Empyrion - Galactic Survival News

The updated Alien Planet

Update: May 29, 2019 (Build 2483)
- Fixed: Chat message exception

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Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Welcome to the third installment of Alpha 10 Experimental, where we added even more new stuff for your enjoyment! This time we introduced a highly requested balancing parameter for shields (recharge delay when the shield is hit) and a hotkey to activate / deactivate the shield. In addition, we added a first batch of new window shapes (Heavy Windows for testing), as well as more variants for doors and shutters.

Moreover, the new blockshapes menu can now be configured with less hassle: We renamed all the internal ‘key names’ that are used in the config file. Now, you simply need to skip the blank of the localized name. If you want to add ‘Ramp C Low’ to a slot, simply use ‘RampCLow’ - and so on. You do not need to dig through the Loca file or other configs anymore!

Please check the Experimental forum for our feedback threads where we are now asking about your ‘Basic Shapes’ (or ‘Favorite Shapes’) recommendations:
https://empyriononline.com/forums/experimental-features-discussion.35/

One word about the current development plan since some of you asked how long the Experimental phase will still last. At the moment, we do not yet have a fixed release date for the A10 public release other than early-to-mid June. We plan to stick with the major EXP update at least once per week until we think the Experimental version is ready for release - or the feedback given indicates that some features might require a bigger player base, while all the breaking bugs are solved.

Thanks in advance for your dedicated help! Please keep reporting bugs in our bug forum and please revisit issues that you had and bump threads if they are not solved, although listed as solved in the changelist below: https://empyriononline.com/forums/bugs.34/

Enjoy EXP Phase III!

Yours,

Emp Dev Team

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CHANGELOG: Alpha EXPERIMENTAL 10.2 (Build 2481)

Shield Update:
- Add 5 sec “recharge delay” (cooldown) for shields, each time the shield is hit. This will reset the regeneration countdown and prevent recharging as long as the shield is ‘under fire’.

- Added hotkey “X” for activating / deactivating shield generator (default key can be remapped)
- Adapted color of shield particle effect: instead of green, it is now purple/blueish (to reflect color of Pentaxid)
- "Shield" console command now shows also shield charge in percentage

Additions:
- Added more heavy window shapes

- Added more variants for Hangar Doors, Shutter Doors and Shutter Ramps (new blocks still need balancing)

Block Shapes:
- Renamed many block shapes for consistency (no impact on save games)
- Added "Basic Shapes" tab in shape window

- "All Shapes" tab now display shapes without line break > they now fit on 2 pages

Gameplay:
- Auto level player when near water line to avoid being in an in-between state above/below water

- Added large drill module to techtree and templates
- Display "last base attack time" in the Statistics Panel

Visuals:
- Increased resolution of displays for Constructors
- Lerping shield + power values in control panel for better visuals
- Reduced intensity of fog on volumetric lights
- Block preview: wire frame tiles now on each block
- Slightly updated Boarding Ramps
- Playfield tweaks on Alien, Barren, Ocean (clouds, weather, terrain textures)

Config.ecf Update:
- Renamed some hangar doors for consistency (now their internal names indicate their size)
> Config.ecf has to be adapted (increased number to 6)

Changes:
- Reduced attack damage of Alien Bug 02 (also slightly for 03 and 04)
- Driller: outputting bedrock and indestructible message also when drilling with HV
- Changed new chat's internal command prefix from '/' to ':'
- Drilling: added message when trying to drill bedrock or any terrain layer that is too hard for the driller
- Temporarily disabled Ocean Planet in random scenarios (until playfield is better optimized)
- Updated several POIs with better offset, terrain removal or flatten settings

Modding Changes:
- Changed: New ModApi is no longer a static class but an instance of the new interface IModApi, new mods need a class that implements IMod (analogous to the former ModInterface)
- Playfield server now also operates mods (independent of EAC usage)
- Moved chat message functionality from IGui to IApplication since IGui is only available in client mods
- Delivering the mini DemoMod no longer as zip (you should delete Content/Mods/DemoMod.zip) but as a folder with files
(however, the mod dll is configured as inactive - see DemoMod_Info.yaml for details)
- Improved documentation
- Old ModGameApi no longer sends the temporary 'Event_ChatMessageEx' event, please use the new ModApi event
(for some time there's still the classic 'Event_ChatMessage' which tries to map the new chat data fields to the old structure)
- It's now allowed to place more than one dll in a mod folder if the corresponding xx_Info.yaml files exist
- Added dedi demo mod (in addition to client demo mod)
- Added IPlayfield.IsPvP, IStructure.IsPowered and IPlayer.SteamId

Updated Console Commands:
- Console 'ba' command now provides feedback to clients in MP.
- Added Epic Armor to console cmd "equip armor"
- Enhanced console command "di damage" to enable per entity debug output on console (only SP)
- When using 'di', now also showing shield information (shield points/percentage/shield state) in the debug panel

