The Pioneers: surviving desolation News

Dear Pioneers,

Thank you all for the warm reception of our latest major update, "Decisions." Your feedback suggests that we are continuing in the right direction and that our efforts are starting to pay off.

Following this update, here's a set of fixes addressing the latest features or minor issues that existed prior to "Decisions".

• Fixed several non-functional buffs and events.
  
• Fixed some pathing issues related to the rover.
  
• Improved inventory management to make double-clicks more reliable.
  
• Fixed a bug in the magnetic storm loading gauge.
  
• Fixed several loading bugs in the new station module.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing some machines from being recycled properly.
  
• Fixed a bug that made some equipment crates invisible.
  
• Corrected the display of certain fonts (type and size).
  
• Fixed issues related to daily meetings events.
  
• Fixed several missing or incorrect translations.
  
• Improved the readability of the construction panel.
  
• Adjusted the colors indicating the character's skill level in event-related buttons.
  
• Added prerequisite information to notify players when they lack sufficient resources for building a block.
  
• Fixed the size of minimum inputs for saves.
  
• Fixed a display bug that incorrectly highlighted the VFX of magnetic rocks.
  
• Corrected the daily events panel to prevent information from showing on hover over elements below it.
  
• Fixed minor issues related to using the rover's cannon.
  
• Fixed a bug in the hangar crane.
  
• Moved some ship element spawn points so they are not buried too deep.
  
• Fixed a display bug preventing sulfur lakes from showing on certain setups.
  
• Enhanced the temperature management system to provide more accurate data to the player.
  
• Fixed holes that appeared in the terrain.
  

[h2]Dear Pioneers,[/h2]

[h3]The entire team is incredibly proud of the work done on "Decisions," the 3rd major update for TPSD. You can check out all the update notes here, and please see the end of the post for a more personal and heartfelt message.[/h3]


[h3]GAMEPLAY[/h3]

This 3rd major update brings tons of new gameplay features. As outlined in the roadmap, it focuses on decision-making: choose one type of victory over another, establish the strategy of the day and forego certain bonuses, make the best choice when an event occurs... Whether strategic or tactical, we hope all these decisions will make your games more intense and more unique.

Main additions:

• Introduced a new character, Dinesh Khan, the Life Support Engineer.
  
  
• Added a new skill, "Telecommunication," strongly tied to machine use in the command center. This skill reflects your pioneers' proficiency with remote communication tools.
  
  
• Added a new station module: the Command Center. Use it to contact Earth for assistance, plan your EVA (Extravehicular Activity) excursions, support your team remotely, and foresee threats with the weather station.
  
  
• New victory condition: Rescue. OCTAL has you covered, dispatching a rescue shuttle after approximately 30 days. The question is, can you hold out until then?
  
  
• New feature: Pioneers' Field of View. Terrain features become visible within a short range around your characters during EVA excursions.
  
  
• New feature: Antennas. Most machines in the command center link to an antenna on the roof, which may fail during storms. This failure renders the connected machine inoperative, necessitating repairs.
  
  
• New feature: Start Randomization. The initial pioneer can now emerge from any capsule, with the other two survivors placed randomly in other capsules. Initial loot is always positioned in front of the station to diversify the game's beginning.
  

Events system:

• Daily meetings: At each day's start, crew members gather to propose strategies. You must select one, usually resulting in a buff for some or all crew members. Each pioneer can make unique suggestions.
  
• Hazard events: Singular events such as spoiled rations or crew disputes can now occur.
  
• Point of interest events: Linked to terrain features (e.g., caves, satellites) or randomly revealed by pioneers' field of view.
  
• Contacting OCTAL or loved ones is also enhanced by the new event system.
  

Other additions/changes:

• Redesigned beacons with a triangulation system to uncover outdoor points of interest.
  
• Visual and gameplay improvements for volcanic bombs, now exploding on impact and potentially breaching station walls. This change aims to heighten their threat level in the mid to late game.
  
• Developed proprietary tools for creating events and buffs, introducing over 50 new buffs and an equal number of events (more to come).
  
• Introduced a new personal item related to Dinesh.
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]LEVEL DESIGN[/h3]

We've worked hard to incorporate your feedback on the level design, refining our workflow for enhanced precision and polish. We're also trying to give more identity to the different areas of the current map. Your ongoing feedback is invaluable as we continue refining the level design.

Two new areas introduced:

• A zone of rocky plateaus, rich in rare earths, replaces the former sulfur zone. This area poses unique challenges, including permanent fog and a vertical layout with deep chasms.
  
