Space Engineers

Space Engineers: Contact


Hello, Engineers!

Prepare to engage like never before - our latest “Contact” Update is here!
With this release, we’re taking Space Engineers to new frontiers of challenge and discovery. For those of you craving thrilling PvE encounters and seeking to push the limits of your engineering prowess, this update is packed with everything you need.

"Contact" brings an array of PvE encounters designed to test your skills and strategies in high-stakes scenarios. But that’s not all! We’re introducing exclusive Prototech blocks - advanced technology you can only obtain through these intense encounters.

These blocks will add new dimensions to your endgame builds, giving you tools and capabilities that enhance your creativity and gameplay strategies. As always, we’re excited to see how you’ll use these new features to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Space Engineers.

We’re bringing you all the important gameplay changes for free. In the Contact DLC you can find additional cosmetic blocks and bring some love to your Small Grid builds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=911cyEKb2_4

FREE UPDATE


We’re bringing you all the important gameplay changes for free in our Contact Update.

PvE Encounters


To experience all new PvE Encounters as intended, you’ll need to start a new world. They are enabled by default for any new world you create. You can also customize their density and the global encounter cap - or disable them entirely in the world settings.

Planetary Encounters


Planetary Encounters bring new life to the planets of Space Engineers! These range from small research outposts to formidable pirate strongholds, each offering a wide variety of loot. Players can discover everything from story elements hidden in datapads to valuable Prototech components.


Global Encounters


Global Encounters introduce a new type of space-based PvE content. When one spawns, all players in the session will receive a GPS point labeled “Unidentified Signal”.

These aren’t your typical encounters - expect challenging end-game NPCs, unique environments, and high-end loot. They are the primary source for acquiring Prototech. Stay vigilant, as hostile players might be waiting to swoop in and steal the prize!


Prototech


In this update we’re adding a new type of Block - Prototech. These are powerful, “end-game” blocks, found in new “Global Encounters”. Prototech is a powerful technology created by the secretive Factorum faction. They have gone to great lengths to ensure components cannot be reverse engineered!

This means you cannot simply grind these blocks down and take their components, like you can with ordinary blocks. Instead, you’ll need to extract them intact and then add them to existing grids using merge blocks.

Prototech Components


Lucky explorers can find Prototech components in the cargo storages in the various new NPC encounters. Collect enough of these, and you may be able to construct a new Prototech block without an Assembler.

Alternatively, if you’ve acquired a Prototech Assembler, you can manufacture new components from Prototech scrap. But keep in mind: the Prototech Frame component, which is essential for every Prototech block, cannot be manufactured!


Toolbar Actions


All Action Blocks now support multiple toolbars, enabling more complex sequences to be activated using a single block. Separate On and Off actions have been added to several blocks that previously lacked these options.

Additionally, a new "Set Value" action has been introduced for Pistons, Rotors, and Hinges, allowing for precise control and manipulation.



New “Set Value and Execute” actions


We’ve introduced new actions for Pistons, Rotors, and Hinges, allowing for easier and more precise control.

For example, with the new "Set and Move" action for Pistons, you can now create an action that extends the piston to a customizable length at a customizable velocity. Similar toolbar actions have been added for Rotors and Hinges as well.

These new actions simplify the engineering of complex mechanical contraptions, making them more intuitive and flexible!

Keen Newsletter & Flush Cockpit


Sign up for our newsletter in-game and get the Flush Cockpit for free!

Stay updated with the latest news, updates, and exclusive content from Keen Software House, and enjoy this special in-game reward as a thank you for joining us!

Q: I am already subscribed - how do I get the Flush Cockpit?
A: Simply enter your email again in the in-game subscription window to receive the free block!

Q: Does the Flush Cockpit disappear if I unsubscribe from the newsletter later on?
A: No.


What’s next


We have so much more to explore, and the journey is far from over!

With the foundation laid by Automatons, Signal, and Contact, we've established a strong PvE base that we're excited to expand upon in future updates. These updates will continue to build on the groundwork we've set, bringing new dimensions and challenges to your gameplay.

But that's not all - we're excited to see how the improved Grid AI and the new Encounter system will open up new possibilities for everyone. While we've designed these features to enhance gameplay, we know our community’s creativity will take them even further.
Alongside these additions, we’re committed to ongoing bug hunting, optimizations, and quality of life improvements to ensure the best possible experience for our players.

Stay tuned for what’s to come - there’s a lot on the horizon!


