Palis Airuta

Hello Noveans,
 
We have released the Athena update today, DU is now in version 0.29.4. The changes can be found below:
 
New Features
Brand new first time user experience (FTUE). Haven, a new sanctuary, has been added near Alioth. It has shuttle connections to the Pioneer Zone on Alioth and to Sanctuary. New players will choose their starting territory on Haven, then land there. A quick onboarding tutorial takes place after landing. New players choose from 10 starting outposts and 4 different speeders, which they deploy during the onboarding tutorial. Space territory control (Space Warfare) New alien space cores have been introduced which are claimable by players but not retrievable or removable. The alien space cores allow players to gather new plasma resources which are used for high-tier industry and manufacturing. Base Shield Generator A new shield generator designed specifically for Space and Alien Cores, these shield generators provide longer-term protection for a space construct and allow for the coordination of defensive actions. Added Lua functions (Most are similar to the Lua API of the Shield Generator for dynamic): [event] absorbed([float] hitpoints, [float] rawHitpoints) : Emitted when the shield absorbed incoming damage. [event] down(): Emitted when the shield hitpoints reached 0 due to damage. [event] restored(): Emitted when the shield hit points were fully restored. [event] enterLockdown(): Emitted when the shield enters lockdown. [event] leaveLockdown(): Emitted when the shield exits the lockdown. [float] getShieldHitpoints(): Returns the current hit points of the shield. [float] getMaxShieldHitpoints(): Returns the maximal hit points of the shield. [table] getResistances(): Returns distribution of resistance pool over resistance types. [0 or 1] setResistances([float] antimatter, [float] electromagnetic, [float] kinetic, [float] thermic) : Distribute the resistance pool according to damage. [float] getResistancesCooldown(): Returns time after which adjusting resistances is possible again. [float] getResistancesMaxCooldown(): Returns maximal cooldown between adjusting resistances. [float] getResistancesPool(): Returns total resistance pool that may be distributed. [float] getResistancesRemaining(): Returns the remaining amount of the resistance pool that can be distributed. [0 or 1] inLockdown(): Returns whether the base shield is currently in lockdown. [float] getLockdownRemaining(): Returns the remaining time of the base shield lockdown. [0 - 23] getLockdownExitTime(): Returns the hour since midnight of the preferred lockdown exit. [0 or 1] setLockdownExitTime([int] hour) : Set hour since midnight for the preferred lockdown exit. [table] getStressRatio(): Returns ratio per damage type of recent weapon impacts after applying resistance. [table] getStressRatioRaw(): Returns ratio per damage type of recent weapon impacts without resistance. [float] getStressHitpoints(): Returns stress, that is the total hit points of recent weapon impacts after applying. [float] getStressHitpointsRaw(): Returns stress, that is the total hit points of recent weapon impacts without resistance. Integrated a brand new 3D system map with new interactions. Overlays and displays for the planets, safezones and constructs on the map. Improved map performance for large amounts of constructs. Construct Speed Revamp Maximum reachable base speed is now based on a construct’s mass. Stasis weapons apply a maximum speed reduction to a construct. Rocket engines apply a maximum speed boost to a construct while firing. Space Market Aegis: a new market in space can now be found and traded on.  The Aegis has a public warp beacon for easy access. The Aegis Market has a 50km interdiction zone surrounding it that blocks space and static construct deployment. Shuttle Landing With the addition of Haven, a new satellite of Alioth, the Shuttle Landing buildings on Alioth and Sanctuary have been revamped to include shuttle services between Alioth, Sanctuary and Haven. Mining Units Lua API A new set of functions have been added to mining units allowing Control Units to gather information from a mining unit such as when it was last calibrated, its percentage, the location of the surface ore that was the result of the last calibration, and more. Added Lua functions : [string] getStatus() : Returns the current status of the mining unit ("STOPPED", "STALLED", "RUNNING"). [float] getRemainingTime() : Returns the time remaining on the drilling process. [int] getActiveOre() : Returns the id of the current selected resource. [table] getOrePools() : Returns the list of resources pool on the territory. Each resource pool object of the list contains ‘id’, ‘available’ and ‘maximum’ fields. [float] getBaseRate() : Returns the base production rate of the mining unit. [float] getEfficiency() : Returns the production efficiency of the mining unit. [float] getAdjacencyBonus() : Returns the territory's production adjacency bonus factor. This value will only be updated when a new batch is started. [float] getCalibrationRate() : Returns the current calibration rate of the mining unit. [float] getOptimalRate() : Returns the optimal calibration rate of the mining unit. [float] getProductionRate() : Returns the production rate of the mining unit. [vec3] getLastExtractionPosition() : Returns the position of the extracted ore during the last calibration in world coordinates. [int] getLastExtractingPlayerId() : Returns the ID of the last player who calibrated the mining unit. [float] getLastExtractionTime() : Returns the time in seconds since the last calibration of the mining unit. [float] getLastExtractedVolume() : Returns the amount of ore extracted during the last calibration. [int] getLastExtractedOre() : Returns the id of the extracted ore during the last calibration. Added Lua events : [event] statusChanged([string] status) : Emitted when the mining unit status is changed. Provide the new status. [event] completed([int] oreId, [float] amount) : Emitted when the mining unit completes a batch. Provide the item ID of the mined ore and the amount mined in the batch. [event] calibrated([int] oreId, [float] amount, [float] rate) : Emitted when the mining unit is calibrated. Provide the item ID of the extracted ore, the amount extracted and the new calibration rate. Added new Lua Item API : [table] system.getItem([int] id) : Return the item table corresponding to the given item ID : [int] id : The ID of the item. [string] name : The name used to define the item. [string] displayName : The name of the item used in the game. [string] locDisplayName : The name of the item used in the game in the language of your game. [string] displayNameWithSize : The name of the item used in the game with the size (XS,S,M,L). [string] locDisplayNameWithSize : The name of the item used in the game with the size (XS,S,M,L) in the language of your game. [string] description : The description of the item in English. [string] locDescription : The description of the item in the language of your game. [string] type : The type of item. [float] unitMass : The unit mass of the item. [float] unitVolume : The unit volume of the item. [int] tier : The tier of the item (1 to 5). [string] size : The size of the item (xs, s, m, l). [string] iconPath : The path of the item's icon in the game files (usable on the screens). New Lua Screen Update Changed screens and signs resolution. Added HDR color support. Added SDF fonts support and improved fonts quality. Added new or changed existing text functions : [int] loadFont([string] fontName,[int] defaultSize) - The font size setting becomes the "default" font size and can be changed during script execution with the setFontSize function. addText([int] layer,[int] font,[string] text,[float] x,[float] y) - Now supports the following properties : fillColor, shadow, strokeColor, strokeWidth. [float] getFontSize([int] font) : Return the currently-set size for the given font. setFontSize([int] font,[int] size) :Set the size at which a font will render. setDefaultTextAlign([int] layer,[int] alignH,[int] alignV) : Set the default text alignment of all subsequent text strings on the given layer. Added