Techtonica news & patch notes

Hey Groundbreakers! My name is Brandon (aka Cityfires) and I've been working as a dedicated (and the only) member of the Audio Team here at Fire Hose Games for several years! Today I wanted to just chat a little bit about my experience working on the music and sound for Techtonica! The goal for Techtonica's music was always to have a relaxed, ambient feel to the soundtrack when you were out exploring Calyx. But our game director Richard really was hoping we would have some way to distinguish the music when the player was in their factories. With too many assemblers and smelters in the area, the music would potentially not quite match the vibe of what's happening on screen. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/1dd8b25f2a1f4fc6e0b43d1522bc94cf7a8b34ae.jpg Dynamic music is something a ton of games have, but our unique situation was deciding what it means to be "in your factory". So we tried several different ways to track this sort of information, and ultimately we landed on counting the number of "loud machines" near the player at any given time. We defined a "loud machine" as anything that was visually big and/or produced substantial noise. We then had each of these machines track if you were within their music activation range, and if the number was greater than the requirement, the music would swap! This ended up working very seamlessly, because it meant that the music could change as you enter and leave different areas in your game, it could suddenly swap when all your machines become active, or the music could "power down" along with your factory if you experienced sudden power issues. After we did some video tests to confirm that everything made sense and was worth doing, we had to work on building a prototype! Our game uses a very popular audio middleware called FMOD to handle audio events, so I worked for a while to build a system that worked entirely through FMOD and didn't really use any Unity code to trigger it. The results were...... "successful". It turns out you should use programmers to help you implement your advanced audio triggering, but for what we needed at the time for a prototype, it worked surprisingly well. Honestly it was a really wonderful experience in how to build an early concept, present it to your producer, then schedule programmer time to get it done correctly! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/2139f288e9faabb5df372e871856f4737bcada29.jpg Once we finished getting that concept implemented, we took a lot of time to balance how far away machine audio would activate. It was really important to make sure you could hear everything from the correct distance, and we did a lot of manipulation to control how far away different parts of machines could be heard. We also added a reverb mix for all machines that could be heard between the cutoff points, so when you're standing in the distance you can hear the large cloud of machine audio all around you. Creating a functional dynamic audio system in a sandbox game had a lot of challenges, but I had a lot of fun figuring out all the right ways to control things! All the new music for 1.0, including the desert biome playlist and several narrative music tracks, will be available on Steam and Bandcamp when 1.0 launches on November 7th! And we’ll make sure it gets added to streaming platforms as soon as we can after launch. Thanks everyone for the support, and we hope you enjoy playing AND listening to the game when it launches next week!

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/d40ffff76ef59d5bc07117762bc05f9752b831aa.jpg Groundbreakers – we’re less than a month away from Techtonica 1.0! As we approach our November 7th launch date, we’ll be streaming every Thursday on our Twitch channel (around 1p Eastern) to show off and go over some of the major features and changes arriving next month. ICYMI, last week on our twitch channel we had our game director Richard on to deep dive into some of the fundamentals and features of the Desert biome. You can find the VOD here. This week we’ll be taking a look at the Freight Elevator in all of its 1.0 glory with our narrative designer Will. Join us in chat if you have a chance, otherwise be sure to check the VOD afterwards – and of course be sure to join our Discord for more community discussion!

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/ad59f37132525bd3be4030392900e567f01009ec.jpg Hello Groundbreakers! I’m Greco and I’ve been working on optimization for Techtonica since I joined the team in January. I'm going to explain some of the optimization work that has been done in previous updates and what’s coming next for 1.0. One may ask what does optimization mean in practice? Fundamentally, program optimization is about reducing the amount of resources we need to achieve the same result, this includes memory usage, CPU usage and GPU usage. Usually this is achieved through a combination of better algorithms and taking into account the “low level” hardware details, the main constraint in modern PC and console hardware is memory bandwidth, therefore most of the optimization efforts focus on improving the memory layout of the data so that we can maximize the throughput of the core game loops. One great way to learn about this is to study Data Oriented Design, here’s a good video introduction: The Unity game engine has some technology built around this concept of DOD, in Techtonica we’re mainly using 2 things: The Burst compiler and the Job System. Unity has a separate compiler from the built-in .NET Mono compiler and the IL2CPP compiler called Burst, this compiler is built on top of LLVM which tends to produce much better x86-64 code compared to Unity’s Mono JIT compiler, “burstable” C# code also has a lot more constraints, such as no managed memory and containers not being allowed to alias which allow the compiler to emit better code. If you’re a programmer and are interested in learning more about Burst you can watch the following talk: The Job System allows us to more easily add multithreading to the game, it works with native memory and integrates easily with Burst, oftentimes Techtonica needs to process X amount of independent items, (usually called “embarrassingly parallel”) so the job system is a perfect fit for this. Techtonica was initially released as a pure managed Mono C# game, but we’ve been slowly migrating our most data intensive systems to a DOD approach, some of these optimizations include:

• Most of the streaming systems have been rewritten to be more performant (around 5x-10x faster), these include streaming of rendering for plants/environmental objects and visuals streaming for all the machines, this reduces stutters when moving around the map.
• Mesh generation for Monorails has been almost entirely rewritten to both be faster and to reduce the amount of memory they occupy, from gigabytes to just a few megabytes.
• Streaming textures from disk on Xbox and PS5 to reduce the total amount of memory used and therefore reduce the amount of game crashes caused by out of memory errors.
• Overall memory usage for machines has been reduced.
• Large rewrite for most of the rendering systems, using an optimized approach for uploading matrix data and performing culling on the GPU.
• Deferred lighting has been significantly optimized by using a tiled renderer, this significantly reduces GPU usage.
• Reduction of the amount of memory and CPU used by all the plants and environmental objects.
• Various optimizations to reduce the loading time of save files, including machines and environmental objects.
• Optimizations for specific machines such as conveyors to reduce the overall amount of CPU usage.
• We’ve made some pretty big improvements to the way we handle research cores for core composers, making them much more performant.
• Terrain mesh generation has been rewritten to be much more performant, this impacts both loading times and runtime modification of voxels such as when using the M.O.L.E

These optimization efforts have enhanced Techtonica’s performance and stability, by leveraging Data Oriented Design, the Burst compiler, and the Job System, we’ve managed to reduce memory usage, improve CPU and GPU efficiency, and minimize loading times. As we continue to refine and optimize, we look forward to delivering an even smoother and more immersive experience in the upcoming 1.0 release. Thank you for your support!

We’ve got some big news - we'll be launching Techtonica out of Early Access on Nov 7 for Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and newly announced PlayStation 5! The Going Up update (previously 0.6) has grown and morphed into full launch with a massive content release that's over a year in the making! We’re introducing a new desert biome, a world map revision and expansion, access to the elevator, the jetpack upgrade for the hoverpack, as well as new machines, production loops, intermediates, resources, and much more. And most importantly, a complete narrative with an exciting ending! The dev team have been pouring their hearts into Going Up and we're truly excited to get this into your hands. In particular we want to thank our community for all their feedback during the Early Access period - the suggestions we’ve received have been the basis for much of the content we’ve added, and we wouldn’t have been able to make Techtonica without you. We’d also like to thank our secret cabal of experimental testers for trialing all these changes early and helping us fine tune everything for the general population. And with that let’s dive right into the 1.0 Road Map and Preview Video so you can see what’s new! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/2541ab0641e14fae222045fb45929c004f579b0c.png Please note: there is a LOT of additional content and bug fixes included in this update that we aren’t listing here. We don’t want to spoil all the details for you so you can experience the new content organically. Additionally, we’re sorry to say that 1.0 will break saves from Early Access - you’ll need to start a new save file for 1.0 content. We’ll be coming out with a lot more detail about 1.0 in the coming weeks leading up to launch. If you’re excited and want more information join our Discord where you can talk directly to our development team!

We all know that the heart of Techtonica belongs to sprawling factories and clever logistics chains, but what happens when we step back from our creations and think “Why does this look like a pile of spaghetti that’s been barfed up by the dog and then covered in rivets and rusty paint?” Well Groundbreakers, we’re here to tell you that you’re not alone. Here are 9 helpful tips on how to build aesthetically pleasing structures in your very own playthrough! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/283a71da43c416581531e48abf1038d9bb519894.png

Build Bigger

Nothing is worse than building out a whole structure and realizing that you’re a few spaces short of the perfect machine layout. They say measure twice, cut once, but really, who has time for measuring? Just build huge instead! We promise that once you’ve fit all of the embellishments, decorations, lights, and supports your bases need to look beautiful, that factory floor isn’t going to be quite as big as you thought it would be. Just throw down a few more of those 5x5 Floor pieces and you won’t regret it. Make that ceiling just a bit higher than you think, and your bases will start feeling airy and effective, rather than cramped and oppressive. We might be living in a cave, but we’re not dwarves, we’re Groundbreakers!

Mixing Materials

Now you may have noticed that the majority of base building pieces in Techtonica are made of two distinct materials, concrete and steel. That doesn’t mean that you’re stuck making bland boxes of gray walls with brown lines all over them! By mixing up your ratios of concrete pillars and metal beams, or pairing concrete walls with metal catwalks, you can create interesting patterns that outline your machine layouts in visually pleasing ways. In the Oops All Concrete! Pack we’ve even given you the ability to forgo metal supports altogether, allowing you the flexibility to frame your factories the way you want, where you want. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/29da580c8ac646431f9f001ad8f8d40f54cc35d1.png

Lots of Layers

If there’s a single word that defines beautiful base building in Techtonica, it’s “layers”. What’s that? What does that even mean? Why do you keep saying it over and over while I’m just trying to build my main bus in peace? Well, it’s because that main bus could be a beautiful bus if you just listen! The key to crafting truly attractive outposts is all about creating patterns on top of patterns, supports in front of walls, beams under walkways, and wallplants overtop those very same beams. This is the reason you should be building bigger because that 1-voxel thick wall suddenly balloons into a 3-voxel thick facade that also somehow looks even better with a 5-voxel thick matrix of pillars and angled supports in front of it.

Repetition Repetition

The architectural assets in Techtonica are largely inspired by the design sensibilities of the Brutalist movement in the 1950s and 60s. The style is characterized by raw concrete, simple geometric shapes, and repeated patterns. The same holds true for building in Techtonica, and each base building piece lends itself to being used in large quantities. Why use 6 walls when 24 will look more imposing? Why design a 2-floor structure when you can build 8? Repeating patterns by spacing the same piece out over and over can not only help your buildings look sharp but also help you expand your buildings quickly and easily when it comes time to grow your factory.

Mesmerizing Motifs

Repeating one type of piece can boost your look, but what should you do when you want to enhance your architectural aesthetics even further? Try creating small designs out of multiple pieces, keeping in mind the previous tips about mixing materials and layering pieces, and using that design in different parts of your buildings. Build a 10x10 facade using walls, pillars, beams, and angled pieces, then repeat that design over an entire 20x50 building for a cohesive and pleasing look. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/fe99f2c468b997fae7b1d0844fa8158fc7234b61.png

Level Up Your Lighting

While the bioluminescent flora is enough to illuminate much of the wilderness of Calyx, it’s often not enough to illuminate your more industrialized sectors. Using the various light assets in Techtonica is a great way to not only show off your factories and bases but also enhance them with bright points of interest. Hiding colored lights behind walls or in recessed pockets between pillars is also a great way to direct yourself or other Groundbreakers through your factories with subtle cues. Try rotating your lights using the Variants feature to create dramatic uplighting along your walls, or downlighting to highlight your machines! And remember that vast factory floors will require an equally vast number of lights, so don’t forget our tip about repetition!

Elevating Elevation

With the release of the Factory Efficiency Update, it’s never been easier to build up, and up, and up. Why limit yourself to two dimensions when the possibility of creating a towering city of steel spires is so enticing? And while your factories don’t necessarily need proper support structures to hold them up, you can elevate your designs by reinforcing your floors with a variety of pillars and brackets. While a concrete cube may not look compelling on its own, two concrete boxes stacked on top of each other with some pillars in between starts to look like a deliberate design choice, and in the design world, intent is half the battle. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/139953f2d17a020d319eddacf0f90792ee24eaa4.png

Don’t Forget Decorations

Don’t forget to festune your factories with the many decorative pieces available to you in Techtonica, from angled support struts, to wall planters, to tiny bonsai versions of the flora that appears naturally on Calyx. Tired of bare metal girders? Try adding some hanging plants to cozy them up! Bored of concrete? Checkerboard your vast walls with the various living wall pieces to add some plush plantification! And don’t forget to throw some lights above your bonsai to let them really shine.

Break the Rules

Last but certainly not least is the tip that overrides all of the others, but only after you’ve learned them! While the previous guidelines can point you in the right direction, we’ve tried to design the base building pieces in Techtonica to allow you to express your industrialist architectural self in ways we couldn’t have anticipated! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/7b7c759f5a8264941d084c91d9ab74271aaffbf0.png We hope that by following these tips help you to realize your full potential when it comes to building bases in Techtonica. Feel free to drop by our Discord and show off your creations in the #show-off-your-factory or #base-showcase channels! We look forward to seeing what you come up with, Groundbreaker! Now, let’s get to work.

