Icarus Week 142 Update | New Corner & Half Stair building pieces

This week's update continues our trend of introducing small improvements and new content from our recently concluded project clinic.

Two features deserve special mention - our new corner stair pieces and changes to crafting shotgun ammo.

Our NullSec work has also progressed since the conclusion of the project clinic. We also have a small update on this below.

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Notable Improvements

• Improved performance by removing tick cost from spline networks and reducing building base tick.
  
• General lighting optimizations have been implemented to improve performance
  
• You can now drop items into the Medical Satchel, Seed Pouch, and Farmers Bag by dragging an item on top of them
  
• When a Medical Satchel, Seed Pouch, and Farmers Bag is in your hotbar, you can right-click to open it
  
• Updated the Icons for fuel slots so that if it accepts any container with a specific resource, a new symbol will be shown (this includes new icons for all resource types)
  
• Added a new exotic exchange button to convert Red Exotics into Ren at a rate of 7:1
  
• Added a new Portable Biofuel Tank that holds 150L of biofuel
  
• Updated the reinforced & basic glass textures to remove some of the unintended fog effect shown in various situations
  
• The Upgrade function on repair hammers now include ‘reinforced glass’ in their list
  
• Adjusted Explosive Ammo Crafting to use 1 Volatile Substance per 5 ammo instead of 1:1
  
• Battery Powered Lanterns now will stay lit underwater

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This Week: Corner Stairs and Half Stairs
These stairs allow for vertical traversal using the same space as a half piece but in an L formation. This new piece should offer multiple new ways to build bases, allowing for more intricate designs.

These are available in refined wood & stone options as variants on the existing ramp and half-piece kits as part of the existing research sets.

Expect more material options for corner stairs in the future.

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This Week: Shotgun Improvements
We have also revamped the way shotgun ammo is crafted. Instead of all shotgun ammo requiring general ammo casings, a new item - shotgun cartridges - has been added in their place. These are crafted with 1 Copper Ingot and 3 Epoxy to produce 5 shotgun cartridges.

The shotgun slug recipe has been split out, so now you don't need to craft it using a buckshot round. This change eliminates an unnecessary crafting step and streamlines the process of creating the ammo.

The higher-tier ammo (Obsidian, Cold Steel, Miasmic, Incendiary) is still crafted using buckshot, as it is fired as a buckshot round with an added effect.

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Coming Soon: NullSector
As mentioned in previous weeks, the NullSector will include new map areas, new operations, a new exploration mechanic, new mutated creatures, and one new giant creature for owners of the New Frontiers expansion.

This region is not for the faint of heart. All the adjustments and differences are geared towards this being a hardcore survival challenge, so make sure you enter it prepared.

If you are interested in reading about what we plan to do with missions in the future, click here.

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Your support makes these updates possible.
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/40692/Icarus_Pets_Bundle/

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

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Changelog v2.2.17.126344
New Content [expand type=details expanded=false]

• Open world drop selection UI changes
  
• Added the ability to add a color to the storm fog. Increased the clamp of fog density
  
• Lightning rods will now divert all nearby lightning strikes - previously it only diverted strikes that were targeted against players and buildings (leaving trees and bushes).
  
• Basic Lightning Rod is now destroyed after 3 hits instead of 1, and affects a radius of 50m (from 30m).
  
• Platinum Lightning Rod is now destroyed after 9 hits instead of 4, and affects a radius of 80m (from 30m)
  
• Added new hexagon modifier icons
  
• Removed Player Tracker Module from workshop
  
• Added Exotic Red to Ren image. Changed colour of exotic red button
  
• Do not list existing prospects when New is clicked (confusing people - use Load)
  
• Update starter torches to be repaired with sticks instead of wood (as wood is not in the recipe)
  
• Did a pass on building piece resource cost ensuring half size pieces cost half the amount as their full-size counterparts (Wall Angled, Half Piece, Half Pitch, Roof Corner)
  
• Adding Exotic Exchange Button so Red Exotics can be Exchanged for Ren
  
• Add upgrade hammer functionality for Reinforced Glass building tier
  
• Added Salt and Water to pickling recipe requirements
  
• Added Half Stairs to all Half Piece variations
  
• Added Corner Stairs for Interior Wood and Stone to Ramp variations
  
• All doors, windows, trapdoors, and fence gates now used a fixed bounds size, should prevent assets from flickering when on the edge of screen
  
• Adding new Resource 'Shotgun Casing'
  
