UBOAT News

Dear skippers,

We are getting close to the release day of the update B129, so we decided to give a word how things stand at this point and give you a quick summary of what to expect from the update.



[h2]Release date[/h2]
We plan to publish update B129 on the unstable branch in the middle of May. At this point, we will work closely with the community to polish it before publishing it as the current stable version.

We are also going to prepare one more dev diary at April 25th before the update is released.

[h2]Team expansion[/h2]
We are happy to say that our humble team has grown a bit again. We are doing this to deliver more and better polished content for UBOAT in the future.

Last month, we joined forces with a scene designer, recruited from the UBOAT community. This time our team welcomed a new programmer and one more coder will join us later in May.

[h2]About the update[/h2]
[h3]Changes[/h3]
We hope that this update will bring improvements to the areas of the game that we thought needed them most. Please take a look at our dev diaries to find out what exactly this update means for the game:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3038210542019058907
https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3040463419627488048
https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3035961090216541509
https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3028081061116389077
https://steamcommunity.com/games/494840/announcements/detail/3003312530683479554
[h3]Why large update[/h3]
The reason is that most of the large improvements introduced in B129 are deeply connected with each other.

We were preparing for this update for a long time and since we were aware that this one may take longer than usual, we used it as an opportunity to grow the team as well as experiment with the video dev diaries.

[h3]Full release[/h3]
We will still work on at least one more update (B130) to make remaining things straight and address your feedback, before we will be ready to let the UBOAT sail out of the Early Access waters. It seems that the summer is the most probable time frame for that right now.

Thank you for your continued support and helping us to develop UBOAT into the final shape!

Yours,
DWS

Dear skippers,

We prepared a fifth dev diary during the work on B129. This time we describe prize rules, merchant ship inspections, ship scuttling and new types of goods. Take a look!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Transcription[/h2]
Welcome to the fifth UBOAT dev log video for the upcoming update 129. This time we will discuss upgrades related to the enemy shipping.

[h3]Prize rules[/h3]
Since this update, neutral ships that are headed at the blockaded enemy ports now become a valid prize for your u-boat. Also, enemy merchant ships without escort may occasionally use a neutral flag as a disguise.

If you will manage to sink such less obvious targets, you will be well rewarded by the high command, but beware, because if the ship turns out to be involved in a neutral trade, your actions may lead to a humanitarian crisis or at the very least a diplomatic incident.



[h3]Inspections[/h3]
To find out if a ship is a valid target, you will be able to send your team to inspect it. Once there, your officers may talk with the captain and search the cargo hold. Keep your eyes open because if unexpected danger appears during the inspection your crew may become stranded.



It's also going to be possible to send a team to abandoned ships. Your crew can then search the compartments and if you have an skilled engineer, you can save torpedoes by sinking it with explosives.



[h3]New goods[/h3]
Lastly, since this update, enemy vessels will transport a much more varied cargo like iron ore, lumber, rubber and in rare cases even gold. The routes on which these goods will be shipped are historically accurate.



That's all that what we wanted to share in today's video. You will hear more from us next week about this update's estimated release date as well as upgrades in our team. Stay safe and see you soon!

Happy Easter!

Yours,
DWS

Dear skippers,

We prepared a fourth dev diary during the work on B129. This time we present various improvements all around related to torpedo attacks, damage control and air raids at ports. Take a look!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Transcription[/h2]
Welcome to the fourth UBOAT development log for the upcoming update 129. This time we will focus on some of the upcoming combat upgrades. Let's get started.

[h3]Torpedo attacks[/h3]
Torpedo attacks were upgraded in many ways. The torpedo launch sequence is now fully animated. We also upgraded related visuals, including torpedo models, effects as well as most of the accompanying audio. Another addition is that torpedo launches now consume compressed air reserves.



[h3]Crew management[/h3]
Since this update, sailors react to leaks appearing on the ship and try to slow them down to aid the officers with the repairs. In addition, to reach the damages that are hard to access, crew stacks boxes to stand on them.

To help you with managing the crises we added a special order to the TAB menu to immediately close all hatches on the ship.

To improve the awareness of what's going on the ship, we added an icon of the performed action above each officer's head.



[h3]Air raids[/h3]
There are now audible air raid sirens installed in the ports for a better immersion. All characters present in a port run and hide inside the buildings after hearing it. Small, but important addition is that when fighting the aircraft, it's now possible to manually reload the gun by pressing a hotkey.



That's all that we prepared for this diary. Thank you for watching and see you soon in the next video!

Yours,
Deep Water Studio

[h2]Hello, fellow gamers![/h2]

Mr. Prepper is going to be released on March 18, so we have a gift for you! Thanks to our loyalty discount, you can get Mr. Prepper at an additional 20% off! To verify whether you’re eligible:

• Check your Steam Library to see if you own UBOAT
• If you do, you get 20% off Mr. Prepper
• Be quick! The offer lasts between March 18-25

The discount will be available on the Mr. Prepper store page. Don’t forget that it stacks with the 10% release discount, so you can get the game at an astounding 30% off!

Get "Mr. Prepper" here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/761830/Mr_Prepper

Watch the trailer:

[previewyoutube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSAcdf_498[/previewyoutube]

Own one of these games to get "Mr. Prepper" 10+20% off during loyalty discount:

• 112 Operator
• 911 Operator
• Accident
• Agony
• Agony UNRATED
• Barn Finders
• Car Mechanic Simulator 2015
• Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
• Cooking Simulator
• Don’t Be Afraid
• Drug Dealer Simulator
• Gold Rush: The Game
• House Flipper
• Lust for Darkness
• Lust from Beyond
• Plane Mechanic Simulator
• Rustler
• Tank Mechanic Simulator
• The Beast Inside
• Thief Simulator
• Train Station Renovation
• UBOAT
• Ultimate Fishing Simulator

Best regards,
PlayWay Team

Dear skippers,

We prepared a third dev diary on the way to B129. This time we focused on technical improvements that come with this update. Take a look!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Transcription[/h2]
[h3]Seamless area transitions[/h3]
Paused loading of areas is now completely gone. Loading happens in the background and it's possible to continue playing normally during that time.



[h3]Hydrophone upgrade[/h3]
Hydrophone has seen major upgrades. It's now possible to hear convoys tens of kilometers away with it, as well as torpedo propellers and air bubbles coming out of sinking ships. We also fixed audio clipping issues that were unpleasant for the ears and worked on various technical improvements that enhance the immersion.



[h3]Smoke on the horizon[/h3]
Since this update, it's sometimes going to be possible to spot smoke over distant groups of ships. It's not always clearly visible and the larger the group the bigger is the chance for the smoke to be noticeable.



That's all for now. Thanks for watching and see you soon in the next dev log video!

Kind regards,
DWS