Icarus Week 172 Update | More Shadow Improvements and Six New Curtains

This weeks update features six new sets of Curtains, with Tier 2 ‘Fur‘, Tier 3 ‘Elegant’ and Tier 3 ‘Reinforced' options.

We’ve also made more improvements to shadows, particularly Skeletal Mesh and Thin Mesh Shadows, along with animated shadows, such as doors.

Finally, we have a breakdown for you on the three new Legendary Weapons coming with the Great Hunts Expansion, and all the other items and deployables you’ll unlock by defeating their respective bosses.

Notable Improvements:

• Allow placement of doors, windows and curtains on all left and right doorway pieces.
  
• Windows and Curtains can also all be placed on the same window frame
  
• Electricity and Water tools now show in the players hand
  
• Improved bee death animation
  
• Further improvements to SuperStruct crash prevention

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This Week: New Selection of Curtains
This week, we’re adding six new sets of curtains to Icarus—one crafted from fur (Tier 2) and two from platinum weave (Elegant and Reinforced, Tier 3).

Base design has become a staple of Icarus, and curtains have often been requested to decorate your window fittings and add some color to your different rooms.

Each of the Fur, Elegant, and Reinforced designs come in both window and door options, giving you the choice of having all your entrances and windows match or vary if this is more your style.

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This Week: More Improvements to Shadows
Last week, we introduced sweeping changes to the way we render shadows from many of our Deployables. While we implemented the first iteration of these changes last week, this week, we’re fixing several known issues we hadn’t caught yet, including some raised by the community (thank you, everyone, for your reports!).

As discussed in last week's post, we were aware of some limitations with the Distance Field shadows, such as them not playing nicely with thin objects and not casting any shadows at all from Skeletal/Animated meshes. After much tinkering, we feel these issues have been addressed for the most part, but again, we welcome your feedback and reports of anything we may have missed.

Lets go through a few of the changes.

We now have shadows which cast from Skeletal Meshes, such as Storage Cupboards:



Thin meshes (such as the Iron Buildables you can see in the background) are now working much better, no longer covered in shadows or leaking light through:



We were also able to do a pretty neat trick with the doors to ensure that their Shadow Mesh rotates alongside the Skeletal Mesh:



Thanks again for all your feedback and reports, and we hope you enjoy these new performance and quality improvements in Icarus.

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Coming Soon: Great Hunts - Legendary Weapons
Two weeks ago, we covered all the new Legendary Weapons coming for free in our massive update, alongside the launch of Icarus: Great Hunts.

This week, we’re talking about the three new Legendary Weapons that are coming with the three new Bosses in the paid expansion that we introduced last week.

Defeating these bosses will earn you Biomass currency, unique to each foe:

• Rimetusk Biomass
  
• Garganutan Biomass
  
• Quarrite Biomass

These currencies are necessary to purchase not only each respective weapon but also their attachments, which allow you to customize them however you wish.

Rimetusk:

• Legendary ‘Frostbreaker’ Rimetusk Sledgehammer

The Frostbreaker is a prototype Sledgehammer crafted from the Biomass of the legendary ‘Rimetusk’ Ice Mammoth. It is both a lethal weapon and a utility tool with repair and mining capabilities, with attachments such as ‘Fracturing Skull’, allowing you to smash and mine large chunks of ore or ‘Chilling Femur’ which gives you the chance to spawn Ice Spires on impact, just like Rimetusk does to you.

The Rimetusk also has new recipes for an Armor Set, Spear, Shield, Trap, Modules, Trophies and Frozen Wool.

Quarrite:

• Legendary ‘Slate Smasher’ Quarrite Gauntlet

The Slate Smasher is Norex’s first experimentation with Exo-skeletons, aiming to create a weapon that is deadly up close or can keep enemies at bay with ranged attacks, depending on how you personalize it. Experimentation on the Quarrite has unlocked technology to charge it by hitting rocks, storing kinetic energy that can be unleashed in devastating bursts. Attachments such as ‘Cannon Fist' allow you to turn it into a ranged weapon if you prefer keeping distance between you and your foe, with the ability to charge your attacks and release damage how you see fit.

The Quarrite also has new recipes for a Sledgehammer, Rock Golem Gun, Grenade Trap, Defensive Attachment, Protective Module and Trophies.

Garganutan:

• Legendary ‘Behemoth’ Garganutan Club

The Behemoth incorporates technology derived from experimentation on the Garganutan, particularly its impressive agility and strength. Attachments for this weapon incorporate stamina, speed, power, and strength boosts, but even some unique perks such as ‘Primal Blood’ which boosts carry capacity and reduces over-encumbrance penalties, and ‘Vampiric Blood’ which leeches health from its targets on impact.

