ASTRONEER News

The Verdant Update

Hey friends! Joe here with patch notes and an overall update on our progress for the year so far!

The Verdant Update is all about the green thumbs out there, with a brand new item and a completely new way to harness the power of organic without having to destroy the beautiful landscapes on planets. As stated in our roadmap, the Verdant Update is the first of two smaller content updates for the year as we gear up and work on our upcoming expansion that will be releasing in the fall. (More on that later)

Feature Updates

This update is all about harnessing the power of plants in a “sustainable” way. The Tapper can be placed on “tappable” plants that now spawn in biomes on several planets. The best part? These tappable plants can be uprooted, giving you seeds that will then allow you to plant tappable plants anywhere that is convenient! Start planting your little space orchards!

[h2]New Item – The Tapper [/h2]

Place the tapper on any tappable plant and it will automatically generate organic that you can then feed into your crafting system, automate into carbon for power, or gather for LTEs. It doesn’t require power to operate, but it does take time for the organic to form. Warning: placing multiple tappers on one plant will split the overall output of organic from one tapper between all of the connected tappers.

Recipe - 1 Aluminum

[h2]New Flora - Tappables [/h2]

Tappable plants are a new class of flora in Astroneer that spawn across the solar system. Place a tapper on them in the wild for some organic on the go, or uproot them for their precious seeds so you can plant some near your base for some organic farming. They also are great for adding a little bit of green around your base as decoration. While we are only allowing you to farm organic right now, we would love to hear about other tappable types you might want in the future.

All existing hazards and harmless flora are also tappable
5 New Tappable Variants
• Plumefir - Sylva
• Cactile - Calidor
• Glacio - Pricklepod
• Stretchpetal - Vesania
• Honeypot - Atrox

[h2]NEW BUNDLE – BUMBLE SET [/h2]

Since this update is all about plants, we are releasing the very fitting Bumble Bundle in Exo Outfitters! Get to buzzing around the solar system with this full set.

[h2]FUTURE UPDATES: [/h2]
This is a new section I will be including in patch notes this year to tease you all with the upcoming content that will be (potentially) be releasing in Astroneer, with the hope that things can be a bit more predictable for everyone. If you missed it, we plan on releasing two smaller content updates, The Verdant Update, and a yet to be named update in the Summer.

The Summer Update - While we are still in concept, here are some teasers for some new large structures that we are thinking about adding to make exploration more exciting!

Any suggestions for large structures that you would want to see while you are exploring?

Glitchwalker Expansion – Work on the expansion is going well! We are spec-ing and concepting for the new content. We can’t share much, but I will say that we are going for a bit of a twist on the default Astroneer experience so we can offer some gameplay challenges that the current game does not support. I promise I will talk more about this soon on our Youtube channel and on Twitch!

Player Survey – Want to help us make Astroneer better? Want to tell us a joke? Got a piece of feedback? Fill out our Player Survey 001 and let us know what is on your mind.

Bugs:

[h3]The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.30.12.0: [/h3]

AS-20050: In Multiplayer, all players should now receive all the LTE points that they sent on a request rocket whether they are Host, Client, or another DS player.
AS-19803: Both Host and Clients should now see their point progress correctly in the EXO Request Platform control panel when playing with a client that has the same number of LTE points, or more LTE points than the Host.
AS-20038: In Multiplayer, Clients should now hear destruction SFX when a harmless hazard is harvested
AS-20010: Harmless Hazards should no longer produce debris when blown up by dynamite
AS-20066: Power Puzzle box tops should pop open less aggressively
AS-18959: Storage Sensors should now function for Trade Platforms
AS-6586: Quick Stowing drilled items should now properly slot into the backpack
AS-20004: The MOTD menu should no longer open in the background while Player is in the Store
AS-20037: Explosive Personality name now displays without clipping the hat in the Customization Menu
AS-20003: If a player has not previously acquired the Starter Bundle, they should now be able to see it available in the store

Ok that is all, thanks for reading!

-jt

Breakdown

HOTFIX 1: This Hotfix addresses the lids of Puzzle Boxes colliding with the items inside causing them to scatter. Lids may still pop high in the low gravity environment.

Other minor fixes include additional localization and other text-based changes.

Embark on a fun new adventure in the new Breakdown Event, unfolding in three stages. You'll delve deep underground encountering peculiar, yet oddly familiar assortments of items and resources in bizarre configurations.

Trigger the Breakdown Event by completing the Battery Backup mission and claiming the mission reward at any Landing Pad. Next, open your compass and equip your drill as you make your way into the caves to uncover the mysteries below. Fulfill the requirements presented in the EXO Request Platform to begin mending the anomalies within the system.

Dive into all three stages of the event for a triple dose of adventure!

