Void Crew News

Special Thanks goes out to the Void Crew community (again!) for all their feedback and good vibes!

This Update brings a lot of fixes, quality of life additions, new content and community requests - Basically stuff across the board, and without doubt our biggest update to date!

Here’s a recap of what’s new:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]




[h2]More Upgrade Steps![/h2]


Ectypes need all the help they can get to fight off the HOLLOW! The Ship System Upgrader was lacking upgrade steps for a handful of Ship Systems - these have now been added, allowing you to push the offensive power of your ship even higher. Upgrade steps were added for these system:

• Gravity Scoop Mk II and Mk III
  
• Recuser Beamcaster Mk II and Mk III
  
• Shuriken cannon Mk III
  
• Litany Minigun Mk III
  
• Orison Orison Mk II
  
• Energy Shuriken Gatlin Mk III
  
• B.R.A.I.N. turret now has 3 Marks
  

* The tech controlling the Gravity Scoop's attraction beam has also been updated to be more stable and reliable.


[h2][Community] New Ship Loadout: “Freedom”[/h2]


A recurring Community Request, this Update also introduces the Freedom Loadout for the Destroyer and Frigate, taking the place of the CQB II loadout. This new (experimental) option starts you off with a blank ship and a handful of Animus Crates!
Note: To unlock this loadout, you need at least one crew member at Ectype Rank 24* or higher. With the Ship System Upgrader addition, we're shifting from Tiered Loadouts to instead relying on acquiring the System Upgrader during Pilgrimages.

* Rank, Progression and Perks are being redesigned for an upcoming update 🙂


[h2][Community] Reward Overhaul[/h2]


We've improved control on how we hand out rewards to Players - and how the rarity of the Loot Boxes is tied to the aggressiveness of the built-in duplicate protection. The standard Common Loot Box come with "pretty good" duplicate protection, but doesn't have improved chances to drop higher rarities. Higher rarity boxes will guarantee higher rarity loot and more aggressive duplicate protection. Seasonal Loot Boxes are so aggressively guarding against duplicates, that once you've collected all common items, they'll start handing out rares. This means that the Seasonal Boxes can be trusted to reward you all the items from their designated Reward Pool, as long as you keep collecting them. We call the "new" Loot Boxes Gifts of METEM, and are continuing to tweak the experience.

Gifts of METEM are earned and tallied during Pilgrimages, but must be opened from the new Rewards tab on the Personal Loadout Terminal. This means the End-of-Pilgrimage flow has been shortened significantly, but also allows us to do more interesting things with handing out Rewards in the future.

In addition to the new Rewards Tab, the Personal Loadout Terminal now also shows both Name as well as Rarity for items you've collected.

The Update also contains three new Armor Pieces, as well as a handful of Projections.

[h2][Community] Uncapped FPS[/h2]


We've rewritten how the character interacts with the ship physics, uncapping their movement from the tick-rate of the physics engine. In simple terms, this should smooth out the camera movement. This is of course part of a larger overhaul, so expect more improvements to this in upcoming updates. Read more about the topic here.


[h2]Secrets from the Past…[/h2]

Vestiges of a bygone age, the derelict wrecks of the Void abound with valuable secrets and stories untold. Lore scholars and inquisitive souls should be on the lookout for Data Terminals. These troves of ancient knowledge dispense special Data Shards stuffed with ship reports, combat logs, and other invaluable snippets of narrative intel. Bring the Shards back to the Astral Map for decryption and unlock new Codex Entries. Only then may we begin to glimpse the greater picture…

Simply put: Collectable story chapters found on Space Bases and Wrecks, each unlocking entries in the Codex about the Void Crew universe.


[h2]Topic of Love[/h2]


A new time limited enemy has been added: The Lovelorn Collector - this lovesick enemy is hoarding unique Data Shards, pilfered from METEM's devotees. Bring these special Data Shards back to the Astral Map, and you're rewarded a Devotional Gift of METEM!

Open your Devotional Gift of METEM in the Personal Loadout Terminal, and earn season-appropriate rewards, including a new special helmet, or even a set of heartfelt shoulder pads.




