Avorion News

We're releasing a small patch to bring you a few important bugfixes and quality of life changes that were already finished while we're working on the next big update.

[h2]Client[/h2]

• Lights of wreckages can now flicker independently for each block & material type

[h2]Building Mode UI[/h2]

• Silhouettes of real-world monuments can now be shown in building mode for an improved sense of scale
  • Silhouettes can be modded
• Block template brush's blocks are no longer all red while selecting a new anchor block
• Improved controls for scaling blocks and shapes

[h2]General UI[/h2]

• The amount of goods is now directly visible in the fleet tab
• Improved coloring of cargo overview in the fleet tab
• When commanding ships, sectors reachable via gate are now highlighted
• Claimed asteroids now show up on the map
• Added sorting of DPS/Slot
• Guidebook and its tutorials can no longer be abandoned

[h2]Server[/h2]

• Added new game settings variables for maximum ships & stations of an alliance
• Added file clustering options to server.ini
  • When enabled, packs small files into larger ones on shutdown of server
• Added a notification for when a player is assigned to be the new leader of a group

[h2]Scripting API[/h2]

• All setValue() functions for objects now return the previously set value
• Player.craftFaction now returns the player faction if the player is not in a craft

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]"As always, fixes marked with [UBR] are bugs that have been reported through our in-game bug reporting tool. Thanks to everyone who reported and keep it up!"

• [UBR] Fixed an issue where directing ships over the galaxy map wasn't working correctly for bought maps
• [UBR] Fixed a rare crash in building mode
• [UBR] Fixed several issues in missions
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where alliance ranks with empty names could be created
• [UBR] Fixed research satellites showing nil chatter after reload
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where upgrades would remain on ships after being removed from the game (ie. through enabling/disabling mods)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Hey everyone! Let's get the most important news out first. As announced in our Gamescom stream a few days ago: We are proud to announce our first DLC - the Black Markets! In addition to new content, we also added quite some improvements to the game that will be published in a free update at the same time as the DLC. Let's dive right in!


[h2]Docking[/h2]Did you know that in space, even a tiny little spacecraft can move something gigantic? Ships can now dock to something else and take it wherever you might want it to be - if the owners of said object have no objections. Move your own stations and those of your friends, dock ships and jump around or just grab the containers that you want to hack, but that are too well protected in their sectors.
And the best thing? Docking will be available for everyone as part of a free update!


[h2]Shady Business at Stations[/h2]You stole found a container that is protected by a good security system and can't hack it yet? Just take it to a Smuggler’s Market and they will open it for you - for a fee though. You should also check out the name-giving feature of this DLC: The new Black Markets. Discover the hidden identities of some inconspicuous looking stations and profit from what they have to offer!

[h2]Hacking[/h2]Have you ever wondered what might be hidden in those large container fields that can be found all over the galaxy? Now is your time to find out! Get ready to circumvent the security system of the containers and access the contents. You only need a hacking upgrade that is stronger than the container’s security level and you’re ready to go. But beware: the owners of the containers might not look too kindly on thieves.


[h2]New Events, Missions & Bosses[/h2]Experience a new storyline in over 30 new missions and events! Your actions are relevant for shaping the future of the galaxy. Make sure that you choose the right friends and make the right enemies, and most importantly: Never forget keeping an eye on your own best interests!

There's also going to be a new server-wide late-game event with a convoy venturing towards the center of the galaxy - with its own missions and opportunities. You can decide for yourselves if you want to protect them from pirates or maybe do something more ... evil - provided you have enough firepower.


[h2]New Weapons[/h2]We don’t want to spoil too much here, but we've got a few legendary turrets ready for you!


[h2]FAQ[/h2]Last but not least, we'll answer a few questions that have been coming up since our first announcement during the Gamescom stream:

Q: Will DLC owners and non-DLC owners be able to play together?
A: Yes! We don't want to split our community. Non-DLC owners will even be able to enjoy some of the DLC-only content while playing with DLC-owners.

Q: Will docking be part of the free update?
A: Yes!

Q: Can we jump around with objects or ships docked?
A: Yes!

Q: Will docking be a combat feature?
A: Docking will be a civil only feature. You'll be able to dock containers, asteroids, and the like, as well as your own or friend's ships. Docking other players (exception: alliances) will count as PvP.

Q: Will we be able to automate docking?
A: No. Due to a number of uncertain factors (AI, orientations, where to dock, which docks to use, etc), we decided against AI orders for docking. Everything else would result in finicky UI and would go beyond our scope.

Q: What else is in the update?
A: Together with the DLC content, we'll be releasing a free update for everyone which contains tons of performance improvements (servers especially!) that we spent a big portion of our time on, QoL improvements, and bugfixes.

Q: When is it coming?!
A: Fall 2020.

