Seafarer: The Ship Sim News

[p][/p][h3]Ahoy, Seafarers![/h3][p][/p][p]As promised, the crew has returned to port with Hotfix #2, now available for testing on the Beta Branch. This hotfix addresses several community-reported issues and adds a few requested options to make your time at sea smoother. We’d love for you to try it out and share your feedback before it goes live for everyone.[/p][p]To access the beta branch, please follow these steps:[/p]

1. [p]Open Steam and go to your Library [/p]
2. [p]Right-click on Seafarer: The Ship Sim[/p]
3. [p]Click Properties [/p]
4. [p]Select the Betas tab [/p]
5. [p]Choose 'public_beta' from the dropdown list [/p]

[p] [/p][h3]Here’s what’s included:[/h3][p] [/p][h3]Graphics & Performance[/h3]

• [p]Motion Blur Option[/p]
  • [p]Included option to turn Motion Blur in the Graphics Setting on/off[/p]
• [p]FPS cap in quickplay[/p]
  • [p]Issue with a FPS cap in the quickplay missions has been addressed[/p]
• [p]Performance[/p]
  • [p]Performance optimization in tutorial cutscene and tutorial Mission[/p]

[h3]System[/h3]

• [p]Deletion of User Profile[/p]
  • [p]Many users reported issues to delete their profile. This has now been addressed with a better explanation[/p]
• [p]Stability[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a random crash triggered by weather change[/p]

[h3]Controls[/h3]

• [p]Invert Mouse[/p]
  • [p]Option to invert the Mouse has been implemented[/p]
• [p]Vessel: Rigid[/p]
  • [p]Acceleration has been optimised so that the throttle is no longer as sensitive.[/p]

[h3]Bug fixes - reported by community[/h3]

• [p]Seating Position on Herbert adjusted[/p]
• [p]Loans under 100 CR can now be paid back[/p]
• [p]Fixed a problem in the mission "Teddy's Delivery Service" where sometimes players would spawn on top of another Herbert[/p]
• [p]Fixed a problem in the mission "Teddy's Delivery Service" where upgrades and inventory of the player's Herbert wouldn't be transfered correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed a sensitivity issue with the gamepad controls for cranes
  [/p]

[p]After analyzing the crash reports that have reached us, we recommend this assistance for players whose game crashes immediately upon launch and before reaching the main menu.[/p][p] [/p][p]Please follow these steps:[/p][p] [/p]

• [p]Turn off saving to the Steam Cloud 
  
  Right-click on "Seafarer: The Ship Sim" in your Steam library 
  -> Properties 
  -> Disable saving game progress to the Steam Cloud[/p]
• [p]Delete invalid entries in the game settings
  
  These can be found here:
  %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Orca\\Saved\\Savegames\\SAVESLOT_PlayerPrefs_v0.sav
  Only delete the file "SAVESLOT_PlayerPrefs_v0.sav"!
  [/p]
• [p]Furthermore, the following file should be deleted to reinitialize the shader compiler on the next game startup: %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Orca\\Saved\\Orca_PCD3D_SM6.upipelinecache
  [/p]
• [p]Start the game
  (The previously deleted files will now be recreated. Before the next game start, you can also re-enable saving to the Steam Cloud. In case of a cloud conflict, please select the local save data so that the files causing the crashes are overwritten.)[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Thank you for your ongoing feedback and support – every report and suggestion helps us make Seafarer a better experience for everyone. We know there are still issues that need attention, and we truly appreciate your patience as we continue working on solutions.
[/p][p]Thank you for being part of this voyage - see you on the horizon![/p][p]Your Seafarer Team 🚣
[/p][p]P.S.: You can also join the conversation across our socials and on Discord.[/p][p][/p][p]🌐 www.seafarergame.com
📸 Instagram
📘 Facebook
🐦 X
🎥 TikTok
💬 Discord[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][h3]Ahoy, Seafarers![/h3][p][/p][p]Your reports have reached our shores — and the crew is hard at work preparing Hotfix #2, sailing your way next week (weather permitting ⛵).[/p][p] [/p][h3]Here’s what’s currently on deck:[/h3][p] [/p][p]Graphics & Performance[/p]

