From The Depths News

That is all that needs to be said.



[h2]Changes[/h2]

[h3]Warp[/h3]

• After a warp the warp drives used must be stabilized before a jump in that direction is possible again
• After a warp vehicles get a big IR and sonar detection signature increase. That increase is a function of warp energy used, decays over time
• Battery energy: warp energy conversion rate depends on ROD:VEHICLE length ratio
• Controllers and warp terminators now also count as a 1m rod
• Controllers only have rod attachment points in the front
• Each m of warp rods can store 10000 warp energy and use up to 400 battery energy/s for warp energy creation
• Maximum warp distance is a function of WARP_ENERGY_AVAILABLE / VEHICLE_MASS
• Target warp distance can be set on the warp controller. Warps will only use the energy necessary for that distance
• Vehicles get a push after a warp, force of that push if a function of the warp energy used
• Warp component durability up from 300 health/3 armour to 400/4 for each cubic meter
• Warp component weights reduced to 20 for each cubic meter (half of metal)
• Warp components are now susceptible to EMP
• Warp drives got new tooltips and a standard UI showing cost/volume breakdowns
• Warp drives in a given cardinal direction are grouped and triggered together
• Warp stabilization time is 40s. That's reduced by 15s if stabilizers cover the entire width of the vehicle, and another 15s if they cover the entire height (if the jump was forward/backwards)
• Warp stabilizers: new components replacing chargers. They determine how much time the warp drive needs after a jump to be available again
• Warping under terrain or into constructs is no longer possible. Longer warps have a higher safety margin before/after other craft

What is up Depthians!

For those that have not checked out the beta test branch post for 3.1.2, a few things need explaining when it comes to the connection rules.
If you have been on our beta test branch then skip the following as its a total copypasta job xD and check out the changelog for any new additions/changes/fixes.

We listened to the feedback from 3.1.0 and put in this feature to help people build more freely.
This allows more freedom than ever before to plan out a build with a rough blueprint of disconnected pieces and then connect it all later. Pressing backspace in build mode de-activates the connection checks. You can then place anything literally anywhere. The connection checks will re-activate if you have been out of build mode for 30 seconds, or if a block is killed by hostile fire. You can save the vehicle with connection checks de-activated so that you can continue your disconnected building over several play sessions or save points.

The change also makes it so that the first disconnection check when a vehicle is loaded will not make blocks fall off but will simply mark them with a warning so that the player can enter build mode, disable connectivity checks, and fix the issues so that the parts never fall out. That change has been made so that we can be a bit more liberal with tidying up the connection logic of some blocks but not create a nightmare situation where the vehicle is loaded and then immediately just falls apart. Note carefully that many of the changes in the change list are for removing the connection surfaces of blocks so that in 3.1.1 some unlucky people are going to have a few designs that need to use this feature to save a few blocks from falling off.

We have also changed the way munition/laser warners and signal jammers work. They no longer need to be connected to the AI and the reason for this is that none of those parts made any usage of the AI mainframe as the munition warning manager and laser warning manager is specific to the vehicle, not an AI mainframe, so they have no reason to be coupled to an AI mainframe any more.
This allows player controlled vehicles without AI to make proper use of all countermeasures ( flare dispensers, interceptors and smoke, etc)".

I thought I should leave some basic instructions / demonstration in regards to the connection check, how to turn on off and what you should keep an eye on.

When you load up the designer mode, by default the connection check and rules are in place and therefore you would not be able to place blocks like the following pic.


In order to deactivate the connection rules, you will need to press "Backspace".
Anything you place that is not allowed, due to the connection rules would be coloured in Magenta and you will also see a warning to the left of your screen.


Once you reactivate the connection rules and you still have something connected that would potentially fall off, you will be warned.


If you come out of build mode, you will notice a timer indicating that the connection rules will be reactivated in X seconds and when it reactivates the Magenta coloured blocks will fall off, unless you pop back into build mode.