The Garganutan also has new recipes for an Armor Set, Grenade, Tonic, Carrying Module and Trophies.

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Next Week: SMG (Finally)
Next week, we’ll introduce a new craftable SMG, as we talked about previously before they were delayed to undergo some more changes.

We appreciate your patience as we’ve worked through the changes to this new firearm.

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Your support makes these updates possible.
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/50440/Icarus_Spring_Sale_Bundle/

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/35727/Icarus_Complete_the_Set/

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Changelog 2.2.47.134758-rel-Laika
New Content [expand type=details expanded=false]

• Fixed SK weighting to allow proper split for PlatWeave and SilkWeave curtains
  
• Update preview mesh for curtains
  
• Implement new curtain BPs
  
• Modified Skeleton and animations for PlatWeave Window curtain, as well as animations on the SilkWeave Window curtain
  
• Updated curtain physics assets to have an open and closed version. Updated static mesh to be in correct oriewntation for placement. added a static mesh for the fur curtain
  
• Added Curtain Icons
  
• Extended bounds on the new curtain skeletal meshs to match the leather curtain setup
  
• Reduce collision extents on curtains, to allow corner placement on stone walls
  
• Allow placement of curtains on half windows and doors
  
• Unlocked new curtain crafts and items
  
• Hook up and slightly update collision setups for open and closed window curtains

[/expand]
Fixed [expand type=details expanded=false]

• Improve LODs and Texture quality on various meshes. Delete unused assets. Clear out unused texture references from materials
  
• Change Electricity/Water tools to hold in hand in FP better. DynamicRainDrops to various materials for meshes held in FP. Remove Focusable entries from ItemsStatic that don't need it. Add additional Focusable DT validation for ItemsStatic. Fix Proxy mesh setup for Glassworking Bench
  
• WIP on MA_ITM cleanup pass
  
• Updated carpentry bench with new proxy system. Added new textures without baked AO and indevidual asset meshs for the ranching station proxy update
  
• Add Cold Steel Sledgehammer to Frozen Ore Field Guide page
  
• Add Frozen Ore page to Field Guide
  
• Resource crafting - Fixed a bug where if a resource is required to craft something, it didnt correctly drag the right amount of items across. Fixed a bug where if you tried to craft enough of an item that required more than 1 resource container it wouldnt allow you to
  
• Resource crafting - Fixed a bug where the tooltip would be red when the item was craftable
  
• Fixing spline tools clipping through the hand by adding own unique socket and rotated the socket to better fit the hand position
  
• Allow fish mount tooltips to expand slightly to fit longer fish descriptions
  
• Added Bees FX on death and updated the bees texture
  
• Update radar missing text to mention resupply instead of collecting from dropship
  
• FIELD TEST: Fix location of tooltip box on crash site
  
• Resource Crafting - fixed dragging correct items dragging on water networks always thinking it had an active water connection
  
• Improve reliability on CRYOGENIC snap points spawning, now tries to respawn each reload if there are any issues
  
• Update Leather Breakdown talent to clarify that it allows to unlock the character talent
  
• Resource Crafting - fixed dragging the correct amount of containers into the processing inventory among multiple recipes/queues. Fixed water always showing as craftable in recipes
  
• Adding audio for when the player disconnects a spline node
  
• Update Ape Attractor asset to new version
  
• Reduce Rimetusk Sledgehammer slam max area, but increase area before damage falloff
  
• Updated ape gfur to use the base mesh instead of a different fur mesh. this will remove the hairless patches. Added a second version of the fur mask to accomodate this. Tweaked the compensation settings to reduce the gfur thinning as you get closer to the mesh
  
• Filter some recipes from stoves in the FieldGuide (frozen ores)
  
• Updated the on death bees FX smoke fade smoother
  
• Fix Reinforced and Glass Reinforced doors not animating their shadow meshes correctly
  
• Adding audio for all new curtains types
  
• Made a new version of the materials and textures for the fur window and door curtains with better resolution fur and less gore on the back of the curtain. Updated meshs and BP with new materials
  
• Fix curtain talent icons
  
• Fixed Thatch, Reinforced, Steel Barred and Interior Doors being allowed to be placed in right corner slots with another door placed adjacent
  
• Re adding data table entry for splines to fix hand holding in correct position
  
• DF shadow bias updates on various meshes
  
• Fix quality of many DF mesh assets. Fixed some incorrectly referenced Deployable preview SMs. Assign many static DF meshes for SK shadow representation. Update Deployable/Buildings showcase levels and Deploy BPs