layers transforms functions : setLayerOrigin([int] layer,[float] x,[float] y) : Set the transform origin of a layer; layer scaling and rotation are applied relative to this origin. setLayerRotation([int] layer,[float] rotation) : Set a rotation applied to the layer as a whole, relative to the layer's transform origin. setLayerScale([int] layer,[float] sx,[float] sy) : Set a scale factor applied to the layer as a whole, relative to the layer's transform origin. setLayerTranslation([int] layer,[float] tx,[float] ty) : Set a translation applied to the layer as a whole. setLayerClipRect([int] layer,[float] x,[float] y,[float] sx,[float] sy) : Set a clipping rectangle applied to the layer as a whole. Added new shapes and image related functions : addBezier([int] layer,[float] x1,[float] y1,[float] x2,[float] y2,[float] x3,[float] y3) : Add a quadratic bezier curve to the given layer. Supported properties: shadow, strokeColor, strokeWidth. addImageSub([int] layer,[int] image,[float] x,[float] y,[float] sx,[float] sy,[float] subX,[float] subY,[float] subSx,[float] subSy) : Add a sub-region of an image to the given layer. Supported properties: fillColor, rotation. [float],[float] getImageSize([int] image) : Return the width and height of an image. [string] getLocale(): Return the locale in which the game is currently running (“en-EN”, “fr-FR”, “de-DE”). Balance Changes
Talent point gain changes Unqueued talent point gain per second: 0.1>1 Queued talent point multiplier: 15>1.5 This means your talent point gain per minute will go up from 1 to 60 when not training anything. Your training talent point gain will remain at 90. Element Mass changes: Warp Drive: 31000kg > 75000kg Large Gunner Module: 11000kg > 16000kg Medium Gunner Module: 2000kg > 4250kg Extra-Small Adjustor: 22kg > 25kg Small Adjustor: 42kg > 100kg Medium Adjustor: 200kg > 450kg Large Adjustor: 1000kg > 1550kg All Small Shield variations: 3300kg > 5000kg All Medium Shield variations: 17000kg > 30000kg  All Large Shield variations: 92000kg > 125000kg  All medium weapons: x1.5~ (roughly 2850kg > 4275kg) All large weapons: x1.25~ (roughly 15000kg > 19000kg) Shield Generator HP changes: Base values for Extra-Small Shield: 500000 > 450000  Base values for Small Shield: 2000000 > 1750000  Base values for Medium Shield: 7500000 > 5000000  Base values for Large Shield: 20000000 > 10000000 Railgun fittings costs changed XS: 400 > 375 S: 2000 > 1875 M: 10000 > 9375 L: 50000 > 46875 Command seat changes Fittings capacity: 125000 > 175000 Large weapon slots: 0 > 3 Element Mass: 158 > 3500 Atmospheric Radar Ranges changed Max visibility range: 5000m > 10000m Atmospheric Radar S: All identification ranges set to 2000m Atmospheric Radar M: All identification ranges set to 4000m Atmospheric Radar L: All identification ranges set to 8000m Balanced existing space and atmospheric engines variation: Freight: Light, Best Fuel Reduction, Worse T50 Maneuver: Good Fuel Reduction, Good T50 Military: Best thrust, More fuel Consumption Safe: Minor Fuel Reduction, Best T50, Removed thrust penalty Added exotic space and atmospheric engine variations. Added variations up to tier five for Hover Engines and Vertical Boosters The freight variation consumes less fuel but has smaller range The military variation is more powerful but consumes more fuel The maneuver variation has more range but is less powerful Added variations for Item containers The optimized variation is lighter and has more capacity. The gravity-inverse variation reduces the mass of contained materials, but it is heavier when empty, and has reduced max volume. Added variations for Shield Generators The active shield generator variant boasts a reduced venting cooldown and stronger venting regeneration at the cost of adjustable resistances and resistance adjusting cooldown. The variable shield generator variant boasts stronger adjustable resistances and resistance adjusting cooldown at the cost of base shield health. The capacitor shield generator variant boasts a stronger base shield health at the cost of venting cooldown and venting power reductions. Gameplay Changes
[Mining Units] Changed the extraction point to the bottom of mining units. [Mining Units] Changed the scoring in the extraction minigame, so that hotspots now have a "plateau" where the score will be 100%. This makes it easier to get a 100% score in the minigame, without having to target a specific pixel on the hotspot. [Parenting] Allow to force undock any construct you’re aiming at (with proper rights). [Mining tool] Improve tool behavior consistency. [Harvesting tool] Unify tool behavior with mining tool with an auto mode (MMB) and improve consistency. [Elements] Element deactivation due to collisions is slightly more tolerant on existing constructs for backward compatibility. [Lua] getTime() is now deprecated, because it depends on the time zone. You can use instead : [float] getArkTime() : returns the current time since the arrival of the Arkship on September 30th, 2017. [float] getUtcTime(): Return the current time since January 1st, 1970. [float] getUtcOffset(): Return the time offset between local timezone and UTC. Some Aphelia hauling missions are now considered "special" missions. Players will see only a subset of special missions for a given day. A different player may not see the exact same special mission. When taken, special missions have a specific remaining time (likely 24 hours). Special mission packages still block warp drive (this point is unchanged from the current mechanics, but we’re reinforcing it for clarity) [Piloting] Trajectory display mode is no longer available to passengers.
Improvements
[Blueprints] A preview of the constructs honeycomb is now displayed while deploying a blueprint. [Rendering] Improved the water rendering. [Rendering] Improved the look of the terrain. [Rendering] Introduced new skybox background. [Rendering] Improved the far ground voxels rendering. [Rendering] Improved the appearance of volumetric clouds. [Rendering] Introduced new star rendering to improve the skybox visuals. [Rendering] Small performance improvement on the main light of the world. [Rendering] Fixed an issue where screen units could appear all-white and fail to render until relogging. [Rendering] Removed the limit on the maximum number of marks displayed in the world (which was 58). Now the client returns all marks that need to be returned, regardless of the number of marks displayed. [Rendering] Improved the appearance of secondary lighting from the surrounding environment. [Rendering] Fixed glitched preview of Luminescent White Glass. [Server] Improved performance of the mesh generation backend. [UI] Added a filter (and sort) panel for elements listed in maps. Allowing to filter by owner, name, construct type, and/or sort on name/distance/owner. [UI] Various UI polish. [UI] Polished widgetstack UI style. [UI] Improved controls settings UI buttons. [UI] Improved industry batch time precision. [UI] Reactivated inventory background. [UI] Added the current UTC time on the HUD. [UI] Added mining unit type for the notification panel. [UI] Activated more build helper infos for piloting helper. [UI] Move container total items at the bottom of the panel. [UI] Adding specific chat color for Novaquark staff and Community helpers. [UI] Modified a few icons in notification panel for: General, barter, industry and RDMS. [VFX] Improved flashlight VFX. [VFX] Reworked all engine VFX. [VFX] Updated VFX when warping. [VFX] Updated VFX when going at high speed. [VFX] Replaced explosion VFX & SFX from weapons. [VFX] Harvesting ores now do not glow by default. They now only glow when the player equips the harvest tool. [Physics] Conserve momentum when mass is increased before resuming speed. [Voxels] Optimized some voxel operations. [Voxels] Added assignable custom keybindings for Vertex Precision Tool. [Lua] Disabled code dumping provided by string library. [Lua] Lua constants library now returns read-only constants. [Markets] Simplified bots market orders by removing the spread. [Network] Avatar color changes are now replicated in real time over the network. [SFX] Close avatars now emit footstep sounds [SFX] Footstep SFX are now adapted to the current surface being walked on. Escape key no longer closes the game. [GunnerUI] Improve feedback synchronization for firing and weapon impact. [Tools] Added new sounds to many tools. [Codex] Improved search functionality by highlighting the word search in the codex text, and by filtering the navigation menu in order to display main categories which are from the highlighted words. [Market landing pads] Removed lamp posts from the landing pads, added more emissive voxels for better visibility [FTUE] Various Aphelia speech tweaks [FTUE] Added untab step after exiting the map [FTUE] Added step before the outpost screen tutorial to detect if the player has a tool equipped. if yes, Aphelia explains how to unequip the tool [FTUE] Aphelia recommends the Talents mini-tutorial when explaining the outpost objective screen. [FTUE] Outpost objective screen now notes that it is Work In Progress [FTUE] Improved outpost objective screen descriptions to show which mini-tutorials are available and which are not. [Avatar creator] Added music. Detection zone can now be triggered when sitting on a chair, or when using an elevator. Display a notification when trying to disband an organization which has the role of superlegate in another organization. Updated the roadmap. [System map] Drawn distance meter between player & hovered item (if no item is selected).
Bug Fixes
Fixed a precision issue with coordinates. [UI] Interchanged territory and organization icon. [SFX] Fixed sound remaining off after any loading screen. [SFX] Fixed metal cracking sound still playing after a ship crash. [UI] Fixed missing space construct icon on minimap. [UI] Fixed the map selection picker not always displayed. [UI] Sell order notification no longer shows the market name as 'market'. [UI] Fixed button clicking sound played twice on sell/buy button on market UI. [Linked container] Fixed an inconsistent message upon breaking/restoring the container. [Achievement] Wealthy achievement quanta requirement increased from 100 000 to 400 000. [Rendering] Fixed water ship “cutout” glitch. [Rendering] Fixed multiple visual bugs with water. [Rendering] Fixed volumetric fog visibility through clouds. [Rendering] Fixed fuel container highlights not displayed in some cases. [Rendering] Fixed missing screen space shadows (additional shadows for grass). [Rendering] Fixed Alioth water not being rendered when getting close to Sanctuary. [Rendering] Fixed some aliasing issues in the character customization and the periscope views. [Rendering] Fixed screen units not being visible through certain transparent elements such as force fields. [Radars] Fixed construct position incorrectly updated. [Radars] Fixed construct mass incorrectly displayed by Radars. [Lua] Fixed Lua parameters editing fails. [Lua] Fixed implicit activation of ControlUnits on broken constructs. [Lua] Fixed construct mass sometimes incorrect in the api lua when using a programing board. [Lua] Fixed an issue where the Lua screen unit setOutput command could fail under rare circumstances. [Parenting] Fixed avatar not kickable once boarded. [Parenting] Fixed broken force-undocking a child construct from the build helper. [Parenting] Fixed "Undock from" incorrect message, and appearing when not docked. [Parenting] Fixed a bug where docked construct mass would sometimes contribute twice. [Parenting] Prevent docking when maneuvering other player’s constructs on your territory. [Parenting] Added notification error when attempting to manually dock or undock in automatic mode. [Warping] Ship speed is now always 0km/h when reaching destination. [Warping] Fixed negative distance when the warp target was too close. [Settings] Fixed decor display distance setting that was not saved. [Tutorials] Fixed players able to interact with elements in the market tutorials before being asked to. [Tutorials] Fixed market tutorial locking when entering incorrect amounts in the buy and sell portions of the tutorial. Prevent implicit activation of ControlUnits on broken constructs. Fixed an issue where shadows could appear very detached from their casting object. Fixed an issue where light rendering could appear cropped at a certain radius. Display the correct tile owner name inside the requisition popup. Hide requisition context menu if the player is not the owner, legate or super legate of the organization who possess the tile. [Periscope widget] Fixed display if no target is selected. [Marks] Displayed distance matches distances from radar when piloting or in a Gunner Module. Restored notification to the construct owner when the construct is damaged (PVP). Fixed: Display lockdown countdown in the reticle. Editing Lua parameters now works on complex scripts. Context menu on item in linked container while market panel is opened is now consistent with context menu for item in inventory while market is opened. [Radar] Spurious far targets no longer appear. Fix some cases where bookmarks are replaced with the respawn point. [PvP] Fixed a bug where reloading/unloading weapons triggered Combat Lock. Removed sound environment being duplicated when entering a tutorial or a surrogate session. Fixed a bug where you were allowed to tokenize a construct that you are piloting with a remote controller, leaving the construct stuck in remote control. [Linking] Added more notifications when linking or unlinking fails. Fixed some chat messages that were received several times, or weapon shots that were triggered several times. Notification "You died at xxxx Check the last death position bookmark in the map" is no longer added multiple times. Fixed inspecting item inside build helper elements report which close the enhanced mouse mode. Fixed a problem where the player would sometimes get stuck when logging out in a seat. [FTUE] Changed "RMB" for "LMB" when explaining the Outpost Objective screen. Fixed Transfer Unit stay default state. [Planet/system map] Fixed owner sometime not being displayed on first click (part of DU-34818) Fixed territory tooltip for expired territories in the territories list of the map. Don't show the warning/info icon (concerning territory status explanation) on territory not owned by the player or one of his organization). [FTUE tile selection] Fixed owner of an owned territory not being displayed on first click. Fixed a looping calibration sfx not being correctly stopped when existing calibration modal in loading step. Allowed the use of  '-|' in bookmark name & description. [UI] Fixed dropdown being cut in the mission search panel (for destination dropdown). Added a small delay (100ms) before doing a drag start. This reduces risk to unintentionally start (and end) a drag, when quickly selecting multiple items in inventory. Regen crafting queue display on active container switch. Avoiding ingredient list of futur recipes displaying available ingredients that were in the previous container. Removed the final "." in the renamed territory modal title. Fixed a bug where the player could enter build mode during FTUE landing sequence. Fixed a bug where the player could not achieve a tutorial requiring nanocrafter if they had previously performed a search in the item hierarchy. Added confirmation pop-up for back and forward tutorial step keys. Fixed displayed acceleration at low framerate.
Crash Fixes
Fixed rare crash on game shutdown. Fixed rare crash and freeze during loading. Fixed uncommon crash when entering a Gunner seat. Fixed a crash when accepting a barter request twice. [GunnerUI] Fixed occasional crashes when changing cameras.
Known Issues
Space Mining Units and Plasma Collector Lua API will not yet be implemented, but will come in a future minor update. The Objective screens in the Outposts are Work in Progress. Not all tutorials will trigger. The text on the Objective screen indicates which tutorial triggers and which is coming soon. [FTUE] Speeder step sometimes fails to deploy, speeder too far. We are investigating the issue, this issue can be self-resolved by disconnecting and reconnecting to the game. [FTUE] Localization has not been completed for the new tutorial and is currently only available in English.
   
