shapez 2 News

Hello everyone!

Last devlog we talked about trains, so let's look at your other option today: Space Belts. You'll likely be using these a lot, so let's take a look at what we're working with.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/

[h2]News[/h2]

[h3]Devlog survey[/h3]
We're really interested to learn if there are ways for us to improve the quality of the devlogs and/or align them more with what you'd truly like to know about shapez 2! This survey includes questions about quality, usage of visuals, your interests as well as a suggestion box where you can suggest topics for future devlogs. So whether this is your first devlog or you've already read all twenty(!) of them, we would really appreciate it if you could take the time to check out the survey!

[h3]➡ Fill out the survey here! ⬅[/h3]

[h3]Alpha 20[/h3]

Not only do you get Devlog 020 today, Patreons also just got access to Alpha 20! This new build includes everything mentioned in this blog, plus a bunch of new features and visuals. Updated content includes train collision avoidance, simulation improvements, map generation improvements, new visuals for a couple of buildings and much more.

[h3]Disclaimer[/h3]

Just a reminder, everything shown in this blog is still in development and is still subject to change. They're not quite placeholders anymore, but the visuals of the Space Belts are not finished yet. Your thoughts and feedback are welcome, as always!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]A brief history[/h2]

Space Belts are an essential tool to transport large quantities of shapes between platforms. Ideal for short distances, they allow you to easily cross a gap or connect a train station to your factory for pickups or deliveries. However, their original design was quite different from what we’re working with now. Let’s walk you through it!

[h3]Just build it yourself![/h3]
Initially, you were expected to build connections using these platforms manually. You would place platforms and then build belts and launchers on them to create connections. It quickly became obvious that this is very burdensome to do all the time for every connection (as you may expect), so we started working on improvements.

Old build

[h3]Space Tunnels[/h3]
One of the first improvements was the addition of special tunnel platforms. These allowed your connections to transport shapes under other platforms, making connecting across sections much easier. Additionally, their ability to consistently transport large quantities of shapes essentially made them function as Space Belts, but without the flexibility of seamlessly splitting and merging. The tunnels exist as their own form of transport alongside the buildings you know from shapez 1, as well as Shape Launchers.

Old build

[h3]Hyperbelts[/h3]
The first step towards improving space platform connections was Hyperbelts. Despite the fancy name, it was just a tool that allowed you to easily place prebuilt versions of the space platforms with belts & launchers without having to build all of it yourself. It was based on the idea of belt placement in your factory, but very simplified - it didn't support merging or splitting unless you manually made platforms to do so.

Old build

This system is what you saw in the demo and this is – as expected – something we got a lot of feedback on. Technically we could’ve made more prebuilt versions to allow for more complexity, but it would still be clunky and not very pretty. We can do better.

[h2]Space Belts[/h2]
With a ton more feedback under our belt, the Hyperbelt’s flaws became clearer and clearer. Aside from the lack of complexity we already mentioned, it was also just very slow. They moved shapes at the same speed as all other belts in your factory, and when you’re crossing larger distances, it really did take a while before your shapes got anywhere. Essentially, what we needed was a system that had all the functionality of regular belts, but much larger, faster and independent of platforms. So, we made just that.



Enter: Space Belts. They’re huge belts that support up to 12 regular belts across 3 layers, move shapes way faster and retain the flexibility you expect from belts, all without needing platforms to build on! This makes Space Belts your best option to connect platforms over shorter distances. If you need to move something over long distances however, Trains are the better option.

Shapes moving across the Space Belt



When there are Space Belts, you also need Space Pipes. With the recent fluid system rework, it became possible to transport fluids across notches with pipes. This then allowed us to make the prototype of the Space Belt’s younger brother, Space Pipes! These work identical to Space Belts, but move fluids instead of shapes and have a different look to reflect this. Have a look at the concept below.

This may or may not be what it will actually look like

[h3]Merging with Tunnels[/h3]
For close-distance transport, we would now have both Space Tunnels and Space Belts & Pipes. The key difference between the two is that Tunnels can move shapes under a platform, bypassing it without slowing down. However, they can only go straight and have a range of 4 chunks, which is where Space Belts and Pipes come in.