Hello, Groundbreakers! My name is Will O’Neill. I’m credited as ‘Narrative’ on Techtonica, and that is more precise than you might think. Unlike a larger (AA / AAA / AAA / AAAA / AAAAA?) studio with a dedicated team of writers in addition to specialists in story structure, quest design, casting, worldbuilding, voiceover production and beyond, my responsibility at Fire Hose Games is to wear all of those hats while collaborating closely with other many-hatted individuals. This kind of role isn’t for everyone, but I like it. Best of all is that it affords me the credibility to walk you through one of the most exciting processes we go through: Adding a new character to the game!

Auditioning a New Voiceover Talent

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/0ec3c6bb9224e72d8538886ce4b7fc8e0fce9864.png A slice of the briefing provided to performers auditioning for MIRAGE To ensure that we recruit the right performer, our process begins by utilizing an online platform built exclusively for connecting talent with a wide variety of voiceover jobs. As a small indie studio, it isn’t realistic for us to hire celebrities, hold live auditions, or spend months making decisions, so doing everything efficiently and online is crucial. For performers, auditioning for a new role is fairly straightforward - we ask them to record a brief monologue from the script for their character. However, this audition script is often a slightly altered version of what the actual lines will be, as we are also using the audition process to ascertain how a performer approaches specific challenges related to the role. For example, because our new character (MIRAGE) for 0.5 was French, we inserted several extra lines into the audition that required them to utilize a French accent while speaking both French and English, as well as make use of several English expressions where it would sound natural for the character to ‘drop’ the accent somewhat. We’ll also move bits and pieces of a script around to get a feel for how performers transition between different tones and emotions that we know they’ll need for future character developments. Once all of the auditions are received, we typically compose a shortlist of around five performers to discuss internally before making our final decision. In the case of a character like MIRAGE, part of that evaluation also involves consulting with a native French speaker to evaluate the authenticity of the accent. One additional thing I will say about casting is that it is extremely competitive not only from a performance standpoint but from a baseline equipment perspective as well. Because we record our sessions remotely, the performer we hire must have access to professional gear - this often includes a high-quality microphone, preamp, isolation booth, and the software and hardware that puts it all together.

The Recording Session

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/3c7df89a63f381e8ea0a1085a0e6264f8190cb29.png Excerpt from the September 2022 recording session script for SPARKS Once a new performer has been selected and the script finalized, we are ready to begin! Typically, we record in sessions between one and two hours, as we are only doing incremental additions and revisions to our narrative throughout Early Access. Another nice thing about Techtonica is that it doesn’t require our performers to repeatedly undertake melodramatic reactions to various forms of violence, so our sessions are pretty light on vocal fatigue. As a voiceover director, my background is more in corporate voiceover stuff, so I probably wasn’t raised right as a voiceover director for games. That said, I’d say my general principles are to always take things all the way through on the first go, trust the performers to find interesting possibilities that I hadn’t considered, and to be thankful that we are living in a digital age where it is easy to record as many options for a given line or scene as we want. There used to be people with razor blades and glue and gigantic reels of tape! I’m sure there still are. I’ll say as well that performers also do a ton to prepare their minds, bodies and voices for a recording session, and that I appreciate it.

Selection and Implementation

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/8b5707a9f56c65add22f7d8170e19dfcfbb28210.png Raw waveform from a section of the October 2023 Recording Session with PALADIN A few hours after recording, the performers will send us a single file that contains the entire session. From here, we go straight into editing - splitting things up as needed, choosing the best takes, splicing them all together, and then implementing them into the game itself. Making careful selections and determining which individual reading of a line is the best one is, in my opinion, the most important part of this entire process. I think being both the writer and director makes a big difference here, as I have a seamless understanding of what a line sounded like in my mind as I wrote it, where to go looking for it while directing a performer, and how to bring those things together in an intangible kind of synthesis that makes my ears perk up at one tiny but meaningful variation of a line read over another. I know which takes to choose because I know what it should be, if that makes sense. Anyway, my point is that AI is trash and cannot do this. Finally, rather than being ‘added’ to the game at this stage, the finished files replace existing placeholders that you may have listened to if you've ever played on our PTC branch. These synthesized ‘robovoice’ files allow us to put new narrative events into the game for testing and feedback before the final voice files are ready. It’s important to get a feel for the pacing and flow of the narrative events themselves - especially when they coincide with gameplay elements - so these placeholders are invaluable! My final step is to hand the baton over to our musician / audio overlord / sound-hat-guy Brandon to ensure that everything vibes and sits right in the game. Post-processing and stuff like that is done in FMOD, which is that thing with the logo you see everywhere. At that point, I’m done! I don’t have to work anymore! Until I have to start all over again! Thanks!

Techtonica is 34% off on Steam for the next two weeks! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/ Grab our factory automation game today for only $19.79 and start building your own – or build with friends (up to 4-player co-op) Be sure to stay tuned for new Tectonica announcements coming later this month as well, until then Groundbreakers!

Techtonica launched into Early Access 1 year ago, and what a year it’s been. With 5 major updates and 4 minor updates, we’ve been chugging along with development as fast as we can. We truly appreciate the support of all our Groundbreakers! In honor of that, I’m pleased to announce our largest update thus far, Going Up. Let’s check out the Roadmap. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/5e7ec06e0fdce0a3cd89357c29e65789a1e3b27b.png Over the coming months, we will start peeling back the curtain on what this update entails, but we’ll leave you to speculate for now. We mentioned previously that we’re switching to a longer development cycle for this one, so blogs will also slow down. As soon as we can show you the new content, we will!

Hey folks! Now you can get two great games, bundled, at a 10% discount on Steam. We’ve partnered up to bundle Techtonica and Astro Colony. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/43157/Techtonica__Astro_Colony/ This is a Complete The Set bundle, and that means you’ll still get the discount if you buy the game you don’t already own through the bundle. Ready to get to work?

Techtonica is officially 40% off here on Steam, which is the biggest discount we’ve ever had! It’s the perfect time to get Techtonica for the summer. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/ Pick up the game, grab some friends, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll build your factories, dig into the terrain, and argue over which color of glow blocks to decorate with. Let’s get to work!