Thank you all for your support!
- Deckard

We need Bookmark folders
We need Org Bookmarks
Constructs should be separated into Separate categories for dynamic, static and space and probably also between personal and org.
 
I agree that having a visual representation of at least org owned dynamic constructs on the space map would be really nice.
 
The improved space map is good, long overdue but good. Could be better though

We have been through wipe after wipe and major impactful changes in the last few years and it was never easy. I've rage quit myself a few times because of it.
 
Taking things into perspective
Having said that I can say that I'm 100% for any change needed to make DU the best it can be. Weather that means a full wipe or a partial one should depend on what that means for DU and not a few unhappy players. In the end if you want to achieve great things you have to go through the mud sometimes.
 
Reward
I remember some time in a long lost past I played a similar game. We had buildingcontests where people could win exclusive skins or decorations that were highly desired and admired. I think it might be a good idea to award everyone that has supported the development of DU with an exclusive skin or decoration.
 
Final word
Since the start of my DU journey a few years ago till today I still cannot see how it is possible to make DU fun without any form of NPC or survival element. And from the NQ video's I get the idea that even NQ doesn't know how to make it fun with it's current player only mantra. I have very little faith in this concept and I don't understand why it has to be this way other than that it's a lot of work to make. It may be a lot of work but also has a lot of reward if done right. In addition to that as a metaverse DU needs heavy social interaction features, there is none of that right now.
 
 

My take on the DU FTUE back-story (in jest of course)
 
Okay so to recap, we were cryogenically frozen ...
Travelled thousands of light-years across the universe ...
looking for a new Earth like planet to call home.
 