• The sulfur marshes, situated further than the old sulfur zone, present a significant mid-game challenge. The visuals have been upgraded, incorporating the new unity water shader.
  

[h3]UI & ERGONOMICS[/h3]

In this update, we've undertaken a major overhaul of the upper area of the HUD. Nevertheless, there's still much to be done to improve the game's clarity and accessibility. This significant task will be addressed in an interim patch before the release of the fourth major update.

• Global HUD rework to lighten the information at the start of the game and incorporate new elements to be unlocked during play.
  
• New victory protocol added to the dedicated panel.
  

[h3]GRAPHICS[/h3]

• Optimized the day/night cycle for improved clarity.
  
• Improved the terrain shader to better highlight areas traversable by pioneers.
  
• Enhanced the visibility of icons in the 3D world.
  
• Added a lava river.
  
• Introduced physical meteorites.
  
• Added a distress smoke VFX to capsules at the start of the game.
  
• Implemented multiple VFX related to volcanic eruptions.
  
• Updated the VFX for acid geysers, lightning, and electric particles.
  
• Refreshed the VFX for vents, clouds, and fog.
  
• Visually enhanced the heat system.
  
• Improved the rendering of certain textures.
  
• Animated the evaporation of lakes.
  
• Enhanced graphic transitions between map zones.
  
• Animated parts of the HUD.
  
• Adjusted terrain decals and blends.
  
• Added and updated event-related illustrations.
  
• Updated the size of climbing indicators.
  
• Reintegrated character transparency when obscured by an object.
  

[h3]MUSIC & SOUND[/h3]

• Added new music theme dedicated to the second victory condition.
  
• Added new music theme dedicated to rover exploration
  

[h3]BALANCING[/h3]

• To address the diminished challenge of maintaining mental health, we've introduced new loss triggers (e.g., pioneer injuries, illnesses, volcanic bomb impacts).
  
• Increased the proportion and frequency of consumable loot, including oxygen tanks.
  
• Optimized survival capsule placements and removed overly challenging positions.
  
• Ryan reclaims his original role as capcom with the introduction of the new Telecoms skill, transferring his Computer specialty to the new character, Dinesh, who now oversees the station's systems.
  

[h3]MINOR CHANGES[/h3]

• Removed the telecom booth in crew quarters. The Earth communication terminal is now designated for contacting loved ones.
  
• Magnetic rocks now lose their charge over time.
  
• The generator may shut down during electromagnetic storms, impacting all station systems. This change aims to diversify station damage and reduce redundancy.
  

[h3]OPTIMIZATION[/h3]

• Optimized terrain (removed holes and underground meshes).
  
• Added new LODs for some heavy 3D meshes for smoother rendering.
  
• Adjusted the map edges.
  
• Tuned the rendering distances for various visual effects.
  
• Improved the game loading system to prevent freezing at startup.
  
• Enhanced the pause functionality to save on performance.
  
• Reduced the number of shader variants.
  
• Removed unnecessary graphic settings from the scene.
  
• Eliminated unnecessary graphic parameters from character models.
  

[h3]BUG FIXES[/h3]

• Improved elevator mechanics to prevent blockages.
  
• Enhanced the climbing system for greater robustness.
  
• Fixed several bugs related to the medical block.
  
• Fixed a display bug on various textures.
  
• Fixed a bug causing unexpected pauses.
  
• Corrected the display of primary resources.
  
• Restored the progress bar indicating camera signal loss.
  
• Fixed a bug allowing all upgrades from a recycled machine to be retrieved.
  
• Fixed a rare bug that made the workshop module unusable.
  
• Addressed a bug related to inventory management.
  
• Corrected the exploration rover's pathfinding.
  
• Fixed pathfinding in lava craters.
  
• Added skill indicators to actions where they were missing.
  
• Corrected the skill application calculations of pioneers on their actions.
  
• Fixed a bug that could cause capsules to enter the terrain.
  
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented certain sound alerts from playing.
  
• Fixed a bug that could crash Maggie, the station's printer robot.
  
• Fixed a display bug on certain terrain elements that could float above the ground.
  
• Fixed a rare bug that could lock the camera.
  
• Addressed a bug related to icons remaining on screen.
  
• Fixed a rare bug preventing certain order sequences from executing.
  
• Corrected a UI display error during the O2 reloading action.
  
• Fixed the position of the elevator menu.
  
