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Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK): Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'Beta Branch - Newest Changes & Experimental Features'.
Secondary Block Colors
[UBR] Ship Name blocks no longer darken the text if a custom secondary color is set
[UBR] Added a button to swap primary and secondary colors
Button is hidden when both colors are equal
[UBR] Fixed an issue where blocks with colorized windows (Crew Quarters, some Hulls) did not flicker for wreckages and ships with low energy
UI
Changed the Hud menu button to open the Ship Menu slightly:
While in Build Mode it will always open to the currently built ship
Added icon and extended tooltip to show whether the menu will open to a remote or the flown ship
“Inventory is almost full”-Warning is now shown at 50 remaining slots instead of 5
When flying an alliance craft the warning is displayed for the alliance inventory
Gameplay
Co-op flying now allows co-pilots to fire torpedoes if they own the corresponding weapon group
Creative Mode Command Center now includes all available subsystems when using the "Gimme Systems" button
Equipment Docks no longer sell Co-'n-Op Reconstruction Kits in galaxies with perma destruction enabled
Scripting API
Cargobay::addCargo and Entity::addCargo no longer accept negative cargo amounts.
If you want to fill the entire cargo hold use math.huge as amount
Multiplayer
Non-admin players can no longer access the debug menu of crafts (when admins have used addScript; restriction does not apply to galaxies with DevMode=true)
Bugfixes
Saved Designs window:
[UBR] Fixed an issue where the refresh button did not work (in Workshop folders)
Fixed automatic refresh for workshop sub-directory when item download finishes
The parent folder button no longer skips multiple parent folders
Removed non-functional "Rename" context menu entry for workshop items
Fixed an issue where errors during upload of a workshop item led to incomplete workshop items and unending “uploading…” shown in UI
[UBR] Fixed an issue where docking detection did not work reliably
[UBR] Fixed an issue with co-op flying where co-pilots were no longer able to do damage
[UBR] Fixed an issue where large ships could become stranded in rifts if the extraction was to be through a wormhole
[UBR] Fixed an issue where a player could become stranded in a rift after logging in
[UBR] Repairing NPC ships at relation status ceasefire will no longer be seen as breaking the ceasefire
[UBR] Fixed an issue where fighters were no longer controllable after renaming their mothership
[UBR] Fixed an issue where the Reconstruction dialog was not closable when a destroyed player ship had the same name as an alliance ship
[UBR] Fixed an issue in the Hire Crew window where the slider and the textbox disagreed on how many crew members to hire
[UBR] Fixed an issue where hyperspace jump energy would always include subsystems in the Build Mode's stats overview
[UBR] Fixed an issue where production capacity and speed up would always include subsystems in the Build Mode's stats overview
[UBR] Fixed Research stations producing unusable turret blueprints
[UBR] Ship group numbers in the ship list (galaxy map) are now centered so that their position no longer conflicts with active map command icons
[UBR] Fixed an issue where turrets on autofire would target invincible entities
[UBR] Fixed an issue where joining a password-protected dedicated server from Steam friend list was not possible
[UBR] Fixed station's push beams not letting go of ships that were given a new order during undocking
[UBR] Fixed an issue where it was possible to build blocks with zero thickness in voxel grid mode
Fixed an issue where it was possible to use templates to build blocks with zero thickness
Server now enforces a minimum block size
Fixed an issue where grid snapping did not work in voxel grid mode while matching a hovered block’s shape
Fixed a background rendering issue in sectors near rifts
Fixed an issue in rift sectors where thunder sfx were not 3D
Internal Technical Changes
Upgraded SteamAPI to 1.60
Removed workaround introduced in 2.3.2 and 2.4.1 for Linux server startup issues with Steam Clients from that time. These issues have been resolved in recent Steam Client versions.
Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK): Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'Beta Branch - Newest Changes & Experimental Features'.
Secondary Block Colors
[UBR] Fixed an issue where Cargo Bay patterns were too dark with default secondary color
Fixed an issue where Alternate Hull patterns and Armor patterns were too bright with dark primary color and default secondary color
Photo Mode
Field of View slider can now be set in steps of 5 instead of 10
[UBR] Fixed an issue where the Field of View slider could be set to zero.
Bugfixes
[UBR] Fixed an issue where rift missions would not be initialized correctly
[UBR] Fixed an issue with color identification which led to travel hub not working correctly
Fixed an issue where the Chameleon Subsystem did not highlight ships anymore
Fixed an issue where Creative Mode Command Center wouldn't work for alliance ships
Update 2.5 with secondary block colors and a photo mode is now live for everyone! With this update we introduce the long awaited secondary block colors! Most blocks now have the option to color their patterns independently from the main block color. And to top it off we added a photo mode so you can show off your building (and coloring) skills!
Secondary Block Colors
Secondary block colors are here! With these you can color in the blocks' patterns just as you like it. Look at this example of devs trying to show off their artsy talents ¯\_(ツ)_/¯:
I'm sure that you can do much better than us!
