The Pioneers: surviving desolation News

[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/

Be prepared to welcome the first playable vehicle of The Pioneers, aka the exploration rover, aka...
[h2]THE BEAR!!!!!!![/h2]
It will be introduced in the 2nd major update of our EA roadmap, along with a new character, new equipment, threats, and exploration content. The Bear is massive, modular, and incredibly useful during your journey on Io.



Our last release was somewhat rushed, resulting in numerous bugs and an overall unsatisfactory experience for some players. To avoid repeating our mistakes, we have commenced an intensive internal Q/A testing phase, followed by a playable release on the beta branch of the game. If you are willing to assist us, please don't hesitate to join us on Discord and obtain the necessary information to access the pre-release build: https://discord.gg/thepioneersgame


Stay tuned to be among the first to embark on the rover!

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

[h2]Dear Pioneers,[/h2]

As we had announced in our roadmap, the next major patch "Road Trip" will introduce the game's first vehicle, as well as a new dedicated station module, new equipment, a new character, and above all, much more exploration gameplay. We had planned to release it at the end of the second quarter of this year, but to avoid clashing with the Steam summer sales, we decided to postpone its release until mid-July.

This is good news, as it will also allow us to finalize the implementation of our new character production method, which will ultimately allow us to offer you visuals, narrative, and cutscenes featuring the pioneers' faces. To give you a taste of what awaits you, here's a little teaser.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
There's not much longer to wait, and to help you cope, here are this week's patch notes.
See you on Io!



GAMEPLAY

• New version of the storm system
  In preparation for the Q2 update, we have started to implement new behaviors for existing threats.
  Lightings are now individual entities, which can directly strike terrain elements, including your pioneers.
  Their paths are influenced by the height and conductivity of objects. So pay attention to the environment during your explorations.
  

UI

• Added an experience bar around the action circles to materialize progress in the associated skill
  
• Improved personality traits selection interface
  
• Improved icons and notifications in the main HUD
  
• Replaced placeholder icons for machines and equipment
  
• Improved vertical scrolling in the construction menu
  
• Added new tooltips
  

ANIMATION

• Added craftng animation in the workshop
  
• Added an animation when a pioneer experiences an electric shock
  
• Added an animation when a pioneer is struck by lightning
  
• Added an animation when a pioneer is hungry
  

SOUND

• New SFX for propulsion boots
  
• New SFX for climbing
  
• New SFX for the station reactor
  

BALANCING

• Doubled skills XP bars at all levels
  The skill system is supposed to give specificity to each crew member but it is easily bypassed, especially thanks to the quick achievement of the first level. By making character progression in skills more difficult, we wish to give more value to these skills, forcing the player to adapt their gameplay to the strengths and weaknesses of their survivors. We will make other adjustments in this direction in the coming patches.
  

• Increased cost of large rooms: 80->100 carbon nanotubes
  
• Reduced nanotubes quantity in the starting loot: 200->180
  Many of you do not consider the construction of small modules as a valid choice in the current balance of the game. In order to make it a viable strategic option, we therefore wish to increase the necessary investment for the construction of large modules and reduce the starting construction materials stock.
  

BUG FIXES

• Fixed a bug that prevented the saving of ship construction sites
  
• Fixed a a bug that allowed the same personality trait to be added twice to a pioneer
  
• Fixed a a bug that could affect material crates when loading a game
  

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