Techtonica News

Say hello to your ModPack!

This modular backpack is worn by all Groundbreakers on Calyx, and you’ll be able to enhance it with upgrades like the Hover Mod.



In today’s post, we’ll share screenshots and GIFs of the ModPack. We’ll talk a bit about how it functions and fits into the universe of Techtonica. And, of course, we’ll share some concept art to highlight the development process.

As always, Techtonica is in active development. The ModPack’s design and effects can change over time.

Let’s dig in!

[h3]Your ModPack’s alive with science![/h3]

The ModPack in Techtonica is home to all sorts of functionalities for the Calyxian-bound Groundbreaker.

Here’s how the pack looks in Techtonica. It’s rad.



The ModPack is a standard issue all-in-one backpack for ANEXCAL’s Groundbreakers. It’s a power supply for equipment, it holds the Groundbreaker’s lamp, and it’s the bottomless inventory system.

It’s also extensible with mods you’ll find throughout Calyx. The Hover Mod upgrades the ModPack’s thrusters, for instance, to enable flight at a consistent elevation above the ground.



A backpack was always intended for the complete design of the character. You can't have a Soviet-inspired, atomic-age video game cosmonaut without one.

How did we get here?

[h3]Concepting the shape and feel of the backpack[/h3]

Early in development, the ModPack was just going to hold your inventory. It evolved to also act as a generator for the M.O.L.E.. Then it became the way we allow players to hover and travel short distances quickly. We figured the sky (or cavern ceiling?) was the limit from there.

Here’s a look at some very early concepts.



We always look for ways to add emission (glow) and motion that align with our story and aesthetic. Arc and fusion reactors combined with old-school radial engines have a cool, sci-fi, industrial look that helps us tell the story of Techtonica's mysterious and powerful technologies.

As the ModPack evolved, we got to work with these elements.



[h3]A future of ModPack add-ons[/h3]

Over time, the ModPack worn by Groundbreakers will change with add-ons.

Here’s some concepting for how the RailRunner will work as a ModPack add-on.



The RailRunner (how players ride on the Monorail System’s rails) will be incorporated directly into the ModPack’s equipment set, just like the lamp and Hover Mod. It looks cool, first of all, and it makes a heck of a lot of sense in the context of the game.



We can’t wait to see you parading around Calyx with your own ModPacks once Techtonica hits Early Access later this year.

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If hanging on a Discord is more your jam, you can join ours here.

Until next week, Groundbreakers.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/

Building the User Interface in a game like Techtonica is its own unique challenge.

There’s so much information happening all at once in a factory automation game as players explore, research, build, and upgrade their factories.



Add in multiplayer? Well, that introduces a whole host of fresh challenges for how and where to place information.

Today, we’ll dive a little deeper into the evolving UI for Techtonica, touch on what was present in the demo, share how we’re showcasing information today, and give you a glimpse into the UI of tomorrow.

Before we start! This is all super work in progress. Understand that Techtonica’s UI is in-development and that a lot can and will change both before release and during Early Access. Cool?

Let’s dig in.

[h3]But first! A look at the Notification and HUD UI from the demo[/h3]

If you’ve played Techtonica’s demo, then you're familiar with the temporary UI that’s in place. We know it’s cluttered and a bit hard to digest. We poke fun at ourselves about it, too, but programmer art UI is how games get up and running.

Let’s take a look at a screenshot that gives us a good chuckle. Here, we’ve just scanned our first Smelter and are greeted with what’s basically a dump truck of on-screen information.



Yikes.

The demo was essentially the Alpha of Techtonica. It’s early days stuff, so we totally get it. There’s too much on screen, and it’s hard to really parse what matters and what doesn’t. If we let that stand as our baseline, how do we improve?

Well…

[h3]Addition by subtraction[/h3]

We start with reduction and simplification. All of those notifications that flew through the center of the player’s view during the demo? They have been pushed up below what we’re calling the Notification Center (more on that in a second).

This single, convenient stream of information is a hub for all of what each player is actually doing. If you’re gathering plants, we detail what and how much in a small notification. If another of your friends scans and unlocks new equipment, we share that information along with their Steam name.



It’s so much cleaner.

This reduction in clutter makes it easier to spot notifications and pick up on bigger, more important cues.