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Exception after changing between half & max textures
- Fixed: Shield status not showing on HUD
- Fixed: Several issues with SI (collapse of devices that should not collapse after placement, eg Force Fields, Solar Panels etc)
- Fixed: When you "draw" a line to place multiple blocks at once, SI can break
- Fixed: [Co-op] Not possible to start a coop game 'Data for ClientId not found'
- Fixed: HV / CV DrillLaserBeam Broken
- Fixed: Underwater area grants clear view if player is on the brink of the transition zone
- Fixed: [MP] Player can take damage through intact hull blocks
- Fixed: [MP] Ion cannons can disable shields with 1 shot.
- Fixed: Exit point of certain cockpits is broken
- Fixed: Shield generator lets you place blocks inside it's bounding box
- Fixed: Damage multipliers in Config.ecf > sometimes eg shield multipliers were not taken into account (especially when used with "Ref:" items)
- Fixed: Exception when opening Map Official EXP Server
- Fixed: Color mask on solar panels
- Fixed: Warp lock target HUD object disappearing when re-entering orbit.
- Fixed: Dirt terrain texture did not show for base in BA Attack scenario
- Fixed: Generic Resource texture missing in "te" resource tab
- Fixed: Retractable rocket launcher turret for all structures types has parts still visible when retracted
- Fixed: SSG can't generate playfields anymore
- Fixed: Page Down Logic with blueprints
- Fixed: "Player A has Entered B" System Faction Messages: fixed translation and discarding own messages
- Fixed: Texture problems on Furnishings (Deco) Closet
- Fixed: Barrels of SV Weapon Rocket Launcher were not round due to scaling > replaced model (it is now 1x3x1)
- Fixed: First Person View in open cockpit camera height
- Fixed: Water plane getting cut too early on some beaches
- Fixed: TribalOven: Broken texture
- Fixed: The old ammo box triggers exception when placing a item into any row past row 4 in the UI

The new volumetric lights on CV spotlights


Update: May 23, 2019 (Build 2470)
- Fixed: Problem that "Default Base Attack" scenario was not correctly uploaded to Steam
- Fixed: Force Fields did not work anymore: either always on or always off (eg doors, hangar doors, forcefield devices etc)
- Fixed: Not possible to interact with OxygenStation (BA,CV) - no collision
- Fixed: Auto Miners did not show their beam while mining anymore

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Hi Galactic Survivalists!

We just released Part II of Alpha EXPERIMENTAL 10. Thanks to your dedicated feedback, we already improved a lot of the new features and added a heap of new bug fixes!

Said that, the update also includes a few new features and feature refinements, as you can see from the changelog below.

Among others, we improved the “fixed” drill mode of the Hover Vessel by adding a fine-grained directional steering to the previously fully-locked mode. You can now use W/A/S/D and the arrow keys to precisely navigate your vessel while drilling. In addition, when pressing LMB in fixed mode, your drills will remain active until you press LMB again. Thus, you can now concentrate on moving the vessel (which is slower with fixed-mode activated) and aiming its fixed drills on the target area without the need to hold LMB all the time in order to keep the drills running! Remember the fixed drill mode is activated for HVs that have a drill module with SHIFT-O.

Alpha 10 EXP Part II also adds a completely new scenario, designed around the new “Base Attack” system you already got to know in the first Alpha 10 EXP iteration in standard survival (default-random scenario). But unlike the default-random survival scenario, the Base Attack Scenario will have you starting directly in a contested base. Take your time - but not too long - to familiarize yourself with the compound and ramp up the defences. Waves of drones and troops will come for you! This is a test case not only for the base attack system itself and how it can be scaled as well as an offer for you to easily drop in a COOP game with some friends and have, but also adds the first (code-side) iteration of the redesigned PDA tech - adding more setting and management options by offering C# as an additional PDA scripting language.

If you are a mission designer and are capable of using C#, keep an eye on the latter. We will release more info about that particular topic in the next weeks!

As always with a major EXP update, we worked in some of your feedback, eg., rebalancing, a missing corridor roof block shape, updated base attack rules and more.

There are of course more topics that your feedback encompassed, like balancing of shields, renaming of block shapes, so you can easily set up your own favorite block shape menu and more. Those will be subject of the upcoming EXP phases, so please do not stop giving feedback on those as well! :)

Please find all the changes and additions in the changelog below and do not forget to drop your feedback in our dedicated EXP feedback forum: https://empyriononline.com/forums/experimental-features-discussion.35/

Please keep reporting remaining bugs in our bug forum and please revisit your reported issues if they are already fixed: https://empyriononline.com/forums/bugs.34/

Thanks a lot in advance - and keep on having fun with Alpha EXP 10!

Yours,

Emp Dev Team

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CHANGELOG: Alpha EXPERIMENTAL 10.1 (Build 2468)

Increased Texture Resolution:
- Thanks to Unity 2018.3, we are now able to use ‘Texture Streaming’
We increased the resolution of all textures for our 3d models because we are now able to use Unity's texture streaming


Improved HV Drilling:
- Improved drill mode for HVs

> you can now dig very nice straight tunnels with your HV

> when your HV is in the fixed mode (SHIFT+O), you can now use W/A/S/D and the arrow keys to precisely navigate

> in fixed mode, pressing LMB will enable auto mode of your drills so you do not need to keep LMB pressed

- Added large drill module for HVs

How do you like this new large drill? (we did not yet add it to the tech tree or as a template for constructors - we first wanted to get your feedback about it)

Base Attack Scenario:
- We added a first iteration of a pure base attack scenario
- You will start in a base on a planet that is under attack. The Zirax launch waves of base attacks
- Your goal is to survive as long as possible
- The base attack scenario is intended for SP or COOP


Updated Base Attack in Survival:
- Allow also NPC bases that were captured by the player to be attacked subsequently by Zirax
- Zirax hacking now takes twice as long
- Zirax demolition tool is now half as effective against shields
- Increased HP of Troop Transport

Volumetric Lights for Spotlights:
- We added the volumetric lights now also to other spotlights (eg vessel spotlights or base lights when used in spotlight mode)


Updated Epic Weapons:
- Epic Sniper: does not use laser projectile anymore (uses again standard ammo)
- Epic Laser: now uses blue laser tracer
- Epic Pulse Rifle: now uses green laser tracer
- Assault Rifle (Epic): Increased DMG, Increased Reload Time
- EM Pulse Rifle (Epic): Renamed from Pulse Rifle (Epic), Increased DMG, Increased Reload Time, Small DMG to shields
- Laser Minigun (Epic): Small DMG to shields
- Heavy Sniper Rifle (Epic): Renamed from Epic Sniper Rifle; Significantly increased DMG; Increased Reload Time; Now uses Railgun Bullet; Small damage to HS and CS blocks
- Sniper, Sniper T2: Increased DMG
- Plasma Rifle (Epic); Renamed from Epic Laser Rifle; Increased DMG, Increased DMG vs. Shields; Increased Reload Time
- All Epic weapons: adjusted Rate of Fire