• Corrected the temperature management system that allowed characters to overheat on a cold sulfur lake.
  
• Fixed certain notifications not always displaying.
  
• Corrected an anomaly that allowed camera scramble to be removed by moving in the scene with a beacon.
  
• Fixed a bug allowing infinite looting of oxygen from a capsule.
  
• Addressed multiple missing translation errors.
  
• Fixed various bugs related to languages.
  
• Corrected a series of save system bugs.
  
• Fixed various sound effects.
  
• Addressed different issues encountered in Twitch mode.
  

[h3]A Final Word Before You Dive Into the Game[/h3]

Some of you have recently shared your eagerness, and even your concerns, about the future of TPSD, noticing the absence of major updates on the horizon. We take this as encouragement! After all, facing pressure from our players is generally more welcome than their indifference. ;)

Your questions deserve an answer, and we're seizing this moment to share more about us and our situation.

The Pioneers is an extremely ambitious game that could easily engage a hundred people over several years and consume millions (or even tens of millions) of dollars in production costs. When we pitched the project to publishers capable of supporting such a budget, we were consistently reminded that this was our studio's first major game and the financial risk was too high. No one took the leap with us. So, we chose a different path to try and realize our dream nonetheless.

Our entire team (10 people) agreed to share part of the risk by becoming co-authors of the project, thus earning only from sales (if the game sells well, we can pay ourselves; if not, we keep hoping while eating pasta). To date, The Pioneers has sold around 15,000 units. That's great, placing the game in the top 10% of best-selling products on Steam. But as you might guess with a simple calculation, it's clearly not enough to ensure our stability, expand the team, and plan future projects.

We chose this path knowingly and have no regrets. However, it means that sometimes some of us need to take on additional work to make ends meet, or that we can't afford to hire QA or translation studios.

Making a living from video games is far from easy today. A tiny portion of the industry captures players' attention and spending, one that can invest millions in marketing campaigns, engage in sometimes questionable business practices, and prioritize profitability over quality. We are not one of those studios and never will be. With our modest means, energy, and passion, we simply strive to bring to life the game of our hearts, which embodies everything we love about our hobby, without treating players like fools.

Yes, what we do is imperfect and sometimes delayed. But know that we're doing our best and that, after all these years of hard work, we're already proud of the game we've produced. It's not going to stop anytime soon, and we're convinced it will find a deserving spot in your Steam libraries, whether before or after the end of its early access.

Regardless, even when times are tough, we're very happy and motivated. We hope you'll enjoy this update. We eagerly await your feedback. Have fun.

The Supercube Team


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1734390/The_Pioneers_Surviving_Desolation/

[h2]Dear Pioneers,[/h2]

[h3]We're thrilled to announce that the third major update for TPSD is on the horizon.[/h3]

This massive update brings a host of new features, including a new character (the life support engineer), a new station module (the Command Center), and all the associated gameplay. Additionally, you'll find an expanded map with sulfur lake biome, over a hundred narrative events, and a slew of other enhancements (volcanic eruptions, HUD rework, localization in fifty new languages, and more).

We're eager to dive into all the details of these game-changing updates, which have been a herculean effort for the entire team. However, to ensure we deliver the best possible experience, we're taking a bit more time to incorporate player feedback and iron out the last few bugs.

In the meantime, you can join the open beta phase by activating the beta branch on Steam. Just navigate to your Steam library, right-click on The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation, select 'Properties', go to the 'Betas' tab, and choose the 'Pre-release – QA testing' program. Your game will update with the latest patch content.



While you might encounter some bugs and balancing issues, this is a great opportunity to experience all the new content first-hand and share your thoughts, suggestions, or feedback with the team directly on Discord:

https://discord.gg/thepioneersgame


Please note: We'll be considering as much feedback as possible before finalizing the patch, so there won't be any intermediate updates during this open beta phase.

We can't wait to see you on Io or on Discord. Enjoy!

Supercube Team

Dear Pioneers,

After a summer where our entire team had the chance to enjoy a well-deserved break, we are now back with this first patch, which fine-tunes the work carried out during the last major update.
We will continue to enhance the recently introduced features while also working on new content! Be prepared for even more exciting additions in the upcoming weeks!
To celebrate the back-to-school season, we are pleased to offer you a special deal !
Have a great time exploring Io, and we'll be in touch very soon!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1734390/The_Pioneers_Surviving_Desolation/



[h3]New languages available[/h3]

• Added a new community localization: Hungarian
• Added a new community localization: Polish

Thanks to the community members who have been with us on this important work since The The Pioneers launch! You're awesome!