[h3]Community - QoL[/h3]

• Run: Toggle / Hold Option (expected to be relatively easy)
  
• Pinging Void Jump Markers
  
• “Hide Keybinds UI” toggle added to Settings
  
• Allow Target Locking of Neutral & Attackable Targets
  
• Ability to upgrade already activated Enhancements if you’ll make ‘em better
  
• EVA: Players stuck if EVA without Jetpack
  
• EVA: Hud to warn player, when going EVA without Jetpack
  
• EVA: Red blinking in player hud
  
• EVA: Hint - Make sure to put on Jetpack when EVA
  
• EVA: Warning sound (when trying to EVA without Jetpack)
  
• Loot probabilities/ reward system (see above)
  
• Toggle player name keybind (“N” - To toggle names)
  
• Streamline view-change keybind (Pilot and Gunners toggle view-point using “V”)
  
• Gravity scoop rework - Better scooping, coloring (when about to break), disconnecting beam based on distance.
  

[h3]Enemy changes[/h3]

• Hollow Sniper Elite added (fires 3 times in a row)
  
• Hollow Bomber Elite added (fires 2 sets of 4)
  
• Hollow Invulnerability Generator and Shield generator now show up in random compositions
  
• Normal and invulnerable Shield shader improved
  
• New enemy spawn group balanced
  
• Improved visibility of normal and invulnerability shields
  

[h3]Balancing (Ranks)[/h3]

• Veteran unlock moved from 9 to 8
  
• Expert unlock moved from 19 to 12
  
• Insane unlock moved from 29 to 19
  
• Benediction II moved to Rank 9
  
• Energy Shuriken Gatlin Mk II moved to Rank 23 (mk I & II unlocked at same time)
  
• New modules added to rank unlocks (excluding B.R.A.I.N. and Energy Gatlin Mark III)
  

[h3]Other[/h3]

• Void Jump signatures/markers can now be pinged
  
• Vivox - Improvements and stability
  
• Weapon barrel can now have overheating red-emissive barrels (primarily Benediction)
  
• Modules now showcase their rarity on the ground or part of the visuals (see Scoop/Brain etc)
  
• Gravity scoop reworked
  
• Mines will no longer target invulnerable enemies
  
• Tally screen updated (ported to new UI tech)
  
• New “Power Optimizer” mod for modules
  
• Alloys and biomass no longer reward XP
  

• Fixed the Proctorship Helmet being disconnected from the body
  
• A lot of fixes to Fabricator in multiplayer, should no longer get stuck in processing state
  
• Fixed the items from previous sessions appearing in space in new sessions, causing the game to break if interacted with
  
• Fixed the Thrusters getting activated by pressing shift to run outside of helm
  
• Fixed the weapons getting multiplied if upgraded/deconstructed while someone sits in them
  
• Fixed an issue where the players could get target locked by enemies while inside of buildings
  
• Fixed the buildboxes not moving with the ship after getting deconstructed – they should no longer end up in space
  
• Fixed an issue where player ship would get suddenly one shot during Ambush mission
  
• Fixed an issue where rejoining a session after disconnect would result in the player appearing as Banana Pants
  
• Fixed the self mute getting removed after applying settings or fixing defects
  
• Fixed the self pinging breaking when seated in helm
  
• Fixed the self pinging not showing the ping wheel
  
• Fixed the crosshair not being visible while using Litany Minigun
  
• Fixed the weapon mods effects not applying for players that join the session after the mods are inserted
  
• Fixed Gravity scoop: Won’t fling items far away from the ship
  
• Fixed Gravity scoop: Won’t attempt to pull items out of buildings
  
• Fixed Gravity scoop: When using two gravity scoops, they won’t try to scoop the same item
  
• Fixed Gravity scoop: The scooped items now follow the trajectory represented by their attraction curve
  
• Fixed the ship health showing 100% in tutorial
  
• Fixed the Charging Station enhancement giving the same results on different "Stronger enhancement" perk levels
  
• Fixed the "Stronger enhancement" perk not working with Life Support
  
• Fixed the default shoulders icon on personal terminal
  
• Fixed an issue with Kinetic Point Defense, where the Ammo Crate could be taken out of it, which would break the module functionality
  
• Fixed the “Attempt Repair” prompt getting stuck on screen after repairing a defect
  
• Fixed the B.R.A.I.N. auto turrets shooting at enemies that have already escaped the sector
  
