Space Impossible News

Space Impossible BETA 14 has landed. Player teams: in. Custom factions: in. Enhanced mod support: in.

You can discuss BETA 14 and let us know your thoughts on Discord or as usual on the Steam Discussion Topic



[h2]Teams[/h2]



You can now create an ingame team for you and your friends in multiplayer to join. Teams allow you to share resources and vessels easier, find each other in the universe better, and communicate privately.

[h2]Custom Faction Creation[/h2]



Custom factions are a new feature added to the game that allows players to create factions of their choosing, including name, ship complement, icons, colors and more. This is done inside the game, but from the main menu. Take your team one step further for faction v faction scenarios, or just enhance and expand your game for you and your friends.

[h2]Enhanced Mod Support[/h2]



Finally, enhanced mod support has been added. Mods can now be seen and activated from a menu and is fully supported in singleplayer or multiplayer play. This could allow creative players to do everything from custom ships, new resources, new Problems, new art or just about anything else possible ingame. It continues to support Steam Workshop for best syncing and sharing.

Due to changes with the way game content is categorized, we had to require new universes for BETA 14. Universes from BETA 13 and older cannot be upgraded.

For more indepth technical details see after the changelog
[h2]Details[/h2]
NOTE: Changes marked with 📡 were inspired by feedback or bugs found by the community!

[h3]Additions[/h3]

• Added some margin of error for ranging on the suit hacking tools
  
• Faction information is now fully networked including colors, portraits and icons. Can now be fully controlled from the server.
  
• Added teams
  
• Added ability for the game to load mods and multiple of them
  
• Added debug commands for teams, debug_team*
  
• Added the mod manager UI to the main menu screen
  
• Added "more options" to universe creation screen
  
• Added faction creator to universe creation "more options"
  
• Added tabbing autocompletion for the new chat console commands and new id format
  
• Added navarrows for teammates
  
• Added support for uploading mods to the Space Impossible Mod Tool
  
• Added /team for team chat (format: /team )
  
• Added /whisper for ingame PMs (format: /whisper )
  

[h3]Changes[/h3]

• CHANGE: Converted all existing game assets to the new string id format. This includes all tiles, components, ships/vessels, other objects, recipes, factions, dialogue, problems, systems and everything else
  
• CHANGE: Changed if dialogue portrait isn't specifically set, the faction portrait should "always" be the default now instead of "probably" be the default
  
• CHANGE: Universe purpose generation can be more easily customized and altered via moddata setup json. Purpose can now be driven by faction and level
  
• CHANGE: Changed default universe backdrop rendering for map to use pre-calculated texture which should improve performance on mid-end GPUs and above. Super low end GPUs will still fallback to CPU SDF
  
• CHANGE: Changed how ownership/access is evaluated. Now will incorperate team and region faction deltas. This means if you piss someone off, you may not be able to use their Assembler right away until they've cooled off.
  

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

• FIX: Fixed Med. Short-Line Gattling Gun Mk. 2 having 0 power requirements
  
• FIX: Fixed server disconnection message truncation due to incorrect message size
  
• FIX: Fixed an issue with system problem generation when no valid systems existed to apply the problem to
  
• FIX: Potential fix for offset main menu buttons where they would be offset incorrectly when menus transition
  
• FIX: Fixed a number of UI elements that didn't support localization
  
• FIX: Fixed localization text for the Druminence Locked Jump Gate Problem
  
• FIX: Fixed main initial tutorial popup being baked in and can now be localized
  
• FIX: Fixed a potential nullref on client if any region data is processed before local client data is received
  
• FIX: Fixed an issue with conflict data not being correctly saved between multiple game sessions resulting in conflicts not always spreading correctly.
  
• FIX: Fixed issue with dialogue fallbacks. It will now use neutral if non neutral is available and use a general default if a specific faction text isn't available.
  
• FIX: Fixed an incorrect region inspector UI panel anchor
  

[h3]Removals[/h3]

• Removed old id system for content. Beta 14 and newer will not be backward compatible with older versions.
  

[h2]COMING BETA 15[/h2]
With a large systems update like this, we generally follow up with a content update. BETA 15 will focus on expanding the game content and we'll be reviewing player comments and suggestions.

[h2]Additional Information[/h2]
In order to unify the content id format, which were previously ints or shorts and limited to specific hardcoded categories, we switched to a string based system that at run-time is converted into a unique int format. This means when creating mods, we, the developers or players wishing to do so, can use easy to read strings for ids, including namespaces yet still benefit from fast run-time performance with id look ups. This does break any support for previous versions as it was too unwiedly at best, or impossible as worst, to make the old format work with the new format for the universe upgrade.