Changelog


Features
  • PvE Encounters
    • Global Encounters - A new feature designed to bring players together on a server to engage large NPC encounters cooperatively or competitively. These encounters offer challenging, end-game content to enhance standard survival gameplay.
    • Planetary Encounters - Encounters now spawn on planets too! Derelict ships, outposts and more!
  • Faction Changes
    • The Factorum - A hostile Faction. The creators of Prototech. They’ve returned from the edge of known space to seek their revenge.
    • Unknown - A perpetually neutral Faction. Space is vast. As humans push into the void of space, sometimes the void pushes back. Danger, mystery, or reward may lie ahead.
    • Faction filters show only discovered factions by default
  • Toolbar Actions
    • All Action Blocks now have multiple Toolbars
    • Added separate On and Off actions to multiple Action Blocks
    • Added new "Set Value and Execute" actions for Pistons, Rotors and Hinges
    Added new Components - Base Game
    • Prototech Frame
    • Prototech Panel
    • Prototech Capacitor
    • Prototech Propulsion Unit
    • Prototech Machinery
    • Prototech Circuitry
    • Prototech Cooling Unit
    • Prototech Scrap
    Added new Blocks - Base Game
    • Prototech Assembler (1 block, L grid)
    • Prototech Drill (1 block, L grid)
    • Prototech Refinery (1 blocks, L + S grid)
    • Prototech Jump Drive (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Prototech Thruster (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Prototech Gyroscope (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Prototech Battery (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Inset Connector (1 block, L grid + 2 block, S grid)
    Gift for subscribing to Keen Newsletter
    • Flush Cockpit (1 block, S grid)
    QoL Changes and Improvements
    • Added Small Grid Temporary Container
    • Ownership Changes
      • Can now transfer ownership to any other player
      • Ownership transfer must be accepted in new transfer screen
      • Removed transfer to "nobody" by non-admins
    • Improved NPC Loot Tables
    • Added option for loot pair groups (e.g.: Gun + Ammo)
    • Re-arranged G-Screen Menu, added PCU info
    • Changed Color of Strong Unknown Signals
    • Grid AI - AI Basic - set home at grid position
    • Claim Timer Improvements
    • Reputation System Rework
    • Improved Door Highlights / Tooltips
    • Help Screen Improvements
    • Slightly reduced PCU cost of some blocks
    • Light Blocks Graphical Improvements
    • "New Game" screen now saves your previous selection
    • Custom label for the Programmable Block "Run" Action
    • Added Unified Block Limits for block variants
    • Added Railgun Charge Efficiency indicator
    • Greatly reduced Laser Antenna power requirements
    • Revised sounds for the Sound Block
    Added Content to Signal Pack:


    • Additional Truss pieces (2 blocks, L grid)
    • Additional Bay Windows (4 blocks, L grid + 2 blocks, S grid)
    Contact Pack