Now, you’ll likely come across a situation where you’d like to place your Space Belt across a platform, without connecting to said platform. That’s where you connect a Space Tunnel to your Space Belt! However, keeping Space Tunnels and Space Belts separate doesn’t make much sense anymore as they work closely together now. So, Space Tunnels now have a brand new visual that matches that of the Space Belts, they’re both part of the Space Belts category in the UI and Tunnels can now be integrated into the smart-placement tool.



[h2]What’s next?[/h2]

Space Belts are already in a really good state, but there are some improvements yet to be made. As we just mentioned, the Space Tunnels still need to be integrated into the placement behaviour of Space Belts. That’s to say, Tunnels should automatically be placed when you drag a Space Belt across a platform.

We are already considering other ways of improving them even more, however: a topic that has come up internally is that merging or splitting across different factory lanes and layers in space is too troublesome for too small of a result. To make this easier, we are evaluating Merge/Split Balancers. These special space platforms would have one side that can receive up to 12 belts and another 36 split across 3 other sides. The Merger takes up to 36 input lanes and distributes contents evenly across up to 12, while the Splitter takes up to 12 input lanes and distributes the contents evenly across up to 36.

[hr][/hr]

Well, that's everything for now. The bottom line is that Space Belts should act similar to regular belts, but a lot bigger. Anyway, progress is going very well and we have plenty more to show, so we hope to see you again for the next devlog.

~ Tobias & the shapez 2 team


[h3]Join the community:[/h3]

X / Twitter YouTube Discord Reddit TikTok Patreon

Hello everyone!

It's finally time to talk about possibly the most anticipated feature of shapez 2: Trains! We'll keep the intro short, but please remember to wishlist shapez 2! There's a high chance you already have (in which case, thank you very much!), but every single wishlist helps out!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/


[h2]Disclaimer[/h2]

Please note that the vast majority of train visuals are placeholder or early concepts. The mechanics and balancing explained in this blog are also subject to change, depending on community feedback. To read more about how we implement new content and the current state of the game, check out our previous devlog!

You can explore everything you see and read in this blog yourself in Alpha 19, available to Patreons.

[h2]Our goal for trains[/h2]

We’d like to quickly preface the blog with our intentions for trains. Their purpose is to transport a large amount of shapes over large distances. While tunnels and space belts work fine to connect nearby platforms, trains will connect your distant platforms that mine that specific shape you really need, but spawned multiple sectors away.

Ultimately, our goal was to create a fun, long-distance transport option that fits well into the existing shapez world and the mechanics you’re used to. It should be easy to get into but provide depth for optimization and versatility. For this reason we’ve omitted signals and other, more complex train mechanics in favor of a simpler line system that still offers a lot of depth for those willing to invest their time into optimization.

[h2]The basics[/h2]

To get started, let’s place a station! You can also choose to start with the track or a depot, but we’ll start with a station as they come with a pre-build segment of track. The station building tells a locomotive where to stop. To load and unload the wagons you need to place Train Loaders and Train Unloaders, both of which are available for both shapes and fluids. Each (Un)Loader can service one wagon.

Once the stations are in place, it’s time to place tracks. You don’t have to worry about the length of the line, as placing tracks is completely free. Connect the stations by track in any way you want, but do keep in mind that tracks are directional. Additionally, trains have to slow down when making a turn and speed up on long, straight sections. You’ll want to minimize the amount of turns a train needs to make in order to maintain a high speed.



When your stations are connected, you won’t have to worry about making a loop or a place where the train can turn around: tracks are double-sided. When a train reaches the end of a line, it will flip to the bottom side of the track and turn back to where it came from. This helps a lot with space management as you won’t have to worry about frontal collisions or need to make two tracks to allow trains to travel back and forth. However, trains traveling along the bottom of a track cannot be serviced by stations and only travel in a straight line. If the line has junctions or switches, you may still need to complete a loop to get your train back to the start.



Now that you’ve connected an input station and an output station, it’s time to get a train running. To spawn a train, you need a train Depot. This depot is one chunk big and allows you to spawn a single locomotive that cannot carry any products by itself. To add capacity, you’ll need to attach a Wagon Extension to the Depot. You can choose between two types of cargo wagons: Shape Wagons and Fluid Wagons. Filler Wagons are also available to space out two cargo wagons, but can’t be used to transport products. You’re free to mix and match the wagon types, there’s no need to stick to just one. With these wagon extensions attached, any train spawned by the Depot will pull a single wagon for every extension. If you’d like a second train, you’ll need to place a second train Depot with its own wagon extensions.