The Ark ship finally gets to Alioth (Hallelujah!) and we are awoken by the A.I. ...
who puts us in a drop pod (lander) to start our new life ...
but due to some gross miscalculation the drop pod shoots in the opposite direction and we land on a 'moon' devoid of surface water.
 
The A.I. did however take the time to mine all the necessary ores ...
in order to build infrastructure (institutes, markets, mission hubs, etc.) ...
on not only one but ALL the moons and planets in the Helios system (and in the middle of the safe zone)!
 
Not only that but the A.I. also took the time (while we were frozen, I might add) ... 
to stock these markets (except Haven) with items and schematics for us to purchase from her ...
with the daily allowance that she gives to us for surviving yet another day in her reality!
 
She coddles us along, providing tutorials and opportunities to learn new skills ...
which in the end provides more income to her data 'bank' ...
through territory purchases, market taxes, non-HQ territory taxes, etc.
 
All the while pushing us towards PvP ...
To fight against one another for capturing rare resources ...
in an A.I. calculated misdirection.
 
The real enemy has been in front of us all this time ...
the true gameplay is Player versus A.I. ...
Down with our Overlord Aphelia!!!  🙃

How much WORK or EFFORT I have put into this game is irrelevant, and there are very few who can argue they have put in more time and effort into building then I have.

I have no expectation of work product, in this or any other game. Nor is there any legal right to it, in this or any other game. Games have run for years, only to shut down overnight with no warning. No expectation of compensation, no compensation will ever come.

 I have my knowledge, and if the Stroke I had in January didn't wipe that, then for sure NQ can't.
 
All I truly care about is that we hit the ground at release with solid:
1. Lore/Cannon for it all. Write a damn story to explain it.
2. A functional communication system. (long neglected and def NOT ready for release)
3. The ability to choose how much audio and visual "noise" we want the game to display. IE a functional UI with settings controls. (long neglected and def NOT ready for release)
4. A well thought out plan on how to start an economy, and how to adjust it when it goes out of wack (which it will)
5. A strong and robust set of game mechanics that are FUN to play, and prioritize those who want CONSTRUCT a civilization over those who what to hack, slay, and steal. 
 
give me that, and I'm willing to start over building shacks and scooters.

Greetings Noveans, there is an important part of our Athena update that we have not discussed yet: our new First Time User Experience (FTUE) tutorial. Let’s remedy this without further ado!
 
Dual Universe’s FTUE has been drastically improved upon to provide players with an easier to understand, more concise and overall better introduction to the game.
 
Here are the details about what the new FTUE includes:
 
SAFE MOONS

As many of you know, we provide every player with a Safe Moon territory. Safe Moons are planets placed in a Safe Zone of space, where no PvP actions are allowed. In addition to being PvP-safe, the territories on these Safe Moons are permanent, which means once you have claimed such a territory, you have a persistent residence in the solar system. The Safe Moons are also excluded from Upkeep Costs.which we believe are a crucial aspect for a player’s peace of mind, should they need to take a break from Dual Universe at any time.
 
As the game continues to expand and more Noveans join the adventure, we added a brand new planet: Haven. It is one of the Safe Moons of Alioth, the other one being the well known Sanctuary. With this update, new players will now land directly on the moon called Haven, which is designed specifically to be friendly for new players: it has three main rings of land, each of which present with different environments, as well as no bodies of water. Haven has a total of six biomes, and 20 new markets - including 10 districts that connect Haven to both Alioth and Sanctuary thanks to a shuttle system that players can take freely. No matter where players find themselves, they can now easily visit their fellow Noveans!
 
Haven
 
Shuttle Station
 
STARTING THE FTUE
A big change in the new FTUE is that players will begin their journey by landing on Haven. Once they complete their character customization, they will then be required to select their starting territory. The new players will then find themselves in a lander directly over their selected territory. It will automatically be claimed by the player and Aphelia will guide them through the rest of the FTUE.
 
Players will also choose an Outpost to deploy on the planet as part of the introduction to the game. Outposts are small bases that allow players to try their hand in Dual Universe’s basic features. They are equipped with a Resurrection Node, a VR Station and a Basic Mining Unit S (small) to provide them with a smoother start. Aphelia will direct players to the location of these elements in each Outpost, and explain their purpose.
 
There are ten different outposts to choose from. Which one players choose is purely a reflection of their design preferences. For example, they may wish to go for a new settlement aesthetic and choose the Station Outpost. On the other hand, the Pilot Outpost provides players with a runway for an aviation environment. Don’t forget the Tri Outpost with how it brings a sci-fi feel as it elevates just off the ground!
 
 
Station Outpost
 
Tri Outpost
 
After the quick introduction is over and players have explored their Outpost, they are then free to do what they like. Players can find suggestions of next steps using the Outpost’s ‘Objectives screen’, use the VR Station for advanced tutorials, expand their Outpost constructs or venture out into the universe with an organization or as a lone wolf.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
With the fundamentals learned and the introduction complete, players will now have what they need to begin their Dual Universe journey. What will they create? Which organization will they join? The tools are in your inventory Noveans, what will you choose?
 
Your feedback on the new and improved FTUE is invaluable so that we can welcome many new players to our game and improve Dual Universe. Please help us make this the best experience possible for everyone by providing your feedback here!
 

Hi everyone!
 
You probably heard that NQ-Pann has left Novaquark a few weeks ago.
Today, we are happy to announce that a new Community Manager is joining the team: NQ-Nyota ! ?
Please give her a warm welcome! 
 
P.S: on a side note, NQ-Naerais is still unavailable but should be back in a couple of months.
 
Best Regards,
Nyzaltar.

I am with Hagbard on this.
Yes there is people with 25 "Dynamic construct" core placed everywhere, junk construct etc...
But there is also a lot of creator or people that have made wonderful project to promote the game and create content for other player. With this change you are removing the small amount of interest of people that want to create content for the game.

