Hellion - Space survival game (Super Hardcore Game)

[Asid]

Devblog #24 - Upcoming features
20 SEPTEMBER   - ZG_SMORTY

What’s up survivors? Is Hellion treating you alright? You getting the hang of survival? Better put on your pressurized suits and double check the safety on your helmet since we are introducing a number of brand new hazards to the world of Hellion.



It’s been awhile since we did a proper announcement of new features so this blog will outline our plans and explain various new mechanics that we are working on, including damage, degradation, heat and radiation. Today, we’ll explain the reasoning behind these decisions and update our roadmap https://steamcommunity.com/linkfilter/?url=https://trello.com/b/IB3hepnV/hellion-road-map-phase-one accordingly.

Here’s what Marko Smiljanic, creative director at Zero Gravity, had to say about the planned features: “We are excited to implement mechanics that will take the PvE aspect of the game to a new level. Immersion plays a big role in Hellion and recreating the harsh conditions of space is a major part of it. After all, space is a dangerous place and it won’t hesitate to kill you if it catches you off guard, even for a second.”

These changes will be introduced one by one in the following updates to allow more time for testing, feedback and improvement.

Damage, degradation and repair

Some of you may have noticed the new concept art in between the loading screens. These images are just a small teaser for the upcoming damage and repair mechanics. We are happy to announce that the “age of invulnerable ships and stations” is coming to an end. In order for their equipment to function properly players will be required to repair and maintain it. Damage comes in two basic forms, degradation and collision.



Degradation is a steady process that represents a slow decay of materials due to extreme temperature variations and exposure to space radiation. As time goes by modules and ships will slowly lose a percentage of their health until it is reduced to zero. This is true for both claimed and unclaimed modules and ships and will completely replace the current despawn mechanic. Loss of health will be accompanied by various visual changes like cracks and material decay, sparks and electrical discharge for modules with power and fire for those with pressure. These effects will vary in intensity based on the amount of HP lost allowing players to discern the approximate HP of an object at a glance.



Collisions in space can be a rather deadly thing, especially considering that damage is based on physics and takes into account mass and relative velocity of objects. So a slight bump between two small modules will cause damage, but won’t be fatal. However, a full on collision between two ships is likely to ensure mutual destruction and even cause damage to other nearby objects as well.

All of this brings us to the repair mechanics. In order to repair a damaged module players will require two things: a working repair tool and resources. Repair tool is a small welding device that allows players to restore HP to the modules and consumes a certain amount of resources that can be replenished from the cargo interface, much in the same way as you refuel a jetpack. Repair can only happen at repair points that are scattered across both the interior and exterior of the module. They also count as damage indicators since the number of active repair points and the intensity of visual effects indicate how damaged a module is. To fully fix a damaged module players will have to interact with all active repair points as each one can only restore a fixed amount of HP.



And just to spice things up and make salvage a bit more interesting, modules and ships that players can find will never spawn at full HP, requiring some maintenance work before a module is restored to full functionality.

Heat management

Another new feature that we are working on is the introduction of heat and cooling in space. Considering that we often hear “how cold space is” it might come as a bit of a surprise that in vacuum cooling is actually a bigger problem than heating. This is because all matter transmits heat in two ways: contact with other particles and electromagnetic radiation. Since in vacuum there are almost no particles, the only way to cool down is to either vent hot particles (using limited resource) or radiate heat into space. However radiating heat is a bit tricky since it is based on the mass and surface of the object. The bigger the surface the faster an object will cool but it will also absorb more of solar EM radiation causing it to heat up.

Modern technology handles this problem by using specifically designed radiators. Radiators look similar to solar panels in design and use heat transfer system to collect excess heat and bleed it off into space. To compensate for solar radiation, they are always angled in a way that exposes very little of their surface to the sun.



In Hellion, we plan to introduce a similar system that will require players to carefully plan their actions and manage excess heat if they want to keep their ships and stations operational. There will be two factors at play here: external and internal influence. External influence is entirely based on the distance from the star and whether or not players are in the shadow of another large body, such as a planet or a moon. Internal heat will be generated by various onboard systems. As a rule of thumb the more power a module produces or consumes the more heat it generates. Needless to say excessive heat will have a negative impact on the player’s health and cause damage to the module’s hull. In order to mitigate these effects and maintain stable conditions players will have access to entirely new systems and upgrades.

Radiation exposure

In addition to heat we also plan to introduce radiation as a factor in Hellion. Rather than damage the hull of the modules directly, radiation will cause damage to active systems and parts ultimately causing them to break down. For players however, it might be more dangerous than heat since there will be only a handful of options for removing radiation poisoning.

Radiation sources will include natural ones such as trapped radiation (Van Allen belts), galactic cosmic radiation, solar particle events (coronal ejections, solar flares) and gas giant planets, while abandoned stations, damaged modules and derelicts will represent artificial sources.

Station management and overview

So by now, we already know what you’re thinking. How the hell are we going to keep track of all that? It is for this reason that we will be adding a proper ship/station overview interface that will allow players to easily keep track of the conditions in their base. The overview will feature all necessary information to allow easy management of security, power, pressure, damage, heat and radiation. So, no more guessing if there is enough oxygen to pressurize that new power supply module. The overview will be available to players at any given time, but managing various systems will only be possible from specific consoles within the base.

Our goal is to make player stations an important part of gameplay in Hellion. As such their function will expand well beyond “a place to safely log off” and turn them into safe harbors where players have to return to recover, upgrade their equipment and plan their next move. Creating a proper base layout to counter various threats at a certain location by using available upgrades, resources and equipment will require additional planning and in large part decide the pace at which players explore the Hellion system.

Inventory and storage rework



Along with the features mentioned above we are also working on improving inventory and storage mechanics that will make manipulating items more intuitive and user friendly. Streamlining inventory management will speed up gameplay and eliminate many of the grievances our player base had reported so far.

