ASTRONEER News

Dedicated servers are now live in Astroneer, and as an added bonus, all the performance upgrades we made to enable 8 players on servers means multiplayer on all platforms should be running significantly faster.





Creative Mode Drone



Players in Creative Mode now have access to Aero, the Camera Drone that enables ‘photo mode’! The Drone has a ‘free camera’ mode that allows the player to control and position a camera independently of the character. The player is able to prepare composed screenshots (both with filters and hidden UI). Use your Aero to show off creative mode work, create videos, or capture screenshots of your Astroneer shenanigans.
https://youtu.be/gSrz_-8-bSk
Using the Drone does not pause the game, and the player is able to freely toggle back and forth between Drone and character movement, while leaving the Drone’s view-port active. This can provide a steady perspective while working on large-scale sculptures, or a director's cam while your Astroneer performs on the grand stage.

Dedicated Servers

Dedicated Servers are now live in Astroneer! You can purchase them from our official server partner, Nitrado, (link to purchase) or host your own using these steps: (Astroneer host your own server instructions here) This also means that Astroneer now supports cross play (Xbox - Windows 10 - Steam) and up to 8 players when playing on official dedicated servers.

Some details about this dedicated servers in Astroneer:

• Nitrado servers are the only way to play on a server and still unlock cosmetics, unlock achievements and enable cross play.
  
• We are evaluating cross play for PS4 and hope to add that functionality at a later date.
  
• Host your own servers will receive all the same updates as the main game
  
• We will be offering support for host your own servers, but only related to gameplay issues. We cannot troubleshoot issues with local networks, firewalls, ports, hardware etc...
  
• We don't currently have a linux version of the dedicated server software
  
• 
  

Performance Optimizations

• Fixed bug that could cause performance to tank for clients in multiplayer games, especially on PS4.
  
• Heavily optimized animation and character movement updates to improve performance, especially in multiplayer games with high player counts.
  
• Various performance improvements to gameplay systems.
  
• Various stability fixes.
  

The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.12.95.0

We fixed over 150 bugs since our last update, including the following:

MULTIPLAYER:

• [AS-6000] - After the outro, station now reverts to the correct location and client is able to successfully travel to the station
  
• [AS-9362] - Client's loading bar will now reflect player’s loading progress correctly when joining an MP session
  
• [AS-7354] - Client and Host see same VFX when digging up hazards besides poppers
  
• [AS-7941] - Drill can now be detached from crane by either player in a multiplayer session
  
• [AS-8936] - Player cannot earn achievements in creative mode, even in a dedicated server session
  
• [AS-9479] - Client is able to use the Research Chamber while in a dedicated server session
  
• [AS-9635] - Client will no longer see a variety of items floating in the air when slotted while the client exits relevance
  
• [AS-10294] - Client performance over time should now stay at 30fps
  
• [AS-10782] - Users who install the Windows Update (KB4550945) can now save their game
  
• [AS-10205] - Terrain that was destroyed by dynamite at a far distance stays destroyed no matter the distance
  

For the last two weeks, the System Era team has been gathering every Friday to put on weekly Devstreams to give you all a peek into what content we are working on, and as of this week we can finally reveal that our next big feature will be adding Automation to Astroneer!



Normally we would be releasing vlog content on Youtube to give you a behind the scenes look at how we make things, but all of us have been working from home to stay safe. Instead we decided to do what we are calling QuaranDevStreams and diving into a different part of the work to get Automation ready for the big time each week.

If you want to watch the first two streams, you can check out the VOD's here:

STREAM 1: ART/ANIMATION

STREAM 2: DESIGN/FUNCTIONALITY

and I will share some of the highlights for those who missed them!


First up we talked to Verionica, our Lead Producer, to update our development road map for early Summer! There were two announcements:

[h2]Announcement 1: A new camera drone mode will be shipping in May![/h2] The camera drone will be for players of Creative Mode games, so they can take photos of themselves or of their creations in-game.



[h2]Announcement 2: Automation will be coming to Astroneer in June![/h2] Automation will include new items and modules that will aid Astroneers in creating production pipelines in their bases as well as offloading mundane tasks like sorting resources.

We then joined the art team to show off one of the new Automation items, as well as reveal a new suit! The Art team has been working hard to concept, model, and animate the assets needed for Automation, so we chatted with Gene (Animator) and Spencer (Art Director) to first see some animations, and then to watch Spencer model the new "Frame" Suit.







Stream two was focused primarily on how we handle game design at the studio. First up we had Andre, our Lead Designer, to talk us through the Automation feature and how his team worked through out the details for it. We were then joined by Anthony C. to talk about the early prototypes of the feature and how we got to the current version.





As you can see, Automation development in still in progress, but the team is making incredible progress so we can deliver an awesome new addition to the game in June. There was a lot more that we covered in the streams, so be sure to watch the VODs, but hope this little recap was helpful for those who couldn't!

Next stream will be this Friday, so be sure to follow us on twitch to get notified when we go live!

Cheers!

