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Hardspace: Shipbreaker News

Sci-fi scrapper sim Hardspace: Shipbreaker prepares to undock from Early Access

Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Blackbird Interactive's industrial sci-fi game about pulling apart decommissioned spaceships while working off a ruinous debt, is about to leave Early Access. Version 1.0 will arrive sometime this spring, and will include the final act of the narrative campaign and some features fans have been requesting during its time in development.


Shipbreaker version 1.0 will include Act III of the narrative campaign, which will be the conclusion to the story - but you'll be able to keep on scrapping ships even after the narrative has wrapped up, Blackbird says. "Though it's bittersweet to think that the story will soon find its conclusion, it's going to be a satisfying and exciting end to the campaign," the studio says in the latest update.


The 1.0 patch will also add ship saving, which fans have been keen to see included for some time. That'll mean you can start working on a ship, close the game, and return where you left off if you have to take a break.


Read the rest of the story...


RELATED LINKS:

Hardspace: Shipbreaker gets radioactive in latest patch

Hardspace: Shipbreaker's biggest-ever update introduces your crew

Hardspace: Ship Breaker has entered early access with a slick new trailer

Next Update and Full Release

[h2]Important update from Game Director Elliot Hudson[/h2]


Happy New Year, Shipbreakers! We hope all of you had a great, good, or at least tolerable December (and if not, that’s okay too). I have some big news for you!

The next stage in the journey we’ve shared with you is on the way; the next major update for Hardspace: Shipbreaker will include the Final Act of the Campaign, as well as the long-awaited Ship Save feature, and it will be the game’s official launch on PC, bringing the game out of Early Access. That’s right, version 1.0 is coming up next! I’ll talk about the update and what to expect after, but first I want to discuss the adventure we’ve been through together up to now, before we look ahead to the future.

Six years ago, Blackbird Interactive held an internal game-jam with the goal of creating brand-new games in brand-new worlds. We’ve since formalized that process into an annual event at the studio, where anyone can pitch their dream game. The ideas that fire up our collective imagination are then explored further and may go into full production. We call this process “Skunkworks”, after a similar idea-generating process pioneered by Lockheed Martin. That very first game-jam spawned what would eventually become Hardspace: Shipbreaker.

Creating this game has involved many firsts for our small, scrappy team, and for Blackbird at large. It’s Blackbird’s first self-owned intellectual property that we’ve developed and launched. For most of us, it was our first time working on a first-person game, a non-strategy game, and a game heavily built on physics and simulation. The sense of awe, the scale of the ships, and the industrial sci-fi setting may have been a natural fit for us, but the game design was far outside our comfort zone. Which is a good thing! One of our goals as a studio is to grow in skills and experience, and we’ve been doing a lot of that in the last few years.

Long before the game was made public, Shipbreaker went through a complex and sometimes challenging creative process that ended up shaping much about how Blackbird thinks about developing new ideas – if you’re interested in that sort of thing, you can find out more in the talk Chief Creative Officer Rory McGuire and I gave in 2020.

It was also our studio’s first foray into Early Access, which is where you all joined the party. The experience has been so valuable in honing and evolving the game that Blackbird plans on Early Access for many of its future titles. We didn’t fully know how to make Shipbreaker before we started, but in game development, experience is the best teacher. The experience of creating Shipbreaker, and including all of you in that process, has taught us many valuable lessons. The voyage has kept us humble, thankful, and incredibly excited about the future.

So what can you look forward to?

It’s time to launch!

The next update takes the game all the way from 0.7.0 to 1.0, and will contain the following:
  • Campaign Act III - The conclusion of the game’s storyline. Rest assured that Shipbreakers will be able to continue shipbreaking and building their career even once the story has finished. Though it’s bittersweet to think that the story will soon find it’s conclusion, it’s going to be a satisfying and exciting end to the campaign.
  • Ship Saving - This has been one of the most requested features throughout Early Access, and has been in the works for over a year. Finally, you will be able to save a ship that is in progress and return to it the next time you boot up the game! We knew this feature was important to you and we’ve worked hard to make it happen.
  • Progression Tuning - We’ve been looking extensively at player records and are making several changes to smooth out progression so it’s less impacted by the randomized salvage value and composition of ships. It’s hard to describe all the levers that we’re pulling to find a good balance, but we feel it’s going to improve everyone’s play experience.
  • Steam Achievements
  • Tons and tons of bug fixes, optimizations and stability improvements.


[h3]When is the update?[/h3]
We’re targeting Spring 2022. We’ll be more concrete about the date as it gets closer and will keep you updated if anything changes.

[h3]Will this update have a progression reset?[/h3]
Yes, the 1.0 update will include a final complete progression reset. We know that these can be frustrating to existing Players, but it’s an unfortunate necessity when introducing new campaign content. As the full release adds Act III and revises some portions of Act I and II, as well as rebalancing progression, we needed to reset progress one final time.

We hear you, and we wish it could be avoided, but unfortunately it’s the nature of this particular beast. Progression resets are one of the topics where we’ve been doing a lot of learning and listening, and we hope that this process becomes smoother in future projects.