In case you missed it, we did a Town Hall this week where we answered a ton of questions from you, the community! Watch the VOD below, or read on for a loooot of Q&A from Richard, our Game Director, and Lauren. And now, let's dive in to all the questions: Q: Are there any updates in regards to performance on Xbox and frequent crashes? A: In the upcoming update, we're focusing heavily on performance improvements. Many of the crashes on Xbox stem from memory issues, so we're actively working on optimizing memory usage to reduce these issues. As players accumulate more hours in the game, managing memory becomes more challenging, but we're making significant strides in this area. Lauren plans to do a deep dive on what is coming for performance and optimization in the next update, so we’re going to have a super super technical update for you all at some point. Q: Is it possible to make a controller prompt to transfer the same materials to a storage box? A: Adding a controller prompt for transferring the same materials to a storage box is something we'd like to add. However, it depends on our current development priorities. We'll keep it in mind as we plan future updates. Q: Curious what end game balancing will look like. With the addition of blast processing, you can generate a lot of materials...but it doesn't seem like you need that many. Any quests or recipes that would require large volumes of materials? A: Endgame balancing will continue to evolve as we scale up content. Currently, endgame content may feel a bit unbalanced since it's at the limit of our current content progression rather than the actual endgame. As we add more content, such as quests and recipes, they will naturally require larger volumes of materials to challenge players who reach that stage. Balancing will also consider new players, long-time players and those returning after a break, aiming to provide a positive experience for all stages of gameplay. Our goal is to create a solid experience that scales appropriately with the addition of new content and mechanics. Q: I'm just wondering if you guys plan on keeping the game on the old gen consoles due to the performance issues that have been going on as the bigger updates have come out? A: We're committed to supporting the game on Xbox One, despite the challenges. The key issue with Xbox One is its constrained memory, which affects performance. To address this, we're continuously optimizing memory usage by refining how saves are managed, clustering data more efficiently, and streamlining texture loading to reduce memory overhead. Our goal is to implement more optimizations over time to improve performance and ensure a smoother gameplay experience on all platforms, including older generation consoles. Q: If you could go back, would you still release the laser tag update or do you think it was a mistake? A: If we could go back, we would still release the laser tag update, but with adjustments. Looking back, we might have marketed it more as part of a Fast Travel update rather than focusing on laser tag. Each of our updates since 0.2 has aimed to cater to different player needs: from quality of life improvements in 0.3, to diverse gameplay modes like sandbox and hardcore in 0.4. In 0.5, recognizing the importance of multiplayer fun, we introduced laser tag alongside features like Fast Travel, improved communication tools, and multiplayer animations, for a more immersive experience. Through this, we've realized the need to slow down and deliver more comprehensive updates that cater to all players rather than frequent small updates. This change aims to ensure that each update has something for everyone, therefore reducing disappointment and frustration from players who feel the update “isn’t for them”. Our upcoming update, set in the new desert biome, marks the shift towards this approach. It's larger in scope and aims to please a broader range of players. We're excited about its content and confident it will resonate well with our community. Moving forward, we're focused on delivering more substantial updates that enrich the gameplay experience across all fronts. Q: Could a possible mod menu in-game be incorporated like some other games? A: We would love to have mod support, however, it’s just not something we’re going to be able to hit as of right now. It takes a lot of time out of other development work that we’re trying to get done, so sadly it’s just not something that we have the bandwidth to support. Q: Any response to the its_bitz video? More specifically, the direction of the game vs these seemingly extracurricular updates. A: We actually talked with Bitz for about an hour this morning! We had a really good call with him and went over the direction of the game, and our ideation behind that, and where the game is going. We clarified that while features like laser games might seem extracurricular, they were intended to add fun multiplayer experiences. Regardless, for people concerned laser tag represents a directional change in the game, the core gameplay of Techtonica has been and remains the intersection of automation, terraforming, and narrative exploration. These elements remain fundamental to the game's identity, and our next major update will especially highlight that more than any of our previous updates. Our upcoming updates, including the new biome and its other features, have been in development for years, reflecting our long-term vision for the game. All in all, the new pieces that are going into this update, that we won't share details on, is stuff that has been planned out for ages. We’re very excited to get this stuff to everybody. That’s the core of the game, whereas laser tag was a mini-game that we thought was a fun build off of the base building pieces in order to get multiplayer a way to goof off with your friends while in the factory. For example, if people wanted to have either factory idle and build stuff for them while they were messing around, or if they wanted to take a break from building for a little bit - we just wanted a fun way to let players have some fun with their friends. However, this is not telling in any way of the actual direction or core of the game. We’re not making a pivot in terms of the direction of the game. Our future updates have not really changed at all. Q: Where is the game going? Will there be different maps with stories, or DLCs that offer new gameplay styles? A: We're currently focused on extending the game's story and adding new content like biomes. While we're not introducing entirely new maps, these biomes come with new mechanics and features that aim to improve gameplay beyond just visual changes. We’re trying to make the game feel different in a good way that still tethers back to all the automation and terraforming roots of the game. Q: I would like to know about the netcode/desync problems. Are they known? My friends and I had to stop playing the game pass version after 5-6 hours because items that are "not there" for one player start polluting belts and assemblers. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any tips about fixing it. A: If you go on our Discord, our QA team is actively aware of these issues and is actively working on addressing them. They can assist you in troubleshooting and resolving these problems. Desync issues in multiplayer can stem from various factors due to the complexity of simulating multiple factories and processing multiplayer events simultaneously. Reporting specific instances of desyncs helps us identify and fix these edge cases. Restarting the game can sometimes mitigate desync issues temporarily, although we understand it's not a permanent solution. We're continuously working on improving the netcode and addressing desync issues, so your feedback and reports are invaluable in this process. Q: Any plans to include calculator-like tools in the game? The community-made website lags behind too often. A: We've been relying on community-made tools to fill that space because we don't have the capacity to keep them updated regularly. Unfortunately, it's unlikely we'll be developing a built-in calculator tool ourselves. Heyko, who manages the community-made calculator and website, does a great job of updating it. We try to provide him with information to assist in keeping it up-to-date, but we understand that having a calculator tool directly in the game would be nice. Q: I'm trying to get back into the game. I love the different recipes but they are kinda overwhelming. It would be nice to have a recipe book. Like press R to look up all the recipes for an item. Or U for uses. (Totally stolen idea from Minecraft mods) A: That idea plays into the calculator tool concept. While it would be nice to have, it would require time that could otherwise be spent on implementing other features we want to include. It's something we'd consider, but feasibility is uncertain. Maybe one day, but our focus is always on what we can realistically achieve given our development priorities. We understand and appreciate your feedback. Q: Can we eventually get character customization, like changing our suit colors, helmet types, and different skins? A: At Fire Hose Games, we have "Innovation Weeks" about twice a year where team members prototype fun projects. Skins have been prototyped but are not finalized for the game yet. Character customization is something we've considered. It's been on our minds, and if feasible, we'd like to explore it further for the game. If time allows, we'd love to implement them. Q: Any plans to make monorail with junctions, like multiple destinations (think train network)? If not, any future techs for versatile material transport? A: We do have plans for expanding the monorail system, including junctions and more complex routing options. However, we can't provide a timeline for these features as development timelines can be unpredictable. We introduced monorails early due to the terrain challenges, but enhancing them with junctions is something we've thought about a lot. Many players have shown interest in more complicated train network mechanics, and it's definitely on our radar for future updates. Q: Can the map change so we can drag it around and view other areas we’ve already built in? A: Fun fact: the map is actually the world map with different rendering. Right now, basically, everything that is simulated, we’re simulating it visually only right next to you. Implementing a feature to drag the map around and view distant areas would require loading additional resources and could significantly impact performance. Currently, our focus is on optimizing performance, and doubling processing for such a feature isn't reasonable. If we can improve performance sufficiently in the future, this may be considered, but it's not a near-term priority due to current technical limitations. Q: Do we have a roundabout timeline for this new update? A: You’ll get more information on this in July! We’ll definitely share information when we’re ready to talk about it. Q: If you're planning on slowing down the bigger update dates. Could you maybe do some more of the small content cosmetic packs ( when the art team is free of course)? A: The art team is currently fully dedicated to the next major update. Previously, we did cosmetic packs when the team had availability, but now they are focused solely on the upcoming content. With the new biome requiring extensive new art, the entire team is concentrated on this major update. Moving forward, we may reduce smaller updates if they don't cater to everyone's needs. This approach will allow us to focus more on substantial updates that involve the entire team, like the upcoming one, which is quite substantial in scope. Q: Me and Equinox were modding like mad and really want to get back into it, just need something to bring us back. End game we made our own as you know, so it’s a bit bland. Are we saying 0.6 will be the one to pique interest again? Performance being the biggest issue as we play every factory game, as you know. This is probably the worst at end game, which is a shame as I love it! A: We often discuss the "end game" in terms of Techtonica, but it's important to remember that this is still early access and not the final end game. Currently, the end game refers to when players finish existing content with some additions to support ongoing gameplay. We have exciting plans for expanding the end-game experience with more mechanics, narrative, and content updates. As we continue to add to the game, the end game will evolve and become more engaging. In the next update, we'll focus on adding mechanics to enhance the end-game experience and address performance issues, aiming to keep players engaged and excited. Q: In terms of terraforming, any plans to allow us to add any dirt back to the world we may have dug by mistake? A: This isn’t a great answer, but currently, you can somewhat achieve this with the flattener tool, although we know it's not ideal. We've prototyped various add tools in the past, like a shovel for moving materials, and even created a sand duck once. However, none of these prototypes got to a point where we felt comfortable releasing them. If we find a solution we're happy with, we may introduce it in the future, but we can't make any promises at this time. Q: Can we expect a mapmaker inside the game? A: It would be cool to have a map maker, but currently, we don't have the time. Creating tools for players to make maps is complex and not something easily moddable with our current setup. While we can't release our internal tools for map making, it would be interesting to show how we create maps and possibly support community efforts to recreate them through mods. Q: What is with the mouse and keyboard support for Xbox? A: From previous discussions, enabling mouse and keyboard support on Xbox isn't as straightforward as on PC, where it's already implemented. The tech team would need to answer this. Q: More Sparks when? A: Next update, every update. Q: Can we get a feature that allows us to build directly from our inventory instead of placing items on hotbar? A: We used to half-support this feature, and there might be a hacky way to do it now. However, it broke a while ago, and I haven't checked it recently. If it isn't working, we likely won't be adding it back soon due to other priorities. It might be available on Xbox, where the button for it exists on the controller. I'll need to investigate further to confirm. Q: Will we ever be able to repair existing buildings? A: Existing buildings were designed as complete structures and then demolished to look weathered and shifted, making their pieces misaligned and they are part of a different system. Repairing them isn't feasible due to this design. If you ever find a working piece of equipment, it’s using a completely separate system from the fragments that you find in the environment. The fragments you find are part of a separate system, same as the plants actually, and not integrated with the pre-built structures. Q: How is there a laser game game mode? A: We wanted to create an update focused on multiplayer fun. Initially, we considered a water-gun mini-game but found that laser tag was more enjoyable. It allowed players to build their own laser tag arenas using existing base-building pieces. This update aims to enhance the multiplayer experience with a party-pack theme, featuring fun elements like RGB floors to make it more exciting for summer. Q: Have you changed any processes/plans because of the "backlash" (besides this stream) just out of curiosity? A: You won’t be seeing updates coming live every month or so anymore. We’re going to slow down updates and focus on core updates like our next major update without the smaller pattering of updates that are targeted at different subgroups within the player base. These big core updates take a lot of time, our update pacing will look a lot different! Q: Will stacked Planters work in the near future? A: It’s unlikely because they don’t transfer power easily. It’s something we’d have to investigate further, which will take some time and likely won’t happen until after the next update. Q: Have you tried not rendering the items on belts on the mini-map? It seems quite useless and maybe could help performance. A: It's actually super cheap to render those on the mini-map because they’re all represented by the same box. So, it doesn’t significantly impact performance to display them. Q: Will we ever be able to make use of the red stations (repair, clean, arrange items inside, etc.)? A: No, the Red Stations are part of a different system that is strictly narrative-focused. They are not designed to be easily integrated into the gameplay mechanics. Players can sort of repair abandoned base building facilities by scanning items and rebuilding them, which many do. Adding support for something like that to the red stations would be too chaotic for us to manage. Q: Will we get fluids added at some point? A: We have ideas on how we might implement fluids, but it depends on the overall development flow. While we have many plans, we can't promise this feature at the moment. If we do add fluids, we want to ensure it's done in an interesting way. Q: With the new biomes, will we get an option to start the game in a certain biome rather than at the tutorial zone? A: We've discussed it, but the main focus is on maintaining a cohesive narrative and game flow. In the far future, we might add maps or alternative progression without a narrative, but it's tricky because progression is linked to machines being exposed at certain times. It's more likely that this feature would be added through a mod rather than by us due to time constraints. Q: Why did you choose Unity at the beginning of development and not Unreal, for example? I personally think Unity is good for simpler games. but it feels like it needs more resources than other engines for graphically complex games. A: Both Unity and Unreal are engines capable of complex graphics. Our choice of Unity was based on our team's previous experience with it. While creating advanced graphics in Unreal isn't magically easier, Unity allows us to leverage our existing knowledge and tools. Switching to Unreal would require significant time for our developers to learn the new engine. Unity isn't just for simpler games; with the right expertise and enhancements, it can handle complex projects effectively. We've added many advanced features on top of Unity to achieve our desired results. Q: Have you got any more easter eggs planned for the future? A: We’re always adding easter eggs! Q: Please show us that you also use the feature upvote site. Finding posts that stay "unread by dev" for...ever makes one wonder. I'm pretty sure you also take notice of those reports that remain tagged as unread, but it'd be great if communication there was bidirectional. Lauren: I oversee reading Feature Upvote, and I was on vacation recently. Before the release of 0.5, there was a lot of work, and then I took some time off. I’ll be catching up on reading it this week. I check it at least once every two weeks during our Sprint review. I note all submissions and group similar ones together. Bugs are forwarded to QA for troubleshooting. During our bi-weekly Sprint Review, I present a slide deck to the team with top-upvoted ideas, interesting suggestions, and feedback. While I can’t respond to every individual post due to time constraints, rest assured that all feedback is read, noted, and shared with the team. Many suggestions do make it into game updates. Richard: We highly value player feedback, especially on high-priority issues. We’re continually looking for ways to incorporate your suggestions unless it’s something we know we can’t do, which is rare. We’re always trying to find ways to implement your ideas, even if it requires slight adjustments. Q: Was it worth it as a dev to have your game on Game Pass? A: Absolutely. Game Pass definitely helped make the game a lot bigger. We would say a large amount of our players are on Xbox, so we do get a lot of support there, which is great. Q: When will you be able to talk about the future? July? A: We’re gonna do an anniversary party in July where we’ll be announcing a lot of information there. Q: When will the road map be updated? A: We don’t like sharing info until it's 100% certain, and there’s a lot we might add. We don’t want to add something to the roadmap and then disappoint players by having to cut it. Q: I don't understand the backlash, they gave us something fun to do, people really dislike it? why? Do they just want to invite their friends into their game and stare at conveyors for hours? A: We understand why people were upset. We think people thought that this update kind of came out of nowhere and that it was distracting from the core of the game. We shared a video with more details about the update to educate players on all the other features coming in the update besides Laser Games. Q: Can we get blueprints like in Factorio? A: There is currently a mod available for this. We can’t speak to when or if we’ll get to something like that, but we’ve certainly wanted to do that. Q: Is there a number somewhere to tell us how much concrete is required for the achievement? A: It's a lot - we can’t tell you - but it's a lot. Q: Will the monorails ever be fixed for being full causing lines to back up, which starts to create materials out of thin air? Also, storage limiting on monorails pls? A: Storage limiting would be a good idea. Monorails backing up is a known issue and something that we’ll be looking into in the future. It’s a bug that we kind of have to balance with other things we’re trying to add. Q: Can we get a way to set the stack size on the stack inserters vs defaulting to the highest unlocked? A: You can control them with the deactivate option, however, it only happens on a global level. We don’t have plans for stack inserters to have their own UI to control each one individually. Q: Has the game grown bigger than you thought it would when you released the game a year ago or is it at a stage that you expected? A: It’s about where we expected it to be. We certainly have shifted timelines, but we’re pretty happy where it is and view the game as a success. Q: I would have spent time/money on dedicated servers, instead of an unrelated “feature” like laser games. A: You are misrepresenting the cost and time it takes for laser or dedicated servers. It would be a lot more expensive, and Laser Games was a very small update comparatively. Q: Any plans for automation and smart control of the machines? A: Someone during innovation week prototyped something like that, so it’s something we’re interested in, but we don’t know if or when we’ll be able to put it into the game. It’s certainly something high on the request list. Q: Can we get modes to scan larger areas with the scanner? A: It's certainly something we’ve talked about doing, but we can't promise it. Q: Will there be a day when protected areas will be removed? They are so annoying. A: We do that so you don’t break the game. There is a mod to remove it, but it will break. It’s to protect things in the game so it doesn’t become janky. Q: You said that Game Pass is more important than Steam, does it mean you consider stability for Game Pass to be your priority over Steam? A: We never said they were more important, we said that we had a lot of players there. Anything we do on Steam will help Xbox performance as well. Q: Have we figured out "the wall/door" issue? A: Yes, thankfully. That was either a “we delay an update” or remove a wall. We chose to remove the wall in order to not block people who have been in the game a long time from narrative content. Q: Will we get an angled mode for the mole to make ramps easier? A: We have a plan for it, but we can’t promise when (or if) it will be implemented. Q: Have you solved the invisible land? A: There are actually two different types of invisibility bugs in the game. If you're encountering invisible objects when you load a save, it typically indicates a critical failure during the loading process, often related to a specific machine or component in the save file. This issue is relatively rare but can occur. Our QA team has a few recommended solutions, such as loading older saves or trying to resave the game, but for specific cases, it's best to join our Discord and discuss with QA to provide them with detailed logs and information about your issue. If you're referring to the voxel land issue where chunks of land appear missing or invisible, this is generally resolved by simply reloading the game. It's not indicative of a serious game issue but rather a rare visual glitch. In both cases, if you're experiencing these problems, reaching out to our QA team via Discord will help us understand and address the issue more effectively. Addendum: This comment originally addressed some older issues we were familiar with. We definitely know about the newer Fast Travel problem and how using Nexuses to teleport around can make machines disappear. Reloading should remedy this, and we are actively working to fix it permanently! Q: Are there any plans for a way to throw away items? Or maybe you plan to solve this with recipe changes down the road? #biomass A: We added an incineration recipe for a lot of different items. Not everything, but you can burn quite a lot of things into carbon powder, and then you can burn carbon powder into less carbon powder. Plantmatter Bricks can be smelted into Carbon Powder and Incinerated away. There are 4 recipes for Plantmatter Bricks to support incinerating various forms of plant byproducts. Plantmatter is completely incineratable already! Q: Is it possible to have a MOLE mode to sculpt rivers? A: No, because we’d have to do water physics. It would take a lot of time and cause performance issues. Q: I found a dummy waypoint manager in the code, will we be able to place custom waypoints similar to the quest markers? A: You can do that with a beacon, that is a waypoint. It only shows up on the compass right now. However, we do want to revamp that at some point in the future. Q: On the water thing. How is water coming into the world (lore-wise) It says "scanner needed" Is there a reason behind it or is it just a placeholder? A: You can’t scan the water, but there are items that if you follow the water you can find things you can scan. Q: Are there plans to expand the map technology? A: Currently, the river biome is at the largest size it can be. We’re adding a new desert biome, which is a new space. In terms of Echosketch size - that is a performance limit. Q: Are there any plans for an overflow system for belts or some kind of priority output for storage boxes? A: Logic is a thing that we’ve prototyped but we don’t have a timeline yet. Q: Speaking of the desert... Does Calyx have more than one sun? A: The answers are in the lore about the type of planet Calyx is! Q: With respect to power gen, I do think there's a reason why every advancement civilization has had for power generation comes back to more ways to boil water haha - in some ways certain things become staples in a genre like chopping trees and mining stone are part of survival games, but I guess this is a topic bigger than this town hall. A: We very much enjoy it when games have unique ways to generate power - and we have that coming! Q: Can we expect more technological storage than boxes? A: We certainly have plans for it, but no timeline Q: Do you look for new voices? A: Yes! We’ll have a blog up soon about this. Q: Is there a way to keep the lights on? I play on Ultrawide and notice flickering on the sides of the screen with lights at the set LOD. Currently, the way lights function in the game is divided into two types: Unity lights, which are more resource-intensive, and "fast lights," which are a modified version of a plugin designed for faster performance. We support up to 2048 of these fast lights per quadrant of the screen. If there are more lights than this maximum, they will start to blink out, prioritized by their distance from the screen. Using fewer lights or adjusting their quantity can help mitigate this issue, but currently, breaking this limit or altering the system to handle more lights per quadrant isn't straightforward. In the future, we may explore options like breaking up the lighting system into smaller sections or optimizing it further, but for now, this is the technical constraint we're working with. Q: Is there anywhere else where we can provide feedback in addition to Steam reviews that can help your team out? A: Absolutely! We have our feedback website, Steam forums, and Discord. Q: How did you guys meet Cityfires? A: He’s been working with us for a very long time! Q: You mentioned the hamster wheel as a fun off-spec addition to the game, what is a fun off-spec that might actually make it into the game down the road? Definitely under the context of no promises and how you foresee the development of the game right now. A: We’re still rooting for aquaponics, but we don’t want to spoil anything. We also had a cool pneumatic power system as a plan, and I’m still hoping we figure out a way to do it. Q: Is there a plan for signs in the game? A: We hope we can get something like that soon in the game. Q: Where do you get inspiration for environments in the game or planned to be in the game? A: We have so many environments that we have wanted to do - and choose the best ones. Inspirations come from all over, traveling, games, etc. Some are from mechanics - such as the desert - but we don’t want to spoil anything. Q: How long do you plan to update the game? A: For as long as the game continues to fund the development. Q: How much coffee does everyone drink? A: Somehow, Richard does not drink coffee. Q: Are there plans for 2x2 and 4x4 walls and floors? My OCD flares up when I play this game. A: No, it bothers us too. We do have the 1x1s though. We used odd-numbered things as we didn’t want to add a million pieces. We also just don’t have the time to create all those pieces. It would super bloat the crafting UI. Q: Since 0.6 involves going up the elevator, will the current elevator sequence be replaced with a new one, or will additional repairs be required? A: We can’t talk about that yet! If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! As always, we're a small indie team that truly appreciates your support and feedback. You're what makes Techtonica so great! We'll see you next week for a special announce.