That’s all for today’s news, fly safe and stay tuned for more news over the next weeks as we will go into detail about each and every new feature outlined today.

Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

"Don't Panic!" update is now LIVE!
19 OCTOBER   - ZG_SMORTY

Hello survivors!

Time to put on your helmets and double check your suit seals, Hellion’s Don’t Panic! update just went live! Get ready for a completely new experience as you fight fires, breaches, malfunctions and more! Just remember, whatever happens, keep calm and Don’t Panic!



If you haven’t got Hellion yet, you can grab it now at 25% off! Steam discount will last until 10 AM (Pacific time), October 23.

This is the first multi-language version of Hellion. We have localized the game into eight languages: Chinese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Turkish. And it’s just a start.

What to expect in the Don’t Panic! update:

Degradation damage - all ships, stations and individual modules now take degradation damage over time and must be maintained in order to avoid destruction. All ships and modules have a number of “repair points” that will become active once objects take enough damage. The more damage a module accumulates the more pronounced damage effects become and more repair points activate.


Collisions - all modules can be destroyed by collisions, the amount of damage depends on the mass of colliding objects and their relative velocity.

Destruction - once a module is destroyed it will explode and damage nearby objects and players. Explosion damage is based on mass of the module and increases in radius and intensity if the object had an active engine, reactor or warp drive.


Onboard hazards - as damage accumulates it can cause various problems like: system malfunctions, fires and breaches. . System malfunction will cause the affected system to shut down until repaired. Fires will damage nearby players and drain air quality from the room until extinguished or if air quality and pressure drop too low. Breaches will rapidly vent air into the vacuum of space until sealed.



Repair - two new items are introduced: a welding tool and a fire extinguisher. Welder is the main repair tool and uses Hydrogen as fuel (temporarily). It can be used to fix any damaged repair point. In case of fire, players can use the extinguisher to put it out before safely repairing the damage.

Grenade changes - radius of all grenades has been increased to make them easier to use. AP grenades will now cause damage to module’s interior and will detonate other nearby grenades, potentially causing spectacular results!

New visual effects - all modules will now dynamically change in appearance based on their health. Completely decayed modules will look considerably worse compared to their fully repaired counterparts.



Module spawn changes - all modules now spawn at low hull integrity, no pressure and will continue to decay over time. As a result most modules that players can find will require extensive repairs before they can be used, as well as additional Oxygen and Nitrogen to pressurize.

Starting scene - major changes to the starting scene, including resources items and hull integrity of all objects. Ship in particular will require a number of repairs before it is fully operational. Overall players can expect a more dynamic starting experience.

Balancing - cargo and system tanks of all modules, as well as contained resources were adjusted to be in line with the new mechanics. Mining speed was also considerably increased. As a result mining is now a viable alternative to looting.


Finally, we want to thank everyone from the Hellion community for their support and feedback, as this update would not have been possible without them. We sincerely hope that you will have as much fun playing it, as the team had making it.

And again, remember… Whatever you do, just Don’t Panic!

Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

Hellion - Localization
HELLION - ZG_Rick

Scientists from H.A.D.E.S Labs are currently scouring the Hellion system in order to pinpoint the origin of a mysterious signal recently caught by the Expedition’s Askatar Observatory. So far their efforts have been unsuccessful as the signal is heavily encrypted by a very intelligent algorithm...



Dear players, for the last couple of months, we’ve been working on a localization of Hellion. We wanted Hellion to be available in as many languages as possible, so people from all around the world could enjoy space adventures in their native languages. What we’ve found is that the task which we thought would be a simple matter for any experienced translator, actually proved far more difficult than we had expected. Hellion is a special game in many ways. It’s a hard-core game meant to be played and enjoyed by real sci-fi fans, often requiring at least basic understanding of physics and space exploration. Any professional translator, regardless of their skill, must also fit within this sci-fi niche to do the job properly. Statistically, that is a very unlikely scenario.

On the other hand, some players took action and made translations on their own. They wanted to have Hellion localized so their friends could play it in a local language. And they did a great job! Thanks to Mulbity, =V=Heromant and AAAlexander we have Hellion in Chinese, Russian and Italian respectively. Now we are absolutely sure that we need your help in order to localize Hellion properly.

That’s why we decided to put the Hellion localization project to the Crowdin platform. If you like the game, and you want to help translate it into your native language, please visit our project page here: https://crowdin.com/project/hellion-zero-gravity
If you have any questions please send an email to support@zerogravitygames.com

Thank you very much for the amazing support! Next week, we’ll be announcing a new stuff coming in the next update.


Until then, fly safe.

Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

Devblog #26 Systematization
HELLION - ZG_Smorty

What’s up survivors, it’s been awhile! We sure hope the latest update is treating you well and that you will continue to voice your concerns, critique, and suggestions (praise is also welcomed).



During the past few weeks we’ve been collecting and analyzing community feedback and working on Hellion’s next update. We believe it will bring several much wanted improvements, address a number of gameplay issues pointed out so far and further expand the gameplay introduced in the Don’t Panic update.

Today’s dev blog will outline various changes coming in the next update that is expected to land mid December. Next installation of our blog will bring a detailed preview of the update.

Systems

One of our objectives with the next update is to rework and rebalance the way systems work in Hellion. At the moment systems are something that players activate and then forget about. We aim to change that in a way that makes systems, and in turn base-building, essential to player survival and one of the key factors when making decisions.

In this regard Power Supply system is our main focus, as we want to completely change the current balance of resources, output and power requirements between ships, stations and individual modules.

Our second goal is to rework the Life Support system and rebalance O2 and Nitrogen consumptions to bring them in line with changes to the power supply system. Also important to note is that we want to make a clear distinction between using a jetpack and having a fully operational environmental control system, with the other being far superior in terms of resource consumption.

