Silica News

Dear Silica Community,

While you’ve been enjoying the Air Units—one of the biggest additions to the battle for Baltarus so far—Dram has been busy focusing on improving the game’s performance and adding other quality of life changes.

As a result, we’re releasing our first performance update today, with more improvements to follow soon. Read the full change log below for all the details, and let us know what you think on social media and our Discord.

That’s all for now. See you on Baltarus.

[h3]Full changelog:[/h3]

• Added: Turbo thrust SFX to Gunship and Fighter
  
• Changed: Gunship appearance
  
• Improved: Performance of hit detection on infantry and aliens by disabling hit colliders when not needed
  
• Improved: Minor performance of sensor system by checking whether target has already been detected before checking distance
  
• Improved: Performance of unit AI when reading/writing values on their blackboards (target info, etc.)
  
• Fixed: Runaway memory impact by AI due to reading/writing values on their blackboards as it used generics
  
• Fixed: Null pointer to Strategist caused several null issues
  
• Added: Garbage collection when it reaches 14gb (for now)
  
• Added: Target detection now synchronized to clients
  
• Changed: Fighter projectile speed from 500m/s to 800m/s
  
• Improved: Optimized damage grid performance (used to check whether projectiles intersect units)
  
• Improved: Optimized thruster FX on air vehicles
  
• Improved: Turrets calculated targets on clients, lowering performance
  
• Improved: Sensors no longer ticked on clients, improving performance
  
• Fixed: Commander AI did not build the Colossus, Defiler, Dragonfly, and Wasp
  
• Fixed: Harvester ramp/Outpost elevator issues where they were disabled due to new optimization
  

Dear Silica Community,

We hope you've been enjoying the Air Units update that dropped last week, and that you've taken to the skies of Baltarus to explore all the thrilling possibilities these units bring to Strategy mode. Dram is currently working on performance optimizations which should be coming your way soon!

Today we'd like to quickly go through all the newly added air units, even though they've been available in Arena for a while, for the players who might've picked up Silica now, or just waited for this major update to happen!

[h3]Air Factory[/h3]
Serving as both a production platform and launch pad, the Air Factory constructs aerial units. The access elevator allows quick access from ground level for pilots.



[h3]Gunship[/h3]
Agile and versatile, the Gunship is perfect for speedy reconnaissance missions as well as for quickly eliminating distant, light-armored threats.



[h3]Fighter[/h3]
Equipped with Balterium munitions as well as rockets, the potent Fighter is designed to deal with heavier targets as well as for air-to-air combat.



[h3]Dropship[/h3]
The armored Dropship is primarily designed for rapid deployment of troops near the frontline, boasting a Balterium turret to repel smaller defenses.



[h3]Bomber[/h3]
Massive and particularly heavily armored, the giant Bomber is anything but nimble, designed for heavy aerial bombardment against base defenses and slow armored targets alike.



[h3]Grand Spawning Cyst[/h3]
Considerably larger than the Greater Spawning Cyst, this towering mass of alien flesh produces the giant Goliath.



[h3]Colossal Spawning Cyst[/h3]
Dwarfing even a Goliath, this monumental pillar of biotic mass produces the largest of the air units, including the deadly Colossus.



[h3]Wasp[/h3]
Fast and maneuverable, this critter enjoys ambushing prey from above. Despite its powerful mandibles, it is its stinger that its targets fear most.



[h3]Dragonfly[/h3]
Just like its earthly namesake, this creature is a formidable hunter, attacking from afar with spikes it projects from its menacing mouth, then moving in with its stinger.



[h3]Firebug[/h3]
Boasting powerful jaws and fins for flight, the Firebug is capable of internally heating itself to incredible temperatures, utilizing this in its extensible tongue, which is capable of melting through even heavy armor.



[h3]Defiler[/h3]
Aptly named, a Defiler's body is home to thousands of volatile insects capable of penetrating even heavy armor due to their extremely corrosive innards.



[h3]Colossus[/h3]
A floating fortress, the Colossus is as grotesque as it is deadly. Its top shell is nearly impenetrable, while its eye projects a catastrophic energy pulse.



And that's it! Keep testing them out in Strategy, provide us with valuable feedback while Dram is working on performance optimizations and until then,

We'll see you on Baltarus!

PS: The screenshot accompanying this article was made by one of the "Best Screenshot Ever" contest winners. Credit goes to Luis Badano. Thank you!

Dear Silica Community,
The time has finally come for the air units to make their debut in Strategy mode! You've had enough time to test them out in Arena and provide us with valuable feedback for Dram to be able to tweak their parameters. This major update is the first and the biggest one for this year!

Sit down, and get ready for take-off! Join us for an update stream right now! 🪐

Dear Silica Community,
The time has finally come for the air units to make their debut in Strategy mode! You've had enough time to test them out in Arena and provide us with enough valuable feedback for Dram to be able to tweak their parameters. This major update is the first and the biggest one for this year! There's a lot of additions besides the air units themselves such as the relevant structures to produce the air units (Air Factory, Grand Spawning Cyst, Colossal Spawning Cyst) and much more.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

You can check the full changelog here:

[h2]Major [/h2]

• Added: Air Factory (Gunship, Fighter, Dropship, Bomber)
  
• Added: Grand Spawning Cyst (Goliath)
  
• Added: Colossal Spawning Cyst (Defiler, Colossus)
  
