Ecosystem News

Hey all,

The Terraform Update is a minor update that gives a few more tools for players to further customise their ecosystems. We plan for there to be one more minor update followed by the next Major Update, which will be the Meta Evolution update.

To access the beta, you can opt in in the usual way, using the password "terraformtime".

As always back up your saves!

Patch notes below:

PATCH NOTES
v0.26

FEATURES
Add the following tools to the Terrain Menu (F1):

• Terraform Brush: mix different environment types with the existing one and carve out large scale modifications such as mountains and valleys.
  
• Water Brush: adjust water color and depth at different places on the map, instead of it being set for the whole area at the beginning of the game.
  
• Copy Brush: select terrain features and stamp them out at other places on the map.
  

FIXES

• Fix: if you click and drag from a UI element off the edge, it can register a click and alter the game world.
  
• Fix: in creative mode, mating grounds can display in the wrong position after a save.
  
• Fix: gene editor won't open if the game is paused.
  
• Fix: creature / plankton cursor doesn't appear if the game is paused when it is started.
  
• Display a message that creatures/plants will spawn as soon as you unpause if you try to create them while the game is paused.
  

Hey folks! Welcome to the ninth development update!

In this update we will hear what Tom's been up to recently alongside some more of our favourite community content!

[h2]Message from Tom[/h2]

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the ninth development update. I'm just completing the last few bits and pieces of what I've been thinking of as the terraforming update, which will be available for beta testing early next week. In the real world, many of the most interesting ecosystems are in places where different environments and their associated communities overlap, and this update is intended to facilitate that in-game as well.

The current suite of tools for terrain adjustment are geared mostly towards small-scale modifications, but with this update, it will be possible to modify terrain on a macro-level scale. With the new tools, you will be able to mix in other terrain types, e.g. adding areas where sharp, jagged rocks protrude out of an otherwise smooth sandy beach.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

With the significantly larger brushes available, it will also be much quicker to add mountains and valleys, so it should be much easier to make something like a continental shelf or a trench to an environment. You will also be able to adjust water properties locally, so water color can vary at different places on the map instead of being set for the whole area at the beginning of the game.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

And lastly, you will be able to copy regions of terrain and paste them elsewhere in the map.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

That's all for this update. Thanks for reading!
Tom Johnson

[h2]Screenshot Central[/h2]


Stobz shared these angry looking creatures!


FireTurkeyOne got festive in December with this Christmas-esque scene.


Jitse Bijlmakers shared this one finned creation.


Zayven upload this smoll boi!

Hey everyone - after a successful beta the Workshop Update for Ecosystem is out now! Patch notes below :)

PATCH NOTES - v0.24

• Fix error that could cause the creator of a terrain/creature/aquarium to appear as [unknown] if the description was changed via the Steam web interface.
  
• Fix access denied error that could occur when clicking 'Save and Share Online' when saving a creature.
  
• Numbers in the names of the map titles now appear in superscript, like the names of creatures.
  
• Text on the save and load game menus no longer run over into other buttons.
  
• Add 'Upload to workshop' button to the saved creature menu.
  
• Fix: when you click on an online terrain and it rebuilds, the progress bar is behind the menu.
  
• Scrollbar on the Steam browser only appears if it is actually necessary.
  
• Fix: pressing back and other buttons in the aquarium menu doesn't close the browse online menu.
  
• Pause the game while the terrain upload happens.
  
• Fix error when updating an already-uploaded terrain caused by name not being saved correctly.
  
• Clear out temp folders used for uploading on game startup.
  
• Move buttons on the online terrain menu so they are positioned similarly to the terrain generation buttons.
  
• Allow moving the camera on the online terrain menu.
  
• The description field of Steam workshop items now appear as hover text when browsing in-game.
  
• Fix: creature pictures can get stretched in some of the menus.
  
• Allow going back to the main menu from the terrain generator.
  

If you'd like a bit more information on how to access the new Workshop features, please see below:

"So what is compatible with the workshop? You can upload and download saved fish, saved terrain and even other peoples aquariums!

1) You can access online creatures from the internet button on the creature menu. This doesn't download them to your bank of saved creatures, it just spawns them directly using DNA from the internet.