UI improvements

Next on the list is a series of improvements to the user interface as one of the often voiced complaints was that many of the UIs, especially power supply and life support were unclear, confusing or simply inadequate for proper station management.

The new interface is designed to be simple, clear and intuitive and should make station management (regardless of the number of modules) faster and more enjoyable. We expect it to solve most if not all of the issues players have with system management while also providing sufficient information regarding consumption, production and power requirements to make it easier for new players to learn and understand.

Parts

Don’t Panic update introduced system damage and malfunctions without touching the way parts currently work. One key feature of the next update will be a full rework of the way parts work and interact with different systems.

Contrary to the current mechanics, where players collect a bunch of different parts just to have spares in case they break down, we want each part to be important with rare “higher tier” parts providing a considerable bonus to systems they are attached to.



Localization

We want to use this opportunity to thank everyone for their efforts in community-based localization process as the level of dedication and attention to detail far exceeded our expectations in this regard. Eighty people gave their best during the weekend to make this possible. Join them in our continuous effort to make Hellion available all over the galaxy. Starting from today, a new set of languages will be imported into the game, ready to be approved by community. If you have any translation suggestions or you want to have Hellion localized in your native language you can visit our localization project.

Discord integration

We are also proud to announce that our work on Hellion’s rich presence for Discord is also nearing completion. We are looking forward to letting you try it out as soon as it’s finished.

Roadmap

Also, we have updated our roadmap so you can keep track of the development process.


That’s all for today folks! Stay tuned for future dev blogs when we will talk in-depth about all of the changes outlined so far, as well as some new features that haven’t been announced yet!

Until next time, fly safe and mind your oxygen level!
Zero Gravity Team

[Asid]

Kessler Update Release Date
HELLION - ZG_Rick

Greetings colonists!

Your ships are coming close to the Kessler Update. Be sure to take the necessary precautions since you’ll be entering the debris field on December 21.



We’ve decided to take one more week for additional testing to ensure a stable release. It is our goal to stir things up and bring a lot of excitement to the world of Hellion. Kessler will also introduce the improved Power Supply system which should make base planning and building more interesting.

We also want to say a few words regarding bug fixing, server improvements and optimization as these still remain one of the top priorities for our development team. In this regard our goal hasn’t changed since launch. We want to deliver a smooth and enjoyable experience for all colonists in the Hellion system.

Optimization on its own is a huge task which is at the moment being executed on a special dev branch because of the sheer complexity and repercussions that can affect every aspect of the game. Needless to say this is a no small task that cannot be completed within a short timeframe.

Community art contest ends today and we are looking forward to seeing your creations in Hellion. Thank you once more for taking part in this event and making the game together with us.

Finally, before we get back into our spaceships, we’d like to share these two hilarious videos which we’ve recently discovered. They are provided by courtesy of Nu Level Nerds.





Fly safe,
Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

Devblog #28 - Community Art Ready For Launch
HELLION - ZG_Rick

Howdy space cowboys!


How’s Hellion treating you? Having trouble surviving? Don’t you worry, the Kessler Update is just around the corner and it’ll bring even more disasters your way.

Weather forecast looks a bit grim these days as we can clearly see a massive debris storm approaching, that is why we plan to observe what is happening from fortified SDS bunkers. Those of you who are not so lucky might just have to watch out once you see a debris field warning sign on your HUD. But remember, brave warriors, even under the shower of deadly scrap, one thing will be seen from the distance - symbols and signs on your ships which clearly distinguish wreckages left by brave knights from those of others.

Zero Gravity thanks you all for participating in Hellion community art contest. It’s a pleasure to have such a creative and dedicated community. We’ve chosen some of the most interesting art pieces which and they will be making their way into Hellion with the Kessler update. Here they are:



Choose your “coat of arms” on the Security Panel and it will immediately appear on dedicated places inside and outside of your ship or Command Module.



Once again, thank you for taking part in the making of Hellion together with us. All of you who are still interesting in sharing your art pieces with us, we’ll have community@zerogravitygames.com open for your applications, so we can add your creations in one of the future Hellion updates.

Until next week,
Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

Kessler Update Patch Notes
HELLION - ZG_Rick

After collecting data from numerous system scans and running multiple simulation models our scientists finally pieced together the fate of Expedition’s initial infrastructure. While some details remain unclear, one thing is certain, most of the original stations have been destroyed and now exist only as the orbital debris fields. Whether this was the result of a Kessler effect or deliberate sabotage is irrelevant at this point.

If you find yourself caught in one of these orbital storms keep your tools handy in case you have to do some emergency repairs and check out the Kessler Update patch notes!



Kessler update will be deployed on Thursday, December 21. Servers will be down from 2PM UTC/6AM PT until 3PM UTC/7AM PT. Servers will be wiped to ensure proper patch deployment.

For private servers:

Update your server and game client
Delete save files

New Features

Debris Fields are large orbital zones filled with deadly shrapnel and derelict remains of ships and stations.
All ships, stations and EVA characters have a chance to take damage while inside a debris field. Damage and chance are affected by the strength of a debris field.

There are two major sources of damage inside a debris field, shrapnel and derelicts.

Shrapnels have a percent chance to damage all ships, modules and EVA characters. EVA characters can take cover behind modules and ships to avoid getting hit.

Derelicts spawn with a percent chance and will fly roughly in the direction of any ships and modules present inside a debris field.

Derelicts will deal normal collision damage on impact.

Ships can maneuver out of the way to avoid being hit.

Ship emblems - players can now select an emblem for their ship or a command module from the security interface.

Self Destruct - players can choose to activate self destruct sequence on their ships and stations from the security interface.

Solar power module - a new module with four solar panels power to your stations.

Second pass of localization - Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish and Ukrainian languages have been added with the help of our community members on Hellion translation project.