Groundbreakers - let’s chat. We know that many of you are concerned with the recent additions to the game. We want to address this and talk about our vision for v0.5 and what we’re currently working on for Techtonica. This coming Monday, June 24th at 12pm ET, we’ll be hosting a town hall meeting on Twitch for you to ask any questions you have that aren’t answered here. For a while now, most of our team has been working on the Going Up update, while a smaller team has been handling the quality-of-life fixes and fun additions that came with Laser Games. We’ve been focused on frequent smaller updates for the first half of the year, but our next content update will take much longer than previous updates - and you’ll see why soon. We wanted to give players a fun, small multiplayer feature for gaming with their friends this summer - not change the direction of the game. We missed the mark on messaging that. Much of the work that went into Laser Games laid the groundwork for our next big update - with some added passion projects thrown in. MIRAGE, the Fast Travel stations, and some of the background engineering work that came with it are all necessary for our next update. We could never stop the designers from making specs, and it turns out we can’t stop them from making new maps, either - which is why we included a brand new map in v0.5. We’re currently hard at work on the desert biome, the elevator, and a lot of narrative content - more specific details will be announced soon. As always, we’re listening to your feedback and appreciate your patience as we work to make improvements and updates to Techtonica. We’re an indie team so your support means the world to us. Please continue to share your thoughts and suggestions, and join us Monday, June 24 at 12pm ET for a special town hall meeting on Twitch. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/cc7d464b74dfe3afee6db8a2451f206375399d87.png

Welcome to the thunder factory-dome, Groundbreakers! V0.5 has some unique updates that we think you’ll have a lot of fun with. A new character, fast travel, bug fixes, new construction modules, and as many of you have heard, laser mini-games. When you need to take a short break from endlessly organizing conveyor belts and want to shoot at something, check out the new defense asteroid-shooter game in single-player mode, or shoot at your friends in some exciting laser games. Or, carry on the way you were playing before. There’s something for everyone! Check out our trailer (that was so fun to make!) here:

New Fully-Voiced Character

A new character joins the cast - and she isn't particularly thrilled about it! Watch for the (CS) facility signal to discover this expeditionary scientist.

Nexuses

The multifunctional new Nexuses offer fast travel and serve a purpose in laser mini-games. Build custom Nexuses to teleport between any two points for a cost of 10MJ per use (equivalent to one fully charged accumulator). For free fast travel, take advantage of the pre-built Nexuses located at Lima, Victor, Xray, and the Elevator. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/d1d67b20861b3a0ff7772dbbaf5b84af74bf4f56.jpg These nexuses also serve as interactive bases for laser tag games, displaying team information and status while allowing you to select which game type you want to play. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/3aa77b996ff6cf51e3c507e6381c8261f6fa65cf.png

Ping Tool / Laser Gun

I don’t know about you - but sometimes I get lost in caves (ok, fine, maybe I get lost frequently). Now we have a handy ping tool for you or your friends to ping at locations and resources! Just point and click and you and your friends will be able to see the ping with information displayed next to it. The fun thing about this handy ping tool is that it’s also a laser gun! Just switch to laser mode and shoot at your friend, or take out the aggression in our new laser mini-game modes. Don’t worry - getting shot doesn’t hurt them. It just means they can’t shoot back for a short countdown. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/86b8c876da9d597f4f3e7598707086619c95c9f1.gif Additionally, while progressing through the narrative, you’ll now find a small 1v1 Arena for laser tag hidden away in the standard Techtonica map.

New Laser Tag Arena Map

In our new Laser Tag Arena map, you can battle it out in Capture the Nexus mode across three exciting areas: 1v1, 2v2, or Free-for-all. Sneak strategically through the maze-like areas or charge in with lasers blazing to capture Nexuses and steal points from your opponents. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/e95a46194b53bbe94628f5614a8a12d01fe7cfc0.jpg

Game Modes

Capture the Nexus

In our new Laser Tag Arena Map, you can play Capture the Nexus in our new 1v1, 2v2, or Free-for-all areas. Sneak through the maze-like areas, or go in full laser-gun swingin’ to capture Nexuses or steal points from your friends by shooting them.

Defend the Nexus

Play solo or team up with friends in a holographic wave-shooter. Rack up points by destroying asteroids, spaceships, missiles, and bosses. Watch out for landmines and keep an eye on the Nexus' health to survive. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/474f159afeb1682f8aca7c486b984fb8e14abe8f.jpg

Disco and Glow Blocks

For those who crave organization or want to add a touch of fun to their factories, you can now utilize disco or glow floors! Color-code your factory and pathways for efficiency, or create a bright and festive mood. Customize your disco floors with six different light modes: Diagonal, Horizontal, Rainfall, Chaos, Synced, and Follow-Player. Glow blocks offer a vibrant palette of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, and Magenta. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/3ade9a78427d830370434088a664e159b1af0a35.jpg

Concrete Ramps

Unleash your creativity with three new concrete ramp base building pieces, available in sizes 1x1, 1x3, and 1x5. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/ccb6a13ead688b13df27271a7d20a9076c8a8877.jpg We’re super excited for this update and hope you have fun! And now, without further ado, the complete patch notes:

The Complete v0.5 - The Laser Games Update Patch Notes:

Major Changes

• New fully-voiced character & main story narrative
• Nexuses
  • There are pre-built nexuses scattered across the map, including at LIMA, VICTOR, XRAY, and the Freight Elevator. Travel from these Nexuses for free!
  • You can also build Nexuses anywhere you want - time to make a base in a random, far away cave!
  • Nexuses cost 10MJ to travel - aka one fully charged Accumulator.
  • Nexuses can also be used to start the laser mini-games!
• Ping Tool and Laser Gun
• New mini-game modes
  • Nexus Defense:
    • Arcade-y Mini Game where you defend your Nexus from holographic asteroids, ships, missiles, and more. Play alone or with your friends! There's loads of depth and challenge to this mini-game including boss fights, power-ups and strategy!
  • Nexus Capture
    • For 2+ Players! Mini Game where you can challenge your friends to a match of laser tag. Capture Nexuses throughout your arena for points, or steal them from your friends by shooting them!
    • We highly highly recommend making your own arenas! Almost as fun as playing laser tag. Share your creations with us!

Mechanics and Feature Changes

Disco and Glow Blocks
• 6 Disco Floor Variants - All variants will be available under one unlock
  • Diagonal - Rainbow wave along diagonal, direction of movement follows rotation of block. Horizontal - Rainbow wave along horizontal, direction of movement follows rotation of block.
  • Rainfall - Drops of different bands of color fall both horizontally and vertically, direction of movement follows rotation of block.
  • Chaos - Follows a random color rainbow cycle.
  • Synced - Follows globally shared color rainbow cycle, rotation of block offsets the phase of the color cycle (i.e. there are 4 different color cycle phases to choose from).
  • Follow Player - All players have a glowing RGB effect follow them around when they are close to the blocks.
• 7 Glow Floor Variants - All variants will be available under one unlock
  • Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Magenta
• Concrete Ramps
  • 3 Concrete Ramp Base Building Pieces
    • Sizes are 1x1, 1x3, 1x5, Make the roof or slanted floor of your dreams!
• Characters in multiplayer now animate showing what tools they are holding and if they are using them. The M.O.L.E. FX now shows for other players using the M.O.L.E.

World Changes

• Laser Mall Map and Game Mode Preset
  • 1v1 Arena, 2v2 Arena, Free-for-all Arena, and Defend the Nexus Arena all available in one giant map! Go here if you’re interested in diving right into a match of Laser Tag without building your own map!
  • Laser Arena hidden away in Standard Map
    • A small 1v1 Arena for Laser Tag is hidden somewhere in the Standard Map for you to find as you progress through the narrative!

Settings, UI, and Performance Changes

• Improved performance for power floors and other base building pieces.
• Monorail Depots and Nexuses can now be renamed.

Bugfixes

• Some chairs in the world were not appropriately weathered. We dropped them off some rooftops and tossed them into the river, they look better now.
• Conveyor Hubs now no longer slow down items. We have given the hamsters inside extra caffeine, they’re good now.
• Biobrick Diesel Pure and Impure versions now show on the filter inserter menu
• Drills no longer sound like a car failing to start.
• HUD menu now no longer interactable during cutscenes.
• Pause menu now shows Easy Mode description.
• Connected players now see the Game Mode information in the Pause Menu.
• Base Building pieces now cannot be built inside the ground - aka outside the world map. RIP to your factories in the void.
• The Pulse Room waypoint no longer disappears before all TAP wires are turned in.
• Fixed an issue where Mining Drill MKIIs always consumed 1680kW ignoring the status of MDR PowerTrim Upgrades.
• Voltage Stepper “Inspect” button now shows the Power Menu. This one personally bothered me a lot, so I’m glad someone finally did something about it.
• While in the Monorail inventory, hitting RT or LT no longer blanks the player inventory.
• Fixed a bug where belts were dipping into the ground in certain locations.
• Fixed issue with a black patch in Moss Terrain texture that was visible when De-Tiling was turned off.
• Fixed a bug where autosaving began to cause errors after more than an hour during a long game session on Xbox platforms.
• Fixed a problem where machine SFX sometimes behaved oddly in Hyper Mode custom games.
• Fixed a bug where power floors did not light up with expected VFX when receiving power.
• Fixed a bug where some unwanted UI elements could appear on-screen during cutscenes.
• Fixed a bug where using the Respawn function would cause problems with the world geometry, or result in the player falling out of the level.
• The Monorail Depot now shows which item is selected.
• A certain door on Calyx was jamming up on older saves. We made a new one.

Known Issues

• Some important laser games voice messages may not play if SFX volume is set to 0.
• Laser games UI contains temporary translations in localized languages.
• Distant structures in the laser mall level may appear in the background of Nexus Defense games.
• The Nexus Capture UI may draw over other carousel menus.
• If a dialogue event is playing when a Laser Game starts, an empty dialogue box stays on-screen.
• Special event music cues may override the Laser Games music and it will not resume.
• Some Laser Games sound effects might repeat in random moments, especially if playing as a client.
• If the player presses the Remove button while rebinding keys while using a controller, they will lose the ability to input anything in Techtonica. This can be resolved by restarting the game.
• The Nexus Capture UI may draw over other carousel menus.
• Disconnects while laser games are initiating can lead to some funky laser game states! Try restarting the laser game.

