Alpha 4.2 Released news - Eco - Global Survival Game

We’ve released an update to Alpha 4 and reset the main server, so it’s a great time to login and check out the game from the beginning if you haven’t already. It’s currently available on our website.

Here’s the changelist:

• The skills page now displays all skills discovered server-wide
• Starting property claim items are now placed in the player's backpack
• Axes can no longer chop lumber (use the hammer)
• Powered objects (campfires, etc) can now be powered by non-owning players
• Workbenches are no longer opened when typing in chat
• Various workbenches now have higher building requirements
• Multiple skill trees will no longer remain highlighted when selected (visual bug)
• Seeds should no longer occasionally immediately grow when planted
• Storage chests can no longer be placed inside of other objects
• Reclaimed property claim items are no longer all consumed in a single use
• Player characters no longer sometimes ignore the jump input
• Objects on minimap disappear when removed (trees)
• Objects on minimap scale properly (or at least more properly) for tiny or huge worlds
• Minimap objects do not show their category on tooltip... too cluttered
• Player icons on minimap can be toggled
• Collected items shown on minimap tooltips
• Store trade strings are so long and actually look ok
• Properties on minimap update in realtime
• Animals are selectable after being killed, for harvesting. disappear after harvested
• Minimap player icons actually rotate in the direction that the player is facing
• Minimap LODing is vertex based, and culling actually works based on an uncurved orthographic geometry
• Minimap SSAO actually works now... although it's almost unnoticeably different, it's technically more correct now
• Modules can now be removed using the hammer

Alpha 4 is the economy release, and we have tons of new features in this one to check out. Here’s two videos showing off some of them:

Transportation in Eco:

Food in Eco:

Alpha 5 Started

While we continue updating Alpha 4 for our current playtesters, we’re beginning on Alpha 5, which will be the Ecosystem release, and the final Alpha release before Beta. We’re building the scientific model now for climate, habitat, irrigation, and pollution, and they’ll all be connected. Here’s a look at that in-progress:

All of these systems are connected, and it’s really fascinating to watch the effects of one layer rippling across to the other systems. You’ll be able to view and use this data in the minimap and graphs page as well.

Thanks everyone for the great feedback on Alpha 4, keep it coming and feel free to email us.

-John K

john@strangeloopgames.com