Vectorio Classic News

Hello all!

Today is Vectorio's one-year anniversary since launch! A lot has changed in the last year, and I can't believe how far the game has come. Unfortunately, this post is probably going to disappoint some people as I don't have much to show in terms of progress since the last update, but I still wanted to go over where the game is at, and why things are taking so long.

[h2]Where is Update 4!?[/h2]

I thought I'd get right to the point as this is probably what most people are wondering, and unfortunately once again I have greatly miss predicted when the update would be done. This is for many reasons, with one of the obvious ones being that I've been working on Neon Sundown a lot in the last month (as well as university), but it's not the only reason.

Firstly, networking has been a huge pain to get ironed out. I've had to once again take down most of what I had previously written and start building it back up again. This is now the third time I'm having to go in and scrap a major part of the game, and although part of it is from inexperience with networking, the biggest part is that parts of the core game are still a mess. The refactor in Update 3 did solve a lot of issues with this, but I'm noticing that there are still some severe underlying problems that exist that make things such as networking and creating new content a seriously long-winded and difficult process.

Now I'm sure some of you are probably wondering why this wasn't done properly in the first place, and it goes back to the fact that Vectorio was the first project I ever made in Unity. A lot of the core game was built while I was learning the ins and outs of the game engine, and so even with the U3 refactor the actual design of the game from a lower level standpoint is flawed. No matter how long or how many times I refactor the game, it's not going to fix this issue.

So with that being said, I see three main options to pursue...

• Option One) The first option is to just scrap the game and move on. This is obviously a stupid option, as I think Vectorio still has a lot of room to grow and be an extremely successful game, so this one is already automatically crossed off for me (in case anyone was worried about it)
  
  
• Option Two) Accept there's underlying issues with the game and online, and move on with content updates. This seems like an adequate option to go with, but long-term I also see this possibly causing issues, especially once the game is out of early access.
  
  
• Option Three) Refactor what I can with networking so that online is stable enough where disconnects aren't happening frequently, and then move on with content updates. Although some parts of the game will never be perfect, I feel this is the most reasonable path.

Although this isn't the most ideal solution, I believe it's the best I can do with what I have. In hindsight, I wish I had played around with other projects while learning Unity first before creating Vectorio, but than again I never expected Vectorio to gain as much traction as it did. I thought maybe a couple hundred people would play it at most, and then I'd move on. But obviously it's been quite the opposite!

[h2]So when is the next update?[/h2]

I think moving forward doing larger updates are not as viable for me. I'm already seeing great success with doing incremental updates with Neon Sundown using an agile development model, and so I'd like to apply that to Vectorio. I think step one is to finish refactoring Networking, and get it out ASAP so we can start getting some movement back into the game. (This would also include some of the interface redesigns you may have seen in previous posts) After that, I can incrementally bring out the rest of what was planned for Update 4, including the final version of the research system and the re-introduction of enemy outposts.

In regards to when this will be, I have no idea. I'm done giving out dates for when updates will be finished. They'll be out when they're ready, and I think that's all I'm going to say from here on out when asked. Putting out specific dates stresses me out, and it's unfair to all of you who are expecting something big to drop (like today) and than nothing happens. This was definitely a mistake on my part, and so I'll use this as a learning experience and make sure it doesn't happen again in the future

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please let me know! I will do my best to respond to all of them.

Thanks for reading,
~ Ben

[h3]Hey everyone![/h3]

Been almost a full month since the last update, so I thought I'd pop in and show everyone what I'm working on, along with a new game that'll be releasing in just over 2 weeks time! So, let's get to it!

[h2]Update 4 - Progress Update[/h2]

Although I've been fairly busy with getting Neon Sundown thrown together, I have still be working on Update 4 quite a bit. It's over 50% complete now, including a complete redesign of the interface. For example, below is the new hotbar design in Update 4.

[h3]New Hotbar Design:[/h3]


On top of this, I also have more enemies ready to deploy in Update 4. I'm not gonna share exactly what each enemy does like I did in the last post since I don't want to spoil too much, but as mentioned before you can expect most enemies to be receiving similar redesigns.



Overall I'm happy with how progress is coming along for Update 4, and I'm REALLY excited to see everyone get their hands on it once it's ready. There's a chance Update 4 might mark the end of early access, though I don't want to say for certain as it'll depend on how stable the update is. (Regardless of that fact, it certainly wont be the last update!)

