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Playtest Guide for Abiotic Factor

Greetings esteemed colleagues! We are so excited for you to play Abiotic Factor!
This guide contains everything you need to know about the playtest. Grab your coffee and dive in!



Below you will find some helpful information, such as:
  • Playtest dates and times
  • How to access the playtest
  • What's in the playtest
  • How to report a bug or crash
  • Where to submit feedback
  • Where to find our FAQ
  • A few new player tips

[h2]How Long is the Playtest?[/h2]

The playtest is open from the 9th of November to the 15th of November PST.

Here is a time zone breakdown:
  • PST: Thursday, 9 November at 12:00 PM through Wednesday, 15th November at 8:00 PM
  • MST: Thursday, 9 November at 1:00 PM through Wednesday, 15th November at 9:00 PM
  • CST: Thursday, 9 November at 2:00 PM through Wednesday, 15th November at 10:00 PM
  • EST: Thursday, 9 November at 3:00 PM through Wednesday, 15th November at 11:00 PM
  • GMT: Thursday, 9 November at 8:00 PM through Thursday, 16th November at 4:00 AM
  • NZDT: Friday, 10 November at 9:00 AM through Thursday, 16th November at 5:00 PM

[h2]How to Launch the Playtest[/h2]

To begin your work in the GATE Cascade Research Facility, you’ll need to request access by clicking the ‘Request Access’ button on the Abiotic Factor store page.



Once access is granted you’ll see Abiotic Factor in your Steam library. Select 'Abiotic Factor Playtest', download it, and you’re good to go!



[h2]What's Included in the Playtest[/h2]

This playtest starts you off in the Introduction, which acts as a sort of tutorial. We recommend you play it all the way through, it's not too long! After that, you can join or host a server, which features a section of the early gameplay and exploration in the GATE Cascade Research Facility. We've given you just a taste of the depths that you will be able to explore upon release!

There is a hard cutoff on the playtest in terms of content, but you can keep playing, making discoveries and unlocking more recipes and skills even after you complete the last available objective for this playtest. Please enjoy the "sandbox" we've created (in solo or co-op!) for as long as the playtest is live!

[h2]How to Report Bugs, Crashes and Make Suggestions[/h2]

We want to hear from you! Listed below are different guides and master threads dedicated to anything you’d like to ask or share with us.

As a scientist arriving at the GATE Cascade Research Facility just as a mysterious catastrophe unfolds, you’re trapped far underground with no hope of rescue. Find ways to survive, explore, unlock and - eventually - escape your increasingly lethal workplace with your team.

[h2]A Few Tips[/h2]

Accessibility Options!
We have many accessibility options available in the game, ranging from FOV sliders to screen shake amount to Hold vs. Toggle, and so on. We do not yet have subtitles as we're still in the process of finalizing large portions of the script throughout the game, but that is on the horizon.

Keybindings & Controller Bindings!
Keyboard, Mouse and Controller can all be rebound in the settings menu at any time. Let us know how this goes for you and if you want to see any additional rebinding features.



Jobs and Traits!
You can pick your primary job and additional positive and negative traits at the beginning of the game (after the introduction concludes.) Once locked in, they can't be changed on that server, and remember that character skills, stats, and inventory are on a per-server basis. So give it a think!



Pager!
Your pager can be accessed in the emote radial wheel (B key by default, D-PAD Up on controller.) The pager is a nifty device your dad probably once used which lets you briefly ping your location to your fellow scientists in the event you become lost among the cubicles.



Medical Radial Wheel!
Bring up all your healing items on a radial wheel for easy access by holding down the X key. Quicky clicking the X key will bring up your overall health screen.



Holster Your Items!
You can holster your weapon and shield by pressing the H key. This can be useful if you have a shield equipped and want to cycle your weapon state, or just want your hands free so you aren't standing around threatening your fellow scientists.

