Empyrion Alpha 3.0 - Anniversary Update

Posted on August 11th, 2016 08:47 AM EST
Empyrion Alpha 3.0, the Anniversary Update, has been released on Steam.

Changelog: Alpha 3.0 (Build 547) 

Main Features: 

1. Motorbike: 
- Added first version of motorbike 


2. Missions and PDA improvements: 
- Added first version of missions and faction missions 
- Added tabs to PDA: Tutorial, Missions, Faction Missions Knowledge Base 
- Improved event processing system for more flexible action configuration 

Missions: 


Notice for players: Faction Missions are still heavy work in progress, but we did not want to hold them back. Please read the READ FIRST that is included in the Faction Missions PDA tab. This includes a Howto and the known issues. 

Notice for creators: If you are using your own PDA.yaml, please do not use "StructuresSpawned" and "CheckWhat" anymore (see new format in PDA.yaml) 

3. Living World: 
3.1 Better decorations and more diversity: 
- First version of changing terrain textures depending on biome to increase diversity 
- Added new plants and trees on Akua - tweaked deco 
- Tweaked grass textures on Akua 
- Replaced bush on Akua with version that is harvestable (-> fruits can be picked up) 
- Increased beach area around lakes on Akua (height + 1) 
- Added Alien Honey to worm plant on Akua 
- Tweaked LOD levels on some trees 
- Plant pixie stalk is now better arranged (closer together) 
- Shadow during day now less dark on many playfields 

New dense forest on Akua: 


Here you see 3 biomes coming together (open plains, forest and rocky area), each with its own terrain texture: 


3.2 Better deco effects: 
- Added possibility that particle effects on a planet are now dependent on e.g. biome, day/night (Example Akua: Fire flies during night only in forest, Dandelions during day in Open Plains etc) 
- Added birds on some planets (Akua, Omicron, Masperon) 
- Added meteor showers on Omicron 
- Added lightning and thunders on Masperon (see first screenshot on top of page) 
- Added butterflies on Akua 
- Added flies to worm plant on Akua 
- Added pollen particle effect on Omicron 
- Added dandelion particle effect on Akua 
- Changed texture on Ahax Plant (harvest stage) 
- Replaced Aloe Vera plant with high-quality version 
- Added proper harvest state for Pixie Stalks on snow planet 
- Added better LODs to several plants (higher poly models) 
- Tweaked water color on Akua 
- Slightly increased light intensity on Omicron 

Birds on Omicron: 




3.3 Improved NPC behavior and overall visuals: 
- Added herd behavior for many NPCs 
- Smoother overall movement for NPCs (walking and turning) 
- Improved pathing of NPCs on terrain: they should get stuck less often and don't walk on steep mountains any more (e.g. Akua) 
- Lizard Mule is now on Akua. Added own texture for Lizard Mule Baby. Lizard Mules flee now when being attacked. 
- Triceraptos does not drop milk anymore. 
- Added Parasaur to Ningues. 
- Improved shader on many NPCs 
- Improved terrain shader 
- First version of 'round' cutout box to integrate POIs better into terrain (will be improved) 

Some NPCs are now walking around in groups / herds: 


Improved placement of POIs on the terrain (smoother cutout). Here as an example with the new Transporation Hub: 


4. New Player Jetpack Model 
- Added new jetpack model to player (male/female) + updated textures of player 




5. Better Escape Pod landing: 
- Better Escape pod exit: damage model, screen fading, no grass removal and escape pod will not fly away in SP when exiting while flying. 
- Some tweaks to Escape Pod controller -> more reactive now. 

New model for damaged escape pod: 

Changes / Improvements: 

- Drones are not visible on the large map M for the whole planet anymore: now drones will be only visible when closer than 250m 
- Map / HUD view distance for objects of other players (private and/or faction) are reduced to 250m on planets and 1250m in space (instead of 500m / 2500m) 
- HUD object names are only displayed below distances of 200m / 500m (planet / space) 
- Added new POI to Omicron: transportation hub (thanks to Vexray) 
- Saving player data on kicking him from server to avoid exploits 
- Re-balanced player sentry gun: - Higher RoF - More hitpoints - More damage - More gun elevation / depression 
- Added New Image Effects: Screen Space Reflections + Bloom 
- Added Light Shadows and Sky Reflection quality options to Video Settings 
- Increased range for Brightness Slider 
- Added better SV on Creative Akua. 
- Slightly increased given Unlock Points for levels 19 and 20 (added 30 UP). 
- Added damage states to consoles, atmo thruster, sentry guns and laser turret 
- Added number of devices in struct info txt and server output info line 
- Improved sound loop with thrusters (better zero crossing in wav) 
- Adapted tutorial message after Escape Pod crash 
- Updated Tutorial: added motorbike 
- No collision on Varon Root anymore 
- Large grey rocks: Tweaked occlusion strength on Rocks. Adapted LOD group (now: earlier switch to LOD1) 

Bug Fixes: 

- Fixed problem in Resume Game menu that made it impossible to resume any game if only one of the savegames had a problem 
- Fixed: Ground/terrain rebuilding like an invisible layer with drone wrecks nearby 
- Fixed: Deco sometimes not removed from POI 
- Fixed: Player Avatar Movement issues in Multiplayer 
- Fixed: Rocks sometimes create holes next to or below themselves 
- Fixed billboards and LODs on Alienpalm tree Omicron 
- Fixed: Multitool T1 & T2 imbalance: HP removal per hit inconsistent 
- Fixed: Creative Menu Fresh Start leads to error 
- Fixed grass shader: grass is overbright when sun is low (i.e., morning or evening) 
- Fixed problem when leaving cockpit -> player remained in sitting animation for 0.5sec 
- Fixed: light of player drone and flashlight shining through walls (you must turn on shadows for this change to take effect) 
- Fixed: Hangardoor 13*7 and 14*7 has invisible gap between frame and blocks 
- Fixed: Rocks and Trees sometimes vanish when plants are picked up nearby
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