Hello subROVers! We've updated the game from 0.7.31 to 0.7.35. Let's take a look!
What's New
This update adds together four updates that we had already uploaded individually to the Beta branch since April. We posted detailed news pieces (on Steam) for every one of these updates when we released them in Beta, so now we'll make a brief recap for each, with links on the version numbers taking you to the individual news items:
- In 0.7.32 we revised the setup of all the seafloor-related creatures. We also added a new Cusk Eel custom made from NOAA footage.
- In 0.7.33 we added another new creature, the Big Fin Squid. We took references from a recent sighting by Schmidt Ocean, and consulted with experts to make what's arguably the most accurate model of this species to date.
- In 0.7.34 we made a general revision of the dives available, improving their looks and increasing significantly the number of creatures and items on the seafloor.
- In 0.7.35 we added a new tool, SOLARIS, built after the real counterpart shown in a recent cruise by Schmidt Ocean, with references and advice provided by the scientists who designed it.
We'd like to make a point that we brought the Magnapinna and SOLARIS to the game within weeks of them appearing in livestreams. There is an element of opportunity/serendipity that we can't deny, and there are risks involved that we can't always predict (e.g. the time it took to get final approval for SOLARIS), but this approach stresses our commitment to try to bring to the game advanced tools and creatures barely known to science whenever possible.
Bassogigas cusk eel
Big fin Squid
Submersible Oceanic chemiLuminescent Analyzer of Reactive Intermediate Species - SOLARIS
SOLARIS, in-game
Moving Forward
In light of recent events - A Titanic dive has always been in the cards for this game, and internally we had it tentatively planned towards the end of the year. Now, since this is a game of ROV exploration, and ROVs have been at the center of the search and recovery of Titan, we entertained the idea of quickly putting together a "basic" Titanic dive to illustrate, to the extent that this game is capable of, how the search could proceed.
This said, after giving it much thought and consulting with the community in Discord, we've decided not to release any Titanic-related dives now, though we'll keep the original plan to make a Titanic dive around the fall-winter, if possible and non-controversial.
The next big planned milestone, then, is bringing the wreck of the USS Hoel to the game, which we've been teasing for a while, as we indeed started work on it some time ago. Several players suggested making a dive around a WWII wreck when we discussed the Titanic, so we think it's appropriate to do so -we hope that you'll look forward to exploring our biggest wreck yet.
in-engine WIP
Get In Touch
Here are the many ways in which you can reach us:
- From the game -press F8
- Through the forum on Steam
- Discord: subROV Server
- Through Twitter
- Through Mastodon
- By email (info 'at' sqr3lab.com)
Happy subROVing! ⚓ 😁