Balancing:
- Rebalanced hitpoints for Boarding Ramps (based on exposed area by 100HP/block)
- Tweaked HV Drills

Other Changes:
- Exported several models into own asset bundle to reduce size of main asset bundle
- Added left/right variants of new armored doors
- PdaScript is now persistent ie it saves its state
- Removed Recoil from Salvage Mode of Survival Tool
- Separated shield generator for SV and HV
- Slightly updated setting for Temperate2 starter planet (start equipment, distribution of POIs etc)
- Muzzle flare less bright on handheld drillers
- Added message when hitting not destructible terrain with the drill
- Updated model of Water Generator

Block Shapes:
- Added missing block corridor shape: WallInteriorCornerOuterRoof
> now you can build a complete room with these corridor shapes
- Improved texture mapping for several block shapes

Optimizations:
- We optimized the spawning of NPCs on planets, which should result in a smoother experience (ie less stuttering) when flying over the planet

Modding:
- Scripts console command is not executed as client with active EAC any more to avoid cheating
- Exporting now "ChildBlocks" to Config.ecf (so you can remove blocks from block groups such as deco block group)
- Added better description for PDA script cmd

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Problem that when core was removed because of SI you could not place another core because of wrong block statistics calculation
- Fixed: When mining with a HV it can get repositioned back above ground
- Fixed: [MP] Shield will temporarily deactivate when changing playfields with SV or CV
- Fixed: SI causing a collapse when using line-plane building
- Fixed: Drilling visualization becomes visible on survival tool when dropped on the ground
- Fixed: When drilling a ore deposit with or without a personal drone the drill can stop drilling until the the cursor is moved again
- Fixed: Concrete & wood stairs are missing other shape selections
- Fixed: Shields stop recharging from 0% until exiting & reloading into the save after being disabled by damage
- Fixed: Some shapes when upgraded by the multitool do not maintain there original shape & get changed to another shape
- Fixed: Grass in wind motion too fast
- Fixed: Space plasma drones can take shields down to 0% with 1 or 2 shots
- Fixed: Exploit - Logistic POI access
- Fixed: Shooting at NPC Commander removes POI completely
- Fixed: Truss blocks when picked up from SI drops are not put into the correct Truss block groups
- Fixed: Screen resolutions may appear repeatedly in video options menu
- Fixed: Underwater area grants clear view if player is on the brink of the transition zone
- Fixed: Water plane sometimes appearing as 'Container'
- Fixed: PdaScript map markers not appearing in co-op mode.
- Fixed: SI collapse reveals NPC or Player Spawner preview (green or red dummy character)
- Fixed: Drill attachment laser showed briefly particle effect on placement
- Fixed: rocket hitting own BA getting stuck
- Fixed: Texture stretching on Rocket Turrets + more exact colliders
- Fixed: Mesh issues with new oxygen station
- Fixed: Difficult to interact with Human Trader (collider was too small)
- Fixed: Exception spam with sub-emitters when using HV Drill Turret
- Fixed: Local Coop server connection problems
- Fixed: Shield-Multiplier issue for handheld Rocket and Plasma Launchers in Config
- Fixed: Space map radar lines showing in sector map.
- Fixed: Exception when opening sector map.
- Fixed: Sometimes planet objects showing up in sector map.
- Fixed: UV issue on QuarterRoundV2 shape
- Fixed: LOD jumping of some asteroids
- Fixed: T3 fuel tank gets tilted slightly when orientated to be flat on a surface
- Fixed: In the vessels part of the Robinson Protocol changed Hover Thrusters to Ground Repulsor Engine
- Fixed: Damage state of Radar (Deco) had no textures
- Fixed: Health bar indicator for Asteroid Resource + removed level label
- Fixed: Issue with billboards after changing textures & playfields
- Fixed: Old mechanical drill was still purchasable from trader
- Fixed: Locked sector HUD element is now orange again
- Fixed: Several internal exceptions

Update: May 16, 2019 (Build 2450) - Client only

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Exception when drilling underwater rocks

==========

Update: May 16, 2019 (Build 2449)

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Dynamic HP calculation incorrect for some small armored steel blocks
- Fixed: No frames on windows on first game start
- Fixed: Water plane is blocking buildings blocks & terrain placeable devices from being placed
- Fixed: Loading of mods in client and playfield server even if not specified
- Fixed: Multi-player choose planet window localizing planet class.
- Fixed: Sometimes exception triggered after killing a NPC
- Fixed: Filler function of T2 Drill is producing Iron Textured terrain
- Fixed: Templates - Drill T2 required Drill T1 as input
- Fixed: Terrain Shader - Relief not working (only a regression in A10)
- Fixed: Terrain Shader - Cluster scale not working (only a regression in A10)
- Fixed: Some half-size block shapes missing sides when placed next to other blocks
- Fixed: New Armored Door with missing 'part'
- Fixed: Light block of small vessel was difficult to remove (too small collider)
- Fixed: Internal exception found in EXP dedi logs

Changes:
- Increased version number to EXP 10.0.1
- Increased texture resolution for some models (Constructor, Deconstructor, O2 Station, Medic/Clone Station, Shield Generator)
- Improved filler mode on drill: Updated filler texture and improved blending/usage
- When drilling on top soil, dirt is now shown again immediately

==========

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

We are very excited to start the Experimental phase for our upcoming major update. Alpha 10 will feature more than 100 new building block shapes, shields for vessels and bases, a highly improved (and speed up) drilling gameplay, an improved base attack mode, a new tabbed chat for multiplayer and a huge amount of bug fixes, gameplay refinements and other changes!