[h3]Gameplay[/h3]

• Reworked the climbing system to match the same ergonomics as the jumping feature: limited range based on the athleticism skill and pathfinding considerations. This major overhaul should eliminate most of the bugs encountered with this complex feature.
• Integrated Yvonne Delage's reward card

[h3]Visuals[/h3]

• Added a visual effect when collecting sulfur
• Updated the fire VFX

[h3]Performance[/h3]

• Implemented a system to remove 3D terrain models that are not visible on screen to improve overall game performance
• Redesigned several game systems, such as event management and animations, which could previously cause game crashes

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]

• Fixed the save functionality, which could break since the last major update when building a rover
• Corrected resource production calculations, which could be incorrect during a sequence of actions
• Fixed and optimized the rover. The vehicle should no longer behave strangely when stationary or when hovering the cursor
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented victory from being achieved
• Fixed the "injured during crash" trait, which was not applying all penalties and led to infinite oxygen consumption
• Fixed a graphical bug that caused the character's EVA suit to disappear
• Fixed a bug that prevented a character from dying if their critical status had been stabilized
• Corrected the size of the hangar construction panel
• Fixed a bug that prevented glaciers from melting with the thermal regulator
• Corrected the tooltip for glaciers
• Fixed a bug with experience gauges displayed during an action
• Fixed various issues related to saves
• Fixed a bug with the installation hatches of station machines
• Fixed a graphical bug on the sulfur lake shader
• Adjusted the sound volume on certain music tracks
• Fixed several translation issues
• Corrected the display of the unit 'Kg' to 'kg'

With this major update, the rover "The Bear" makes its debut in the game. This first vehicle marks a turning point in the way you approach your adventures on Io. Explore further and longer, protect yourselves from the main threats, carry more equipment, and unlock new unique actions... The rover comes with a plethora of new features and numerous contents added to existing systems. It lays the foundations for a new way of exploring and prepares for future game map overhauls.

This update has also been an opportunity for us to deliver an overall more enjoyable game to you. The road is still long, but we have taken your feedback into account to continue improving ergonomics and balancing in the game. Significant work has also been done to correct as many bugs as possible.

To be completely transparent with you, maintaining the stability of a game like The Pioneers is a gigantic technical challenge. With a growing number of innovative features, interconnected systems, and procedural algorithms that all affect the world, it is very easy to generate new bugs on previously functional systems. From the outset of the game's production, we knew that we would have to climb a mountain, and that's why we opted for early access. Rest assured that we are doing our utmost to detect and correct bugs. However, we are a very small team, and it is certain that we will never be able to resolve all the issues before each patch. You are not our QA testers, but if you come across a new bug, we would be grateful if you could report it to us on Discord. We are generally very responsive in releasing hotfixes.

Thanks to all those in our Discord community who participated in the pre-release of this second major update. This represents a significant step forward in the game's development. The whole team is proud and eager to hear your feedback. Have a great time, and see you on Io!

[h2]Patch notes 0.40[/h2]

[h3]GAMEPLAY[/h3]

• Added the first vehicle "The Bear."
  
  [previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
  
  
• Introduced a new character, Yvonne Delage, the pilot.
  
  
  
  
• Added a new skill, "Piloting," which determines the speed, maneuverability, and resistance of the rover based on the pilot's abilities.
  
  
• Added a new station module: the hangar. Use it to craft, upgrade, and protect your vehicles.
  
  
• Added new rover equipment to be crafted in the workshop:
  - Various types of wheels
  - Various types of chassis
  - Various types of cabins
  - Various types of tools
  
  
• Introduced new exploration features:
  
  - Magnetic rocks:
  They charge with electricity when struck by lightning and discharge on nearby characters and vehicles.
  
  - Glaciers:
  Respond to local temperature changes and may block passages in cold conditions.
  
  - Volcanic rockfalls:
  Avoid being in their path as they can be drilled for additional resources.
  
  - Quicksand:
  Slowing zones where your rover is likely to get stuck.
  
  
• Added new actions related to the rover:
  - Repair the rover.
  - Equip the rover.
  - Use different rover tools and modules to destroy rocks, cool/heat the surrounding area, and recharge its oxygen.
  
  
• Added new environmental interactions:
  - Destroy world elements using lightning, volcanic rocks, or the rover to reduce local temperature.
  - Damage the rover through collisions or navigating dangerous areas.
  