[/expand]
Future Content [expand type=details expanded=false]

• Blockout Eden Base Yollow Quad, Elysium
  
• Great Hunt UI - Now shows the current maps great hunt and the missing hunts on the right of it. made sure to remove 'begin hunt' buttons when looking at a hunt that doesnt match with your map. Removed the locked screens on GH buttons
  
• Cliff and Landscape Pass in Arctic, Green and Orange Quads, Elysium
  
• Adding DM meshes for saplings and for Small Aspen Trees, including proper FLOD setup. Still in progress
  
• Adjusted Sandworm Crossbow upgrade pin and slot locations. Added new Icons for Sandworm Crossbow
  
• Added maximum spawn count to Faction Mission Spawners (juvenile ape, rock golem) to prevent them from indefinitely spawning. Value set at 6 initially
  
• Add tooling and Editor-only function to Building Base to toggle between SHA geo mode and normal for debugging in Editor
  
• Hid Rimetusk Carcass from Field Guide, as these don't have typical carcass interaction
  
• Split Icy Mammoth Carcass to its own entry
  
• Fix SlugLauncher visual effect disappearing early
  
• Update ItemTemplate validation to check ItemTemplate isn't development locked on released content
  
• Feature locked a development wire tool
  
• Added Cavebat Loot rewards
  
• Added Fortification Wall Window Icon
  
• Updated DCO_Coushion me7shs with UVs oriented correctly to display the patterns
  
• Update Alternate Fire wording
  
• Added Desert Mammoth Carcass Icon
  
• Update ADS reference to while aiming
  
• Add tag query for Building.Wood, filtering ONLY Wood base building types
  
• minor tweak to C_GT_RayleighColour (geothermal atmosphere sky color)
  
• AlienRock_01 - revised mesh and textures
  
• Shortening and tidying up any long audio events events that play unnecessarrily long
  
• MA_ITM added blend unique normals with tiling texture option for cushion asset
  
• Landscape Sculpting Pass, Cliff Pass and IMP Pass, Green and Orange Quads, Elysium
  
• Blockout Eden Base Yollow Quad, Elysium
  
• Improved look and usability of FLOD Debug overlay cheat. Add Cheat to destroy all Overflow bags and to toggle GFur visibility
  
• Added version 2 of the carpentry bench with the tools removed for the new proxy setup. Added a new albedo texture without the AO from the tools. Added the tools as individual static meshs in the Item folder
  
• Add IM_C2 location, fix some progression blockers and feedback
  
• Added Cave Bat Head Icon and Trophy Icon
  
• Weapon Rack - Added potential fix for weapons not showing for clients reloading. Added missing weapon transforms (shotgun/knives/shovels/fishing rods/ sickle/firewhackers)
  
• Rescaled Scorpion Rifle bonuses to improve identity. Increased rate of fire
  
• Revamped Sandworm Crossbow utility bonuses
  
• added a check for proxy mesh on animal bench
  
• Separating ape club audio from legendary sledge hammer. Removing success hits from rock etc. balancing whoosh and thumps. Setting up item audio data table
  
• Fix Ice Mammoth Sledgehammer mining. Rock Golem Gauntlet now has some base mining rewards
  
• Rename Ape Legendary modifiers based on the Legendary part names
  
• Adding unique audio event for when you collect ammo from punching rocks. Adding BP behavior to play for server and client
  
• Make the offset match the teleport placement disk visuals. Turn on recorders for contents of instanced levels
  
• Fix IM_C2 quest not being marked as complete correctly
  
• Weapon Rack - Added fix for client reload bug. Added missing transforms (hammer/grenades/lava flamethrower)
  
• Tweak number and level of Juvenile apes called in by Great Ape for support
  
• Finished DMs, BP setup and Data Table entries for all TU_Aspen Saplings and SML trees
  
• Fix Ape projectiles being collision, now projectile damage
  
• Fix an issue with the Juvenile Ape GOAP setup. Add jump anim for Juvenile Ape GOAP
  
• Slug Axe increase durability and allow attachments
  
• Great Hunt UI - Added missing changes to great hunt UI
  
• Tidy up audio event and remove harshness from consuming hard food and speed up bult count consome tracking
  
• Added DEP_Bench_GreatHunt_Crafting with rig, animation and destructible
  
• Legendary Ice Mammoth Sledgehammmer attachment will now repair buildings/deployables
  