[h3]Will there be any more work on the game after Full Release?[/h3]
As much as the full launch means to us here in Blackbird, we want to assure you that this isn’t where we stop working on the game!

The next step will be bringing the game to consoles. This work has already started, and will continue after full release. We’re still nailing down a target date, and will let you know as soon as we do!
Second, some of the team will continue to improve the PC version while we work toward our Console release. They’ll still be engaging with the community, analyzing data and gathering feedback in order to determine what areas to improve. In other words, the game will continue to get better, and all updates to the PC version will then be included in the Console release.

[h3]Will the price change?[/h3]
Yes. In order to prepare for full release, the game will go to its launch price of $34.99 USD sometime between now and the release of 1.0.

[h3]Any other questions?[/h3]
If you have a question that I haven’t covered here, comment below and we’ll try to address it. We are also going to be holding an AMA on the official Hardspace: Shipbreaker Discord on Feb 2nd, 1pm PST.

[h3]Thank you![/h3]

When we started this endeavor, we weren’t sure how long we’d be in Early Access. We originally planned for a single year. In the end, the ability to test features and gain player feedback and data in realtime proved so valuable to development, and so rewarding as developers, that we decided to extend our time in Early Access to just under two years.

Ending a journey this exciting can lead to complicated feelings. We’re proud of what we’ve created, we’ve learned many valuable lessons for future projects, and we think this is the best time to put a bow on the game and move onto the next stage of our shared adventure. We can’t wait to share what’s next with all of you, whether it’s more Shipbreaker or another brand-new world!

From the Shipbreaker team and everyone at Blackbird, a huge thank you to everyone in our Early Access community who has helped make the game what it is!

Cheers,

Elliot Hudson
Game Director

The Atlas Tugged update is LIVE!

Greetings Shipbreakers,

[h3]The Atlas Tugged Update (0.7.0) is LIVE![/h3]
While the star of the show is certainly the new Atlas-class of starship to salvage, there are a huge variety of other improvements and changes to get excited about, such as an overhaul of the Ship Catalog screen, and improvements to the elemental systems found in ships.

https://youtu.be/Fx18jdFQtVo

[h2]Atlas-Class[/h2]

A true workhorse line of ships, the Atlas-Class is purpose-built for a variety of industrial roles, and has been in service across the colonies for decades. We’ve designed this class to bridge the difficulty and complexity gap between Mackerels and Javelins. The Atlas greatly improves the variety of ships early in the game, bringing a few new challenges of its own to Players, such as a two-floor layout, which challenges Shipbreakers to think as much vertically as horizontally. As well, their manufacturer Starleap Heavy Industries outfits them with its proprietary Quasar Thrusters, which are so massive that Shipbreakers have to crawl inside them to access the fuel system and to separate the thruster shell. Take note that accessing the interior via the thruster nozzle will cause the fuel lines to become unstable, so act quickly to reach the fuel flush switch at the back!

  • Shipbreakers will unlock the first model of Atlas, the Scout, at Rank 4.
    With an incredible top-speed, high maneuverability, and enough interior space for living quarters or small cargo, the Scout is popular with government patrols, search and rescue, private security, asteroid prospecting or small-scale research. Shipbreakers should be aware of high amounts of electrical hazards, in addition to the two Quasar Thrusters that give this ship it’s oomph.

  • At Rank 6, Shipbreakers gain access to the Nomad, a long-haul cargo ship.
    With ample interior cargo space, and a modular exterior cargo rack, the Nomad and it’s three Quasar Thrusters move cargo quickly! In interplanetary terms, that can still be a heck of a long time, and so the Nomad is also outfitted with a fully-equipped sleeper cabin; a hauler’s home-away-from-home.

  • Rank 8 brings the final Atlas ship model: the Roustabout tug.
    Quad Quasar Thrusters make this the most powerful model in the Atlas line, and an essential vehicle for everything from asteroid felling and station construction, to demolition and towing salvage. This many thrusters requires a lot of power and fuel, so beware of the Roustabout’s large amount of fuel and electrical hazards.

Each Atlas model also has a variety of new Data Drives that Shipbreakers can collect and decrypt to further expand on the world outside Morrigan Station.

[h2]Ship Catalog Revamp[/h2]

Every Shipbreakers knows that one of the first things you do each day is visit the Ship Catalog to see what salvage is on offer. In 0.7.0, this interface has been revamped, with a focus on simplicity and clarity, as well as to improve the variety of ships available. The most important information related to claiming a ship has been brought front-and-center, and extraneous information has been minimized or removed. In addition, all ship classes are always represented, guaranteeing that you’ll have access to the newest ships as they become available. Lastly, the LYNX Marketing Department has seen fit to rebrand this interface as the Job Board.


[h2]Elemental System Improvements[/h2]

As we continue to try and create interesting and dynamic challenges in ships, and mitigate run-away catastrophic meltdowns that wipe a ship’s value thanks to a tiny accident, we’ve made some changes to the behaviour of elemental objects.