1625 core is on the paper. In practice, it will not be like that.
1)  we will not have the skill points to have all 25 construct. (people will have ~21 lvl3) so to have 275  you need ~12 players in a org. (but actually we have multiple org with 275, so we will not be able to keep those core)
2) people that create content atm don't have only 1 org so they have access to more than 275
3) people that have museum or showroom will not be able to keep those beautiful place. Atlas museum is ~ 120 core just by itself and that mean we will not be able to extend it and show the rest of the players the amazing ship people have created in the past.
4) people that have focus their gameplay in the new mining mechanism will not be able to keep that running. You don't just need to have the core fore the MU but you need all the infrastructure to manage the ore transfert.

You are not limiting the number of core organization can have but the number of core a player can dispose.
Every player will be able to have 45 constructs max  => 25 constructs (as org) + 20 constructs (personnal). So basicly you can't play correctly anymore if you don't have some alt's that sit in the org for calibration and core sharing.
Those alts don't provide any content to the game, they are not real player. I have nothing against Alts, but you should not design your game on them.

If the problem is core that are abandoned in a random tile, just implement a salvage mechanism. Don't worry we will clean those core.

Kind regards

@NQ if the new proposed changes are going to require me to delete or abandon over 200 cores, can you please implement a way to disassemble cores without having to remove all the voxel and elements manually. I think we would all appreciate this greatly.

Oh man..  15 + 10 cores as the max cap for any player regardless is really not that much and it is going to hurt A LOT of people badly.
 
Just of the top of my head.
- The new MU system is eating cores like they are candy
- Ship sellers need lots of cores for demonstration models
- Ship museums
- Creative players often use lots of dynamic cores to work around placement limitations for artistic expressions
 
Right now the only good thing I can think of is that this will limit the usefulness for making those pesky space elevators. But for big projects like race tracks, player driven markets etc.. oh man they are going to struggle.
 
And this limit will be a large hindrance for the stability of large community projects, since they will now be depending on the good will of players sacrificing slots and not taking them back again later.

yes i am, but i add a lot of content, innovation , and free stuff as well. but cannot afford that any more quite soon unless i get sponsored.
 

Wallet feeling a little light lately? Get ready to remedy that when the Panacea update hits, bringing with it two lucrative, quanta-producing possibilities: space wrecks and inactive asset requisitioning (IAR).
 
SPACE WRECKS
 

You’re going about your business, flying through space from one market to another or heading out to join some friends when your radar unexpectedly reveals something. Curious, you move closer to investigate and find wreckage. There’s no indication of who left it behind or why. Finders keepers, right? It’s yours now. And you’ve got some choices to make.
 
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Will you: 
salvage the ship for materials and elements? tokenize and sell the whole ship? sell the information about where the wreck is located? create a mission to get someone else to salvage it? The decision is all up to you.
 
RADAR AND RARITY
No special equipment is needed to locate these space wrecks, your standard radar is enough to detect them.
They will spawn randomly throughout Helios. There are five tiers of rarity, with lower-tier wrecks with low-value contents spawning at a higher frequency. The highest-tier wrecks will be harder to find; those who discover and harvest them will be rewarded with high-value materials and elements.
 
INACTIVE ASSET REQUISITIONING
 
This system is being introduced to address one of the chief complaints we’ve heard from Noveans, namely abandoned constructs cluttering up the universe, especially in public markets.
 
The purpose of IAR is to:
create salvaging opportunities for players around the game world. ensure cleanliness and performance around markets and other Aphelia zone hot spots. clean up older, unowned constructs.  
In other words, IAR has the potential to create a less cluttered environment for everyone and a fatter wallet for you.
 
ABANDONED CONSTRUCTS DEFINED
Players with a subscription, even if they have not logged in for a while, are in no danger of having their constructs flagged as “abandoned”, with the exception of constructs parked in Aphelia territory as noted below.
 
In effect, constructs belonging to unsubscribed users and not on their owners’ sanctuary zones will eventually lose their ownership, putting them in an abandoned state and making them vulnerable to be salvaged by other players. Likewise, constructs owned by an organization will lose their ownership when the org’s last remaining legate ends their subscription.
 
During the unsubscribe process, players will be reminded that their constructs will be in danger of becoming abandoned. When the constructs lose ownership, a blueprint will be placed in the owner’s inventory should they choose to return to Helios at a later date.
 
TIME’S TICKING 
When an account becomes inactive due to a canceled subscription, a countdown will begin on all constructs belonging to that account. After a period of time, those constructs will lose their ownership and other players will be able to salvage or capture them.
 
Then, all unowned constructs will have a countdown timer and it will count down from the moment it is unowned, regardless of why they are unowned (PvP destruction, IAR, abandonment, etc.) At the end of this timer, the construct will simply be removed from the game world.
 
The ‘ownership’ timer for unsubscribed players’ constructs is three months (90 days/2160 hours). The timer is the same for organization-owned constructs and begins when the last active legate of the owning organization’s subscription expires.
 
Each time a construct is unclaimed, whether due to an owner’s inactive game account or if abandoned via PvP, a one-month countdown to decay is set and is visible to everyone. If no one salvages the construct, it will be permanently removed from the game.
 
As with most newly introduced systems, this is subject to change in the future depending on the metrics we see as time passes.
 
SPECIAL RULES FOR MARKETS 
A modified version of IAR will be used on Aphelia territories, including all market zones.
Regardless of whether or not the owner is an active subscriber, all constructs on Aphelia territories are subject to IAR. As soon as a player exits their construct in Aphelia territory, a 168-hour (seven-day) abandonment countdown will begin for that construct. This is considerably shorter than the default IAR timer. Once that countdown reaches 0, the construct will lose its ownership. A new countdown timer of 48-hours (two days) before deletion will start ticking.
 