[h2]Additions[/h2]

[h3]Connections[/h3]

• Connection logic is reapplied if a block is killed by damage, or if no one is in build mode on the vehicle for 60 seconds
• If you press backspace in build mode you can disable the connection logic and build freely (even in open space away from any other block).
• The disabling of connection logic can be saved/loaded with the vehicle allowing you to continue building on disconnected vehicles over several play sessions or save/loads or play/pulls

[h3]Missiles[/h3]

• Huge missiles have been added in

[h2]Changes[/h2]

[h3]AI[/h3]

• Changed adjustments so that the max altitude can go to 2000 from 1000.
• Changed hover above so that the max altitude can go to 2000 from 1000.
• Flag post is no longer part of the AI subsystem- just a free-standing block now
• Increased AI wireless channel count from 1 empty + 4 usable to 1 + 9

[h3]APS[/h3]

• Reduced HEAT/HESH damage against non-structural blocks without a gap before them. Closer to, but still very slightly higher than the total damage against blocks after a gap

[h3]Connections[/h3]

• 16 pdr cannon - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 1.
• 30mm assault cannon - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 1.
• 32 pdr swivel gun - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 1.
• AI bread board - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Ammo controller - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo customizer 1 module - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo customizer 2 modules - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo customizer 4 modules - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo ejector - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Ammo ejector backwards - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Camera 90 - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Control terminal - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 5.
• Frequency doubler - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 6.
• Gauge increase corner - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 6.
• Heat decoy - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Interface screen - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Invisible gantries - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• LAMS node - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Large crank motor - Changed - Attaches on 4 from 6.
• Large radiator - Changed - Attaches on 6 sides from 5.
• Large rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Large rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Laser - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Laser cutter - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Laser destabiliser - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 6.
• Medium crank motor - Changed - Attaches on 3 from 6.
• Medium rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6. 
• Medium rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Medium transmission - Changed - Attaches on 3 faces.
• Moving light - Changed - 5 sides from 6.
• Neon Light - Changed - 5 sides from 6.
• Non - AI breadboard - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Particle tube corner - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 6.
• Particle tube terminator - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Radar decoy - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Radiator - Changed - Attaches on 6 sides from 5.
• Railgun charger - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 6.
• Sail Main Block(Square Rig!) - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 3.
• Signpost - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 1. I don't think this would do any harm.
• Signpost (long) - Changed- Attaches on 4 sides from 1. I don't think this would do any harm.
• Single input cavity - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Small crank motor - Changed - Attaches on 3 from 6.
• Small rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small single rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small single rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small steam controller - Changed - Attaches on 1 face.
• Switch - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Text screen - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• The following connection changes are based on community feedback and a review of that.  Sail Main Block - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 3.
• Warp charger (2m) - Changed - Attaches on 6 from 2.
• Wireless camera - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.

[h3]Decoration[/h3]

• Changed ammo processor prop cost from 300 to 3.  Collectors are up in arms at the devaluation

[h3]Defenses[/h3]

• Munition warners, laser warners, smoke dispensers and signal jammers now aren't AI components and do not need a mainframe connection

[h3]Laser[/h3]

• If a laser has an output regulator its sliders are at the top of the stats tab
• Laser cavities and transceivers use the multipurpose laser's tooltip
• Laser optics use their combiner's Q menu stats UI
• Laser parts use their multipurpose laser's Q menu stats UI
• Multipurpose laser block got a stats UI, accessible from the Q menu

[h3]Missile[/h3]

• Harpoon cable thickness scales with missile size
  
• Signal processors now reduce decoy strength to 4-40% for all sizes
  
• Summary: decoys are better for smaller designs, multiple smaller decoys are stronger and missiles without processors are more usable
  
• Target simulator and flare base strength reduced from 2500 to 1600
  
• Target simulator and flare strength scales with surface, instead of volume. Means S decoys are 2x as strong as for M and L missiles. All missiles use the same detection threshold as S missiles now.
  

