Empyrion-Servers.com Blog Feed

Version 1.0

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:52 CEST

Dear Galactic Survivalists!

Today is the day: we are leaving Early Access, starting into the post-Alpha development phase.

This means:

We have removed the Alpha-tag from the build number, as this term was tied to the Early Access phase.
The version will now read 1.x instead of 13.x or 14.x etc. This had to happen as well to make a clear cut.
Everything beyond that, development and refinement of features will stay pretty much the same. The development planning for v1.1 will start soon (after a little, annual summer break) and will also take the feedback and results of the Game Survey 2020 into account!

For those that are new to this topic or in case didn't read the announcements yet, please have a look at the links below for all the info and details!

Initial Announcement[empyriononline.com]
Addressing often-read concerns[empyriononline.com]

To accompany this step forward, we also updated the trailer in some important details.

An all new trailer is planned for this year.

In terms of today's update, we have worked primarily on fixing and squashing a few more bugs. For example evergreens, like the bike launching you to space, turrets having a gentle pause instead of tracking their targets, your bases and ships missing whole areas (MP) and others now should be fixed. ;)

Please have a look at the changelog below for more info.

As fixing bugs and issues is one thing that will be more in the focus now, the same procedure as for all the Alphas also applies for the new development stage:

Before reporting a bug read this[empyriononline.com]
Post bug reports here[empyriononline.com]

Thanks in advance for all your dedicated help, repeated re-testing and re-reporting and all the other contributions to the bug and QA sections of the forum! :)

Keep on having fun and HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY!

Yours,
Empyrion Dev Team
QA Team and Community Managers
Closed Alpha Group & Builders League

PS: You want to listen to the Empyrion soundtrack (by Alex Jordon) without running the game in the background? Here you go![soundcloud.com]

== CHANGELOG ==

(Build 3047)

Changes:

Neutron star: added accretion disc (only visuals)
Changed plants life condition check from every 60s to 120s should fix the problem with the 'dying plants' in structures
Marketplace: added check to catch and fix negative prices, log error if that happens
Updated scenario "Invader vs Defender - Conflict of Cygnus"

Bugfixes:

Galaxy map: fix for "Lock Target" button not working reliable
Fix for problem with "lost ship after warp"
Registry: fixed "show on map" button
Fixed A12 regression that the jetpack is switched off in space when reloading into a savegame
Fixed: System map CoQ when switching between the Galaxy map & System map & trying to enable warp lines
Fixed: Large parts of structures invisible when entering game
Fixed problem that when the client crashes while entering an instance the player was trapped in the instance
Fixed: Kriel space drones cannot be targeted by player AI turrets
Fixed: CoQ spam from StrategicAI
Fixed: Space Drone corpse can still move & attack the player when they return to a playfield
Fixed exception when re-loading into a playfield with a Neutron star
Fixed: Secondary key list repopulates after client is restarted
Fixed: [SP] Teleporter is not turning off when teleporting away from it when it is setup to a m/sensor
Fixed: CustomIcon are not displayed in several places
Fixed: Resources not getting wiped when using command "wipe all"
Neutron star: fixed jet animation

Version 1.0

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:52 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12.3

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:11 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Today we are releasing Alpha 12.3. This will be the last 12.x version before we are leaving Early Access on 5th of august. Please read the sticky dev blog announcements[empyriononline.com] over here for more info on that topic.

Alpha 12.3 not only adds new content, like new drone models, new NPCs, turrets and T2 laser drills for Small Vessels and such. The new version also upgrades the game to Unity 2019.4, which means a lot of backend work had to happen in the meantime.

Of course the update includes several bug fixes, as well as optimizations and adjustments - for example on the Space AI. When a NPC drone, ship or station spot's you, they will send the information to the whole faction in the system, and the faction may send some ships from the system to deal with the threat.

For new and experienced players alike, the difficulty settings now define, if you will keep all your stuff (Easy), toolbar contents only (Medium) or everything drops as before (Hard) when you respawn after death.

We also added a dynamic warp sequence instead of the old loading screen.

And in case you need to have a rest from all the exploring, simply sit down at any bench, chair, sofa or other suitable furnishings. ;)

As usual:

Before reporting a bug please read this[empyriononline.com]
Post bug reports here[empyriononline.com]

We hope you enjoy Alpha 12.3! :)
- Empyrion Dev team

CHANGELOG

(Build 2995)

Built with Unity 2019.4 - please check for any unusual behavior
Added new communication channel 4 for low prio client <-> dedi communication to get less player disconnects
You can now sit down at most of the furnishings (except beds)
Added updated variants of Human, Talon and Zirax Trader (Now using a styled 'Traders Guild member' garment)
Added TraderKriel to Trader variants
Updated Trading Station in Starter System with Admincore
Exchanged static warp drive screen with dynamic warp drive effect
Maxcount for Detectors set to 1
On connect to a server: the server now waits for a client acknowledgement per config file to lessen the traffic that is sent to clients
Changed CIVILIAN (static neutral) faction color to WHITE
Space AI Manager - added configuration documentation to ExampleSpace playfield
Tweaked Parasaurus flee mechanism to be less choppy
Moved logic for plant growing into structures (was global before)
Dedi now waits 40 sec for a playfield server to load a playfield (old 20 sec)
Added: new NPC Human (Civilian Female/Male/Officers)
Added: 6 Soldiers (Assault Rifle / Shotgun )
Trading Station Variants now all have admin core
Added ability to turn off the SpaceDefense feature globally and enable SpaceDefense debug log
Terrain Spawn: Creepy now default faction 'Alien' spawn (= It's a The Legacy beast)
Terrain Spawn: AlienBug02 set to Predator faction (Before: Alien; bug creatures are not directly connected to The Legacy)
Terrain Spawn: Hexapod & Assassins (Red and Grey) now belong to Kriel faction by default
Terrain Spawn: AlienCivilian and new HumanCivilians are set to Civilian faction per default
Added new soldiers and civilians to trading station on starter world(s) and orbit
Added Pirate Defense Desert and Snow
Added/updated Pirate Ambush Desert and Snow
Updated: Abandoned Reactor
Added new Civilian outposts
Updated old Civilian stations
Added Civilian faction to galaxy and playfields
Updated Stock Blueprint: CORE Avalon base
Added new Zirax Patrol vessels (PV)
Updated PV on all playfields
Game timing improvements (SP + MP, to reduce rubberbanding)
Updated Polaris Trading Station (Planet), Polaris & Zirax Orbital Patrol Vessels, Abandoned Reactor
Updated orbital freighters, Blue Moon Base stock blueprint
Added: Legacy Corruptor
Added: New crashed vessel
Removed old warp initiate sound as the new sound is played now
Outputting now "Cannot create mesh for block id= ... Please fix this texture!" when a trussing block has the wrong texture. Please fix these blueprints!
Gameoptions.yaml: added BackpackMode 0/1 to allow switching off the dropping of backpacks on death (set it to 1)
Gameoptions.yaml: added ClientPrivacy to allow server owners protocolling IP addresses for a limited time
Pulse Laser (fixed) now available to HV
Enabled Drill, DrillT2 and Harvest Controller for SV
Added Minigun Turret to SV
Increased EnergyIn for all vessel Laser Drills (HV,CV,SV)
Slightly increased mass of vessel Drill T1
Legacy shader updates to avoid crashes with Unity 2019.4
Console command 'playfields' has now GameMaster rights
Added hard coded cap for ROF of 0.1 to not allow more than 10 bullets per second to save network bandwidth
Player sends now only 10 position updates per second to server instead of fps dependent (NW optimization)
U2019.4 fix for shaders will increase the memory consumption for about 500MB
Assault Rifle and Sniper now craftable in Portable Constructor
DB: speeding up queries that are executed more than one time in a row by using transactions
DB: outputting error message if a query needs more than 50ms
Added DeviceUsed game event when player uses a passenger seat
When a block falls because of SI and you pick it up in time again, you can now specify a 'PickupTarget' override for this block
Disconnect improvements:
Sending package global player info also on low prio channel now
Moved some packages (chat, DB data, pinginfo) to low prio channel and also decreased ping info package frequency to 20s (old: 5s)
Adjusted channel priorities for less disconnects on heavy traffic servers
Space AI Manager update: temporarily added debug UI to release build, fixed velocity prediction, added debug display for search range
Added destroyed models for Trader and Polaris space drones
Added The Legacy space drone (no destroyed model yet)
HV/SV T2 Laser Drill now allowed in space and on planets
Added two versions of 'battered' Space Drone Laser for Civilian Faction (Not yet added to playfields)

Thanks to all our builders and community contributors!