Here are the major changes:
  • Fuel Pipes no longer explode when damaged or cut. Instead, when hit by the cutter beam, touched by fire or zapped with electricity, the fuel inside the pipe ignites, which then begins to spread down the pipe network. This gives Players time to find a way to neutralize the fire or flush the fuel entirely, before the flames reach the Fuel Tank (which will explode!).
  • A fix to how impacts are calculated means that objects like Fuel Tanks and Terminals no longer die immediately when taking impact damage. You will now be far more likely to see leaking Fuel or Coolant tanks, or sparking Terminals.
  • Coolant no longer affects the exterior Nanocarbon Hull or Structural Beams of a ship. Many ships still have exterior Aluminum panels that can be frozen and shattered, but the threat of coolant is now much more focused on the valuable interior components of a ship.

We’ll be monitoring these changes to see how they affect the gameplay for everyone, and will continue to tweak elemental behaviors to try and create the most interesting and dynamic experience possible.

Alongside the exciting features of this update, we’ve also continued the usual bug fixing and stabilizing of the game, crushing 120+ issues.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s reaction to the new ships, and to see the kinds of strategies you all develop to salvage them! We’re positive that some innovative Shipbreakers are going to find a variety of creative ways to salvage the Quasar Thrusters.

As usual, let us know what you think! Join us in our Discord to share your thoughts and feedback.

Cheers,

The Shipbreaker Dev Team

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]

[h3]Changes & Updates[/h3]

Atlas-Class Ships Added
  • Scout Patrol Craft - Unlocks at Rank 4
  • Nomad Cargo Hauler - Unlocks at Rank 6
  • Roustabout Tug - Unlocks at Rank 8
  • 10 new Data Drives added that spawn in Atlas ships
Ship Catalog Revamp
  • Ship Catalog Interface has been completely overhauled
  • Focus on simplicity and clarity
  • All unlocked ship classes are always available
  • Ship selection refreshes after every shift
  • Removed the ability to navigate to lower hazard levels (however, a few ships from lower levels are always available to select)
Elemental System Improvements
  • Fuel Pipes no longer explode when cut or damaged
  • Fuel Pipes are now flammable and will ignite when touching fire, electricity or the beam of the cutter
  • Fuel Pipes are no longer cuttable
  • Fuel Pipe “Cutpoint” added to all ships, enabling Fuel Pipes to be removed
  • Fire travels down pipe networks
  • The chance of fuel leaks appearing on a damaged pipe have been made consistent across all fuel pipe lengths
  • Coolant no longer freezes Nanocarbon Panels or Structural Beams
  • Coolant no longer freezes small objects like chip bags or space truck parts
  • Objects no longer take damage by default when “yanked” by the grapple; only electrical objects take damage if yanked while still connected to their power source.
Other
  • Bunny Character ‘D’ Movie Poster added (Fan-art contest winner, congrats Chant National!)
  • Interior ship lighting range and brightness improved
  • Video Options: Dynamic Light Range added
  • Video Options: Dynamic Light Shadows added
  • Machine God Speech Processing Improved
  • Radio Squelches and Background Static improved for all characters
  • Door and Airlock Consoles now display “Unpowered” in the interaction prompt when disabled
  • UI: Locked state of unlocked scan modes now more apparent in the HUD
  • Language Options: Language selector now shows the full-name for every language
  • Javelins have a new type of cutpoint (Wishbone Cutpoint) in their crawlspaces
  • Space Truck: Notification now appears when collecting a part that completes a Space Truck objective
  • Bay Lighting optimized (less shadow casters, leverages more baked lighting)

