Hey everyone!
We got a lot to cover: the release date, preview branch, how the workshop works, and more!
So first things first, the Workshop Update drops...
October 18, 2021
That's less than a week from today!! Phew, we got some work to do.
Live on Preview Branch
That being said the update is now available for testing on the Preview Branch. So if you feel like checking the mods RIGHT NOW, you can! Just see the "How to play with mods" section below.
We created a Workshop forum and a bunch of modding channels in our Discord so feel free to discuss everything workshop related there.
All patch notes will be posted in the Preview Branch forum and our Discord leading up to the official release next Monday.
Lastly, keep in mind that some stuff is not final yet and will be fixed before the update releases.
Some of the mods we've been preparing
Giant Drillhead
To keep up with the Spooktober spirit we added a Giant COG with a drill for its head. Used the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill as a reference. Mod link
Lava Factories
New type of building that will can be found around lava pools. Mod link
Skins
A variety of new skins will be available. Mod link
Submarine Driving
Take the submarine for a drive. But don't scratch it! or the Captain will kill you. Mod link
New Enemy Type
COG Armor
Apart from being able to take more damage, they will also give the crew buffs such as faster production. Mod link
Dancing
When the eruption drops. Mod link
And many more...
How to play with mods
It's really simple. Just follow this guide once and I bet you will remember the steps from then on.
1. First, you need to be on the Preview Branch, the screenshot below shows how to switch branches.
2. Start Volcanoids and click on the "Mods" button in main menu and then the "Open Workshop" button.
3. Steam overlay will open on the workshop page. Here you can browse all the available mods. Easy way to check if the mod is "official", meaning it's made by the dev team, is to see the author. If the author is the Captain, then it's from us and the mod should 100% work (don't quote me on that tho haha).
4. Once you find the mod you want to try, just click on the green "subscribe" button.
5. Then use the SHIFT + TAB combination to hide the Steam overlay and the mod will appear in the mod table. Now you just click the checkbox and click the "Apply Configuration" button.
6. The game will restart and you're good to go. To double check if the mods applied when you start a new game this table with mods should appear telling you which mods are you playing with.
How to make mods
For anyone who would like to start making mods, we put together this guide that goes into more detail on how to set everything up: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2625530587
FAQ
Can we play multiplayer with the mods?
Yes! The way it works is that the person who creates the server has to choose the mods (as shown above) and then anyone who joins him/her will automatically download those mods without having to do anything.
Which mods are from the dev team?
As mentioned in the guide, the mods that have Captain as the author, are from us. We call those the "official mods" which just means that they should do what's stated in their description, shouldn't break anything in your game, and that we will continue updating them. Check out all the official mods
Why don't you just add this to the vanilla game?
The reason is that with the workshop in place, we have this fast prototyping ground where no idea is too crazy to be done. Anything can be quickly put together and checked out in the game without having to worry about how it will affect the gameplay for everyone. Things are not super polished, and bugs can appear here and there.
This is a huge shortcut in development and a powerful tool that can give us a better idea of what you guys like and want in the game. If a specific mod becomes super popular, you bet we will consider adding it in the vanilla game! We look at it as an opportunity to create a new form of communication between you and us.
Why adding the workshop now, is the development coming to an end?
Not even close haha. The reason why we're adding workshop now is similar to why we added multiplayer so soon as well. Because it's real pain to add it later on in the development when there might be some stuff implemented that didn't take workshop into account etc.
Wrap up and bonus leak
Hope everything is clear! If not drop a question below, harass me on Discord, whatever works for you and I'll try my best to help!
Have a blast with the mods, don't break them too much, and keep an eye out on our socials. I'll be leaking some more stuff and got some giveaways planned too!
Cheers everyone,
- Rich and the team
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/