A train will automatically spawn from the depot and do its thing: it will follow the track and stop at every station it comes across. It will load shapes at Train Loaders, and unload shapes at Train Unloaders. This is the simplest use of trains: a single train moves along a line and does its thing. You can stop there, but there’s a lot more possible.

[h2]Lines[/h2]

If you were to give every single line its own track, you’d need to reserve a lot of space for all the tracks you’d need. Instead, you can work with colors! When placing a track or a Depot, you can currently pick between four colors: red, green, blue and white. The color determines which line which train will follow. For example, a train from a red Depot will always follow the red line in case of a switch.

The colors come into play once you merge two or more tracks of different colors into a single track. If you have a green line and you merge a red line onto the same track, the track will become both green and red in the direction of the track. This means that both red trains and green trains can travel along this line! If you were to split the green line off this track, you’d get your separated red and green tracks back.



A track can support all four colors simultaneously, giving any piece of track an effective limit of four different lines. If you require more lines, you’ll need to make a parallel track that travels in the same direction or separate your train network into smaller subnetworks. When traveling along the bottom of a track, trains will no longer follow their line and only go straight at switches.



[h3]Crossings[/h3]
If you need to cross tracks, there are two ways to do it. The first one is to simply create a crossing by placing a second track across an existing track to create a crossing. At a crossing, lines and trains can only go straight. If you want to give trains the option to merge into the other track as well, you need to manually build a switch.



However, the second way is a lot more fun: just make a Train Launcher! Just like with conveyor belts, you can place a launcher that will launch the train into the air and across any other tracks and onto the catcher. Unlike the conveyor belt equivalent, you can change the strength of the launcher to determine how far the train will fly.



Before you ask: Yes, the Train Launcher also works on trains at the bottom side of the track.



[h2]Balancing[/h2]

So after all this, you may wonder why you’d use trains instead of tunnels or space belts. Aside from being way cooler, it’s a matter of cost, speed and throughput.

[h3]Costs[/h3]
Below, you see a table with the costs of running a train. For this example, we run a single train with three wagons between two stations with capacity for all wagons.

[hr][/hr][hr][/hr]

39 chunks may sound like a lot, but the best part is that tracks are completely free! This means that no matter the distance, be it 5 chunks or 500, the cost remains the same. Additionally, locomotives don’t require fuel and there’s no maintenance fee either. If you compare this to our other mass-transport options like Space Belts and Space Tunnels, both of which have an effective per-chunk cost of 1, trains become increasingly more chunk-efficient the longer the distance traveled. The cheapest possible setup for a functioning train is one locomotive with one wagon running between two stations, which would cost you 21 chunks.

[h3]Throughput[/h3]
Shapes and fluids are loaded on a train in packages. A single wagon has capacity for three packages – one for each building layer – with each package having a capacity of 960 shapes or 9,600 L of fluids. This gives every wagon a maximum capacity of 2,880 shapes or 28,800 L of fluid when using all three layers. Trains will only pick up packages that are completely filled, giving a wagon a minimum required load of 960 shapes or 9,600 L as well.

A wagon can only pick up one package per layer. If you only use the bottom layer of the station, the wagon can only pick up one package: it does not automatically place a second package on top of the first one. Additionally, Loaders and Unloaders can store up to two full packages per layer. To make full use of both the wagons and the (Un)Loaders, you’ll want to split the load across all three layers.

When it comes to speed, trains are considerably faster than the alternatives. If you were to move shapes across a distance of 300 chunks using space belts, you’d be looking at almost an hour of travel time! A train however, will cross that distance in under 30 seconds. Trains slow down for turns and take some time to get back up to speed, so every corner will considerably increase the travel time of a train. Adding wagons to a train does not affect the speed or acceleration.

To summarize the balance, space belts and tunnels are ideal for short-distance connections between platforms. Trains are what you’ll want to use for medium and long distances. They’re incredibly versatile and you can add or remove trains and wagons as needed. However, it takes time to set them up and poor planning and/or using too many trains can create bottlenecks when collision avoidance enters the fray – more on that next.