And to highlight some of the effects of the secondary color, here is a short list of the main changes: All generator-type blocks (Energy Containers, Energy Generators, Shield Generator, Hyperspace Core...) can have their glow color replaced. Before the glow color was depending on their material, but now you have the option to color them in any color you like.
The same applies for the engine glow and the thruster flames. Before you had to change the material, now you can color them with the secondary color!
And for a bunch more blocks you can now color the pattern. Before these patterns always had the same color and you had to adjust your block color until they matched. Now you can color the pattern to fit your vision instead!
These are just some examples, you'll find more changes in game! If you want to know exactly which blocks are changed take a look at the patch notes down below.
Photo Mode
Making screenshots has always been kind of a pain-in-the-butt-type thing in Avorion. And this is why we now implemented the perfect tool for that: Our photo mode! Now you no longer have to find the perfect sector with the perfect lighting and the perfect planet you want to have in the background. Just use the photo mode to switch sector styles, and once you've found a style to your liking, adjust all the other things right there! Reposition the sun and the planet, recolor the sector, add more stars, and many other things!
Additionally you can add a vignette effect or apply one of the filters until you've found the perfect visuals for your build. Or you can apply rift visuals for the eerie feeling. Have fun!
For everyone craving more details, here are the full patch notes:
Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK): Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'Beta Branch - Newest Changes & Experimental Features'.
Secondary Block Colors
Secondary colors for armor and hull blocks with alternate patterns now have the same brightness as the primary color
You can now build armor blocks without camo pattern by choosing the same color for primary and secondary color
To match the default primary color, look for a colors named "Iron Ore", "Titanium Ore", etc.
Modding
Armor blocks now use separate texture files again, so that they can be modded independently of hull blocks
Texture mods still need to be updated
Armor blocks of different materials no longer share the same mask
UI
Disabled mouse over sounds for empty places in color window (build mode)
edit 2024-06-12:
Photo Mode
Fixed camera speedup not working for some directions
Made camera controls independent of current steering mode
Hey everyone. The next Avorion update is finally ready for beta testing! In this update we introduce the long-awaited secondary block colors and - so everyone can properly show off their awesome coloring skills - a photo mode!
We wish you loads of fun with the new features and happily await your feedback! Let us know if you miss anything, if some things aren't as smooth as they could be or if you (simply) loved it! And let us see your awesome screenshots!
Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK): Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'Beta Branch - Newest Changes & Experimental Features'.
Secondary Block Colors
Blocks can now have a secondary block color. The secondary block color is dependent on the block type and can even change the light effects.
Added secondary colors for the color brush of the build mode
Open the color selection window to switch on secondary colors
Switching back to one-color mode resets the secondary color to its original, pre-update status
Added new preview element in the color selection window that shows in detail which colors are used
New blocks will be built using the previewed colors
Added a second color picker that picks the secondary color
Added a 'No Change' color
Use this when selecting blocks and you don't care which color they have
Use this to apply a primary or secondary color without changing the other color
Block info tooltips in the lower right corner show which colors are used for the block
Block types with secondary colors:
Crew Quarters - windows can now be colored
Cargo - dark parts of the block can now be colored
Armor - ever wanted to be a chameleon? Try coloring in your camouflage patterns according to the sector you're in.
Engine - Engine glow can now be colored
Thruster - Thruster particle flames can now be colored
Dock - Stripes of dock-doors can now be colored
Flight Recorder - yellow stripes can now be colored
Torpedo Storage - orange stripes can now be colored
Assembly - vents can now be colored
Turret Base - patches can now be colored
Hangar - hangar doors can now be colored
Shield Generator - glowing pattern can now be colored
Energy Container - glowing pattern can now be colored
Generator - glowing pattern can now be colored
Integrity Field Generator - glowing pattern can now be colored
Computer Core - glowing pattern can now be colored
Hyperspace Core - glowing pattern can now be colored
Transporter Block - glowing pattern can now be colored
Academy - blue pattern can now be colored in any color
Cloning Pods - green pods can now be colored in any color
Rich and Super-Rich Stone - glowing pattern can now be colored
Ship Name Block - name is now colorable
Alternate Hull Patterns - dark patterns can now be colored in any color
Dark / White Stripes - now in color!
Light blocks: Light is colored according to the secondary color unless the secondary color isn't set. Without a secondary color light blocks will behave like before the update.
Photo Mode
We created a new mode to make awesome screenshots! You'll find a new 'Photo Mode' button in the pause menu.
The new Photo Mode features:
A sector style selection: Either random or with an explicit style ID
you can even share this ID with your friends!
