[h3]Greetings scientists![/h3]
We wanted to give you a heads-up on what is being added in our next patch and let you know that EA.1.5.3 is now live on the beta branch!
[h2]First Dwarf x Forever Skies Bundle is Available[/h2]First off though, we've partnered on a bundle with our fellow Polish devs Stardrifters in support of their new game
First Dwarf.First Dwarf is an action RPG with mechs, colony survival, crafting, base building, and tower defense mechanics all blended into one amazing mix. Explore a fantasy open world, sprawling on islands floating in the sky. You can play it solo or get a buddy to join through coop assist mode.
They are launching with a 15% discount and if you already own Forever Skies you can grab an extra 10% using our bundle.
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/42411/First_Dwarf_x_Forever_Skies/
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[h2]Our Next Patch[/h2]ICYMI, a few days ago we uploaded our June devlog, where we revealed some of the exciting new features coming to EA.1.5.3!
[h2]Its Not Just a Bug It's Also a Feature[/h2]The next content patch puts the spotlight on our friendly insect pet, making it not just adorable, but incredibly practical too!
“Pet the bug” is a feature we have planned and made public since we released our first roadmap in June 2023, but we didn’t want to just stop there.
Players will be able to customize their pet with a fancy hat, a backpack and a harness in a few different colours. We plan on adding more customization options as development progresses.
The hat and harness options are purely cosmetic. They add to the bugs wholesome aesthetic but thats all. However, we hope the backpack will be a game changer for players. Give your pet this attachment from the customization menu and have it join you on your adventures away from the airship.
Your pockets getting full while you explore? Off-load some of those resources into your pet’s backpack. The total number of slots available is not final and will be balanced throughout the beta phase. Eventually, we would love to have a range of backpack upgrades with increasing slots.
[h2]New Airship Decor[/h2]EA.1.5.3 isn’t just about your pet, as we have also added some new Airship decorations and a new room module.
We have added a new Stairs Room Module, a Kingsize Bed that recovers your energy levels quicker and more!
EA.1.5.3 will also include Japanese and Korean localization!ALL of this content is available RIGHT NOW on our beta branch. Instructions on how to join can be found at the bottom of this blog. We will be adding more content throughout the beta, such as interior lighting decor range, Kickstarter rewards if you were one of our backers and more!
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[h2]BETA PATCH NOTES[/h2]
[h3]NEW CONTENT:[/h3]
Pet:
- Friendly Insect “Pet” interaction added
- Friendly Insect companion can follow the player during exploration
- Friendly Insect companion, while equipped with backpack, unlocks additional inventory slots
- Friendly Insect companion can be customized
Pet Customization:
- Basic set of pet’s equipment is unlocked when the Friendly Insect is first placed on the Soft Cushion
- Crafting recipes available through a new set of Data Cards (green)
- Three colored sets of the Pet’s outfits (cap, shoes and backpack)
Tools & Devices:
- Amber King Size Bed - enhances the sleeping process
- Crystal Lamp (left and right)
- Sprinkler Lamp
Airship:
Resources:
Localization:
[h3]CHANGED:[/h3]
- Soft Cushion trigger for opening pet’s equipment screen
[h3]FIXED:[/h3]
- Pig Smile Seeds icon fixed so it can match all the other small plant seeds
- Proper Advanced Pass Component icon implemented
[h3]KNOWN ISSUES:[/h3]
- Friendly Insect can follow the player only while the airship is docked (lands on a location’s platform). This means the pet won’t follow you while the Airship is in the air and when visiting locations accessed via the Docking Plank. We are currently working on this and will implement the fix soon.
- Using Quick Move (Shift+Click), the player can move items from their inventory to the Friendly Insect’s inventory even if a pet’s backpack wasn’t crafted yet. These items can be accessed after the pet’s backpack is equipped.
- There is currently no boiled version of the Neon Plant.
- Localization for non-English languages is still work in progress and will be updated before this update goes live on main (leaves beta)
- Textures are currently missing from Stairs Room module, the pets yellow outfit and Crystal Lamp
- Icons for the new lamps, Neon Plant, and the Stair Room missing
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[h2]How To Access the Test Branch[/h2]
- Open the Steam application on your PC and locate Forever Skies in your games library
- Right click - PROPERTIES- BETAS
- Put in the password: BlimpWorkshop
- From the dropdown menu select the beta branch tilted: beta_flight
- Press the blue “Opt into beta_flight…” button
- In your Games Library click on Forever Skies [beta_flight]
- Install the Test Branch
[h2]How To Create and Load Existing Saves into the Test Branch[/h2]Your existing saves for the main game are stored in a different folder compared to your saves on the test branch. If you want to continue and test the game using your existing progress, you’ll need to do the following:
- Locate your save files on your PC. By default they should be stored in the following file path:
- C:\Users\\AppData\Local\ProjectZeppelin\Saved\SaveGames\
- Select the save file that you want to test your progress on, right-click, copy.
- Located your Test Branch save file folder. By default they should be stored in the following file path:
- C:\Users\\AppData\Local\ProjectZeppelin\Saved_BetaFlight\SaveGames\
- Paste your copied save file into this location
- As a precaution make a 2nd copy of your save file and paste it somewhere on your desktop or in a safe folder. This way you can ensure you have a clean, backup save just in case.
After you have done the above, you can start the Forever Skies Test Branch from Steam and your save will be present when you select “CONTINUE”
[h3]Existing Saves Won’t be Affected but use an Imported Save To Play the Test Branch[/h3]
Your existing saves, progress, and any custom settings you’ve set in from the main game won’t be carried over to the Test Branch. Your pc will see this as if you are installing and playing the game for the first time ever. Likewise, by playing on the Test Branch, your main saves should not be affected at all.
This also means any progress on the test branch will not be carried over to the main game once the update is live. The test branch is designed to allow you to explore and test new features without impacting your current progress.
Players can opt to play the test branch starting a fresh save, however, if you want to test new content with your existing progress, airship, etc (and we suggest you do) you will need to make a copy of your main game save and import it into the test branch. Instructions on how to do it can be found below.
[h3]Where to Submit Bugs[/h3]
All bugs or issues that you encounter while playing should be submitted via the FEEDBACK TOOL that you can find in-game when pausing the game. Subsequently, you can find the tool under this link too:
https://www.farfromhomegames.com/en/playtests
You can also submit bugs and keep up to date on features via our Feature Upvote site - https://forever-skies.featureupvote.com/
Thats all for now, speak soon!