[h2]Future possibilities[/h2]

[h3]Collision avoidance[/h3]
In the latest Alpha build (Alpha 19 at the time of writing), trains still just phase through each other. However, we’re currently experimenting with a collision avoidance system. How it will work exactly is still to be determined, but a train should brake when another train gets in its way. Once the path is clear, it should continue its journey.

This also means that congestion would be possible if you have a lot of trains on the same line or have a very busy crossing. Avoid conflict points, build station bypass tracks and use the line colors to the best of your ability to avoid gridlocking your entire transport system.

[h3]Colorblind features[/h3]
Since we’re working with colors, we’re planning to use the same color pattern shaders we showed in the last devlog for the line colors as well. How exactly this will look depends on what the final train and track visuals end up looking like.

We have some more ideas, but they require more testing before we can say with certainty they'll make it into the game. Names pending.

• Side swapper track: Special track segment that will ‘flip’ the track and allows trains to swap to the other side while continuing in the same direction, without slowing down.
  
• Locomotive recoloring platform: Change a locomotive’s line color and reroute them on the fly with a special platform.
  
• Vortex train launch: Launch trains directly into the Vortex to deliver a large amount of shapes at once.
  

[hr][/hr]
Can't wait to try trains and want get involved in the process? Consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to the bi-weekly Alpha builds as they release! Your feedback is essential to us while we're working very hard to get shapez 2 ready for Early Access.

That's all we have on trains for now! We hope to soon be able to show you what trains will actually look like, but we first need some more time to get all the features in. Thank you for your time and we hope to see you again in two weeks.

~ Tobias & the shapez 2 team



[h3]Join the community:[/h3]

X / Twitter YouTube Discord Reddit TikTok Patreon

Hello everyone!

We have something a little bit different for you today! Our topic for this devlog is the future – more specifically, where we are with the development of shapez 2, what still needs to be done and how we’re looking at the Early Access release. In general, it should give you a better insight of how we work.

You could technically call it a roadmap, though all the information we’d like to be included is a bit too wordy to be put into a single fancy image. You’ll have to do with a 5-page devlog again. Sorry!

[h2]Demo reception[/h2]

To get us started, let’s talk about the demo again. Two weeks ago we shared a survey with everyone. There’s a lot of very useful information here that will help us determine the sentiment on the demo now that it’s over and gives us more to work with when it comes to the eventual release of the game. However, we would like to share the results of one of the questions.



These are the ‘grades’ you all gave the shapez 2 demo. Of course, these results will be biased. We shared the demo within the Discord and the blog, so the people filling out the survey will be big fans of shapez. It’s safe to assume that the grades will be higher than they would be if we were to ask a group of players that have no prior knowledge of shapez.

However, even if we were to subtract a point of every grade for a possibly more accurate score, we’re very happy with the responses. It fills us with confidence that the demo gets such high scores, considering the flaws it had – most of which have been fixed by now.

[h2]Shapez 2 today & the road ahead[/h2]

Shapez 2 and the development thereof is looking very promising. With the demo, we were able to show what we’re capable of, now that we’re more than just a single person working on a game. We want to deliver the same quality for Early Access, but aspire to go beyond.

The biggest challenge we face now is to finalize the newer mechanics. The demo mostly consisted of “proven” mechanics, things from shapez 1 that we know work well. Shapez 2 and its Early Access will of course have a lot of new mechanics as well, which require more iterations and testing to make sure they’re functional and fun.

So, let's start to look ahead. There are three phases: developing the core mechanics, making them work in the game & polishing everything up for publishing. This system is used when it comes to developing mechanics, but it also applies to the game as a whole.

[h3]Phase 1: Game Mechanics[/h3]

The beating heart of any game are the mechanics and core elements. We’re still partly in this phase, developing new mechanics, reworking old mechanics and gathering feedback on everything to make sure it all feels right. It’s a lengthy process, but you can’t really continue when parts of the core game are still missing.

Currently, we’re happy with the following major mechanics:

• Fluids
  
• Wires
  
• Crystals
  
• Research
  
• Building layers
  
• Blueprint library
  
• Pin mechanics
  
• Space belts & tunnels
  
• Shape types (including the reworked Windmill shape)
  
• The majority of buildings
  
• Colorblind mode (see below!)
  
• ...and many more smaller features and improvement to tie everything together
  

This is not to say that we will never change anything about these mechanics ever again, but we’re confident that they are fun and work as intended leading into Early Access.

