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[/p][p]Hello, Engineers! [/p][p]
This week’s release brings fresh style to your builds with a brand-new decorative block and some visual upgrades to existing ones!
A decorative
Locker block is now available, offering a realistic touch for interior spaces with storage areas. It’s ideal for hinting at high-value gear inside!
The
Hydrogen Thruster has received a
visual upgrade, with improved flame particle effects that bring more intensity and motion to your ships.
Additionally, the
Shower block got a polish! It now looks smoother and fits seamlessly into your creations.
As always, all blocks and improvements are available now!
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[/p][p]This week we spent time discussing what combat should look and feel like in Space Engineers 2. Nothing is final yet. We're exploring ideas, identifying the pain points from SE1, and trying to define what kind of combat experience we actually want to build.
[/p][h3]What are we aiming for?[/h3][p]We started by outlining a few
core principles that we think should guide combat design in SE2:[/p]
- [p] Longer, more tactical engagements: Fights should take time - measured in minutes, not seconds. We want to avoid sudden one-shot kills and give players time to react.[/p]
- [p] Preparation should matter: Players who scout, build defenses, or prepare ambushes should be able to generate unfair local advantages.[/p]
- [p] Rock-Paper-Scissors balance: No single weapon or strategy should dominate. A system where different combat types counter each other could make battles more dynamic.[/p]
- [p] Player feedback and clarity: You should know when you’ve hit something, what damage you’re doing, and what’s happening around you - without guesswork.[/p]
- [p] Support both attack and defense playstyles: Offensive and defensive roles should both be viable, with tools and mechanics that support each side.[/p]
[p]With those principles in mind, we discussed
possible features and mechanics that could support this kind of gameplay.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]Combat Duration & Survivability[/h3][p]In SE1, a single cockpit hit could end the fight instantly. We’re thinking about ways to prevent this - possibly through
shields or other durability layers that give players more time to react. The idea isn’t to make combat slower for the sake of it, but to make it more interesting and fair.
[/p][h3]Weapon Dynamics: Rock–Paper–Scissors[/h3][p]We explored a triangle-based balance model:[/p]
- [p] Aimed/manual weapons beat automated turrets[/p]
- [p] Automated turrets beat rockets/missiles[/p]
- [p] Rockets/missiles beat aimed weapons[/p]
[p]This would encourage diverse ship builds and make strategic choices more meaningful, especially in PvP.
[/p][h3]Detection, Infiltration & Defense[/h3][p]We’d like players to have ways to
detect enemies - not just through visual spotting but via
tools like scanners or sensors. This also opens up
infiltration gameplay, where a player could sneak into an enemy base or ship and gain an advantage. But for that to work, defenders need
countermeasures - like surveillance systems, detection blocks, or hacking protection.
We’re also toying with the idea of
hacking encounters as a mini-game or high-stakes mechanic during infiltration.
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[/p][h3]Safe Zones & Risk Management[/h3][p]Safe zones came up a lot. We’re considering making them:[/p]
- [p] Limited in size and availability[/p]
- [p] Costly to maintain over time[/p]
- [p] Slow to set up[/p]
[p]The idea is to preserve tension and avoid scenarios where players are untouchable. One suggestion was to have
safe zone chips decay over time, even when stored, to prevent stockpiling. There could also be progression systems that allow players to expand their safe zones later in the game.
[/p][h3]Character vs Grid Combat[/h3][p]Another angle we’re still thinking about: how important should character combat be compared to grid combat? Should it play more like a shooter, or more like an engineering-driven encounter? Some ideas we’re toying with:[/p]
- [p] Characters boarding grids and taking them over[/p]
- [p] Combat-focused suit upgrades[/p]
- [p] Dedicated tools for sabotage or infiltration[/p]
[p]There’s also potential to make enemy characters more visible or tagged on your HUD if they’re hostile - not allied - making encounters easier to track and respond to. [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]As always, these are
early design discussions. Some of these systems may evolve, combine, or be cut entirely. But this is the direction we’re thinking about as we continue shaping SE2 into the game we’ve always wanted to play.
Let us know what you think combat in SE2 should feel like!![]()
[/p][p]Please join us for Space Engineers 2 Developer Livestream! [/p]
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Image Credits:
Generations by Bash![]()
[/p][p]🛠️ Feedback & Support -
https://support.keenswh.com/🗺️ Roadmap:
https://2.spaceengineersgame.com/roadmap-2/#current🛰️ Discord:
https://discord.gg/keenswh📫 Newsletter:
https://www.keenswh.com/newsletter➡️ Connect and find us on your platform of choice:
https://www.keenswh.com/connect/![]()
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Multi-Character Emotes - These can be triggered from the debug screen (not available to players). We’ll use them in trailers and cutscenes. For example: two characters shake hands in a synchronized animation. Animators are also working on the facial rig now - for emotions and lip sync in cinematics.
Story and Sandbox Merge - We’ve decided to merge Campaign into Sandbox. Originally they were separate: Sandbox was colonization only, no story, no main characters - just systems and generic NPCs.
Complete Roadmap, Player Experience - Besides that, I’m looking forward to getting a full day just to dig deep into our "Complete Roadmap" - to lock in everything that needs to be in the final version of SE2, the version that leaves Early Access. The goal is to deliver a complete and well-balanced experience - and then keep expanding through updates, like always.