• [p]Motion Blur Option[/p]
  • [p]Included option to turn Motion Blur in the Graphics Setting on/off.[/p]

[p]System[/p]

• [p]Deletion of User Profile[/p]
  • [p]Many users reported issues with deleting their profile. This has now been addressed with a better explanation.[/p]

[p]Controls[/p]

• [p]Invert Mouse[/p]
  • [p]Option to invert the Mouse has been implemented.
    [/p]

[p]Bug fixes - reported by community[/p]

• [p]Seating Position on Herbert adjusted[/p]
• [p]Loans under 100 Cr can now be paid back[/p]
• [p]…and more community-reported fixes and improvements.
  [/p]

[p]We’re also investigating several crash reports and hope to include additional stability fixes in this update.[/p][p] [/p][p]Thank you for your continued feedback and patience — it truly helps steer Seafarer in the right direction. Expect more details once the hotfix is ready to set sail![/p][h3][/h3][p]If you have any questions or further feedback, please do not hesitate to ask the team in the comment section. We're very happy to help! 🫶[/p][p]You can also join the conversation across our socials and on Discord.[/p][p][/p][p]🌐 www.seafarergame.com
📸 Instagram
📘 Facebook
🐦 X
🎥 TikTok
💬 Discord[/p][p][/p][p]Fair winds,[/p][p]Your Seafarer Team 🚣[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]Ahoy, Seafarers! [/p][p]Our first hotfix for Seafarer: The Ship Sim has been moved from the public beta branch to the default branch – thank you all so much for your support![/p][p]Please update your game to ensure you're on the latest version.[/p][p]This Hotfix #1 focuses on improving performance and providing a solution for issues with fuel management. As mentioned in our most recent blogpost, we're also working on long-term performance improvements.[/p][p]We're continuing to work hard on additional improvements and bug fixes based on your reports, and are of course already working hard on EA Update #1.[/p][p]A huge thank you to all of you for setting sail with us, sharing your experiences, and helping us refine Seafarer: The Ship Sim.  [/p][p]Here's today's changelog:[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Changelog – Hotfix #1 [/h3][p]Graphics & Performance[/p]

• [p]NVIDIA DLSS Integration[/p]
  • [p]NVIDIA DLSS is now available[/p]
• [p]New Default Graphics Settings[/p]
  • [p]Enabled: FSR, Frame Generation, Upsampling 66%[/p]
  • [p]These settings now apply by default for all new players[/p]
• [p]System Benchmark Detection Update[/p]
  • [p]Returning players are asked to re-run the system evaluation benchmark so that default settings are for existing users as well[/p]
• [p]Shader Pre-Compilation before entering game world[/p]
  • [p]When shader compilation is necessary (very first launch, change settings, update driver), the loading screen duration is automatically extended until compilation is complete[/p]
  • [p]Fixes cases where lowering graphics settings caused performance drops due to background shader compilation[/p]
• [p]Added Performance Statistics Overlay[/p]
  • [p]New on-screen overlay helps identify performance bottlenecks in real time[/p]
  • [p]This can be turned on or off in the game settings and has various detail levels (minimum, normal, extended and detailed)[/p]

[p]System & Analytics[/p]

• [p]Legal Acknowledgement re-activated[/p]
  • [p]Analytics system has been re-enabled[/p]

[p]Controls & Balancing[/p]

• [p]Increased Fuel Capacity for Ship 'Herbert'[/p]
  • [p]The ship Herbert now carries 2000l (old: 1250l)[/p]
• [p]Configuring Key Bindings[/p]
  • [p]You can now assign the 'Z' key in the settings: This should fix most issues with French keyboard layouts.[/p]