Mods exist with two types, server and client. Mods that are just server only, like custom factions, can be entirely self contained to the server and other players will not have to possess them in order to play. Similarly with client only mods, it is possible for some mods to only affect client graphics, and not be required by the server to operate. Other mods require both the server and client to have enabled. An example of this would be a new custom manufacturing recipe.

A universe, once created, must be loaded with the same mods active that were active when the universe was created. The game will remind you what these are if you have them turned off, so don't worry about having to remember which is which.

Mods are loaded from %appdata%/spaceimpossible/mods (or equivalent for mac and linux).

Teams are not available in Single Player.

Space Impossible BETA 14 Pre-Release has arrived. Player teams: in. Custom factions: in. Enhanced mod support: in.

You can now create an ingame team for you and your friends in multiplayer to join. Teams allow you to share resources and vessels easier, find each other in the universe better, and communicate privately.

Custom factions are a new feature added to the game that allows players to create factions of their choosing, including name, ship complement, icons, colors and more. This is done inside the game, but from the main menu. Take your team one step further for faction v faction scenarios, or just enhance and expand your game for you and your friends.

Finally, enhanced mod support has been added. Mods can now be seen and activated from a menu and is fully supported in singleplayer or multiplayer play. This could allow creative players to do everything from custom ships, new resources, new Problems, new art or just about anything else possible ingame. It continues to support Steam Workshop for best syncing and sharing.

As usual with a Pre-Release, the final BETA 14 build will be released once we're happy the state of the game is bug free, sometime probably next week, hopefully just in time for Christmas.

If you would like to check out this pre-release build all the usual things apply, it will have problems (some of which we know about) and universes created may not be compatible with the final release. Let us know your thoughts via the forums or on our discord.

If you still wish to give it a try check out all the changes and details here : https://steamcommunity.com/app/416240/discussions/32/4038104133477151179/
and how to access it here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/416240/discussions/32/4038104133477147910/

Hello everyone!

It is time for one of our devblog posts. We are chest deep into BETA 14 which will be bringing some new things to the table. We are excited to talk about them here.

First off, player teams. Second, custom factions. Third, mod support.



You heard right--player teams and custom factions. For a long time players have been requesting custom player factions. We heard you, and this is our take on them. We have broken this into two elements: Player teams are ingame groupings that players can create, join or ignore. This allows teammates to share access to their assets without having to open it up to the broader public. You will also be able to see where other teammates are within the galaxy when they are playing.



The second part of this is custom factions. Players will be able to use an in-game tool (from main menu) to create custom factions. These factions will have the same impact as the default games factions, from editable ships and stations to standings, custom colors, custom icon and they can be included in universe generation or you can choose to not. They can be used in singleplayer or multiplayer.



Lastly, and related to the custom factions, and one of the core intended gameplay elements since the start, are mods. We have significantly improved modding support and utilization. This includes overhauling much of the way gamedata is loaded, now relying on a text based unique ids instead of numbers. From new items, new ships or new factions, this is all supported and more flexible. Additionally, mods can now be activated or deactivated from an ingame menu, and multiplayer now better supports mods with some integrity checking and validation. The Steam Workshop will support sharing these mods too.

Altogether BETA 14 should be a pretty cool update, and is not too far away now.

Space Impossible BETA 13 has landed. It now has an improved post-player-death and respawn experience. It also sees the addition of the ability to buy and sell vessels. It has a new way to take control of vessels you previously were unable to take control of--in the form of a suit based hacking tool. In addition to the usual bug fixes and changes, some noticeable networking improvements have been made that should make larger scale encounters a bit better performing.

You can discuss BETA 13 and let us know your thoughts on Discord or as usual on the Steam Discussion Topic


[h2]Improved Respawn[/h2]


Sometimes you just get blown up. You did your best, and you are still left as a floating debris field in space. Well, it has been a long time coming, but we finally put our heads together, went over player feedback, and improved the respawn experience. When you find yourself dead, you now have a number of options to choose from. You can pick where you spawn: at your home station, a nearby trader's drift, or, if faction is high enough, a nearby station. Once you select a location, you can choose from the standard starting Venture, to a stripped-down, component-less version of your previous vessel, or the full shebang, if you have the spacebucks for it.

