Surviving Ceres News

Greetings Pilgrims;

Just a few quick hotfixes for minor issues found by the community. A huge thank you to everyone for the feedback, suggestions, and ideas.

• Fixed a few typos in some HUDs
  
• Fixed an issue that had the auto-refinery not make platinum bars correctly sometimes.
  
• Fixed an issue with the "Advanced Refinery" where it wasn't resetting the craft VFX correctly, resulting in odd visuals after heavy use.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused drones to bring empty items to storage or facilities, resulting in a white box of nothing due to bad references. Now, if this occurs, it will force the drones to obtain new references and resume collecting.
  
• Added some additional capacity for carrying ore from drills. The drills were outpacing drones by too much. I have now doubled their carry capacity (after upgrading to max). The starting carry amount was also increased to give them a better starting point.
  
• Fixed an issue where Research totals were under the actual totals. I forgot to update this after adding the drone hub upgrades. It should now correctly display research to the new maximum of 147 research that you can complete.
  
• Added a fix to prevent some crashes on Windows 11. Because newer Unreal pre-req files are installed by games running UE5, Steam skips installing the correct pre-reqs for Ceres running on UE4.27.2. By manually running the ue4prereqs_x64.exe file, the game will no longer crash sometimes when writing data. However, there is no way for me to instruct your client to run this file. I have included some additional files that should help, but they are not perfect. I will soon look into porting the game to UE5, which should resolve this issue. However, UE5 has some performance issues when not set up correctly. This should take some time to set up correctly and maintain performance, but it will be worth it in the end.
  

Additional hotfixes may be released if players encounter any issues. However, I plan to proceed with the next major update, provided the game is stable and bug-free. Please feel free to drop any feedback, suggestions, or issues in the Steam forums or on the game's Discord. Thank you for your continued support.

[p]Greetings Pilgrims;[/p][p]In this all-new 1.5 update, we have added an extensive suite of customization options. Along with those options come a few new pieces of gear, technology, and tools to help you acquire and analyze alien samples, unlocking additional options.[/p][p][/p][h3]First Some Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Addressed several issues with drones[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with platinum drills[/p]
• [p]Fixed some language errors[/p]
• [p]Added some stability to prevent crashes during large, fast item transfers[/p]
• [p]Reduced some colonist demands performance-wise[/p]
• [p]Tweaked some numbers for alien bugs to try and find the right balance across all difficulty settings[/p]

[p]Now on to the main course[/p][p][/p][h3]How Do We Customize[/h3][p][/p][p]To access the new customization options, you will need to build a "Colony Customization Center" located on the "Basic Base Constructor".[/p][p]I wanted to keep this new facility accessible early on, including in the demo, but it does have a hefty funding cost to unlock. However, it is cheap and easy to make once unlocked.[/p][p]With this new facility, there are four sections. "Base Customization", "Light Customization", "Colonist Customization", and an "Alien Sample Analyzing Station".[/p][p]You can access each section by interacting with the corresponding stations in the room.[/p][p][/p][h3]What Can We Customize[/h3][p][/p][p]For the base, you can set a color variant and choose from a variety of textures. The default remains the one you have known so far, but you can now use a bunch of new textures to mix up the style of your base.[/p][p]For lights, you can set colors for both regular lights and the red alert light.[/p][p]For colonists, you can set the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors for their uniforms and change their names.[/p][p][/p][h3]Customization Progression[/h3][p][/p][p]To unlock additional color and texture options, you will need to acquire and analyze alien samples. These samples can be collected using the new "Alien Sample Collector" tool found on the "Tool and Power Constructor". Once equipped in a quick slot, they can be used and consumed much like other foods and potions. Provided you are inside one of the radiation caves or on an expedition, you will acquire a numbered sample for that area. If you consume a sampler in a non-alien area, it will be consumed and return no sample.[/p][p]Once you have a sample in hand, you can head to the analyzer in the "Colony Customization Center," open the menu, and click to analyze that sample. Each sample only needs to be analyzed once.[/p][p]Once a sample has been analyzed, a portion of the variations will unlock for the other customization menus. What unlocks is based on the sample collected.[/p][p][/p][h3]Additional Gear[/h3][p][/p][p]I have added a chest armor that protects you from radiation inside the radiated caves.[/p][p]I have added an underwater helmet that allows you to breathe underwater(New underwater caves and adventures may be coming soon).[/p][p]You can find both of these new pieces of equipment on the "Basic Manufacturer" and must first be unlocked in the "Research Center" to gain access to them.[/p][p][/p][h3]What Is Next[/h3][p][/p][p]Obviously, if there are any reported issues, I will move quickly to address them, but my long-term plan is no updates for a while. I aim to collaborate with artists to create entirely new visuals for machines and facilities. If successful, I would love to redo the base visuals and take their quality up, while also remaking or resizing some modules to make them more uniform and logical. Base building is part of the game's puzzle, but some sections feel odd compared to others. Implementing uniform dimensions, rotation options, and snap changes would significantly advance base building.[/p][p]I expect this next major step to take 6 months or more, but it will be well worth the effort. Stay up-to-date on the latest work by joining the game's Discord. I will be available to fix issues and communicate with anyone. When ready, I will start working on what I consider the 2.0 update for the game. It will be challenging and time-consuming, but ultimately, it will make the game better. Following that update, if things work out as I envision, I plan to do a free DLC planet.[/p][p]Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you'll continue to watch this game as it develops towards its final form.[/p]