[p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]Ahoy, Seafarers! [/p][p]As promised, our first hotfix for Seafarer: The Ship Sim is now live – and available as part of the Public Beta Branch.[/p][p]To access the beta branch, please follow these steps:[/p]

1. [p]Open Steam and go to your Library [/p]
2. [p]Right-click on Seafarer: The Ship Sim[/p]
3. [p]Click Properties [/p]
4. [p]Select the Betas tab [/p]
5. [p]Choose 'public_beta' from the dropdown list [/p]

[p]Hotfix #1 focuses on improving performance and providing a solution for issues with fuel management. As mentioned in our most recent blogpost, we're also working on long-term performance improvements.[/p][p]Should we not spot any major issues resulting from the beta, we currently plan to move the version to the default branch next week.[/p][p]Thank you so much for your feedback – it’s been incredibly valuable in helping us chart the course forward.[/p][p]Please feel free to provide your feedback regarding the Public Beta in our dedicated Beta Forums, and across our socials and Discord:[/p]

• [p]🌐 www.seafarergame.com[/p]
• [p] 📸 Instagram [/p]
• [p]📘 Facebook [/p]
• [p]🐦 X [/p]
• [p]🎥 TikTok [/p]
• [p]💬 Discord[/p]

[p]And now, here's today's changelog:[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Changelog – Beta Hotfix #1 [/h3][p]Graphics & Performance[/p]

• [p]NVIDIA DLSS Integration[/p]
  • [p]NVIDIA DLSS is now available[/p]
• [p]New Default Graphics Settings[/p]
  • [p]Enabled: FSR, Frame Generation, Upsampling 66%[/p]
  • [p]These settings now apply by default for all new players[/p]
• [p]System Benchmark Detection Update[/p]
  • [p]Returning players are asked to re-run the system evaluation benchmark so that default settings are for existing users as well[/p]
• [p]Shader Pre-Compilation before entering game world[/p]
  • [p]When shader compilation is necessary (very first launch, change settings, update driver), the loading screen duration is automatically extended until compilation is complete[/p]
  • [p]Fixes cases where lowering graphics settings caused performance drops due to background shader compilation[/p]
• [p]Added Performance Statistics Overlay[/p]
  • [p]New on-screen overlay helps identify performance bottlenecks in real time[/p]
  • [p]This can be turned on or off in the game settings and has various detail levels (minimum, normal, extended and detailed)[/p]

[p]System & Analytics[/p]

• [p]Legal Acknowledgement re-activated[/p]
  • [p]Analytics system has been re-enabled[/p]

[p]Controls & Balancing[/p]

• [p]Increased Fuel Capacity for Ship 'Herbert'[/p]
  • [p]The ship Herbert now carries 2000l (old: 1250l)[/p]
• [p]Configuring Key Bindings[/p]
  • [p]You can now assign the 'Z' key in the settings: This should fix most issues with French keyboard layouts.[/p][p][/p]