[h2]Vessel Trading[/h2]


In a related vein, you can now buy and sell vessels. Vessels for sale will appear near specific stations in specific regions, and be attached to a sales frame. This frame can be tampered with, but often at a cost to your reputation so consider that before attempting any theft. Simply hail the vessel you wish to purchase, and if you have the money, it can be yours. Make sure to take ownership of it, and feel free to fly off in your new ship.

Likewise, selling of ships is now possible. The Scrappers are always looking for new acquisitions, and will buy almost anything you can tow towards their station. It will require a tractor beam, so keep one handy, but you may be surprised by what they will buy. A great new way to get rid of excess tiles and components.

[h2]Hacking[/h2]


There is also the new hacking tool available on the EVA suit. Hacking allows you to take control of nearly any object in Space Impossible, as long as it's not already under control by someone, and adds a tiny little bridge to it. This can be great when waiting for a friend to bring a backup ship and you are clinging on to an asteroid for dear life, or perhaps helping yourself to the largest piece of debris from a battle field. You will have to figure out how to best use it for your playstyle.

[h2]Network Optimisation[/h2]
Last but not least, we took a good look at networking statistics in our ever focused desire to improve overall game performance. We found a number of often sent, not too large messages and bundled them together. This should improve performance almost everywhere, especially anywhere more than two vessels are active at a time, or in areas with high amounts of space items, like after a battle.

[h2]Details[/h2]
NOTE: Changes marked with 📡 were inspired by feedback or bugs found by the community!

[h3]Additions[/h3]

• Can now pick a location to respawn: home, nearest trader's drift, nearest station (if standing high enough); depending on location more vessel choices including a free "stripped" vessel are available
  
• Added new "Barely Functioning Engine" for stripped vessel respawn. Same thrust, but worse everything else. Doesn't require power and fits in all mount sizes
  
• Added suit hack tool that allows players to add a bridge to any object that is not currently controlled
  
• Added ability to clear ownership of a vessel at the independent and scrapper stations. Indepedent will only scrub Pirate or Lawless vessels.
  
• Added batched messaging for entity target updates, reducing overall message count.
  
• 📡Added ship buying - Players can now purchase preconfigured and ready to go ships from specific traders
  
• 📡Added ability for scrappers to now buy tractored vessels
  
• Added new reinforcement AI that will leave the region when no targets are left. This stops reinforcements from hanging around, clogging up a region. Currently affects normal station reinforcements, conflict fleets and transponder call-ins.
  
• Added sv_spoolupmult and sv_spooldownmult commands to override spoolup/down times. Smaller numbers is faster.
  
• Added capability for an entity selector in a command use to a comma delimited list (ex: /remove 12,45,67,83)
  

[h3]Changes[/h3]

• CHANGE: Player respawn vessel is now set when entering a region as opposed to the previous "exit construction"
  
• CHANGE: Changed entity updates, item spawning and engine activation networking support batching, significantly reducing total message count and improving performance
  
• 📡CHANGE: Scrappers will no longer target player owned vessels for scrapping
  
• CHANGE: Scrappers should no longer attempt to scrap tractored vessels
  
• CHANGE: Scrappers have been added to the visible faction list due to their increased role in ship buying and selling.
  
• CHANGE: Adjusted default faction standings so most factions hate scrappers less and hate gate bosses more
  
• CHANGE: Lamp hull variants are no longer better than basic hull. They now have the mass and health of light hull
  
• CHANGE: Most dialogues will now use a dynamic price, including price mods from factions, instead of a hardcoded value
  
• CHANGE: Changed wasp_infested wreck template to remove bridges as well as weapons and shields
  
• CHANGE: Improved object placement to use rectangle bounds instead of circle bounds. This includes better placement for wrecks and any other objects that are compounded (i.e. a station with a space wasp nest)
  
• CHANGE: Updated/tweaked some of the trade item art, moved it to its own art sheet
  
• CHANGE: Objects that were considered "abandoned" (e.g. wrecks) now require the hacking tool to take control. Hacking these objects will force the control access type to public.
  
• CHANGE: Region localized player faction is now sent to the player. This allows the player's client to correctly display region localized values during dialogue or on object mouse over
  
• CHANGE: Modified AI movement to attempt to solve an issue where the AI would finish its path but still unable to see their target.
  
• CHANGE: AI leaving regions will now try to join a nearby fleet region when warping out instead of creating one fleet per ship.
  
