Deep Space Outpost News

Pirate ships that dock with your station may now also attempt a pirate raid. Pirates will try and break through your airlocks, board your station and attack items. Don't worry though, your crew with fight them, just make sure you have enough workers to fend them off!

Combat is an emergency job so make sure you have enough crew set to do those tasks, at least when pirate ships appear. Make sure you have droid maintenance to repair any combat damage, plus crew quarters if your human workers actually take health damage. You can see damage, with new health bars that appear above crew and pirates during combat.

Patch notes:-

• Pirate ships can now spawn pirate raiders.
  
• Pirates will attempt to attack your station items and crew.
  
• Crew will attack pirates as part of the emergency job type.
  
• Any visitors will return to their ships when pirates attack.
  
• Health bar addition to characters in combat.
  
• Pirate raid numbers added to game stats.
  
• Improve: Game will drop to normal speed if running at x2 speed and high alert message occurs (Can be disabled in gameplay options).
  
• Improve: Human jobs now cancelled en route if item no longer exists (sleep/eat/heal/recreation).
  
• Fix: Worker cancelling a repair job due to emergency failed if position was next to repair.
  

Nick

Hi Folks,

I've added pirate boarding to the game, but have added this as a beta release currently as I need to do a bit more balancing and testing. If you want to check it out you can enable the beta by clicking the games properties in your steam library and selecting the beta tab, and selecting beta in the beta participation dropdown.

For more info on pirate boarding, visit the beta discussion.

Cheers,
Nick

Hi folks,

Just a small update with a few improvements to pirate ship behaviour. You may know i'm currently busy adding pirate boarding addition to the game, so this means some changes to pirate ships. I have improved a few things here, so thought i'd get these changes out to you now, rather than wait for the next big update. Also, as it includes some fixes that are better to get out asap.

Patch notes:-

• Improve: Pirate ship stealing now starts when tether attached to station.
  
• Improve: Pirate ship tether now retracts on depart.
  
• Improve: Pirate ship steal amounts/time adjustments.
  
• Improve: Missiles - smooth turn/acceleration, and target higher risk threats.
  
• Fix: Trader/pirate airlock movement block incorrect when up orientation.
  
• Fix: Auto message delete per instance.
  

Nick

Main change with this little update is the efficiency modifiers with production items (refinery/armoury/farm/electrolyser). Previously when low O2, output was lowered but input remained the same. This isn't what is wanted, what would make more sense is that production is slowed, so input is now reduced along with output (not altering the chemistry!).

Few other little fixes, noted below:-

• Improve: O2 efficiency modifier on production applied to input as well as output.
  
• Fix: Trader always had 3 visitors, should be random.
  
• Fix: Ship comms, disembark button could be clicked even if it appeared disabled.
  

New update has quite a few changes to production. The refinery by default now only outputs metal and water. It must be upgraded before it can also produce fuel and air (research unlock, followed by upgrade).

To give you another option here though, I have also added the electrolyser item. This takes water and outputs fuel and air. You'll now have to weigh up having a refinery and electrolyser, and/or researching the advanced refinery.

Electrolyser is more efficient than the advanced refinery, but outputs fuel/air at a set rate, the advanced refinery fuel/air/water output ratio can be configured. The advanced refinery also takes less power than the basic refinery and electrolyser combined.

I've also made balancing changes whilst looking at production/efficiencies. The low/no O2 penalty has now been reduced. Less ore usage by the refinery. and fuel/air output adjustments. Probably will be further tweaks here, so any feedback welcome.

Couple fixes as well, main one being shields weren't always detecting pirate lasers. Since i expanded shield range, it was now possible for a pirate, laser and it's target to all be within the shield circle. Wasn't checking for this simple case, doh!

Patch notes:-

• New electrolyser item.
  
• New research item - Advanced Refinery
  
• Refinery only outputs metal and water.
  
• New upgrade option on refinery. Once upgraded, fuel/air/water ratios can be configured.
  
• Improve: Low/no O2 production penalty reduced.
  
• Improve: Reduce refinery ore input figure.
  
• Fix: Shield check on pirate laser, need to also check if laser doesn't cross shield circumference.
  
• Fix: Game over check add no metal / no metal storage unrecoverable state.
  
• Fix: Issue loading save files, when in-game. O2 balancing not using updated floor tile count.
  

Nick