Colorblind mode – colors have patterns to help differentiate them if two or more colors look alike

Colorblind mode – these patterns are also applied to icons in the UI

There are also some mechanics that are still in the concept or prototype phase and we’re actively gathering feedback on how they should work. Once the concept is sound, we can finalize the concept and work on implementing it all into the game. These mechanics are as followed:

• Trains
  
• Chain miners & Fluid Extractors
  
• Infinite Research (not yet started)
  
• MAMs (Make Anything Machines): Everything you need to make a MAM is in the game, but there currently is no incentive to make it without the Infinite Research goals.
  

We’re aiming to have all the major mechanics done by the end of April. When everything is functional, it’s time to move onto the next phase.

[h3]Phase 2: Production[/h3]

This is the phase where you turn the mechanics from phase 1 into a completed package. It includes all the visuals, quality of life improvements, placement, optimization, sounds and music – all in the name of making shapez 2 a nice experience. Let’s go through a couple of these points.

Wires are functional, but everything is still missing its visuals

Fluid pipes were in already, but got some improved visuals

We are always improving the simulation (don’t make me link the blog again). Currently, our focus lies on the precision issues of shapes and factories that are not on your screen. This is important to make sure every shape is where it should be and the factory keeps behaving when you look away for a second. Additionally, we have lofty goals when it comes to maintaining performance for huge factories. Not all our planned improvements made it into the demo but did get implemented shortly after, so it’s already in a very good state compared to what you got to try. We didn’t stop there though: it’s our goal to allow for 500k to 1 million buildings in a save on an average PC setup. For context, shapez 1 would start stuttering at 50k on the same system.

Then there’s our planned input rework. Shapez 2 works well with its default keybinds, but things start to break down a bit when you start customizing them. It’s very easy to produce conflicts or unexpected behavior – rebind Shift at your own discretion. When it comes to physical keys, there are some issues as well. For example, on the German QWERTZ layout you have to press Ctrl+Y instead of the expected Ctrl+Z to undo an action. Outliers like these are very difficult to fix, but not impossible.

Other ongoing work includes readability improvements – like the overview mode needing improved visualizations – and a statistics panel.

How long this phase will take is hard to predict, but we’re currently planning to spend about three to four months to get this phase right. That puts us around early August!

[h3]Phase 3: Polishing[/h3]

Now, the gameplay is mostly done. There’s still a lot to do though! This is where we work on the tutorial and the knowledge panels with all the necessary content. The research goals need images or videos and the game should be localized for all the major languages.

Work on UI is also always ongoing, but you can now bind blueprint and folders to your toolbar!

New animation when you deliver your first shape

This is also the moment where we do a lot of testing of all parts of the game with the help of the community and external partners. A feature may work in phase 2 but a bug could still suddenly rear its head when you’re finalizing it with an image.

At this point it’s also time to work on the trailer for the Early Access release. The visuals will be done by this point, so we can record the footage we need.

This phase should take about one or two months, putting us around September or possibly October.

[h2]Early Access[/h2]

So looking at this all, it’s unrealistic we’ll be ready for Early Access before September. Our bottomline is to release the game this year still. The latter half of the year already seems quite busy when it comes to factory games, so we’ll need to find a good window of opportunity to release shapez 2 – and we would like the game to be ready for us to jump on said opportunity.

As we’ve always said, our outlook on Early Access is that while the game is technically not finished yet, it should feel and play like a complete and polished game. We don’t want you to think you’re missing out on anything by playing it early! A lot of you tried the demo and gave us incredibly valuable feedback on the game, and the same goes for Early Access. We’ll be confident in the state of the game, but there are always other perspectives and ideas to explore that could make shapez 2 even better.

[hr][/hr]
If you’d like to be part of this process and support us during development, do consider supporting the game on Patreon. It helps us fund the ongoing development costs, and gives you access to bi-weekly Alpha builds with the newest features before they go into Phase 3. Your feedback on these builds will in turn help us make a better game.

Another way to support us is by simply wishlisting the game on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/


That's it from us today. We hope to see you again in two weeks!

~ Tobias & the shapez 2 team


[h3]Join the community:[/h3]

X / Twitter YouTube Discord Reddit TikTok Patreon

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since you last had a look into our progress. In fact, we haven’t really updated you since the release of the demo! While we already did a deep dive into the evolution of the Research System (which you can read here), it’s time we show you what other parts of the game we’ve been working on and what will be available in Alpha 18.