HAPPY HUNTING
 
Will you be among the happy scavengers scouring the skyways and byways for wrecked ships and abandoned constructs? Join the conversation about this devblog here.

No good way of stopping them, but the mechanic will solve most of the issue and at least put a good amount of work and risk of losing their stuff in the hands of the people who clutter the market. And hopefully the feeling that they harm the game with their "I have a new ship and everybody should see it even if it kills the game" attitude.

Hi all!
 
After reading your feedback, we have noted that the removal of log functions was having a big impact on you. So after some internal discussions to find a solution based on your suggestions that would meet your expectations but would not be too heavy to implement, we have made a decision.
 
We plan to add with Panacea, the ability to copy to your clipboard the content of a chat channel, and clean it up.

It is certain that this will not provide a nice solution for the problems related to the lack of data export to virtual currency systems. We have some ideas for this but it won't be for a while unfortunately.

Hopefully this announcement will allay your concerns  

NQ-Ligo

Unless you specifically deactivated DRM on your structures, requisitioners can not blueprint them either, nor copy paste voxelmancy into another structure.

@Tiberis
Seems you missed the part about HQ tiles where even if no taxes are paid you will not lose ownership.
Also, and quite some time ago, NQ made it pretty clear that only your Sanctuary tile willl ever be truly "safe"..

Ehm Nope, for many of us that what you suggest would pull the plug. We spent a lot of energy all of Beta to be erased and start over again. 

I'm not a fan of this kind of system.
Let's wait to see the addition of Territory Wars. Let the destruction of elements be the result of a voluntary commitment in PvP zone.
It also takes more tools to be able to use / replace broken elements.
In reality, I think it is necessary to speed up the gameplay of the game:
- Limit the maximum number of elements you can put on a ship (which reduces the price of a ship).
- Reduce warp price but implement interception mechanics
=>
If the game is faster, the ships less imposing and less expensive. People will be more able to take risks in PvP zone.

Dear NQ,
 
We in SVEA run an element shop, recently featured in The Helios Bulletin. We've developed a system to centrally update the screens for each of the 600+ dispensers so that our customers can see the price and batch size without having to click on the dispenser, in addition to making the shopping experience nicer.
 
Although updating all screens centrally saves a lot of time, the dispensers still needs to be manually updated with price (and batch size if that is to be changed). We did get a nice update to the UI for the dispensers a while back but that only helps with the initial setup, not the long-term management of the only way a "player market" can be created in the game right now.
 
Can we please have a word on when a LUA API for dispensers will be a thing?
 
These are the most important API functionalities the dispensers are missing:
 
SetPrice(price) - sets the price. GetPrice() - Returns the currently set price  
These are extras I thought would be nice to have
Activate() - Disables purchases from a container without having to go through the RDMS system, much like the VR Pod station needs to be activated via RMB. Deactivate() - Opposite of Activate(), obviously GetContainerId() - returns the ID of the connected container, or 0 if not yet connected. HasBatchContents() - returns true if the dispenser has any configured batch contents. BatchesAvailable() - returns the number of batches available in the connected container.  
At first I thought that a function like SetBatchSize() would be good, but instead of that, lets change the dispenser such that the buyer can enter the number of batches they want to buy (up to whatever total the seller has configured)
 
You already know that there are other similar shops out there and while I don't speak for them, I think they too would appreciate the above proposed improvements.
 
Br,
 
Yoarii
 
PS: Not sure if tagging NQ like this actually helps in getting their attention, but here goes. @NQ-Deckard
 
 
 

Hi everyone!

As you were quite a few to wonder what was the reasons behind "it's more complex than it seems" regarding the tax rates, here is an explanation frome the Game Design team: 

"It's all about faucets and sinks. When implementing a major system like taxes (which should have been there from the beginning),  "more complex than it seems" refers indeed the interconnection of several systems: Tax rate/Upkeep of course, but also resources generation through Calibration and Asteroid Mining. Another important factor quite difficult to anticipate is "Player habits". When taking into account all these factors, it's extremely difficult to make it right on first try. When balance issues occur, the best way to find a long-term solution (and to be sure to have identified the right issues) is to analyze at least a few weeks (if not one or two months) of data. Fixing a balancing issue too hastily has a high risk to backfire, as it might generate other unbalance issues if not handled properly.

Now to explain a bit what was the original plan:
It was about to provide enough Tier 1 resources (through calibration and asteroid mining) to pay the taxes and have a comfortable margin of T1 resources for building.
Unfortunately it seems that players got a lot less Tier 1 resources than we expected, which generated this feeling of "struggling" for many of you. It was not intended.
The Game Design team is actively working on tweaking the balance of various systems (not just one) so the global player experience improves again. Still, we know that it will never satisfy everyone: some will find that it's still not enough, some others will think it's too generous. Just keep in mind that we will have to find an acceptable middleground for the majority."

Best Regards,
Nyzaltar.

We have identified a bug that permits the initiation of combat while constructs are in warp.
This is an unintended behaviour and will be removed and prevented in a future update.

From 17:30 UTC on January 4th, 2022 going forward, the action of initiating PvP between two constructs while in warp will not permitted and will be subject to intervention by Novaquark.

The Dual Universe roadmap has been expanded with the Panacea update, which is currently in production and brings with it a plethora of new features, tools, and improvements that will be particularly interesting for builders, scavengers, and Lua aficionados.
 
WHAT’S IN IT
 
A follow-up to the changes introduced in the Selene and Demeter updates, the Vertex Precision Tool will provide a powerful, intuitive way to fine-tune your builds. Particularly for those who are new to voxelmancy, this tool will be invaluable. Watch this video to get a taste of what it can do.
 
The introduction of shipwrecks in space will open a variety of lucrative opportunities for players who seek them out. Sell them as-is, salvage them for parts, create missions for other players to bring you the ship or its parts, or simply fetch a handsome price by selling the location information.
 