• Shotgun Ammo Recipes now use the Shotgun casing as the base instead of the 'Ammo Casing'
  
• Splitting out the Shotgun Slug into its own blueprint and changed its recipe so it no longer requires Buckshot for Creation
  
• BP_IcarusSplineNet no longer ticks
  
• Changed modifier background icon shape and added medic backpack modifier icon
  
• Added grazing behaviour to mounts and tames (enabled via talent)
  
• Adding Concept of Positive & Negative Auras and setting up code so that Modifier backgrounds can be easily changed
  
• Modifying the medic backpack to only provide one aura and one aura effect, its a combination of the 3 from before
  
• Set Player Dropship icon's max compass distance to 100m
  
• Set default grazing behaviour to 'None' to prevent animals from grazing until told to
  
• Battery Powered Lantern now does not go out when you are underwater
  
• Update shotgun casing to be craftable
  
• Add Railing functionality to half stairs
  
• Adding in Water Container and Jerrycan Recolor materials for biofuel and petroleum

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Fixed [expand type=details expanded=false]

• Replaced old hunter chest piece with the new one in the D_Armour
  
• Removing light buzz from trail beacons to stop excessive use of virtualizing audio events if the player is using hundreds of beacons
  
• Lowered the opacity, as well as height detail and roughness, for the wire grid in the tempered glass textures/material, as requested by Dean
  
• Fixed ensure that was being triggered by Lava Flyer having a stat re-applied on tick
  
• light optimizations
  
• Creature Deterent map areas no longer show on compass
  
• Fixed issue where cats wouldn't appear to sleep on beds properly (for clients)
  
• Added a more generic way of serialising prebuilt structures - electricity/water networks should now be supported as well as more complex deployable/container/foundation configurations
  
• Reduced tick frequency of BP_Building_Base::DirtyTickEvent, added random offset to ensure building pieces don't all tick on the same frame on game reloads
  
• Nativised BP_Building_Base::GetHardStability
  
• Hooking up Portable Biofuel Back Mesh
  
• Fixed a number of typos
  
• Tempered glass - adjusted material settings and albedo texture to mitigate fresnel fog effect
  
• Removed wood rag torch and wood flare repair materials, as these should not be possible to repair
  
• Fixed faction mission radar not being able to be activated on dedicated server, added some IsDedicatedServer checks to prevent cosmetic-only logic being run on the server
  
• Fixed wrong BP material id for the destructible mesh on BP_Building_RoofCorner_L_Wood
  
• Fixed radar not being able to be activated on dedicated server, or when host wasn't looking
  
• Resaved Mounts DT
  
• Increased initial delay variance on first BP_Building_Base::DirtyTick
  
• Added data and widgets for new mount/tame grazing behaviour
  
• Prevent some items that aren't repairable from being initially listed when 'Repair All' is clicked on the Repair Bench
  
• Any objects that run off fuel / hydrazine / water / oxygen as a resource in a container, now have new icons to show the resource type, the tool tip has also been updated so it is more readable (it was using the default UE4 tooltip text)
  
• Allow dropping of items onto the bags (Seed Pouch, Medical Satchel) to place them inside
  
• When the bags (Seed Pouch, Medical Satchel) are focused, right click to open
  
• Increased desert tames heat tolerences (moa, zebra and hyena)
  
• Fix charging station lights being lit when device is turned off
  
• Styx: Shifted an alpha wolf spawner slightly to avoid clipping with rocks
  
• Increase temperature leniance on arctic tames slightly to allow use in forest biomes
  
• Adjusting Explosive Ammo Crafting to use 1 Volatile Substance per 5 ammo instead of 1:1
  
• Unlock field guide by default on development builds
  
• Adding new pass on broken windows to move into more mesh based approach, 5 variants included
  
• Wild animals no longer attempt to drink from water bodies with creature deterrent radius
  
• Fixed bug where the 'How Many Shots Did You Count' talent was granting ammo to the wrong player on dedicated servers. Fixed bug where the 'How Many Shots Did You Count' talent was refunding the current amount of ammo player had in their loaded weapon instead of a single unit
  
• Replacing jerrycan water backpack sound with a more generic tub container sound rather than water sloshing. Until water level within BP can be worked out
  
• Adding correct deploy audio for biofuel and water tank.also correcting other wrong deploy audio sounds for new items. Lowered jerrycan pickup audio slightly

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Future Content [expand type=details expanded=false]

• Adding LC_Ledge_01-03, LC_MAC_05 meshes and materials
  
• Material for ledges - missed in last commit
  
• Added destructible mesh for the ape trophy display case and added to the blueprint
  