While many of the changes and improvements are pretty straightforward, the new base attack in Alpha 10 might need some words of explanation: Previously, only drones would attack your base, given some arbitrary rules, like activating the first generator or placing a turret. Starting with Alpha 10, the rules that will now provoke a base attack are much more meaningful and fully tied to the NPC faction system.

Basically, in Alpha 10, the Zirax will attack you with drones AND ground troops, if you manage to pi** them off too much. For example, building a huge base right in front of their noses and rising the hostility will most likely trigger an appropriate response. You better make sure your defenses are up and running, because the drones got more punch and the troopers will not only be able to blast through your walls, but will also attempt to capture your base with their remote hacking devices.

Last but not least, shields will make their first debut in Alpha 10! Shields are available for all vessels and for bases - in different protection levels. Please note, that these are not ‘bubble shields’ but rather are designed as an integrated layer on top of the individual building blocks. This means, even if you are inside a base, the shield is not a barrier, but active on ANY exposed block! Because of that, we call it, a ‘polarization hull shield’, adding a virtual shell with a defined value of hipoints (HP) around your vessel or bases. This of course also means that you or your opponent cannot add or remove or repair blocks or devices (like turrets) in the middle of a fight, as this this would feel like exploiting the polarized hull protection. You will have to make a choice when to activate the shields and when to drop them. ;)

The shields require a shield generator and Pentaxid tank. While the Shield-HP are “loaded” by converting some amount of Pentaxid, the shields themselves of course need some significant amount of power when being activated and run. When the shield is hit by weapon fire, the Shield-HP will drop, but each shield has a recharge rate to counter that to some extent. When the shield is loading up the first time as well as when reactivating a formerly deactivated (but not nullified) shield, you need to consider a cooldown/activation delay. So you cannot simply have a shield shut down and reactivated in no time. But: the shield WILL conserve its HP level when deactivated, and offer the same HP level when being reactivated (of course not instantly, but, as described, after a short load-up time).

As always, concerning any feedback: please give the new version a try and add your feedback afterwards. Some of the mechanics are - as usual - not fully balanced yet and some might see different stages of rebalancing in the EXP phase or afterwards.

Please report any bug in our EXP Bug Forum: https://empyriononline.com/forums/bugs.34/
Please read the HOW TO REPORT A BUG ahead of adding a new thread: https://empyriononline.com/threads/read-before-reporting-bug-report-template-requirements-known-issues.47118/

Thanks a lot for your dedicated help!

Have fun playing Alpha 10 EXP! :)

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CHANGELOG: Alpha EXPERIMENTAL 10 (Build 2446)

MAIN FEATURES:

1. Shields
- Added polarized hull shield for vessels and bases
Hitting a shield-protected base

- Added shield generator (Pentaxid is required to charge the shield and energy is needed to power the shield)

- Added shield info to Control Panel and a hotkey button “Shield” to the GENERAL window to switch on/off shield
- While shield is active, you cannot place any new blocks on the structure or warp jump with your vessel
- Allow Warp Drive Tank also on HV (now renamed into Pentaxid Tank)
- Pentaxid Tanks now accept stacks of Pentaxid (instead of single items only)

Feedback Thread: https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-10-exp-shields.49012/

2. More than 100 New Building Block Shapes
- Added 110 new building shapes
Some of the new shapes

- Added tabbed block shapes menu

- Added BlockShapesWindow.ecf for your very own custom block shape menu sorting and configuration

Feedback Thread: https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-10-exp-blockshapes-menu-and-new-shapes.49013/

3. New Drilling / Mining
- Removes terrain as a whole semi-sphere instead of small voxels (= significantly fewer terrain-updates per m³ changed = CPU saving and network traffic)
- Faster drilling (as a result of the aforementioned)
- Improved drill mode that, for example now allows to cut out tunnels more nicely (try handheld drill or HV drill)

- Faster resource gathering (less grinding)
- Added Drill mode to Survival Tool, so you can now also dig holes and drill with this tool
- Rebalanced: Survival Tool, Drill T2, Epic Drill, Debug Drill (Mechanical Drill T1 will not be used anymore; the Drill mode for Survival Tool will take its place - renamed “Drill T2” into “Drill”
- Added fine drill mode for Drill and Epic Drill
- Flattening mode now uses new drill mode and thus is now very fast in flattening areas
- Stronger filler mode for faster filling of terrain
- Merged resource drill and stone drill mode into one mode for all drills + survival tool
- Added new drill mode to all vessel-based drill (but without projector HUD element)
- Switched ordering of drill modes on handheld Drill and Epic Drill
- Handheld Drill and Epic Drill: Each mode now has a visually slightly different particle effect
- Added better muzzle flash to Survival Tool, Drill and Epic Drill

Feedback Thread: https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-10-exp-drilling-mode-changes-and-improvements.49014/

4. New Base Attack
- Zirax Ground troops can now invade player bases

- Zirax Ground troops have 2 types of special weapons: Demolition Tool (cuts through ANY material) and Remote Hacking Device (can hack/replace a core remotely)
The demolition tool in action

The remote hacking device in action

- Several rules and parameters for base attack probability calculation (Added Base Attack coefficients to Control Panel statistics page)

Feedback Thread:
https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-10-new-base-attack-survival.49015/

5. New Multiplayer Chat
- Added new chat system with tabs and many convenience features
- Chat now has an auto-complete popup list for names / factions (use Up, Down, PgUp, PgDown and Enter to control)
- Shows Alliance channel messages
- Chat input field scrolls with long texts
- Added 'new messages' indicator per channel
- Added cycling through Tabs with CTRL + Left/Right
- Added "/clr" chat command to clear a chat channel
- Added separator to show what messages are new

