No Man's Sky News

How Microsoft's cloud tech helps keep No Man's Sky's Expeditions a surprise

In a talk at this year's Develop: Brighton conference Iain Brown, senior programmer at No Man's Sky developer Hello Games, has given some insight into how Microsoft's Azure cloud computing tech has helped players share the game's procedurally generated universe. And, it turns out it's come in handy in helping to bring one of this year's biggest new features to life - and then keep them a surprise.

In a case study talk with Harvey Eagle, director of Azure gaming at Microsoft at the conference, Brown explains how the service's cloud-based tech has helped keep players interested. It seems No Man's Sky's Expeditions, the shared, seasonal exploratory mode rolled into the space game earlier this year, are a great example. For context, these are time-limited events that arrive in-game on a regular basis, though each is "unique" in terms of its exact duration and the milestones (open-ended challenges) players will have to hit to complete it. So, naturally, these Expeditions are something Hello Games would want to keep a surprise until they're rolled out and ready for players to discover.

"We don't want people hacking the game client to unlock this mode early or seeing what's coming, or whatever, so all that data lives in the cloud," Brown explains, referring to the Expeditions. "It lives in table storage within Azure and then, at a given time, it will be downloaded to all the clients as they need it."

Read the rest of the story...

No Man's Sky's new update lets you ride on flying worms

At this point, it has become a cliché to say that space sim No Man's Sky has come a long way since its initial release. And yet, is there any better example of its long development journey than the sandworms? Initially shown in pre-release trailers only to be cut from the release version, they were finally added in some recent updates. Now the most recent update and seasonal event adds new sandworm varieties, including rideable sandworms. The worm has indeed turned.

Студия Hello Games выпустила новую экспедицию No Man's Sky, получившую название Emergence. Основным отличием от предыдущих трёх является наличии сюжета, в котором фигурируют Титановые Черви.

No Man's Sky's latest expedition introduces ridable sandworms

A new seasonal event begins in No Man’s Sky today and it’s a new expedition.

Expedition Four: Emergence will run over the course of Halloween and is the first expedition to feature a narrative, and is also a mini-update, bringing with it a host of enhancements across the game.

In Expedition Four: Emergence, travelers will find themselves stranded on the planet Wasan, which is prone to dust storms and is infested with Titan Worms. Your job is to locate the Titan Worm impact sites, destroy the Hungering Tendrils, and collect the Vile Spawn that lingers behind.

Hello Games has revealed that No Man's Sky is joining in the spooky festivities this Halloween with its own, narrative-driven expedition called Emergence.

The mini-update leaves you stranded on a planet called Wasan. It's a barren place that's ravaged with dust storms and torn up by Titan Worms, which are colossal sandworms that plough through the world, often eclipsing the sun when they arc overhead. It's your job to locate Titan Worm impact sites and destroy the Hungering Tendrils to collect the Vile Spawn that lingers behind. This isn't your standard expedition, though. As you go about your duties, a "dark narrative" will start to unravel. If you complete the expedition route, you'll discover the history of a dark cult, allowing you to confront the Atlas with evidence of an "indelible stain upon the universe", as Hello Games describes.

The expedition also comes with a host of enhancements for the space game. You're getting more varied sandworms, richer particle effects, and a Titanic trophy to stick on your base. You're also getting more ways to vary your appearance and a Flesh Launcher for some firework fun. Oh, and you'll be able to tame and grow a sandworm companion to feed, pet, ride, and explore the universe with, which is excellent news.