ΔV: Rings of Saturn News

This month vote is here to figure out the development priorities as we move towards 2.0. Things you don't vote for will still be done, just a bit later. Vote for things you want to see sooner! Remember, you can vote for more than one thing. Or all the things. Or none of the things.

Let us know all the areas where you think we need to push forward!

• 🔧 Mod Support: Steam Workshop integration, modding API, expanded mod loader and mod compatibility checks, or Koder directly helping make mods.
  
• 📈 Performance: Optimizing the game further is always an option. Pick this if you think the game should run smoother.
  
• 🎮 Gameplay and mechanics: Make the game do new things or do things better. Expand mining companions, have ships leave their processed cargo when they blow up, new unique services, and similar changes to the base gameplay.
  
• 🚀 New ships: New ships! Need we say more? It can include ship variants or completely new ships. This also includes new HUDs for those ships.
  
• 🧘 NPC ship behavior: We could work on making NPC ships a little smarter and more wily. This will bleed into other areas, as things like your companions and THICCs, and the EI autopilot all utilize NPC behavior, and autopilot behaviors in general might be improved.
  
• 🛠️ Hardware: We should get some new toys, like the spinny launcher ore even a LIDAR upgrade category. Maybe finishing up the groundwork to get NSWR drives in play for big ships, or a point defense laser, or other interesting utility options.
  
• 🛣️ Story Arc 2.0: Let's begin the next chapter! Our second arc will involve the future of AI in the rings.
  
• 🙋 Events: We need more things that happen. Crew agendas, encounters in the rings, sights to see. Rare mineables seem like they were a popular suggestion, but this also includes a number of random encounters that could spice up the game.
  
• 🖼️ Immersion: Flesh out the world with new details, try and make it breathe a little more, perhaps working on more options for existing dialog, adding extra interactions for rare coincidences, giving you more ways to solve quests.
  
• 🛋️ Quality of Life: Generally UI and interface improvements to make like easier; things like filters for the hiring panel.
  

The vote has concluded - view results here!

[h3]Virtual Flight Service unveiled[/h3]
Minding LF just unveiled a revolutionary ship virtualization technology capable of accurately simulating a spacecraft in a controlled environment. A free version of the Virtual Flight Service is now available for every registered ship in the Enceladus Prime station, across Tuning Bays, Hardware Shops, and even the Enceladian Ship Dealership, allowing its customers to take ships on virtual test drives - free of charge.



[h3]New spotlight regulations[/h3]
Stringent regulations have been implemented to restrict the maximum brightness of ship spotlight reflectors. This crucial action follows alarming revelations about the grave risks associated with high-intensity spotlights, which have not only been blinding the astronavigational telescope array but potentially endangering other ships. Previously, some ships, notably the popular K37 models, were often equipped with spotlights of blinding luminosity. These intense beams had the capability to effortlessly penetrate several meters of ice, occasionally revealing hidden structures within moonlets concealed beneath meters of ice.



[h3]Digital sabotage uncovered[/h3]
During routine diagnostics of onboard systems, Enceladus shipyard employees discovered that Mining Companions were abusing the ship's sanbus communication system to disrupt the operation of essential tracking systems. This irresponsible behavior could have led to devices such as rescue manipulators or point defense systems ignoring objects of interest to the Companions, thereby exposing critical operations to danger. Titan Heavy Industries issued an immediate recall to address the issue.



[h3]Maintenance Logs[/h3]

• Minding Virtual Flight Service now allows you to instantly test any change you make to your ship configuration in a safe, virtual environment without leaving the Enceladus Prime station. The service is available in the Dealer, Hardware, and Tuning menus.
  
• Godot Engine upgraded to 3.5.3.
  
• Ship reflectors will not reveal structures inside moonlets anymore.
  
• AT-K225 HUD displays are not so bright anymore. Multiple pilots complained about high-intensity displays blinding them during prolonged missions.
  
• Mining Companions will not prevent other hardware from acting upon objects they examine - unless they are actually attempting to intercept them.
  
• Raising the HUD size caused certain UI elements, like the Dive Summary screen and the simulation subwindows, to lose resolution.
  
• The MPU power indicator on your HUD is now brighter, making it easier to spot when it is processing ore.
  

[h3]Ships approved for operation[/h3]
Antonoff-Titan K225-BB break-bulk cargo carrier now approved for sale on Enceladus Prime station. A popular second-hand modification designed for carrying cargo that cannot be easily processed into standardized containers sacrifices some of its docking bays to extend the raw cargo capacity of its cargo hold.



[h3]Tetsuo Industries releases an industrial massdriver[/h3]
Tetsuo Engineering, a trailblazer in advanced propulsion technology, proudly introduces the HMX-2000I Mass Driver. The HMX-2000I Mass Driver combines the power of proven magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) technology from rocket thrusters with state-of-the-art superconducting acceleration coils. This fusion of engineering marvels results in an industrial iron delivery system with unparalleled throughput. It boasts the capability to accelerate iron particles up to an astounding 2000 meters per second, effortlessly delivering over 500 kilograms of material every second.



[h3]Astrogeological breaktrough[/h3]
Recently created new generation of microseismic sensor arrays have revealed a remarkable geological revelation: the existence of pockets containing pure ore veins nestled within Saturn's A-ring. As scientists prepare to delve into the mysteries surrounding the formation of these valuable ore deposits, the miners' guild has seized the opportunity to enhance the sensors on their spacecraft, with the aim of maximizing the profitability of their upcoming missions.



[h3]Maintenance logs[/h3]

• New ship variant: Antonoff-Titan K225-BB break-bulk cargo carrier.
  
• Tetsuo HMX-2000I Heavy Mass Driver is now available for purchase in the dealership near you.
  
• Mineral veins are now more pronounced, making rings surveying and exploration more meaningful.
  
• Obonto USV-D Microseismic Series Reconnaissance Craft sensors are now 200% more accurate.
  
• New moonlet class recently discovered in the Rings by the Enceladian Astrology Division.
  
• New Uranium purification methods drove the price of raw uranium ore up by 400%.
  
• Hot kinetic ammunition will now cause thermal damage. Depending on the systems used, this can mean from 5% to 30% more damage from kinetic weapons.
  
• Thruster plume graphics will not depend on the physics framerate anymore.
  
• Some used AT-K225 ships were sold with a non-functional high-stress hardpoints. You could buy and sell hardware for it, but it was not installed on your ship. Crew complained abouit big hardware crates in the mess hall.
  
• Projectiles that transfer heat to a target will lose that heat, preserving the conservation of energy.
  
• Adjusted the random event distribution. Some very rare events are not so rare anymore, and some pretty common ones will be less common.
  
• Astrogators will now be more careful when plotting a course towards big objects, ensuring the entry vector will not collide with their destination.
  
• Improved physics performance of the engine around moonlets of all shapes and sizes.
  
• 4k textures DLC expanded to cover new types of encounters.
  
• Obonto habitats with whom you have excellent relations with will not transfer all the ore you sold them to the Enceladus station, where you can sell it again for even more profit.
  
• The music mixer could mix between three tracks, rather than the two it was supposed to, which led to some unexpected music mixes.
  
• Updated translations.