Share Recipes!
Once you've researched a recipe, you can share it with your party! On the crafting screen, click the 'Share Recipe' button, located to the left of the recipe you want to share.



[h2]Join Our Discord![/h2]

To chat with fellow playtesters, find servers full of new friends, make jokes, share videos or screenshots, and just about everything else - join our Discord by following the link below.



[h3]Thank you for playtesting Abiotic Factor, and we'll see you in the Facility.[/h3]

Status Report #8: Going Up

[h3]Greetings esteemed colleagues,[/h3]

First, we made a new vlog, and you simply must see it. It is to die for.

[h2]Q&A Vlog - Part 1[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Now that you've certainly watched the vlog, let's get on with this feast of a status report. Happy November! Spooky season is over (though not for this dev. We have pumpkins in the game now and I am going to USE them!) and development continues onwards and upwards.

And speaking of upwards… Let’s dive into this week’s development sneak-peek!

[h2]The Ups and Downs of Travel[/h2]

Verticality is a thing that exists in the real world, so why shouldn’t it exist in the game world too? While designing the Facility and other worlds beyond, we always take into account how much the player will want to explore both the highs AND the lows...

One primary goal is to invoke the feeling of classic 90’s games while utilizing modern day engine capabilities to make the world as interactable and large. You want to get to that distant ledge? Dang it, you can make it happen! And not only can you make that happen, you can go about it in a multitude of ways.

Want to get big ups?
If you make a strange discovery during your travels, like this Gaseous Nest, be sure to package it up for future use. You never know when it might come in handy!

Originally posted by Manse
"The precise means by which these nests produce and release gas are still unknown, and their exact rearing purposes remain cloudy. But like so much fauna from [REDACTED], its metabolism is accelerated here. The result is a violent outgassing on contact, capable of launching objects large distances, before rapidly refilling." ~ Dr. Derek Manse
Traverse big pits?
The classic bed sheets tied together style rope is always an option. Though, with your scrawny upper body strength, it might be a one way trip.



Maybe you’ll be able to find some more… foreign rope materials to help you back up again. Wait, is this thing alive?



Building with BoB (Brains Over Brawn)
Of course it wouldn’t be a survival crafting game without some construction. Cobble together wooden scraps from around the office to build yourself platforms, bridges,



and ramps!



Use that freaky science brain to invent even more ways of getting vertical!

And there are, of course, more or less traditional scientific means of accessing hard to reach places. Such as rocket-powered backpacks and repurposing mobile gadgets.



Just remember, if you can’t walk it, you can craft it!

[h2]Deep in the Field[/h2]

Each Status Report we take a little walk by some of the team and ask them what they've been up to, and have them tell us a bit about the stuff they've been creating.

Do NPC’s get spooked? Can you weaponize the very concept of redacting information? Let’s find out in this installment of Deep in the Field! Plus a look at some never before seen, nicely dressed Facility locations.

[h3]Jenny, Tech Artist[/h3]

[REDACTION] Grenade

Upon activation, the [REDACTION] Grenade creates a gravitational distortion effect, which is visually represented by a swirling vortex. For this particular style of effect, I came up with the concept for it while reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics.

[h3]Hailey, Level Designer[/h3]

Manufacturing
At the heart of the GATE Cascade Research Facility’s industrial sector lies Manufacturing West, full of metal, concrete, and deadly health hazards. I’ve been working on various areas throughout this zone and have LOVED the challenges this theme presents. Pipes snaking everywhere and building row after row of pillars will always be a favourite past-time of mine.
Mines
Throughout the Facility, players will venture through large, underground, abyssal spaces. The mines are one such zone, hosting a mix of cool caverns and twisted tunnels. I’ve especially enjoyed capturing the dark and moody atmosphere as I fill out these lower spaces.
In-betweens
The Facility is wonderfully interconnected with halls, roadways, elevators and trams. Despite their relatively low foot-traffic, the in-between areas are just as enjoyable to work on as the main areas and are a great opportunity to show off some unique architectural and decorative styles, especially since these connecting areas visually link the style of the adjacent zones. This security checkpoint (I’m not allowed to tell you where this is) in particular has been a real pleasure to work on. Seeing areas become seamlessly interlinked and traversable is extremely rewarding!