[p]Greetings Pilgrims;[/p][p][/p][p]This small patch addresses some issues reported with the latest 1.4 update, which I recently launched.[/p][p][/p]

• [p]The advanced farm inventory was increased to 20 to make logistics easier[/p]
• [p]Some typos were found and fixed in a variety of menus[/p]
• [p]Drones no longer take raw foods from the auto-cooker[/p]
• [p]Drones no longer take ores from the refiner, only bars[/p]
• [p]Fixed an incorrect title in the Research Menu[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with teleporting inside your base from the teleport facility that would cause your oxygen to drain[/p]

[p]There are still a few changes and improvements I want to make to the drone system, but they are larger in scope and will require more time. I intend to incorporate some of the larger changes into the next major update, scheduled for October.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for your continued support. Please reach out if you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improving our existing systems. I am always open to your feedback.[/p]

[p]Greetings Pilgrims;[/p][p]I am pleased to announce that update 1.4 is now live, featuring some amazing automation and logistical additions that the game has needed to tie late-game base/colony management together. As well as some other significant changes and tweaks based on player feedback.[/p][p]It will not make any older saves unplayable. However, depending on how progressed an older save is, some newer additions might not be available in your playthrough. Many changes and additions will benefit older saves, but some of the newer facilities, machines, and tools may not appear in your blueprints if you have progressed past certain stages.[/p][p]With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get into the patch notes.[/p][h3]
Changes And Tweaks[/h3]

• [p]Variety of fixes for the recycler for items that yielded the incorrect returns or weren't recycled. [/p]
• [p]Reduced the "Mission Control" from the advanced base constructor to the basic base constructor, and made it cost simple iron ore. You can only place one mission control, which you start with. However, if you lose or misplace that mission control, you will be in big trouble progression-wise. This change makes that no longer an issue.[/p]
• [p]I added an upgrade for the advanced refinery that adds an auto-refine option for the facility. It still requires a worker to function, but you can now open the auto-refine menu from the console added to the facility, select the type of bars you wish to be auto-refined, and then start the auto-refining process. The refinery will then use any materials in storage to fulfill requests.[/p]
• [p]I have added all bar recipes to the advanced refinery. You can now remove basic refineries to upgrade to advanced refineries if you wish. This change also enables the auto-refining of both basic and advanced bars.[/p]
• [p]I increased the advanced refinery storage to 20 slots to help make life easy.[/p]
• [p]I increased the mess hall storage to 20 slots for the same reason, and the basic refinery received a boost to 16 available slots.[/p]
• [p]I have added a button to the initial supply window that allows you to view and review the starting items every pilgrim has when they launch, helping newer players avoid wasting funding on items they don't need.[/p]
• [p]I have replaced the HUB, located in one of the supply drops on the map, with a storage container. With the addition of the workshop, you no longer need a second HUB early game. [/p]