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]
  • HAB Player Badge font too small
  • Ending a shift in Free Play sometimes softlocks the user on Shift Summary screen
  • Electric cable junctions have no salvage destination on the mackerel Exolab
  • Button "Prev" for the Posters' screen is not translated
  • The controller loses focus, when backing out from 'Messages' after rank 5
  • The player may be stuck in the free play mode after a long shift
  • Cutter's temperature is displayed on the HUD, when starting the shift with the grapple equipped
  • Cable junction cut points count as destroyed, losing overall value of the ship. Should be treated as cutpoints instead.
  • Cargo Gecko fuel pipe sometimes exploding on spawn
  • On Cargo Javelins, depressurized cockpit causes airlock decompression event when cutting the ceiling cutpoints
  • Untranslated text in the "Ship Catalog" section of the Messages menu
  • Untranslated text in the "Habitation" section of the Messages menu
  • Above Cut grade warning not translated
  • Out of range warning for missed cutter shots not translated
  • Demo Charge Capacity Limited to 5 Charges on Additional Shifts
  • First line of narrative sequence at Rank 17 can trigger in the HAB
  • Tiber has two logos on the commercial gecko
  • A thruster in the commercial gecko is getting a random decal
  • The main fuel pipe cannot be salvaged properly from the big fuel tank on Cargo Javelins
  • You can't leave the inventory with mouse because there is no 'Back' button
  • In the in-game options, the cursor remains stuck on the roll sensitivity option if highlighted
  • Unexpected pressurized pocket on the front of some Gecko Stargazer
  • Cannot "Continue Shift" after ranking up from Rank 2 to 3
  • Lou’s Portrait appears on wrong side in the scene at Rank 9
  • Emissive on Intercom was green, even though the light was orange, while in call-waiting state
  • Deedee's portrait switches sides while she's talking during some scenes
  • Charged Push can be stalled/stored when moving the reticle over a space truck salvageable component
  • Subtitle doesn't match VO on some scenes
  • Weaver Portrait missing during some scenes
  • Some characters didn’t use their helmet portraits when speaking in the Bay
  • Weaver’s radio distortion is more prominent than any other character VO
  • Alternate portraits for talking heads have a white background
  • Weaver's VO 'head on over to your workbench' doesn't match the subtitles
  • The Union News Call to Action message is missing
  • Furnace start-up SFX not triggering
  • Intense breathing when skipping tutorial in first shift
  • You can hear the squeaky bunny when leaving the comms terminal before you have acquired the squeaky bunny
  • The aerobridge console on Heavy Cargo javelins still pressurizes the airlock, after the aerobridge was detached from the ship
  • The volume of VO coming from the HAB radio is low when using the Workbench Terminal
  • Furnace + Processor turned off after their startup animation completed when continuing shift
  • Object mode for the Scanner makes the tutorial tooltip blurry
  • Scanner can show up on breaker fuse box handles outside scan mode
  • SFX play each time you navigate to a new camera position in the HAB
  • Gecko Station Hopper Unlock Message is never given to the Player
  • Lou’s Union Signup Message triggers again in the next HAB after it has already been played before.
  • Lou's chatter speaks of ice cream but subtitles say "frozen yoghurt"
  • Game's language can be changed, when the user only selects the language, then resets to defaults/saves another tab
  • If you fail the tutorial then complete it after the death animation, you won't be able to enter the HAB and get stuck in the bay
  • Character Portraits appear over top of the Death Screen
  • The cockpits on geckos cannot be detached, unless detaching certain storage bins and computer terminals inside the cockpit
  • The FX from the other salvage bays in the skybox are visible in scan mode
  • Subtitle/Talking Heads no longer appear layered overtop of Scanner post-fx
  • Using mouse to back out of ship select will show HAB UI on the ship catalog screen
  • Some small monitors still appear powered when yanking battery from terminal
  • Quitting the game after waking up post night shift will take the player back to the post-shift conversation when starting Career mode again
  • Cutting the unpressurized aerobridge on cargo javelins triggers a violent decompression in the airlock
  • Weaver's Tethers VO will repeat itself, each time when accessing the Equipment menu, until the user buys the tethers
  • If fuses are destroyed by the player, it does not complete or fail the fuse task of the power generator tutorial
  • The user can no longer properly continue the tutorial, after quitting the game in Rank 2 and reloading
  • You can't click the 'Answer Intercom' button with the mouse to move, during a post-shift call
  • Message 'LYNX_OFFSITE_BU0104' is empty in almost all localizations
  • Cannot change a bed or suit poster using a mouse
  • When navigating in the HAB with mouse, you can't click on [Living Space] button when it's at the bottom of the screen
  • Cannot use the mouse to navigate through the "bed" part of the HAB
  • You can't click with the mouse to wake up after a shift
  • Equipment upgrade for Laser Cutter showing wrong LT
  • Softlock when dying from a demo-charge blast
  • High hazard Tankers can have the radiation filter spawning on top of the Power Generator's fuses
  • Power Cell spawned under heatsink in Heavy Cargo Javelin
  • No longer possible to navigate between the 3 posters, after placing a sticker and then exiting the terminal
  • The menus in the Equipment terminal lose focus, after placing a sticker and exiting the sticker menu
  • The controller loses focus in the Ship Catalog, after placing a sticker and exiting the Equipment terminal
  • "WOM" SFX plays twice when entering HAB
  • Post-Processing FX immediately turn on after dying
  • Accessing the kiosk does not currently show the HUD
  • 'Mom & Pop to Mega-Corp' message stays in the Unread Section after being opened
  • Aggressive LOD on javelin rings prevent them from being seen from the HAB
  • The HAB marker guiding the player, stays on the screen, after accessing the Workbench terminal at Rank 4
  • Space truck pick ups can be collected through walls
  • The collider for the bottom of the barge doesn't turn on until the Barge animation finishes
  • The user receives a Rank 10 sticker too early
  • Moving the camera during a shift call fading out, will make the HAB button prompts to appear on the 'Wake up' screen
  • “Certification Read” tutorial VO should not play if tutorial is skipped
  • The first snagged data drive does not appear in the data miner, after Lou's message
  • Nearby cutter stations missing from HAB window view
  • Dirty air sfx is loud while navigating in a ship
  • End Shift prompt is missing text
  • No tutorial after quitting a profile to start a new one in the same play session
  • MP Bar in pause menu is updating incorrectly and not displaying the accurate amount required to rank up
  • Bunny Character D doesn't catch fire and burn away when cut with the Splitsaw or Scalpel
  • Airlocks with destroyed doors attempt to repressurize
  • If the player moves around a sticker on a tool and returns to the same ship, the sticker will be duplicated on the tool
  • Several decompression pockets found in the Thruster Room of geckos
  • Pausing during a decompression event will cause the force to stack over time, causing a massively disproportionate force after unpausing
  • Room volumes exposed to each other still cause decompression events when using an atmosphere regulator
  • Weaver's says 'Nice job cleaning all that soft metal scraps', when using Grapple Reel after salvaging only one scrap
  • Wrong translated text during the tutorial for the objective 'Use Grapple Push'
  • Cutting the exterior airlock door and interacting with the interior airlock console will cause a decompression event every time the console is used
  • Hydroponics chambers do not stop illuminating after they lose power
  • No SFX plays, when the user presses the YES/NO buttons to enter the HAB
  • After abandoning the pressurization tutorial, the objective and tooltip appear in all game modes
  • Demo Charges are purchasable from the kiosk before intended when skipping training
  • Alert message when you try to set a key already used is too long and doesn't fit in some languages
  • If user is grabbing a surface while they trigger a popup, the hands will remain stuck in place
  • Subtitles are not cleared in cases when audio is stopped, such as death VO
  • The message displayed when you can rank up by entering the Hab is out of screen in most languages
  • The ECU wall creates a cryo explosion when cut
  • Javelins have phantom room connections, and separated segments decompress together
  • In Italian, Sign Out and Exit buttons have the same translation
  • When you cut a radiation filter, each half will spawn its own radioactive cloud
  • The validation button's text is oddly cut in some languages on the loading screen
  • Some UIs are overlapping on smaller resolutions
  • Multiple ambient music tracks play in the same time, after the user destroys the last AI node
  • Ranking up to 14 while in the first Rank 13 shift will repeatedly trigger the following post-shift narrative scene
  • No grapple push after using the kiosk
  • A decal is z-fighting on the wall of the left Furnace
  • HUD distortion is too prominent, when starting a shift on Ghost Ships
  • The text for the "Close" button on the HAB greeting terminal is displayed on 2 lines in several languages
  • Can't Buy Tethers on Additional Shifts unless your current tether count is less than 10
  • Backing from the message menu too quickly gets you out with the screen still zoomed in