Fixes:

Jetpack glitch through thin blocks
Fixed PDA bookmarks "late DB access" error and removing hanging bookmarks
Fixed rotation being wrong on some of the NPC consoles even if NPCModelRotation is set to False
Fixed regression that Depth of Field being active when looking at the far terrain
CoQ prevents players from being able to pick up the Portable constructor
Fixed Vegetation showing in POIs
BA turrets AI is not working
Fixed: Large console only available on Bases
Fix for error -ERR- No Animator on block with id=...
Forced playfield disconnects while working with Logistics
Space Base Defense exploit
Fixed: if a playfield template has the same name as the playfield a CoQ happens and this player cannot login any more
Fixed problem that loading of playfields (esp. on playfield servers) took way too long leading to a kill of this pf servers while loading the playfield
Galaxy map CoQ when placing a waypoint on a planet in another star
Fixed: ControlStation seating did not work
Fix for some scenarios not loading
Fixed problem that after wiping the deposits you couldn't see it in the registry any more
Fixed: Teleporter on TS_Bog not active
Fixed: Advanced Core not set as requirement for BP Factory
Morphing blocks from one structure to another after teleporting
Fixed: TurretAlien firing effect broken
Fixed exception with Generator Overload message
Oxygen distribution during decompression issue
When looking through a scoped weapon at an orbiting planet/moons etc they incorrectly move depending on scope movement
MP: Fix for exception when generator detected overload and outputs message
Console command 'tt': not showing warp effect but only teleport donut now
Registry: resource asteroids now get filtered correctly when clicking the filter button for resources
Fixed: Zirax turrets allowed in blueprints
[MP] Legacy faction vessel will not fire on player vessels
Fixed item exploit
BaseAttack Talon Shaman doesn't show flag map icon in Multiplayer
Fixed NW package that was sent to server and back to all clients in a loop (should improve NW performance)
Fixed SSG exception on exporting YAML files
MP: fixed galaxy map not showing focused star system information other than local star
AI Turrets can sometimes take too long to react to enemy targets
Galaxy Overview Territory isn't Localized "Discovered by FACTION"
[U2019.4] Graphical artifacts with the range of drawing on planets
[U2019.4] Graphical artifacts with the atmosphere fog revealing
Fixed jittering of nearby planets
Floating grass seen inside POI's
Vegetation showing in POIs
Potential bug fix for mechanoids rubber banding
Logi network range with or without Wireless device has wrong ranges
Fixed bug that Station Interface was not considering a general discount for repair
Disconnect improvements: EAC packages are now sent with high priority
Fixed: Maxcount not enabled for SV Minigun Turret
Updated EAH, see Patch Notes[empyriononline.com]

Alpha 12.3

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:11 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Public Release

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:17 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Public Release

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:14 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Today is the day: we are releasing Alpha 12 to the public!

First of all, a giant thank you to all our testers and bug reporters and to all of you players out there, sharing feedback on the new and updated features, starting new games and retesting new setup over and over again. This cannot be valued enough! :)

For those, that did not actively follow the Experimental phases, find a brief breakdown of some of the main features below.

While you read, we suggest to open up our Empyrion Soundtrack[soundcloud.com] and check out the three new 'Legacy Faction' tracks, created by Alex Jordon

Feature Overview

1. The Galaxy

A fully randomly generated galaxy with several thousand star systems.
For the start, the galaxy offers nearly two dozen new celestial objects, like different sun types, gas giants and even black holes!
The skybox in any orbit is now showing the real galaxy stars and its nebulae. Both elements are correctly displayed, depending on where you are in the galaxy.
Each of the (new) NPC main faction not only has gotten its own POI and vessel design, but also has its own territory in the galaxy: Zirax, Polaris, Kriel, Traders Guild, Pirates, The Legacy (UCH and Talon are available as well, but are used as implicit faction in the default game)

2. Station Services

When in range of a station which has the station services enabled, open the control panel of your vessel (P) and find the new tab 'Station Services'.
You can buy and refill fuel, ammo and pentaxid, as well as repair your ship (repair-2-template!) and quick-load your shield - in case you have the required credits.

3. All new scanning detection systems

Detectors, available as handheld devices with low range, but also for every vessel, will reveal deposits and points of interest while actively managed.
Detectors work on planets and in space!

4. Player-build Teleporter

Add a teleporter device to your base or your capital vessel to create shortcuts between your structures or simply to avoid landing or having to go outside in your space suit..
You can use teleport destinations from discovered stations of friendly NPC factions

5. Interactive Dialogue System

The player avatar now has choices when talking to an NPC (depending on the mission or the setup of the NPC of course)
The dialogue system can be used to create short quests (without using the PDA) or react dynamically on what the player has achieved in a mission

6. Storyline

The game now includes the first part of a multi-staged storyline, which currently includes six consecutive chapters for several hours of playtime!
The Robinson Protocol Tutorial has been updated as well, especially for early vessel repairs and base building basics.

7. Crafting

Four new materials: Titanium, Platinum, Aluminum and Ice
(Note: Titanium Plates will be used for Hardened Steel from now on. Sathium plates (Former 'hardened steel plates') will be used for combat steel.)
Stacksize up to 4000 + a heap of balancing (blocks, devices, techtree etc pp)
Sorting persistent per inventory per savegame & auto-stacks when used!

8. Registry

The Registry got improved up to serving as your personal Journey Book, achieving all your discoveries and allowing to easily browse all its items and plan your next steps
Markers and Bookmarks can be shown beyond playfield borders (managed in Registry), for example you can see your base marker from orbit.

9. Multiplayer

The old scoreboard has now been created into a fully fledged leaderboard with up to 15 rankings, seperated to you personally, all players or your faction
The Proximity log is an addition to the Registry. It will show you which players got close to one of your structures
Offline Chat messaging has been added!
Marketplace has gotten several updates too, e.g. now you can claim your goods at any Trading Station Device, if you do this remotely some transport costs are applied.

10. CPU

The CPU system now offers the 'Advanced Core' which, when replacing your structures core, will remove the CPU limitations. It can only be looted from very dangerous (!) enemies..
CPU system offers a buff for not exceeding CPU Tier amount of points

Beyond those main features, Alpha 12 will of course add a lot of other changes as well.

For example:

New Snow Starter Planet for experienced players! No Tutorial or help given, but all Story and Loyalty missions are activated.
Invader vs. Defender and Multiplayer Default scenarios fully updated
NPC Faction structures in space will call for reinforcements when you attack them
Generators now take damage and will explode after 2 minutes, when constantly overloading
You can now respawn in a survival tent and you get respawns options to spawn on friendly NPC factions or own structures (without the HOME button set)
Use the new TOKEN-system for creating keycards and such.
Multitude of POI updates and additions, Device model updates and Rebalancings!
All of the game configs are now available for you to edit in the configuration folder!

One change is maybe one of the most important, although not really visible to you as a player at all: the Database.

The 'database' is now the backbone of the game and most of the features of Alpha 12 rely on it or would not have been possible at all. A lot of changes had to happen behind the curtain, before the Alpha 12 features have had the chance to go into full swing.

We will of course set up feedback threads for each of the major features right here[empyriononline.com] in the next hours

Feel free to ask any question there & help us to track down and eliminate remaining bugs by reporting them over here:

Read first[empyriononline.com]
Bug reports[empyriononline.com]
Note: Please retest your not yet solved A11.5 issues!
Most of the A11 & A12 bugs fixed during A12 Exp can be found here[empyriononline.com]

Now, without further ado - have fun playing the Alpha 12!