• Outpost_012 - water, riverbanks, cliff placement. Added moss variant material for LC Cave Entrance 01
  
• Added ape boss balloon trophy to project in three parts
  
• Adding in electric motor to use with Null Sec mission, currently just a backpack item that can be picked up / dropped, no additional functionality
  
• Added more new biome modifier icon types and colours
  
• Fixed pins poing to previously named rows that have now been renamed. (Fixing build)
  
• Fixing Modifier State Compile Error
  
• Adding Mission_NPC_Base and interactions for dialogue
  
• Stopping the aerosol emitter from playing if its deployed. Hacking FMOD event to solve auto start - stop BP behavior. adjusting deploy audio to be more appropriate for Aerosol
  
• Added GRE_Golem_Caltrop_Grenade
  
• First checkin of flag assets, has base setup for ground and wall based flag that works with the weather system, NZ flag texture setup, mesh swap for correct pole coming in part2
  
• Adding New Prometheus NULL SECTOR Mission - STRANDED: ASHLANDS
  
• Added whiteout values to the weather actions. Resaved weather actions to fix build break
  
• COMPOSITION: Initial swap to powered aerosol device
  
• Correcting hammerhead slug Medium and Small still using large animation montages within some of the BT. Now uses all correct small and medium versions for all attacks and roars
  
• Fix black dist fog plane on Ice Sheets/re-added fog color on Ice Sheets on AtmosphereController
  
• STRANDED: ASHLANDS, adding ability to interact with various elements of the truck, adding new recipes for alternator & radiator, adding new quests steps to fill up biofuel & water containters and deliver alternators and radiator, adjusted npc's so they play dialogue using the correct system, added new quest session flag for recipes, setup various truck elements and spawned them in as part of the quest, added new interactables for filling biofuel / water from held items
  
• Added new Base Common quest for filling up an objects fillable
  
• Reverb adjustments to hammerhead bosses to avoid drastic sounding reverbs in some biomes with different reverb settings. Applying some additional reverb to the worm explode event
  
• Replacing earthquake audio from rock golem with a version with less close rock falls to leave more impact and intensity for the actual close rock falls
  
• Added whiteout to PlayerEffectComponent and InGameWeatherman, twead NFX to improve windy behaviour and look at diff lights
  
• Added hornet torn wing art assets to the project
  
• Added hornet stinger art assets to the project
  
• Updating Iron Bucket to be consistent with other water hauling devices
  
• Adding in mining truck and texture pass to use in null sec mission
  
• Added fuel resource icons
  
• Saved missing json file (fixing build)
  
• Added beeswax wood and tempered glass into the buildingfunctionlibrary switch statement and building lookup. added new tag query for beeswax wood and a tag along with it
  
• Adding appropriate PM to Ice Breaker bones so they play the right footsteps when walked on
  
• Adding in wall mounted whiteboard, as well as finished part 2 of flag checkin for custom flagpole mesh
  
• Adding in Radiator and materials to use for Nul Sec mission, also hooked up contexts to D_Meshable
  
• Changing UMG_modifier state widget to orange modifier circle texutres from Blue
  
• Cliff Pass and Landscape Painting Pass, Outpost 11
  
• Adding Portable Biofuel Tank
  
• Fixing Truck Map Icon Build Validation Fail and Alpha Value rendering it invisible
  
• STRANDED: ASHLANDS, adding animations to the NPC's Adding new Truck Map Icon, Updating Medical Scanner UI, Mission is now completely playable, Setting up radiator & alternator, taking item icons, setting up truck and truck parts / interact points, removing all the accidental quest markers from the quest
  
• STRANDED: ASHLANDS, adding quest flag so you can craft the Alternator & Fabricator
  
• Affing new Radiator Image & Mesh Setup
  
• STRANDED: ASHLANDS, added missing prebuilt structures
  
• Ice sheet mission dialogue edits
  
• SMPL3 dialogue hookup, line added for staging before Null sector and post entry
  
• Dialogue edits for Ashlands story
  
• Updated DEP_Swamp_Ape_Attractor
  
• Cliff Pass, Riverbank Pass and Landscape Painting Pass, Outpost 11
  
• Small adjustments to the hammerhead slug Small volumes
  
• Fixed Exotic Infused Ignari spawning in Ashlands
  
• COMPOSITION: Missed file commit
  
• COMPOSITION: Further changes to mission flow
  
• Made a few changes to the medical scanner UI
  
• Increase Dressing Kit cost
  
• A few small adjustments to ice breaker falloff distance. Slightly reduced the total length of the audio now that there's more fog, feels more appropriate. increased intensity in close proximity footsteps. More reverb
  
