Sand News

The SAND demo is currently unavailable due to a severe issue with our server infrastructure.

We are working with our server providers to identify and resolve the problem and get you all back on your Tramplers as soon as possible.

We apologise for the inconvenience here, and will keep you updated on when we are able to resolve this.

Hologryph

Servus Allies!

We have now released an update to the SAND Demo to address some of the most prominent reports from players.

v0.1.6 CHANGELIST:

• The brightness of the sun and planets has been reduced to prevent glare
  
• Offline expeditions now decay
  
• Fixed the disappearance of crates/items during interactions
  
• Removed the ability to pick up items through walls
  
• General optimization
  

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

Come and join us on our social media pages to keep yourself up to date with all the news and updates for SAND or join the discussion over on Discord now!

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- Hologryph & tinyBuild Games

SAND is taking part in the Steam Next Fest, and you can play the demo now!

In order to access the Demo, all you need to do is click "Install Demo" below, and it'll be added to your account!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

In this demo, the core gameplay is developed around building Tramplers and using them to explore the planet and fight against other players.

You can design, customize, and operate your personal Trampler, a walking mech that serves as both a mobile base and a combat vehicle. Use the Trampler editor to experiment with various weapons and upgrades, turning your Trampler into the ultimate base, method of exploration and battle machine. Experience PvP combat as you encounter other players in the open world, either solo or playing with your friends.

This demo offers just a glimpse of what SAND will become. The full game will be much more expansive, however for this test the goal is to ensure that the player vs player component works well before we continue to both develop existing mechanics and add new ones, such as NPCs, interactive points of interest, new compartments for Tramplers (both for PvP and PvE), new weapons, and different Metas to open new compartments.

Check out some gameplay footage here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Please be aware:

The game is in the early stages of development, and the gameplay and mechanics in this build are not final. The primary goal of this demo is to test server load, PvP gameplay and give our players a bite of the SAND PvP experience.

There is currently no PvE content in this demo, but this will be present in the eventual release.
You may encounter bugs or performance issues, such as FPS drops. We are aware of these issues and are working to improve them, but please ensure your system meets the minimum recommended specs for the best experience.

Additionally, please note that progress may be reset as we roll out updates and hotfixes.
We value your feedback and invite you to share your thoughts in the SAND Discord an the official Steam forums so we can continue improving the game together!

Please also check our steam FAQ post for more information about settings that can be tweaked

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

Come and join us on our social media pages to keep yourself up to date with all the news and updates for SAND or join the discussion over on Discord now!

Discord - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

- Hologryph & tinyBuild Games

[h3]What is the SAND Demo?[/h3]
In this demo, the core gameplay is developed around building Tramplers and using them to explore the planet and fight against other players.

This demo offers just a glimpse of what SAND will become. The full game will be much more expansive, however for this test the goal is to ensure that the player vs player component works well before we continue to both develop existing mechanics and add new ones, such as NPCs, interactive points of interest, new compartments for Tramplers (both for PvP and PvE), new weapons, and different Metas to open new compartments.

[h3]How can I play the demo?[/h3]
You can download the demo on Steam page now
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

[h3]When will the full game be released?[/h3]
We have not yet finalized a date for release, but as soon as this has been decided, we will announce it on all of the relevant channels.

[h3]What is the maximum size of a team?[/h3]
Max size is 6, but for such a team you should have enough crew rooms on your trampler.

[h3]What are the minimum specs to play SAND?[/h3]
CPU: Intel Corei7-9700, AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM: 24Gb
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 5700, Intel Arc A750

[h3]The name of the genre has "extraction". Does this mean that matches have a time limit?[/h3]
No. Despite the fact that we taken a lot of cues from some of our favourite "extraction shooters", we do not limit players in how much time they can spend on the expedition on the surface. The players themselves decide when to finish and return to the extraction point to protect what they were able to find.

[h3]Is it be possible to ally with other crews?[/h3]
Our design is based around ensuring that the game revolves around the struggles, successes and experiences of individual Crews, and not larger factions, which matchmaking will of course contribute towards. We are doing everything we can to ensure that the game does not devolve into battles of large groups/factions of regular players against beginners and solos.

[h3]Is it be possible to play solo?[/h3]
Absolutely. We have designed and balanced the game specifically to ensure that players can enjoy it solo or alongside their friends.

[h3]Can I change the language of the game?[/h3]
Only English is available for the tech demo but more languages will be added over time and upon launch.

[h3]Can I remap the key bindings?[/h3]
While there is no such option in the demo at this time, key binding remapping will be available upon SANDs eventual launch.