-jt

EXO Salvage Initiative LTE
Players have been requested to assist EXO in cleaning up all the debris items that are littered around the planets for permanent cosmetic rewards and in-game goodies.

Of particular interest are any large cargo containers that have gone missing from EXO's manifests – return these for major points! Rumor has it that these fell only on a few planets, but have caused a delightful atmospheric effect…

This event introduces secondary rewards that are delivered to players via a return rocket at the EXO Request Platform.
Event Rewards

• “Turret-a-porter” Mask - Rewarded after achieving 1500 recovery points
  
• “4ML A-TYRE” Hat - Rewarded after achieving 5000 recovery points
  
• “Salvage Chic” Palette - Rewarded after achieving 8000 recovery points
  
• Useful incremental and recurring rewards along the way!
  

Destructive debris generation & resource collection

• Players are now able to destroy T4 or “massive” debris objects found in the world using Dynamite. Larger debris objects will be reduced to a collection of generic new smaller tier scrap components.
  
• Destroying T2 and T3 objects with dynamite also creates a collection of smaller size scrap components.
  
• Dynamite can now be used to collect resource nuggets from resource deposits.
  

The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.11.61.0

Dynamite:

• [AS-3675] - Hazard plants no longer remain floating when detonating dynamite near them
  
• [AS-4855] - Grass decorators no longer remain floating when detonating terrain
  
• [AS-4980] - Resources no longer remain floating when destroying terrain with dynamite.
  
• [AS-9055] - Decorators on non-Terran planets with T1 or T2 research objects attached to them no longer float when they are dug up using dynamite.
  
• [AS-9718] - Player should no longer blow up their own terrain tool
  
• [AS-9868] - Dynamite | T1 items can no longer be destroyed by dynamite if placed directly on top of them
  
• [AS-10372] - Rover Seat, Large Rover Seat, and Crane can be destroyed with dynamite
  
• [AS-10511] - EXO Research Aids base now generates debris when blown up
  

Multiplayer:

• [AS-8286] - The game no longer severely hitches when the host uses the trade platform for the first time in a session
  

General:

• [AS-8094] - Color palette names are now consistent in Spanish
  
• [AS-9050] - Standard cursor is no longer overlapped by a bigger cursor that is delayed
  
• [AS-9465] - German and Dutch now use "STARTEN" on Exo Request Platform control panel
  
• [AS-9566] - Slotting behavior of items is now consistent when placing them with the cursor
  
• [AS-9933] - Single Tethers, Extenders and Glowsticks can be shredded
  
• [AS-9939] - Power will no longer be drained by EXO Research Aids and debris POIs when power cell is depleted
  
• [AS-10402] - Drills and Pavers no longer enter a bad state when a second drill or paver is packaged on the same AUX slot of an XL Rover
  

Steam players should receive this update today, March 10, 2020.

We have introduced a new item to help players achieve truly flat surfaces, the leveling block! Use them in Creative Mode to snap to the existing voxel grid to create flat surfaces that automatically snap to each other.



For now, the leveling block only exists in Creative mode, but we will evaluate how we can roll it out into the main game without completely breaking the soil economy!
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Small scrap items in the world can now be bundled for easier transport! T1 scrap objects will now bundle into a single T1 Scrap Bundle much like Tethers, Glowsticks, and Extenders. It takes five T1 scrap objects to create one full Scrap Bundle, but once a scrap object has been added to a Scrap Bundle, it can not be removed. T1 Scrap Bundles are shreddable in all shredders.


- Implemented performance optimizations to base game systems to continue improving framerate across the board.
- Implemented performance optimizations to speed up processing for hazard behavior and planet particle effects.
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.10.97.0
[h2]General[/h2]

• - [AS-9879] - After a mysterious absence, Geysers are back on Desolo!
  
• - [AS-3952] - Client is now able to see a geyser exploding when it has been dug up.
  
• - [AS-5144] - Geyser explosion VFX now match the color of the geyser that is exploding.
  
• - [AS-5583] - All Hazard SFX should no longer cut off early or not play at all
  
• - [AS-6717] - Control Panels and Catalogs will no longer remain open when a player enters a shuttle or vehicle.
  
• - [AS-7191] - Spewer SFX have been restored.
  
• - [AS-8830] - Atmospheric Condenser, Small Printer, Medium Printer, and Large Printer can now all be stopped by pressing the A button twice on Xbox controllers.
  
• - [AS-9207] - All the creative mode options are set to their defaults when start a new creative mode game after skipping the tutorial.
  
• - [AS-9502] - Creative mode catalog button is correctly illuminated.
  
• - [AS-9536] - Loose tethers, glowsticks, and extenders will no longer freeze when hovering cursor over any slot greater than T1.
  
• - [AS-9589] - The Player landing a shuttle will retain control of the shuttle even if another user enters a seat attached to that shuttle.
  
• - [AS-9595] - The resources in the control panel now light up when the client player has them in their backpack, the same way that they do for the host player.
  
• - [AS-9604] - Key inputs for the AUX slots on the buggy are correctly oriented.
  
• - [AS-9662] - Powerflow will now correctly change when a player connects power to an extender.
  