[h2]News[/h2]

[h3]End of the shapez 2 Demo[/h3]

The demo will soon be coming to a close. It will remain available until Monday, March 25th, 10 AM CET. This gives you the entire weekend to give the demo a go and see what shapez 2 is all about, or finish the projects you’re currently working on! Pick up the demo here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/


[h3]shapez 2 Demo feedback survey[/h3]

A ton of you have already given us your feedback and thoughts on the demo and its system. As always, thank you so much for your time! We have a couple more specific questions we’d love you to answer.

[h3]➡ Find the survey here! ⬅[/h3]

[h3]Alpha 18 release[/h3]

We just released Alpha 18, which includes all of the changes mentioned in the blog and a little bit more. If you'd like to test it and share your opinions with us, consider subscribing to our Patreon!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Devlog 017[/h2]

[h3]Production[/h3]

The Windmill shape has been reworked. The previous design was the only shape type that was asymmetrical and always looked a bit awkward because of this. The new design is symmetrical, allowing for better looking shapes – in our opinion. The shape goals with Windmill quadrants have also been changed to make better use of the new design. It may take a bit of time to get used to it, but let us know your thoughts!



We have a new design for the Pin Pusher you’ve seen in the bonus build of the demo. Before, it only placed one pin in one quadrant, but it now places a pin under every existing quadrant. This changes where in your production line it would be best to use the Pin Pusher, as you may need to utilise a couple more cutters if you don't want pins under everything.

A grey circle after going through a Pin Pusher

Inspired by the original shapez, we’ve added Chain Miners and Chain Fluid Extractors that you’ll be able to connect to your main extraction platform. This saves you from having to go through the trouble of having to set up multiple platforms and connect them all. It also allows you to use all nodes of a cluster if one of the nodes is completely surrounded by other nodes without blocking any of the adjacent nodes. The map generation has seen some changes to allow for better usage of these chain miners and extractors.

Visuals are still WIP

[h3]Transportation[/h3]

The old hyper belts (single platforms with four belts on them) were replaced with Space Belts. These new belts work similar to regular belts in that you can split and merge them, but a space belt carries four regular belts on three layers and can split the load into different directions. They are quite a bit more versatile than tunnels, but move shapes at a lower speed. Use them for short-distance connections between platforms or train stations.

Trains now travel along a solid set of rails, instead of the old rainbow ones. This makes the rails look a lot more weighty and inline with platforms. You can place a station platform along any set of rails. Connect the station with your factory using your second-favorite mode of transport, load them on a train and watch your shapes go off into the sunset.

You can build centralised train stations and connect them with your factory using space belts

We are still determining what role exactly trains should fill in shapez 2, but we've been getting some good feedback from the Patreon testers in the Discord. We hope we can share more about trains soon!

The first prototype of the 3-way splitter is here! While it’s still missing the visuals to make it make sense, we know it’s been a highly requested feature and are glad it’s making its way in.



We are working with a new Fluid Simulation system that should be more accurate and intuitive. To make sure the pipes feel good to use and keep the simulation running smoothly, we’re essentially working with a signal-like system. If there’s any fluid anywhere in a continuous pipeline, any connected building will be able make use of it. There will not be any fancy liquid simulations or advanced pumping mechanics. Additionally, Fluid Tanks are now directional to prevent back flow.

You now start with a new Vortex platform layout. It’s a 3x3 platform with a Miner on every side, supported by Chain Miners. These will pump up the shape output of the Miners so you have enough shapes to keep you busy until you unlock Chain Miners yourself.



[h3]Mechanics[/h3]

There has been some progress on the wiring content for the game. We now have functioning Buttons, Displays, Virtual Rotators, Virtual Analyzers and Virtual Unstackers! It’s still early days for wiring so there’s still a lot of progress to be made.



Alpha 18 has the brand new Blueprint Library design. Essentially, it works just like the files in your operating system. You’ll be able to organise all your blueprints into separate folders by simply dragging and dropping them as you wish. If you’d like to use a blueprint, you can drag the file into the hotbar for quick access.

Want to organise your blueprints without launching the game? Just head into the blueprint folder using something like Windows File Explorer and you’ll find everything exactly as you left it in game. Your library is synced between save games and devices.



