We have released our second post release patch. Once again this patch focuses on Optimization. This patch does not require us to wipe saves.



- Terrain is much more stable and optimized.

- Paging system should react faster and more efficiently.

- "Generating Terrain" should now occur less frequently.



We have also released the Digital Deluxe Content and IndieGoGo content for download from the game. Your account will have to be linked in order to see the appropriate "Digital Content" button on the main title screen. These rewards were created for the Digital Deluxe, Founders Club, and IndieGoGo Soldier Tier+ backers.

The Digital Deluxe content is as follows:

- Art Book

- Guide Book

- 2 Exclusive Wallpapers

- Full Original Soundtrack

- And more...

The IndieGoGo backers of Soldier and higher also receive their exclusive wallpaper through the same manner.

We have also just recieved our T-Shirts and Posters for the IndieGoGo backers. We will be packaging them now, and getting them ready to ship over the next 1-2 weeks. You will receive an email when they have been shipped.

Thanks to everyone for your support.

- The Code}{atch Team.

Release Trailer: http://youtu.be/AXVledJlEmI

We are proud to announce that we are releasing StarForge today! After many years of hard work, dreams and determination, we are releasing the 1.0 of StarForge. This would not have been possible without the help of the community, fans, and supporters of our game through its various phases over the years.

Two and a half years ago, Will and Steve were working out of a basement part time on the game, and then the game exploded online, giving us the opportunity of a lifetime to finally make the game we've always wanted to build. A year after that, we managed to increase to a team of 4 developers. And after the launch on Early Access, managed to build a small company which has been working to bring you the StarForge release today. This would not have been possible without the hard work and efforts of a tireless development team, and your continued support.

We understand that at times we bit off a bit more than we could chew, and certain areas took quite some time to build and test. It goes without saying that this has been a vast learning experience for us all. We really appreciate everyone's patience and support during the development stretch. We are glad to have participated as one of the first few games to launch the Early Access section on Steam, and to learn and develop with the community over the past year and a half. We plan to exit Early Access within the next few days. We also plan to no longer sell the Founders Club upon, or shortly after release, depending on how quickly Steam can remove it. We only want the Founders Club to contain exclusive rewards for early supporters.

We believe we have put in some super cool and innovative technology and gameplay, including an Infinite Procedural World, Voxel Digging, Real-Time Atmosphere, Procedural Asteroids, Tunnels, Caves, Mountains, Biomes, Physics Movement, Vehicles, Tons of Guns, Creatures, and Objects, and so much more! All of this works with both single player and multiplayer. It has been a labor of love, we are glad to have progressed this far, and we really enjoy playing the release version. We will continue to monitor the game, and plan to do another update in the future with bug fixes. Further updates will depend on future sales of the game.

Over the past few months, while in Beta, we have fixed the majority of the critical and major bugs, and this release contains hundreds more bug fixes and many new features.

- New Tile Sets: Monolithum, Detrite (Founders Only), Interior hull (Founders Only)

- New Vehicle : Space Copter

- Water/Lava Plane Generation

- Dedicated Server Performance

- Procedural Asteroids

- Atmosphere Shaders and Cloud Improvements

- New Doors : Monolithum, Titanium, Graphene
- New Creature: Sand Sloth

- Desert and Badlands Vegetation

- New Collectable Plants

- Swimming

- 19 Song Original Soundtrack Completed
- Dynamic Loading Screen

- Frame Rate Optimizations

- More realistic Terrain and Biome Generation

- Blocks Have Better Performance

- Badges (Founders Club, IndieGoGo)

- More Dedicated Server Console Commands and Config Options

- Community can now host their own dedicated servers of Creative or Survival. Please visit this link which has the info you need on hosting your own dedicated server: http://starforge.gamepedia.com/Dedicated_Server

- 200 + bug fixes

We've also finished and implemented our IndieGoGo and Founders club rewards. IndieGoGo backers must link their account in-game in order to receive their digital perks; Steam purchasers do not need to worry about this as all updates are channeled via Steam.. As for the Digital Rewards (wallpapers, art book, strategy guide, soundtrack), we will be providing a link to the download for these in the next month as we are still putting the finishing touches on them. We will release another blog post about that when they are done.

The hard assets (T-Shirts, Posters) for IndieGoGo backers are also being developed. We have already reached out to everyone involved regarding these rewards. If you are an IndieGoGo backer or Founder on Steam and have questions or concerns about your name being listed, please email us at sworin(at)codehatch.com. We will periodically be adding in the new names as we receive them.

Thanks again for all your support. We hope you enjoy playing the release!

- The Code}{atch Team

We've been working the last 2 weeks mainly on bugs and stability fixes. However, we've managed to put in some features such as the World Spire, 3 Doors, 3 Garage Doors, and the Space Helicopter.

Check it out below:

http://starforge.typepad.com/starforge/2014/08/weekcodehatch-world-spire-doors-and-space-helicopter.html

Thank you for all your support!

