust particles
- New foam effects on boats hitting waves
- Splashes when boats/objects are dropped into water
- Bubbles around player when jumping into water
- Added fire graphical effect
- Wind turbine island
- Vehicles and characters respond to water velocity
- Added more options to settings menu for disabling cosmetic features for lower spec hardware
Changes/Fixes That May Affect Existing Vehicles
- Linear tracks now have gear ratio and motor speed settings for lifting heavier vehicles
- Hatch mesh reworked slightly, now has fewer blocks around the edge
- Throttle lever now has options for min/max value and starting value
- Removed magnetic strength option from connectors
General Changes/Fixes
- Fixed some issues where components were not refunded in the editor
- Fixed ocean foam animating in photo mode/when game is paused
- Fixed not being able to jump forwards when standing on a moving vehicle
- Fixed physics of ocean floor causing invisible barriers/vehicles getting stuck/vehicles being sucked through the ground
- Fixed motion blur flickering when crossing tile boundaries
- Fixed occasional bug where vehicles would be launched into the sky upon exiting photo mode
- Fixed snorkel not showing in character creator
- Fixed wheels not creating correctly causing some vehicles to jump on first spawn
- Fixed waves flickering when looking straight down
- Player correctly takes the velocity of their vehicle when exiting a seat
- Editor asks for confirmation if overwriting a vehicle when typing same filename as an existing vehicle
- Setting weather in creative mode blends over time instead of being an instant change to prevent boats flipping out
- Removed creative mode mission spawn menu due to incompatibility with new mission system
- Disabled hardcore mode. This will return in an early-access update when it is more fully featured
- Reworked parts of the nuclear island to support a mission that takes place there
- Helicopter island edit grid has been moved to the helipad in front of the hangar
- Can now hold handles while on a ladder
- Separate bug/feature buttons on main menu and pause menu
- Increased vehicle editor fov to 70
General Notes
- Save files will be reset due to major changes to missions and islands (most vehicles will still work fine)