• fixed incorrect material assignments for sandworm roof pyramid L piece
  
• Removing dialogue entries for build fix
  
• Outpost_012 - river adjustments, bank placement
  
• Concrete BLDs - removed trim from angled wall pieces, fixed skin table entries for limestone, added empty material slot to most base SMs to enable the correct limestone fracture material
  
• Replaced Ice Mammoth Shield icon with new model icon
  
• Fixed issue where opening bunker locker in-game rotated it 31d
  
• Removed limit for amount of bunker lockers that can be placed side by side
  
• Adding in bunker Locker setup and materials, supports snapping to eachother to place multiple in a row, rotation bug with anim to fix
  
• Fixed BP node compile errors after changing native variable type
  
• The new method of serialising prebuilt structures now supports being spawned at a generated world location
  
• STANDED: ASHLANDS, the timer only now counts down until you have provided aid to all the crew members, Fixing Initial Quest Step to include preperation phase, New NPC's will not longer consume extra medicine / food / oxygen / water if they don't need it, increasing interact distance on the medical device, adding prompts for the medical device, adjusting quest steps text for consistentcy, adjusting NPC food / oxy / water values so they require more to stabilise
  
• Adding in various signs to use for Null Sec mission, as well as multiple variants of the large base sign, one completely clear to use as a player sign if needed, added in medic cabinet with animations and setup, added in large variant of the flag pole, locker mesh to follow
  
• Fixing Water Can showing the Radiator Mesh
  
• STRANDED: ASHLANDS, Updating Scanner so you can scan other prospectors, adjusting truck interact points
  
• Adjusting biome modifier image to use a new shape and colour
  
• Outpost_012: Flushing grass cache
  
• Small adjustment to hammerhead slug axe equip volume
  
• Set player/cargo landing pads decay to do not decay
  
• Adding new BP for High Yield Deep or Veins, we now have a modifier for time on the BP itself so it can be adjusted in future
  
• New Hail Weather FX Prototype
  
• Cliff Placement Pass and Riverbank Pass, Outpost 11
  
• Outpost_012 - rivers, lake, riverbank, cliff placement
  
• Setup Beeswax reinforced wood item setups
  
• Prevent player/cargo landing pads from showing damage numbers
  
• Updated frozen lake collision profile to fix NPC IK making them clip through the ground when walking on top
  
• Cliff pass, Outpost 11
  
• Added a combined mesh for the ape boss balloon trophy to be use for placement
  
• Possible fix for unity build include compile error on build agent
  
• Adding Mesh and Icon for Ape Grenade
  
• Setting up Ballistic Asset for Hornet Throwing Knife
  
• Removing regualar Hornet throwing knife item
  
• Setting up Meshes and Icons for Hornet Throwing Knife, Hornet Stinger, Hornet Wing, Ape Hide, Ape Trophies anmd Ice Mammoth Armor
  
• Setting up Ice Mammoth Armor so it can be equipped
  
• Setting up Ape Fishing Trap, Recipe & Blueprint
  
• Setting up Ape Rug Trophy, Recipe & Blueprint
  
• Update exotic creatures color to purple from blue
  
• Added new CL param to force enable RTX
  
• Knobble FLODActorComponent for rocks and voxels in instanced levels
  
• Lava Flyer Nests are no longer valid AI targets
  
• Cliff Placement Pass and Riverbank Pass, Outpost 11
  
• Added first pass of whiteout storms for Ice Sheet
  
• Adding press medical scanner audio. Currently playing off medical scan UMG in 2d. Need to check it doesnt play for all players
  
• Added first batch of reworked aluminium buildable LODs
  
• Collision pass and PM pass on the mining truck for accuracy
  
• Adding Ice Mammoth Feet Armor Icon and Mesh setup
  
• Adding back new SMPL3 lines for nulsec entry
  
• Added cooling weather events to Ashlands
  
• Change Hail VFX to new one, updates to collision and shader, optmization pass
  
• Adding in progress light fuction material for Abyss cave triggers
  
• Fixed null skeletal mesh error in editor
  
• Added SK_CHA_MAL_ARM_IcemMammoth_feet
  
• Outpost_012 - riverbanks, lake adjustment, cliff placement, moss variant material for Cave_LC_Entrance 03

[/expand]