• Fixed the B.R.A.I.N. auto turrets breaking after they destroy a component on an enemy that was not target locked
  
• Fixed the issue where only one type of rare Weapon Mod would appear as loot throughout the entire mission
  
• Fixed the available loot resetting when Host changes
  
• Fixed the weapon range display not updating if mods or perks are applied
  
• Fixed the Cold Field warning not displaying the speed debuff
  
• Fixed objective markers sometimes appearing as Unscanned Signatures
  
• Fixed the Galaxy Map getting stuck on screen if it’s exited too fast
  
• Fixed an issue where joining the session at the end of a Void Jump would result in getting stuck in the Void Jump animation
  
• Fixed the “Choose destination” objective not completing when Exit Sector is chosen
  
• Fixed the Prism getting duplicated if Host changes
  
• Fixed the Assembler enemies teleporting around for guest players
  
• Fixed an issue where throwing items could result in the player not being able to pick up any new items
  
• Fixed an issue where the guest player could get stuck while interacting with Fabricator during a Void Jump
  
• Fixed the Biomass port outline sometimes being misplaced for guest players
  
• Fixed the multiplayer HUD dropdowns being hard to interact with
  
• Fixed an issue where if multiple people in the party shared the same name, muting one of them would mute all that share the name
  
• Fixed an issue where two player could sit in the same chair if Host left
  
• Fixed the Reload Speed mods decreasing the reload speed instead of increasing it
  
• Fixed weapon mods visual issues when the weapons get powered on and off
  
• Fixed the Christmas projections appearing blurry when playing on Low graphic settings
  
• Fixed the Raid Bases not being attached correctly to the asteroids
  
• Miscellaneous art and collision fixes
  
• Miscellaneous audio fixes
  
• Fixed majority of UI issues when using languages other than English
  
• Fixed the objective names overlapping each other on the Galaxy Map
  
• Added a lot of missing localization - still work in progress
  

Another round of thanks goes to our community for their patience and feedback that allows us to keep making the game better! Jump on to our Discord and join the fun!

We are already now looking forward to the next update, and can only say we are VERY excited about the next steps. In not too long we’ll update our living Roadmap. We just wish we could share our plans, but that would cause an endless discussion of company perks…

[EDIT 2] It's confirmed! Update 3 will launch on Friday, February 16.

[EDIT] We're having to delay Update 3 a little bit due to some issues. Don't worry, though! If everything works out the way it's going right now, we should have it ready for tomorrow (Friday February 16).

We know you're all hyped about the update (and we are as well!), so we can't wait to get it out to you and hear your feedback.

We will confirm this later today, so stay tuned!

--------------------------------------

We are dropping our next major update with loads of stuff this Thursday (15th of February 2024)!

Here’s a sneak preview of what’s to come:

[h2]Extend the Game[/h2]

METEMs R&D department has gone all in this time around, ensuring various modules can now be upgraded when a Ship System Upgrader comes your way. This will surely help you battle the newly discovered Elite versions of the HOLLOW Sniper and Bomber.

Included in the upgradeable modules are - amongst favorites - the monstrous Recuser Beamcaster Mk III, the Quad barrelled Litany Minigun MK III, the relentless B.R.A.I.N. Mk III and even the unquelching Gravity Scoop* Mk III with 6 scoop-slots!

* Also, we totally reworked and improved how the scoop scoops.

[h2]Community First (always)[/h2]
[h3]Freedom Loadout[/h3]

With the CQB II being retired by the introduction of the Ship System Upgrader, we saw an opportunity to do something "Experimental". So, yes, rejoice, now high ranked members of staff are now able to select the "Freedom"-class Frigate or Destroyer ships with no modules installed! This is a community request we see as something we are going to try out together.

[h3]Loot overhaul[/h3]

We've reworked how we reward players: We've improved control on how we give loot (ie cosmetics) to players, adding duplicate protection logic and drop chance (introducing proper rarity). And also, we added more stuff.

[h3]Uncapped FPS[/h3]

You read it right. We've rewritten how the character interacts with the ship physics making their movement uncapped from the tick-rate of the physics engine. The ship itself will still need a bit more work for its movement to also be uncapped, but rest assured it is something we will also address in one of the upcoming updates. Give it a spin and let us know! Read more about the topic here.

