🛠️ Early Access Patch 0.9.7.3 – Gameplay Fixes & First Experimental Level

[p]Here comes what’s probably the fourth round of fixes since launch last week — and this one tackles a few of the more frustrating bugs you’ve reported. Let’s dive in:[/p][h2]🔧 Changelog Highlights:[/h2]

• [p]Hacking Timeout UI Freeze Fixed The UI freeze after hacking timeout has been resolved. Last Saturday’s update introduced several improvements to mini-games, but I missed a bug that caused the UI and interactions to freeze when hacking timed out. That issue is now fixed. (I still feel like something else might have slipped through, but I haven’t found it in reports or been able to reproduce it — let me know if you notice anything.)[/p]
• [p]Fix for Heavy Backpack Pickup Logic The system now correctly checks whether the player can lift an item based on their current max lift. This prevents picking up a backpack that was too heavy to carry and had just been dropped. Note: Weapon and armor weight checks are coming in a separate patch soon.[/p]
• [p]Air Tank & Battery Swap Bug Fixed Swapping items like Air Tanks didn’t immediately show them as detached in the inventory, which could cause minor confusion. That’s fixed. Also improved behavior on chargers — please report if anything still seems off.[/p]
• [p]🏆 Steam Achievements Update[/p]
  • [p]Achievements at the Training Center are now only granted upon completing the full training sequence (Note: this requires confirmation of proper functionality — please report any issues)[/p]
  • [p]Achievements should now be disabled in the new Space Test level (This zone is purely for testing and not part of the main progression)[/p]
  • [p]As a rule, Steam achievements are intended to be available only on Tha Nesoi Island, the main game area[/p]
  • [p]If you unlock an achievement in Space Test... well, that’s probably a bug. Or a sign you’re too clever. Please report it.[/p]
• [p]Chargers Improvements[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a bug where drinking while filling water could freeze the menu. You can now grab a bottle without preview or drink directly from the charger.[/p]
  • [p]Items on chargers now support quick inventory addition. This will soon be available for all items — previews will be optional or only shown for unknown items, depending on your looter level.[/p]
  • [p]Chargers now show USE instead of OPEN when accessible.[/p]
• [p]Weapons No Longer Jam When Clean & Condition > 90% Weapons should now behave more reliably. Previously, even a 100% clean weapon could jam due to frustrating randomness — calculations were correct, but the experience wasn’t. This is now toned down. (A bigger weapon update is coming soon.)[/p]
• [p]Reduced Pushback Force on Player Collisions This is part of a new system still in progress, but early tweaks should feel better.[/p]
• [p]Other Small Fixes[/p]
  • [p]Materials updated for vests, plates, some bags, and backpacks[/p]
  • [p]Added an option to disable interaction immediately after waking up[/p]
  • [p]Crafting UI: “TOOL” label changed to “PLACE AND SELECT A REQUIRED TOOL” to reduce confusion[/p]

[h2]🧪 New Early Access Test Level: “Space Test” (EA Only)[/h2][p]A new experimental level added just for internal testing — but since it’s already in-game, why not share it with the bravest testers?[/p]

• [p]A small, minimalistic room packed with crates and devices for hacking, repairing, and lockpicking — all workbenches included[/p]
• [p]Weapons and wildlife (non-hostile) — yes, even the spiders purr sweetly if you listen closely[/p]
• [p]Sleeping and cooking stations available[/p]
• [p]Great for practicing mechanics like hacking — and once the upcoming weapon update drops, you’ll be able to test those differences too[/p]
• [p]Note: Items from this level can’t be transferred to Nesoi Island — blame the damn customs regulations[/p]
• [p]Achievements are disabled in this zone[/p]
• [p]This level was originally created for internal testing only, but if it’s well received, I’ll gladly polish it further in my spare time[/p]

[p]
Coming soon: another small test level called The Impact Crater. Neither of these are part of the main game storyline... probably 😉 (After all, the game takes place on a planet — not a space station like Space Test — but hey, maybe there’s more to it.)[/p][h2]🧪 What’s Coming Soon (likely this week):[/h2]

• [p]Performance improvements are near ready, but still untested. I didn’t want to mix them into this patch, so they’ll come separately — and we might roll back if needed[/p]
• [p]A dedicated fix for save/load issues: some items are appearing after load that shouldn’t. It doesn’t break the game, but it hurts immersion[/p]
• [p]I'm finishing work on adding save/load functionality to the Training Center[/p]
• [p]More bug fixes are on the way, as always[/p]
• [p]Weapon improvements probably won’t land this week — but I’m not ruling it out[/p]
• [p]The demo will be updated to this version soon — possibly later today or tomorrow[/p]

[p]
Thanks for all your feedback and support — keep it coming![/p][p]Warm regards, The Developer[/p]