We are looking forward to your feedback!

Cheers,
Empyrion Dev Team & QA

PS: All our multiplayer servers will be wiped completely for the Alpha 12 release, including the benefits gained from the EAH Virtual Orbital Autominers to ensure a clean and fair restart into the Alpha 12 season.

Foe those interested, please find the full changelog here[empyriononline.com]

Alpha 12 EXP - Phase 6

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 18:43 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Giving a fixed date for a release is always a bit of a risk, but if everything goes accordingly, you should save the following date for the Empyrion Alpha 12 public release: June, 15th.

Just as a disclaimer, although we know all of our community members are pretty much aware of the following: If today's Experimental phase 6 and the upcoming phase 7 release (scheduled for this friday) show any serious issues, well, then the release day will of course be pushed back a day or two. ;)

That being said, on behalf of the Eleon Game Studios development team and the QA crew: thanks a lot for your tremendous amount of positive comments on the upcoming Alpha 12 features and thanks even more for all the bug reports and helpful feedback! :)

With today’s phase 6 release, we add another bunch of fixes and adjustments but also a new variant to start your game experience: Snow Starter!

Note: the Snow Starter will NOT offer any tutorial, but will let you play all the missions.

Please find the full changelog added below.

As usual:

Report bugs and issues right over here[empyriononline.com]
Any bug fixed for A12 can be found here[empyriononline.com]
Known Issues List[empyriononline.com]
Fixed Experimental version bugs can be found here[empyriononline.com]

While the Experimental phases last, we will continue to update this post[empyriononline.com] with the latest Experimental version changelogs for hotfixes and intermediate bugfix patches.

For discussing the new and updated features, please head over to the pinned threads in our Experimental Feedback forum[empyriononline.com]

Important note, related to our Experimental Server: the server needs to be wiped with today's update, as we integrated some database related changes that will help us to improve not only multiplayer-related features. The wipe is also necessary to introduce all the POI changes as well as having the Station Services added to the game world - which is, for the same reasons, recommended for Single Player as well.

For everyone who wants to play the new Invader vs Defender Scenario, please be aware that a final version is coming with the public release next week.

For the public release, we strongly recommend starting a new game with the release version, for getting all the latest fixes and features in your multiplayer AND singleplayer games!

Have fun playing! :)

== CHANGELOG ==

GALAXY

Slightly increased probability of all NPC factions to appear in non-faction territory
Added nebula color green/blue. Nebulas change color slightly faster now
Nebulas: tweaked billboards a bit, nebulas get now colored according to their positioning to avoid too many colors adjacent
Slightly desaturated red/blue nebula
Solar system map: added ability to highlight all moons

STATION SERVICES

All TradingStations (orbital) are now offering Station Services
Added Station Services to many more orbital stations (those that make sense and with services that mostly apply to the POIs theme)
All Starter Plantes Polaris Trading Stations are now offering Station Services
Added & adjusted pricing for all items relating to 'Station Service' (ItemsConfig / BlocksConfig)
Added ingame message when a player gets close enough to a structure with station services
Added faction logo to station services window

GAME WORLD

Added new SNOW STARTER playfield (No Tutorial; All Story and Loyalty missions activated.)
The Legacy playfields: updated description / removed other factions POI and ships
Updated other space playfields (removed very old Zirax Stations)
Updated all space playfields: Only vessels and bases of the territory owner (and those allowed in their territories) should show up; Drones/Dronebase not yet changed (needs new code).

REGISTRY

Showing now fill level for the planet resources (also on other playfields)
Optimization to load less data on opening
Added icon for teleporter and station services if structure supports

OTHER & TWEAKS

Updated Default (Random) Multiplayer scenario (does not offer Tutorial or Story Mission!)
Allowing proximity log now on terrain placeable (f.e. auto miners or survival constructors)
Voxel resource drill resistance: Titan now "medium", Sathium now "hard" (was reverse before)
Tweaked scanner delay a bit, so POIs should popup a bitter better synced to scanner graphics effect (only on planet)
DialogSystem window: Exchanged font for main text and answer options to our standard UI font, reduced default font size
HUD objects: Z sorting and dark background to improve readability
Player drone may now spawn nearby Admin POIs
AI drone and vessel configuration : AI in configuration yaml file will be filtered according the faction allowance in the current world
Adjusted some NPC prefabs to better support the dialog arrow
Rework of Marketplace to work with the DB

POI

Added Progenitor artifacts to more playfields
Added: Outpost Nina (Pirates), Xenu Fuel Depot T1 (Zirax); thx to sulusdacor
Updated Zirax: Epsilon Com Center, Epsilon Defense 1; thx to vermillion
Added Kriel: Vectrum, Turrim Alveo; Updated Kriel Center; thx to jrandall
Updated Trader: Added new TraderDefenseHQ POI to defend TraderMain POIs
Added placeholder OPV for Kriel and Traders Guild
Updated: Tutorial Hoverbike, UCH Dart, Epsilon Defence II (thx to vermillion)
Updated: Outpost Nina (Pirates) & Xenu Fuel Depot (thx to sulusdacor)

MISSIONS

Tales of The Past: optimized AlienTower interior lighting timing
Totally Overpowered: Pirates drop to unfriendly when base is discovered (they know you are coming from Polaris)
Ancient Revelations: The Illmarien will be fully salvageable for those completing the mission

BUGFIXES

Fixed: Thruster heat & radiation zone misplaced when vessel is rotated
Fixed: PaxPurgatory and SkyGuy bars do not buy Platinum Bars
Fixed: Lock sector button issues with non-galaxy mode games, and several other discrepancies with its enabled state and distance label.
Fixed dialog arrow being wrong positioned on sitting SciFi gambling NPC
Fixed: Sometimes a COQ can trigger after turret fire
Fixed: Projectile Turrets hit themselves
Fixed: Global seed doesn't work with fixed Scenarios
Fixed: Duplicate playfield name exception
Fixed: Declining Robinson Protocol leads to corrupted savegame
Fixed: Station service takes money without services
Fixed: Pirates territory does not contain stars for some seeds
Fixed: Two sentries in Hidden Pirate base were not destructible
Fixed: Loot Container not reachable anymore in Derelict Ship due to indestructible walkway
Fixed: Station service buttons do not have text
Fixed: Door Corner 01 forcefield showing from one side when door is closed
Fixed: Wildlife Cam completing on 1st deposit found
Fixed: Repositioning vessels on entering a moon/planet was not working when they got repositioned on moons or planets that were not located at 0,0,0
Fixed: Removal of warp tank is not recognised by CV as missing until warp engaged resulting in CoQ
Fixed: Station Interface: fix for warp container not getting filled correctly if mass/volume active
Fixed problem that sometimes your own structures without a clone chamber/medic bay showed up as respawn option
Fixed: [MP] Teleporter trap base with public faction
Fixed: Jetpack turns off after teleport from planet to space
Fixed: Blocks placed in wrong locations when using pageup/pagedown
Fixed: Blast Doors can get stuck & not fully open
Fixed: CoQ on dedi when doing 'gents' console command or the mod command to request all structures
Fixed: Incorrect state of target lock button when ctrl-clicking
Fixed: Sometimes system map doesn't open correctly when double clicking from galaxy map
Fixed: The Legacy planets appearing outside of The Legacy territory
Fixed: Marketplace old savegame compatibility
Fixed: DroneBases, PlanetVesselBases & Drones / PV missing
Fixed: No ammunition display for turrets in vessels
Fixed problem that asteroid fields were not created in territory areas
Possible fix for sporadic DB exception when changing playfields

Fixed: Station service cost button text blinking

Alpha 12 EXP - Phase 6

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 18:43 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase 5

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:01 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

The public release of Alpha 12 is coming closer. For those that asked: Expect it to happen around mid of june! No liability assumed, of course :D

That being said, Experimental Phase 5 is adding one of the last features, related to the new galaxy: the Station Services.