[hr][/hr][p][/p][p]We're continuing to work hard on additional improvements and bug fixes based on your reports, and are of course already working hard on EA Update #1.[/p][p]A huge thank you to all of you for setting sail with us, sharing your experiences, and helping us refine Seafarer: The Ship Sim.  [/p][p]Your support means the world, and we’re excited to keep making the game even better together! 🫶 [/p][p][/p][p]See you on the horizon, [/p][p]Your Seafarer Team 🚣 [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][h3]Ahoy, Seafarers![/h3][p][/p][p]First of all: Thank you so much for setting sail with us – it's been an absolute pleasure to see so many of you hop on board and join the crew! ⚓[/p][p]It's been a day since the launch of Seafarer: The Ship Sim and we've received plenty of feedback in the meantime. Our team has spent a lot of time already going through all the threads, comments, and messages, collecting and evaluating everything you've mentioned.[/p][p]Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us – and please continue to do so, it helps a lot! 🙏[/p][p]While it's too early to talk about additional content and features we'd love to introduce based on your feedback (next to everything that's planned as part of our Early Access roadmap), one topic in particular stood out across reviews and forums: performance & stability.[/p][p]A noticeable amount of the community has reported an unsatisfying performance, especially on higher-end systems, sometimes even going hand-in-hand with decreased graphical quality. From the bottom of our hearts, we’re sincerely sorry should you have experienced any kind of issue that does neither meet your nor our expectations and apologize for all inconveniences this might have caused, especially if you’ve been eagerly anticipating the release.[/p][p]Be assured that we're taking all of this seriously and are investigating as much as possible about the root causes.[/p][p][/p][h3]First of all, how can you help us?[/h3][p][/p][p]If you encounter any sort of unexpected performance, be it in terms of framerate or graphical quality, please report the issue to us via the In-Game Bug Reporter. Be sure to include your hardware details in the respective comment section. You can reach the In-Game Bug Reporter by pressing F4.[/p][p]Please be aware that you need to accept the Privacy Policy first to use the Bug Reporter. If you haven't, you can do so by going to Options > Gameplay > Legal Acknowledgement.[/p][p]Alternatively, you can post your hardware details and a detailed description of your performance into the comment section of this blogpost! We're collecting all of the data to evaluate potential bottlenecks.[/p][p]If you encounter a crash, please send us the crashlogs with the Crash Reporter provided by Unreal! These reports go straight to the tech team who can then resolve the issues in the most efficient way.[/p][p][/p][h3]Here's what we're working on already[/h3][p][/p][p]The team has already started their work on a hotfix that is planned to be launched in Open Beta by next week at the latest. This hotfix will contain several improvements and adjustments related to performance, including:[/p]

• [p]Implementation of NVIDIA DLSS[/p]
• [p]Shaders will be created at launch of the game, not during active gameplay: This will ensure that they're properly loaded in instead of being created in the background which harms performance[/p]
• [p]Adjustments to default graphical settings for new players: FSR + Frame Generation + Upsampling set to 66%. This should significantly increase the performance for the majority of the players.[/p]
• [p]Adjustments to System Evaluation Benchmark: Players will be asked to run detection for default settings again, so the most appropriate graphics settings can be applied with ease.[/p]
• [p]Addition of Statistics Overlay: This will show detailed information about hardware utilization by the game to identify bottlenecks, which helps us to deliver an even more optimized update in the near future.[/p]
• [p]Potentially also re-enabling the option to activate hardware raytracing[/p]

[p]This is just what's planned as short-term solution to improve performance for most players. We're also working on several mid-term and long-term adjustments – more details on that will be announced as soon as possible.[/p][p][/p][h3]What can you do to improve your performance in the meantime?[/h3][p][/p][p]Based on your reports, our team has investigated several solutions to improve performance. We are aware that these do not replace any sort of adjustments from our side, but they can help your time on deck while we're working on long-term improvements :)[/p]

• [p]Make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date[/p]
• [p]Try to switch upscale options (TAA, FSR) off and on again to observe if it makes any difference[/p]
• [p]Check if the auto-detection has not applied the appropriate settings for your system[/p]
• [p]Deactivate VSync[/p]
• [p]Turn off and turn on Anti-Aliasing again[/p]
• [p]Turn down Global Illumination (this one seems to cause a huge performance decrease at the moment)[/p]

[p]If you have any questions or further feedback, please do not hesitate to ask the team in the comment section. We're very happy to help![/p][p]You can also join the conversation across our socials and on Discord.[/p][p][/p][p]🌐 www.seafarergame.com
📸 Instagram
📘 Facebook
🐦 X
🎥 TikTok
💬 Discord[/p][p][/p][p]Once again: Thank you so, so much for all the feedback and all the input. We honestly couldn't be more grateful for all the passion and love you have shown 💙[/p][p][/p][p]Your Seafarer Team 🚣[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]