6. Updated Terrain

- Structural integrity of terrain: terrain supports first version of SI by removing not connected terrain pieces
- Changes in terrain made are now also visible in the distance (before: terrain changes were only visible close to player)
- Reduced stuttering when flying over terrain

=============

OTHER FEATURES:

Additions:
- Added new lava planet: LavaNascent



- Added new CV Containers

- Added new deco Antenna Blocks
- Added new sizes for Boarding Ramps
- Added more variants to Armored Doors
- Added human trader "TraderHuman"
- Updated current biome sounds and added new tracks (thanks to Alex). These new tracks can be used in playfield.yaml: AlteredPhase, Anomalous, Apogee, Artefact, Blight, ColdDivide, Dusk, Fragments, Ghost, Magnitude, Obelisk, Praxis

Gameplay Improvements:
- Implemented faction dropdown for Traders: you can now set the trader to a different faction than the POI he spawned in, eg you can spawn a Admin POI and set the trader to the Zirax faction
- Cockpit: allowing to turn head for 150° in FPV mode (old was 75°) to better look back
- Added new plant growing messages (no oxygen, temperature not adequate, radiation too high, no light) to better indicate why a plant is not growing
- Updated drone colliders to have more "weak" spots (head multipliers will apply)
- Do not display dead enemy drone units (red blips) in maps anymore
- Drone types are now differentiated by color (Minigun = blue, Rocket = red)
- Techtree tweaks (before there were some inconsistencies): SV can now be built at level 5, CV can now be built at level 7
- Allow upgrading device when needed material is in connected inventory/container
- Increased range of Repair Bay and changed Repair-2-T Activation Process
- Differentiate now resources with different hitpoints: ResourceSoft, ResourceMedium, ResourceHard
- Shotguns can now destroy enemy spawner pads
- Added possibility to upgrade growing pots: Wood > Cement > Steel
- Reputation balancing: when now destroying an NPC block/device, reputation behaves as with attacking an NPC or opening container > reputation falls to neutral and with repeated action then to unfriendly
- When opening a container of a NPC faction, now a warning popup appears to indicate that opening the container will result in a drop of repuation

Visuals and Sound Improvements:
- Updated color masks on most devices to have better coloring (no un-colorable gray parts anymore)
- Improved player light (added flare, MP support, light now only available when wearing armor)
- Added volumetric lights to player suit light, growlight, flashlight and motorbike

- Replaced all Zirax weapon models with higher quality versions (same for Polaris Assault Cyborg)
- Added more variations for Zirax (helmet etc)
- Added new Asteroid Ring to space playfields (scenario creators might need to update the position for voxel asteroids if they are handplaced)

- Updated models of Constructors, Deconstructor, Power Generators (BA,CV), Fuel/O2 Tanks (BA,CV), Oxygen Station (BA,CV), Medic and Cloner Station (BA,CV), Portal


- Updated deco plants for bases (plant pots)- Hurt sound of male/female is now less dominant and annoying
- Updated 3d models of rocket projectiles
- Tweaked night light intensity on moons (most were too dark, MoonIce was too bright)
- Desaturated flashy NPC faction colors
- Improved map and planet outside view
- Several playfields tweaks (terrain textures, night clouds color, music etc)

Improved Game Start for Random Default Scenario:
- Several convenience improvements
- More rock resources in starter biome
- Added "Base Starter" to Personal Container of Wreckage
- Overall more resource deposits
- Added 1 gold resource deposit
- Wreckage spawns now closer to start area
- Improved deco distribution, added more biomes
- Better biome spawning of creatures

Robinson Protocol Improvements:
- Better player guidance
- Updated information given for some PDA Info descriptions (f.ex. Vessel-Build descriptions)
- Crushed Stone now also completes rock mining
- Added reference of Empyriopedia (Doctors Journal, Biologist Guide) in appropriate places
- Updated formatting
- Removed info-reference about arid playfield in temperate playfield robinson protocol mission

Builders and Scenario Creators Improvements:
- Allow boarding ramps now also on Bases
- Deco devices (antenna, pipes, etc) from group DecoVesselBlocks are now also placeable on bases > renamed into "General Devices (Deco)"
- Open Cockpit SV/HV is now only 2 blocks high
- Moved ScifiChair to front (better combination possibility with table)
- No Blueprint spawn restrictions applied in GodMode-Invisible anymore (now you can spawn any POI in survival for testing)
- Build settings dialog: activating selection button switches symmetry plane now off
- Some renaming for consistency (pls adapt your custom config.ecf, trader config and PDA):
* CrystalWarp > PentaxidCrystal
* WarpDriveTank > PentaxidTank
* WarpDriveTankSV > PentaxidTankSV
- Added possibility to use 4 additional underground textures (for layers or resources) - see "te" editor:
* In total 20 texture slots (slots 0-19)
* Surface textures: slots 0-11
* Underground / resource textures: slots 9-19 (note: slots 0-11 can also be used for underground/resource textures)
> Now all Voxel resources on planets have correct textures (no generic texture anymore)

AI Update:
- Improved Talon behavior
- Improved Alien Civilians and AssaultCyborg behavior

General Balancing:
- Significantly reduced damage of rocket drones on player
- Increased health gain from Bandages
- Increased hitpoints of SV and CV Thrusters and Jet-Thrusters
- Corrected a few settings in handheld weapon stats ( f.ex. stats that were not in line with expected T1>T2>Epic progression; example: Recoil should be lower on Epic than on T2 version )
- Survival Tool: increased Damage (ResourceDrill)
- Drill T2 & Epic Drill: increased Damage and Radius (ResourceDrill & FineDrill)
- Increased SU of some deco blocks (Furniture and tech block that should visually have a bigger inventory)
- Survival Tool: increased damage from 20 to 35