Station Services will allow you to refill fuel and pentaxid, restock your ammo, repair your vessel or fast-charge your shields in exchange for credits. For testing how this will work, visit the Polaris Trading Station on the Temperate starter planet. When in range, open the Control Panel (P) and find the new tab ‘Station Services’.

Keep in mind this is a new feature addition. The pricing will change. We also plan to add the Station Services to more planetary and orbital structures until the next phase.

For now, let us know what you think: https://empyriononline.com/threads/a12-exp-station-services.93655/ :)

We have of course also worked on the galaxy, the stars, nebula - which are now part of the orbital skybox as well! - and bugfixes. ;)

Please find the full changelog added below.

As usual:

Report bugs and issues right over here[empyriononline.com]
Any bug fixed for A12 can be found here[empyriononline.com]
Known Issues List[empyriononline.com]
Fixed Experimental version bugs can be found here[empyriononline.com]

While the Experimental phases last, we will continue to update this post[empyriononline.com] with the latest Experimental version changelogs for hotfixes and intermediate bugfix patches.

For discussing the new and updated features, please head over to the pinned threads in our Experimental Feedback forum[empyriononline.com]

Have fun! :)

== CHANGELOG ==

New Feature 'STATION SERVICES'

When in range of a station (300m) which has the station services enabled, open the control panel of your vessel (P) and find the new tab 'Station Services'. You can buy and refill fuel, ammo and pentaxid, as well as repair your ship (repair-2-template!) and quick-load your shield - in case you have the required credits. The availability of station services (and which services are offered) can be set individually for an orbital or planetary POI in the playfield_static.yaml PROPERTIES entry. The pricing is taken from a new parameter, set in the ItemsConfig.ecf. This base pricing can then be further modified by factors in the playfield_static.yaml file.

The station services can be tested at the Polaris Trading Station on the Temperate starter planet. You can also find a setup example in its playfield file!

Feedback thread: https://empyriononline.com/threads/a12-exp-station-services.93655/

GALAXY

Now supporting 20 starter planets (old: 10)
Space: fading out now nebulas if they are farther away than 50 LY until they fully disappear in 250 LY distance
Galaxy nebulas: changed from single billboard to 'billboard cloud' to allow star systems to be within a nebula and show it 'around' the star system playfields. More to come!
Moved Legacy NPC territory closer to galaxy ( should now be in range of the warpdrive )
Space and distant stars: adjusted brightness and color (less bright and less saturated)

GAME WORLD

StarterMoon now a bit more 'forgiving' + reduced enemy drone presence
Swamp Starter: Added back 1 Anti Radiation Ointment to MEDIUM difficulty start escape pod equipment

GAMEPLAY

Item grid auto-sorting now combines stacks of same item type and meta and saves the selected mode in the savegame
Increased Shield-Damage of NPC Faction Plasma Turrets (Green/Red)
Add label to identify unmarked column for Loot Id in Devices page for spawner pad setup
Ventilator Blocks now also available in Small Constructor

PDA / MISSIONS / POI

Offworld Grave: Found logs can now be re-read on the token console (intermediate workaround for now)
Offworld Grave: Added some 'gifts' near some of the story-relevant consoles (mainly directed to new players)
Tales of the Past: Prison should now spawn more reliably (please retest your seeds and report back if it does not!)
Replaced story-POI cores with NPC Admin Cores: Control Station (Minefield), Com Array (Moon), Mainframe (Moon), Ilmarinen (slight updates as well), Pirates Hidden Base
Added: Trader Defense outposts HQ-version (thx to sulusdacor)
Added/Updated: Trader/Polaris Gas Refineries (orbital station; thx to Kaeser)
Added more Progenitor Artifacts (thx to Fractalite)
Added new Pirates Main base variant (creator: Twibras: modified: Fractalite)
Added new Pirates CV for SpaceBaseDefense ( Reworked by sulusdacor)
Updated: Polaris Asteroid Mining station (Story; thx to vermillion)
Added: New version of the Tales of the Past Alien Tower (thx to vermillion)

BUGFIXES

Fixed: PDA NearDeposit returns CoQ
Fixed: Old/legacy scenarios: added another fix for solar systems not showing up on first connect to a dedicated server
Fixed: CoQ on start when selecting the orbit start for creative mode
Fixed: Shared markers when copied to another players private list no longer persist after server restart
Fixed: The "Remove" button in the "Add a map marker" window isn't working
Fixed: Ship controller torque generated by thrusters leads to zero rotation ability when adding thrusters in some cases
Fixed: 'wipe poi' removing structures instead of regenerating them.
Fixed: 'wipe player' not removing player structures
Fixed: Infinite fuel/CP access exploit with faction "none" POIs
Fixed: Planet Info shows always the 0 Origin and not working properly
Fixed: Shared markers still appearing after being expired.
Fixed: offline chat messages not displayed if only quit to main menu
Fixed: faction messages not displayed in chat log until player first opened chat window
Fixed: AIPV's once spawned do not move or "Patrol"
Fixed: Remove button for bookmark dialog doesn't work
Fixed: loot drops on NPC Spawner for a LOT of POIs (thx vermillion!)
Fixed: several issues and exceptions when starting the Base Attack scenario.
Fixed: double occurrence of structures that were taken over by players.
Fixed: wrong selection on reopening.
Fixed: wrong distance calculation sometimes

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase 5

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:01 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase 4.1 Update

Wed, 27 May 2020 14:03 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Although phase 4 was released just a few days ago, we have worked on some important bugfixes which we do not want to delay any longer.

That being said, this is not only a bugfix update or a hotfix to phase 4, but also adds several new elements in terms of gameplay and visuals for you to test as well! Some of these are currently work-in-progress, but - as always - require your dedicated feedback to improve them up to the next phase-release. :)

Please find the full changelog added below.

As usual:

Report bugs and issues here[empyriononline.com]
Any bug fixed for A12 can be found here[empyriononline.com]
Check known Issues List here[empyriononline.com]
Fixed Experimental version bugs can be found here[empyriononline.com]

= CHANGELOG =

Gameworld

Space: now using real stars and nebulas instead of skybox images. (only for games started with 12.4.1; For old scenarios: remove the Nebula/Stars property from playfield.yaml )
Space: POIs now will be placed within a max radius of 15000m around the center of the playfield (only for games startet with 12.4.1)
Galaxy Map: coordinates are now displayed as LY instead as sector coordinates

Story and POI

Added story intro mission: Starting The Journey (auto-activates on completion or decline of Tutorial BUT can also be activated manually!)
Storyline missions now require a RP of 'neutral' (Talon, Polaris); Note: All story missions can be activated manually!
Uncertain Outcome: Improved waypoints to avoid being guided to the wrong POI
Uncertain Outcome: Asteroid Mining Station now has an Admin Core to avoid ruining Polaris RP while fighting with the Zirax
Totally Overpowered: Removed secondary trading station from AridStarter to not confuse the pda mission
Human Remains: Removed creature spawns from UCH Heidelberg position on starter planets ( avoids distraction by being attacked while reading )
Added Defense stations for Traders Guild (thx to sulusdacor)
Added Polaris Gas Refining orbital station (thx to Kaeser; for now added to playfields: Asteroid, Asteroid Few)
Added more VOID and Progenitor Artifacts (thx to Fractalite)
Updated Legacy POI and ships (thx to vermillion)
Updated Legacy Matter Converter (thx to Kaeser)

Materials & Crafting

Added Platinum ( Ore > Bar > Ounce) and Aluminum ( Ore > Powder > Coil); Currently only as collectibles and for trading; not used in crafting yet. Obtainable from planetary deposits and asteroids in certain locations only (Hint: Watch out for Zirax Commanders ;) )
Known issue: Resource icons might not shown on some planet info cards (only number of deposits displayed; Will be fixed in Phase 5)
Added back Iron/Copper/Silicon ore deposits around Tutorial 'Large Wreckage' site to reduce search-frustration at game start (for new players).
Renamed 'Hardened Steel Plates' to 'Sathium Plates' to reflect the changed crafting logic and to reduce confusion (As of Alpha 12, Hardened Steel blocks use Titanium; Combat Steel blocks use Sathium).