Discord app integration - Hellion rich presence enabled for Discord users.

Major changes to Systems and Parts mechanics

Base power consumption - all modules/ships have a base power requirement in order to work. Power consuming systems and devices will not work if the module’s base power requirement is not met.
•   Base power requirement for all power consuming systems
•   Base power requirement for all panels
•   Base power requirement for turrets
•   Removed lights as subsystem (added to base consumption)


Systems no longer require parts in order to function. Parts now provide major bonuses to any system they are slotted in. To balance this and retain importance of parts throughout the game, basic values of all systems have been severely reduced.

- Part tiers implemented ranging from T1 (lowest) to T4 (highest)
- Catalysts are now used inside solar panels rather than servo motors
- Catalyst now improve power output
- Servo motors now reduce system’s power consumption
- Resource injectors reduce system’s resource consumption
- Core Containment now increases maximum capacitor storage
- CO2 Filters now eliminate O2 consumption of Air Filter
- Number of Warp Cells no longer determines available warp type
- Singularity Cell detonator now unlocks better warp types
- Air Processor part removed from the game
- EM Field Controller part removed from the game
- High Energy Laser part removed from the game
- Changed resource consumption of all systems to be fixed rather than dynamic
- Refining raw resources now takes time and consumes power
- Changed power consumption values of all modules and individual systems
- Changed resource consumption values of all systems
- Removed most parts from the starting scene

Warp Drive improvements - Warp Drive now consumes very little power when idle. Warping now requires a large amount of stored power from the ship’s Capacitor.

Warp 1 - 150.000
Warp 2 - 200.000
Warp 3 - 250.000


UI improvements


- Power supply interface changes and improvements
- Refinery interface changes and improvements
- Name-tags of players and ships on Helmet HUD
- Debris field indicators on Helmet HUD and Environmental monitors
- Players can see the orbits of ships and stations on which they have been authorized - meeting up with friends made a lot easier this way

Other Changes

- Degradation values reduced (x3)
- Repair point prioritization (collision damages exterior points first)
- Lower damage priority chance for offline systems
- Added storage shelves to Cargo Bay Module central platform
- Added turret slots to the interior and exterior of modules
- Repositioned main deck turret in ship and added another slot in cargo bay
- Cargo panel “Vent resources” function
- Added chance for parts to take damage when a system suffers damage
- Item tiers added to tooltip info
- Increased starting hull integrity of outpost and ship in the starting scene

Bug Fixes

- Scan not working after warping to another planet (not moon)
- Warping into objects
- Items health persistence
- Helmet radar target persists after destruction
- Entering wrong password for server can stuck game menu
- No effect when dying from 0 AQ   
- Scan not working after warping to another planet (not moon)   
- “Add crew” not working for online players on the same server   
- Cargo panel can't refill jetpack fully when its on 99%
- Home station button on nav map is active after home base was destroyed   
- Targets of docked modules not merging
- Refueling station tank naming is wrong
- Server crash when modules are docked in a circle
- Cannot re-pressurize cargo bay in ship
- Stuck on loading when on doomed outpost
- LSM Port B missing texture on geometry
- CM hallway doesn't change gravity
- Doomed Outpost items not spawning
- NavMap authorized vessels not showing when player and authorized vessel are not in the orbit of the same parent planet
- Decal missing in warp drive box
- Inventory can be opened on death screen after dead


Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

Kessler Update is now live!
HELLION - ZG_Rick

Greetings colonists!



Hellion was always a dangerous place. With Kessler Update, it became deadlier than ever before. A massive orbital debris fields are out there, waiting for you and your crew. Read the patch notes here. and get ready for a new round of space survival.

Good luck!
Zero Gravity

[Asid]

Hellion, Survivor's Guide
22 DECEMBER - ZG_SMORTY

Welcome to Hellion colonist! This short guide will serve to help you get your bearings in the world of Hellion and extend your expected lifespan beyond the 15 minute mark.



What is known
1.   You have been sleeping for over a century.
2.   Initial colonization efforts proceeded as planned while you were asleep.
3.   At a certain point in time prior to your awakening the Hellion colonization project (also known as the Expedition) came to an abrupt halt due to still unknown factors.
4.   An armed conflict took place in the Hellion system.
5.   The fate of early Expedition personnel and the “Daedalus” flagship is unknown.
6.   Contact cannot be established with the UNE government or the corporate representatives of Altair Corporation, Skyline Defence Solutions and HADES Foundation.
7.   It is unclear if the distress signal was ever sent back to Sol.
8.   Odds of a rescue operation within the foreseeable future are close to zero.
9.   It is unknown how many other Expedition survivors are currently stranded in the Hellion system.

Waking up from a cryosleep can be a disorienting experience for seasoned veterans and new colonist alike, so take a moment to familiarize yourself with the interior of your Crew Quarters Module. Depending on your circumstances you might have to weather an orbital debris storm or two and repair your outpost before you can fully access all of its systems.



