Astro Colony News

Hey Astro Colonists!

The game just received a big update with plenty of improvements!
Movement system was completely reworked, docking stations can now transfer utilities (electricity, water and gas), decals and snap elements are now correctly rotated and pasted with a new rotation. In addition, there are many fixes and optimization improvements!

Please check the list below:
[h2]NEW MOVEMENT SYSTEM[/h2]

The movement system was redone to make it smoother and remove glitches in low framerate scenarios.
In high-velocity situations, character could be pushed back, diagonal movement could be a little bit shaky. With new improvements, the movement is more reliable and has fewer network updates, which is good for network traffic.

There are also small changes like:

• Character is moving a little bit faster (max move velocity 1400, before 1100)
  
• Booster max speed is capped to 11000 matching previous
  
• Ctrl key is now slowing down the character, useful with gravity boots, harpoon or when station elements needs to be precisely placed

Please let me know if any corrections need to be made!

[h2]NEAR STATION CONSTRUCTION DETECTION[/h2]

Many new players coming to the game tried to drag elements from one docked station to another.
This resulted in missing functionality, since conveyor belts belonged to two different stations.
Right now, each time the system detects constructed elements near another station object or planet terrain, it will show a warning symbol (arrow).

This should help players to understand that the docking station needs to be used to transfer resources (conveyor belts), electricity, water, and gas.

To ensure that player knows where object belongs, it is showing station name for all looked at objects.

[h2]DOCKING CAN TRANSFER ELECTRICITY/WATER/GAS[/h2]

Each docking station got new functionality to transfer utilities:

• Harpoon connector - can now configure electricity transferred (max 20)
  
• Docking station - can transfer electricity (max 100), water (max 100)
  
• Adv. docking station - can transfer electricity (max (max 1000), water (max 100), gas (max 100)

Transferring is configurable, so it allows transferring the required amount easily from one station to another. For example, all water can be pumped from one station to another and then to a third.

[h2]SNAP ROTATION & DECALS PREVIEW + ROTATION[/h2]

Before the update, only snap elements could be rotated via the menu.
Picked elements did not paste rotation, but only size.


Right now, decals are fully supporting rotation.
Both decals and snap elements can be rotated 90 deg using R key.
Pasted objects are keeping original rotation.
Preview of pasted rotation is also showing correct construction result.
The constructed decal is now shown with a decal preview.

[h2]FIXES & IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

• Finally fixed crash related to Apex Destruction when too many debris are spawned.
  
• Fixed crash related to copying player data from single player savegame to dedicated server
  
• Fixed parallel dimension issues not showing visuals - ex. oxygen barrier
  
• Fixed recent localization issues
  
• Joining server is now showing a prompt
  
• Fixed issue where gas tank would reset quantity when player joins
  
• Fixed issue where gas pipe would not update when gas tank is created nearby
  
• Fixed issue of an invalid space station reference when docked
  
• Fixed multiplayer issue with duplicating lights ...
  
• Fixed changing size of replicated snap objects like lights
  
• Animations of animals are now not in sync
  
• Fixed arithmetic block to support multiplayer
  
• Fixed timer pusher causing crash when the space station was removed and timer pusher had active cooldown

It was a very busy week, so I hope you will like the changes.
Please let me know if you encounter any issues on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w


Thanks guys so much for support!
Tefel (Terad Games)

Hey Astro Colonists!
It's time to announce a Developer stream during the ongoing Steam Replayability Festival!
The game just received another update, which is making it more stable and performant.

[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

• MOD HUB button (H) is now re-bindable
  
• Saving is now faster and saves less data. The game is checking if objects are modified, it is skipping them completely.
  
• Optimized loading for elements updating adjacent cells like floors, foundations, cables, pipes, water tanks
  
• Removing savegames from the list selects the previous element
  
• Multiplayer client is now showing resources picked by miners
  
• Multiplayer client is correctly updating extracted deposits numbers
  
• Fixed an issue where upgraded robots could get stuck in the upgrader
  
• Migration screen is now more responsive
  

[h2]FIXES - 20/05/2024[/h2]

• Auto-expanded planets, after reloading are keeping its shape
  
• pathfinding after reloading has a valid updated state
  
• drill is now generating basic science points every 5 resources mined
  
• geyser is now removed when the quantity reaches 0

This Sunday, 21 CET I will be streaming live Astro Colony!
It's a great opportunity to find out more about this base-building game, where you need to automate your colony while exploring an endless procedurally generated voxel Universe!

Don't forget to try the new demo created for the Festival!
Please wish me good luck and don't forget to come over to say hello!

Thank you very much for your constant support!
Terad Games

Hey Astro Colonists!

For the last 2 weeks, the game has been preparing to participate in the festival on Steam!
Endless Replayability Fest seems to be the perfect fit for Astro Colony.
Thanks to the procedural generation and an infinite number of planet combinations, the game offers great opportunities to play it over and over again.

The game receives a SANDBOX mode.
More experienced players will be able to create blueprints with access to all technologies and devices. New players can check out what the game has to offer! Sandbox mode is perfect for everyone who just wants to be creative!

Check the list below to find out what's new in the game

[h2]GAME MODES - SANDBOX[/h2]


There are 3 game modes to select when starting the new game:

• SURVIVAL - The default mode of the game. Unlock technologies and get resources to pay the cost of buildings and construction.
  
• CONSTRUCTION - There is no construction cost, but progression is still required through unlocking the tech tree technologies.
  
• SANDBOX - Total freedom to allow your creativity to explode! There is no build cost, and all technologies are unlocked.
  

[h2]ENDLESS REPLAYABILITY FEST[/h2]

Astro Colony is participating in the Endless Replayability Festival. It has a new Demo, Sandbox mode, updated Modkit. Please don't miss opportunity to try the demo and if you like it, get the game with a discount!