[h3]Prefabs[/h3]

•  Added new simple prefabs where appropriate.  Removed some fuel engine examples.
• Removed hull prefabs from the build menu as we plan to change how this works.

[h3]Steam[/h3]

• Added ACB control for steam valves

[h3]Tooltip[/h3]

• Repair tentacle tooltip now no longer mentions player skills.

[h2]Fixes[/h2]

[h3]Adventure[/h3]

• [BUGS-2796] Fixed an issue where players could be accidentally assigned to the chairs of distant enemy vehicles
  

[h3]AI[/h3]

• [BUGS-2789] Added control module descriptions and fixed out of date tooltips for the manoeuvre hover routine

[h3]APS[/h3]

• Fixed some setups of turreted 0 gunpowder railguns firing twice in 1 frame under AI control

[h3]Autosave[/h3]

• [BUGS-2828] Auto-saves now correctly save the author details (sorry about that)
  

[h3]Controls[/h3]

• [BUGS-866] the binding for toggling the keyboard/mouse build mode (F3) is now properly re-bindable
  

[h3]Decoration[/h3]

• Changed position of the fuel processor prop.  It was overlapping crystal trays.

[h3]Gridcasts[/h3]

• Fixed another old Gridcast problem, mostly noticeable when lasers jump through the firing construct's own blocks without damaging them

[h3]Missiles[/h3]

• [Steam forum] reloading missiles on playing a vehicle no longer costs materials when it shouldn’t
  

[h3]Multiplayer[/h3]

• Fill operations in multiplayer depended on the orientation of the host camera, not the client trying to do the fill. Fixed now.

[h3]Physics[/h3]

• [BUGS-1161] continuous-reverse spin blocks now (correctly) has the opposite torque
  

[h3]Planets[/h3]

• Fixed a map fleet pathfinding issue that occurs after swapping to a planet with a different sized map
  

[h3]Steam[/h3]

• Fixed a pressure loss problem in closed-loop systems
• Fixed some valve setups not properly discovering the full pipe network
• Improved stat over time accuracy

What is up Depthians!

It's about time for another “What is happening at Brilliant skies” post for December.



As most of you already know we had enforced the connection rule set for numerous blocks and with that, we had a lot of feedback. Therefore in Beta update 3.1.2, we added a new feature which I hope I explained well enough in the Beta patch notes. We also changed the way munition/laser warners and signal jammers worked so that they no longer need a direct or wireless connection to the AI mainframe, also explained in the Beta patch notes.

We have implemented the new huge missile parts in 3.1.2 so I do hope to see some epic screenies with a lot of marauders being turned into confetti.



The team is also working on tweaking up the way the warp system works which we should see hopefully in 3.1.3 if all goes well. Further details on that will be disclosed on release and this will most probably be in Beta before it hits stable.

Another new block that will hit From The Depths is the Spawn-o-Matic, which while it is mostly directed to help new players when spawning in designer mode to give them a little direction and not feeling overwhelmed. Rather than spawning on a raft, we should see a new default fort(you can the starting construct change to whatever you want), which will have this new block that will hold a number of craft ready to be spawned that a new player can check out and use as a reference when building their own crafts(land, air, sea surface, sub, hover, thruster etc..).

Mimic 2.0, this following new feature is going to be a massive change to the way mimicry works. For 3.1.4, we hope to release Mimics 2.0, in short, and a basic vague description for now. This new system will allow us to place a non-physical block that won't take up space nor add to block count on any block we choose. We get all the usual tool sets the current mimics have to select what we want mimicked distance in the usual directions, size, rotation and everything else. Once the block that this new mimic is “tied” to dies then ofc the mimicked object will also fall off, however, they do not cost any material they will reappear once the block they are tied to is repaired. In regards to our current mimics, they will still remain in-game with no changes.

While all this and much more is being done during December, such as steam drive shaft splitters, missile wireless system, Rambot weapons, sky fortress turbine model and much more! We are also working on Diplomacy for 3.1.5 more details on that once we get closer to releasing the beta update.

What is up Depthians!