Techtonica is officially 34% off here on Steam, which is our biggest discount. v0.5 launches this coming Monday, so it's the perfect time to grab the game and get ready for lasers. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/ Grab the game, tell a friend, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll plan your factories, dig into the terrain, and on Monday, fight each other to the death respawn in Laser Games. Let’s get to work!

The Laser Games Update launches next Monday, June 17th, at 1pm ET! Let’s dive into what’s coming in v0.5. Next week, you’ll get more in-depth Patch Notes with the full details. So, what can you expect in v0.5 of Techtonica?

• New character and main story narrative
• Disco floors, glow floors, and concrete ramps
• Fast travel
• Ping tool
• Laser mini-games
• New laser arena map

Have questions? Want to chat about the update with devs and the community? Looking for a place with other spaghetti aficionados? Join our Discord at https://discord.gg/techtonica. See you on Monday!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored the content coming in v0.5, the Laser Games update. As a refresh, this update includes:

• New character and main story narrative
• Disco floors, glow floors, and concrete ramps
• Fast travel
• Ping tool
• Laser mini-games
• New laser arena map

Without further ado, the release date for v0.5, the Laser Games update, is…

June 17, 2024!

Want to check out Laser Games? We’ll have Rob, Allie, and our new QA team member, Bruno, joining us for a special dev stream this Thursday, June 6, from 1-2pm ET!

Future Update Reveal

I mean it when I say this is the most exciting update title I’ve had the honor of revealing. Keeping this a secret has been like, really really difficult. The next major update for Techtonica will be…

Going Up

You heard it here first, folks! I can’t share any details yet, but we weren’t kidding when we said there are big things comin’. We're really trying to elevate your Techtonica experience so stay tuned for more info! Want to freak out with other belt-riding cowboys? Hop into our Discord at discord.gg/techtonica. See you next week!

Greetings, Groundbreakers! Today, we're going to pull back the curtain and give you a glimpse into the complex process of how we designed the new Nexus and balanced the heart-pounding action of the new Asteroid game mode in Techtonica.

The Nexus

The Nexus is more than just a pretty structure in Techtonica. You'll use it for fast travel throughout your subterranean world and to host the new laser minigames. We envisioned the Nexus as both functional and visually unique, drawing inspiration from the existing Production Terminals (like the LIMA terminal below) while incorporating elements unique to its role. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/564306b04e1f153ae429b88cc26be35c27448482.png Our primary goal was to ensure the Nexus seamlessly integrated into the existing Techtonica aesthetic, particularly since it would be located near Production Terminals as fast travel points. To achieve this, we drew inspiration from the Production Terminal design while adding our own unique twist. We also wanted the Nexus to reflect its connection to the new laser minigames, which utilize holographic vector-inspired graphics. This led us to incorporate projector lenses into the design, adding a futuristic touch that complements the minigame aesthetic.

The Design Process

Three structural mockups were created to get ideas about scale and usability. Version 3 was chosen because it had a balance of being visible at a distance and having an open pedestal which was necessary for Loot the Nexus. Having the arms was also helpful for adding the holographic projectors and lighting. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/bc55b06d6ab84ada4d0faa26dba95a6b2b44a8df.jpg {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/0a6600fbb1ee27e5e65bfcbaa7213672ad8f3ebc.jpg {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/523895871cfb1d7eded29d407fc8c94cdca66fe5.jpg We then created a refined greybox of version 3. We wanted the Nexus to have brightness and a lot of lighting. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/0ed5e008a703ea1c63cab6fbf3618f1e20740df9.png After the Model was finalized, a quick paintover helped us visualize the materials and their arrangement before diving into the final textures and effects. You can see the evolution of the Nexus in the images below, culminating in the final model with textures and captivating holographic effects. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/88f94a6633986c0ec4732dbb6268327955038f26.png Here is a look at some quick concepts and various effects for the final textured Nexus model: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/eeee47a49fef3c0ed82663eea0f6297d1aef21e3.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/962304bca4e025b901227e3bb2c211f4174bbfc2.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/7410f572cb513174202916d542160e805334d346.png

Asteroids Mini-Game: Striking a Balance Between Challenge and Survivability

First things first, the Nexus health. We started with a small number but quickly realized it didn't allow much flexibility. So, we cranked it up! This gave us some breathing room to adjust the damage dealt by those pesky asteroids and the power of your health packs. More than just keeping you alive, we wanted to give you a chance to strategically manage your resources, utilizing health packs at the right moments to weather the asteroid waves. The higher Nexus health provides this opportunity, allowing for a gradual recovery rather than an instant game-over. It's all about striking a balance between challenge and survivability, ensuring a challenging, but also engaging and rewarding gameplay experience. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/e39ab88a9d40a9aa208051cf14cb22fb2c17378d.png

Crafting the Perfect Asteroid Onslaught

Now, let's talk about those space rocks. Every asteroid in the game is carefully crafted and tested. We've got spreadsheets (yes, spreadsheets!) full of calculations for things like asteroid speed, distance from the Nexus, and even the time you have to react before they make impact (which we call "Time To React" or TTR). We use the horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) distances from the Nexus to calculate the actual range (Z) of an asteroid. This, combined with the asteroid's speed, allows us to precisely determine the TTR. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/8b0ee97dc1d6a85629c61bd0d16c90fa114cd6eb.png

Reload Time and Accuracy vs. Wavelength

We also factor in your weapon's reload time and accuracy. We want to ensure that you can feasibly defend your Nexus against incoming threats. By analyzing wave lengths and potential asteroid quantities, we can adjust spawn timers and enemy parameters to create a fair but thrilling challenge. Let's say an asteroid has a speed of 10 units per second and spawns at a range of 10-50 units from the Nexus. This means you'll have between 1 to 5 seconds to destroy it before it hits. This might be a bit too difficult, so we need to adjust the parameters here. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/63cdafbd6ce6c8a94433631a26311c87a4716830.png By comparing how much time there is for the wave and how many asteroids you’re given per wave, and assuming an accuracy rating of 45% (aka how well you shoot), let’s take a wave length of 60 seconds with 33-60 asteroids. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/f29e5d543278cd3324bd02b2474dceeb8d534b3c.png This means the reload time of the gun doens’t need to be below 0.4, and above 0.8 is more than enough. This helps set the quantity of asteroids by ensuring it isn’t utterly impossible to beat, but still challenging. The chart below shows the maximum asteroid kills a player can get between the gun reload time and time between asteroids. Anything below a 1 is impossible to beat, so that’s where we cap it {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/cb2fd4feb9b02c51236b874475292ebf2b428f91.png All of these numbers (if you’re still with us, it’s a lot of numbers) helped us create borders on the edges of charts that all of the asteroids needed to fall between.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3...

Once we have the numbers crunched, it's time to playtest! We run countless simulations, tweaking enemy types, wave lengths, and asteroid parameters. We're looking for that sweet spot where the game is challenging, engaging, and most importantly, fun. It's a bit of an art, really. But hey, that's what makes game development so exciting! Want to give us feedback on how you think Asteroids is balanced? Hop into the Public Test Cave branch on Steam right now to test out v0.5! This branch closes Monday, June 3rd, so check it out now and give us feedback before v0.5 releases. We hope this gives you a better understanding of the thought and effort that goes into balancing the Asteroid game mode. Stay tuned for more updates as we chug closer to v0.5 launch! ​​Have questions? Want to chat about the update with devs and the community? Looking for a place with other spaghetti aficionados? Join our Discord at https://discord.gg/techtonica.

Fire up Steam, you can test out v0.5 of Techtonica right now! An important note on this round of testing: The v0.5 Public Test Cave branch will close on June 3 at 1pm EST. If you want to hop in and test out Laser Games, and all the other cool updates, you have two weeks to do so! Check out the video below for some details on v0.5 of Techtonica and details on what’s coming.

So, why are we adding Laser Tag to Techtonica?

One thing we’ve always felt was missing from Techtonica is being able to mess around and goof off doing silly stuff. This breathes life into many of our favorite games, and we wanted to take that step with Techtonica! We love adding easter eggs like voice lines and hidden secrets, but we wanted to give players something they could control more on their own. The upcoming Laser Tag update is a perfect example of this—it’s playful and fits right into our Base Building system, plus it ties in nicely with cool features like fast travel with the Nexus. Laser Tag allows players to take a break from automating their factories - just like the real Groundbreakers did! - while waiting for your factory to churn out those critical parts. Laser Tag isn’t the sole focus of this update, either - we’re adding a new, fully voiced character who moves along the main story, Fast Travel points, a Ping Tool, buildable Glow Floors, Disco Floors, and Concrete Ramps, and even more that we haven’t shown off yet!

Want to watch the team player Laser Games?

This Thursday, May 23rd, we'll be playing v0.5 on Twitch from 1-2pm EST! Tune in to ask the team questions and check out v0.5 of Techtonica Before we jump into the patch notes, a bit of housekeeping.

Things to Know About the PTC

Want to chat about the Public Test Cave? We’ve created a section on Discord just for you! Do not talk about features, narrative, and anything else you see in the Public Test Cave outside of the PTC channels. There is also a subforum on Steam to discuss PTC content. No one likes spoilers! We would love to get your feedback on v0.5! The best place to give us feedback is on our PTC feedback website. Your save files from the Public Test Cave will not work once you switch back to the main branch of Techtonica. Make sure you have backed up your main game before switching! You can access the PTC by switching branches on Steam. Right-click Techtonica in your library, then select the “Properties” tab which will bring up a new window. Next, click “Betas”, and under Beta Participation, select the Public Test Cave. The features in our updates are accessible in all supported languages; however, because these features are not yet finalized, they may not include translations of related in-game text. A 'TEMP' prefix or '???' indicates localized text that is not yet fully available. As a reminder, the Public Test Cave is a work-in-progress build. Please be aware that PTC game content may not be complete, will contain bugs, and is subject to change. Want some more details on how the Public Test Cave works? Check out this blog post!

The complete v0.5 Public Test Cave patch notes:

Major Changes

• Added a new character along with main plot narrative. No spoilers in the patch notes, you’ll need to discover this yourself!
• Laser Gun
  • Gun Mode
    • Shoot your friends with lasers.
    • Use in Laser Tag matches.
    • Defend your nexus from combat training simulated asteroid threats.
  • Ping Mode
    • Ping locations to your friends and leave temporary beacons on the map for them to see where you’re pointing.
• 2 New Laser Tag Mini Games
  • Capture the Nexus
    • Capture Nexuses to get points and steal points from your friends by shooting them. Play 1v1, 2v2, 2v1, 3v1, or Free-for-all!
  • Defend the Nexus
    • An arcade-style wave shooter with asteroids, spaceships, missiles, landmines, boss fights, and more! Play single-player or with friends and let us know your high score!
• Nexuses
  • Build and use Nexuses to Fast Travel between points of your choice. Nexuses consume 10MJ per teleport (Equivalent to one full accumulator).
  • Pre-built Nexuses can be found on the map at Lima, Victor, Xray, and the Elevator (these do not consume any charge to teleport).
  • Use Nexuses as bases for Laser Tag games.
• Disco and Glow Blocks
  • 6 Disco Floor Variants - All variants will be available under one unlock
    • Diagonal - Rainbow wave along diagonal, the direction of movement follows the rotation of the block.
    • Horizontal - Rainbow waves horizontally, the direction of movement follows the rotation of the block.
    • Rainfall - Drops of different bands of color fall both horizontally and vertically, direction of movement follows the rotation of the block.
    • Chaos - Follows a random color rainbow cycle.
    • Synced - Follows globally shared color rainbow cycle, rotation of block offsets the phase of the color cycle (i.e. there are 4 different color cycle phases to choose from).
    • Follow Player - All players have a glowing RGB effect that follows them around when they are close to the blocks.
  • 7 Glow Floor Variants - All variants will be available under one unlock
    • Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Magenta
• Concrete Ramps
  • 3 Concrete Ramp Base Building Pieces
    • Sizes are 1x1, 1x3, 1x5, Make the roof or slanted floor of your dreams!
• Laser Mall Map/Preset
  • 1v1 Arena, 2v2 Arena, Free-for-all Arena, and Defend the Nexus Arena all available in one giant map! Go here if you’re interested in diving right into a match of Laser Tag without building your own map!
• Laser Arena hidden away in Standard Map
  • A small 1v1 Arena for Laser Tag is hidden somewhere in the Standard Map for you to find as you progress through the narrative!
• Characters in multiplayer now animate showing what tools they are holding and if they are using them. The M.O.L.E. FX now shows for other players using the M.O.L.E.
• More Optimizations!

Bug Fixes

• Pure and Impure Biobrick Diesel should now show up on the Filter Inserter Menu.
• Adjusted Startup sound of Mining Drills to be smoother.
• Fixed a bug where belts were dipping into the ground in certain locations.
• Fixed issue with a black patch in Moss Terrain texture that was visible when De-Tiling was turned off.
• Fixed issue where Mining Drill MKIIs always consumed 1680kW ignoring the status of MDR PowerTrim Upgrades.
• The Monorail Depot now shows which item is selected.