[h3]Kecko, 3D Artist[/h3]

Batteries!

Batteries are the life-blood of your base at night. When the power goes out, you’re on whatever reserves you have available. One way to prepare for that is by crafting batteries!

I wanted to have consistent elements across these when conceptualizing them, and I thought the cyan capacitors were striking and tied the lower tiers together while allowing each tier of battery to fit both its style and sector-theme – that is to say, the area where you first get the materials to craft it.

For the highest tier battery I took inspiration from the interior of an IBM Quantum computer and stylized it, compacting it to fit in a small form factor.
Backpacks!

As you know, you can only carry so much in your scrawny scientist arms, and we make sure to remind you of that frequently. But with the help of backpacks you can live your best loot hoarder life!

The Makeshift Backpack is the first backpack you can create, scraped together with sections stolen from couches, chairs and spare lab coats. It will only provide a little bit of extra storage space and it's quite easy to put together.

The Research Backpack, a few tiers higher up the food chain, is a high-tech piece of equipment that will give you a very flexible amount of space and carrying capacity, as well as block some radiation from the items inside. It was a lot of fun designing both, but I’m quite partial to the metal shape of the Research Pack, there’s something rather neat about carrying around solid, non-flexible materials.
Barricades!

Gotta keep those critters out somehow, right? Due to consisting of all sorts of pieces around the early Office Sector, creating uniform, strong and defensive shapes proved a bit tricky but we got it in the end.

[h3]Jacob, Programmer[/h3]

Startling Enemies

Up until now, enemies didn’t really have any startle behavior. Now they do. If an enemy is out of combat, just chillin’, and hears a loud noise they'll get startled. Or if you walk around the corner and are up in their grill, they'll get spooked. This grants the player a moment of opportunity to strike while the enemy is stunned and rewards stealthy players with an advantage at the start of a fight.


We’ve also made shoving - the quintessential unarmed attack of a scrawny scientist - work on some smaller (lighter) enemies if you catch them unaware. This is another way to get a quick stun before they wise up and ruin your day.


Async Level Loading

The GATE Cascade Research Facility is rather large, and it’s going to feel that way as you walk from one end to the other. I’ve been working on some major optimizations to make the experience of moving between large sections of the map more seamless. You’re used to seamless travel in most games, and we aim to please.

Wow, that was quite the run-down from the team. What's next?

[h2]Stay Tuned[/h2]

When you descend into the GATE Cascade Research Facility you’re going to be facing a lot of unexpected challenges. Follow these Status Reports for tips, insights and strategies to keep you safe, as well as fun looks-behind-the-scenes at development!

You can also subscribe to our Newsletter to keep up-to-date on news about Abiotic Factor, and gain access to testing environments. Keep your eyes peeled because things are ramping up behind the scenes!



You can also join us on Discord!


See you next time, Scientists!

[h3]Wishlist Today![/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/427410/Abiotic_Factor/

STATUS REPORT #7: Worth the Weight

[h3]Greetings esteemed colleagues,[/h3]

Spooky season is here and we hope you’re enjoying it! We’ve got more developer insights and game mechanics to share with you this month, so grab a gourd flavored food item and strap in.

[h2]Worth the Weight[/h2]

If you’ve got frail human bones you probably also have wimpy human muscles, so it’s a perfect time for us to talk about how Armor Weight Class will function during your journey into the depths of the Facility and worlds beyond!

Through crafting and the occasional lucky loot, scientists will get stronger armor over time as they progress. Stronger armor is often heavier and wearing heavy armor slows you down - but exactly how much are you slowed?