• - [AS-9706] - Research Sample tooltip UI now correctly disappears when the sample is scanned.
  
• - [AS-9719] - Large Printer now prints slottable items onto T4 slots.
  
• - [AS-9763] - Bouncing and knocking hazards grown from seed by the player will no longer disappear when loading a saved game.
  
• - [AS-9830] - Bundles placed on the same slot of any tier will now fill existing bundles on that slot.
  
• - Multiplayer
  
• - [AS-9600] - Client's grab line and item highlight no longer disappears for items that were quick-stowed from carry.
  
• - [AS-9856] - Client can now see VFX when digging up a Spewflower, Hissbine, or Boomalloon.
  
• - [AS-9857] - Client is able to interact with seeds and researchables that are spawned when destroying Hazards.
  
• - [AS-9870] - Client players are now able to add Tethers, Glowsticks, Extenders and Debris to partial bundles by using their cursor
  

[h2]Localization[/h2]

• - [AS-8094] - Spanish Localization inconsistencies between color palette names have been fixed.
  
• - [AS-9465] - German and Dutch now both use "STARTEN" instead of "START" on the EXO Request Platform control panel.
  
• - [AS-9520] - A player-reported Portugese localization error has been fixed. “Aguarde” has been replaced with “Segure” for (HOLD) interactions.
  
• - [AS-9910] - The first O in "СТАРОТОВЫЙ" is now removed and now correctly reads "СТАРТОВЫЙ" in Russian.
  
• - [AS-10219] - Inhibitor Mod is now called “INIBITORE” in both the catalog and the backpack printer in Italian.
  

Thanks so much for reading! Look out for an announcement next week regarding our next big content update! 🏗️

-jt

Steam players should receive this update today, January 24th, 2020.

This is a performance and quality of life focused patch that greatly improves framerates in multiplayer sessions. While testing this in house, we have been seeing speeds boosted significantly (2x-3x!) when playing with others. We are really happy with the results, but please let us know how things are going when playing with friends in all of your big saves. Work will continue on performance in both multiplayer and singleplayer and we will be keeping you all updated as we progress.

This update also includes a slew of quality of life upgrades and some experimental changes to terrain that should greatly improve the control that you have to make flat surfaces for a much cleaner look. Let us know what you think!



Hot Swap Functionality
Players can now swap current held item when placing item on a currently occupied slot when clicked. If there is no empty slot, then the item your cursor is hovering over will be swapped with the item you are holding!

Updated shreddable objects
Overhauled the properties of existing objects such as debris and platforms so that everything of large (Tier 3) size or smaller can be shredded to unify the shredding behavior of crafted objects and debris items to be consistent across the entire size set. Players now have a reliable way to remove objects from the game for scrap or to reduce clutter

• Medium Shredder: Shreds all T1 Objects
  
• Large Shredder: Shreds all T2 & T1 Objects
  
• XL Shredder: Shreds all T3, T2, & T1 Objects
  

Air Controls
Players can now toggle between roll or yaw vehicle controls mid-air by pressing the corresponding input:

• [Left shift] key on keyboard
  
• X on Xbox Controller
  
• Square on PS4 controller
  

Augment Power Toggle
Augments placed on the terrain tool can be toggled on or off via the corresponding use input while you have an augment highlighted:

• [F] key on keyboard
  
• X on Xbox controller
  
• Square on PS4 Controller
  

Low Storage UI
On Xbox and PC, if a save fails for any reason you should now see a popup notifying you of it. The pause menu will display error information about the last failed save. If it fails to save on quit, it will abort the quit, notify you that the save failed, and prompt you again to see if you want to cancel the quit or actually quit.

On Xbox and Windows 10, there's an indication on the list of saved games that shows up if your save storage space is nearly full.

On Xbox and Windows 10, if an individual save file is getting close to the limit for save storage, then a warning will be shown in the pause menu while that save file is loaded.
Choose Language UI
Players can now change the displayed language in game via the options menu.

Return To Shelter
Added a new menu option in the Quit tab of the main menu that allows you to return to your starting shelter! Use this to get out of sticky situations where your new save point has your save soft locked.

• [Several tasks] Heavily optimized Unreal’s replication graph and added the Net-dormancy concept to many object types in order to cut down multiplayer lag/replication time by, depending on game state and save, up to a factor of 11 (This will be further improved with future revisions as we will add Dormancy to more object types)
  
• Optimized power system to now work fully time sliced and async, thus saving up to 70% Game Thread time
  
• Optimized Entity Component system book keeping loops to only run when needed
  
• Optimized wind and solar panels to update in a time sliced manner, thus having a fixed performance footprint instead of scaling linearly
  
• Optimized some expensive loops in VoxelVolume component that handle the finding of relevant nodes for all viewers (i.e. players)
  
• Optimized the Researchable entity component loop to now also operate time sliced at a fixed cost
  
• Optimized the way we handle Gravity.
  

That is all! Thanks for reading! Next time we talk I will be sharing more details about the roll out of dedicated servers!

-jt