Stage 1: Monday, January 29
Stage 2: Monday, February 5
Stage 3: Monday, February 12
Event Ends: Sunday, April 7

[h2]EXO Dynamics rewards contributions with: [/h2]

2,619 Points: NEW “Baublegum” Visor
111, 519 Points: NEW “Liminal Leak” Palette
000000 Points:
888,888 Points: NEW “Explosive Personality” Hat
Useful incremental rewards along the way and randomized recurring rewards at the end of the event – including useful resources, Rail components, QT-RTGs, Portable Smelters, and Dynamite!

The EXO Request Platform is now more accessible with reduced byte costs and a simpler recipe.

Byte Cost: 1,500 Bytes
Resource Cost: 1 Resin, 2 Compound

[h2]Five-Year Anniversary Hat [/h2]

Astroneer is turning 5 years old! Whether you’ve been with us for 5 minutes or 5 years, we want to thank you for being part of our continued success. Visit EXO Outfitters in February to claim your exclusive Fifth Anniversary party hat for free! Here’s to many more years of fun, friendship, and adventure together!

[h2]Bugs: [/h2]
The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.29.90.0:

Audio:
• AS-5646: The correct SFX play now when a resource is consumed by a puzzle

Cosmetics:
• AS-19100: The Contour Palette should now appear correctly on all Hats and Masks

Custom Games:
• AS-19517: Starting Biome should now be listed in the game configuration page in the Astropedia

Intro:
• AS-19027: The intro cinematic can now be skipped on Xbox

Localization:
• AS-18799: Singular Substance mission description should now be translated in all supported languages
• AS-19750: "Travelling Companion" objectives should now be correctly translated in Russian

Main Menu:
• AS-19881: The Main Menu Message of the Day is now properly hidden upon dismissal when visiting the store customization menu
• AS-19886: The Main Menu Message of the Day can now be closed by clicking the close button
• AS-19804: Images in the Full Screen Message of the Day now have corrected aspect ratio

Multiplayer:
• AS-19763: Clients can no longer join before the host has left their dropship

Tooltips:
• AS-19746: One-time Tooltips should now appear correctly on Rail Post bundles

The best space sandbox game plans an expansion and more for 2024

News of an Astroneer expansion coming in 2024 might be the perfect holiday gift I wasn't expecting to get. Developer System Era Softworks has a huge year planned for my favorite space sandbox game, which it's dubbing the Year of the Glitch. With four content updates planned, culminating in a "full expansion" towards the end of the year, it's going to be a big year for the base-building game. Blending the exploration and crafting of Terraria and Factorio with the space adventures of No Man's Sky and Starfield, it's an exciting time to be an Astroneer lover.

Read the rest of the story...

2024 Roadmap – The Year of the Glitch

Hey friends!

We’ve been alluding to it for a while now, and it’s finally here: Astroneer‘s 2024 roadmap. It’s been almost five years since Astroneer hit 1.0, and we’re honored that you’ve supported us all this time. It’s time for us to shake things up.

TL;DR: In 2024, Astroneers can look forward to four content updates (including a full expansion) as well as light refreshes for all current Limited Time Events (LTEs).

All of the info in this post is subject to change, and because game development is a thing, we could add or cut scope. We are really excited about executing on this roadmap though.

What does that mean???? Well, Astroneer is in its 5th year of development since 1.0, and we think it is time to shake things up a bit. You might have noticed that this year has a name! The roadmap has the word Expansion on it! We are “refreshing” LTE content! Let’s dig into what you can expect.

Y̷͔̾E̵͓̐Â̴͕R̷͚͆ ̴͖̀O̵̢̿F̷̻͊ ̸͓̿T̵̛̫H̸̘̿E̴̙̕ ̴̹͐G̷̥̉L̸̙̿Ĭ̷͉T̶̪͝C̸̫̽Ḣ̷̬

We’ve released over 20 free updates since hitting 1.0, like Creative Mode, Automation, Wanderer, and more recently, narrative-focused updates like Awakening, Rails, and Xenobiology. This year is different. We’re in a post-Awakening world, and everything is not what it seems. The world is changing…

Expansion??

Every update in the Year of the Glitch will contain new content and lore building towards a ~mystery~ expansion planned for the end of 2024. We’d like to keep things under wraps for now, but one thing should be clear: the spring and summer updates are “smaller,” as we’ll be focused on a much larger update for the end of the year. It’s still too early to share in-depth details, but we want to maintain transparency and let players know what to expect. It’s going to be a big jump forward for Astroneer.

Refreshes

In between content releases, we’ve been running our LTEs with new rewards, and this year will be no different. However, we acknowledge that the events themselves haven’t changed much. This year, we plan on doing some balance passes, releasing new rewards, and in some cases, making alterations to events. In fact, we’re kicking off the year in January with a brand new one. Stay tuned for more details!

Alright, that’s all I have for this one. Thanks again, and I hope you all are as excited as we are to continue exploring the world of Astroneer.