To solve the challenge of creating a balanced and rewarding armor system, we’ve introduced Armor Weight Class, which as it sounds, calculates the total weight of armor and places you into a weight class. Weight Class primarily affects your base movement speed, meaning heavier armor will slow you down, and less armor will return you closer to normal.

Since this system can involve a bunch of numbers (and let’s face it, numbers can be a little misleading) we’ve created a handy UI diagram that gives you your weight class at-a-glance!

Keep in mind our UI is all a work in progress and may change and improve between now and release.



As you can see, the Chef Hat, which also offers no armor, doesn’t affect your weight class, but if you equip a full set, even a stronger, lighter armor set like the Carapace armor, you might find your trip to the kitchen a little cumbersome. And that’s okay, the benefits are generally… worth the weight.

As a general rule: the earlier in your adventure you can find or craft something, the less it weighs and the lower armor values it might have, though there are some exceptions to this with so many varieties of protection to find. A lead vest offers little protection, but it weighs a lot. Is it worth it, in a pinch? Probably! Even wearing something like a Hazmat Suit might slow you down a bit, especially with heavy armor worn underneath.

Now that we understand the connection, let’s get specific! As you can see in the UI image above, Weight Class has four levels of impact; no impact, light impact, moderate impact, and heavy impact. As a small quality of life note, no matter how heavy your armor is, your base speed can only get so slow before it “bottoms out.” So once you’re very heavy, you’re very heavy. We won’t turn you into a complete snail – as long as your inventory isn’t full of anvils or something!

Peep your little science eyes in the top right of this GIF to see the Weight Class UI in action.



[h2]Deep in the Field[/h2]

For this week’s installment of talking to the team, we’re gonna go look at beep-boopin’ servers, strange beings from who-knows-where, radioactive items, and more!

[h3]Kecko, 3D Artist[/h3]

Drills!

Tired of assembling furniture with a screwdriver? Well, not yet, because the game isn’t out. But one day, you might. Anyway, we have a solution! Upgrading your building tool is a crucial part of optimizing your journey.

The drills were a lot of fun to concept and bring to fruition, and some of the first assets I created on my own from start to finish, from concept to final mesh and texture. I think the drill made from a tape gun and a hand drill is my favorite of the three.
Pies

Nothing like a sweet (or savory!) treat to put you back on your feet. There are plenty of pies to make - assuming you’ve teched up into Ovens - which are crafted from all kinds of foods you might find or grow.

Making the pie really tested my modeling chops. It was tricky to assemble it in a way where each slice comes together to make a part of the whole without having weird gaps, mainly because of the lattice crust. The process was probably not entirely dissimilar to how you make the lattices on a real pie.


Explosive Sledgehammer

Only a brilliant scientific mind would think: "I should place a landmine on the end of a sledgehammer." This beast of a weapon and miracle of science is somehow relatively safe to use. I really like the dings and burn marks to indicate (explosive) wear, as well as the general construction of the head.


Server Rack

The server rack was a lot of fun to paint. The cables were tricky to get looking right, but I think I did a pretty good job on the drive-bay CRT. You tell me! The blinking lights really make this piece pop, and it looks awesome inside the glow of a server room - and we have a lot of those in the facility! Some of our process involves painting over real world examples to achieve our stylized retro look. This was one of my first forays into painting over photographs as part of my texturing process.

[h3]Jenny, Tech Artist[/h3]

Crystalline Chaos

While we first described this effect as “confetti” in a joke-like manner, it’s turned into anything but a joke. The [REDACTED] has a vicious projectile attack, emitting a burst of confetti-like fragments accompanying the main purple “laser” effect. It’s become quite the deadly spectacle, with a hint of twinkling afterglow…
Underwater FX

Quite possibly my favorite – and possibly most scary – effect this week: Underwater Post Process effects! I think the GIF speaks for itself. Big otherworldly fish not included. Not in this status report, anyway.