[h3]Easier access to what you care about most in a given moment[/h3]

You’ll notice at the top of the refreshed HUD is a collection of icons and shortcuts. Each icon will have a notification counter on it as Groundbreakers unlock new tech, dialogue, and quests. Hit the shortcut key, and you’ll dive directly into the menu with the notification.

We wanted a way to gather waiting notifications for players without pestering them. Now, when you want to explore what’s new in your journal, you can do it at your leisure without a massive block of text flying over the middle of the screen.



Those shortcuts, of course, will change if you ever rebind your keys. Don’t worry.

More urgent notifications will get priority billing beyond just a number above one of those icons. We’re looking to expand the roster of urgent notifications, too. Power failures, for instance, will be easier to spot as we continue to improve the UI.

[h3]A peek at the HUD in Techtonica’s tomorrow[/h3]

We have more coming in the UI, too! Our art team mocks up additions and changes as we design and concept new machines and functionalities.

Here are a couple of those mock-ups for you to peruse and consider. Not all of this stuff will come to Techtonica, but it is cool to see what we’re cooking and trying on for size as development moves into and through Early Access.





Thanks for reading, Groundbreakers!

If you’d like to chat more about the UI or what’s coming to Techtonica, join our Discord.

Until next week.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/

Factory automation games like Techtonica are about making things work as well as they possibly can. Efficiency. How do you eke out more efficiency?

These games are also about on-the-fly solving of logistics puzzles that you, the player, create. You create these puzzles as you plan and build your factories.



As makers of a factory automation game, it’s our job to get you info in a quick, digestible fashion. We’re constantly improving the UI that delivers that info.

Today, we’ll showcase Techtonica’s Overlay Mode, which relays critical factory information and enables rapid problem diagnosis in a 3D, massive factory space.

Before we start, remember that a lot of this art is temporary! Techtonica will launch as an Early Access game this year, and elements of the game’s art and UI are regularly changing.

Let’s dig in.

[h3]Hello, Overlay Mode![/h3]

Activating Overlay Mode is simple: press the Alt key on your keyboard, and boom, it’s there.

You now have an overlay on all machines, from Inserters to Smelters and Assemblers. This overlay contains critical information. On Inserters, for instance, you can immediately tell which way the Inserter is operating. On Assemblers, you can see what the currently selected recipe is at a glance. On Smelters, you can see which ingot the machines are producing.



We also color machines based on their operational status. Green means everything is good. Yellow means the machine is paused and waiting (perhaps an Assembler that’s configured correctly but just waiting for the goods). Red means something is wrong.

With Overlay Mode, even larger factory floors become instantly legible. In the example screenshot above, Overlay Mode immediately tells me which side of my Smelting operation is copper and which is iron.

Some folks at Fire Hose leave Overlay Mode on constantly. I use it whenever I need to rapidly understand my layouts or am returning to an older save, confused and lost. (This happens often.)

[h3]Rapid problem diagnostics with big red icons[/h3]

In the spirit of making sure that Groundbreakers have immediate, highly-visible information about the status of their factories, major problems will show over machines regardless of Overlay Mode being on.



If your machines are out of fuel, if an Inserter is trying to insert the wrong resource type, or if your Crank Generator needs a fresh crankin’, we’ll tell you with a red status icon over the machine.



This means that your factories let you know about problems as soon as they happen. It’s super convenient when you’re working to keep large-scale operations running smoothly and an error shows up that you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed.

[h3]Overlay Mode concepts and the future[/h3]

It’s time for some concept art! ...And practically ancient in-game screenshots.

Look closely and you’ll notice old versions of the Assembler and Inserters. You’ll also notice that Overlay Mode has been with us for, literally, years as our team drew on stuff like the Inserter directions.



What about the future? The icons are all changing to be cleaner, easier to read, and to feel like they're a better fit for the Techtonica universe. Here are some of the new concepts that we're picking from.



Techtonica drops later this year. Add it to your wishlist!

If you want to chat with some like-minded factory automation fans, join our Discord!

Until next week, Groundbreakers.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/

Power production in factory automation games is critical to scaling your factory. How do you meet shifting power demands as your factory grows? What new tech can help?

The power system in Techtonica will evolve throughout Early Access, but at launch, we’ll have several tools for players to harness and obstacles for them to overcome. Today, we’re talking about the Accumulator and Power Spikes.