What to pay attention to
1.   Cryopod - always remember where you parked your character. Vacant cryopods in your base can be used by other survivors. Having a friend help you out is never a bad thing.
2.   Survival gear - always take a suit, a helmet and a full jetpack with you.
3.   Emergency equipment - fully loaded welder, fire extinguisher and a spare oxygen canister or two will greatly improve your odds of survival.
4.   Environmental monitors - check them out as they show you the current pressure, air quality and any problems that the station might be experiencing.
5.   Heads up Display - pay attention to your suits HUD at all times and watch out for hazards like fires, hull breaches and system malfunctions.
6.   Pressure hazards - in case of a hull breach or loss of atmosphere doors will not open automatically. Use manual override to open doors and make sure to grab onto the walls to avoid being knocked down or blown away by decompression.
7.   Main Systems - Power Supply, Life Support and Cargo are three main systems of any station.
8.   Power Supply Interface - allows you to manage different systems and balance out the base’s power output and consumption.
9.   Life Support Interface - provides air filtration and pressure regulation capabilities. All connected modules and their current status can be viewed from here.
10.   Cargo Interface - allows you to refuel your equipment as well as refine and manage vital resources necessary for survival. All connected modules, their system tanks and cargo holds can be accessed from this interface.
11.   Refinery - enables processing of raw materials into useful resources but consumes a lot of power while operational.
12.   Parts - provide massive bonuses for systems they are attached to and can greatly reduce system operating costs. Keep an eye out for higher tier parts and don’t be afraid to swap out parts from one system to the other depending on the situation.
Priority for any Expedition survivor should be to restore full life support capabilities to their outpost by repairing any hull breaches and damaged systems. In case you have to go out into EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) to repair any external hull breaches or malfunctioning solar panels you should remember the basics of navigation in zero gravity.



How to survive in the vacuum of space
1.   Airlocks - are the only modules that can be used to enter or exit a space station without venting precious atmosphere. Docking an airlock to your outpost is paramount for conserving resources.
2.   Decompression - occurs when atmosphere is vented into space. If you do not have access to a working airlock remember to use manual override to seal off corridors and sections of your base to minimize loss of atmosphere when going EVA.
3.   Jetpack - is the most important piece of space gear as it allows you to maneuver in the vacuum of space. Without a working jetpack you slowly quickly drift away and suffocate. Jetpack also contains your suits oxygen, power and fuel supply.
4.   Acceleration - occurs constantly while thrusting in any direction.
5.   Inertia - countering is vital to effectively move in the hard vacuum of space as all motion is perpetual since there is no air friction to slow you down. If you thrust forward for 3 seconds you will need to thrust backwards for 3 seconds in order to stop your movement.
6.   Fuel conservation - will help you survive for longer. Use inertia to your advantage when crossing large distances.
7.   Collision - in space can be extremely dangerous depending on the relative speed of two objects. Pay attention to your directional speed indicators and avoid colliding with other objects when moving faster than 5 m/s.
8.   Stabilize - your rotation by using jetpack or grab onto the hull of nearby modules to stop your motion.

By now you should have a solid grasp of your situation. Salvage what you can from the surrounding modules and start making preparations for moving your outpost from its current position as its orbit frequently passes through one of Bethyr’s debris fields. In order to accomplish this you will need to refine some resources, repair the ship outside of your outpost and learn the basics of ship navigation.



The ship functions much like your outpost having both the Power Supply and Life Support systems. In addition to two auxiliary solar panels the ship is also equipped with a small fusion reactor, powerful engines and a warp drive FTL (Faster Than Light) system. But before you access the pilot chair, make sure to authorize yourself as the ship’s captain using the security interface panel.

Due to immense distances between planets and moons most ships rely solely on FTL for travel between locations. While engines can be used to cross large distances they remain inferior to the warp drive.

Remember that your ship can only carry a single module at a time. In order to move your outpost to a safer location you will first need to detach individual modules by using docking levers inside the connecting corridors. Then grapple a detached module using the ships docking interface. Once a module is safely grappled by your ship you can start plotting a warp jump by using the NavMap.



Navigation and Scanning tips
1.   NavMap - shows your current orbit and position in the Hellion system.
2.   Ship scanner - is the only way to accurately locate distant objects. Scanner has a limited range so change your orbit and scan again from a different location.
3.   Locations - of nearby scanned objects will show as points of interest on your map along with their orbital trails.
4.   Derelicts - are ruined modules and an excellent source of equipment, parts and other gear.
5.   Modules - are the building blocks of space stations. They can be towed with your ship and docked to your outpost.
6.   Asteroids - can be mined for raw resources to replenish your fuel reserves, oxygen and other resources.
7.   Debris Fields - are large orbital zones filled with deadly shrapnel and derelict modules. Try to avoid them whenever possible. If you decide to enter one of these fields on purpose make sure your ship is in good condition and that you have sufficient resources for emergency repairs.
8.   Warp drive - maneuvers require warp cells and sufficient power in the ship’s capacitor to execute.
9.   Distance - plays an important role in setting up a maneuver and directly affects warp cell fuel consumption.
10.   Collision - with a planet or a moon will always be fatal so make sure the line connecting your current location and desired destination is clear of any planets/moons. You may need to adjust your departure and arrival times, or execute an additional warp maneuver to get clear.
11.   Interplanetary travel - requires an improved warp core also known as a “Singularity Cell Detonator”. Better cores will allow you to use faster warp.
12.   Planetary zones - all planets and moons belong to either Civilian, Industrial or Military zones. Each zone holds specific items, upgrades and modules.

After completing your first few warp maneuvers, mining some raw resources and looting a derelict or two you should be confident enough to deal with anything Hellion throws your way. Just remember to upgrade your systems with better parts when you find them and add additional modules to your outpost. The ship may have most of the systems to keep you alive but it will not allow you to refine raw resources. Same can be said about your starting outpost, although it has all of the systems necessary for survival they are inferior to specialized modules like a dedicated life support or a cargo bay refining system.

Finally never forget that you are not the only survivor out there. You will come across others. How you choose to interact with them is up to you but it never hurts to be armed appropriately or have a sentry or two to protect your station while you are away.

Good luck colonist! Let’s hope you won’t need it.

[Asid]

Let's Play - Kessler Update
30 DECEMBER   - ZG_RICK

What’s up colonists? Are you feeling lost? Uncertain of what you should do or where to go? Are you worried about those debris fields? Whatever you do, just don’t panic! Our new Let’s Play Series is going to answer all of those questions and more!

This first video covers the basics and explains everything a new player needs to know once they wake up from a century long cryosleep! From basic controls and zero-g movement to warp maneuvers and custom orbits, we got you covered!