Drill Balancing Update:
- Added first iteration of material progression
* Tier I: Iron, Silicon, Copper, Promethium
* Tier II: Cobalt, Magnesium, Gold, Neodymium, Sathium
* Tier III: Erestrum, Zascosium, Pentaxid
Note: The progression currently only decides how FAST you can mine a tier with each drill, where Tier 3 "times" are currently similar wo what it would take to mine for example Iron in the current public version
- Removed Mechanical Drill T1; Survival Tool will take its place (with 5m range for the drill mode) - adapted PDA, playfield.yaml, templates etc
- Adjusted all handheld and vessel drill speeds to new material tiers
Example: For our Test Deposit T1 it took 26 seconds to fully mine it with the Survival Drill Mode. With a T2 Handheld Drill it would take 9 seconds. With a HV fixed drill it takes about 2-3 seconds. For our Test Deposit T3, ST drill took 40 seconds (that is actually the same speed for a T3 deposit as in the current public alpha for the ores, all considered T1!) and the Epic Drill took 15 seconds.

> Balancing Note: Currently a DAMAGE value beyond 900 does not make drilling faster, as this is already the 'Instant-Remove' for a T3 deposit (T2 = 750, T1 = 600), what means damage of 2000 is not faster than a damage of 900, as you can not work faster than 'instant' of course ;)

> Testing Please test the new drilling speeds well. The drills should be considerably faster than in the current alpha by at least factor 1.5 - 3 compared to the T1 ores and should not be slower than the current public alpha speed for the now grouped T3 deposit ores.

Gameplay Improvements: Epic Weapons
- Epic Sniper: Laser particle effects
- Epic Minigun: Laser particle effects
- Epic Shotgun: auto mode (+increased RoF)
- Epic Pistol: auto mode
- Epic Rocket Launcher: auto mode (RoF needs to be increased to make sense)
- Epic Plasma Cannon: auto mode (RoF needs to be increased to make sense)

Rebalanced Handheld Weapons:
- All values are now calculated in a consistent manner: T2 = x% better than T1, Epic = x% Better than T2
Global Value Changes in %: (T1 vs. T2; T2 vs. Epic)
> Degradation: -25%; -35%
> RoF: +15%; +15%
> Range: +10%; +20%
> Bullet Spread: -25%; -50%
> Recoil: -20%; -40%
> Mag Size: +40%; +60%
> Reload Time: -5%; -15%
> Damage: +15%; +30%
Exceptions: Epic Rocket Launcher and Epic Plasma Cannon do have non-calculated values for reload time (higher), Mag Size (fixed to 3) and RoF (fast).

Notes:
- The balancing of the hand weapons is first and foremost aimed towards bringing all the hand weapons in line with a consistent progression within their own tiers.
- Therefore all the values have been slightly adjusted to achieve this goal.
- We might do further changes, like adjusting damage values (very likely) or for specializing certain weapons vs. certain enemies or give some weapons unique properties (like the Fast-Firing Mode of the Epic Plasma and Rocket Launchers) which might then required to adjust the weapon performance out of the order of the calculated progression.
- Said that, the current re-balancing should be seen as an intermediate step towards a more interesting hand weapon gameplay.
- We are looking forward to your ideas how we should proceed with the hand weapons progression in future iterations.

Additional Changes for Rebalanced Weapons:
- Reduced Drop chance of Epic weapons due to their significantly increased performance figures
- Epic Sniper and Epic Minigun now use laser rifle ammo to reflect the changes made.
- Added beam to laser rifle epic (for testing > feedback required. problem is that in aimed mode the weapon shakes too much)

GUI Improvements:
- Improved tooltip behavior: Tooltip text is displayed below mouse cursor (not next to it) and tooltip will be removed when the player clicks on the respective UI item
- Added additional toggles for Signals and Customs to Control Panel
- Updated MP Choose Planet window.
- Added “Spawn Name” as a new column (behind Group Name) to F2 BP Window
- Updated Control Panel display:
* Pentaxid Tank should always be displayed even if not placed on structure (currently not displayed and thus not consistent with eg oxygen tank)
* Re-arranged windows in lower part. From left to right > Power | Shield | Ammo | Oxygen | Fuel | Pentaxid
* Do not display Thruster and Auto Break buttons for BASES (only for CV, SV, HV)
* Added “Damage Level” in % above Battery

Modding:
- Added possibility to script a PDA in C#
- Increased version number of custom Config.ecf > your current version is not active until you increase version number (pls update ecf properly)
- Added ShieldCapacity and ShieldRecharge to ECF
- Supporting shield damage multiplier (DamageMultiplier and BlastDamageMultiplier) > you can now create weapons that only reduce shields and do no damage to hull
- Supporting property "Discovery - False" in Properties of yaml now. Added new yaml param to several starter bases (eg TemperateStarter2) so they are not "discovered" (XP gain) on game start
- "ShieldCooldown", "ShieldPerCrystal" are now exported to Config.ecf
- ModApi: some enhancements, loading mods now also on a PF server
- Added possibility to color clouds in the night similar to day cloud color (CloudsNightZenithColor, CloudsNightHorizonColor)

Other Changes:
- Allow to spawn Base Attack drones via "debug menu"
- Renamed "Body Temperature" into "Suit Temperature"
- Renamed Hover Thruster to "Ground Repulsor Engine" (to indicated that it is less capable than the more advanced Hover Engine) and changed block description accordingly
- Implemented new fullscreen handling (incl. 'Exclusive Fullscreen'), fixed wrong description of borderless window, fixed init bug in multiple choice button
- Better player guidance for solar panels: added efficiency to block info
- Solar panels: memory allocation optimization
- Changed server start scripts to close their window after a timeout (otherwise they may stay forever)
- Added VolumeCapacity to ContainerPersonal
- Proof-read and corrections to Robinson Protocol.
- Removed 2 broken space POIs (BAO_Migotzu-Orbital-Hub, BAO_AntarisSpacefarm)

Console Commands:
- Added possibility to dynamically reload new shape window while game is running via "shapeswdw reload"
- Added console command to monitor the solar panels
- Added permissions to more console cmds
- Added missing permission info to several console cmds (cmds were already were restricted)
- Added console cmd "shield"
- Added hitpoints of a block to console command 'di' debug overview
- Added console command 'gameid [id]' for dedicated servers that shows/changes the unique game id. Changing the game id will result in regenerating the cache on client side on next connect.