You can share your creatures with other people by clicking 'Share Your Creatures' on the internet creature menu where you browse through all of them, or by clicking Save and Share when you save a creature.

You can also save other players' creatures when touring their aquarium by clicking on them and then clicking the save button on the creature menu. This actually does save them to your bank of saved creatures, because it is for later use (you can't do any spawning while touring another player's aquarium)

2) Touring other players' aquariums and sharing your own is done through the new aquarium menu, which can be accessed through the main menu on startup or in game.

3) You can access online terrain from the button on the terrain generator. You can share your own terrain by clicking the 'Share Terrain' / 'Update Terrain Online' button that appears above the brush when the terrain sculpting menu is open."

Hello everybody!

As mentioned and shown in previous development updates the next content update for Ecosystem brings Steam Workshop support to the game and the beta is now live!

You can access the beta in the usual way, the password for this one is "SteamWorkshop", just pop it into the beta box, accessed by Right Clicking on Ecosystem in your Steam library, clicking on "Properties" and choosing Betas. As with any beta we highly recommend backing up your saves before opting in!



The workshop currently just has a few test items uploaded by Tom during testing we as well as testing the downloading of the items we would highly encourage you to upload your files as well!

So what is compatible with the workshop? You can upload and download saved fish, saved terrain and even other peoples aquariums!

1) You can access online creatures from the internet button on the creature menu. This doesn't download them to your bank of saved creatures, it just spawns them directly using DNA from the internet.

You can share your creatures with other people by clicking 'Share Your Creatures' on the internet creature menu where you browse through all of them, or by clicking Save and Share when you save a creature.

You can also save other players' creatures when touring their aquarium by clicking on them and then clicking the save button on the creature menu. This actually does save them to your bank of saved creatures, because it is for later use (you can't do any spawning while touring another player's aquarium)

2) Touring other players' aquariums and sharing your own is done through the new aquarium menu, which can be accessed through the main menu on startup or in game.

3) You can access online terrain from the button on the terrain generator. You can share your own terrain by clicking the 'Share Terrain' / 'Update Terrain Online' button that appears above the brush when the terrain sculpting menu is open.

You can leave beta feedback on this post, or over on the Discord, which you will find link in game :)

Welcome to the 8th development update for Ecosystem!

In this update we will cover:

• Award Nominations
  
• Seasonal updates - Halloween, Christmas etc...
  
• A message from Tom
  
• Screenshot Central
  

[h2]Award Nominations[/h2]



We recently received the exciting news we have been nominated for the TIGA Games Industry Awards 2021 in the "Best Educational/Serious/Simulation Game 2021" category (a mouthful I know!).

TIGA are the trade associations for the video games industry and a network for game devs and publishers to support one another so we're very pleased to be up for an award here.

The award show is November 25th and we will be keeping our fins crossed for a win on the night!

[h2]Seasonal Updates[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

For the period of Halloween we put in a small little themed mode for people to get stuck into and it was great seeing the reaction to this on our Discord - it seemed very well received! We've discussed a similar Christmas themed update - as Tom is just a solo dev we may not hit that but we do hope to, so keep your eyes peeled!

[h2]Update From Tom[/h2]

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the eight development update.

This month, I've been adding support for Steam Workshop.

When it is completed, this will enable you to share the best creatures that have evolved in your playthroughs and the best terrains you have created, and to sample the most interesting creations of others.



It will also allow for uploading your aquarium and touring the aquariums of everyone else who has uploaded theirs.

We're also going to include a couple of maps with premade cave systems with this update as well, allowing for a cave environment that doesn't first require digging everything out by hand.

I've also begun work on the Meta-Evolution Update, which will give you more ways to shape the evolution of creatures in your environments. I expect this to take a bit longer than the smaller updates but am very excited to work on it; I think it will add a ton of new gameplay options. More on this as development continues.

Thank you for reading!
Tom Johnson

[h2]Screenshot Central[/h2]


Stobz on Discord submitted this Halloween themed screenshot!


Ss rious, again on Discord, shared their own Halloween themed screenshot!


Arara here on Steam shared this lovely serene Aquarium shot :)


Djehmli shared this colourful coral reef on Steam!