Other new features and improvements include: 
Camera Lua API: get access to information about the in-game camera Talents UI improvements: a more efficient way to view Talents RDMS UI polish: a cleaner interface for the management of RDMS  
To reduce clutter and keep Alioth beautiful, we are implementing inactive constructs requisitioning, an automated system for the abandonment of constructs owned by unsubscribed players and organizations to aid in keeping overcrowded public market areas clear.
Organization construct ownership (construct slots): a new way of assigning available construct limits to organizations. Disabling element stacking or overlapping: the final step in preventing the element stacking exploit.  
WHAT’S IN A NAME
 
Choosing the name for this update, Panacea, the goddess of remedy, is a reference to our renewed dedication to taking player feedback into greater consideration.
 
In reflecting on the aftermath of the Demeter release, we recognized that we fell short in this area. We read your feedback but did not make the adjustments we could and should have. We pledge to be better about working hand-in-hand with the community by implementing a plan to increase two-way communication and making some important tweaks and balancing to the game that will address some of the pain points as much as we’re able.
 
As a first step, beginning January 12th, we will postpone the next territory upkeep pay period for two weeks. This will allow the Design team time to revisit the tax rate, which many community members said was too steep. The purpose and functions of the upkeep system go beyond limiting “landgrabbing” and are more complex than they may appear on the surface. Many factors and interdependencies need to be taken into consideration.
 
WHAT’S NEXT
 
A series of devblogs will be published soon to reveal more information about the Panacea update. Additionally, we will be sharing a new roadmap soon. We hope that you’ll like what you see, and we encourage you to share your constructive feedback about our ideas as you read each article. 
Let’s chat! 

Hello fellow Noveans! This is your friendly neighborhood coder, Nikolaus (Ephranor#8746), here with yet another big update to the DU Factory Generator:
 
https://tvwenger.github.io/du-factory-generator/latest/
 
Given a set of items to build, this tool will determine a factory plan from raw ores to the final products. The factory is designed to support the production rates of all intermediate industries. Therefore, this is a factory plan that will maximize production efficiency even after production interruptions.
 
Some new features in version 4.0:
Support for talents! Calculate ore values of produced items Add some missing items Minor bug fixes and performance improvements   Give it a go and let me know what you think! If you have any questions or problems, please let me know. Links to the Github repository and Discord server are on the bottom of the website.
Happy building!

Wasn't there something about "speed by core size" in one of the more recent discord Q/As?
 
well.. very little "something"
 
QUESTION
https://discord.com/channels/184691218184273920/914967982067834952/915618429204066355
"Combat Balance"
 
NQ-ANSWER
https://discord.com/channels/184691218184273920/914967982067834952/915626620088381441
 
You’re right on a lot of these points, and it’s something we are looking at. Specifically there are going to be changes to max speeds in various ways and we’re hoping to address a lot of these issues with those changes. I won't go too much into detail on all the changes but the idea that smaller lighter ships can be faster than larger heavier ones is something we’re on, with everything that implies and some extra goodies.   DEC, 1st 2021

It has been clear from the very start that combat would be the way it is right now. Elite Dangerous, Star Wars or Star Citizen space combat is not at all feasible with the game's infrastructure, with voxel technology already devouring most processing and server performance.

The pvp ad videos of NQ are scripted little things that wont realistically happen in ordinary happenstance. Carriers deploying fighters that dogfight around the big battleships that slug it out, Star Wars style, does look intriguing and is an eye catcher, but simply not a thing that happens outside of dedicated community events.

The best comparison you should draw your PvP expectations from is The Expanse franchise. Combat there happens through 3 (or 4 if you count flinging asteroids) weapons:
-railguns for long distance, but they are dodgable the further away the target is,
-torpedoes with practically unlimited distance, and
-PDC (point-defense cannons) which are for close quarter battle (CQB) or to actively take out torpedoes.
There you have 3 modes of range: torpedoes for far up to unlimited range, railgun for effective middle range upon moving targets and PDC as close range.
And most every single fight is decided in the long ranges by torpedoes and railguns. We are talking hundreds of kilometers. PDCs take out the torpedo threats but otherwise chances that ships even get close enough to riddle eachother with bullet holes of PDCs instead of already blowing up from the other 2 weapon types is very small.

In DU you have a similar concept, but 4 weapon types:
-Railguns for max range, high damage per shot but low dps
-laser for medium to long range, higher rate of fire and dps
-missiles for medium range, high damage per salvo, kinda like a "shotgun" to quote NQ themselves
-cannons for close to medium range, low damage per shot but high rate of fire for strong dps

Currently, and for the foreseeable future, PvP combat engagements will happen at rather large ranges, taking out targets at hundreds of kilometers before you would even be able make out a target with your eyes alone. Chances a ship with XS or S weaponry (being an XS or S core) getting close enough to an L ship to effectively use something like cannons is very slim. With ships all maxing out at 30.000 km/h they wouldn't be able to close the distance anyway, unless the approached L core wills it so.

I like the idea of long-range combat like this and am comfortable with it. IMHO we'd need small core vessels to be able to slot L or M weaponry to their S gunner seats (even if 1 L weapon completely maxes out the capacity of the chair) to make smaller core ships fill a niche and make them viable as being near impossible to hit by L cores while being able to meaningfully engage them at THEIR ranges. Then they could in return be countered by dedicated gun platforms with smaller caliber weapons to take out these niche S ships due to hit probs. Lots of balancing and math involved with that concept idea, but worth thinking about.

Otherwise pvp could maybe benefit some visual improvements. If you shoot something and go into third person you should see a little light flicker in the distance from the impact of your shot, not just having a hole appear on the enemy ship in the telescope.

PS: damn, look at me monologuing