Free setting of sector visuals:
rift or no rift visuals
sun type and position
planet position
background star density
sector color
sector dustiness
Change the Field of View to find the perfect view
several filter effects:
Greyscale
Sepia
Desaturated
Saturated
A scalable vignette effect
A 'Take Screenshot' button to take screenshots without UI
Added a short flash to white to indicate saving of screenshot
An 'Open Screenshot Folder' button
Improved free camera movement
A new keybind option 'Photo Mode'
Gameplay
Allowed direct switching to your other crafts when controlling a fighter
Switching to a different craft within a sector is now always possible as long as you're allowed to enter it
Mothership in pirate encounter is now visibly connected to invincibility giving pirate ships
Fulfilled (done) objectives no longer show up in the on screen tracked mission displayer
However they still do show up in the missions tab
Build Mode: Transformation Brush no longer changes block colors
UI
Unknown colors are shown as hex-codes in block info tooltips
'No color' items in color selection have been removed
'Show Used Colors First' now shows duplicates of color items
Scripting API:
ScriptBlock::addBlock now takes an additional optional parameter to set a secondary color for the new block
existing Mods using the old addBlock-call are not affected by this
ScriptPlanComponent::setColor now takes an optional parameter secondaryColor
Added documentation for ScriptPlanComponent::setColor
Added ScriptPlanComponent::setSecondaryBlockColor
Added ScriptBlockPlan::setSecondaryBlockColor
Changed ScriptColor.toHtml to always print 6 hex digits led by a '#', i.e. '#000000' for black
Bugfixes
Fixed a rare crash in flight physics of fighters
Fixed an issue where hangars would be rendered way too bright in some cases
[UBR] Fixed an issue where Xsotan waves started spawning in a rift sector right after accepting the corresponding mission and before the player entered the sector
[UBR] Fixed an issue where the player wouldn't be warned of their ships destruction when switching to another sector while in a rift sector
[UBR] Fixed an issue where part of the ServerRunner window was not visible
[UBR] Fixed an issue where no warning was displayed when leaving ships behind in a rift sector
After performing well on the beta branch, patch 2.4.3 is now live on the default main branch.
We've fixed a few bugs (like the station-says-I'm-docked-but-I'm-not-actually-docked-what-the-hell-is-happening-bug) and implemented a workaround for an AMD driver crash.
UI
Improved consistency of subsystem tooltip descriptions
Bugfixes
Fixed an issue where client and server disagreed about docking state (This should resolve cases where the ship was shown as docked but various menus sent errors about not being docked)
Implemented a workaround for an AMD GPU driver issue
Fixed an issue where ancient gates could be connected to world boss sectors
Fixed an issue where it was possible to give orders meant for ships to stations
Fixed a crash when a station was ordered to support a ship and the ship left the sector
Fixed an issue where boss health bars were visible in build mode
Fixed a crash related to destroyed entities in scrapyard sectors
Fixed an issue where a tooltip obstructed the confirmation dialog when removing a subsystem with shift-click
More details about the AMD driver situation can be found in the previous Beta-Branch Announcement
Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK): Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'Beta Branch - Newest Changes & Experimental Features'.
UI
Improved consistency of subsystem tooltip descriptions
Bugfixes
Fixed an issue where client and server disagreed about docking state
This should resolve cases where the ship was shown as docked but various menus sent errors about not being docked
Implemented a workaround for an AMD GPU driver issue
Fixed an issue where ancient gates could be connected to world boss sectors
Fixed an issue where it was possible to give orders meant for ships to stations
Fixed a crash when a station was ordered to support a ship and the ship left the sector
Fixed an issue where boss health bars were visible in build mode
Fixed a crash related to destroyed entities in scrapyard sectors
Fixed an issue where a tooltip obstructed the confirmation dialog when removing a subsystem with shift-click
AMD situation
Some users reported crashes with AMD cards when creating or loading a galaxy using AMD driver version 23.12.1 or 24.1.1. We have implemented a workaround that hopefully addresses this issue. If you had this issue, please report in the comments if this patch fixes the issue for you (on driver 24.1.1). If the problem still exists we recommend a downgrade to driver 23.11.1.
Details
Some background on the status of this issue, by one of our devs:
"This problem is particularly difficult to debug. Originally none of our office PCs with AMD cards were affected. However, we managed to build a PC where we can reproduce the issue, but even with this PC, the crash doesn't happen reliably.
On a technical level, the crash happens in a thread run by the AMD driver in the Avorion process. This should not be possible unless there is a bug in the driver. For those who don't know: a driver *must not crash*. We have verified multiple times that our code is correct and doesn't raise any errors. We've contacted AMD multiple times over different channels but have not received a helpful answer, yet.
Warning, technical: To analyze the cause, we tried to disable various parts of the engine. When the crash disappeared we always had to test many times, as it wasn't 100% reliable. No crashes a few times in a row can just be plain (bad?) luck and lead down the wrong path. We finally found different, independent functions we could disable, that individually stopped the crash. None of them look like they made sense as a cause for a crash. Just leaving them disabled was no option either, we had to find a solution without impacting the content of the game. We settled on restructuring a small part of preparatory texture work so we give the driver less work while loading the game, and forced the driver to complete some of its work on our schedule instead of its own."
We're very sorry for the inconvenience. We hope that the workaround we've screwed into our engine fixes the issue for you fine AMD folks, and we hope we can remove it once the driver crash was fixed by AMD.
good news awaits as the latest patch 2.4.2 is now live on the default branch! After performing well on beta we're moving it onto default so you can enjoy the latest improvements over the holidays.