Get ready for The Atlas Tugged update! (0.7.0)

Greetings Shipbreakers,

[h3]The Atlas Tugged Update (0.7.0) comes on Dec 20![/h3]
While the star of the show is certainly the new Atlas-class of starship to salvage, there are a huge variety of other improvements and changes to get excited about, such as an overhaul of the Ship Catalog screen, and improvements to the elemental systems found in ships.



[h2]Atlas-Class[/h2]

A true workhorse line of ships, the Atlas-Class is purpose-built for a variety of industrial roles, and has been in service across the colonies for decades. We’ve designed this class to bridge the difficulty and complexity gap between Mackerels and Javelins. The Atlas greatly improves the variety of ships early in the game, bringing a few new challenges of its own to Players, such as a two-floor layout, which challenges Shipbreakers to think as much vertically as horizontally. As well, their manufacturer Starleap Heavy Industries outfits them with its proprietary Quasar Thrusters, which are so massive that Shipbreakers have to crawl inside them to access the fuel system and to separate the thruster shell. Take note that accessing the interior via the thruster nozzle will cause the fuel lines to become unstable, so act quickly to reach the fuel flush switch at the back!

  • Shipbreakers will unlock the first model of Atlas, the Scout, at Rank 4.
    With an incredible top-speed, high maneuverability, and enough interior space for living quarters or small cargo, the Scout is popular with government patrols, search and rescue, private security, asteroid prospecting or small-scale research. Shipbreakers should be aware of high amounts of electrical hazards, in addition to the two Quasar Thrusters that give this ship it’s oomph.

  • At Rank 6, Shipbreakers gain access to the Nomad, a long-haul cargo ship.
    With ample interior cargo space, and a modular exterior cargo rack, the Nomad and it’s three Quasar Thrusters move cargo quickly! In interplanetary terms, that can still be a heck of a long time, and so the Nomad is also outfitted with a fully-equipped sleeper cabin; a hauler’s home-away-from-home.

  • Rank 8 brings the final Atlas ship model: the Roustabout tug.
    Quad Quasar Thrusters make this the most powerful model in the Atlas line, and an essential vehicle for everything from asteroid felling and station construction, to demolition and towing salvage. This many thrusters requires a lot of power and fuel, so beware of the Roustabout’s large amount of fuel and electrical hazards.

Each Atlas model also has a variety of new Data Drives that Shipbreakers can collect and decrypt to further expand on the world outside Morrigan Station.

[h2]Ship Catalog Revamp[/h2]

Every Shipbreakers knows that one of the first things you do each day is visit the Ship Catalog to see what salvage is on offer. In 0.7.0, this interface has been revamped, with a focus on simplicity and clarity, as well as to improve the variety of ships available. The most important information related to claiming a ship has been brought front-and-center, and extraneous information has been minimized or removed. In addition, all ship classes are always represented, guaranteeing that you’ll have access to the newest ships as they become available. Lastly, the LYNX Marketing Department has seen fit to rebrand this interface as the Job Board.


[h2]Elemental System Improvements[/h2]

As we continue to try and create interesting and dynamic challenges in ships, and mitigate run-away catastrophic meltdowns that wipe a ship’s value thanks to a tiny accident, we’ve made some changes to the behaviour of elemental objects.