• CHANGE: Suits should no longer become primary targets just because they pass the "Enemy" threshold. They are now evaluated like other objects, and no longer take priority over more threatening objects.
  
• CHANGE: Adjusted bounds padding for AI pathing to significantly discourage vessels from attempting to squeeze through tight gaps when it would make more sense to go around, especially when not in combat
  
• CHANGE: Changed chunking code to fix an issue with multi-tile bridge mounts and preference the new "Main Bridge" component over total bridge count when present
  
• CHANGE: Load template preview now correctly shows materials and colors on tiles
  
• CHANGE: Load template previews will now better fit the window, scaling to size of the object instead of grid size
  
• CHANGE: Improved star system UI performance, especially when large numbers of regions are present.
  
• CHANGE: Cleaned up much of the automated dialogue to reduce repetition and reduce space, improving loading times
  

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

• FIX: Fixed Begillium region in starter system potentially using the wrong template and not spawning any Begillium.
  
• FIX: Fixed being able to incorrectly enter regions that should not be enterable when using r-click
  
• FIX: Fixed an issue where quitting the game at the respawn screen would allow the player to respawn in the previously controlled vessel, this will eliminate some dupe issues
  
• 📡FIX: Fixed an issue where star system station count was being incorrectly tallied when it came to ensuring a station of a specific faction is present for a Problem
  
• FIX: Fixed self destruct not working correctly with multi-tile mounts
  
• FIX: Fixed scrapper temporary enhancement incorrectly giving money instead of costing money when first acquired.
  
• FIX: Fixed some wreck templates that were not correctly removing components when they should have.
  
• FIX: Fixed an issue where certain region modifiers were not correctly removing objects if a player was present when the region was updated.
  
• FIX: Fixed conflict distress call where crew leave their ship. Ship was getting set to wrong faction.
  
• FIX: Fixed several region templates for starter system asteroid fields from having "owned" oresteroids.
  
• 📡FIX: Fixed several language file typos
  
• 📡FIX: Fixed an issue where item looting at the end of a conflict battle could incorrectly cause the battle to incorrectly "re-end", re-triggering battle success dialogue
  
• FIX: Fixed an issue with a certain non-conflict debris fields behaving as if they were conflict battles
  
• FIX: Fixed Scrapper Transporter not tractoring certain vessels
  
• FIX: Added a potential fix for a rare thread related issue in networking when sending a message
  
• FIX: Fixed issue where suit mouse target was lagging by one update on the region server
  
• FIX: Fixed seeding of region events when using spawn method other than spawnasreinforcement
  
• FIX: Fixed an issue where object tags were not being counted correctly by the region they were in
  
• FIX: Fixed a bug in playerinfo networking
  
• FIX: Fixed issue with client file in networking rate calculation
  
• FIX: Fixed an error when trying to set server variables to invalid values
  

[h3]Removals[/h3]

N/A

[h2]COMING BETA 14[/h2]
We know we had said BETA 13 was going to feature player factions, but we wanted BETA 13 to be a smaller, faster delivered update after the bulging BETA 12, so we moved player factions to BETA 14. BETA 14 will be just player factions, as we add and deliver that long requested feature.

Space Impossible BETA 13 Pre-Release has arrived. Ship buying and selling has been added. Respawning and post-player death improvements are in. Ship hacking is in. A bunch of new netcode optimizations are in.

You can now buy ships from certain stations, just look for a ship with a frame around it and hail it. You can now sell ships to Scrappers for money or faction, be sure to bring a tractor beam.

It has been a long time coming, but player death and respawning has been improved. You can, and will still probably die, but where you respawn, and what choice of ship you respawn with has been significantly improved.

Player hacking ships is now a possibility. Using the hacking tool while in the spacesuit can allow captains to take control of a vessel, assuming they live long enough to complete the hack.

Finally, a good look was taken at network performance and a number of networking messages have been optimized to reduce total network message count, and significantly improve performance in a number of areas, especially when highly trafficked by other ships, AI or player.

As usual with a Pre-Release, the final BETA 13 build will be released once we're happy the state of the game is bug free, sometime probably next week.

If you would like to check out this pre-release build all the usual things apply, it will have problems (some of which we know about) and universes created may not be compatible with the final release. Let us know your thoughts via the forums or on our discord.

If you still wish to give it a try check out all the changes and details here : https://steamcommunity.com/app/416240/discussions/31/3805031898646425938/
and how to access it here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/416240/discussions/31/3805031898646421295/