subROV News

Hi subROvers! 😄

Jose speaking -I've promoted the 0.7.39b version from beta to default. I haven't had any issues after extensive testing, and several players have confirmed that it fixes the crashes in their systems.

In case you wonder, the reason why this is 0.39b instead or 40 is because it's the same version feature-wise, but it's 64-bit. The reason why the game was crashing was simply that I made a script to automate builds and I made a mistake, writing -buildWindowsPlayer instead of -buildWindows64Player. This means I was making 32-bit builds of the game, which impose restrictions in memory that resulted in crashes. Unfortunately, in trying to find the cause for these crashes I investigated everything but overlooked the (32) in the Task Manager 😂 ( 😭 )
So, after a series of facepalms and "I can't believe it!"s (I really couldn't believe it), I uploaded a 64-bit build, and things went back to normal. In any case, the silver lining is that I've a.inspected the game in detail, optimized several elements (more improvements to come), and b.made a priority of revising the save system (credit goes to the fantastic new programmer on board!). The new save system will come in the next update, and hopefully there will no more 2 hours wasted because of a crash, if or when it happens again.
I would like to thank everyone who's helped navigate this situation for their patience and kindness. I'm incredibly happy that it's solved, and I hope you'll enjoy the game and have the best of times these Holidays.

Happy subROVing! 😄

PS. I'll try to find time next week to write a recap and a "things to come next year"; If I don't, it's because I'm swamped with work, but rest assured, there's lots of progress and I'm doing my best so you can see it asap.

Fixes:
-Memory-related crashes experienced by players in various systems since August.

Hello subROVers! This news bit is unusual; the update is small, but the events are significant!

[h3]Game Update[/h3]

This update adds the Chaunacops, a kind of angler fish that regularly shows up in livestreams and always cheers everyone up. It has a unique charm and we're very happy to have it in the game, complete with its characteristic pose on the seafloor and bioluminescent lure. Adding this fish has been a bit of a challenge (even after all the preparatory work we had done on the tripod fish), but we think it's more than worth it.



Related to fish, we've revised their movement code to address edge cases. We've also started an optimization pass to improve the game's performance (it's the tip of the iceberg -see below).

[h3]Developer's blog[/h3]

Hello again! 😁 I'm Jose, the game's developer. Usually I write as 'we' to reflect that there's other people's work in the game, though the studio is "just me". I'm switching to 1st person now because this is a personal note, and I think it will help you understand some of the things I have to explain.

So, without further ado: The game has been awarded a grant from the Spanish Government. The grant will allow me, among other things, to commission artwork and bespoke models, and get a second programmer on board to help with a few important tasks:

• We are already undergoing an optimization pass, and we'll look into upgrading the engine (unity) and several other systems in the weeks ahead.
  
• We'll also revise the save system and we're considering ways to make the mission system more flexible, so it's easier for me to put new dives together, and they're more efficient to handle internally.
  
• We'll research fully procedural dives. I can't promise that there will be procedural dives in the finished item, but now there is time allotted to do a full investigation.
  

Paradoxically, even though there's lots going on, for a while it might look on the surface like the game is not moving forward. This is because I (alone) still have to add all items to the game and design the dives, and currently I'm doing lots of production work (getting the new programmer on board, finding contractors, etc). Also, the revisions listed above are not minor, so it might be not be possible to upload builds while they're underway. In any case, I'll keep you up to date through the forum, or maybe through new developer logs like this one.

By the way, I want to say thanks to everyone who's getting in touch, showing support, sending suggestions, or being vocal about things that don't work or could improve. Everything helps! I entered the game into Early Access precisely because I needed to have these interactions. You truly help me make a better game.

As always, happy subROVving!

[h3]Full Log[/h3]

New Features/Improvements:

• Dives: Added the Chaunacops Fish to the Hawaii, Vents, Humboldt, and Tokelau Dives.
  
• Dives: Revised flocking algorithm to improve behavior when close to the ground.
  