- The Code}{atch

The week@codehatch blog post is up detailing water, the update, and more:

http://starforge.typepad.com/starforge/2014/08/weekcodehatch.html

We have updated the game today on Steam to version 0.91. Server saves had to be reset as a result. It contains all of the in-game Founders Club and IndieGoGo perks with the exception of the badges and the unique Founders 3D tilesets. -

See more at: http://starforge.typepad.com/starforge/2014/08/weekcodehatch.html#sthash.anDxFTCi.dpuf

As we are nearing 1.0 of the game, we have been putting the finishing touches on the in-game digital perks for both IndieGoGo backers and Founders Club members.

Please read this blog post detailing our plans for perk delivery:

http://starforge.typepad.com/starforge/2014/08/detailing-in-game-indiegogo-founders-club-and-digital-deluxe-perks.html

We appreciate everyone's support, and are very happy with the game we were able to build as a result.

Thanks,
The Code}{atch Team

We've been working hard on a new update the past few weeks. There are many new features, and many bug fixes in this update. We worked on stability and optimization as our main focus. Our MP Dedicated servers should also be much more stable now. And we've buffed Digging to be much faster.

- Please note that due to internal changes in our engine we had to once again reset the saves.

Here is an list of the new features:

- Loot vats. There are 3 loot vats now in the world, you will see a beam of light from them, this notifies the players of a loot delivery. However, loot is only delivered to these vats periodically, so its first come, first serve.

- New Creatures, we've put in the Beedle, the Belcher, and the Prowler. Beware of the prowler, they are very strong.

- Alien Forest Biome, get lost in the new alien biome, it can be very foggy.

- Harvestable plants, you can now harvest certain natural plants and resources from the ground by hitting "E" next to them.

- Sonar Probe and Radar Turret, You can now equip yourself to have both mobile and static radar capabilities. This will help warn you of creatures and players in the nearby area.

- Compass, find out where you are going. It will also show the placement of your protective spire on it to help you find your base.

- New Big Chainsaw, cuts through meat and wood much faster.

- New Beacon light

- Repair Gun, repairs all your objects using utility ammo.

Aside from the new features, as mentioned above, we have been working very hard on optimization and bug fixes. We hope to have stabilized the servers a great deal. We've also done a full pass on all the shaders and graphics in our game and tweaked and tuned them for the different graphics settings, you should be able to run our game on many more computers now on the fastest settings then you could before.

Please visit this guide we made for some tips on tweaking your graphics settings:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=296911104

Hope everyone enjoys the latest release, and thank you for your continued support!

- The Code}{atch Team

Welcome to another Week@Codehatch post. We have been working very hard on some new StarForge content.

Before we head into the new content, we thought we'd also mention that we are working on our IndieGoGo rewards fullfilment, and will have more on that in a seperate post sometime in the next couple weeks (as we want to show some screenshots detailing some of the rewards). At that time we will also start reaching out to our IndieGoGo backers for any additional details we may need.

We have also been working hard on finishing all of our Founders and Digital Deluxe perks, there will be another blog post on that seperatly in a couple weeks time when we are done the content.

Here is a preview of some exclusive Founders Club content:

So with that being said, what's new?

Well, the Sonar Probe is one of the neater items. If you read last weeks post, you'll notice we included a compass in the game. Well this little guy basically gets tossed on the ground like a grenade and scans for any nearby players or enemeies. What it finds then appears on your compass. They will be fairly cheap to create, so this will help aid in some "Predator" style of gameplay.

We've got a new Graphene Door coming in. This one is much less sucseptable to breach charges and hacking.

Our world spire is now done, we have yet to implement it in-game, hence the lack of color:

So the world spire will replace the vat at the center of the map. And there will be 3 vats surrounding the world spire. Every so often a light will emit from the top of the vats, this means loot has been dropped from orbit into the vat. They will be highly contested over, as once the loot is picked up, it is gone until the next drop.

We've also put in a repair gun. This will be useful for repairing your vehicles, generators, lights, and turrets that other players have shot. You may remember this model being called a "Winch Gun" before. However, we are not going to include a winch mechanic anymore due to performance and networking concerns we had with our rope physics.

We also have done a considerable amount of work on the Alien Forest biome, as you can see, there is now a thick fog that shrouds it alongside many illuminated plants. Players will find many areas to hide in this dense forest.

We figured it would be a good time to put some more smaller creatures in the world as well. Meet the Belcher. This one is err... a little toxic.

And finally, a flashing light -

Thanks for reading. Hope you have a great week. We are working hard on the next update and hope to have it ready for a week from now. Thanks for all your support! :)

Cheers,

Will

Hey guys,


So this Week @ Code}{atch, things have been fairly relaxed, compared to the previous week. We've created some front-end changes in the game and have added a compass, harvestable plants, and a couple of creatures into the game.

The compass is featured at the bottom of the screen, and shows one the location of the world spire, enemies, npcs and other players.

