Hi Galactic Survivalists!
Welcome to the next-to-last release candidate before we go public with Empyrion Alpha 6.0! At least this is very likely - due to your ongoing effort of reporting bugs and breaking our release candidates! :D
Said that, we want to again thank all of you for your patience. We know that our community keeps asking when 6.0 will go live, although it should be hardly surprising that a version that offers so many game changers, needs a lot of detail work ahead of the public release - and maybe also some post-release.
If everything goes according to our plan, we will announce the release date of Alpha 6.0 end of this week / this weekend.
RC3 being a bug fixing & polishing update, we tried to improve the FPS drops happening with large vessels. As a consequence, we had to redo the way how some of the physics collider work. Let us know if the FPS are back to “normal” when flying large vessels (please note that we are still working on a way to fix the FPS drops when changing blocks on a very large vessel).
As this is a critical part of the so called ‘lagshot fix’ and is related to a lot of other game elements, we would like you to test if you find issues with the current solution!
One word about Scenarios: If you wonder where you could find a preview pic for your scenarios workshop page, you might find the answer in #7 in our FAQ: Empyriononline.com
Or plain and simple: Put a file named preview.jpg with the dimensions of max 1280*720 pixel in your Scenario main folder (please hide all “unfinished or work-in-progress scenarios). We are looking forward to see the workshop populated with lots of awesome scenarios soon!
While you’re at it, have a look at the change list - you might find some interesting changes down there - and do not forget to report remaining, new and old issues in our dedicated bug thread over here: Empyriononline.com
Have fun playing! :)
Cheers,
Empyrion Dev Team
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Changelog: Alpha Experimental 6.0.13 (Build 1044)
Physics Collider Update:
- Enabling physics collider only when somebody is controlling the ship (+ disabling detailed mesh colliders in this case)
- Updated physics collider calculation
POI Regeneration Update:
- Now using fixed time after a player touched a POI
- Added log outputs + console cmd 'ents' outputs for better debugging and testing
- When restarting server, regenerate timer is not reseted
- Removed regenerate tag from buried POIs in yaml. Note: please do not set regenerate tag to buried POIs (because terrain cannot be changed around them)
Visuals and Sounds:
- Adapted HUD marker colors according to enemy status: alien core = red, same or allied faction = green, same origin = orange)
- Tracer improvements to not "overshoot" target, ie tracers do not go through hull blocks anymore
- Added mechanoid robot to replace old turret robot
- Added better model for base attack drones (WIP)
- Added better marker on radar ring for waypoint
- Added new afro haircut (male / female) and short beard
- Tweaked motorbike sound: lower pitch
- Updated models of tomato plant and pumpkin plant
- Added new particles to all thrusters (visually very similar but optimized regarding performance)
- Updated Status Effects icons
- Adapted LODs of bushes on Akua (billboards come in later)
- Tweaked particle effect on Multitool (made it wider)
Gameplay:
- Control Panel: added list with ammo overview + Fill All button
- Added default setting Akua-Omicron as multiplayer setting (set as default scenario in dedicated.yaml)
- Base attack drones have now more hit points but are slower
- Added more crashed buried ships to more playfields
- Escape Pod: now you need to go into godmode to leave a flying escape pod
- Re-activated "Dangerous Space" mission (now with visiting Trading Stations)
- Updated scenarios
- Added drone base to Aitis Orbit
- Added separate playfield for Skillon Orbit
- Tweaked weapon range of some NPCs (ignore Atmo reduction now)
- Tweaked template of large windows (reduced input needed)
Changes:
- Implemented new interactive setup mode for collider area ('preview' mode) of sensors and NPC spawners
- Max Prefab Size Class: not limiting any more and setting 0 in dedicated.yaml as 'no limit'
- Added destroyed versions of concrete blocks
- Added better description for night vision goggles
- Console cmd: Added abbreviation to itemmenu (im) and teleport (tt)
- Console cmd: when cmd has abbreviation, show it when using “help”
- Now outputting message when somebody drills at a protected block
- Show message "cannot fire this weapon on a planet" not on turrets wanting to fire
PDA Update:
- Added button in PDA window to see Briefing again
- Added persistent way to display PDA complete messages: Chapter complete messages now also displayed in chat
GUI Polishing:
- (WIP) New version of New Game Menu and Choose Starter Planet Windows
- Loading Scenario Preview Pictures (temporarily: Load Default Scenario Picture for Select Starter Planet Window)
- Adjustments to Control Panel Main Page
- Adjusted "Static Tooltip" to be fixed position/width, only expand height (eg Multitool)
- Chat Window: Reduced drop-shadow size
- Lerping Fuel, Oxygen and Warp Tank values when filled
- Coloring Size Class number in red if above class 5 in Blueprint Window and other windows
- Adapted Highlight and Text in PDA Window to match Device List/Control Panel
- Added missing Loc Keys for Map/Sector Map Windows
- Tweaked size of icons in ESC menu
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Large Ship movement FPS and overall movement FPS drop
- Fixed: Extreme loss of FPS when up righten CV in orbit with O-key
- Fixed: Problem with flying HV
- Fixed: Regeneration of POI triggers even though not near
- Fixed: Sensors cannot send signals to PDA anymore in MP
- Fixed: Error when shooting down a drone in HV
- Fixed: Drones dive into / fly in water
- Fixed: Planet Vessel always goes directly to the survival/wreckage POI's & hovers at them when core is destroyed.
- Fixed: Leaving the game while falling down in Escape Pod stuck the client
- Fixed: Drones acting weird and sometimes don't hit vessel
- Fixed: POI regenerate does not trigger visible for Client
- Fixed: Sometimes drones climb high in sky when attacking
- Fixed: PDA needs to ignore the instance hashtags
- Fixed: NPC enemies do not reliable see you and attack.
- Fixed: CP/Accessing container does not remember open page
- Fixed: Control Panel - Device List: Exception when having something in “Search Filter” and exit game
- Fixed: Troops Transport falls through drone base on resume game
- Fixed: Signal values not read correctly from savegame (led to problems with levers saved in ON state)
- Fixed: Can not walk through regular doors in front/behind of a slope
- Fixed: Front flare of motorbike shining through player
- Fixed: Power display goes negative when switching devices on and off via SIGNAL
- Fixed: PDA window does not get updated properly when using console cmd
- Fixed: PDA window shows old progress state after re-login even if player file has been deleted in MP
- Fixed: Problems with some (growing) plants
- Fixed: PDA ActivateChapterOnCompletion can be tricked
- Fixed: PDA menu: Error when click on Show Briefing button while a task is selected (and not a chapter)
- Fixed: Error when in an enemy base and being attacked
- Fixed: Error when loading an RC1 savegame
- Fixed: PDA: InventoryEmptied does not work for Personal Container
- Possible fix for SV getting teleported with player out of closed instance
- Fixed: Instance: Restrict To Origin does not respect the default one
- Fixed: Control Panel: Selecting a Spawner in an old Blueprint lead to Error
