BUILDING SYSTEM UPGRADE
We’ve watched you build. A lot. And although you sometimes use the building systems and pieces in ways they were originally intended, it’s the spectacular things you create by using them in ways that we didn’t expect that lead to the most stunning creations.
So we want to adapt our building system to better embrace and enable the way you’re actually using it.
[h3]MORE PRIMITIVES. MORE CUSTOMIZABILITY. MORE FLEXIBILITY.[/h3]
You are using our current Fabricator tile set as (basically) as a set of primitives. You’re rotating and duplicating them to create shapes we never envisioned, and it's marvelous.
So we intend to lean into that.
Instead of creating sets of building tiles so that you have “high tech”, “rough-hewn lumber”, and “industrial modular” doors, walls, stairs, ramps, etc., we’re going to change things up so that:
You get more primitives (arcs, triangles, rods, discs, spheres.) that you can rotate and fit together to make as many different shapes as possible.
We’ll let you size the primitives, potentially even allowing non-proportional stretching.
We create a system to let you apply colors and textures to those primitives so that you can create any look and feel you desire.
We work on the Instaformer so that it can create shapes beyond simple blocks, like 45-degree angles, half-blocks, and potentially more after we do more R&D work.
Under the hood, we create a system that groups the primitives you use together into single objects so that our servers don’t drown in the number of objects you’re using (but it’s done in such a way that you, as the player, never really notice because you can still edit things individually).
Going forward, our art team focuses on creating “detail props” that just simply can’t be assembled through use of primitives. That list is likely to include things like lights, animated objects (like doors that open/close) and other elements to add detail, animation and life to your builds.
[h3]ADDITIONALLY[/h3]
Of course, we’ll fix the bugs with the building widgets that exist today, but we also intend to dramatically change the Instaformer block/wall/floor selections to allow a selection volume instead. (You can drag the selection to any cube-sized volume.) Then add copy/paste to that volume selector (that captures Instaformer blocks and Fabricator primitives and detail props) so you can more easily dupe larger sections of work.
We’ll also be adding a way to save and preserve your builds into Blueprints that can be saved for the future or sold/gifted to fellow players.
We will also add free rotation as an option while building so that you can smoothly rotate an object to any facing, but be able to “toggle the grid” on/off so you can snap to a facing also, if desired.
When coupled with the ability to move Homesteads like Fabricator objects (using the widget to move the Homestead object precisely, even vertically), the builds you make should be astounding.
[h3]IN SUMMARY[/h3]
When we started this process, we found a picture online that we liked and we aimed at making it possible to build that image. Unfortunately, we’ve lost the source of that image and no longer know the source for it, but we include it here to show that vision, as well as to include a shot of a build you’re already doing with existing tools.
You’re close already. With the building system upgrade we’re talking about here, we expect you to be able to do that much, and a lot more.
An inspiration image pulled from the net a couple years ago (source unknown) that shows what we wanted the building system to be able to accomplish.
Where you are already, with only a handful of building tiles and cube-like Instaformer blocks.
So we want to adapt our building system to better embrace and enable the way you’re actually using it.
[h3]MORE PRIMITIVES. MORE CUSTOMIZABILITY. MORE FLEXIBILITY.[/h3]
You are using our current Fabricator tile set as (basically) as a set of primitives. You’re rotating and duplicating them to create shapes we never envisioned, and it's marvelous.
So we intend to lean into that.
Instead of creating sets of building tiles so that you have “high tech”, “rough-hewn lumber”, and “industrial modular” doors, walls, stairs, ramps, etc., we’re going to change things up so that:
You get more primitives (arcs, triangles, rods, discs, spheres.) that you can rotate and fit together to make as many different shapes as possible.
We’ll let you size the primitives, potentially even allowing non-proportional stretching.
We create a system to let you apply colors and textures to those primitives so that you can create any look and feel you desire.
We work on the Instaformer so that it can create shapes beyond simple blocks, like 45-degree angles, half-blocks, and potentially more after we do more R&D work.
Under the hood, we create a system that groups the primitives you use together into single objects so that our servers don’t drown in the number of objects you’re using (but it’s done in such a way that you, as the player, never really notice because you can still edit things individually).
Going forward, our art team focuses on creating “detail props” that just simply can’t be assembled through use of primitives. That list is likely to include things like lights, animated objects (like doors that open/close) and other elements to add detail, animation and life to your builds.
[h3]ADDITIONALLY[/h3]
Of course, we’ll fix the bugs with the building widgets that exist today, but we also intend to dramatically change the Instaformer block/wall/floor selections to allow a selection volume instead. (You can drag the selection to any cube-sized volume.) Then add copy/paste to that volume selector (that captures Instaformer blocks and Fabricator primitives and detail props) so you can more easily dupe larger sections of work.
We’ll also be adding a way to save and preserve your builds into Blueprints that can be saved for the future or sold/gifted to fellow players.
We will also add free rotation as an option while building so that you can smoothly rotate an object to any facing, but be able to “toggle the grid” on/off so you can snap to a facing also, if desired.
When coupled with the ability to move Homesteads like Fabricator objects (using the widget to move the Homestead object precisely, even vertically), the builds you make should be astounding.
[h3]IN SUMMARY[/h3]
When we started this process, we found a picture online that we liked and we aimed at making it possible to build that image. Unfortunately, we’ve lost the source of that image and no longer know the source for it, but we include it here to show that vision, as well as to include a shot of a build you’re already doing with existing tools.
You’re close already. With the building system upgrade we’re talking about here, we expect you to be able to do that much, and a lot more.
An inspiration image pulled from the net a couple years ago (source unknown) that shows what we wanted the building system to be able to accomplish.
Where you are already, with only a handful of building tiles and cube-like Instaformer blocks.