Registry

Added a ‘proximity log’ for own structures in the registry (see new button)
Reduced amount of information shown in the Registry.
Explanation: In the old version there was way too much data shown, also it was too expensive on opening (network traffic, etc). This is the first implementation in a try to optimize the data that is shown in the registry (compromise regarding performance and usability).

Multiplayer

Added offline chat messages via DB (WIP): In Private and Faction channels, you can now send chat messages to a player who is offline. He will receive the message when coming online again and opening the chat window for the first time.

Technical changes

Not showing star distribution on loading the game any more but only when using console command 'galaxy info' (new parameter)
Removed custom VC Redistributable installation
Better compression quality for nebulas

== BUGFIXES ==

Database: API Destroy calls don’t set parameter in DB
Fixed NPC Spawn on Polaris Smelter POIs
Fixed: CV RCS could not be upgraded to T2 version
Fixed: Solar panel producing energy during night bug
Fix for sporadic CoQ when crossing the 'green wall' border on a planet with a player bike
Fixed error message in PF log: Kinematic body only supports Speculative Continuous collision detection.
Fix jittering distance labels in maps. Correct distance label in system map.
Fixed CoQ when taking over an enemy POI and spawners still try to spawn entities
Fixed problem that you could choose a freighter CV as spawn point as medic station/clone chamber
Fixed: sporadic exception when closing the space map before all planets were generated
Fix for legacy (old) scenarios not sending all playfields to clients
Fixed random POI overlapping bug
Fixed container/constructor logic on Firebase POI (thx to Pantera)
Fixed ore texture for Titan underground voxel deposits
Fixed: Missing damage state for Armor Locker (BACV) made it vanish when damaged
Fixed: Teleporter (CV) now returns the appropriate crafting materials on deconstruction and requesting the appropriate materials for Repair and BP Factory
Fixed sporadic CoQ when opening registry
Fixed: CoQ spam from Troop transport when loading into a save game
Fixed missing loca entries for Orbit Lines and other panel toggle buttons
Fixed: CoQ when opening Registry/Teleporter UI
Fixed: Thruster torque at 0 for yaw, pitch & roll

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase 4.1 Update

Wed, 27 May 2020 14:03 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase IV

Fri, 22 May 2020 12:45 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

First of all, thanks a lot for your patience, while he had to delay Phase 4. We have made good use of these additional days and a lot has happened in the code and in the game.

A few highlights:

The galaxy is now a lot more configurable. You can now use ‘Regions’ for local hotspots and for the general shape and design (amount and type of stars etc).
We have added the ‘Scoreboard’ to the old player overview (Button: B). You can now see a lot of stats and info in a leaderboard style
The Registry now allows to directly jump to a system with the ‘show on map’ button

Please find the full changelog added below.

There is one caveat, though: the flexibility for the galaxy-setup, database changes and other adjustments, now require a new game start. As already announced, old savegames from the previous Experimental phases are no longer compatible anymore.

The good thing: starting a new savegame will allow you to play the updated story missions and explore the reworked POI, as those cannot be updated in existing savegames as well. :)

As usual:

Report bugs and issues right over here[empyriononline.com]
Any bug fixed for A12 can be found here[empyriononline.com]
Known Issues List[empyriononline.com]
Fixed Experimental version bugs can be found there[empyriononline.com]

While the Experimental phases last, we will continue to update the following post with the latest Experimental version changelogs for hotfixes and intermediate patches[empyriononline.com]

For discussing the new and updated features, please head over to the pinned threads in our Experimental Feedback forum[empyriononline.com]

Have fun with Phase 4 - and tell us what you think about the changes! :)

= CHANGELOG =

GALAXY & GALAXY CONFIG

Better elliptical galaxy generation, improved naming algorithm for stars.
Added REGIONS: up to 99 StarRegions & StarClass are possible (See GalaxyConfig for examples)
Updated GalaxyConfig.ecf and created new galaxy appeal, using the new techniques
Added in-line documentation an info to the GalaxyConfig.ecf
Warp target playfield names 'around the sun' got renamed from f.ex. 'Ellyon_0,0,-1' to 'Ellyon [Sun Back]'
All warp target playfields are now PvE
Add player/hover target position to system/galaxy maps. Make input boxes bigger to accommodate full sector coordinates.
Info cards in the system map for sectors will now show a class of the playfield
Added display names for space sectors map
First draft of galaxy nebulas

GAME WORLD

Space Base Defense enabled for Pirates faction (FactionWarfare.ecf)
Adjusted TemperateStart planet and starter zone
Decreased spawning of ground AI on TemperateStarter
Added new icons for space sectors: Junkyard and SpaceEmpty (System map)
Updated: Moved Legacy galactic territory to new position + changed content
Updated playfields: Increased spawn probability of asteroids in space slightly

GAMEPLAY

TurretAlien ( Pulse Laser Turret T2 ) is now fully working (Legacy Infector and Decimator class vessels will now shoot back!)
Added Titanium Rods to MA Corp Traders
First draft: Item-Sorting now persistent per container/inventory (In-Session. Not yet saving to savegame)

SCOREBOARD

Added Ranking to scoreboard ( press B )
Added leaderboard values ( Visited systems, Blocks placed, deaths,..and a lot more)
Added sections to scoreboard window: Player, Player's Faction and All Factions

REGISTRY

Registry now remembers last selected entry and selects it again when reopening
Added "Show On Map" for selected stars and solar systems
Showing bookmark icon now always for all bookmarks and not the chosen icon of the bookmark, to easier identify bookmarks in registry

POI & BLUEPRINTS

In playfield yaml, random POI config: Added "UseEachGroupPoiOnlyOnce" flag to force each POI of a POI group to be spawned only once
POI in orbit are now distributed up to 15.000m from center in each direction (before: 2000)
Manually spawning blueprints: limiting the move down into terrain until the first device
Manually spawning blueprints: added game option 'UndergroundBpSpawn' to override spawn limit (see possible values and default in an gameoptions_example.yaml)
Improved RandomPlacer to overlap less, to better use the allowed distance between POIs (even before one POI fails to be placed)
Updated: Small adjustments to Ancient Revelation Control-Station POI
Updated: Removed cores from orbital CV wreckages
Updated: Reworked Unknown Artifact, Helix, Structure
Updated: Xenu POI groups (standard, advanced and special POI)

PDA, DIALOGUE & MISSIONS

All Story Missions are playable on all starter planets now
All Story Missions have been updated and improved (sometimes significant changes) for consistency with the game story ( Note: The missions are currently 'free to activate' or will activate automatically in certain conditions. They are not linked in a row, to make testing easier. This will change with the public version!)
PDA window improvements: for each category the last selection (chapter or task) is remembered, if the active chapter is displayed the currently active task is selected
PDA window: Added hint to "Activate" button if disabled because chapter is ChapterActivation controlled
Dialog window: Changed all texts to TextMeshPro, now all features of the Sign blocks can also be used here, e.g. alignment
DialogueSystem: added function GetInstanceTicket()
DialogueSystem: added dbglobal_int
Allow optional scenario Localization.csv (SP and MP!)

BALANCING

Added Radiation-removal to all Anti-Rad medicals ( Ointment: -1, Pill: -3, Injection: -5, Decontamination Kit: -7)
Reduced RP gain from killing a member of an NPC faction

DATABASE

Now logging player AI vessel destruction
Now logging player completed PDA chapters
Added network profiling data (package count + size), added IsPvp flag for playfields,
Added dialogue states visited, player structures visited, build nr and version, player credits

CONSOLE COMMANDS

ConsoleCmd GalaxyConfig: added output where the config file is loaded from
Added console command 'galaxy' to reload the GalaxyConfig.ecf of the current savegame and test the parameters on the galaxy. Might break the current savegame!