[h2]Lore collectibles[/h2]

Scattered around on derelict wrecks hold secrets and stories untold. If you do run into any of these, do grab that floppy ... I mean, Datashard and get it back to the astral terminal to unlock one of many lore snippets scattered around the solar systems!

[h2]Month of Stars and Love[/h2]

With so much love from the community, there is no chance we could resist the time-limited opportunity - Go hunt for the rare and illusive Lovelorn Collectors to get the themed cosmetic while available!

[h2]What else?[/h2]

We admit it. We feature creeped a lot on this update. Not only did we do all the above, we also did a TON of fixes. We can sleep when we are old.

Since this is only a PREVIEW, stay tuned for the FULL LIST of changes and bug fixes in the Update article we release on the day of the update!

Join our Discord for more news, and don’t forget to tune in on Thursday 15th of February to read the full changelog.

With Love,
Hutlihut Games Crew

[h3]Hey ectypes![/h3]

Are you new to Void Crew?
… Or maybe you’re an experienced player, but have a friend that’s new and you don’t feel like explaining all the basics?

Worry no more, we got you all!

We created 10 quick videos explaining all the basics to Void Crew. From starting in the hub and creating a game, to travelling around the void, repairing the ship, using the fabricator… everything you need to know to jump into pilgrimages and help in the fight for METEM. We want all ectypes to be as prepared as possible!

You can find the playlist in our Youtube channel, but let’s go through each video and what they’re about.



When you log into Void Crew, you land in the lobby. Here’s where you can start organizing your crew and set up a mission. Learn everything you need to know to go into your first pilgrimage:

1. Picking the right ship
   
2. Characters and roles (Pilot, Gunner, Engineer, Scavenger)
   
3. Customization (perks and cosmetics)
   
4. Choosing an objective
   
5. Starting the mission

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



There are various types of objectives throughout the void. They range from combat to scavenging, but often they are a mix of both. We want you to know what they’re all about so you can choose your adventure wisely!

• Raid: recovering data shards that are locked away in Progenitor structures.
  
• Download: repairing facilities to download vital data.
  
• Ambush: hunt down and attack a Remnant Freighter.
  
• Cleanse: track down and eliminate Hollow Assembler Cores.
  
• Protect: protect fellow Metem ships from incoming waves of attacks.
  
• Strike The Hollow: destroy a Hollow Prism.
  
• Strike: destroy Remnant Comm Relays.
  
• Side objectives
  • Container Hunt: seek out and destroy containers to locate Data Shards.
    
  • Priority Targets: hunt down dangerous targets for some hefty profit!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Ectypes travel through space with the help of Void Jumping. It’s an incredibly fast traversal method, but it requires some preparations. In this video we go through all the preparations for your first void jump, and explain what you can expect during your travels through the void:

1. Preparations for a Void Jump
   
2. Picking objectives
   
3. Types of Void Jumps (stable vs unstable)
   
4. Interdictions

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



To succeed, you'll need to know your ship like the back of your hand! We will walk you through the different modules in the ship:

1. Constant modules (e.g. circuit breakers, homunculus, etc.)
   
2. Dynamic modules (e.g. guns, generators, etc.)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Communication is key in Void Crew! In this video you'll learn about:

1. Voice chat & written chat
   
2. Muting players
   
3. Kicking players

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Inevitably, your ship will get damaged during your adventures. And every once in a while, you'll need to repair it. In this video we explain everything you need to know to keep your ship in the best possible shape:

1. Inside (engine trims, leaks, etc.)
   
2. Outside (simple damages, ones that require plates, etc.)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Did you know there's a CODEX in the game where you can check information about almost everything in Void Crew? Whenever you feel stuck or unsure about how to do something, you can always refer to the CODEX. In this video we show you how to open it, and what you can find in it.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Those pesky Hollow and Remnant will try to make it difficult for you to finish your objectives. You’ll have to fight them and show them the power of METEM! In this video you’ll find all the info you need about combat:

1. Offensive Measures
   
   1. Types of weapons (how to break shields, then health, etc.)
      
   2. Target locking
2. Defensive measures
   
   1. Shield Generator
      
   2. KPD (Kinetic Point Defense)
3. Utility Items (Stuff the Engineer can do)
   
   1. Inserting Data Shards
      
   2. Helping out with Ammo
      
   3. Recharging Batteries

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



During your adventures, you might need to step out of the ship. We show you all you need to know to get out safely, investigate ruins and complete objectives:

1. Space structures to explore (how to get inside, what to loot, etc.)
   
   1. Focus on "The Power Puzzle"
      
   2. Focus on "The Defect Repair Puzzle"
2. Throwing stuff
   
3. Scooping

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



From recycling materials and loot you don't want to use, to craft new things for your ship, the Fabricator will be your best friend in your adventures through the void! Watch this video to learn everything you need to know about the Fabricator:

1. Fabricating
   
2. Installing
   
3. Upgrading
   
4. Recycling (you don’t need to recycle everything at the very end of the run, stuff is automatically converted into XP!)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In addition to these videos, we recommend joining our Discord server. There’s a lot of experienced players there, ready to help and answer any questions - some might even be up for some games together, which is always nice.

On top of that, the Hutlihut team is also in the Discord, and we answer questions whenever we can!

We hope this makes your first steps in Void Crew a little bit easier, ectype! And, as always…

[h2]METEM PRESERVE YOU[/h2]

With all the love from Metem,
The Hutlihut team

Hello Ectypes!

This is our fifth “Space Log”, where we share what we are doing and some of the things we are currently working on for Void Crew.

Void Crew is in Early Access, which means we have looooads of things we still work on. It also means that sometimes we are experimenting on features as well as balancing, and with the help of feedback from you all in the Void Crew Community, to keep improving the game.
… with the goal of making it a great and fun co-op action experience.

So, let’s get on with it:


I’m Daniel, the Creative Director for Void Crew.

Since the launch, we’ve gotten a TON of great feedback, both in how we can improve the game but also what works. Adjustments have been made, and we see needs we didn’t see before.

To align the future with the vision, I do catch myself thinking back to the original inspiration: Being part of a crew aboard a spaceship, headed into the unknown with friends, trying to make the best out of the equipment at hand and sparse resources - all while facing menacing odds. But just the same, it’s all about players creating their own (chaotic) adventure [to share].

As I reflect on the journey of developing Void Crew, I'm struck by the myriad of iterations and the rich tapestry of learnings each one brought. It's a humbling thought, knowing that if we had the wisdom of hindsight, our decisions might have been different.

So let’s open up a bit and talk about where we are headed. I do think it’s important to remember where we came from, and therefore carve out a clearer future for Void Crew.

This article will reflect some of my thoughts on our roadmap, core design concepts and feedback we’ve gotten since our launch into Early Access in September last year.



Embracing Early Access was a pivotal moment for us, and perhaps one of our wisest decisions. Yet, the path was not without its trepidations. From a developer's perspective, the prospect was (and still is) daunting. We were acutely aware of the bugs that needed squashing and the polish that the game was yet to receive. The real challenge, however, lay in the vulnerability of opening up, a significant leap for someone who cherishes their introverted sanctuary.

The upside, however, was amazing - just seeing people playing and having a blast, creating fan art, asking lore questions, reporting bugs, requesting features and more… to see the community grow and forming groups to play is just indescribable.

Some very condensed takeaways from the community include freedom of setting up your ship (hint: Stay tuned for our upcoming update!), adjustment to the progression/game loop, and also looking into our co-op mechanics, which we’ll dive into in a second.


Void Crew is anchored in three fundamental pillars:

• Co-op Gameplay
  
• Tactile Mechanics
  
• Epic Space Battles
  

[h2]Co-op Gameplay[/h2]
The heaviest pillar IMHO, and the heart of our vision lies in the co-op experience, where the synergy between players elevates the adventure to epic proportions - and more than anything, we want the game to tell your story!*

While adding more players does indeed introduce an element of fun, our journey through Early Access has highlighted the potential for deeper, more meaningful co-op play, hell, I’d even call it social play, that we have yet to fully explore.

Stories can occur by themselves in sandbox environments, but very sandbox-y games tend to put the responsibility of fun on the players themselves - I think a lot of those kinds of players would probably have equally as much fun in a literal sandbox! So being a small team, it’s clear that our strategy is to create sandbox elements, and then have mechanics and balancing revolve around creating situations and conflicts that force players to cooperate. And then making a bit of fun with it and celebrating what we call “Happy Accidents”.