[h2]DEMO 3.0[/h2]

The new demo with new tools and progression has been released!
It's the perfect opportunity to try the game, if you haven't yet!

[h2]MODKIT[/h2]

Modkit is now supporting all latest changes.
Check out more about modding here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZDhyMEZzLPiHIUOYyHeiAVVUIPFvbwLul9WAgymHazI


[h2]Improvements & fixes[/h2]

• Mass migration and transferring bots UI is performant, refreshing only updated bots
  
• Fixed an issue where the terrain of a planet in another universe was interactive
  
• Improved multi-dimension data - not showing bots that are in another universe
  
• Multiplayer speed limited to x1 only to avoid desync issues
  
• New SANDBOX mode unlocking all technologies
  
• Improved Demo 3.0 - new tools, technologies and progression

Please don't forget to leave a review if you played a game and enjoyed it, so it can be supported for years to come!

Thanks guys so much for support!
Tefel (Terad Games)

Hey Astro Colonists!

The game just received massive update with more improvements!
There are new systems in the game, like Mass Astronauts/bots migration, drag construction for ramps, mass bot upgrading, mass astronaut training, and more.

Please check this article to find out more!



[h2]MASS ASTRONAUTS/BOTS MIGRATION[/h2]
Migrating many bots/astronauts before this update wasn't an easy task. As you may know each AI is looking for a job and can migrate when finding one - for example miners to the mine, scientists to the laboratory. That was the only mechanic that could help with migrating many drones.
But what about transport drones, newcomers etc? You could use menu in the Astronauts panel (P).

As you can see, only one selected astronaut could be migrated. It requires many click.

With new mass migration, you decide: where to migrate, how many bots, what status (idle, all), and station.


[h2]RAMP DRAG CONSTRUCTION/SELECTION[/h2]

Before the update, 12 different construction modes were present in the game, allowing players to construct vertical/horizontal lines, boxes, floors, walls, diagonal, snap elements, single and custom.
Two more are now present! Creating RAMP LINES!

[h2]Improvements[/h2]

• Mass migration system allowing to migrate multiple bots/astronauts at once
  
• Two new drag systems for ramps
  
• Migration in multiplayer is fully implmeneted
  
• Improved copy/pasting for some properties with triggers - ex. dedicated specialist count
  
• Making visuals subtle and not visible behind other surfaces. https://i.imgur.com/i4qdoOd.png
  
• School has multiplier buttons and can add many trained astronauts
  
• Bots upgrader has multiplier buttons and can add many trained astronauts

[h2]Bug fixes[/h2]

• Fixed issue where re-tried pathfinind would remove small elements like pipes/cables
  
• Fixed issues with objects created "far away," preventing incorrectly constructed objects
  
• Fixed Host Server & Dedicated server players counter
  
• Fixed issue where parked bots (locked) would be called after undocking/docking
  
• Fixed an issue where, after loading, Player wouldn't be attached to the space station
  
• Fixed issue where pathfining points wouldn't update after digging terrain
  
• Fixed issues where transferred humans would not show heads anymore
  
• Fixed an issue where trained humans would not update professions for Clients
  
• New validation for blueprints to prevent crashes
  
• Fixed lights starting station

Please don't forget to leave a review if you played a game and enjoyed it, so it can be supported for years to come!
[h2]Tonight stream (Sunday) 9PM CET[/h2]
I will stream again, showing new tools that just came to the game, continuing a previously started game! Please wish me good luck and check the stream on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel


Thanks guys so much for support!
Tefel (Terad Games)

Hey Astro Colonists!

It was a busy few days focusing mainly on fixing reported bugs.

Firstly, I would love to thank everyone who contributed in improving Astro Colony. Without your bug reports and feedback it wouldn't be possible!

[h2]LINUX DEDICATED SERVER IS NOW ON STEAM[/h2]

I promised to add Linux Dedicated Server to Steam directly, so there is no need of getting files from google drive anymore. The day has come! You can grab Linux Dedicated Server from Steam already.

Below I share with you some of the changes which makes the game way more stable.
Blueprint Designer for multiplayer is now reliable and should not cause crashes when using it.
Exploring other dimensions are now possible in multiplayer, where other players should also get technology tree expanded.

[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

• Improved pathfinding for bots, increasing efficiency by 90% and ensuring that long requests are not blocking other
  
• Improved resource requests for bots and pasting
  
• Improved various UI visibility issues (slider, texts, button) to not block interactions
  
• Each time Idle bot is requested is finding the closest to the building (bots upgrader, school)
  
• New sanitize systems to make savegames and blueprints compatible

[h2]FIXES[/h2]

• Fixed crash related to removal of Mines with drones assigned
  
• Fixed crash related to loading recycling machine with invalid item
  
• Fixed multiplayer issue where client traveling to the next universe didn't have tech tree revealed
  
• Fixed multiplayer blueprint
  
• Fixed camera mode issue where game get stuck when going to the map
  
• Fixed issue where copy pasted properties would not be handled (dedicated specialist, resource requests)
  
• Fixed Astronauts menu to register AIs and migration tab
  
• Fixed issue of voxel selection tool - where rotated box would allow moving arrows

[h2]Stream starts today (Sunday) at 20CET (8PM)[/h2]
Last but not least, I decided to stream the game for you guys, showing new game and progressing enough to reach at least the next dimension! I will try to be better prepared with some blueprints, so my setup will be easier to digest ;)


For people who have Steam broadcasting issues, it's also on Twitch:
https://www.twitch.tv/Tefel


Funny moment when fixing bugs...


Thanks guys so much for support!
Tefel (Terad Games)