• Added: Anti-Air Rocket Turret
  
• Added: Monument Valley level
  
• Added: UI indicators for stuck units in RTS
  
• Added: Unit cap for Strategy game mode including values in RTS UI (may be set up low/medium/high/infinite)
  
• Added: Camera behind vehicles moves upward when looking up to allow better view
  
• Improved: Rifle animations
  
• Improved: SMG animations
  
• Improved: Infantry FPS camera smoothness
  
• Improved: Infantry movement over mildly rough terrain
  

[h2]Minor[/h2]

• Added: Cyst popping effect for alien unit production completion
  
• Added: Floodlights to factories
  
• Added: Descriptions to Gunship, Fighter, Dropship, Bomber
  
• Added: MG turrets to Research Facility on Tier 1
  
• Added: AA Rocket turrets to Research Facility on Tier 3
  
• Added: Weak point on underbelly of the Goliath
  
• Added: Strong point on Goliath's front legs
  
• Added: Aircraft are slower to turn when using after-burners
  
• Added: Level Of Detail models to alien air creatures for performance
  
• Added: Aircraft starts landed when produced (to allow players to quickly hop in on the pad)
  
• Fixed: Constructible units/structures showed incorrect durability values in the UI
  
• Fixed: Turrets occasionally spammed 'Cannot send RPC for script'
  
• Fixed: Elevator janky bouncing (still mild, will be improved later)
  
• Fixed: Idle Harvester/Shrimp icon appeared wrong on clients
  
• Changed: Fighter rockets changed to large missiles with corresponding damage and effects
  
• Changed: Heavy Vehicle Factory no longer needs Light Vehicle Factory to be built
  
• Changed: Ultra Heavy Vehicle Factory no longer needs Heavy Vehicle Factory to be built
  
• Changed: Health and armor values for Wasp
  
• Changed: Health and armor values for Dragonfly
  
• Changed: Health and armor values for Firebug
  
• Changed: Health and armor values for Impaler
  
• Changed: Health and armor values for Goliath
  
• Changed: Shrimp extraction speed
  
• Changed: Shrimp cost
  
• Changed: Increased rolling speed of Goliath
  
• Changed: Gunship rockets to forward firing
  
• Changed: Gunship minigun damage
  
• Changed: Gunship less maneuverable but strafes better, slower forward speed
  
• Changed: Fighter less maneuverable, but faster forward speed
  
• Changed: Heavy Armored Car MG cannot aim down as much
  
• Changed: Hover Tank MG cannot aim down as much
  
• Changed: Turret build time to 80s
  
• Changed: Heavy Turret build time to 80s
  
• Changed: Anti-Air Turret build time to 80s
  
• Changed: Greater Spawning Cyst no longer requires Lesser Spawning Cyst
  
• Changed: Reduced Bomber health
  
• Changed: Reduced Fighter health/armor
  
• Changed: Bomber turn rate reduced
  
• Changed: Human vehicle MG turrets aim upwards more
  
• Improved: SMG sounds
  
• Improved: Gunship rocket spread/damage
  
• Improved: Gunship rockets appearance
  
• Improved: Air units pathfinding route processing for both aliens and humans
  
• Improved: Aircraft AI movement handling
  

[h2]Known Issues[/h2]

• Harvester pathfinding is problematic on the Monument Valley map at present, so please bear with us while we fix it. Overall pathfinding is due for drastic improvements, including collision avoidance, now that the air units are out.
  
• Performance is now top priority along with aforementioned pathfinding improvements, however there are times where it still suffers. This will be the primary focus for the coming weeks, so expect big improvements here.
  
• Transport vehicles do not yet transport AI troops and cannot be instructed to eject troops that have been manually loaded in. This will be finished in the coming week or two.
  

As the whole gameplay and dynamic is about to change on the scorching deserts and skies of Baltarus, here are some parting words from Dram himself:
"Hello people of Baltarus!

This latest build introduces a number of important improvements and changes to hopefully make play more fun and interesting. The air units are of course the largest addition, enhancing Strategy mode with a new layer of depth. Apart from this, there is also the introduction of a unit cap system. This will help with not only performance but also balance and it is possible to choose between 4 settings: Low/Medium/High/Infinite. Changes in terms of health, armor and damage have also occured to hopefully make things a bit more balanced.

I also consider it crucial to be completely transparent and directly state that the AI is still on the weaker end and will be a big focus going forward. Apart from that, the primary focus for the next few weeks will be on performance, which the game still suffers from in late game (although helped a lot with the addition of the unit cap system).

So on that note, I hope you enjoy the latest update and please feel free to send feedback my way via Discord or Steam. The game is still in Early Access after all and therefore heavily influenced by your feedback! So thank you to everyone for providing feedback in all its forms.

Take care, everyone, especially in these trying times, stay safe."
- Martin Melichárek

Dear Silica community,

Our "Best Screenshot Ever" competition has just begun on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), and we would like you to participate. We're giving away 4 Silica t-shirts for the following:

• 1 entry on Facebook with the most likes
  
• 1 entry on X (Twitter) with the most likes
  
• 2 special winners picked by Dram
  

The rules are simple. Take the best screenshot using the improved free-fly camera. To achieve the best results make sure to read this handy article that will help you to improve your screenshot skills: https://silicagame.com/news/take-the-best-screenshot-ever

After you are done, and happy with the outcome, post the screenshot under the contest post on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).

You have until Oct. 18 to send your entries, and we'll announce the winners on the 19th.

Good luck, see you in the skies of Baltarus! 🪐