== BUGFIXES ==

(Experimental 12.4 2913)

Fixed: Regeneration of asteroids, POI's etc not working
Fixed: Can’t click "New Game" with some languages
Fixed: Terrain "Walls" appearing in or around structures
Fixed: Planet resource deposits are identifiable with map marker
Fixed: Clone chamber does not appear in the respawn options
Fixed: Autominer cannot be upgrade to T2 and T3 anymore
Fixed: A waypoint that is setup for a planet follows the player when the player enters the planet
Fixed: Unable to warp to a waypoint setup in another star
Fixed: Difference in distance between the warp line & "Lock button" distance
Fixed: Infinite fuel/CP access exploit with faction "none" POIs
Fixed: [MP] Vessels don't load/update in correct position for other clients
Fixed: Waypoints persist after picking up a waypointed terrain placeable
Fixed: Added touchable collider to station console hologlobe element
Fixed: Alien turrets should not attack predator animals (like spiders) any more
Fixed: LY distances between stars, as a result: galaxy radius is now 500 instead of 3000 LY (it was always smaller than 3000LY, the display before was faulty)
Fixed: Wipe command to work also with the new DB
Fixed: Label anchors for player position and other labels
Fixed: Incorrect display of LY label and distance in sector listFixed: Solar panel in space not producing energy bug
Fixed: Exception sometimes when opening system mapMode
Fixed: Menu tab not updated to system map when double clicking star to open console Window
Fixed: Missing entry for LY distance
Fixed: Access Constructor step did not work in RP-2 tutorial
Avoiding exception when ticks get out of bounds and opening player window
Fixed: Wrong tooltip for minimap when in various screen aspects
Fixed: Legacy planetary playfield issues
Possible fix for sometimes flickers when switching between system and galaxy maps
Fix for bookmarks in instances not showing up
Fixed missing scrollbars in system description panels
Fixed sorting visited star system list
Registry: fixed problem that two entries for some objects appeared
DB: fix for communication abort when entering a server the very first time and opening the player window
Fixed: Polaris Scout pivot issue

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase IV

Fri, 22 May 2020 12:45 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase III

Wed, 06 May 2020 14:14 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Welcome to week 3 of Alpha 12 Experimental.

For all those waiting to get hands on the dedicated server files: With phase 3 we made good progress in terms of performance and functions of the database and in fixing issues related to the server files. That being said, although the changes now have to be tested with your help in the current update, we are quite confident that next week's phase 4 will have the server files included eventually! :)

Please also note, there are a few more adjustments to be made for phase 4, which will result in a savegame break for your current, running savegames - which will also result in a full wipe of our Experimental Server.

Although this might be a bit inconvenient, but as you know: only new games, started with each phase will have all the changes on playfields, POIs and missions - as these game elements, unlike config changes, do not get updated in a running savegame.

[ New mission: Offworld Grave ]

As usual:

Report bugs and issues right over here: https://empyriononline.com/forums/bugs.34/
Any bug fixed for A12 can be found here: https://empyriononline.com/forums/tracking-filed.91/
Known Issues List: https://empyriononline.com/threads/...own-issues-troubleshooting.47118/#post-290341
Fixed Experimental version bugs can be found there: https://empyriononline.com/forums/fixed.90/

While the Phase 3 lasts, we will continue to update the following post with the latest Experimental version changelogs for hotfixes and intermediate patches: https://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-12-experimental-updates-and-hotfixes.92687/

For discussing the new and updated features, please head over to the pinned threads in our Experimental Feedback forum: https://empyriononline.com/forums/experimental-features-discussion.35/

= CHANGELOG =

REGISTRY

Added toggle button groups for private, faction, others to filter results

FACTIONS

Traders Guild is now an intractable faction (you can change your standing up and down now)
Updated Reputation actions for Traders Guild
Adjusted reputation points of other factions (reduced/adapted gains and losses; please check ingame NPC faction screen)

MISSIONS / DIALOGUE

Added / Full rework: Human Remains Solo Mission (WiP, Test Ready!)
Added: Offworld Grave as follow up to HR (WiP, Test Ready!)
NPC dialogue system: added function DeltaTimeToString()
DialogSystem: added control element "@d" to set typewriter effect speed for current page, use "@d0" to show remaining text immediately
Updates/ fixes on Talon/Polaris/Zirax quest missions ( Approaching targets should now work again)

POI and PLAYFIELDS

Added Polaris Shuttle T1 ( PV )
Added OPV Corvettes for Pirates ( Original creators: urialia & Sulusdacor)(Note: Space Base Defense not yet set up)
Added new settlements for Polaris ( now following the "Polaris Style") + swapped all Polaris-held CivilSettlements on all playfields to new design group
Re-added Civil Settlements (remaining POI) to playfields
Added new water-floating settlements for Polaris on Ocean playfield (incl. Defenses!)
Added Kriel Defense T1 (by vermillion)
Added PV for Zirax (XenuCutter; Not yet added to PV group)
Updated Rados Fuel Depot Desert variant
Added more POI to Traders Guild faction
Added Traders Guild to more planets Now available at: Temperate, TemperateSwamp, Desert, Arid, Snow, Ocean, MoonDesert, MoonForest
Added more 'other' factions to galactic faction territories (Check ContentConfigurationGalaxyConfig.ecf for details)
Added Kriel Empire to all planetary playfields (They only spawn their POI in their galactic territory, though)
Added Pirates to all Planets and Moons Main bases are often found on desert and forest moons; Ambush POI are most on the lush planets but also spread a lot; Waystations are seen on places where the Pirates only want keep up a presence for whatever undisclosed reason.
Removed mapdistance/huddistance from all playfields (where not necessary) as it breaks scanning mechanic and is not necessary anymore (except you want to really hide a POI from the scanners)
Added Crashed Legacy Infector to AlienLegacy playfield

Thanks to all builders and contributors! :)

GAME WORLD TECH

Extended space playfield area also in SP from +/-50k to +/-100k. Only outside this area, the warning message will appear
Supporting "Main" as a faction in playfield yamls to take the faction from the territory ( 'Faction: Main' ). If no territory then this POI will be left out

BALANCING / CRAFTING

Armored Windows S now made from TitanPlates instead of Hardened Steel (Sathium)
Reduced output of Fiber (40>30) and WoodPlanks (60>50)
Fridge (HV and SV) now available in Portable Constructor
Reduced PowerBar Food points to 45
Reduced CPU on Generators ( related to reduced power output and other changed parameters )
Reduced CPU on Harvester (HV)
Ground repulsor engine for HV : torque decrease from 10 -> 5
CV Projectile Turrets can now be crafted in Large Constructor as well

OTHER

Updated Armor Locker model for BA and CV as a preview test
Detectors can now also be fired underwater
Changed submarine-style scanner ping to a more sci-fi variant
Time in character window is now shown in "game time played" and not in "real time" as it was before

DATABASE & TECH

DB: optimized query for getting medic station on player death, added info what BP got spawned
DB: writing now player inventory on every player data save. added possibility to execute multiple update queries with one call
DB: Added deadticks and isdead to Entities
DB: added entity death timestamp, added bool if structure was spawned from BP library
The structure .txt files are not written into the Shared folder any more. Instead of that, we put this information into the DB table StructuresHistory
Relaxed timing for threads
Set Animator component to "AlwaysCull" on a lot of turret/weapon animations to improve performance (a bit)
Optimized Animator component on doors and retractable weapons to not be active when not needed
Stripped down some dedi unity prefabs for better performance of playfield server: CockpitSS04Prefab_dedi, VentilatorEdgeRoundMediumHalfPrefab_dedi, PassengerSeatSVPrefab_dedi, TurretMSCannonRetractPrefab_dedi, TurretMSMinigunPrefab_dedi, WeaponSSMinigunRetractPrefab_dedi, FuelTankSVSmallPrefab_dedi
Optimization from pf server profiling: mapped SphereCast to Raycast for all none player checks for "which structure we are on".
Added automatic VC Redistributable installation to fix missing dll dependencies problems

MOD API

ModApi.IPlayfield: added SolarSystemName and SolarSystemCoordinates
ModApi.IBlock: Implemented Get/SetTextures, added SetTextureForWholeBlock, added equivalent methods for colors