[h3]Various other changes[/h3]

• A lot of rendering refactoring & performance improvements
  
• Various improvements and extra visuals for the UI in many parts of the game
  
• Further changes to simulation ticks & steps per unit to fix (some) precision issues
  
• The shader of the shape viewer has been improved. Shapes now reflect some light.
  
• We brought back larger platform layouts as optional unlocks.
  
• The max range of tunnels has been changed from 3 chunks to 4. Their entrances now input and output shapes on 3 layers, with 4 belts on each layer.
  
• Platforms are now one tile bigger in every direction. This has decreased the gap between platforms and belt launchers had their range reduced to match this change.
  

[hr][/hr]
Thanks for checking out our progress! Again, you only have a couple days left to try the demo before it goes on cooldown. Be sure to give it a go and wishlist the game if you're into it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/


Until next time!

~ Tobias & the shapez 2 team


[h3]Join the community:[/h3]

X / Twitter YouTube Discord Reddit TikTok Patreon

Hello everyone!

A popular point of feedback on the demo was the research system. It's kinda a hassle to navigate and you couldn't really play how you want to play, unlock what you want to unlock. We went back to the drawing board and took another look at the research system, There's a new system now, and we'd like to explain it to you! However, we think it would be interesting to walk you through the history of the research system.

If you'd just like to read about the newest system, feel free to skip to design #4.

So to get where we are now, we had to make a number of iterations of the research system, see what elements worked and which didn’t and then improve upon that iteration by making a new, hopefully better one. Let’s walk you through these iterations, so you have a good idea of our progress!


[h2]Design #1: The initial research tree[/h2]

Way back when, the research system had a classic tree structure connecting one research to the next. Every research could require multiple previous ones and each and every individual building and building variation had a unique research you’d have to unlock.



While such a research tree would be functional – in the end you’d have everything – this design brings a couple of major problems.

Features were extremely broken up. You had to complete multiple separate researches to unlock all the bits and pieces of a single mechanic. You could make painters but wouldn’t have a way to move paint around to make use of the new unlock. You’d also be missing out on a lot of quality of life features that make building a lot easier, so you waste a lot of time and space building elaborate factories while a single unlock would make that system a lot easier and compact to work with.

The research–per–building system also means the tree would be extremely large and overwhelming. It was hard to find out what exactly you were working towards, if you could even find what you’re working on right now.

What we needed was a new tree design that combined various buildings into single researches to make the tree more compact and easier on the eyes.


[h2]Design #2: Main progression line with categorized subtrees[/h2]

For this design, we went with a linear research tree – a tree trunk, you could say. Core elements such as rotators and stackers would be right at the top and the main mechanic you unlock when completing the research. Many of the smaller bits and pieces were unified as part of these core unlocks to make sure you unlock all the necessary buildings you need for the main new mechanic.



Other unlocks that weren’t part of the core mechanics would be in separate, smaller subtrees. You’d have a subtree for belt speed, one for building speed, one for blueprints, etc. This removed the clutter from the main tree and organized all the other unlocks in separate tabs.

This design made it a lot easier to see the next big thing you were working towards, and made it impossible to miss any core mechanics you’d need to progress the game. The fact that you’d immediately have all the elements you needed to fully enjoy the new mechanic prevented a lot of frustration that came with the old design.



However, this design too came with issues. The splintered subtrees would still make it difficult to find some researches, since some researches could fit in multiple categories. Is fluid packing part of fluids, or part of transport? It also made it difficult to keep track of your progression across subtrees: you sometimes had to flip through multiple tabs to find out what you just unlocked and where a new research had just become available.

Additionally, it was hard to understand the connection between the main progression line and the subgoals. The small trees give you a general impression of what you had to do to progress – unlock one belt speed increase to unlock the next increase – but subgoals also needed you to progress the main progression line at times. The only way to find out about this was to guess. Can’t progress this subtree? Got to be the main line.



The tree-like design also just didn’t really add much. Some researches would be locked behind other researches just for the sake of looking like a tree. You had to unlock the CCW rotator before you could unlock the 180° rotator, even though you can definitely do without the former to use the latter.

To add insult to injury, some unlocks most would consider essential and were huge QoL improvements were spread across these subtrees. You had to go out of your way to unlock splitters and mergers for example, and while you could technically progress without them, it made complex factories unnecessarily painful and inefficient to build.