[h3]Jacob, Programmer[/h3]

Radioactive Items

I added support for items to emit radiation, whether it's on ground, in a container or even held by an unfortunate scientist. This can be mitigated by special gear and containers that shield the radiation. It gives an extra challenge and choice in co-op play, where the group must decide who’s the poor soul that has to hold the spicy power cell.

Luckily, refrigerators block a bit of radiation too, so all that stored up alien meat won’t make your kitchen the deadliest place to be… most of the time.

[h3]Jorden, Level Designer[/h3]

When moving between sectors, we wanted to show a clear change in the environment, for example giving the deep labs that “Big Science'' feel, opting for more curvature and a bit of a “Have I been abducted?” sort of vibe. You can also tell the higher up (or deeper down?) scientists have had a bit of a budgetary surplus, complete with artificial daylight and taxidermied denizens of some other world.

[h2]In Case You Missed It[/h2]

[h3]Vehicle Dev Vlog[/h3]
Vroom vroom! In this dev vlog we talk about vehicles. Find out how to get yourself forklift certified in ABF!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Abe Gets Sick[/h3]
There’s a new Watercooler short inspired by good old game conventions. Unfortunately I can’t embed YouTube shorts. Here’s a link instead: Abe Gets Sick

[h2]Stay Tuned[/h2]

When you descend into the GATE Cascade Research Facility you’re going to be facing a lot of unexpected challenges. Follow these Status Reports for tips, insights and strategies to keep you safe, as well as fun looks-behind-the-scenes at development!

We plan to continue doing these about once a month, with lots of surprises in between.

You can also subscribe to our Newsletter to keep up-to-date on news about Abiotic Factor, and gain exclusive access to testing environments. Oh, they’re coming.



[h3]Wishlist Today![/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/427410/Abiotic_Factor/

See you next time, Scientists!

You can also join us on Discord!

STATUS REPORT #6: Laser Time

[h3]Greetings esteemed colleagues,[/h3]

We’ve returned from Gamescom, full of bratwurst and renewed energy! We had a fantastic time meeting people in the Indie Booth Arena, and to anyone reading this who was there, hello! Thanks for joining us! Let’s celebrate with a look at one of the many systems you'll use to survive - or thrive - in Abiotic Factor!

[h2]Stop! Laser Time.[/h2]

Lasers! A foundational pillar for some of the coolest sciences - is science without lasers really even science at all? Use lasers in the GATE Cascade Research Facility for bouncing, splitting, charging, burning, powering… and looking cool, to name just a few applications.



You’ll likely be three-hundred times more creative than we are, but here are a few inventive ways the team has used them:

On at least one occasion, we’ve used them as a security system because when something moves in front of the beam, you’re able to see it cut out and you can use that warning to prepare to fight or flee. The laser beam might also soften them up a bit first, since it burns quite hot.



Make a laser fence! Nothing can get past the laser fence! Well, technically things can, but they wouldn’t have a fun time doing it!



We’ll get more in depth about the laser system in a future dev vlog, where you’ll see bouncing lasers and some more ways that lasers can be used to power, defend, and destroy. The laser katana, however, remains shrouded in mystery. For now.

[h2]Deep in the Field[/h2]

While part of the team was off gallivanting at Gamescom, the rest of the team was hard at work getting new content prepared for our next internal milestone! Now, let’s hear some words from them about the latest and greatest developmental endeavors…

[h3]Jacob, Gameplay & Systems Programmer[/h3]

Heat System 2.0



Our hot n’ cold system (which we call the Thermal System internally) received a major update, which now supports a wide range of heat sources affecting the character all at once. Placing down multiple heaters can now keep you warm in the most extreme temperatures, and can even cook food given enough heat.
… Or maybe it might just burn it to a crisp.
NPC Radio



Walking away from an NPC will now start broadcasting what they’re saying over the "radio", with some real nice fade-in fade-out audio effects as you move further away. This has been a major improvement in co-op because now your fellow scientists don't miss out on any of the story if they’re far away when an NPC begins its dialog.
Quick-Use on Items



Previously using items from your inventory would require you to move them to the hotbar before using them. This was of course a UX disaster, and took up precious real estate space for your most-used items. To fix this, we made items no longer require an actual hotbar slot to be used, so you can now eat or drink any (edible) item in your inventory, and even place down deployable objects without affecting your carefully-arranged hotbar.