[h3]
Additions[/h3]

• [p]I added two new foods, a tomato and melon pie, as well as a tomato pie. A player's six-year-old daughter requested this, and I couldn't say no to that.[/p]
• [p]I added a Drone HUB display that shows drone stats and gives access to the drone control menu remotely from wherever you place this in your base.[/p]
• [p]I added an Auto-Cooker that allows you to select recipes to auto-cook, and the machine will generate those recipes if the necessary materials are available in its inventory. You can also access the inventory directly or the settings menu, depending on where you click on the machine. The Auto-Cooker is found on the "Machine Constructor"[/p]
• [p]I have added a new level of logistics to the game in the form of drones. They can be found and utilized from the new "Drone HUB", which is unlocked and crafted on the "Advanced Base Constructor" for a reasonable material cost, only requiring dolomite. Making it available shortly after terraforming begins.[/p][p]There are various upgrades available for the drone hub, which affect movement speed, carry capacity, and recharge time for drones found in the "Research and Development" center.[/p][p]From the Drone HUB, you can open the settings menu to review, assign, or clear any tasks for drones. You can have up to 10 drones at one time, and only one Drone HUB facility can be built. There are approximately 616 separate tasks that you can assign to drones based on your preference. You can move items from any machine, drill, facility, or storage location to any other facility, machine, or storage location.[/p][p]My task preference is raw foods from the advanced farm to the auto-cooker. The auto-cooker goes to the mess hall, the water refinery goes to the mess hall, and then the collection from drills is sent to the auto-refinery or storage. As for what tasks you want to automate, that is up to you. But I wanted to give a system that ensures player freedom.[/p][p]This new Drone HUB makes base and colony management significantly less annoying to deal with in the later game, allowing you to focus on manufacturing advanced items and structures to help push terraforming forward as quickly as possible.[/p]

[h3]
What is Next[/h3][p]This update was substantial and took a lot of work, but should take the game to the next level in terms of automation, logistics, and the late game. After a short break, I will begin work on the next major update, which will center on player customization, expanded creative options, and player choices. This will include aspects such as coloring walls and floors, changing lights, customizing colonist uniforms, adding a base radio, and extra decorations to showcase your style, among other features.[/p][p]It has been great working on the game so far, and the vast majority of feedback from players has been very positive. Thank you to everyone for their continued support, and I hope this new update hits hard. There is still a long way to go to make my final vision for Ceres a reality, but we will get there one patch at a time. You can view the roadmap post in the forums soon to see more of what is coming in the next update, as I will update that post as details get ironed out. Thank you, now get out there and terraform Ceres.[/p]

I have just finished tackling a rather difficult technical issue that was affecting the game. I am not going to get into specifics, but if you want specifics, feel free to come to Discord for a more technical chat. I am happy to announce that I have figured it out, and it will make expanding the game possible.

In this small patch, I have added a few quick fixes for some issues.

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

• I fixed an issue that prevented a supply crate from being looted in the 70% melting ice cave.
  
  
• I fixed an issue that prevented the 70% ice wall from displaying its melt values to players.
  
  
• I have added a small blocking volume to the mess hall above the supply container to prevent colonists from being bumped up on top of the box due to collision. This should no longer be possible.
  
  
• I have added a few dependencies that should elevate some issues for Win 11 users that could result in a crash. Unreal is a great engine, but it is not perfect. I aim for the game to run as best as possible with ideally no crashes, but sometimes, things can happen for Unreal and Windows run-time operations. I plan to elevate some of this with this patch, but I will continue to do my best to optimize and improve the game as we continue to develop and move the game forward.
  

That is it for this small hotfix. This patch should wrap up the 1.2 patch, and we can look to the 1.3 build. I am keeping new content separate for the time being from the main build in case any issues do arise that need a hotfix. Still, I am hopeful we can move forward fully with 1.3, which will center around logistics and automation. Thank you for your continued support, and if you want to get involved or stay up-to-date with the development, consider joining Discord. Take care out there, pilgrims.