Here are the major changes:
  • Fuel Pipes no longer explode when damaged or cut. Instead, when hit by the cutter beam, touched by fire or zapped with electricity, the fuel inside the pipe ignites, which then begins to spread down the pipe network. This gives Players time to find a way to neutralize the fire or flush the fuel entirely, before the flames reach the Fuel Tank (which will explode!).
  • A fix to how impacts are calculated means that objects like Fuel Tanks and Terminals no longer die immediately when taking impact damage. You will now be far more likely to see leaking Fuel or Coolant tanks, or sparking Terminals.
  • Coolant no longer affects the exterior Nanocarbon Hull or Structural Beams of a ship. Many ships still have exterior Aluminum panels that can be frozen and shattered, but the threat of coolant is now much more focused on the valuable interior components of a ship.

We’ll be monitoring these changes to see how they affect the gameplay for everyone, and will continue to tweak elemental behaviors to try and create the most interesting and dynamic experience possible.

Alongside the exciting features of this update, we’ve also continued the usual bug fixing and stabilizing of the game, crushing 120+ issues.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s reaction to the new ships, and to see the kinds of strategies you all develop to salvage them! We’re positive that some innovative Shipbreakers are going to find a variety of creative ways to salvage the Quasar Thrusters.

As usual, let us know what you think! Join us in our Discord to share your thoughts and feedback.

Cheers,

The Shipbreaker Dev Team

The Admin Oversight update is live!

Hello Shipbreakers!

[h3]The Admin Oversight update (0.6.0) is finally here! And the game is 33% off![/h3]
This update is truly massive, and some of the features in it have been in the works for many, many months. We’re extremely happy and excited that it’s finally making its way to you! 💛

  • [h3]LYNX Administrator Hal Rhodes arrives, kicking off Act 2 of the Campaign![/h3]
    A middle-manager who rose from the LYNX rank-and-file, Hal is on a mission. Find out how far he’ll go to prove himself to the Company.



  • [h3]Between shifts, kick-back with a bowl of concentrated food-like matter in your 3D HAB[/h3]
    Check on career progression, maintain your tools, read messages, or take in the beauty of the Railgate from your Habitat Enrichment Department Approved viewport. If you’re feeling like making the space more “you”, posters can be salvaged from ships to replace LYNX’s questionable decor.



  • [h3]Your future becomes a little clearer too, as you get your hands on an old, beat-up Armadillo Utility Rig[/h3]
    This is a classic ship, and could be your ticket out of corporate servitude someday, if you can scrounge together the parts needed to get it ready for gate-travel. This is non-LYNX-sanctioned activity however, so be wary of the Administrator’s watchful eyes.



  • [h3]There are a ton of other improvements across the game[/h3]
    All Scan Modes have been updated with the goal of improving clarity and readability. Power now works more logically in ships; if an electrical object has lost its power supply, it will no longer be hazardous when salvaged or damaged. Reactors are now immune to fire and electrical damage, mitigating runaway catastrophic meltdowns that can eradicate a ship’s-worth of salvage in the blink of an eye. Tools can be repaired quickly in the HAB without needing to open the submenu for each tool.



  • [h3]Progression reset[/h3]
    As announced previously, this update does include a full progression reset, due to the huge number of changes to the Campaign. We’ve taken this opportunity to retune the MP requirements per Rank to speed up progression. Especially in early Ranks, requirements have been reduced by as much as 40%. We understand that progression is feeling slow, so this is one step in improving that. We plan on additional progression improvements in future updates.



  • Beyond all this, a whopping 150+ bugs were also crushed. 🐛

Now that 0.6.0 is in your hands, we wish you all best of luck in your Shipbreaking careers and good fortune in the Bay! We’re looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks of the update; as always, please join us in our Discord to share your thoughts and feedback!

Cheers,

The Shipbreaker Dev Team



[h2]Full Patch Notes[/h2]
🚀 denotes changes or fixes based on Community Feedback & Participation