[h2]Update 4 - Release Date[/h2]

And what do ya know! I have once again inaccurately predicted the release of the next update (who could've possibly seen that coming?) - I had originally said the update was going to be out in February, but with the release of Neon Sundown I unfortunately don't think that's doable. I want to make sure Neon Sundown has a smooth launch BEFORE I release Update 4, as releasing both around the same time could easily turn into a nightmare for me.

So, with that said, I am aiming for the new release date of Update 4 to be March 22nd, which is actually Vectorio's 1-year anniversary! I think it'd be awesome to try and have the largest update drop on the same day Vectorio released last year.

I will keep everyone update on progress and will make another announcement in March if Update 4 is looking to be on track for hitting that new release date.



[h2]Neon Sundown - Releasing February 25th[/h2]

I am excited to announce a new game I've been working on, Neon Sundown! The game is a fast-paced roguelike that takes place in the "Vectorio universe" (if you wanna consider that a thing). It was originally going to be a DLC for Vectorio, but I was having so much fun with it I decided to make it a standalone!

If it looks interesting to you, please consider wishlisting it! You can also find the Discord and Reddit links below if you want to chat about the game more with both myself and others involved in the project.

[h3]Wishlist Neon Sundown:[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1721870/Neon_Sundown/
Discord: https://discord.gg/NHnR7zcaCc
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/NeonSundown/

[h2]Leave the confine of your walls...[/h2]
[h3]And explore a new world! Coming in Update 4![/h3]

[h3]Hello again![/h3]

Just wanted to share a quick sneak peek at 3 of the 10 new enemies coming in Update 4! As mentioned in the previous "Let's Talk Update 4" post, there is a plethora of new enemies joining the game in Update 4, each with new unique abilities and mechanics.

Please keep in mind that these models are not final and are definitely subject to change. I'm still tweaking the new enemy designs, but this is what you can expect from pretty much all enemies moving forward.



[h2]Mesmer | New enchanter type enemy[/h2]

One of the new enemies coming in Update 4 is Mesmer. It is an enchanter type enemy, meaning it will convert buildings it touches into one of it's own. Left alone, these can become extremely dangerous and turn entire chunks of your base against you. But not to worry! There's a new building coming in Update 4 that will allow you to ensure your buildings never stab you in the back.

Mesmer's come into play around the 15k heat range, and is an extremely weak enemy. It will try to find cover behind stronger enemies however, so keep your eyes peeled for them!



[h2]Ghoul | New cloaking type enemy[/h2]

Another new enemy making it's debut in Update 4 is Ghoul. It is a cloaking type enemy, meaning it can temporarily turn invisible to avoid your defenses sight line. When a Ghoul is invisible you can still physically see it, your defenses just cant target it. You can however use Radar towers to uncloak it, rendering their ability useless and allowing your defenses to deal with it promptly.

Ghoul's come into play around the 40k heat range, and is a moderately tough enemy. It can withstand quite a bit of fire power, as well as deal a pretty heavy blow to your defenses. Radar towers are a must if you wish to successfully defend against this new enemy type.



[h2]Hivemind | New spawner type enemy[/h2]

The final new enemy in this sneak peek is Hivemind. It is a spawner type enemy, meaning it can spawn other enemies near it. However, instead of just spawning other normal enemies nearby, it places down a new enemy building called the Hive. Hive's are extremely dangerous, as they mass produce enemies over time. Left unchecked, they can pile up and swarm your defenses quickly, so you'll want to take care of them promptly.

Hive's and Hivemind's come into play around the 80k heat range, and is an extremely tough enemy to deal with. Although it cant deal much damage, the sheer amount of Hive's it can create near your base can quickly become a problem. A good way to deal with these will be by sending your own units over to it with the new building, Barracks!

[h3]What do you think of the new enemy types?[/h3]

Let me know in the discussion thread below, or join our Discord server! We have a lot of great discussions on there, and I'd love to hear what you have to say about some of the new enemy types coming in Update 4. (and possibly any suggestions you may have of your own!)