[Asid]

Development Process Update
1 FEBRUARY   - ZG_RICK

Hello Colonists,

It’s been a while since our last post and we have a lot to share with you. Today we’ll talk about the work we’ve done over the past month and what you can expect in the next Hellion update.




Development


Let’s start with the important news first, migration to Unity 2017 version. Our developers have successfully resolved all the conflicts that are simply inevitable when updating the game engine. Now our team is fully focused on stability and optimization, which remain our main task.

Apart from the general gameplay and code optimization we are also working on optimizing the modules which will result in higher frame rates. This will also eliminate a lot of problems many players have been experiencing, since framerate drop is one of the major sources of most known bugs. Improvements to collision models, geometry and light setup are all part of this process. We have also put a lot of effort into the net code optimization in order to improve server-client communication which is expected to reduce or eliminate many of the desync issues.

There is a large list of resolved bugs. One of the most annoying, the “Elevator bug” was successfully sorted out, so no more “stuck in the middle of your ship”.

Most of these improvements will find their way into the next update which is expected to see the light of Hellion before the end of February. Those that are not included will require some additional testing time and will be implemented shortly after.


New Update


What to expect? First of all, a plethora of bug fixes and game improvements. We won’t go into details here, since they will all be listed in the patch notes.

We continue importing community made images for in-game customization. If you want to see your artwork in game, do not hesitate and send your art to community@zerogravitygames.com.

Since we’ve decided to focus on optimization, we had to slightly adjust our roadmap[trello.com]. In terms of new gameplay mechanics, we had made a decision to push Heat and Radiation further back in favor of a mechanic that many of you wanted from day one - crafting.

Define what you need for your station improvement, get in your ship and go on a salvage run. Find scrap materials and turn them into something useful. We are very excited about this one and expect crafting to become one of the backbone features in the future.

Next on the list are the improvements to the Life Support system. These changes are in line with the Power Supply rework and should round up base building and maintenance aspects of gameplay where you upgrade individual systems in order to improve the performance and functionality of your base as a whole.

This is just an overview of our latest activity which we wanted to share with you. If you are interested in more details, visit our roadmap[trello.com] and check the latest changes. During the following weeks we’ll go into details about all of the new game mechanics you can expect in the next update.


Until then, fly safe,

Zero Gravity team

Road map: https://trello.com/b/IB3hepnV/hellion-road-map-phase-one

[Asid]

Craftwork Update Preview, Part I
8 FEBRUARY   - ZG_RICK

What’s up survivors, is Hellion treating you alright? Today we bring you the first part of the “Craftwork” update preview. This blog will focus on improvements coming to Life Support system, airlock mechanics and security.

Ok, so lets start with the Life Support system. As you all know, life support is responsible for maintaining normal breathing conditions on board your ships and stations. In order to work properly it requires power and a supply of refined resources (oxygen and nitrogen). So far life support worked with little or no input from the players leaving them with very few options when it came to base management, usually boiling down to: leave it ON, or turn it OFF.

We’ve put a lot of thought into redesigning and changing the way LS works and have done a complete overhaul of the life support UI to bring it in line with the recent changes to the power supply interface.



One major improvement to the LS mechanics is the way game handles air itself. Instead of being a magical substance inside your modules that you have very limited control over, air is now treated as an entirely new resource. Once you turn on the Air Generator it will start mixing oxygen and nitrogen to create breathable air and safely store it inside the life support’s “air tank”. Since this tank is accessible from the cargo screen, you can freely transfer air between different air tanks and cargo holds. In case you want the resources back, you can use the refinery to have it broken down into nitrogen and oxygen once again. While different air tanks store air individually, LS interface will show the combined air tank value for all connected LS systems, in the same way multiple capacitors are handled.



Second important thing is how much information and control players have over the atmosphere in their stations. The new LS interface now displays all relevant information for each system and module connected to the base. This information includes output, information about parts, power and resource consumption, as well as volume information, pressure and air quality per room.

Another big change is that pressurization is no longer an automatic process tied to the Air Generator sub-system. In order to pressurize a room, players have to simply click the Pressurize option for each room from the UI. So, no more wasting precious nitrogen on that cargo bay just because you forgot to turn off the air generator. And before some of you start raging about manually pressurizing individual rooms, you can click on multiple rooms and let the LS do its task while you deal with other things.

In addition to the “pressurize” option, players can now also choose to “depressurize” and “vent” individual rooms. Note that depressurizing the room will return the air back into the air tank. So in case you don’t have enough resources to pressurize an entire station you can depressurize any module you do not find necessary and pressurize those that you visit frequently. Or use the life support module as a makeshift airlock.


Airlock changes


Speaking of airlocks we’ve also done a number on how they work and more importantly how fast they work. Airlocks now require a functional life support system and access to the life support air tank in order to work. Once you choose to depressurize an airlock, the air will be returned to the main life support air tank. In addition, all airlocks have received a considerable boost to their air cycling speed, reducing the waiting time considerably when moving in and out.



Part of this change is the removal of the infamous “elevator airlock” that caused much grief to our players. The elevator is now just that: an elevator. All airlock functions have been delegated to the cargo airlock that now works considerably faster than before.


Security improvements


With the improvements to the Power Supply system, a number of problems related to base security came to light and changing the way security works became necessary. First major change we implemented was to tie all interface panels to the central security system.



With this simple change any unauthorized personnel will be blocked from accessing your base or ship systems. Keep in mind that this works only for systems that are actually linked to the security interface. If a module such as power supply or life support isn’t connected to the command module, anyone will be able to access it. If, however you run across an abandoned ship, or a command module that by default has a security interface, you will need to authorize yourself before gaining access to any system panels.

Another improvement was to change the command module into a proper nerve center of your base as its name implies. Once you have obtained a command module you will be able to access any of the connected systems from its command deck.