= BUGFIXES =

Fixed: Waypoints from space mirroring to the ship on the planet
Fixed: HUD markers do not show the shortest direction on a planet
Fixed: Wrong fps logging of playfield servers
Fixed: NPC dialogue arrow showing too high on HolographicAIConsole
Fixed: NPC dialogue system > fixed bug that when using OptionIf the wrong index was chosen if options were "thinned out"
Fixed: HV > unexpected oscillation with very light HV
Fixed: Polaris floating POIs
Fixed: HV ground repulsor engine switching back on unexpectedly when switched off in control panel bug
Fix for not possible to spawn blueprints in some orbit playfields (2nd try)
Fixed retractable weapons and hangar doors in MP
Fixed: Registry > fixed exception when a bookmark was corrupt
Fixed: Registry > corrected bug that when in faction private stuff was not displayed reliable
Fixed: Player window > fix for "day X" not displaying game time in days correctly (game time is roughly real time * 6)
Fixed: Waypoints from space mirroring to the ship on the planet (fixed special case)
Fixed: Devices morphing onto docked vessels (FIX UPDATED)

Fixed: CoQ regression if starting a new game and opening character window
Fixed: PDA > On re-log chapter-activation done even for active and repeat-waiting chapters and for not / no longer repeatable chapters
Fixed: PDA > fixed exception when starting a Creative game
Fixed Totally Overpowered intro (Finding TOP Manager on Akua Orbit)
Fixed: Serdu Monastery sunk into ground (plz retest)
Fixed: Devices morphing onto docked vessels
Fixed: NPC blocks showing only T-Pose
Fixed: Remove Seed from Game Start > CoQ
Fixed: Nothing is shown on devices for Energy in or out when the Italian [or Spanish] language is being used
Fixed: Ship cruise mode UI pin indicator not moving bug -> fixed
Fixed: [Possible fix for] Radial menu can become frozen when using "Back" whilst a device window is open

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase III

Wed, 06 May 2020 14:14 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase I

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 13:18 CEST

Hello Galactic Survivalists!

Today we kick off the first testing phase of the Alpha 12 Experimental! :)

Main feature additions:

The Galaxy
Active detection system
Registry journeybook
Interactive dialogues
Dynamic key-token generation
Space Base Defense
Player-build teleporter system
Full config files exposition

Besides those major topics, we added several new NPC Factions, a slew of technical and feature additions, new crafting materials like Titanium, updated POIs, Model and a lot more.

Have a look at the full changelog over here[empyriononline.com]

Remember: For the first days of the Experimental version, multiplayer games can only be played on our Alpha 12 Experimental server, because we first need to thoroughly test the new database, before we can release the EXP server version. The Singleplayer/Coop client version of the Experimental version are of course available with todays release! Please read the full reasoning over here[empyriononline.com]

As with every major releases, the Experimental version phase will see several stages and last at least a few weeks, until we will release to the 'public' branch eventually. ;)

Please also note:

Report bugs and issues right over here[empyriononline.com]
Any bug fixed for A12 can be found here[empyriononline.com]
Known Issues List is here[empyriononline.com]

For discussing the new and updated features, please head over to the pinned threads in our Experimental Feedback forum[empyriononline.com]

There, we will also gladly answer your questions and set up help topics as we go.

Now, please have fun playing Alpha 12 Experimental Phase 1! :)
- Empyrion Dev Team

Alpha 12 Experimental - Phase I

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 13:18 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 Experimental - Info

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 12:48 CEST

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Most of you might wonder, when the Alpha 12 Experimental will hit your PC. Good news!

If everything works out as planned, the Experimental phase will start anytime next week!
As always..no liabilities assumed.

There is one thing to know about the upcoming Experimental:

For Alpha 12 we made a real BIG change in how the game handles data and info by adding a persistent database. This offers a myriad of new possibilities - in fact, it made some of the Alpha 12 features possible in the first place - but this needs to be tested in-depth, especially for Multiplayer.

That’s why this time, in the first week of the Experimental release, we will only have our own EXP Server as a testing field.

This way, we will be able to grab all the logs directly and track the performance of the database in a live environment with the highest possible load. Again, and to be precise: this is for the initial phase (only!)
We hope everyone planning to set up an own EXP Server will understand this move, as testing the database is crucial for the progress of the game as a whole.

Rest assured the EXP will have a server version released, as soon as the tests are passed and we are confident about the stability of the database.

The Singleplayer version will of course be available from day one, just the dedicated server version will be delayed.

If things go accordingly, this initial phase might only last a few days. A minor period, given the Alpha 12 is a milestone release with an Experimental phase of several weeks, where we will be happy to see a lot of Experimental-version servers out there.

A note for the server owners, as this might not be known a lot: feel free to get in touch with us about any global topics via server@empyriongame.com (Feedback, Ideas etc.. no specific topic ;) )

Hope to see you soon playing the Experimental version! :)
- Empyrion Dev Team

PS: For all of you interested in an evening talk about Alpha 12 and maybe some gameplay right from the final Experimental pre-release candidate, tune in to our Dev Q&A[empyriononline.com], hosted by Spanj

Alpha 12 Experimental - Info

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 12:48 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12: Beam me up...!

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 08:33 CEST

Welcome back, Galactic Survivalists!

For today's blog, we would like to give you more insight on a device feature, a lot of you have asked for.

Until now, you could make use of the device in question in NPC stations and some dungeons.
Now, it will be available to you players: Teleporters!

(New CV teleporter model)

The Teleporters will come in two versions:

Teleporter for bases. Their range will be 30 LY
Teleporter for capital vessels. They will allow you to teleport within a sector, what means between Planet <-> Orbit, Planet <-> Moon, Orbit <-> Moons etc. No need to EVA over to a space station anymore!

There are a few constraints of course.

You can NOT teleport to another PLAYER or PLAYER FACTIONS teleporters! You can only use your own teleporters, those of your faction and from NPC factions you are at least in a friendly state.
It is not possible to teleport FROM or teleport TO a CV that is currently MOVING
It is not possible to use a CV or BA teleporter (as outgoing-transport) when
a) shields are active
b) the structure is under fire (cooldown of 20 seconds after last “hit”)

Incoming teleports currently can end on devices that are off or behind a shield - of course only if you ‘allowed’ to use the teleporter as a target.

If there is any condition that denies you to use a teleport target, its destination simply will not show in the teleporter target overview.

We hope you will like this little feature improvement.
As usual, feel free to post an questions to the comments. :)

Read you soon,
Empyrion Dev Team

Alpha 12: Beam me up...!

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 08:33 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12 - Wednesday Roundup

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:16 CEST

Hello Galactic Survivalists!

It’s wednesday again! First and foremost: We hope you are all well - and if not, we hope you will get well very soon! And because we got a lot of concerned emails and messages: Everyone in the team is Ok or is already getting better. Thanks a lot for all the wishes. :)

We have been kind of silent the last 2 weeks, simply because a lot of code work had to happen, to flesh out the features.

Today we have a mix of different things that made good progress and got added until recently.

The Empyrion ingame card game?
Our Modelling team has been busy with some new stuff. We added two new devices (we will not disclose just yet. Sorry ;) ) and a few others, like the Zirax CV turrets that are currently in a finishing phase.

A new entry to the blocks and devices are two gambling tables.

What started as an internal use case, just for testing the NPC Dialogue system with a Black Jack script, found some interest in the tester group and the team itself. So we thought: Where Star Trek TNG has had Poker, Star Wars has Sabacc, BSG has Triad Cars .. how would the favored Card-game based amusement of Polaris, Talon, Zirax and other species in Andromeda be named and how would it work?
Any ideas? Let us know your suggestions for a name and a system! We might use it! :)
New playfield types!
While the galaxy has grown the amount of stars to fill with something to explore, we are constantly looking for new playfield types to integrate. While we are happy to review any suggestion you send us via email, we have opened the CUSTOM PLAYFIELDS forum[empyriononline.com] for that purpose.

