Silica News

Dear Silica Community,

What a monumental journey 2023 has been for Silica, and our incredible
community!

Since launching into Early Access this May, our unique blend of Real-Time Strategy
and First-Person Shooter gameplay has captivated gamers worldwide. Your support
and enthusiasm have been the driving forces behind every update!

Since its Early Access release, Silica has continuously evolved, with significant
updates bringing a wealth of new content. We introduced Air Units, transforming the
battlefield, and most recently, we've focused on performance optimization, making
the game more enjoyable for all.

It wouldn't have been possible without your feedback, support, and passion for the
game.

If you believe in the unique vision of Silica and the rich, immersive world of Baltarus, please consider voting for us in the "Most Innovative Gameplay" category. Your vote is a powerful way to celebrate the journey we've shared and the future we're building together.
Thank you for being an integral part of the community. Here's to continued innovation and excitement in the world of Baltarus!
With gratitude,

Martin “Dram” Melichárek

Dear Silica Community,

We are releasing another minor update, which is mainly focused on game balancing and Harvester pathfinding issues. As always, you can read the full changelog below for all the details, and share your feedback on social media and our Discord.

But that’s not all. Silica will be also included in Steam’s Czech & Slovak Week 2023. It starts today and lasts until November 20th. So if you or your friends still don’t have Silica in your Library, now’s your chance to get it at 20% off.

What a great opportunity to join the fight for Baltarus. See you there!

[h3]Full changelog:[/h3]

• Added: Infantry hit pain animations
  
• Added: Colossus projectile does effect in mid-air if it does not hit
  
• Added: Construction sites start off with 10% health and progressively increase while building
  
• Added: Infantry slow down when sprinting from flat surface onto a downward slope
  
• Added: Alien players respawn as Wasps in Strategy game mode when those are available
  
• Improved: Infantry footstep sound simulation
  
• Improved: Harvester turning circle from 40m to 30m
  
• Improved: Wheeled vehicle now reverses when it gets stuck driving forward
  
• Changed: Increased Colossus cost from 5600 to 6000
  
• Changed: Increased Defiler cost from 3800 to 4200
  
• Changed: Defiler may be built only from tech tier 2 (cyst is built at tech 3)
  
• Changed: Increased Goliath cost from 2400 to 4000
  
• Changed: Goliath may be built only from tech tier 1 (cyst is built at tech 2)
  
• Changed: Heavy infantry rocket now flies straight (does not curve up and then down)
  
• Changed: Colossus projectile lifespan from 5s to 3s (3km to 1.8km)
  
• Changed: Siege Tank projectile lifespan from 7s to 12s (0.7km to 1.2km)
  
• Changed: Increased unit mini-map view range to fog of war view distance
  
• Changed: Marksman sprint speed from 6m/s to 7m/s
  
• Changed: Rifleman sprint speed from 6m/s to 7m/s
  
• Changed: Reduced teleport cooldown from 180s to 60s
  
• Fixed: COLLIDER1 for large rocks in Monument Valley was not set to read/write, leading to broken pathfinding after buildings were placed
  
• Fixed: Sometimes placed structures would not correctly recalculate the navmesh, leading to units not being able to leave
  
• Fixed: Harvesters were unable to climb steep cliffs due to low wheel friction
  
• Fixed: Harvester pathfinding clipping corners of buildings
  
• Fixed: TurretAimEnemy.GetShouldSendNetUpdate null pointer
  

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! 🪐