And last but not least we had decided to block outside access to all maintenance shafts in order to prevent intruders from simply bypassing all locked doors and going straight to the command module.

Finally, if all goes well during the testing phase you can expect the “Craftworks” update to hit live servers on March 1, 2018. That’s all for this blog, join us next week for the second part of the update preview when we go into the depths of the crafting system.


Fly safe,
Zero Gravity team

[Asid]

Craftwork Update Preview, Part II
15 FEBRUARY   - ZG_RICK

Welcome back survivors! Ready for Craftwork preview, Part 2? Alright! Then let’s dive into the crafting system that was only mentioned in our last post. Reminder: Craftwork Update is coming out on March 1, 2018.



Why crafting?

Player progression in Hellion always felt a bit off, especially since the rework of the entire system mechanics and the introduction of new parts. While searching for the right parts and modules is certainly fun, failing to find that one part you really need due to RNG can be a frustrating experience. In order to lessen the RNG impact on gameplay we resorted to scattering a large number of parts and equipment throughout the derelicts and modules to ensure that players can easily find them once they’ve reached a certain zone.

While this made it easier for new players to obtain gear and upgrades it also created an overabundance of high tier parts and items for players who knew where to go and what to look for.



Another problem with the aforementioned system was that building and upgrading your base added little to the gameplay experience as it was almost completely disconnected from the core loop. In terms of improving your parts and equipment, a fully built base provides absolutely no benefit over the starting outpost.

We aim to change that with the introduction of crafting mechanics. Giving players the ability to craft exactly what they need means that they would no longer be at the mercy of RNG when it comes to upgrading their gear. However we do not want to remove the element of surprise and excitement when you do find something you weren’t expecting.

As an example, having multiple EVA helmets and jetpacks is useless until you find the suit and finding more of them just adds to the frustration. With the introduction of crafting, finding any piece of the EVA gear becomes meaningful since you will have one less item to craft. And in case you find multiple pieces that you do not need, you can break them down in order to craft the parts required to complete the set.

Needless to say this will also remove or at least severely reduce the odds of you running out of Warp Cells.

Immersion

Another issue we’ve had with the crafting system was its immersion. Simply combining some electronic parts with spare plastic by hand isn’t enough to give you a cellphone, not to mention a functional part for a futuristic spaceship. That meant that the standard and intuitive crafting system “combine item A with item B to get item C” was out of the question. We needed a system that would tie in with the rest of the game’s mechanic while also looking realistic and immersive. So... How are things made in the 24th century when you find yourself stranded almost a thousand lightyears from Earth?



Glad you asked! Introducing the Altair Corporation’s mobile manufacturing system: the AltCorp Fabricator Module ™ . This scaled-down fabrication unit comes with a large storage space, integrated cargo hold and a state of the art production unit that combines latest advancements in CNC technology with industrial 3D printing solutions. To further complement the system each AltCorp Fabricator Module ™ also features a dedicated Recycling Unit that is capable of breaking down any on-site items into base components that can be used to craft whatever is necessary.

Crafting Mechanics

As we’ve mentioned earlier, our goal with crafting was to close the core gameplay loop. In order to craft any items players will first have to gain access to the Fabricator module. This can be done in two ways: by flying to one of the premade stations and using their refining and fabrication facilities, or by attaching the fabricator module to your base. Since manufacturing items and parts is rather energy intensive you might want to upgrade your power output, or at least ensure that you have enough power stored in the capacitor.

The second part involves obtaining sufficient crafting materials by salvaging them off of various derelicts. This will require you to first strip derelicts and modules of any valuables and then use the fabricators Recycling Unit to break them down into crafting components.



In addition to regular items and parts that you will still be able to find, we are introducing a new type of item: salvage. These “parts” will be exclusive to derelict modules and will yield a high amount of crafting components when recycled, as opposed to standard items that will yield only a fraction of their production cost. Location and “danger level” of the zone will affect the number of salvageable items as well as the composition of crafting materials that you get out of recycling.



New crafting resources include alloys, carbon fibers and circuits. Alloys are fairly plentiful in all zones and represent the most basic crafting resource. Carbon fibers are somewhat less common but most basic items won’t require a large amount of them. Finally circuits are pretty rare and never needed in large quantities. In addition to crafting resources, certain items (like Warp Cells) will also require a substantial amount of refined resources.

With all the changes coming in this update we had to make some improvements to the Cargo Interface to make room for the new crafting system and to make using and transferring resources faster and easier to understand.



Finally, this weekend on Steam Store: enjoy a 25% Hellion discount while celebrating Lunar New Year!

Set your mind on the Moon and fly safe,

Zero Gravity

[Asid]

Hellion - One Year Anniversary!
24 FEBRUARY   - ZG_RICK

Hello everyone!

Today is a very special day for Hellion, as it marks its birthday, so to speak. Exactly one year ago, Hellion embarked on its journey on Steam Early Access. It is said that every great journey changes you and Hellion was no exception. The game had changed a lot during the past 12 months and we want to make a short retrospective about these changes.



No one can deny that Hellion had a rocky launch day on February 24th, 2017. Its rusty feel, scarry environment and unforgiving gameplay weren’t for everyone and bumpy warp jumps certainly didn’t help much. That’s why the Zero Gravity crew did everything we could to improve the experience and make it more comfortable in the following days. We’ve seen many mechanics change and improve, user interface getting better and a lot of new features. Hellion saw nineteen updates since then, with the twentieth coming out next week.

After a year of orbiting around planets and moons, with thousands of “crashes into planets”, millions of looted stations and tons of oxygen used up, there is one thing that we as the developers consider the game’s greatest achievement - the Hellion Community. You guys, you are incredible! We had always hoped to get quality feedback from the community, but this became something more than that. This is an example of cooperation between devs and players. Everyday we read your bug reports, we talk about your suggestions and ideas and we watch your streams and videos.