Discord: https://discord.gg/auDgRJqtT9

[h3]Want to support the continued development of Vectorio?[/h3]

Consider checking out the Frosted Defenses cosmetic pack on Steam! All funds generated from this go right back into the development of Vectorio, and allow me to continue making free content updates for everyone to enjoy! (plus you get some pretty cool looking skins)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1852930/Vectorio__Frosted_Defenses_Pack/

Thanks for reading!
~ Ben

Hello all!

With Update 3 now out, I wanted to start discussing a bit about what's coming in Update 4, as well as briefly touch up on some changes in Update 3 and where I'll be taking them in Update 4.

I also want to preface this by saying I'm aware of pretty much all bugs present in Update 3, and will be releasing a patch for these in the new year when I'm back from Holidays. Most of the bugs are caused by networking, including the ones that occur in offline environments (as the server is the localhost)

[h2]What is Update 4 about?[/h2]

The main focus of Update 4 is enemies. I feel like they've been ignored for almost half a year now and have not been improved upon at all from their original iteration before the game even released. This is obviously an issue as enemies are one of the core aspects of the game.

The current iteration of enemies is very bland and boring. They move in a straight line towards a target, and that's it. It was always intended that this would be a placeholder for the true enemy implementation, and now that time has come! So let's talk about what improvements are coming to enemies...

[h3]Enemy Outposts / Enemy Expansion[/h3]

Update 4 will re-introduce enemy outposts to the game, but with a much better implementation of it. A new enemy type called Settler will look for vacant resource nodes on the map and try to setup an outpost on them. If one is found, it'll start by placing an Energizer Core, a new building only available to enemies.

Energizer Cores will allow enemies to deploy worker drones that can mine resources from the surrounding area, and start setting up other buildings like collectors, storages, turrets, walls, etc. You'll be unable to build anything inside an Energizer Cores range, and will instead need to send in your own units from a new building called Barracks.

Barracks are unlocked early on in the game and enable you to automatically produce your own units using a variety of new resources coming to the game. You'll be able to setup custom command logic for your units and give them instructions to attack different outposts.

[h3]New border expansion mechanics[/h3]

Starting in Update 4, the way borders are pushed back will change drastically. Instead of firing the hubs lasers at set heat points throughout the game, you will instead be able to collect a new limited resource type and feed it to the hub to charge it's super weapon.

Once charged, you can pick any border to fire at and push it back. This will cause a Guardian to spawn, which you'll have to deal with accordingly in order to progress to the next stage. Essentially, this is still the same system as before, but it gives you a more direct goal to aim for and serves as more of a motivator to expand and capture nodes.

The new resource used to power the hub is also unique. There's a limited supply of it on the map at all times, and you'll need to use radar pings to try and find them. Once found, you'll have to battle the enemies for the node as they also want to take over it and use it to create new outposts.

Don't worry though! For those that like playing at their own pace and being able to leave the game running in the background, you still can! Enemies will NOT try and takeover the limited resource nodes until they're pinged by you, which can only be done manually. This means if you're not expanding, neither will the enemies!

[h3]New Enemy and Guardian behaviours[/h3]

Enemies (including Guardians) are getting some new behaviours on top of outpost expansion. A lot of enemies will start to interact with each other, and plan their attacks instead of just charging head first into your defenses without thinking.

Some of the new enemies can heal other enemies nearby, or deploy a shield around them to protect it from incoming fire. Guardians also gain a bunch of new mechanics, such as the Kraken using it's wings to deflect incoming fire, or the Atlas deploying fighters and firing back at attacking defenses.

A lot of the new logic being implemented will make enemies feel more alive and like you're actually fighting some sort of hive mind that is doing everything it can to get rid of you.

[h3]Heat map and heat dispersal[/h3]

Another new mechanic coming in Update 4 is the heat map. This is an overview of your base that shows how much heat different areas are producing. This is useful to know since enemies will try and target hotter areas of your base, and ignore cooler ones.

Once heat maps are introduced, coolant type buildings will make their way back into the game but with new functionality. Instead of removing heat, they'll mask the heat output of nearby buildings. So say you have a massive power farm, you can use coolers to mask the heat output of it and lower the chance that an enemy attack will come for it. Very useful for directing the flow of enemies!

[h3]Engineering and new defensive mechanics[/h3]

As a lot of you know, Update 3 was supposed to introduce engineering, which was a system that would allow you to modify each of your buildings individually and tweak their behaviour / stats exactly how you want. Unfortunately due to some last minute changes, I was not able to get this feature prepared in time for Update 3, so it has been pushed back to Update 4.