Known Issues for v0.5

Warning: there are some spoilers in the Known Issues section!

• Multiple Nexus capture sound effects may play at once if the player exits and enters the loot Nexus range again.
• Laser Game end voiceover involving Paladin will play before the player has rescued him.
• Game Over screen UI elements might appear jumbled if a match is ended prematurely.
• Monorail Poles are having an issue rotating right now!
• CTRL is appearing in Nexus menus instead of the correct assigned input. It still works, it’s just showing the wrong tooltip!
• Special event music cues will override the Laser Games music and it will not resume.
• Playing for a long period of time and/or using Fast Travel to the Freight Elevator may result in the Freight Elevators's ports and plug not loading, making it not possible to complete the Freight Elevator repairs until the game is reloaded. Fast Travel may also turn machines invisible. A restart should fix this!
• The Barracks door leading to the Mech Suit Parts during the Mirage quest line might not open. We're working on a fix for this!
• Nexuses and Fast Travel are not currently working if No Quests is set.

We’re so excited to hear your thoughts on v0.5 of Techtonica! If you have any feedback for us, share it on our PTC website, in our Discord, or on the Steam subforum for the Public Test Cave. Thanks again and we will see you next week!

Over the last year, we've launched some pretty major updates to Techtonica: quality-of-life improvements, base building, new machines, expanded narrative, and even custom game settings to fine-tune your gameplay. But we've always said that someday, Techtonica is gonna get weird. Today is that day, Groundbreakers. Ready to see what's next? Let's dive into the updated roadmap and all the goodies coming in v.05 of Techtonica. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/3439c0b112b91ba4b6d9b0bd15335f7e9643a8d0.png Want to see some sneak peeks of Laser Games? Head on over to our Youtube!

Laser Tag

Ever get frustrated by your friends' and enemies' wild factory builds? Now you can settle those scores and get a little payback in Laser Tag! With two new game modes, we're finally (kinda) adding combat to Techtonica. You're welcome. Want to know how Laser Tag works? Stay tuned – we'll be revealing the game modes in the coming weeks!

Fast Travel

Laser Tag introduces buildable Nexus points – your new fast travel stations! You'll also find Nexus points at each Production Terminal and Freight Elevator on the Standard Techtonica map. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/1ea1683278840dfd3e749e45f712c72def7da1af.png As long as you’ve got power, you can bounce around the map to your heart's content.

New Laser Tag Arena Map

We’ve custom-built a Laser Tag Arena purely for fast-paced first-person shooter action. With levels built for 1v1, 2v2 games, and free for all gameplay alongside single-player defense, you’ll drop right into combat with your friends and simulated challenges.

New Character and Narrative

Get ready for more story in v0.5: Meet a provocative new character, uncover new areas, and unravel more of Techtonica's secrets. There's lots to share, but I'm not spoiling anything else!

Disco Floors, Glow Floors, and Concrete Ramps

Laser Tag brings the bling! Decorate your factories with light-up floors – choose static colors or crazy pulse patterns. Get ready for a groovy glow-up! And yes, those ramp requests... we heard you loud and clear!

Even More…

What we’ve listed above barely scratches the surface of what’s to come in v0.5. Are you ready to get weird with us?

Roadmap Changes

As we’ve said before during development, the roadmap is a living object that’s subject to change! To make it easier on ourselves internally, we’re taking off the updates past v0.5. They’re still on the way! We are just doing a lot of work to make them happen, and we might have some updates before we get there. Thanks again for tuning in! We will see you next week with another update for Techtonica. Join our Discord for some memes, dreams, and some sneak peeks at what’s to come.

Techtonica is officially 20% off on Steam from May 6 until May 13th, 2024. We've just launched v0.4 with 6 new Game Modes, 80+ custom Game Settings, and 2 new maps! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/ Before you go, check out this sweet, sweet v0.4 trailer. Grab the game, tell a friend, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll plan your factories, dig into the terrain, and hotly debate whether or not to turn on Cat Sounds. Let’s get to work!

Welcome to the Super Sandbox update, Groundbreaker. v0.4 is here! This massive update adds 80+ custom Game Settings, 6 Game Modes, 2 New Maps, and so much more. It's time to fine-tune your gameplay and dive into precisely customized automation. Before we dig in, check out this sweet, sweet trailer the team cooked up.

Game Modes

The real meat of this update is the nearly 100 custom game settings we have added to make your play customizable in just the way you like. These settings will allow you to change balance, game rules, maps, and more to create your ideal challenge or perfect sandbox. For those of us who are easily panicked by choice, we have set up six preset modes: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/106613ff3406dcc5ac33dfa48be09dfe5af0f0d2.png

• Easy - Reduced costs and rapid progression for casual players. Easier access to narrative events, advanced machines, and upgraded technologies. Achievements are fully available in this Game Mode.
• Sandbox - Do whatever you want! The world is yours! No crafting requirements and minimal power consumption make this the perfect mode for getting creative.
• Hardcore - A challenge for dedicated and experienced players. Harsh resource rules and merciless limitations will push your factory automation skills to the max. I like to call it the soulslike version of factory games, except you won’t die one million times.
• Quantity - A preset inclined towards making larger factories with high quantities of lower-quality machines. Go big or go home!
• Quality - A preset inclined towards making smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines. Finesse is mandatory!
• Hyper - Appropriate for Groundbreakers who gotta go fast. Increased speeds for nearly everything will empower you to sharply scale and progress your factory - if you can keep up with it!

New Maps

We are so excited to give players new maps for the first time! We would love to add more maps in the future so let us know how you like them! Mountain King Underhall - The Mountain King Underhill is a brand new, handcrafted map with massive underground caverns and spread-out resources. This map encourages large-scale factory building across the subterranean landscape. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/384c8ade4c82a5f42302a637d9e0899f532eb797.png Faithless Void - The Faithless Void is a revamped version of the existing River Biome map you’ve all grown to love, with a few big differences. You'll need to pull out your Omniseeker to find ore veins, as they've been scattered across the landscape and hidden away to encourage more exploration. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/a6c43e2570c484b9a0e48b60f3dce3e26ef424f2.png

Incinerator

We have introduced an incinerator function that allows you to destroy any machines, tools, or base building pieces with maximum prejudice. You may use your already-existing smelters and blast smelters to reduce them into carbon powder. You can also incinerate some basic resources like quicklime and limestone, as well as incinerate carbon powder into less carbon powder. The exceptions to this are cores and components - you’re gonna need those!

Opening Cutscene

Starting a new game drops you into a brand new, fully rendered cutscene with hints at Techtonica lore. What does it mean? That's up to you to decide...

Recipe Changes and Tutorialization Updates

As always, the team continues to iterate and update our existing recipes and new player experience, and that continues in .4. Some of the changes include:

• New alternate recipes!
• Revisions to early game tutorialization to improve onboarding for new players.
• Gathering Kindlevine and Shiverthorn plants now gives raw plants instead of seeds.
• New condensed Biobricks and Biobrick Diesel fuel.
• We now show ore vein health on veins that have been hit (Please note: Mining Drills dig from the bottom left corner voxels upward, not from the center).
• Added Vertical Belt upgrades, and moved those upgrades a tier lower.

And now, without further ado, the complete patch notes.

The Complete v0.4 - The Super Sandbox Update - Patch Notes

Major Changes

The Super Sandbox Update is live! New maps, game modes, and custom game settings have arrived to perfect your Techtonica experience.

• 6 New Game Modes
  • Easy Mode - Reduced costs and rapid progression for casual players. Easier access to narrative events, advanced machines, and upgraded technologies. Achievements are fully available in this Game Mode.
  • Sandbox Mode - Do whatever you want! The world is yours! No crafting requirements and minimal power consumption make this the perfect mode for getting creative.
  • Hardcore Mode - A challenge for dedicated and experienced players. Harsh resource rules and merciless limitations will push your factory automation skills to the max. I like to call it the Soulslike version of factory games, except you won’t die a million times.
  • Quantity Mode - A preset inclined towards making larger factories with high quantities of lower-quality machines. Go big or go home!
  • Quality Mode - A preset inclined towards making smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines. Finesse is mandatory!
  • Hyper Mode - Appropriate for Groundbreakers who gotta go fast. Increased speeds for nearly everything will empower you to sharply scale and progress your factory - if you can keep up with it!
• Two new maps to dig into:
  • Faithless Void - A sector of great riches for the ambitious Groundbreaker is hidden within what first appears to be a bleak, barren, and timeless landscape. Experience a reimagination of the standard Techtonica map in the dark with some new secrets and challenges.
  • Mountain King Underhall - A dwarven-inspired paradise of material opportunity. Carve your way through deep rock to uncover a mythological amount of fantastical wealth. Incredible amounts of open space for building to your heart's content.
• Almost 80 new settings to change for your game! Including:
  • Infinite Ore
  • Ore Per Vein
  • Dark Mode
  • Map
  • Player Speed Multiplier
  • Ignore Encumbrance
  • Low Gravity Mode
  • Big Head Mode
  • Ragdoll Mode
  • Hover Pack (Integrated)
  • Railrunner (Integrated)
  • M.O.L.E. Speed Multiplier
  • M.O.L.E. Heat Cost
  • M.O.L.E. Bits (Integrated)
  • Mining Drill MKI - Ore Per Dig
  • Mining Drill MKI - Digs Per Minute
  • Mining Drill MKI - Unlimited Fuel
  • Mining Drill MKI - Power Consumption
  • Mining Drill MKII - Ore Per Dig
  • Mining Drill MKII - Digs Per Minute
  • Mining Drill MKII - Unlimited Fuel
  • Mining Drill MKII - Power Consumption
  • Blast Drill - Cooldown Time
  • Smelter MKI - Speed Multiplier
  • Smelter MKI - Unlimited Fuel
  • Smelter MKI - Power Consumption
  • Smelter MKII - Speed Multiplier
  • Smelter MKII - Unlimited Fuel
  • Smelter MKII - Power Consumption
  • Blast Smelter - Cooldown Time
  • Assembler MKI - Speed Multiplier
  • Assembler MKI - Items Per Batch
  • Assembler MKI - Power Consumption
  • Assembler MKII - Speed Multiplier
  • Assembler MKII - Items Per Batch
  • Assembler MKII - Power Consumption
  • Planter - Speed Multiplier
  • Planter - Power Consumption Per Plant
  • Thresher MKI - Speed Multiplier
  • Thresher MKI - Power Consumption
  • Thresher MKII - Speed Multiplier
  • Thresher MKII - Power Consumption
  • Crank Generator MKI - Crank Duration
  • Crank Generator MKI - Torque Consumption
  • Crank Generator MKI - Power Generation
  • Crank Generator MKII - Crank Duration
  • Crank Generator MKII - Torque Consumption
  • Crank Generator MKII - Power Generation
  • Accumulator - Energy Capacity
  • Water Wheel - Torque Generated
  • Research Cores - Points
  • Research Cores - Cluster Efficiency
  • Core Composer - Power Consumption
  • Monorail System - Energy Spike Cost
  • Monorail System - Power Consumption
  • Storage Capacity
  • Conveyor Belt MKI - Item Throughput Per Minute
  • Conveyor Belt MKI - Power Consumption
  • Conveyor Belt MKII - Item Throughput Per Minute
  • Conveyor Belt MKII - Power Consumption
  • Conveyor Belt MKIII - Item Throughput Per Minute
  • Conveyor Belt MKIII - Power Consumption
  • Base Stack Size
  • Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
  • Inserter - Use Stacks
  • Inserter - Power Consumption
  • Long Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
  • Long Inserter - Use Stacks
  • Long Inserter - Power Consumption
  • Fast Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
  • Fast Inserter - Use Stacks
  • Fast Inserter - Power Consumption
  • Stack Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
  • Stack Inserter - Power Consumption
  • Filter Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
  • Filter Inserter - Use Stacks
  • Filter Inserter - Power Consumption
  • Stack Filter Inserter - Cycles Per Minute
  • Stack Filter Inserter - Power Consumption
  • No Scan Requirements
  • No Quests
  • All Doors Unlocked
  • All Resources - Free Crafting
  • Tech Tree - All Access
  • Crafting Cost Multiplier
  • Smelter Recipe Cost Multiplier
  • Base Building - Free Crafting
  • Base Building - All Access
  • PT - Resource Cost Multiplier
  • PT - Energy Cost Multiplier
  • Core Cost Multiplier
  • Core Energy Cost Multiplier
  • Fuel Consumption Multiplier
  • Power Consumption Multiplier
  • Power Generation Multiplier
  • Permabuild
  • Cat Sounds
• We’ve added a new and improved fuel to Techtonica! Biobrick Diesel is a raw, high density gasoline made from compressed Biobricks. Crude and unrefined, but usable as fuel, Biobrick Diesel can be combined with Atlantum, then refined into Infused Biobrick Diesel: A high density gasoline and exceptionally powerful fuel source.
• Your journey into Calyx now begins with an opening pre-rendered cinematic! To see this, simply start or host a new game on the ‘Techtonica’ map, and after the loading screen finishes, you’ll be able to view it. But don’t worry, repeat players - it can be easily skipped by holding down any key.
• As requested, incineration has been added to Techtonica! Smelters and Blast Smelters can both be used to incinerate items as follows:
  • Smelters can be used to incinerate Carbon Powder, Quicklime, and Gravel into Carbon Powder.
  • Blast Smelters can incinerate all Base Building pieces, machines, and tools.
  • You can then incinerate Carbon Powder into less Carbon Powder, effectively removing it from your factory.
  • One caveat is that this loop is a bit finicky - you’ll need to remove Carbon Powder after incinerating one item before you can incinerate others.
• We’ve retooled the harvesting of Kindlevine and Shiverthorn. Picking up either now gives you raw versions of each instead of seeds, and your Planter and Thresher loop will begin with using Threshers to generate your initial batch of seeds.

