[2021] Experimental: Autumn Update V1.6

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

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Before we will start developing the big Christmas update (v1.7) we have put our ideas together and filled the v1.6 with a lot of goodies big and small.

With the 1.6 Experimental starting today, you can again contribute your playtime to improving the public version planned to be released in about 2 weeks from now!

Main feature overview

• Reworked loading screens
  
• New visual / graphical post-processing
  
• Reactivated terrain deco destruction (trees, plants)
  
• New weapon models for Sniper Rifle, Minigun, Warp Drive (Epic)
  
• Explorers Guild micro missions including update of Epic Boosters (rebalancing) and Epic devices as rewards (Epic Autominer, Detector HV/CV, Warp Drive CV)Addition of ARC and WASTELANDERS as new interactive factions (first iteration)
  
• Colonists got their first Reputation Mission “Pirate Hunt” (more to come)

Find all the details below!

If the experimental branch is not visible for you in the drop down list in steam > properties > betas please restart your steam client.

As always please note:

Report bugs and issues right over here: https://empyriononline.com/forums/bugs.34/
Fixed bugs for the Experimental branch can be found here: https://empyriononline.com/forums/tracking-filed.91/
Fixed Experimental version bugs can be found there: https://empyriononline.com/forums/fixed.90/

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

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Changes:
Terrain Deco Destruction:

• & a toggle for deco destruction which can be added to the gameoptions.yaml:
  EnableDecoKnockDown: True/False # (Default True) to Activate or Deactivate the Terrain Decoration Destruction
  
• The ability to knock down a deco depends on the speed, mass & thrust power of the ship (don't expect a tiny HV to be able to knock down every deco at once). When a vessel hits f.ex a tree and is not able to knock it down some damage is done to the tree. So after a few hits the tree could go down.

Loading screen rework:

• See here for more info: Content\Extras\LoadingScreenshots\LoadingScreenConfig_example

New sniper rifle & Minigun models:



New warp drive (CV) model added to Warp Drive (Epic):

Gameplay:

• Added: Initial implementation of WASTELANDERS as an interactive NPC faction (own Territory etc)
  
• Added: Initial implementation of ARC as an interactive NPC faction (own Territory etc)
  
• Added reputation mission "Pirate Hunt" for Colonists faction
  
• Added Explorers Guild micro-missions (self-activating, based on certain activities: discovering resources and playfield types and sun classes the first time will gain you Exploration Token which can be redeemed for rewards in a new GIN Console entry 'Explorers Guild' )
  
• Added new 'EPIC' items for the exploration missions (Can only be acquired through exploration guild missions for now)
  
• Changed: reduced drone presence on Brotherhood of Farr POI (planets)
  
• Changed: Staying outside of a territory does not give +RP anymore (Note: Regain standing to neutral can be achieved by the NPC factions Credibility Missions!)
  
• Changed: Improved values of Epic boosts

POIs:

• Added: New bases and vessels for ARC and WASTELANDERS npc faction (HeckenDiver, theScriptHD, Don2k7)
  
• Updated Zirax-Epsilon POI: Drone Factory, Military Spaceport, Advanced Spaceport (Vermillion)
  
• Updated Stock Blueprints: Far Point Station, MSS Waypoint Station (-AKEVA-BANSHEE-)
  
• Updated Traders Guild Trading Station (Kaeser)
  
• Check our forums for details on newly added and updated POI and Blueprints: https://empyriononline.com/forums/showroom-submissions.108/

New settings and parameters

• GalaxyConfig.ecf: added optional parameter SolarSystemConfigSuffix that can be used to override the solar system config file. Use it f.e. like that: SolarSystemConfigSuffix: K
  
• Dialogues-config-and-examples.txt: added description for IsBlockActive()
  
• Reward chapters on skip - use new chapter parameter RewardedChaptersOnSkip (same format as RewardedChapters)

Other technical updates:

• Updated unity to 2021.1.17f1
  
• Updated PostProcessing
  
• Added ability to mod shield effects: add a 'ParticleName' with your asset reference to the shield generator block in BlocksConfig.ecf
  
• Improved DB query GetStarDiscovered by 30%- Better error message when a property within a config file has the wrong type
  
• Optimized some queries for the ranking information in the player overview screen. With this change, the "travelled AU/LY" will get reset.
  
• Optimized query for requesting player name in chat window
  
• Chunk .area files are now locked exclusively by SP games and playfield servers to avoid any other process erroneously reading the data before it is ready.
  
• Added disabled logs for "which chunk is currently written"
  
• Set distance for shield particle effect from 150m to 700m to allow seeing shield particles in higher distances

Updated Invader vs Defender scenario:
New

• Add 15 Random Generated Stars
  
• Add Eleon Game Studios Faction
  
• Implemented Credibility Mission in the PDA
  
• Add Path of Righteous Wrath POI. Thanks to Escarli!!
  
• Add new Instance "Maze Instance" with PDA and Reward. (Entrance at the Galactic Trading Station)

Changes:

• Changed Origin Trader to Merchant
  
• Removed Credibility Seals as loot drop
  
• Attacking a faction no longer results in instant Neutral
  
• Slightly increased reputation los when attacking a faction
  
• Killing a Pirate now gives +10 with Colonists (before +5)
  
• Lowered trader stock (buy/sell)
  
• Changed Void deposits to random meteorites
  
• Removed reputation Gain from being outside the faction territory
  
• Changed nebula colors and slightly increased count
  
• Add custom loading screens

Fixes:

• Fixed starting reputation due to origin numbers not correct set
  
• Fixed localization.csv faction colors
  
• Fixed Empyrionpedia entry about technical max speed
  
• Fixed missing factions starting reputation

Fixes:

• Fixed: DesertBurnt Sathium/Erestrum deposit texture was missing
  
• Fixed: POI placer: AuxPOI may get placed at 0,y,0 and overlap there
  
• Fixed: Space POIs set to spawn a compound sometimes don't spawn their compounds
  
• Fixed: Sanctuary on Swamp Starter was not set to Polaris
  
• Fixed: Wastelanders [WST] Captured Relay Station placed in space
  
• Fixed: New space junkyard SV and CV did not spawn or not spawn correct
  
• Fixed RockResourcePromethium model is stretched
  
• Fix for game.dat corruption on servers when a lot of players discover a lot of NPC factions
  
• Fix for CoQ when opening the map while the DB is very slow and closing the map before the DB results (active map markers) got received
  
• MP: Fix for missing chunks in ships when changing playfields
  
• Fix for CoQ when a modded shield particle effect was spawned

EAH:

• https://eah.empyrion-homeworld.net/download/patch-notes-emp-admin-helper-full

Known:

• Backup game feature is currently not working