An early model we used was that slow, progressive pressure would eventually break any cooperation and communication down and Ectypes would start to make costly mistakes. Being an Early Access game, this balance is hard to maintain as we are still shuffling things around, but it is something we are constantly aiming for.

Little fact: In the beginning we tried to use mechanics that “sabotaged” players cooperatively (think “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes”), but we found that we didn’t need to … players would eventually mess up by themselves! (yes, partially thanks to the increased pressure model I mentioned earlier).

Moving forward, I do see us spending more time digging into the player mechanics, and how they could create fun situations that have some interplay with other systems. In the realm of examples, we recently did a prototype of “space swimming”, yes, it makes very little sense**, but grants just a tiny bit of control if you get blown out the airlock or lose gravity in your ship (due to an unsanctioned Void Jump).

* This does include the lone wolf’s solo runs as well!
** We could argue that suits have micro-air-exhausts, auto-released in case of panic movement…

[h2]Tactile Mechanics[/h2]
Our tactile interface allows players to interact with the game world through intuitive controls, like pressing buttons, flipping levers, and deploying gadgets. The game revolves around this living entity that is your spaceship - even though it’s an advanced piece of technology, it still needs to be operated manually as each system is isolated. The Ectypes (the players), are the meaty vessels that spread the word of METEM and they do so with their very own hands - limiting as liberating, it protects the ship from the dangers of relying on electronics and automation for survival. A mechanical race like the HOLLOW would surely seize such opportunity if it was otherwise.

[h2]Epic Space Battles[/h2]
These mechanics set the stage for thrilling confrontations with foes, eager to turn your space vessel into cosmic dust. We present things that challenge players, creating the canvas in which players can be tested as a crew, and overcome these obstacles if they work together.

It’s easy to categorize this pillar as all about new enemies, new objectives and more wrecks to explore, but it’s also about how to make players feel like being part of the battle. For example, we had a tactical screen at some point, where players could get a kind of radar-top-down-perspective of things. I admit, it was a darling

All in all, Void Crew is in Early Access, which means the game is not done yet!

We want to do more on several aspects, especially making an even stronger co-op experience, and more “drama”/ “happy accidents”. Plus of course better stability and ironing out bugs. It also means the roadmap is living and might be adjusted as we get more and more feedback.

We have some pretty neat ideas we can’t WAIT to share more detailed with you, but right now, at the moment of writing, we are wrapping up an exciting Update 3, which - spoiler alert - includes Elite enemies, more module and weapon marks, improved lootboxes, collectable Codex-lore entries, the experimental “Freedom” ship loadout and maybe even some Valentine’s special stuff!

Oh, and more stuff we want to try out that completely unbalances stuff we probably shouldn’t have … but, it’s a game in Early Access after all!

In other words, we are working hard on the further development of Void Crew, and with all the great feedback we have gotten and still getting (hint hint, keep sharing!), our goal is to make Void Crew the greatest Co-op Space Action Adventure out there!
If you have thoughts, then head over to our discord and share your ideas in the Feedback channel :)

Until the next rambling ...
[h3]Metem Preserve You![/h3]

// Daniel, Creative Director
Hutlihut Games

* End goal, of course, being THE GAME that you and your friends keep coming back to for more epic space adventures :)

Hello, my ectypes!

This last Thursday we had our usual Dev Stream, with a special guest; we were joined by Spoony, that has been supporting us since CBT weekend. With more than 400h played, a Lego Ectype created by his son (you remember our post about it?) and loads of questions for us, we were very excited to have him, and had loads of fun playing together.

Watch the Highlights video here (including most of the questions we answered during the stream):
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you want to watch the full stream, you can do that here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfv81_Lxe_Y

We're also adding a written version of the questions that were answered during the stream, to make the information more accessible for everyone!

[h3]Why can't we just upgrade the guns, or build tier 2 crates on the Fabricator without having to relay on loot?[/h3]
You can't see it, but under the hood the fabricator has received sort of a data structure update which will also allow it to be responsive to perk choices. The idea was that some of the perk choices will give you the ability of fabricating better stuff right out of the gate (while still keeping the sense of progression during the game).