Mechanics and Feature Changes

• The initial Vertical Belt unlock has been moved one tier lower. We’ve added two upgrades for Vertical Belts - 50 belts high and 100 belts high!
• The Water Wheel recipe now requires Shiverthorn Extract, but less metal and time to create. More torque, in less time!
• There are two new alternate recipes for Clay production - Advanced Clay from Limestone and Shivertorn Extract, and Mass Production of Clay using Limestone Bricks and Coolant Gel.

Settings, UI, and Performance Changes

• The Research Core UI has changed in the Tech Tree. You’ll now see the phrase “Available Research Cores” to let you know what those numbers mean.
• Already an experienced Techtonica player? You can now turn off all tutorial notifications - such HUD UI Tips, Floating UI Tips, and CTA UI Highlights - in the Settings menu.
• Ore Veins now have health bars once their health drops below 100%.

World Changes

• The chests at VICTOR now have fewer types of Base Building parts, mostly so your inventory doesn’t get overwhelmed so fast.
• Sparks is more knowledgeable than ever, and her voice lines reflect that. You’ll see some changes to Sparks’ dialogue - especially in the earlier tutorial sections of the game.

Bugfixes

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and does not include all minor bugfixes.

• We’ve fixed multiple issues with TAP wires in multiplayer. Scanning TAP wires in quick succession or simultaneously in multiplayer will now function as intended.
• We’ve fixed an issue that caused some machines to go invisible. This should happen less frequently!
• We’ve implemented a fix for Game Pass PC and XBOX manual and autosaves. Autosaves will save over older slots instead of silently failing when there's no free space in the cloud storage.
• Recipes that have been viewed won’t be marked as new upon a reload.
• If you place an object on top of the Core Composer, you can now interact with it. Not sure why you’d need Filter Inserters on top of a Core Composer, but you do you.
• Autosaves now cycle through instead of rewriting the same file. This happened when loading an autosave that wasn’t the most recent, in case you were curious!
• When placing Conveyor Belts, hitting Q now backs out of building instead of going to the Quick Copy menu.
• Vertical Belts can now work with hubs, including manual hubs.
• Fixed an issue with placing stairs about 17 voxels high. This was caused by the game incorrectly calculating the need for diagonally placed items, in case you wanted to know!
• Calycite platforms retain their power status after being replaced with the Replacer Tool.
• Non-handcrafted items now correctly update their numbers in the crafting menu.
• Paladin will now start talking as soon as you grab his cube, even if you don’t go through the escape hatch. If you want to play this the hard way, it works now.
• Dropping from a Monorail Track into the water doesn’t disable jumping anymore. Something something protective UNIHAZ suit.
• Erasing Planters no longer gives plants if they weren’t done growing. Nice try, we patched this out.
• Respawning no longer creates hovering or shaking issues.
• Using copy on Conveyor Belts now retains the variant chosen.
• The accumulated power amount displayed on upgrade PT tasks and tips is now correct. 320MJ, not 320000 MJ. That would be crazy, I hope no one did that…
• The Filter Inserter can now select Carbon and Kindlevine Bricks.
• Thresher icons in ALT mode now represent what is being threshed.
• Deleting an HVC cable no longer makes the parts it touches undeletable.
• Monorail inventories can now be sorted.
• Core Composers now have a Scan Me sign on the Omniseeker.
• Various localization fixes.

Known Issues

• If you’re playing with a controller, the Clear Copy and Cancel functions are assigned to the same button. This might affect building floors, stairs, and other multiplace items. We’re working on it!
• How many developers does it take to change a lightbulb? Apparently, more than we have. Crank Generators might not light up right now.
• If you change languages in a custom game, you may need to restart to see the language fully take effect.
• Some of the text in the Custom Game menu - when creating a new game - might not appear in other languages.
• The header text “Game Settings” on the pause menu may not appear in your language.
• Sparks might think your Thresher is powered when it’s not. She’s doing her best, okay?
• If you set the M.O.L.E. speed setting to very high, you might experience performance drops, player actions may be significantly delayed, or you might not see the changes to the world that other players make. Saving and reloading will fix this, however!
• MDR Powertrims don’t affect the MKII Mining Drill. We’re working on it.
• You need to remove the Carbon Powder from incinerating one item before you can incinerate others.
• Some Assembler dialogue might play a little too early.
• The Pause Menu Custom Game Mode description will not appear in Easy Mode. It’s Easy, you’ll just have to remember that!
• If your friend is hosting a custom game, you’ll see all the standard settings in the pause menu. Rest assured, your game is custom, it's just a UI bug.
• Conveyor Belt Hubs slow down the movement of items. We aren’t sure why, but something about the little hamsters inside not moving fast enough. It’s about a 14% reduction in speed per Hub.
• Players on XBOX consoles wearing headphones might experience the cutscene being extremely loud and low framerate after multiple playthroughs. Your game will be fine, no need to restart once the cutscene is over - and you can skip it. Be careful, please!
• On XBOX, the glow for Mining Charges has been turned off. v0.4 introduced a bug that caused them to glow brighter than the sun, so we flipped it off for now.

It’s official, the Factory Efficiency Update will release tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th! So, let’s dive into what’s coming in v0.4. Tomorrow, you’ll get more in-depth Patch Notes with the full details. So, what can you expect in v0.4 of Techtonica?

• 6 new Game Modes
• Two new Maps
• 70+ Game Settings to customize
• An opening cinematic cutscene for Techtonica
• Incineration in Smelters and Blast Smelters
• New fuel types
• Loads of bug fixes and optimization

Have questions? Want to chat about the update with devs and the community? Looking for a place with other spaghetti aficionados? Join our Discord at https://discord.gg/techtonica. See you Thursday!

Hey there, Groundbreakers! Are you ready to level up your Techtonica experience with the Super Sandbox Update? With this update, we’re adding more than 80 custom game settings and two new maps to cater to every gameplay style under the sun. Say goodbye to cookie-cutter playthroughs and hello to fully customized challenges and sandboxes. But wait, hold up - we get it. The pressure of choice can be overwhelming sometimes. That's why we've got six preset modes to get you started. Today, we’re gonna dive into each of those preset game modes.

Easy Mode

First, we've got Easy Mode. Yep, you guessed it! Easy Mode drops you into the regular Techtonica map with settings that make the game… Easier. Encumbrance is shut off, Base Building crafting is free, and the Production Terminals are easier to unlock. It's perfect for casual players who prefer rapid progression and reduced costs. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/a80c39de8c1aebeedb43de0fafa2c6f62c38b623.png Plus, you get easier access to narrative events, advanced machinery, and upgraded technologies. And the cherry on top? Achievements are fully available in this mode, so you can chug through Techtonica in a shorter amount of time while still scratching that completionist itch.

Sandbox Mode

Next up is Sandbox Mode. This one is all about freedom and creativity, baby! With no crafting requirements and minimal power consumption, the world really is your oyster. Build whatever you want, however you want, and revel in the pure joy of creation. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/ab066f59378139b6295500de5676f2d5f9349ae2.png In Sandbox Mode, all doors and tech are fully unlocked, there are no quests, and you’ve got nothing to scan. Fuel and Power consumption are turned down in favor of large-scale builds that don’t need a massive power station. Both encumbrance and M.O.L.E. heat generation is shut off, allowing you to dig out the map with ease. And the ore veins? They’re infinite, letting you build the factories of your dreams without ever needing to move.

Hardcore Mode

Feeling brave? Then Hardcore Mode is calling your name. This one is reserved for the most dedicated and experienced Techtonica players out there. With harsh resource rules and merciless limitations, your factory automation skills will be pushed to the absolute max. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/61f7d7ce3513d683a59fa6ffc57baa4cca4057df.png Hardcore Mode drops you into the Faithless Void, a version of the River Biome map devoid of light. There are also some world changes in this map, but we’ll let you discover those on your own. Ore per vein? Miniscule. Machines, conveyors, inserters? They move slowly. Crafting costs? Sky high. And that’s before you even get to unlocking the Production Terminals... That’s a doozy. Quests and scannable items are turned off in this mode, because it’d be nigh impossible. I can’t wait to see a speedrun time for this one.

Quantity Mode

If you think more is better, then Quantity Mode is for you. This preset is tailor-made for those who want to create large factories with high volumes of lower-quality machines. You gotta go big or go home! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/68d23efd0fbef8af6959daf1875a2d33fd5b4d68.png Your journey in Quantity Mode begins in the Mountain King Underhall Map, a vast underground network of caverns with sky-high ceilings. Machines will produce a lot less resources in this world, forcing you to build sprawling factories across the large and unwieldy map.

Quality Mode

On the other hand, if you're all about finesse, then Quality Mode has got your back. Here, smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines are the name of the game. Attention to detail is key, so make sure you've got your thinking cap on. Quality Mode is set in the regular River Biome map, and the settings are tweaked - so you’ll need the bare minimum of machines. The challenge here is that they produce really fast, so your organization will need to be top-tier.

Hyper Mode

And last but not least, Hyper Mode. Are you a Groundbreaker who likes to go fast? Then this is the mode for you. Everything is set to increased speeds, so you'll be sharply scaling and progressing your factory in no time - if you can keep up, that is. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/7d1b9c2b4c5e2e66b1f9307d9b46dcac9e52bb6c.png Okay, so these modes look great. But they aren’t exactly what you want. You’re in luck! Every setting can be tweaked after selecting a present. You can also change maps! We hope you're excited to dive in and try out these modes for yourself. v0.4 is on the horizon, and it’s getting close! Want to chat about the upcoming update? Hop into our Discord for some memes, dreams, and some sweet debates.

We’re opening up the floodgates, v0.4 PTC is live!

Things to know about the PTC

Want to chat about the Public Test Cave? We’ve created a new section on Discord just for you! Do not talk about features, narrative, and anything else you see in the Public Test Cave outside of the PTC channels. There is also a subforum on Steam to discuss PTC content. No one likes spoilers! Your save files from the Public Test Cave will not work once you switch back to the main branch of Techtonica. Make sure you have backed up your main game before switching! You can access it by switching branches on Steam. Right-click Techtonica in your library, then select the “Properties” tab which will bring up a new window. Next, click “Betas”, and under Beta Participation, select the Public Test Cave. As a reminder, the Public Test Cave is a work-in-progress build. Please be aware that PTC game content may not be complete, will contain bugs, and is subject to change. The features in our updates are accessible in all supported languages; however, due to these features not being finalized, they may not include translations of related in-game text. A 'TEMP' prefix or '???' indicates localized text that isn't yet fully available. With the how out of the way, let’s get to the what - a brief overview of what you can find on the Super Sandbox update, now available on the PTC.

Custom Games

Custom Games Settings, Presets, and Maps are available from the New Game Menu. We’ve added 80+ settings that players can experiment with, along with two new maps and 6 new game modes.

New maps

We are so excited to give players new maps for the first time! We would love to add more maps in the future so let us know how you like them! Mountain King Underhall Map - A dwarven-inspired paradise of material opportunity. Carve your way through deep rock to uncover a mythological amount of fantastical wealth. Incredible amounts of open space to build to your heart's content. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/384c8ade4c82a5f42302a637d9e0899f532eb797.png Faithless Void Map - A sector of great riches for the ambitious Groundbreaker is hidden within what first appears to be a bleak, barren, and timeless landscape. Experience a reimagination of the standard Techtonica map in the dark with some new secrets and challenges. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/a6c43e2570c484b9a0e48b60f3dce3e26ef424f2.png

Game Modes

The real meat of this update is the nearly 100 custom game settings we have added to make your play customizable in just the way you like. These settings will allow you to change balance, game rules, maps, and more to create your ideal challenge or perfect sandbox. For those of us who are easily panicked by choice, we have set up six preset modes: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/106613ff3406dcc5ac33dfa48be09dfe5af0f0d2.png

• Easy - Reduced costs and rapid progression for casual players. Easier access to narrative events, advanced machines, and upgraded technologies. Achievements are fully available in this Game Mode.
• Sandbox - Do whatever you want! The world is yours! No crafting requirements and minimal power consumption make this the perfect mode for getting creative.
• Hardcore - A challenge for dedicated and experienced players. Harsh resource rules and merciless limitations will push your factory automation skills to the max. I like to call it the Dark Souls of factory games, except you won’t die 1 million times.
• Quantity - A preset inclined towards making larger factories with high quantities of lower-quality machines. Go big or go home!
• Quality - A preset inclined towards making smaller factories with lower quantities of higher-quality machines. Finesse is mandatory!
• Hyper - Appropriate for Groundbreakers who gotta go fast. Increased speeds for nearly everything will empower you to sharply scale and progress your factory - if you can keep up with it!