We listened to the feedback from 3.1.0 and put in this feature to help people build more freely.
This allows more freedom than ever before to plan out a build with a rough blueprint of disconnected pieces and then connect it all later. Pressing backspace in build mode de-activates the connection checks. You can then place anything literally anywhere. The connection checks will re-activate if you have been out of build mode for 30 seconds, or if a block is killed by hostile fire. You can save the vehicle with connection checks de-activated so that you can continue your disconnected building over several play sessions or save points.

The change also makes it so that the first disconnection check when a vehicle is loaded will not make blocks fall off but will simply mark them with a warning so that the player can enter build mode, disable connectivity checks, and fix the issues so that the parts never fall out. That change has been made so that we can be a bit more liberal with tidying up the connection logic of some blocks but not create a nightmare situation where the vehicle is loaded and then immediately just falls apart. Note carefully that many of the changes in the change list are for removing the connection surfaces of blocks so that in 3.1.1 some unlucky people are going to have a few designs that need to use this feature to save a few blocks from falling off.

We have also changed the way munition/laser warners and signal jammers work. They no longer need to be connected to the AI and the reason for this is that none of those parts made any usage of the AI mainframe as the munition warning manager and laser warning manager is specific to the vehicle, not an AI mainframe, so they have no reason to be coupled to an AI mainframe any more.
This allows player controlled vehicles without AI to make proper use of all countermeasures ( flare dispensers, interceptors and smoke, etc)".

I thought I should leave some basic instructions / demonstration in regards to the connection check, how to turn on off and what you should keep an eye on.

When you load up the designer mode, by default the connection check and rules are in place and therefore you would not be able to place blocks like the following pic.


In order to deactivate the connection rules, you will need to press "Backspace".
Anything you place that is not allowed, due to the connection rules would be coloured in Magenta and you will also see a warning to the left of your screen.


Once you reactivate the connection rules and you still have something connected that would potentially fall off, you will be warned.


If you come out of build mode, you will notice a timer indicating that the connection rules will be reactivated in X seconds and when it reactivates the Magenta coloured blocks will fall off, unless you pop back into build mode.






[h2]Additions[/h2]

[h3]Connections[/h3]

• Connection logic is reapplied if a block is killed by damage, or if no one is in build mode on the vehicle for 60 seconds
• If you press backspace in build mode you can disable the connection logic and build freely (even in open space away from any other block).
• The disabling of connection logic can be saved/loaded with the vehicle allowing you to continue building on disconnected vehicles over several play sessions or save/loads or play/pulls

[h3]Missiles[/h3]

• Huge missiles have been added in

[h2]Changes[/h2]

[h3]AI[/h3]

• Changed adjustments so that the max altitude can go to 2000 from 1000.
• Changed hover above so that the max altitude can go to 2000 from 1000.
• Flag post is no longer part of the AI subsystem- just a free-standing block now
• Increased AI wireless channel count from 1 empty + 4 usable to 1 + 9

[h3]APS[/h3]

• Reduced HEAT/HESH damage against non-structural blocks without a gap before them. Closer to, but still very slightly higher than the total damage against blocks after a gap

[h3]Connections[/h3]