-jt

Project CHEER Delivery Event

Hey all! Can’t believe it is already December, some kind of big things have changed since our last update, but we are still the same System Era. Click here to read more. As far as Astroneer goes, I have some good news and bad news. The good: Astroneer will see a full roadmap of updates in 2024!!! The bad? We still have a bit of rough weather to work through so we aren’t quiiiite ready yet to share more details about the plan. Rest assured we have new items, missions, and gameplay planned to ship throughout the year.

As far as this update, make sure you finish Project C.H.E.E.R. for those sweet rewards, but this one was mostly focused on squashing a lot of bugs. Some particularly nasty ones like the Custom Game “No Starting Shelter” progress bug have been fixed so get back into those speed runs!

Ok that is all for now, but expect some more comms from me soon with some delicious leeks for next year’s content.

-joe

PROJECT C.H.E.E.R DELIVERY EVENT RETURNS!

Container wrecks have been spotted on Sylva, Desolo, Calidor, and Glacio surrounded by various toys and debris. Production-minded Astroneers can create fresh toys via the Small Printer using Scrap and other resources.

To get started, print the EXO Request Platform. You can unlock this blueprint on the third page of your Research Catalog and print it with the Medium Printer using 2 pieces of Resin and 1 piece of Ceramic, which is refined from smelting raw Clay. You can find both raw resources on the surface of any planet or extract them using the Soil Centrifuge.

Packaged toys are worth different point amounts when shipped:

20 Points – Automaton 001s & 002s
35 Points – Cubic Objects
50 Points – Stellar Objects
75 Points – Cosmic Baubles (Printable from Small Printer)
125 Points – Astral Figurines (Found on Glacio)

EXO Dynamics rewards packages received with:

1500 Points – Holiday Throwback Bundle
Contains cosmetics rewarded from previous years:
◦ Palette: “Carbonated”
◦ Emote: “Shiver”
◦ Hat: “Seasonal Allure”
3500 Points – Palette: “Rockstar”
10000 Points – Suit: “Hard Suit”

EXO Dynamics supplies useful items and resources along the way to boost your recovery or production efforts. Randomized recurring rewards are available after completing the main event including:

Resin, Clay, Graphite
Packagers & Dynamite
Copper, Iron, Titanium, Tungsten
Small Power Items
Hydrazine & Jet Packs
EXO Chips & Portable Smelters
QT-RTGs

[h2]Tether Toppers [/h2]

Multi-colored lights return to adorn the tether lines of intrepid Astroneers! Use them as decorations, in support of your construction projects, or simply enjoy their merry glow.

[h2]The following bugs have been fixed as of version 1.29.61.0 [/h2]
We managed to crush a lot of bugs in this one!

AS-16639: The Wanderer Suit should now unlock when playing offline or with poor connection
AS-18095: One Time Tooltips are now being saved correctly. Player should no longer see them appear after the item is used
AS-18155: Packager’s indicator light, tooltip and behavior are now updating correctly when the state of a resource canister changes while the packager is attached
AS-19316: Players should no longer spawn multiple Xenobiology labs
AS-19471: Gateways should now provide oxygen
AS-19463: If a player quits while in orbit, a new warning pop-up message will alert them about losing save and equipment

[h3]Limited Time Events and Missions [/h3]

AS-18855: Completed LTE missions are now being removed from the Rewards section of the Mission Log
AS-19038: LTE points should no longer appear to reset after the game is resumed from a console's rest mode
AS-19434: LTE mission prompts should no longer immediately show up in their mission log after landfall
AS-19504: During an active LTE, LTE items that the player has not interacted with should no longer disappear entirely on Save/Load

[h3]Custom Games [/h3]

AS-19283:Player progression is no longer blocked if players start with no Starting Shelter
AS-19322: Setting Starting Bytes to Maximum allowed amount no longer prevents new schematics from being unlocked in the Research Catalogue
AS-19356: Cached Custom Games Config data is now correctly saved
AS-19367: When starting with No Shelter config, all Players in a MP session should now see the Astroneering Bas(e)ics under their completed/rewards missions in the Mission Log
AS-19419: Players can no longer use illegal characters in custom configuration game save names
AS-19449: Custom Games SES Promoted Game Configurations should now sort in a consistent order on all consoles now, from lowest to highest by share code
AS-19464: Players can no longer use a colon in a custom game's save name (as it is an illegal character)
AS-19465: Custom game config save names are limited to less than total 45 characters
AS-19468, AS-19207: Disabling Printers Item Bundle and disabling the XL Rover item no longer block mission progression items from being available

[h3]Localization [/h3]

AS-19029, AS-19516: Confirmed Princess log entry is correct in Russian
AS-19371: Tungsten should now be consistently translated in Polish
AS-19357: Fractal Rose Seed description should now be correct in Russia
AS-18799: Singular Substance description shoul be translated in every supported language

[h2]The following is still a known issue as of version 1.29.61.0: [/h2]

AS-19640: Clients in a Multiplayer session do not receive the PUM-KN Shelter during the Fall LTE
AS-19678: In Custom Games Configs, setting Decorators to 0 in Calidor Caves stops shells from spawning

Thanks for reading and talk soon!