That being said, reworks of old playfield types and new iterations, are in the works already. A new Ice Moon and a Forest Moon will be part of the mix, soon.

Hint: Alpha 12 will also see the addition of a menacing “Legacy Faction” playfield type, which will reveal a lot of what this faction is up to. Playfield will be revealed in the next weeks. ;)
New models and resources!
In Alpha 12 we will not only have Ice available on Asteroids in space eventually, but we will also add a new resource to the game the first time ever: Titanium

And while we added a forest moon with endless quantities of Plant Fiber, and because the item has become a very popular meme in the current pandemic times, we added Toilet paper (including a slightly updated toilet model) as an item for your very discreete player avatar needs as well. Of course you cannot buy it at a trader. ;)

Feel free to make suggestions which status effect we should allow to be cured with it! (except the obvious ;)
Respawn changes
Alpha 12 will also see some changes in the Respawn mechanic which everyone, who has run into a literal dead end, might like.

First, the survival tent is now a possible respawn option. When you die, you can select the closest survival tent from the respawn menu. So make sure to be prepared.

Second: you will now get a respawn option, even if you have NO home-button checked CV or BA or even a survival tent. You can respawn in a Clone Chamber or Medbay of the CLOSEST BA or CV that belongs to you or your faction, even if these structures have not been set in the HOME checkbox in the Control Panel!

In addition, you get a third way of respawning: When you are at least NEUTRAL with a NPC Faction AND you discovered one of their stations, equipped with either Medbay or Clone Chamber, before, you will get offered the closest of these stations as a respawn option as well!
Registry and Markers
We are currently reworking how the REGISTRY works. Not only because the Registry needed an update to handle the new star systems, but with Alpha 12 it will offer a lot more options and work more like a real Journey-book, where all your discoveries are noted. Not only your own or your faction's stuff, but also terrain placeables like Autominers, ore deposits and a lot more. Filters will help to manage all these entries.

In addition, when setting a Waypoint on one of those entries, those markers are now visible on planets while you are in space - and vice versa!

And: the markers will also work in space as a pre-set warp target. So aim for them, accelerate and warp right away! No need to hammer the Lock-Target Button on the Map anymore.

As a closing comment - and because we got asked this quite a lot: we are currently preparing for the Experimental to start mid of April (if nothing goes wrong). As always: No liability assumed. :D

Watch out for a scheduled live Q&A ahead of the EXP.

Read you soon,
Empyrion Dev Team

Alpha 12 - Wednesday Roundup

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:16 CEST

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12: The sky is full of giants...

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 13:35 CET

Hi Galactic Survivalist!

We recently completed the technical integration of the gas giants. Similar to the new suns, you cannot land or fly to the gas giant itself, but they will offer more than enough moons for your exploration demands.

Time for a few impressions of this milestone progress. :)

Cheers,
Empyrion Dev Team

PS: Find all the dev blogs over here[empyriononline.com]

Alpha 12: The sky is full of giants...

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 13:35 CET

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12: Space Defense & NPC Factions

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 16:47 CET

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

What happens when you attack a POI in space?

The question may sound trivial. You fight, you win or you get defeated. But beyond that point, there is not a lot of interactivity. Small and large space bases alike do not seem to be that important for the NPC factions, otherwise they would defend them better and very likely have a garrison of combat ships or reinforcements, right?

We recently spoke to our Zirax Empire and Polaris consultants, and as especially our always slightly nervous, weapon wielding friends brought up very convincing arguments, we cannot let this be the case any longer.

Reinforcements incoming!

With Alpha 12, when you are on a hostile or unfriendly standing with the owner of the POI in front of your guns, the station commander will call for help when you are coming too close. Depending on the level of the playfield, the NPC faction's vessels will warp in after a while - or sometimes the call will remain unanswered. There are a few variations possible at that point.

You, as a player, will get a note as soon as enemy warp signatures are detected. But remember: the incoming vessels might only be a part of the full fleet coming for you. ;)

As always, the range of reactions, the ships used and other parameters can be defined by creative minds in the FactionWarfare.ecf.

Each of the current and upcoming factions will of course send their very own vessels. The Polaris, Zirax and also the Legacy have gotten a total overhaul of their combat vessels lineup only recently. If you do not yet follow our posts on hat topic, have a look in our ‘Lore, Story and Factions’[empyriononline.com] sub forum

You will not only find previews of the new ship types of the different factions, but also background info to the story of the game!

NPC Factions: Call For Papers!

That being said, we also want to add a few new NPC Factions to the upcoming galaxy. As promised, we will eventually open the submission phase for NPC Faction applications!

Submissions & Info: threads/npc-factions-call-for-papers[empyriononline.com]

Spread the word!
We are looking forward to your creative ideas!

While you start to think about your NPC factions stories and lore, have a look at the all new Zirax CV turrets (WiP HighRes) you might soon run into. These will replace the generic “Alien turrets” on all Zirax AI Capital Vessels - step by step. :)

Cheers,
Empyrion Dev Team

Zirax CV Laser Turret (HighRes WiP)

Zirax CV Plasma Turret (HighRes WiP)

Zirax CV Rocket Turret (HighRes WiP)

Alpha 12: Space Defense & NPC Factions

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 16:47 CET

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Alpha 12: Part IV - Dialogues, Tokens, Loot and Services

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 09:35 CET

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

While the Content and the Global updates from the previous dev blogs are pretty much set - given nothing unexpected will keep us away from adding them to the game - the following topics are a bit more a ‘What we plan to add to the game, when time permits’ thing.

(WiP NPC Dialogue with 3 answer options)

The following Prototypes have been added only recently to the Alpha 12 feature list, but have a good chance to be in the initial Alpha 12 release. If not, then in Alpha 12.1 and onwards ;-)

Prototypes

NPC Dialogue with Multi-Answer options
Ever wondered why the bartender in one of the Pax Purgatory bars only wants to sell his beverages but has nothing to say? Want to play a round of Black Jack with those NPCs that seem to dish out cards anyhows? These are only two straight forward possibilities for the upcoming Multi-Answer NPC Dialogue system, Alpha 12 will add. The new way to set up dialogues will be configurable in its own (public) config file and you, as a creative or POI designer, will be able to ‘assign’ a dialogue to certain NPCs. We are looking forward to all the ideas our community will come up with!
Dynamic Key Tokens
This is more of a technical advancement, as the game can now modify an item dynamically in the game to provide a specific function.The first implementation will for example allow the game to create an individual “Keycard”-item, giving it an integrated lock code for use with a specific device in a POI, like a door or any devivce that is using lock codes. This specific Keycard (Token) can then either be placed in a container or be added as a loot item, given via PDA or by an NPC. Of course YOU can decide what the 4-digit lock code looks like, for example using the super safe 1234 combination is always a good way!
Per-Container Loot Table ID
This is where the new loot setup system comes into play. Currently the loot IDs are set in a config file, so all Zirax Soldiers drop a fixed range of items. With Alpha 12 we plan to add new settings, which will add the possibility to set certain Loot Table IDs for each container or NPC (spawners) individually and directly in your POI - overwriting the “default” Loot Table ID. This will give all creators more granular control over the loot drops for anything that has an ‘inventory’.
Station Services
By those we think of services like, re-arm, refill (Fuel, O2, Pentaxid), repair and other services. To make use of these services, we plan to allow the pilot to hail the station and use a dialogue system or a specific UI to make a choice. Although this has just been added to the schedule, there is a chance for this feature to make an appearance in the main release.

Part IV of the dev blogs is concluding the initial series of 'feature reveal’ info posts.

We plan to release more detailed explanations, single-topic blogs and also in-game teasers on a regular basis, as we are nearing the Experimental stage - which will possibly start more towards early April at the earliest (No liability assumed).

Until then. Read you soon,
- Empyrion Dev Team

PS: Do not forget to participate in our GAME SURVEY 2020[survey.empyriongame.com]!

Alpha 12: Part IV - Dialogues, Tokens, Loot and Services

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 09:35 CET

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.