Update # 8 - Major Update available in Beta Version
Thu, 14 November 2019
Hey Everyone,
We would like to thank you guys for your patience as we were working on resolving last remaining issues and major exploits. With today`s major update and Update 9 next week we worked on the most common player complains about the game. And we continue work base don your feedback - expect the game to be in great shape by the end of the month – bringing you a good gameplay experience without game breaking bugs, or player exploits.
Also with today`s update we are changing our approach to patches. From now on new major updates will be available in a beta mode for a few days, before going live to the main build. This will help us avoid introducing new bugs with the major updates.
And so - major update # 8 is now available in the Beta mode. This major update includes nearly 50 fixes, improvements and new features, fixing most of the remaining major bugs and complaints, as well as addressing exploits and griefing. Outlaw system will be enabled by Monday to bring some order to the PvP chaos.
Update will go live on Tuesday, but Beta is available already. You can access it by right clicking on Stars End in the Steam library, selecting Properties, and then Beta tab. There are now two dedicated Beta servers that will always be available with no progress resets.
Basically if you like you can completely switch to Beta servers - they`ll be available 24/7 and always get the new updates first.
P.S. Keep in mind as a one time thing, there will be a beta server wipe in the next 24 hours (we`ll be switching servers to more powerful once) But it`s a one time thing. This will not effect live servers in any way.
TO BE ENABLED BY MONDAY
We have a second part of this update, that will be added to the beta build by Monday, and made available to everyone as update goes live on Tuesday.
• Outlaw system – players griefing other players, or killing noobs, will get an Outlaw status, with 5 possible Wanted levels. Outlaw status lowers over time
• Outlaws will have a nav point visible to other players and a credits bounty on them – both will increase with wanted level. With higher wanted level – Mechs will shoot on sight, and some merchants will become unavailable
• Noob system – will gives some protection to players playing Prologue, or just starting Survival game - Players who will mess or kill players with Noob status will get an Outlaw status with higher Wanted level
WORK BASED ON PLAYER REQUESTS & FEEDBACK
A bit part of this update was based on player`s feedback, suggestions and major annoyances with the game. We`ll continue to work in this direction with the upcoming 9th update as well. Here`s a summary list of what was done:
• Corrected a number of vehicle related issues. This greatly helps improve server stability and performance, reducing number of crashes and other server issues.
• Added a vehicle hijacking system for PvP servers based on player request. System only effects PvP servers.
• Fixed the issue that allowed players to delete territory hub claims but could not pickup personal claims.
• Enhanced wood containers so that only members of the originating claim can access them on PvE servers. This was widely requested, and is part of our commitment into making PvE experience about enjoyable teamwork.
• A massive update and rebuild to the character system for improved performance and visual acuity.
• Streamlined and improved Tutorial Mission to reduce player issues with mission performance.
• Loot rebalanced as requested to increase difficulty and improve long term game play – players will no longer find high end items.
• We softened the breathing sounds when wearing a spacesuit at player request.
• Improved the character creation system as part of our overall updating and preparation for the Unity update to 2019 version.
• Fixed some localization issues. Thanks for those who helped us find these translation problems.
• Fixed the Grazer hack and improved performance and damage, as this was widely reported.
Thanks for your continuous support, read on for the full update details.
Presenting - Update # 8 (0.72)
MAJOR UPDATES AND FEATURES
• New character system – rewritten from the ground up – very large backend project fixing a number of issues and clearing way for future updates
• New vehicle system – rewritten from the ground up – very large backend project fixing a number of issues and clearing way for future updates
• Hijackable vehicles added - PowerCells required to hack a locked vehicle. 12 for spaceship, 7 for Rover, 4 for Quad Bike, 5 for Nova. Hijacking the vehicle will make you and your clan the new owner of the vehicle.
SERVER STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE
• Changed the way server restarts work if server crashes, should hopefully get servers to come online within a minute of crashing
• Fixed a major sever crash when several vehicles were in use
• Vehicle rigs are only loaded when the player is within 2km of the vehicle – improving server performance
• Vehicle elements are now saved into a vehicle rig – improving vehicle server performance 50x
• Major improvement to how vehicles are handled by the game, greatly improving server stability and performance
• Picking up items and removing other items improved to fix network delay
MAJOR FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS
• Makeshift and territory claims fixes to avoid being able to claim ownership on a makeshift claim ever again
• Vehicles now save their position constantly, to avoid vehicle continuing to move as player logs out or crashes
• World array now contains clan names in vehicle data – fixing issues with missing vehicles
• Locked vehicles can now be accessed clan wide if the player is in a clan, otherwise it can be access by the owning player only.
• Entering a vehicle now has an extra call to make sure the vehicle is destroyed, to avoid duplication
• Issue with landmines not destroying is resolved.
• Vehicles now allow access for the vehicle owner if a clan is created after the fact
• Several issue with vehicle at startup is resolved
• An extra check added to prevent additional vehicle bugs that were bugging out vehicles on dedicated server
• Fixed various issues when deleting a character, and certain progress being carried over to the new character.
• Fixed various bug when deleting claims
• Fixed a bunch of errors and bugs when using air vehicles that lead to extra server load
• Clan name now updated for a vehicle on vehicle entry + exit, fixing a number of problems of clan not being able to access vehicles
• Fixed an issue where territory claims could be deleted and makeshift claims could not.
• Clan owners can delete a Makeshift claim within that clan
PVE SERVER CHANGES
• Wood Containers Clan Only for PVE Server – fixing a number of exploits and players abusing other players
• Death loot containers on PVE can only be opened by the owned player – mixing a number of player abuses
• Hijacking vehicles now only works on PvP servers and not part of PvE gameplay
MAJOR BALANCING CHANGES
• Removed high end items from container and world loot
• Lowered credit gain from crafting and selling from 10% to 5%
• Rebalanced item costs for all items, making it a bit more expensive
• Rebalanced crafting receipts – in general it`s 1.5x harder now
• Lowered number of items for some loot types
• Fixed a number of crafting exploits
• Adjusted drop rates for world items to be 1.5x harder
• Grazer – now does damage to players in PvP
• Alderman Rack now gives bow and 50 arrows instead of a shotgun
• Placement radius around mines increased by 70 meters to avoid players placing claims there
MISC CHANGES AND FIXES
• Reduced size of some unnecessarily huge textures – reducing RAM usage
• Grazer - fixed ray detection being wrong and colliding with the player itself, and even damaging it.
• Grazer - fixed and improved hit effects, range, and performance drain
• Grazer - fixed a number of bugs when changing weapon while using it
• Reduced running breath volume by 16db