• General: Revised sizes of several background and models' textures for consistency + internal cleanup.
  
• General: Revised ship and TMS light setup for efficiency.
  
• General (internal) removed components that were meant only for editor use in several models.
  

Known Bugs

• Dives: Game sometimes crashes with no warning when entering/exit dive (happens rarely).
  
• Dives: Game crashes on Steam Deck when entering a "second dive".
  
• Dives: TMS ascends on its own when disconnecting TMS with H active, then reconnecting TMS.
  
• Dives: Barrel's dive objectives window does not show sample collection sub-tasks properly when leaving mid-way and re-entering the dive.
  
  

[h3]Get In Touch[/h3]
Here's a list of the many ways in which you can reach us:

• From the game -press F8
  
• Through the forum right here on Steam
  
• Through our Discord Server,
  
• Through Twitter,
  
• Through mastodon,
  
• By email (info 'at' sqr3lab.com)
  

[h3]Support subROV[/h3]

If you enjoy subROV and would like to support us, please leave a review. It helps a lot!

Hello subROVers - there's a new fish in town!


[h3]What's New[/h3]

This update adds the tripod fish to the game, in the dive sites where there's enough depth for it to show up (currently: barrels, humboldt, and tokelau).
The tripod fish is a very interesting denizen of the deep. It most characteristic feature is the way in which it stays still against the current, standing on the elongated tips of its pelvic and tail fins, while the pectoral fins are projected upwards, or towards the front, serving as antennae. When swimming, it can either retain this shape, or turn the elongations to the back to acquire a more "traditional" shape.
We've represented all these traits in the game, which has been a bit of a challenge since they're (so far) unique to this fish, but we're happy with the results, and we hope you'll enjoy them, too.

[h3]Moving Forward[/h3]

On the creatures front, we are now working on another iconic fish, the Chaunacops. It is also quite unique, but we believe we've got all the technical challenges already solved precisely thanks to the work we've done on the tripod fish.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3036664212
On the sites/wrecks front, we're still working on the WWII shipwreck. Initially we had planned to focus on the exterior, but we're now modelling several exposed inner spaces using blueprints for reference.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3022593932

Happy subROVving! 😁

[h3]Full Log[/h3]

New Features/Improvements:

• Dives: Added the Tripod Fish to the Barrels, Humboldt, and Tokelau Dives.
  

Bug Fixes:

• Dives: Fish sometimes get stuck in a circle motion pointing towards the seafloor.
  

[h3]Get In Touch[/h3]

Here's a list of the many ways in which you can reach us:

• From the game -press F8
  
• Through the forum right here on Steam
  
• Through our Discord Server,
  
• Through Twitter,
  
• Through mastodon,
  
• By email (info 'at' sqr3lab.com)
  

[h3]Support subROV[/h3]

If you enjoy subROV and would like to support us, please leave us a review. It helps a lot!

Hello subROVers!

A few days ago subROV received a compatibility test review for the Steam Deck, with a result of Playable.
This update addresses the issues preventing the game from getting a Recommended status:

• We've replaced the "F8" text in the main menu Feedback button with a suitable icon.
  
• We've replaced the "Gameplay" and "Controls" icons in the Settings menu.
  
• When sending feedback from the Deck, selecting the text window automatically opens an on-screen keyboard.
  
• The Accessibility option to use a Bigger Font in the Dive Chat is now active by default for Deck players.
  

We hope these changes will help us improve the game's review, and the overall experience for Steam Deck users.

Happy SubROVing! 😄

PS. A Playable result is already great news!

This is a small update that fixes two bugs:

• (feedback)General: Game unplayable when updating from old demo versions (due to incompatibilities between versions, the game will reset the save file; we apologize for the inconvenience).
  
• (feedback)General: Characters replaced by a square in computers with system language set to Turkish.
  

Both bugs were first reported through the internal feedback system anonymously, so, whomever you are -thank you!
(PS. if you include your email when you send feedback, we'll follow up).