• 16 pdr cannon - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 1.
• 30mm assault cannon - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 1.
• 32 pdr swivel gun - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 1.
• AI bread board - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Ammo controller - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo customizer 1 module - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo customizer 2 modules - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo customizer 4 modules - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Ammo ejector - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Ammo ejector backwards - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Camera 90 - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Control terminal - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 5.
• Frequency doubler - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 6.
• Gauge increase corner - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 6.
• Heat decoy - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Interface screen - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Invisible gantries - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• LAMS node - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Large crank motor - Changed - Attaches on 4 from 6.
• Large radiator - Changed - Attaches on 6 sides from 5.
• Large rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Large rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Laser - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Laser cutter - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Laser destabiliser - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 6.
• Medium crank motor - Changed - Attaches on 3 from 6.
• Medium rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6. 
• Medium rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Medium transmission - Changed - Attaches on 3 faces.
• Moving light - Changed - 5 sides from 6.
• Neon Light - Changed - 5 sides from 6.
• Non - AI breadboard - Changed - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Particle tube corner - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 6.
• Particle tube terminator - Attaches on 1 side from 6.
• Radar decoy - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Radiator - Changed - Attaches on 6 sides from 5.
• Railgun charger - Changed - Attaches on 2 sides from 6.
• Sail Main Block(Square Rig!) - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 3.
• Signpost - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 1. I don't think this would do any harm.
• Signpost (long) - Changed- Attaches on 4 sides from 1. I don't think this would do any harm.
• Single input cavity - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 6.
• Small crank motor - Changed - Attaches on 3 from 6.
• Small rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small single rail gantry - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small single rail launcher - Changed - Attaches on 3 sides from 6.
• Small steam controller - Changed - Attaches on 1 face.
• Switch - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• Text screen - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.
• The following connection changes are based on community feedback and a review of that.  Sail Main Block - Changed - Attaches on 4 sides from 3.
• Warp charger (2m) - Changed - Attaches on 6 from 2.
• Wireless camera - Changed - Attaches on 5 sides from 1.

[h3]Decoration[/h3]

• Changed ammo processor prop cost from 300 to 3.  Collectors are up in arms at the devaluation

[h3]Defenses[/h3]

• Munition warners, laser warners, smoke dispensers and signal jammers now aren't AI components and do not need a mainframe connection

[h3]Laser[/h3]

• If a laser has an output regulator its sliders are at the top of the stats tab
• Laser cavities and transceivers use the multipurpose laser's tooltip
• Laser optics use their combiner's Q menu stats UI
• Laser parts use their multipurpose laser's Q menu stats UI
• Multipurpose laser block got a stats UI, accessible from the Q menu

[h3]Missile[/h3]

• Harpoon cable thickness scales with missile size
• Signal processors now reduce decoy strength to 4-40% for all sizes
• Summary: decoys are better for smaller designs, multiple smaller decoys are stronger and missiles without processors are more usable
• Target simulator and flare base strength reduced from 2500 to 1600
• Target simulator and flare strength scales with surface, instead of volume. Means S decoys are 2x as strong as before, L 1/2
• Target simulators add 1/10 of their signal strength to the missile's passive detection range (sonar only underwater, IR/radar only above)

[h3]Prefabs[/h3]

•  Added new simple prefabs where appropriate.  Removed some fuel engine examples.
• Removed hull prefabs from the build menu as we plan to change how this works.

[h3]Steam[/h3]

• Added ACB control for steam valves

[h3]Tooltip[/h3]

• Repair tentacle tooltip now no longer mentions player skills.

[h2]Fixes[/h2]

[h3]AI[/h3]

• [BUGS-2789] Added control module descriptions and fixed out of date tooltips for the manoeuvre hover routine

[h3]APS[/h3]

• Fixed some setups of turreted 0 gunpowder railguns firing twice in 1 frame under AI control

[h3]Decoration[/h3]

• Changed position of the fuel processor prop.  It was overlapping crystal trays.

[h3]Gridcasts[/h3]

• Fixed another old Gridcast problem, mostly noticeable when lasers jump through the firing construct's own blocks without damaging them

[h3]Multiplayer[/h3]

• Fill operations in multiplayer depended on the orientation of the host camera, not the client trying to do the fill. Fixed now.

[h3]Steam[/h3]

• Fixed a pressure loss problem in closed-loop systems
• Fixed some valve setups not properly discovering the full pipe network
• Improved stat over time accuracy

Hey Depthians!

It has been a long road developing From The Depths which has recently come out of Early Access, however that does not mean that we will slow down in releasing new features and other tweaks!

From The Depths would have not been able to reach this point without all your support throughout Early Access, and we would love to see your support once more.

Help us achieve the "Labor of Love" award by smashing that little circle above!

Thanks as always for your support from all of us at Brilliant Skies.