Q: What's the DLC going to cost?
A: We haven't decided on a final price yet, but it will be around 5 - 10 $/€.

If you have more questions, then you should definitely check out our reveal stream, where we're also talking about the DLC: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/725216666?t=00h59m22s

"While working on the next big update, we also added a few more quality-of-life features. We're releasing a small patch with a selection of those features that are already done."

Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.

This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK):
Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'beta'.

[h2]Client[/h2]

• Lights of wreckages can now flicker independently for each block & material type

[h2]Building Mode UI[/h2]

• Silhouettes of real-world monuments can now be shown in building mode for an improved sense of scale
  • Silhouettes can be modded
• Block template brush's blocks are no longer all red while selecting a new anchor block
• Improved controls for scaling blocks and shapes

[h2]General UI[/h2]

• The amount of goods of a ship is now directly visible in the fleet tab
• Improved coloring of cargo overview in the fleet tab
• When commanding ships, sectors reachable via gate are now highlighted
• Claimed asteroids now show up on the map
• Added sorting of DPS/Slot
• Guidebook for captains and its introductory missions can no longer be abandoned

[h2]Server[/h2]

• Added new game settings variables for maximum ships & stations of an alliance
• Added file clustering options to server.ini
  • When enabled, packs small files into larger ones on shutdown of server
• Added a notification for when a player is assigned to be the new leader of a group

[h2]Scripting API[/h2]

• All setValue() functions for objects now return the previously set value
• Player.craftFaction now returns the player faction if the player is not in a craft

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]"As always, fixes marked with [UBR] are bugs that have been reported through our in-game bug reporting tool. Thanks to everyone who reported and keep it up!"

• [UBR] Fixed an issue where directing ships over the galaxy map wasn't working correctly for bought maps
• [UBR] Fixed a rare crash in building mode
• [UBR] Fixed several issues in missions
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where alliance ranks with empty names could be created
• [UBR] Fixed research satellites showing nil chatter after reload
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where upgrades would remain on ships after being removed from the game (ie. through enabling/disabling mods)

We're moving this small patch to the stable branch now after it performed well for several weeks on the beta branch. We are also aware of some issues that might be happening in relation to the torpedoes introduction mission; we're working on those!

Here's a quick summary of the latest patch notes:

[h2]1.1.4[/h2][h2]Bugfixes[/h2]"As always, bug fixes with [UBR] are User Bug Reports. Thanks for helping improve Avorion and keep it up!"

• [UBR] Fixed some typos in new server.ini docs
• [UBR] Fixed a hang when beating the MAD science lab
• [UBR] Fixed a hang in torpedoes introduction mission
• [UBR] Fixed several issues with localization
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where the sector overview window was too big on small resolutions
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where file sectornamegenerator.lua wasn't moddable
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where reconstruction of ships sometimes didn't restore turret designs
• [UBR] Fixed a crash when transforming a normal block to a holo block

[h2]1.1.3[/h2]"A small patch fixing some urgent issue while we're working on the bigger things."
[h2]Server[/h2]

• Fixed some cheat- & security issues
• Added a config option to server.ini to specify maximum receivable network message size
• Server now writes out a server.ini documentation file

[h2]Scripting API[/h2]

• Added Player [Client]:onJumpRouteCalculationFinished() callback

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]"As always, bug fixes with [UBR] are User Bug Reports. Thanks for helping improve Avorion and keep it up!"

• [UBR] Fixed several issues with translations
• [UBR] Fixed an issue with the tutorial getting stuck when played on Chinese or some other languages
• Fixed an issue where building mode buttons weren't correctly disabled during tutorial
• Improved profiling on Windows machines
• Fixed several issues in scripts
• [UBR] Fixed a server crash that happened in large sectors after too many sectors were explored
• Fixed an issue where some scripts were loaded more than necessary
• [UBR] Fixed several issues in torpedo introduction mission
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where mining lasers didn't recognize asteroids as mineable after they were split into two pieces
• [UBR] Fixed a rare crash when starting a singleplayer game
• [UBR] Fixed a rare crash when connecting to a multiplayer game
• [UBR] Trading Posts now no longer post resource shortage bulletins if they have enough in stock to fulfill request

Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.

This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK):
Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'beta'.

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]"As always, bug fixes with [UBR] are User Bug Reports. Thanks for helping improve Avorion and keep it up!"

• [UBR] Fixed some typos in new server.ini docs
• [UBR] Fixed a hang when beating the MAD science lab
• [UBR] Fixed a hang in torpedoes introduction mission
• [UBR] Fixed several issues with localization
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where the sector overview window was too big on small resolutions
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where file sectornamegenerator.lua wasn't moddable
• [UBR] Fixed an issue where reconstruction of ships sometimes didn't restore turret designs
• [UBR] Fixed a crash when transforming a normal block to a holo block