• Cliff and Landscape Pass in Arctic, Green and Orange Quads, Elysium
  
• Blockout Eden Base Yollow Quad, Elysium
  
• Great Hunt UI - Added region locks message for when youre on a map and looking at a boss that is on a different map. Removed persisting widgets when hitting the back button
  
• Adding unique block audio for gauntlet and sledgehammer. Audio, event and data table
  
• Add test level with every deployable deployed, and tooling to re-deploy in the future
  
• Update Ape O1 mission to have higher kill requirement but show the spawned den on the map
  
• Add damage/destroyed sounds for Legendary Ice Mammoth Sledgehammmer (when blocking)
  
• UI pass on Great Hunts Interface
  
• Adding delay to the final line of mission dialogue when you kill all hte cave worms in the mission base as it was far too sudden before
  
• Replaced ape dialogue line where narrator wasn't as convincing as he could be. Slight improvement to timing too
  
• Elysium - testing alien rocks and sml aspens in tundra, green quad
  
• Add snow FX to Ice Mammoth SledgeHammer Sweep and Slam impacts
  
• Fixed Preservation mentioning Lions for loot, instead of Cougars
  
• Removed debug logic from IcarusStateRecorderComponent
  
• Fix IM_D explosions not appearing to clients
  
• Update IM_D generator, again
  
• Trying out new functions for resolving unloaded/missing BP classes on reload
  
• Great hunt UI - Readded missing string table entry
  
• Added swamp ape attractor v2 SM, SK, DM, materials and textures
  
• Ice Mammoth Sledge Hammer Ranged attachment now requires/consumes ice ammo
  
• Remove unused interactions for Great Hunt Device (no longer required with multiple benches)
  
• Updated Great Hunt Assembler and Communicator to have unique icons and deployable looks, pending new meshes
  
• Adjustments and fine tunes to the legendary ice mam sledge hammer impact
  
• Save ELY heightmaps for LOD data
  
• Permit sweep attack for Ice Mammoth Slege Hammer to damage multiple targets. Make Slam attack for Ice Mammoth Sledge Hammer more statisfying
  
• Blockout cliff pass in volcanic on Purple Quad, Elysium
  
• Updated base v02 mesh for the ranching station and the generic saddle mesh for the proxy
  
• Adding additional ice mam sledge hammer impact snow debris audio. Adjustments to various layers of the sledgehammer for unique improvements
  
• Added inital art assets and rig setup for the sand scuttle
  
• Golem Gauntlet Hammerfist damage is now a % modifier applied to base melee damage of item
  
• Golem Gauntlet Hammerfist and Projectile attack now prompt user to recharge by hitting rocks when out of charges
  
• Increase Golem Gauntlet Hammerfist attack radius
  
• Removed ability for Golem Gauntlet to harvest rocks into inventory
  
• Slightly tweaked timing of Scorpion Rifle item reload animation
  
• Update Great Hunt Assembler and Communicator meshes
  
• Shift Great Hunt Communicator and Bench in the Great Hunt Blueprint Tree. Allow Great Hunt Radio to be crafted at machining bench, same as Communicator
  
• Adjusted Spine attachment to not block the Sandworm Crossbow
  
• Updated meshe and textures for DEP_Bench_GreatHunt_Crafting
  
• updated mesh,textures, animations for DEP_Bench_GreatHunt_Comms
  
• AlienRock_05 - 08 mesh, textures, materials added. Added color tinting functionality to cavity channel in MF_RockCurCav
  
• Chemistry bench adjusted the lights and materials to be enabled when electricity tool is connected. Particles bubbles is enabled when crafting
  
• fixed LOD material slot issue and updated SK and static mesh for ape attractor v2
  
• Updated LODs on the DCO_Cushion assets
  
• Cliff and Landscape Pass in Swamp, Orange Quad, Elysium
  
• Fix Legendary Ice Mammoth SledgeHammer is processing multiple hits (again)
  
• Update projection location on Ape Attractor
  
• Elysium - polishing tree placement, landscape textures, decals in Tundra, green quad
  
• Cliff and Landscape Pass in Swamp, Orange Quad, Elysium
  
• Blockout cliff pass in volcanic on Purple Quad, Elysium
  
• Added the Slinker art assets to the project including models, textures, and animations
  
• Added art assets for the 4 Hornet models from trace, including animations
  
• Added a box in the top corner that shows the outcomes of the great hunts the player has achieved so far
  
• Elysium - polishing tree placement, landscape textures, decals in Tundra, green quad
  
• Added a background under other regions. Changed other boss weapon icons according to the boss's weapons
  
• Adjusted muzzle socket location on CHAC Repeater

[/expand]