SSG Update:
- Added possibility to generate random custom scenarios

PDA Improvements:
- Added possibility to hide Action Titles in the HUD.
- Reduced time before autostarting PDA when spawning in a structure from 5 to 1.5.
- Resized dialog box to height instead of width for very long messages
- NearUnit check now more flexible for designers. Wait up to 3 seconds for structures to load to find Unit blocks when unloading proxy entities.

POI Update:
- Major update of POI set for XENU: a big thanks to Frigidman
- Updated Ghyst and Rados POIs: thanks to Frigidman
- Some Wreckage POIs are now buried 1m in ground

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Several block shapes with mirror issues > now all blocks should mirror correctly
- Fixed: Bug that did not allow to let players enter playfields if there were more than 255 structures (old limit)
- Fixed: [MP] Food can insta-spoil when picked whilst connected to a different structure's container
- Fixed: Problem that player bike was not able to drive underground as it was always teleported up
- Fixed: Buying from Trader/Trading Station still possible when inventory capacity reached
- Fixed: Problem that NPC did not move correctly in some space POIs (we now spawn all space POIs horizontal to avoid this problem)
- Fixed: Docked vessels can become misplaced after playfield changes
- Fixed: Some NPCs not respecting sensor checkboxes
- Fixed: Sometimes not starting in the wreckage base but in a crashed ship on Starter Planet 2 (Wreckage Start)
- Fixed: Problem that player could respawn underground in crashed ship that was buried (removed medic station/clone chamber from crashed POIs)
- Fixed: Signal/Circuit UI list disappearing after opening a drop down option
- Fixed: Wrong error message "Ship type cannot be repaired" when the ship to repair was hovering a bit too high over the repair bay
- Fixed: When armor is shift+Left clicked from the armor locker while seated in a cockpit it gets stuck & lost in the ship's tool bar
- Fixed: SI working incorrect from some sides
- Fixed: Sentry Gun 2 - Player (Retractable) breaks off when placed the first time
- Fixed: Disconnecting from a connected container with items in the connected toolbar leads to an empty grid and the yellow coloring stays
- Fixed: Not enough Upgrade Points to unlock all devices at level = 25 (now added 250 more Upgrade Points)
- Fixed: [MP] Entering a cockpit of a docked vessel at high altitude will kill the player & the vessel will get removed on 2nd attempt
- Fixed: Blueprint sometimes spawns without Solar Panels
- Fixed: The SI debug display doesn't always correctly show the amount of stress when weight is added vertically.
- Fixed: Logistic Menu: Right side does not scroll with mouse wheel
- Fixed: Fuel disappears from a base if you power it on before adding fuel to it.
- Fixed: Colliders on large boarding ramps
- Fixed: Animals not walking in special places - getting stuck in small corridors
- Fixed: Possible to still fly whilst thrusters are turned off whilst cruise is on
- Fixed: Bloom was overblown in several use cases
- Fixed: Logistics window: Access-Device button sometimes not usable in MP after DSL unload
- Fixed: Fire status effect gets not removed in some use cases
- Fixed: After a Drone base has regenerated Drones no longer spawn from it
- Fixed: Ground blast particles of SV/CV not working correctly anymore
- Fixed: Thruster speed exploit
- Fixed: Landing a vessel on a repair bay with 'Automatic mode' checked will activate it before the player leaves the bounding box.
- Fixed: Changemode option in some scenarios when used can trigger a CoQ after leaving the save & trying to reload into it
- Fixed: Issue with seed 0 overwriting new save games seeds when trying to make a new game after leaving a server.
- Fixed: Retrieving 'DecoTribalBlocks' deco puts the retrieved block into the wrong group 'Furnishings (Deco)'
- Fixed: Grass movement messed up during 'bad weather' transitions
- Fixed: Problem that sometimes bases had no O2 even though O2 indicator is shown
- Fixed: Changing from orbit to atmosphere sometimes removes all deco from terrain
- Fixed: Inconsistency with upgrading devices (eg Cockpits T1 > T2, Thruster GV T1 > T2): for these devices you needed T1 as input even though T1 was already placed
- Fixed: Anti Grief only if RegenAfter is set
- Fixed: Drone manager - reset correctly the number of replacement drone
- Fixed: Drones with double barrel did not hit player reliable
- Fixed: Revealing sectors were causing map breakage.
- Fixed: Cockpits collision model is incorrect
- Fixed: Sometime unable to start game due to input exceptions (invalid control config data)
- Fixed: Plants have stopped growing in growing plots
- Fixed: Space playfields do not work with AllowBlueprint parameters
- Fixed: Problem that HV/CV drill/turrets could not harvest resource rocks
- Fixed: NPC's getting stuck sometimes on surroundings in underground POI
- Fixed: Structural integrity is not updating when placing blueprints in suitable locations
- Fixed: PvP mode overlay in world map
- Fixed: Thruster 'heat & radiation volume' area changes when depending on the vessels orientation.
- Fixed: Memory leak due to AI spawning
- Fixed: Scenario games in MP not using correct static template if scenario is purely random (its own solarsystemconfig.yaml)
- Fixed: Exception in some cases when generating playfields where very first POI is a player start (no NullPoi available)
- Fixed: Aiming of Pulse Rifle (now scoped aiming)
- Fixed: Tribal Bazar Arid was indestructible (changed Admin Core into normal Alien Core)
- Fixed: SurvivalTool beams had wrong distance (visually)
- Fixed: Alien containers have been listed in dropdowns in Logistic Menu
- Fixed: NPC Health Bars not scaled properly
- Fixed: Building exploit (ghost devices)
- Fixed: Ore deposit 'overspawned' by POI and removed > now place resources after all POIs have been placed to prevent structures from 'overspawning' resources, causing empty resource nodes and POIs placed directly over deposits.
- Fixed: Mod: Player inventory modifying requests don't respect open Logistic window showing that
- Fixed: Possible to place blocks inside of Boarding Ramp bounding box.
- Fixed: SI debug overlay not always activating when checked
- Fixed: Instant-Production speed does not trigger PDA checks when used in any constructor
- Fixed: Deco – OmicronPlant: White squares as falling leaves if removed
- Fixed: PDA (Default Akua-Omicron, Default Multiplayer) - Changed GHOST entries to GHYST so the missions affected work again
- Fixed: Area damage gets removed when firing from forward moving vessel
- Fixed: LCD getting switched off automatically if underground
- Fixed: Corrupt player avatar colors
- Fixed: 'Small Table' deco positioned incorrectly
- Fixed: Problem with not placing some POIs (MoonDesert, Ghyst HQ etc)
- Fixed: PDA Mission "Raid Alien POIs" did not work due to wrong Core check
- Fixed: Wrong spotlight on stock HV T1a
- Fixed: Player report: Plants have stopped growing in growing plots
- Fixed: Decoration Respawn on GreenWall
- Fixed: Wrong loot in very rare alien container (single device instead of group)
- Fixed: Modular Wing Connector (Medium) was placed wrong
- Fixed: It was possible to destroy rocks with plasma cannon
- Fixed: PDA - creature spawns of 'Crime Scene Cleaner' (Now Alien/Legacy creatures should spawn again and be counted towards the mission goal)
- Fixed: [Mirror] Placing any block or device INTO the mirror plane leads to loss of one device
- Fixed: Orbit resource asteroids are not depleting when mining them with CV lasers or the drill turret
- Fixed: Do not re-autoactivate chapters that are completed with no remaining repeats with ChapterActivation.
- Fixed: BA/CV/HV/SV O2 Station - No Sound
- Fixed: PDA tasks are not completed when player is not seated in his vessel
- Fixed: Exception when starting a PDA mission in certain use cases.
- Fixed: Exploit: [MP] Armor locker / repair station item duplication
- Fixed: Not working animation on Troop Transport / Not working Thruster effect
- Fixed: Exception for space playfields when fixed player start assigns equipment.
- Fixed: Video Options: Changing Depth-of-Field reloads Trees
- Fixed: Particle effect on MoundzTreePrefab was wrong
- Fixed: Invisible blockface in structures
- Fixed: NPC's with ranged attacks not firing at players
- Fixed: Deconstructing T2 cockpits return T1 cockpits
- Fixed: Stair blocks had inconsistent hitpoints