[h3]How to split stacks on the plan expedition screen?[/h3]
This system is not yet implemented in the Demo

[h3]What can I do if my trampler is stuck?[/h3]
Try to move in all directions including strafe (Q/E).
Try to turn off and turn on your reactor.
If nothing helps - please create a topic in the Steam Bug Reports forum with the title "Trampler stuck".

[h3]What can I do if I lose all my resources?[/h3]
If you have no tramplers and no resources to build new ones you will have to create a new character or join another team that owns a trampler to recover additional resources.

[h3]Can I delete my character?[/h3]
Unfortunately, this is not possible at this time.
If you have no character slots and all your characters are broken, please create a thread on the bug report steam forum with the title "Wipe my characters".

[h3]I am experiencing some bugs and FPS drops, why?[/h3]
You may encounter bugs or performance issues, such as FPS drops. We are aware of these issues and are working to improve them, but please ensure your system meets the minimum recommended specs for the best experience. Please also check our FAQ post in Steam Discussions for more information about settings that can be tweaked to improve performance.

[h3]Will the game be further optimized?[/h3]
Of course, this demo is a very early glimpse of the game and designed to test 3 key areas, PvP gameplay, Server stability and the trampler editor system, however as we continue to develop the game, will be focusing on optimization and ensuring smooth, stable gameplay.

[h3]How can I improve my FPS?[/h3]

The ideal settings for the highest FPS at this time are as follows:

• Upscaler to FSR
  
• Upscaler set to Performance
  
• SSAO to Off
  
• SSGI to Off
  

The rest depends on your rig and can be tweaked accordingly:
Draw Distance
Shadow Quality
Texture Quality
Clouds Quality



[h3]Found a bug?[/h3]
You can report this in the bug reporting subforum HERE

Have a request or proposition on how to make the game better?
You can either leave your suggestions HERE or you can fill out the feedback form from the in-game link.
You will find the question "What content or feature would you most like to see in SAND?" at the end of the form.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

Come and join us on our social media pages to keep yourself up to date with all the news and updates for SAND or join the discussion over on Discord now!

Discord - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

- Hologryph & tinyBuild Games

Servus Allies!

After a short technical test, we are pleased to welcome you all to the planet of Sophie with the release of the SAND Demo!

In order to access the Demo, all you need to do is click "Install Demo" below, and it'll be added to your account!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

In this demo, the core gameplay is developed around building Tramplers and using them to explore the planet and fight against other players.

This demo offers just a glimpse of what SAND will become. The full game will be much more expansive, however for this test the goal is to ensure that the player vs player component works well before we continue to both develop existing mechanics and add new ones, such as NPCs, interactive points of interest, new compartments for Tramplers (both for PvP and PvE), new weapons, and different Metas to open new compartments.

Check out some gameplay footage here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

For everyone who played the recent technical test, here's the changelog:

All progress of current users from the closed demo has been wiped.

Please consider that in the current stage of development, we may have future progress wipes to fix issues and make a better experience for you in the final game.

[h3]Feature[/h3]

• Increased amount of available regions.
  
• Trampler decay now starts when the trampler doesn’t have any linked players and if no one is near it.
  
• Reworked visuals for items in hands for first-person and third-person.
  

[h3]Bugfixes[/h3]

• From now it is possible to proceed to the expedition even if some team member was disconnected during the loading. Disconnected team members can still reconnect.
  
• Refrigerator content will be extracted from now!
  
• Improved finding ground for trampler when walker stuck with feet stuck in the air.
  
• Fixed some inappropriate interactions with objects.
  
• Fixed the 'Put' action being shown on empty shelves when a player has nothing in hands
  
• Potential fix of glitched box images in the air. We continue investigating the issue.
  
• Stability improvements.
  

[h3]Sound[/h3]

• Fixed trampler clinch sound does not finish.
  
• Tweaks in trampler collision sounds.
  

[h3]Balance[/h3]

• Changed conditions of various contracts.
  
• Increased capacity of boxes.
  
• Locked box contents tweaks.
  

Please be aware:

The game is in the early stages of development. The gameplay is not final. There is no PvE in this Demo. Bugs may also occur. And most likely, we will be forced to reset progress alongisde updates and hotfixes.

We look forward to hearing your feedback in the SAND Discord and working with you all to improve the game!

The game may contain content not appropriate for all ages or for viewing at work.

Massive thanks to everyone who took part in the Closed Playtest, your feedback and suggestions have been instrumental in helping us improve the game and map out our direction for future developments and we hope to see you all back on Sophie to keep the feedback coming!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242130/SAND_Demo/

Come and join us on our social media pages to keep yourself up to date with all the news and updates for SAND or join the discussion over on Discord now!

Discord - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

- Hologryph & tinyBuild Games