[h3]Jorden, Level Designer[/h3]

Pipes, Pipes, and More Pipes
I spent a good bit of time cleaning up some of our most-graybox intermediate hallways, particularly hallways that introduce a new sector to the players. It's satisfying to see a simple graybox corridor turn into a believable space.
Along with making the spaces look visually interesting, having it play well with our mechanics is the real meat and potatoes. Getting a space ready for playtesting takes a bit of time, since a lot of the scenery, props and furniture, are real interactable items that need to exist for the players to loot, dismantle, and use for their scientific aims.

[h3]Kecko, 3D Artist[/h3]

Battery Charger



This is a special one to me. I made it for my art test to join the team, and it was as fun as it was stressful. I crammed as much detail as I could into this asset, and I think it turned out really well. I used my experience from making assets for mods on the original Unreal (1998). Texturing the front was a lot of fun, including all the small symbols, it was an interesting challenge at the time.
Portal Toilet



This one is utterly ridiculous, and my entire philosophy while making it was. "It should feel like you're piloting a spaceship just to take a dump." Looks way cooler than it has absolutely any right to and I think I heard somewhere it’s powered by lasers? I wanted it to have all sorts of access panels and pipes, but the most fun part was definitely doing the monitor… And no, we’re not allowed to talk about where it leads.

That’s all for this week’s scientific analysis of Abiotic Factor development!

[h2]In Case You Missed It[/h2]

[h3]New Dev Vlog![/h3]
We’ve had a lot of questions regarding guns in Abiotic Factor, so we made a dev vlog as an answer!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]A New Trailer![/h3]
This was featured in our last news post but just in case - we have a new trailer!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Stay Tuned[/h2]

When you descend into the GATE Cascade Research Facility you’re going to be facing a lot of unexpected challenges. Follow these Status Reports for tips, insights and strategies to keep you safe, as well as fun looks-behind-the-scenes at development!

We plan to continue doing these about once a month, with lots of surprises in between.

You can also subscribe to our Newsletter to keep up-to-date on news about Abiotic Factor, and gain exclusive access to testing environments. Oh, they’re coming. More info on the playtest schedule, soon.



You can also join us on Discord!


See you next time, Scientists!

[h3]Wishlist Today![/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/427410/Abiotic_Factor/

🧬 New Playtest Sign-Ups Open 🥼



Greetings esteemed colleagues,

[h2]BIG NEWS TODAY!🎉[/h2]

Today, during the Future Games Show we revealed a brilliant bit of chemistry in this brand new trailer for our game!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]🧪WE HAVE A PUBLISHER![/h3]

We’re very happy to announce our publishing partnership with the big brains over at Playstack known for previous hit titles such as Mortal Shell, The Entropy Centre, and The Case of the Golden Idol!

We're thrilled to be working with them on getting Abiotic Factor into your hands early next year!


[h3]🥼PLAYTEST SIGN-UPS OPEN![/h3]

Want to playtest Abiotic Factor before release? If you signup for the new newsletter then you will be automatically included! Everyone can sign up now at AbioticFactor.com to be first in line for when the playtest opens later this year!



We’re rather curious to see what sort of crazy science the community comes up with, and we’re keen to hear your thoughts on… well, everything we’re building down here in the GATE Cascade Research Facility! These are very exciting times for us as a team and we’re so happy to be able to share with you these first important steps towards launch!

Yours in science,
The Deep Field Team (now with 100% more Playstack!)