While this iteration fixed a lot of the issues of the first design, it brought a whole host of other issues to light. So, we went back to the drawing board.


[h2]Design #3: Milestones & Side goals[/h2]

We decided to ditch the trees and go with stones instead. This new design consolidated the main progression line into milestones: bigger, more meaningful unlocks. Every milestone you reach is like a whole new world of options and side goals to explore. The tree structures and all the separate tabs were completely removed and everything was centralized within the new milestones. Essential quality of life unlocks like mergers and splitters are now unlocked from the start, and more minor unlocks could be found behind optional side goals you unlock with the milestones.



It was now extremely easy to understand when you unlock what mechanic and when new side goals become available. You have complete freedom in choosing what side goals you want to take on, as you no longer have to unlock full cutters to unlock the swapper, for instance. Milestones are now the only dependency.

This iteration of the research system is the one currently seen in the demo. While it worked well enough for the part you could play in the demo, some issues started popping up here and there. Thank you again for all the feedback!



The big issue here is that the progression of the shape you needed to make to unlock the milestones didn’t really progress in a logical way. The required shapes were too different from each other, and with the limited space available – especially before you unlock space platforms – it required you to demolish your previous work to make space for the new production line. This process is very mentally draining and doesn’t feel as rewarding as it could. The milestones should incentivise growth, not feel like a rogue-lite game.

Additionally, the long, single line of milestones made it difficult to keep track of all the available and completed side goals. You had to navigate back and forth constantly to find the ones you wanted. Again, since the demo wasn’t that large, this isn’t that big of a deal yet. When all the milestones become available in the full game however, finding anything will be a struggle. Adding more goals to the game would be a challenge as well as they’re tied 1:1 to the milestones, but it would also make the previous problem worse.


[h2]Design #4: Evolving milestones & Side tasks progression[/h2]

With all that in mind, we move on to the research system that’s currently available in the latest Patreon-exclusive Alpha. We stick with the milestone system, but have made a handful of big changes.

Milestone goals are no longer limited to one shape type. Some goals may have multiple shape requirements that either build upon shapes you had to deliver previously or will be reused in a future goal. This is a fairly standalone change, but there’s more.



Introducing: Research Points. Optional unlocks, like belt speeds and blueprint limits, are no longer tied to goals. Instead, you’ll be rewarded Research Points by completing ‘Side Tasks’, which in turn are unlocked by reaching new milestones like before. These side tasks start off simpler than milestones, but you unlock new, more difficult side tasks by completing them. These ‘side tasks lines’ (name pending) can have between 3 and 7 tasks and will continue to ramp up in difficulty until you reach the end of the line. Side tasks can also award other minor rewards alongside research points, like extra blueprint points and platform limits.



The research points you obtain can be spent on whichever upgrade you like as long as you have completed the milestone to unlock the mechanic you want to upgrade. All possible upgrades are now on one dedicated screen – a shop, as it were – instead of being tied to a long, single row of milestones. You can really go wild with your research points: want to max out belt speed in the early game? If you can afford it, it’s yours.



This system is quite a big departure from the iterations we had before, but it brings a lot of improvements to the unlocking experience. Milestones now feel even more important and rewarding to unlock. They clearly show what you get by unlocking them, without being bloated by small upgrades. The research points and the ‘shop’ where you unlock upgrades gives you both a lot of freedom to play how you want to play and also makes it a lot more clear what upgrades are available. This also helps make the game more replayable – you could decide to focus on different upgrades and challenge yourself in new ways.

The new system is clearly the perfect solution to all current and future problems and will never have to be improved ever again! …is what we tell ourselves to sleep at night.

Joking aside, we’d love to hear your feedback on the new research system. It won’t be added to the demo, but it is currently available to Patreon supporters.

[hr][/hr]
With all these iterations, the research system of shapez 2 is the single most reworked element in the game. It’s really important to get this right. The game should feel both challenging and rewarding, without being frustrating. We will continue to tweak this system until we nail the balance!

That's the devlog! We hope you enjoyed reading about the history and old designs of the research system. See you again soon!

~ Tobias & the shapez 2 team


[h3]Be sure to wishlist shapez 2 and play the demo![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/


[h3]Join the community:[/h3]

X / Twitter YouTube Discord Reddit TikTok Patreon