For the full list of bug fixes, please visit:
https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-experimental-10.49018

Update: Mai 7, 2019 - Fixed local coop

Changelog: Alpha 9.7.1 (Build 2321)
- Fixed: Local Coop: Cannot connect via Friends tab in Server Browser
- Fixed: Large PDA window was shown when starting local coop
- Fixed: Logistics window exploit
- Fixed: Blueprint save data in MP (now BP spawns without any ammo)

=============

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

We just released a new update with Unity 2018.3 on the public branch. For this update, we switched the network protocol back to RakNet since UNET could not handle the network traffic on busy servers. We had to do some extensive internal refactoring to ensure that RakNet is working with Unity 2018.3.

Please let us know if you experience any problems.

Changelog: Alpha 9.7 (Build 2319)

Changes:
- Switched network protocol back to RakNet
- Internal refactoring to make sure RakNet is compatible with Unity 2018.3
- Optimized RakNet protocol (now sending packages with different priorities)
- Updated EAH Tool: https://empyriononline.com/threads/tool-emp-admin-helper-eah-free-v1-45-x.5771/page-54#post-305591

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Set Anti Grief distance only if RegenAfter is set for a POI
- Fixed: Several internal exceptions

Update: April 23, 2019
We are really sorry, but we had to temporarily revert back to Unity 2018.1 (Alpha 9.6 - Build 2307) since UNET causes some problems that we need to address first. Your save games should be fully compatible with Alpha 9.6.

Alpha 9.7 (Build 2316) will stay on the EXPERIMENTAL branch.

===========

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Given that our Unity 2018.1 version finally seems to be stable, we released Alpha 9.7 where we upgraded the game engine to Unity 2018.3. For this upgrade, we had to switch the network protocol to Unity UNET.

Please let us know if you notice any problems in multiplayer.

==========

Changelog: Alpha 9.7 (Build 2316)

Changes:
- Upgraded game engine to Unity 2018.3
- Switched network protocol to Unity UNET
- Increased wait time for local coop server from 10 to 20 seconds
- Improved telnet connection
- Added PDA parameter ListVisibility to allow for previews of deactivated, invisible chapters. To help guide players to activation positions
- Mod: Player inventory modifying requests don't respect open Logistic window showing that

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Instant-Production speed does not trigger PDA checks when used in any constructor
- Fixed: Broken inner glass texture on vessel cockpits for last damage state
- Fixed: Sometimes consuming an item reduces body radiation
- Fixed: Several internal exceptions