It shifts around on the screen and now allows players to find their way to beacons, other players and orient themselves around landmarks such as the Spire.

Next up, we've got a mean new creature that moves fast, bites you fiercely and generally makes you hate life. Introducing, the Prowler:

It's pretty ferocious! It can run quite fast, it has hardy amounts of armor, and its only weakness is bullets. Lot's of 'em. So if you're under-prepared or early-on when you meet this guy, just run the other way.

Also, we've added a new animal of prey, that moves quickly and effectively, and drops a slightly different configuration of loot.

It's an non-aggressive class NPC, and skitters across the ground rapidly on its two fore-legs. It can be a challenge to catch up too, and possibly lead to some nasty predators.

The rest of the week has been spent fixing up bugs and tidying up the netcode. We've also changed some development methods around, in the hopes of being able to add features more robustly.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a solid weekend! From everyone here at Code}{atch, thank you!



-- Will

Week @ Code}{atch -- "Beta Edition v0.8"

Howdy,

We've got the latest major update coming to you all live in time for the weekend! In this update, we give you all the much sought after smelter and refinery! Yes, now you don't have to hunt for your ingots (though that's still an occurance)! This is pretty fantastic news, as it also allows one to combine basic ores into advanced ores to be later smelted into the higher tier ingots required for the best equipment.

Check out the Refinery here:
The refinery helps players craft the more advanced ore in the game that cannot be mined, but must be combined in order to be obtained.

And next up, we have the Smelter:

This is the actual item used to convert ores into ingots

We're also bringing you more in the way of base defense, with the introduction of the inexpensive and fast-acting minigun turret, allowing players to secure rare deposits for their faction quickly. We're also introducing the much more powerful, elevated laser turret in order to create the feeling of a well-entrenched position.

The Minigun Turret
The minigun turret standing sentry at an outpost

And here we have the Laser Tower:
The Laser Tower fending off an attack on a mountainside.

With all these new defenses, you're probably wondering two things "How do I power them all?" and conversely "How do I shut them down in a confrontation?"

To answer the first question, we've added a new high-end power generator known as the Fusion Generator. It's radius is quite massive, and has the capability of powering several objects far away from it. And secondly, we've equipped players with a brand new grenade type, known as the EMP grenade. The EMP grenade specializes in shutting down turrets and other powered objects.

Check out this look at the Fusion Generator:
As was previewed on our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/StarForgeGame?ref=hl) we're introducing a new monster into the game! A custom creation of our own called the Jelly Puff! This species is reminiscent of spiders back on Earth, but with the ability to float like a jelly, and puff up and explode like a puffer fish. They're pretty deadly in close-quarters, so be careful when wandering about the crashed ships. They seem to be attracted to the radiation, so the stronger the emissions, the more likely you'll run into one of these guys.

An imposing close-up of the Jelly Puff:
Note: Not nearly as friendly as its name would imply

We've also spent a considerable amount of effort on fixing up the framerate issues related to creature spawning. There should also be dramatically less creatures and NPCs spawning, along with increased spawn timers as well, aiding the fix. We've also tidied up vehicle related issues as well, and made improvements to cave and tunnel generation.

Two more front-end changes that we've added to the game include a new weapon (omigosh!) and adding functionality to the paint-gun. Players are now able to paint themselves and each other, including their armor sets with the paintgun. There also is a hue-slider within the in-game settings menu, where one can dynamically change their hue.

The new weapon we've got is the double-barrelled shotgun! The players can now fire two intense rounds of buckshot fury into the faces of their greatest nemesis before reloading this beast.

Righteous Battlecry Optional (And Recommended!)


We're really excited to release this update, as we feel it ties up 0.7.5 quite nicely, and brings the progression of the development into an excellent launchpad for things to come.

Thanks so much for supporting us this far, I hope you guys enjoy playing the new update!

From everyone here at Code}{atch, have a good weekend!



Sincerely,

--Will



PATCHNOTES:

- Fixed an issue where too many enemies spawned in multiplayer games and negatively affected performance
- Reduced the total number of enemy and NPC spawns dramatically and increased the time between spawns
- The dual barrelled shotgun is now available
- The EMP grenade is now available
- The Fusion Power Generator is now available
- The Jelly Puff is now populating the crashed ship
- The Minigun Turret and Laser Tower are now available
- The Smelter and Refinery are now available to craft ingots
- There is a chance the mid section of the ship will be discoverable instead of the back end
- A variety of vehicle related issues have been addressed
- Made improvements to cave and tunnel spawning
- Players are now able to paint each other with the paint gun

- Voice Chat now enabled in-game, allowing players to talk to anyone within a 75 meter radius. Push 'V' to enable.



***DISCLAIMER***

PREVIOUS SAVE GAMES WILL NO LONGER FUNCTION WITH THIS UPDATE

- See more at: http://starforge.typepad.com/starforge/2014/07/week-codeatch-beta-edition-v08-.html#sthash.DKxcnaTQ.dpuf