[h3]Changes and Updates[/h3]
Campaign Act 2
  • Storyline from Ranks 8 to 18, introducing Administrator Hal Rhodes
  • Dive further into the backgrounds of the Shipbreaking crew
  • Discover how Hal’s quest to discover any union “agitators” affects the crew... and you
  • Placeholder Voiceover for all story characters (Will be replaced in a future update)
3D HAB
  • Fully-traversable space to visit between shifts
  • Repair tools, read messages, check on career progression, put up posters salvaged from ships, or gaze out the window at the Railgate
Armadillo Utility Rig Repair
  • Use the Ship Doctor program to repair the Armadillo, accessible in the HAB partway through Rank 8
  • Find parts for the Armadillo inside ships, or extract them from salvage
  • Prep the Armadillo for Gate-travel
Progression
  • MP Requirements Reduced for all Certification Ranks, improving the speed at which Players Rank up
Scanner Updated
  • All scan modes have been updated for improved readability, clarity and consistency
Other Improvements
  • Four additional music tracks
  • Many new Posters added that can spawn inside ships. Posters can now be collected (to be placed in the HAB)
  • Ship power logic improved: electrical objects now properly become safe to remove if their power supply has been interrupted
  • Reactors are now immune to fire and electrical damage to mitigate chain-reactions that cause catastrophic meltdowns
  • Power Generators now have additional feedback: lights around the Generator indicate whether it is safe to extract or whether there are still Fuses to remove
  • 🚀 Tools can now be repaired quickly in the HAB without needing to open the submenu for each tool
  • 🚀 Player Badge (Name, Rank, Debt, etc.) is now visible on all screens in the HAB, and the layout has been improved
  • 🚀 “Block Glitch” effect removed from HAB interfaces to improve readability
  • Removed an input blocker during Weaver’s introduction to the Ship Catalog; the Player can now advance and start a shift even before Weaver is done talking
  • Purchasing an Upgrade is now a press-and-hold interaction
  • 🚀 Weekly R.A.C.E.: Detailed values for Salvaged, Remaining and Destroyed are shown on the Salvage Bar
  • 🚀 Weekly R.A.C.E. Ships are now ALWAYS Hazard Level 6 to 9
  • Objects that are destroyed (ie. reach zero health) now display a “damage” state communicating that they are now scrap
  • Dual Utility Arms are now properly separable into two segments
  • Salvage Bay lighting and texturing has been optimized
  • Cargo Elevator model has been optimized
  • Various improvements to Javelin-class ships to make salvaging clearer and more intuitive
  • Out-of-Range HUD Indicator now also communicates if an object is above cut grade
  • A ship’s Hazard Level is now shown next to the Ship Name above the Salvage Bar
  • The Salvage Bar on the Pause Screen and Post-Mission Screen now shows detailed values for Salvaged, Remaining and Destroyed
  • Salvage HUD Notifications (when Salvaging or Destroying an object) now show the object’s value instead of mass