[h3]Gene Tree/Perks rework[/h3]
When we do the perk tree rework, things like the above will make your choice of perks a more conscious decision. This rework isn't coming next patch, but we've been talking a lot about how we want to rework perks into you having a limited amount of points, but being able to spend those points in all classes the way you want. That's something we want to do.

[h3]Insane difficulty[/h3]
We've heard that Insane difficulty was much harder before we changed it; we looked at the completion rates for the current Insane difficulty and found them too high for what we intend. So we're actually looking at making Insane... insane again!

[h3]Wormholes/Blackholes... how is that going to be implement and how will they affect the game?[/h3]
The Astral Map got a bit of an overhaul - we laid objectives secuentially from left to right to give more of a sense of where you are going during your Pilgrimage. With the addition of the wormholes, after you pass a certain amount of jumps you'll be able to get to a wormhole. It will appear a bit like optional objectives, but it will somehow indicate that it's maybe a time-limited thing, or maybe something you have to "earn access" to unlock.

The original idea for the shards that go into the Astral Map was always that they'd be like navigation data, but then we ended up doing a lot of different things with them, because it made sense. But we really want to look into introducing this concept of actually unlocking a place that you haven't had on the map up until that point. The data shards will potentially be the thing that unlocks the jump coordinates for the wormhole.

And then, once you get into the wormhole, you'll face a boss or some kind of encounter - something that is at least as intense as an interdiction. Something that has stages and requires some degree of cooperation. It's an opt-in challenge that will be very difficult, so you might want to save it for when your run is going very good, or at least you've gone through a few objectives and have the ship well-equipped (and the hull not totally hammered!). We're looking at all the classics for how to design a good boss encounter! We want to see if we want to challenge our players.

[h3]Have you thought about increasing crew player limit?[/h3]
We have, and we have not. We obviously talk about it internally, but the moment we are balancing for bigger numbers we're also taking on the responsibility of making the game function for that many players.

So we're keeping it to 2-4 players for the co-op experience, and then solo players also get a bit of separate balancing love - with The Lone Sentry loadout, but also actually the spawn rules are quite different when you play the game solo. There's actually things that simply cannot happen if you're playing as a solo player.

Can the game handle it? Well, going by what the modding community is achieving, it seems that superficially it definitely can. But gameplay-wise, the game at all times assumes there's not more than 4 players in a session.

[h3]Will there be different designs of ships?[/h3]
Yes! We don't have a third ship planned yet, so it's not "in sight" at the moment, but we know that we want to do more ships. Our data structure is intact for that, so we consider it part of our content pipeline for the future.

[h3]Lore-wise... who are the good guys?[/h3]
On the next patch we'll be expanding on the lore! You'll be able to find lore shards that you can insert in the Astral Map, and they'll unlock hidden entries in the Codex. That should shine a light on what's going on both in terms of the history of the universe, and Metem fixing the whole thing.

[h3]When is Controller Support coming?[/h3]
It's literally being worked on at the moment. We don't have a date yet, but we're on it!

[h3]When are the next updates more likely to come?[/h3]
That's always a risky question! We're closing in the next update, so while we can't give specific dates... it shouldn't be too long!

[h3]Lootboxes: Legendary Lootboxes not giving special stuff, duplicates, etc.[/h3]
Right now, the current Legendary Lootboxes are called "legendary" because their loot pool extended into the epic and legendary items. You can't get those items from a common lootbox, but you can get common items from Legendary boxes.

The new lootboxes (coming next patch) will be more in line with how Overwatch 1 lootboxes worked: the box can sample from an entire loot pool, and depending on how the roll was it will try to give you something of that rarity. And if you already have that, it will try harder to not give you a duplicate inside that rarity. It also has this thing where if you roll an epic item and you already own every epic item from that loot pool, it will go down to rare items and check if there's something there you don't own yet. After running some simulations, this system seems to be quite efficient at filling out your cosmetic's collection.

We're dicussing several improvements to lootboxes. At the end of the day, they should be a "feel good" element, so we have to get them to a point where they feel good. And everyone, including us, agree that duplicates don't really feel good.


[h3]And that's all for today[/h3]
Thanks to those that offered feedback about the streams and how they'd like both the streams and the highlights videos to be more about discussing the future of the game. We want to keep improving for the community!

Have a great weekend, and as always...
[h2]Metem preserve you![/h2]

With love,
The Hutlihut Games team