Patch Notes
Release Version: 04.07.2022
New Features
New and Improved HUD/UI Themes
Rarely is it true that something can be both new (implying that it has never been seen before) and improved (implying something previously existing has been changed for the better), however, the Mars4 team is keen to reveal that this paradox has been accomplished with our HUD and UI themes!
The team has introduced a sleeker and less obtrusive UI and HUD with an aim to provide players with the necessary information they need in a more central spot on the screen. The new HUD and UI is designed to mimic a lightweight holographic display to emphasise Mars4’s near-future aesthetic. We look forward to receiving feedback from the community regarding the feel of the new HUD and UI.
Save/Load Reliability
The Mars1 demo has a save/load function that has been subject to several updates and improvements. Each save made now has an associated date and time to them, allowing players to more easily determine the save they wish to continue from after they make a mistake.
Saves are also now safer than ever before with the removal of the ‘soft-horror’ bug. Some colonists had reported issues with their base’s management AI, PAL 9000, after loading a save. Common complaints varied from finding that some doors had become permanently sealed to dome panels being removed resulting in a sudden depressurisation event.
Gameplay
By connecting ceilings and foundations players are now able to construct hanging balconies and mezzanines in their bases on Mars. The construction-inclined colonists can no doubt see opportunities to improve their base designs and create new spaces to hang out.
The life of a colonist is fraught with perils from the hazards of the environment to the impossibility to stack certain items in one’s inventory. To bring windows in line with doors, both of which are relatively flat objects that are able to withstand being
bundled together, they can now be stacked in groups of 10 in a colonist’s inventory.
When looking at an object, colonists have had issues with directly interacting with them. Various items have had an invisible interaction sphere added to them to make it easier to use them, reducing incidents of colonists being ignored by their smart furniture.
Adjustments
Visual
New HUD elements and UI theme.
New visual icons for Uranium, Aluminium, Titanium, and Iron ores.
New visuals on Uranium, Aluminium, Titanium, and Iron ingots.
New visual feedback on damage received by walls.
Mars has been told to behave itself and has had its day/night cycle speed adjusted.
Mars has also been told it must rotate as intended and the Sun’s position in the sky should now correctly match in-game Mars time.
Tier 3 walls, window frames, and doorframes have had their meshes and textures adjusted to improve their vertical seamlessness.
Tier 2 walls, window frames, and doorframes have had their meshes and textures adjusted to improve their vertical seamlessness.
Tier 3, Tier 2 and scaffolding tier ramps have had their heights increased.
UN spy friendship satellites have been told to share their information. The minimap now shows the player’s coordinates.
Death markers have been added and adjusted to allow colonists to find their former selves easier.
Item backgrounds have been added to inventory slots and brightened to provide better feedback from the UI to players.
Meshes of loot containers have been improved.
Titanium, aluminium and iron bars have been resized.
Foundations of all tiers have had their heights increased.
Changes made to scaffolding constructibles to match their collision.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where walls could be clipped between a square ceiling and a triangle foundation.
Dying no longer causes you to fail the tutorial.
Fixed an issue where triangle ceilings prevented a room from being considered airtight.
Fixed an issue where players could run into an airtight room while closing a door and have the wrong air-state detection.
Fixed an issue where heaters had a very large interaction radius.
Gravity has been reminded it is a force not a suggestion. Structures are no longer able to float after all supporting walls have been demolished.
Chunks that detach from rocks while colonists are mining them will no longer protect their original rock from damage.
Fixed an issue with heaters not heating.
Fixed an issue where ores would simply fly away.
Fixed warm zones affecting dead colonists who are in no real position to benefit from the heat due to their aforementioned vitally-disadvantaged condition.
Fixed the music playing a new instance of itself every time you respawn causing multiple overlapping audio tracks.
Fixed an issue where a loaded save state would remove loot from containers.
Fixed an issue that prevented interaction with the sunflower solar array.
Fixed an issue where saves incorrectly recorded the wrong in-game time.
Fixed issues with resolution scaling.
Fixed an issue with windows upgrading for free, believe it or not there’s enough sand on Mars for glass. Colonists no longer receive free glass from the UN.
Fixed an issue with walls being impossible to build near ramps.
Fixed an issue where it was possible to build a ceiling inside an already fully-built base.
Fixed an issue with walls being impossible to build at acute angles. Now you no longer need to be obtuse!
Fixed issues with the weather manager and older save compatibility.
Collisions adjusted for all structure tiers.
Collisions adjusted for large rocks.
Miscellaneous
Added a button to the Mars4 website on the main menu.
Items dropped on death now despawn in 60 minutes.
Health now regenerates if a colonist’s body temperature is higher than 10C.
Wind effects have been adjusted and no longer blow up harsh slopes.
Collisions have been optimised.
Disabled opening of helmet. For safety purposes, the ability to open the colonist’s helmet on the surface of Mars has been removed due to the extremely common occurrence of colonists accidentally killing themselves.
Improved sounds and UI feedback with inventory items, containers and inventory management.
Window upgrade costs rebalanced.
Upcoming Features
Vehicle launch preparations added