We hope to continue and improve this relationship moving forward and let Hellion adapt, grow and evolve into a great game, one that we all love and want to play. Thank you all very much for this wonderful year!

Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/hellion

[Asid]

Craftwork Update Patch Notes
HELLION - ZG_Rick

What’s up everyone? The wait is over and the Craftwork Update is upon us and with it the next major feature of Hellion: Crafting! Along with being able to build parts, suits, weapons, etc the new update comes with a myriad of improvements to basic systems, user interface as well as a large number of bug fixes and quality of life improvements.



Craftwork Update will be deployed today (Thursday, March 1). Servers will be down from 5PM UTC/9AM PT until 6PM UTC/10AM PT. Servers will be wiped to ensure proper patch deployment.

For private servers:

Update your server and game client
Delete save files

New Features


Crafting mechanic - starting with the Craftwork update players will have the option of crafting any piece of equipment in the game, from parts and warp cells to suits and turrets. Crafting is only possible from the new Fabricator module and requires new crafting resources alloys, carbon fibers and circuits as well as old refined resources.
•   Crafting resources can be obtained by placing existing items in the Fabricator’s recycling unit. Note that recycling items will yield only a fraction of their manufacturing cost.
•   New “scrap items” added. These items can only be found on derelicts and will yield a high amount of crafting resources when recycled.
•   Fabricator module added to the game

Volumetric Lighting - volumetric lights option can be toggled on/off from the options menu.

Major system improvements


Major improvements to airlocks, life support system, cargo interface and the security interface.
•   Air added as a new resource. Air can be transferred between cargo holds and can be refined back into Oxygen and Nitrogen when needed.
•   Air Tank storage added to the life support system. This tank serves as storage for pressurizing and depressurizing rooms and airlocks.
•   Air Generator now produces air that is immediately stored inside the air tank.
•   All rooms can now be pressurized/depressurized or vented from the LS interface.
•   Players will now start suffocating when the Air Quality in a room reaches 20% instead of 0. Interface panels have been updated to account for these changes.
•   CO2 filters now completely eliminate oxygen consumption of the Air Filter but slowly degrade with use.
•   Airlocks now operate much faster and require a working life support to operate. Without space in the Air Tank or a working life support players will only have the option to override the airlock and vent the air.
•   Changed the cargo interface to be in line with the visual changes to the -
Power Supply and Life Support interface.
•   Nitrogen Minerals renamed to Nitrates, Heavy Ice replaced with Regolith and Deuterium replaced with Helium-3.
•   Changed all resource icons for improved visibility.
•   Adding Command module to your base will now prevent unauthorized personnel from accessing any of the system panels.
•   Locked all outside maintenance shaft hatches to prevent players from bypassing locked doors.
•   Added Life Support and Power Supply interface panels to the Command Module.

Propulsion changes
•   Warp with multiple modules. Up to 3 docked modules can now be moved at once at the cost of increased Warp Cell consumption (x2, x3, x4).
•   Ship engines can now properly be used to change orbits of docked stations.

User Interface Improvements
•   Added “Join Hellion on Discord” option to the game menu
•   Added Gamepedia link to the game menu
•   Added UI tooltips on hover for all interface panels
•   Added UI tooltips for interaction points (switches, leavers, attach points, etc.)
•   Added System Information help screens for all System Interface Panels
•   Added new tutorial triggers and messages to the starting scene
•   Replaced old loading messages with “gameplay tips”
•   Other improvements
•   Warp drive changes
•   Door UI Decal improvement
•   Different Post effects for map camera and player camera
•   Helmet visor glass effect as post effect
•   Removed airlock from ship’s elevator
•   Localization improvements missing strings
•   Elevator Indication Decals
•   Anti Aliasing selection in options
•   Item tooltips for recycled resources yield
•   Environmental monitor added to cryopod
•   CQM module scene and light optimization
•   Ship shelf attach points improvement
•   Borderless window
•   Helmet UI improvement
•   Added tooltips on/off in options
•   Changed pressure value for all found modules to 0
•   Power Supply light optimization
•   Command Module light optimization
•   Life Support light optimization
•   Output_log.txt transferred to (C:\Users\USER\AppData\LocalLow\ZeroGravity\HELLION\output_log.txt)

Bugfixes
•   Server client communication after login problem preventing players from equipping helmets
•   Pressure hazard not showing up on doors in certain cases
•   Different ship solar panel malfunction values for input and output
•   Helmet radar showing premade stations as multiple modules instead of a single station
•   CBM extinguisher attach points in wrong positions
•   Turrets losing animations when power is turned off and on
•   Keyboard options reverted after client reset
•   Power supply power source list scroll not working
•   Stuck on connecting to main server when choosing Russian language
•   Post effects not applying when loading settings
•   Wrong CBM refining and power consumption values
•   Missing hotkeys for EVA suit
•   Double confirmation popup when changing game Quality
•   Invert mouse option not working
•   Stuck at "connecting to invite" screen
•   Unusable shelf in the CQM module
•   English typos present in rescue ship functionality
•   Station not allowing docking and targeted module list showing Outpost only
•   Ship cannot warp when grappled to another ship
•   Using any control panel with item under the character, causes take off as in zero gravity
•   Server list - connect button icon overlapping with connect button border
•   Environmental panels showing red air quality values when player is not in any danger
•   Ship changing position on match velocity
•   Jetpack resource consumption problem, Oxygen and Power not used when decimal number is left in the tank
•   Inverted commands when moving more then one docked module
•   Outpost corridor A gravity not changing after undocking
•   Stations showing up as individual "invisible" undocked modules on radar.
•   Ship Docking Port still Glows after Docking to AM
•   ALT+TAB while in Cryopod disables Mouse Control


Zero Gravity