Let’s dig in.



[h3]Powering your factories[/h3]

At Early Access launch, electricity-based power generation will happen through Crank Generators, whether connected to Water Wheels or activated manually by Groundbreakers.

Groundbreakers will also quickly gain access to Accumulators, which capture and store energy output by generators. That energy then flows into machines like Planters, Threshers, and Assemblers to power your automation chain.



A great bank of Accumulators and Crank Generators can get you pretty darn far when it comes to factory output. But what happens when power demands evolve?

[h3]Creating a power challenge for late-game factories[/h3]

As your factories evolve and you explore more of Calyx, your power requirements will change. Some mid- to late-game machines require massive power spikes to operate.

The Monorail Depot is one such machine: you need the stored power in Accumulators to handle the energy spike that launches each train.



We’ll also challenge you with power surges for researching late-game tech. This creates a sort of power-check system to validate that your factories are big enough and efficient enough to handle the technology you’re about to unlock.

We’ll push you to generate lots of power, and Accumulators hold on to that power until your factories make use of it.

[h3]Powerful concept art[/h3]

When we were working on designs for the Accumulator, we wanted a better way to visualize their charging status than, say, a light bar.

That’s when we landed on spinning. The Accumulators spin when charging up. Once they reach capacity (or power stops coming in), they’ll stop spinning and the lights will indicate how full they are.

Here’s some early design work.



Obviously, we’ve broken away from the blocked bank in favor of single Accumulators, but the angled sketch mid-rotation remains. You can also see that we tend to sketch players into our concepts to get a sense of machine scale.

Finally, here’s the Accumulator after our art team iterated on the initial sketch work with some 3D models.



That’s it for this week’s update, Groundbreakers! If you want to talk factory turkey, come hang out in the official Techtonica Discord.

Until next week!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/

Techtonica is a factory automation game, in case this wasn’t abundantly clear yet.

This growing genre is relatively fresh, and one bit of fairly untrodden ground is narrative. That is, factory automation games don’t typically have stories at their center, letting players pull at plot threads as they expand their factories.



With Techtonica, that’s exactly what we’re trying to accomplish.

If you’ve played the demo or watched the trailers, you likely already know that Techtonica features voice acting. That voice work is part of our broader narrative, and today we’d like to take a moment to look at another of our many narrative devices.

Facilities.

Before you split, take note: we won’t spoil anything in this post. We picked a facility that’s specifically spoiler-free. Have no fear and dig in.



[h3]Welcome to the Warehouse[/h3]

Hidden west of Butterfly Cove is a gate. Behind that gate? A treasure trove. The Warehouse is a storage facility on Calyx, and it contains tech that you’ll need to scan to progress to the next tier of unlocks on your Tech Tree.

Facilities like the Warehouse also feature scannable objects that won’t yield an unlock, instead revealing tidbits of information about what happened on Calyx. This is one of the narrative devices in Techtonica that rewards curiosity and exploration with breadcrumbs of story.



The Warehouse is one of many facilities, and others will feature lots more lore and discovery. As I said, we picked the most spoiler-free facility for this showcase, so expect to unearth plenty of Techtonica’s tale in the others.

[h3]You’ll need a little more to unlock the doors, Groundbreaker[/h3]

Some Facilities are going to require a little technological muscle to enter. For instance, the Warehouse demands a Crank Generator's placement to power the gate. Once inside, there’s another door that requires some advanced tech to unlock.

Locking narrative and equipment scannables behind doors like these gives us a way to motivate players to iterate on their factories, make them more efficient, and yield specific products and components.



[h3]Farm fresh concepts[/h3]

As always, we have a piece of concept art that I think is pretty cool. Andrii, our Game Designer, had a vision for the Warehouse that he sketched up before everything was made in-game. It wound up being pretty darn close to the playable version on the development build today.



There’s something intriguing about the isometric view of the Warehouse space. My favorite part? Andrii’s homage to Cranky, which is what we call the Crank Generator internally.



Thanks for reading, Groundbreakers!

We share these updates every week. If you’d like to receive them via email instead of having to check Steam, we have a mailing list that you can sign up for, too.

Wishlist Techtonica to be notified when the game launches later this year.

See you soon!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/