Incinerator

We have introduced an incinerator function that allows you to destroy with maximum prejudice any machines, tools, or base building pieces you may have created using your already-existing smelters and blast smelters into carbon powder. You can also incinerate some basic resources like quicklime and limestone, as well as incinerate carbon powder into less carbon powder. The exceptions to this are cores and components - you’re gonna need those!

Recipe Changes and Tutorialization Updates

As always, the team continues to iterate and update our existing recipes and new player experience, and that continues in .4. Some of the changes include:

• New Alt Recipes
• Revisions to early game tutorialization to improve onboarding for new players.
• Gathering Kindlevine and Shiverthorn plants now gives raw plants instead of seeds.
• New condensed biobricks and biobrick diesel fuel.
• We now show ore vein health on veins that have been hit (Please note: mining drills dig from the bottom corner voxels up, not from the center).
• Added Vertical Belt Upgrades to the Tech Tree.

Known Issues:

Like we said above, there will be bugs! These are some that we currently know about in v0.4 of PTC.

• While playing in multiplayer, it is possible while MOLEing very fast that a player will no longer see the results of their or other players’ digging reflected in their game. This may cause you to drop out of the world map. If you are the host save and reload to fix, if you are a client, leave and rejoin.
• Dialog triggers may fire at the wrong time, but should not impact player progress.
• Planter timing if you adjust them doesn’t reflect a difference in the inspector UI.

Techtonica now includes more custom game combinations than there are particles in the universe (it’s true, we did the math), so it’s a mortal certainty that some of those combinations of custom settings will work better than others. Want to chat about PTC? Head to the Public Test Cave channels in our Discord or check out the Steam Sub-forum for PTC! Let’s get to work!

Now that v0.3 has been launched, it’s time for a roadmap update! We’re gonna dive in to chat about all the new updates and content coming to Techtonica, but first, the roadmap. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/e061ced44888b1064e72b1c60250182ede8f9481.png First, let’s chat about the two new updates on the roadmap!

Super Sandbox

This one is a big one, so let’s break down some of the featured items!

New Game Modes

We’re adding 6 new game modes to Techtonica, including Sandbox Mode and Hardcore Mode. In Sandbox Mode, all handcrafting is free, meaning you can build the factory of your dreams without needing any resources at all. In Hardcore Mode, everything is, well, harder. It’s like playing the Dark Souls of factory games. May god have mercy on your soul. Oh, and we’re actually adding Big Head mode to Techtonica. April Fools, it’s real.

New Game Maps

We’re adding two new maps to Techtonica; the Mountain King Underhill map and the Faithless Void. The Mountain King Underhill is a brand new, handcrafted map with massive underground caverns and spread out resources. There is no scanning for unlocks in this map - all tech is unlocked and just requires cores to achieve it. The Faithless Void is a revamped version of the existing River Biome map you’ve all grown to love, with a few big differences. The biggest change? The lights are off. We’ll dive deeper into the game modes and maps in a later post, but those are some of the highlights!

Settings Customization

We’ve added just under 100 customizable settings to modify the game experience or make your own version of Techtonica including but not by any means limited to:

• Infinite Ore
• Ignore Encumbrance
• Free Crafting
• Machine Statistic Parameters
• MOLE Heat

Yes, you read that correctly. You can now turn off ore depletion for veins, meaning you’ll never have to move a mining drill again! There are millions of combinations of game settings, giving you a new experience every time you open Techtonica. Endless replayability? Check.

Opening Cutscene

We’ve added a swanky new opening cutscene to Techtonica! We’ll let you figure out what it means…

Bug Fixes and additional optimization

We’re chugging along with a whole slew of bug fixes and performance upgrades for v0.4.

Some other stuff for v0.4 that isn’t mentioned…

We’re adding incinerator recipes to smelters and a new fuel type! Regular smelters will be able to incinerate Gravel and Quicklime into Carbon Powder. Blast Smelters will be able to incinerate all machines into Carbon Powder. And both can incinerate Carbon Powder into… less Carbon Powder. You asked, we delivered. Biobrick Diesel is a new, supercharged fuel with an interesting automation loop. We’ll give ya more details on that soon!

Laser Games, what’s that?

There will be games that involve lasers. We’ll let you speculate on what that means, for now hehe.

What happened to Take Flight?

As we’ve said before, the roadmap is a living object subject to change. As we’ve chugged along through Early Access development of Techtonica, we’ve shifted some timelines for adding things to the game and made changes based on community feedback. A lot of the items for Super Sandbox were tools being added for future updates, and we realized we could make those public for players to have! We’ve also had a lot of requests for a sandbox mode and wanted to honor that as well. Adding replayability to Techtonica is really important for existing fans and new ones. The items in Take Flight haven’t been removed from development, either. We shifted that update further down the line as the schedule works better for internal development. So you’ll still be getting the same content (actually, more content), just in a different timeline! That’s it for this week’s update! We’ll also be launching the Public Test Cave version of v0.4 soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Want to chat about all the upcoming changes? Join our Discord! See you next week!

Groundbreakers! As a part of Early Access, we wanted to give the Groundbreaker character model an overhaul. Watch the video below, you won't regret it. We're adding a new Big Head mode to Techtonica! For all of your bobblehead and ragdoll needs. It's actually really fun and hilarious to play in multiplayer. We'll have more news on game modes shortly! See you... tomorrow?

Techtonica is officially 34% off here on Steam, which is our biggest discount ever. We've just launched v0.3 and there's a ton of new features to sink your teeth into. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457320/Techtonica/ Grab the game, tell a friend, and experience 4-player co-op. Together, you’ll plan your factories, dig into the terrain, and argue over who has the best layout. Let’s get to work!

Hey folks! Now you can get two great games, bundled, at a 10% discount on Steam. We’ve partnered with the Pacific Drive team to bundle Techtonica and Pacific Drive. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/39806/Techtonica_x_Pacific_Drive/ Own one of these games already? This is a Complete The Set bundle, so you’ll still get the discount if you buy the game you don’t already own through the bundle. Ready to get to work?

That’s right, we’re opening up a Public Test Cave for all of you to test out new features and report bugs before official update launches, for those of you who have purchased the game on Steam. These updates will have bugs and other wonky aspects, as these builds will be in progress work from our team. You’ll also get to try out new machines, new balancing, and a whole host of other brand spankin’ new features before we launch them. Watch the video for a bunch of info on our new testing branch, or dig in below!

Things to know about the PTC

Want to chat about the Public Test Cave? We’ve created a new section on Discord just for you! Do not talk about features, narrative, and anything else you see in the Public Test Branch outside of the PTC channels. No one likes spoilers! Your save files from the Public Test Cave will not work once you switch back to the main branch of Techtonica. Make sure you have backed up your main game before switching! The features in our updates are accessible in all supported languages; however, due to these features not being finalized, they may not include translations of related in-game text. A 'TEMP' prefix or '???' indicates localized text that isn't yet fully available. Your bugs and feedback may not be addressed in future updates. We only have so much time to work on development for new updates, so we won’t be able to fix ‘em all. Sometimes there may be reasons why we can’t implement your ideas that we like. Also, just because we don’t act on your report immediately doesn’t mean we haven’t seen it. Features and balancing in the Public Test Cave also may not make it into the final update. We use our earlier builds for testing, so anything you see is subject to change™.

There Be Bugs Here

As we said above, we’re opening up the Public Test Cave and bringing you an advanced in-development version of upcoming updates soon™. Which, obviously, is extremely cool and good. But with great power comes great responsibility, and with new updates comes new bugs. So if you want to contribute to the fight against the insectoid menace, here’s a quick guide (Editor’s Note: this was written by Rob) to how you can report your bugs to us in a way that makes it most likely they will get the squashing they so richly deserve. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/85b79012beaea4ff483c3bd85753a26a9717f676.gif

Public Test Cave Feature Upvote: That’s where it’s at!

The first and most obvious question may be: so where do I submit these bugs I’ve heard so much about? Well, good news! You can submit your bugs in the exact same place where you give us useful feedback and share your deepest, most desperate Techtonica wishes: on our new Feature Upvote page! This page will go live when we push the first PTC (Public Test Cave) build live, which will be very soon! A couple tips for using Upvote in the way that is most likely to get our bug exterminator (it’s me, I’m the exterminator) (Note: we will now be calling Rob The Exterminator) to notice your bug:

• Please make sure to include the word “bug” in the title of your submission. Ideally, it would be the first word in your submission, even:

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/69b866332f043f41f22e1cd505073cd4eb99d134.png

• If your bug is a crash or another critical issue that prevents you from playing at all, please be sure to include this in the title.
• Please report bugs ONLY through Feature Upvote. Don’t rely on Discord, since posts can too easily become lost there. We may send you to Discord from Feature Upvote so we can get your save file, but Feature Upvote is the place to begin your reports.

But first… a search quest!

Before reporting your bug, there’s an important step to take first: search Upvote to see if someone else has already reported it! This cuts down on duplicate reports and makes it much, much simpler for us to keep track of which problems are happening and how many people they impact. Upvote has a search box at the top right: try some keywords related to your bug to see if it is already in the system. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/48a9a38217152ad6661d2e28206e6ed06a73b8d0.png If your bug has already been reported, there’s no need to report it again! In fact, doing so is counterproductive. The thing to do instead is upvote the existing report, and also add a comment if you have new information that isn’t included in the original post. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/0bd23d82c434bd69bb514d8d458a85011637c3e9.png If you don’t see your bug anywhere in the database, then it’s time to file a report!

Anatomy of a bug

It doesn’t take any special knowledge or technical background to write a useful report, and you also don’t need to write a novel (tough luck, Tolstoy) or a poem (so long, Shakespeare). Instead, if you just keep these key principles in mind, you’ll be filing useful bug reports in no time! When in doubt, include detail More information is usually better than less, and specific information is usually better than general or vague information. The more detail you’re able to give us about what happens, and when, the easier it will be for us to reproduce your bug in our dev environment. Case in point, consider these different titles for a Filter Inserter bug: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42118931/5f794c75e4094291baa6ea723228242a9cc18963.png “Filter Inserters are broken” - this isn’t a super useful report. It isn’t clear what the problem is, beyond that Filter Inserters are involved, somehow. “BUG - Filter Inserters stop working on my save game” - OK, now we’re getting a little better. At least we know that the problem occurs when loading a save game, and doesn’t happen all the time. But we still don’t know much about what the problem is. “BUG - Filter Inserters stop taking items off of conveyor belts when I load my 0.3 save game in 0.4PTC” - Now we’re talking! This title makes it much more obvious what isn’t working, and the circumstances under which it doesn’t work. It will also be easy for other people to find and Upvote if they are encountering a similar problem.

Remember the 3 “whats”

The three most important pieces of information to include in your bug are the answers to these three questions, all of which helpfully start with the word “what”: What were you doing when the bug happened? What did you expect to happen? What did the game do instead? Again, you don’t have to write a novel (like Rob did for this post), or list every single thing you did before and after the bug, but using these three “whats” as your guide is an easy way to write a helpful bug description. “I loaded my saved game from right before I finished the PT Victor tier 3 upgrade quest, and I put the last items into the terminal in order to upgrade it. Then I tried to click the upgrade button.” (What you did.) “I expected the terminal to upgrade to tier 4.” (What you expected to happen.) “But instead my game locked up. I could still hear game audio, but the screen didn’t change and the game didn’t respond to my controller.” (What the game did instead.)

Other useful information, if you’re feeling frisky

In addition to answering the three “whats”, here’s some other information which is often useful for us to know:

• How often does the bug happen? Every time you do the described action? Only some of the time? Once ever?
• Has this always happened when you are playing the current version? Did it happen on prior versions as well?
• Were you playing in single player or multiplayer? If multiplayer, were you the client or the host?
• If you reload a save or restart the game, does the bug go away?
• What are your region and language settings?
• Is there anything unique about your setup that seems like it might be important? (i.e. are you using a particular kind of controller, or running streaming software in the background, etc.)

A picture is worth a thousand words

If you’re able to include a screenshot of the bug in question, that is often a HUGE help. If you can draw on the screenshot with arrows or circles to show exactly what you’re concerned about, so much the better. Thank you for being a friend All the bug reports we get from our players are useful, and we do our best to investigate and reproduce each one. So thank you in advance for your reports, and, the more you’re able to follow the basic steps described above, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to squash your most-hated bugs.

So, when can we play on the PTC, and how do we get in?

Soon™! Like, within the next month soon. We just wanted to get you the information before you dove into testing. When the Public Test Cave goes live, you will access it by switching branches on Steam. Right click Techtonica in your library, then select the “Properties” tab which will bring up a new window. Next, click “Betas”, and under Beta Participation, select the Public Test Cave. Want to join the PTC channels now? Head on over to our Discord for some memes, dreams, and machines. We’ll see you in two weeks for some more Techtonica updates!