  
• Reworked certain areas of the map:
  - Improved rover accessibility around the station.
  - Added new rover exploration zones.
  
  
• Added new positive and negative character traits:
  - EVA Specialist: Slows down the pioneer's vital parameter depletion while outdoors.
  - Tuning Enthusiast: The pioneer is happier when piloting a vehicle.
  - Former Hacker: +1 to computer skills and extended camera signal range.
  - Pessimist: Reduces nearby teammates' mental health.
  - Weakling: Reduces inventory size.
  - Shaken from the Crash: Crash consequences reduce pioneer skills.
  
  
• Pioneers can now collectively gather sulfur.
  
• Added a new Yvonne-related personal item.
  

[h3]VISUALS[/h3]

• Conducted initial tests of a new character creation process applied to Yvonne. This process enhances the 3D modeling, textures, animations, and 2D portraits. The process will continuously improve and gradually replace existing characters.
  
  
• Added all visual effects related to the new patch's features.
  
• Improved the burn shader for suits.
  
• Enhanced the shader for sulfur lakes.
  
• Improved visual effects at the ship crash site.
  
• Enhanced all animations (attachment points, hands animation, transitions, etc.).
  
• Improved post-processing for scenes (saturation, lighting, fog) for better color readability and terrain changes.
  
• Enhanced the visual of the protective mask equipment.
  
• Improved the visual of the icy wind effect.
  

[h3]UI & ERGONOMICS[/h3]

• Improved text readability for equipment descriptions in the character inventory.
  
• Enhanced the display of skill bonuses/penalties through a new UI.
  
• Balanced and improved the understanding of the vomiting mechanic.
  
• Improved construction interfaces, hiding the "available upgrades" UI text if no elements are present.
  
• Added new icons in various locations throughout the game.
  

[h3]MUSIC & SOUND[/h3]

• Added a new music track for electromagnetic storms.
  
• Added a new music track for rover exploration.
  
• Added sound effects for all new features.
  
• Added new dialogue lines for Yvonne (beware, she has a tough personality, like all French people...).
  
• Implemented a dynamic and contextual sound system for the rover.
  
• Added a new ambiance sound system: The "Soul of the Moon Io."
  
• Improved the sound transition system for better integration of sounds and music.
  

[h3]BALANCING[/h3]

• Introduced new resource locations.
  
• Characters now start with the maximum units of their personal starting item.
  
• Increased the delay between alerts and the triggering of magnetic storms.
  
• Balanced a few starting ability points among the crew: Foster/medicine (1->2), Wiiliams/computers (1->2), Stephenson/Electronics (1->2), Takada/Computers (2->1).
  

[h3]BUG PREVENTION[/h3]

• Implemented several safety features for the climbing system (a complex feature with many degrees of freedom).
  

[h3]BUG FIXES[/h3]

• Fixed a visual bug that occurred when lightning struck the station's roof.
  
• Fixed several bugs related to the mental health effects history.
  
• Fixed various pathfinding issues (ridiculously complex in The Pioneers).
  
• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused camera jumps on the terrain.
  
• Fixed a bug generating incorrect interaction between earthquakes and geological chimneys.
  
• Fixed a bug where the oxygen-sharing action wouldn't stop if the target died during the process.
  
• Fixed a bug that didn't automatically display the roof when a pioneer climbed a connector ladder.
  
• Fixed the timing of the "transformation" tutorial, which didn't trigger at the right moment.
  
• Fixed bugs related to machine installation prerequisites in the station's interface.
  
• Fixed a bug that made the cross to close the biology tab in the crew quarters inoperative.
  
• Fixed a display bug for the canteen button when wearing an EVA suit.
  
• Fixed a bug that occurred during the closing of Jonas' personal item event.
  
• Fixed several bugs related to inventory management.
  
• Fixed some musical tracks that cut off too abruptly.
  
• Fixed a lighting bug in the spatioculture module.
  
• Fixed a bug related to the drilling skill, which had insufficient impact on resource collection.
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed entering the medical bed with an EVA suit.
  
• Fixed a bug in the pioneers temperatures display
  
• Fixed a bug during the random selection of characters.
  
• Fixed a bug that sometimes allowed lightning to penetrate the station.
  
• Fixed several incorrect tooltips.
  
• Fixed several incorrect translations.
  
• Fixed several collision bugs.
  

[h3]To celebrate this major update, we are offering a 20% discount for one week.[/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1734390/The_Pioneers_Surviving_Desolation/