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]
  • The Masterjack Kiosk doesn't accept mouse inputs anymore after starting a second shift on the same ship
  • Rental fees are applied even if you have purchased the equipment
  • Some Mackerels spawn with incomplete/missing segments in their fuel lines
  • Several decompression pockets in the crawlspace of the Heavy Cargo Javelins near the airlocks
  • Class 2 Reactor can be salvaged full health without flushing the thrusters or coolant pipes
  • The attaching part for Amplifiers on the ship's hull are supposed to go into the Barge, but are not detachable from the ship
  • On Javelin Tankers the panel under the ECU is attached to the ECU and cannot be salvaged properly
  • The Heat Spreader on Heavy Cargo Javelins cannot be properly detached and salvaged
  • The cage structure holding the coolant tanks on Javelin Tankers has nanocarbon segments without a salvage destination
  • On some Javelin Tankers, the cockpit remains pressurized despite the opened door to the unpressurized airlock
  • On Javelin Tankers, the ECU coolant pipe is not attached to the reactor
  • A decompression is triggered on Javelin Tankers, when the user grapples out the storage bins/fabric in the front cabin
  • Refuelling Javelins with two Ion Rings will start a reactor meltdown when only the fuel is disconnected
  • The grey Fuel-Connector cannot be grappled out, jointing together the aluminum beams around it on javelins
  • Hazard Level 3 and 4 Science Mackerels can have cable sections spawn intersecting with each other
  • Hazard Level 3 Mackerel Exolabs have a segment of the electrical wires spawning doubled-up
  • On Javelins, the front cockpit atmosphere regulator looks functional but the user cannot interact with it
  • Durability doesn't update immediately after repairing a tool
  • Some objects may spawn intersecting the glass in the bay of the Gecko Salvage Runner
  • Some of the aluminium structures holding cutpoints in Mackerels are detached on spawn
  • Several AI nodes can be found free floating on mackerels
  • Rank up stickers are obtained every X ranks instead of when reaching rank X
  • Weaver's demo charge line is not playing, only the SFX and subtitles
  • Messages using italic are a bit cropped in all roman languages
  • The durability value doesn't update immediately when repairing a tool
  • When backing out of Data Miner using a controller, the focus is on Equipment or Messages
  • Mention "(Unverified Application)" disappear until the Data Miner section is hovered
  • Masterjack railings don't have collision
  • Certain aluminum Panels show the ship’s logo inside them when cut
  • The controller loses focus, when navigating up to the grayed out 'Continue Salvage'
  • The MPs on the HUD/Shift Summary differ from the MPs displayed in the Pause Menu/HAB
  • Equipment mounts appear as "Destroyed" on the Shift Summary despite being properly salvaged
  • Notification number on the Stickers menu in the Hab does not disappear after checking the new sticker(s)
  • On the Messages screen the D-Pad cannot scroll all the way to the top of the scrollbar to reveal the "Unread" tab
  • Long pause when accessing the Kiosk for the first time during training
  • Sticker catalogue buttons are stealing focus from other screens
  • When player accesses a HAB submenu then presses [Tab] to go back one level, they are sent back to the Hab main menu instead
  • "Stickers Placed X/Y" value doesn't update immediately
  • Top of stickers cut off when scrolling and the sticker is selected
  • Some HUD/UI elements exhibit constant aliasing/visually crooked lines
  • MP display on the Certification screen is cumulative; should just show the MP required for that Rank
  • HUD elements are displayed on the screen after death and during the revive process
  • Containment Units for Radiation Filters are impossible to cut
  • Losing gamepad UI focus while going through stickers collection
  • Pausing while in Scan Mode will cause Radiation particles to begin rendering in Scan Mode
  • Player cannot die in the processor or the furnace during the Tethers training session.
  • Validation and reset buttons when changing your key mapping are overlapping with their icon in most languages
  • Typo in the french translation for the word "Unpressurized"
  • HAB screen transition stalls on a gameplay screen before exiting to the Front End
  • Able to delete profile while the "Oxygen Drain Setting" is open
  • Furnace sfx trigger on shift start in the tutorial
  • Gamepad button callouts do not update when switching between controllers
  • When holding button to delete profile, the user can continue to interact with the confirmation popup
  • Pausing the game while the “Confirm End Shift” pop-up is open causes a soft-lock
  • Access panel cannot be removed when equipment mounts spawn over it
  • When a file is opened in the message menu, button prompts overlap
  • Double reactor sound for Class I reactors in Hazard Level 4 and 5 Javelins
  • When using the mouse to select a sticker slot, it doesn't automatically place a sticker
  • Newly unlocked sticker did not show the UI unlocked state until the user hovered over it
  • Cryo explosion did not show freeze effect on panels
  • Sometimes Radiation Clouds do not play their dispersal animation when nullified by Cryo
  • Power Cell objectives are added twice to the Weekly Ship objective list which can cause duplicate objectives in Weekly R.A.C.E.
  • Death screens show too much of the background
  • Stargazer Geckos can spawn with a dejointed wall
  • Green bounding box around "Pressurized" in HUD is not present
  • In French, the extraction complete text spills over and causes overlap in the onboarding sequence
  • Skipping the first part of the onboarding sequence while the welcome text is on screen causes overlap during the second second part of the sequence
  • The "Loading fee report" text during the onboarding sequence is not localized
  • When playing in spanish, some texts are overlapping during the end shift report
  • Some hints localized in spanish are too long and don't fit in the textbox
  • After viewing an unread message, going back will snap the selection to the top of the unread messages
  • "Messages" and "Data Recovery" scrollbar is defaulted to the end of the list when entering the screen for the second time
  • Crash after causing a violent decompression with demo charges and reactor explosion
  • HAB Message and Data Recovery scrollbar navigation moves too fast using the gamepad
  • VO Speech that started during gameplay incorrectly continued into Salvage Summary
  • HUD Glitch post-processing applies to Salvage Summary Screen/Death Screen
  • Daily Fees text sometimes becomes blurry
  • Too many credit drives can spawn in a Javelin Tanker
  • Ships can be selected during the Ship Catalog Intro, when using the mouse
  • Rebinding keys during the tutorial can cause the objectives to not track the button press
  • There is a bad 'Breath of Life' sample when being cloned with voice #4
  • Task List will no longer show for future tasks after looking at furnace during the tutorial
  • The End of Act 1 message opens over the Incoming transmission screen, resulting in two Lynx paws to be displayed
  • During the onboarding sequence after genetic extraction, sentence "genetic sequence stored" is written twice in all languages except english
  • Pressing 'A' before loading into the pressurization tutorial is complete can claim a ship and load into an empty salvage bay
  • ‘Salvage Goal Lost' HUD notification is not localized
  • ‘Salvage Goal Reached' HUD notification is not localized
  • Sticker 'Mini Me' for 'Perfect Salvage of 98%' is automatically achieved by salvaging scrap in the FTUE
  • There are no restrictions for Heat Sinks. Should be Hazard Level 6+
  • It is possible for users to post their Weekly Race scores from Event A to the leaderboards for Event B if the rollover happens during their shift
  • Grapple Mass Bar incorrectly shows the cut-off for light objects
  • Tutorial Tooltips/onboarding manual are not correctly anchored when playing in 4K
  • After skipping Training in the Contract Sequence, the user's HAB Inbox will be empty upon arriving at the HAB the first time
  • Transit ad terminal screen appeared in a Light Cargo Mackerel
  • The HUD is displaying the Mode Swap for the Splitsaw but the player cannot use it yet during the tutorial
  • Room Fog renders during Scan Mode while in pressurized space, causing orange discoloration
  • Frequent Crashes/Shader rendering errors on AMD Chipset RX 5700 XT
  • Dying inside a ghost ship doubled music playback on respawn
  • Blocky shadows visible on exterior props of the Science Mackerel when facing the furnace/processor
  • Science Mackerel spawns with unattached Communications Array
  • Credit Drives in Weekly RACE fluctuate in value from 4K to 48K credits
  • The ECU work order doesn't fail and there is no "salvaged destroyed" notification, when destroying the ECU in a specific way
  • Red mesh remains on object when it is cut free from a larger invalid object that is partially in the barge
  • Demo charges can be deployed while holding the detonator using the number key to swap tools
  • Crash when loading a Free Play session after entering and exiting 2-3 times.
  • Cutting into panels with dense rust will remove the dense rust textures
  • Transparent and TransparentAdditive Wireframe Shaders are Opaque when rendering over other Wireframe elements in Scan Mode