📰 The Ahra Prime Times – Week 2

[p]Status: Migration to UE 5.6.1, stability in progress. Hiraeth breathes deeper.[/p][p][/p][h2]👋 Greetings, Survivors of Ahra Prime[/h2][p][/p][h2]🔧 Work on the New Engine[/h2][p]Here’s an update on the ongoing transition to the latest version of Unreal Engine. This change brings many benefits — both for players and for me as the developer.[/p][p]Crashes in officially confirmed cases have been fully eliminated by new engine version. Temporary freezes may still occur in critical situations — a major step forward, though we’re still waiting for more! My tests, along with those from other players, show improved engine optimization. You may not always notice it directly, but both rendering and world streaming have significantly improved.[/p][p]I’m also seeing many positive changes in the editor — the project compiles faster. This directly improves workflow comfort, which in turn means better development pace and quality for Hiraeth going forward.[/p][p][/p][h2]✅ What’s been achieved in the migration? What’s next?[/h2][p]As I mentioned last week (Steam Announcement), I’ve resolved the issue with HLOD building in the new engine version — a key milestone for our open-world game. This means a major stage related to rendering, its stability, and performance has been successfully completed.[/p][p]But rendering isn’t everything — especially in a game with mechanics as complex as Hiraeth. The new engine version introduces a different approach to class inheritance, requiring major changes. I’m nearly done — almost everything works again, but “almost” is the difference that’s holding back the next update.[/p][p]These changes also affect the save/load system — a core part of the game. That’s currently taking up most of my time.[/p][p]Let me add: the time required for these tasks isn’t due to the team being just one person — me. These are deep system-level tasks that would still need to be handled by one person overseeing the whole structure. A larger team wouldn’t help at this stage.[/p][p][/p][h2]🖥️ Game Requirements — Regardless of Engine Version[/h2][p]The issues discussed on certain hardware setups are rare, but they pose serious challenges for the project’s future. Solving them may take a few more days — or slightly longer — which is frustrating.[/p][p]Until now, I’ve been resolving game bugs through regular updates. I hope that rhythm returns soon so we can continue developing the game and Ahra Prime faster and further.[/p][p][/p][h3]🎮 Stable 60 FPS in 4K?[/h3][p]Many players ask why they don’t get a minimum of 60 FPS on good hardware.[/p][p]Hiraeth’s performance is comparable — or even better — than other well-known open-world games using similar technology. Average for RTX 4080 is from 30 to 65 FPS — without DLSS, which I’ll be adding soon after other issues are resolved.[/p][p][/p][p]One of our players currently achieves stable 60 FPS on high-end hardware: CPU: Ryzen 5 7600 RAM: 64 GB DDR5 GPU: Radeon 7900 XTX 24 GB[/p][p][/p][p]As for me — I can only dream of such performance on my RTX 2060. But despite having a relatively weak card by today’s standards, I experience no stability issues, and the game runs smoothly enough that I play on Epic settings.[/p][p]Confirmed issues across different hardware configurations are described here: 🔗 Steam Discussion and confirmation here.[/p][p][/p][h2]🆕 When’s the New Version Coming?[/h2][p]I hope to release new updates for Early Access and the demo in the coming days. The project has gone through several versions since the last changes, but they still need refinement. That’s why I’m releasing a test version for the demo — important for the entire project. It’s the same build — the demo just has many limitations. What works in the demo will work in Early Access.[/p][p]If you’re interested, join us on Discord — I regularly share work-in-progress builds there. Many of these versions allow for hours of gameplay, but they require preparation — like frequent downloads or deleting old saves.[/p][h3]🧰 Changes and Fixes (Not Yet Published on Steam)[/h3]

• [p]Fixed backpack overload bug that prevented re-equipping after dropping[/p]
• [p]Removed infinite ladder climbing exploit[/p]
• [p]New loading screen after save/load and improved startup visuals — still needs minor polish[/p]
• [p]New system for checking player and world state after load[/p]
• [p]Containers like cargo crates now have realistic weight limits — 100 kg instead of 10 kg[/p]
• [p]…and many more. Some of these changes are already in Demo version 0.9.7.5 Experimental — see below.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]🧪 Experimental Branch[/h3][p]The experimental branch announced last week has been created on Steam, but it’s currently empty and hidden. I don’t want to complicate updates — it will go live after the official stable update on the new engine is released.[/p][p][/p][h2]🧪 Demo v 0.9.7.5 Experimental — Stability Test Download[/h2][p]Who is it for?[/p]

• [p]Players who experienced crashes during gameplay or right after launching on Nesoi Island[/p]
• [p]Anyone curious about performance improvements from the upcoming engine migration[/p]

[p]Limitations:[/p]

• [p]Save/load is completely disabled in this version[/p]
• [p]Work on proper save functionality in the new engine is ongoing — it’s not part of this test[/p]

[p]Test Objective: This version is meant for short testing — to check whether Lumen or Nanite-related crashes have been resolved. Epic — the creator of Unreal Engine — seems to have fixed many previous issues in this area, and testers confirm it. But we need broader confirmation across various hardware setups.[/p][p][/p][p]Longer play sessions may expose bugs — especially painful ones due to the lack of save/load. So once again: this version is for short testing — to verify rendering changes in the new engine.[/p][p]📥 Download from Google Drive[/p][p][/p][h2]🏆 Contest Results — Ancient Figurine: Winner FLPX86[/h2][p]Last week’s contest has a winner — the only player who submitted a complete and correct answer: FLPX86 They received a Steam key for Hiraeth and a special Discord role.[/p][p]🔗 Winning submission on Discord[/p][h3]🗿 Ancient Figurine — Functions and Properties[/h3]

• [p]When released from a container (chest, backpack), it generates enough breathable air nearby[/p]
• [p]Enables breathing in oxygen-free environments[/p]
• [p]Research doesn’t clearly confirm whether it truly generates air — but its effects on instruments and living organisms are verified[/p]
• [p]Emits low-level radiation — prolonged exposure may be harmful[/p]
• [p]Difficult to grab, yet easy to store — its nature remains mysterious[/p]
• [p]No device has been successfully created to allow safe, mobile use — radiation halted development[/p]
• [p]Occurrence: Ancient Figurines and similar artifacts are known but extremely rare on Ahra Prime[/p]
• [p]Origin: Still unknown[/p]
• [p]Use case: Useful for sleeping in caves or under open skies to conserve oxygen[/p]
• [p]Warning: Due to negative effects, should only be used for short naps in critical situations or during stationary work outside safe zones[/p]

[p][/p][h2]🏁 New Contest — Training Center: Speed Run[/h2][p]I hope the tradition of weekly contests continues! This week’s challenge is open to all — Early Access and Demo players alike.[/p][h3]🕹️ Training Center — Speed Run[/h3][p]Rules:[/p]

• [p]The fastest training completion time wins[/p]
• [p]Submission deadline: Friday, September 26[/p]
• [p]Screenshot of training completion required — post it here: #contest-submissions 🏆[/p]
• [p]Only the core training needs to be completed — no side objectives[/p]
• [p]You may record a video and upload it to YouTube (unlisted) — if you win, I’ll feature it in the next edition of The Ahra Prime Times[/p]

[p]Prizes:[/p]

• [p]Steam key for Early Access[/p]
• [p]Special Discord role[/p]

[p]My own tutorial run is just an example — much faster times are possible. It takes game knowledge and a bit of strategy. Good luck![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]Thanks to everyone who tests, reports, supports, and plays. Ahra Prime lives because of you — and I’m doing everything I can to keep its heart beating stronger.[/p][p]See you in the next edition! — Paweł[/p][p][/p][p][/p]