When engineering makes its appearance in Update 4 though, it'll give you the power to do pretty much anything you can think of with your buildings. Want to turn a Sprayer into a long-range rapid-fire missile launcher? You can! The possibilities are (almost) endless, and paired with the new cosmetic system, you'll be able to make each tower your own.

I'll have more info later on exactly how this system will work, but it'll put a much bigger emphasis on Iridium farming and drastically change how the mid - late game meta will play out.

[h3]Cargo drones and Cargo freighters[/h3]

Another new addition in Update 4 is a new drone type called cargo. Cargo drones can carry resources from one location to another, allowing you to move storage around your base where you see fit. This will also enable you to create massive storage arrays and keep everything in one location for easier management (and ensure if an outpost falls, you dont lose any resources)

In addition to this, there is new Cargo freighters being added that are essentially just gigantic cargo drones that can carry a lot more resource over further distances. (basically trains) But that's not all cargo freighters can do, they are also able to carry buildings on them and deploy them in different locations around the map. So instead of needing to chain Reclaimer type buildings to reach a location, you can instead have cargo freighters just drop a reclaimer anywhere on the map!

[h3]Research streamlining and changes[/h3]

The changes to the research system in Update 3 were very controversial. A lot of players didn't know how it worked, and the ones that did were split between whether or not it was better or worse than the Update 2 research tree. The new system is slightly more barebones than the last, but this was by design to make room for engineering.

Now I want to make it clear that this new research system is here to stay. I'd much rather try and fix / streamline this new system than revert back to the previous system, as I think research trees are overdone and slightly dull. (especially in the case of Vectorio) So, with that said a number of improvements are coming to the research system in Update 4.

The first improvement coming is the addition of advanced production statics. This will show you EXACTLY how many resources are being produced each second, and will enable you to make more informed decisions about what research techs you should aim for. There will also be an indicator on the research panel that will tell you if starting a new research boost will cause a resource drain.

There are also some new options for labs to choose where you drain resources from. You can switch between draining from storages, and draining directly from collectors. Both have pros and cons to them, but if you want to avoid labs blowing up when you're queuing a massive expansion on your base, drawing from collectors will allow you to do that.

[h3]New online PvP modes[/h3]

Finally, Update 4 will add in some new online modes that will allow you to go head-to-head with other players. You'll be able to queue for matches or join players directly through the server browser. Most PvP modes will give each player their own hub, and follow a "last one standing" win condition.

Further improvements to Co-op will also be added, including the addition of advanced host management for open lobbies. This will allow hosts to give and revoke permissions to other connected players, as well as kick and/or ban players if needed.

[h3]New defenses and buildings[/h3]

Every update adds a plethora of new buildings and defenses for you to use. Although I don't talk about what these are directly as I don't want to spoil anything, I did think it was worth mentioning just so everyone knows there are some very unique new buildings joining the roster in Update 4. A lot of the new buildings being added are directed towards interacting with other buildings, which will make your base feel more cohesive and like it's working as one giant entity.

You can expect there to be around 10 to 15 or so new buildings added in total, including a few new collector / storage type buildings for the new resources being added in Update 4.

[h2]So when is Update 4?[/h2]

As most of the community knows, I am horrendously bad at trying to predict when an update will come out. Therefore, I will not be giving any specific dates until much closer to the release. But I can say that the update should be out sometime during Q1 of 2022, beginning of Q2 by the latest.

Update 4 will be the last Early Access update, and Update 5 will bring the game into full release with the addition of the final Guardians and general clean-up of the game. Update 5 is also by no means the last update, but after that point my focus will move to the Turret Labs DLC as I believe that has a lot of potential to give the community full power over how the game grows.

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this post! With the refactor done, I am excited to start working on ACTUAL new content for the game. It's been a long-winded process, but one that will definitely be worth it in the long run!

~ Ben

[h3]P.S. Frosted Defenses cosmetic pack is 25% off![/h3]

The new Frosted Defenses cosmetic pack is currently 25% off until Saturday. If you've been thinking of picking it up, now is a great time! It also greatly helps support me and the continued development of Vectorio. Check it out below!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1852930/Vectorio__Frosted_Defenses_Pack/