    • Gatling Turret Type II (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Rocket Turret Type II (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Small Gate Tall (1 block, L grid)
    • Small Gate Wide (1 block, L grid)
    • Modular Bridge Set (11 blocks, L grid)
    • Captain's Desk (1 block, L grid)
    • Square Piston (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Flood Light Set (4 blocks, L grid + 6 blocks, S grid)
    • Parabolic Antenna (1 block, L + S grid)
    • Kitchen set (5 blocks, S grid)
    • First Aid Cabinet (1 block, S grid)
    • Bunk (1 block, S grid)
    • Modular Cargo Container (1 block, S grid)
    • Media Player (1 block, S grid)
    Official Servers
    • Official Steam servers upgraded with more RAM and more powerful CPUs
    • Canada: Added 1 more server (now 3 servers total)
    • Australia: Added 1 more server (now 3 servers total)
    • United States: Added a new location with 3 servers based in New York, providing a great meeting point for US and European players
    • North America (NA) servers renamed to United States (US) to align with EOS servers
    Official Blueprints
    Fixes & Improvements
    • Broadcast Controller message text is green when set to Faction target setting
    • Safezone settings are saved when copy/pasting the Safezone
    • Safezones no longer consume Safezone Chips in Creative Mode
    • Reputation with spiders & wolves can't be changed
    • Improved the particle effects when a wheel is driven over a voxel surface to be continuous and not just puffs of smoke
    • Fixed a crash when accessing a claimable grid through a remote connection
    • Fixed a crash when clicking Customize on a multi-mission Custom Community campaign in the New Game screen
    • Fixed a set of issues with the construction stages and textures of the Gate block
    • Fixed a set of issues with the construction stages of a Large Industrial Cargo Container
    • Fixed a set of issues with the models of the Antenna
    • Fixed a set of issues with Safe Zones; as a result, only contained blocks are protected, not whole grids, and the Enter/Left notification was removed
    • Fixed a set of issues with the LCDs of the Industrial cockpit not showing content when viewed from the outside
    • Fixed a set of issues with the Oxygen Tank LoDs
    • Fixed an issue where "Some components will be lost if removed" was still displayed after switching away from the Grinder
    • Fixed an issue where a lobby Host could force through an authorship transfer to Clients without consent
    • Fixed an issue where a strut was missing from the Beam Block End model, making it inconsistent with other blocks in the set
    • Fixed an issue where AI blocks would aim at the character's feet instead of the head, missing the target
    • Fixed an issue where changing the LCD App would not preserve the color settings
    • Fixed an issue where modded connectors had no way to specify which way is the connection side; added a ConnectDirection definition
    • Fixed an issue where other blocks were not able to trigger "Set Grid Position" on the AI Basic Task blocks
    • Fixed an issue where painting a block with RotatingSubpartComponent stopped the animation
    • Fixed an issue where RotatingSubpartComponent would prevent proper painting and skin application
    • Fixed an issue where shadows were cast incorrectly after changing the FoV
    • Fixed an issue where the Action Relay could be triggered with an Antenna that was turned off
    • Fixed an issue where the Air Vent played a sound whenever triggering an action
    • Fixed an issue where the alignment of Window blocks left gaps between models
    • Fixed an issue where the Aquarium block had a see-through gap
    • Fixed an issue where the Claim button would count the total grid PCU and not only the portion authored by NPCs
    • Fixed an issue where the damage particles of Colorable Solar Panels would be offset
    • Fixed an issue where the Event Controller would keep invisible references to blocks that did not exist in the world at the time; added a UI helper for the player so it can be managed in-game rather than through SBC editing
    • Fixed an issue where the flow of joining a friend's session would be interrupted when reaching the Main menu
    • Fixed an issue where the Frostbite scenario would be started as an Online lobby by default
    • Fixed an issue where the interact dummy of a Large grid Holo LCD was too large
    • Fixed an issue where the interact dummy of a Small Grid Holo LCD was too large
    • Fixed an issue where the Large grid Small Warfare reactor model would clip through other models outside its bounds
    • Fixed an issue where the LoDs of Window blocks were appearing invisible at relatively short distances
    • Fixed an issue where the Minimum world size [km] setting did not have limit checks
    • Fixed an issue where the now-stacking O2 or H2 bottles would be displayed as a single spare on the HUD
    • Fixed an issue where the Sci-fi armor skin could be applied to Blast door blocks
    • Fixed an issue where the Small grid Antenna required a different type of final components to fully weld than its large counterpart
    • Fixed an issue where the Spotlight was using an outdated icon
    • Fixed an issue where the SPRT could not participate in the economy as they had no funds to do so
    • Fixed an issue where the Start button tooltip would obscure the Customize button in the New Game screen; tooltip removed
    • Fixed an issue where the Target lead indicator would be too big on 4K resolution
    • Fixed an issue where the texture appeared black on the underside of blocks with grated parts, stairs, and catwalks
    • Fixed an issue where the Utility resource group was not defined for Corner Lights
    • Fixed an issue where the Utility resource group was not defined for Heat Vents
    • Fixed an issue where too many particles were produced when driving on the Moon's surface
    • Fixed an issue with a missing cargo port on lower LoDs of the Large grid Small Hydrogen Tank
    • Fixed an issue with an infinite loading screen after waking from Sleep/Rest Mode
    • Fixed an issue with blinking distant shadows on PS4 Pro
    • Fixed an issue with controller button mapping for Spectator speed and rotation
    • Fixed an issue with Half Bed Open collisions not allowing players to go/shoot through the gap
    • Fixed an issue with inconsistencies across the LoDs of the Large grid Large Reactor
    • Fixed an issue with Industrial Refinery textures
    • Fixed an issue with the alignment of the DLC icons list in the blueprint screen
    • Fixed an issue with the collisions of conveyor tubes being too large
    • Fixed an issue with the collisions of the Small grid Medium Conveyor sorter being too large
    • Fixed an issue with the collisions of the Small grid Small Conveyor Sorter being too large
    • Fixed an issue with the color of the texture of a Small grid Light Round Armor Panel Face
    • Fixed an issue with the consistency of the position of the status bar across LoDs on a Large grid Small Hydrogen Tank
    • Fixed an issue with the construction stage of an Interior Wall
    • Fixed an issue with the French localization of a loading screen Wikipedia entry
    • Fixed an issue with the incorrect tooltip of the "Keep original ownership on paste" Admin toggle
    • Fixed an issue with the low-resolution left/right navigation arrows in the New Game screen
    • Fixed an issue with the mount points on the Grated Half Stairs Mirrored block
    • Fixed an issue with the scaling of the world Customization screen on 5:4 and 4:3 ratio resolutions
    • Fixed an issue with the shading on the Construction Component floating object model
    • Fixed an issue with the shading on the Industrial Cockpit
    • Fixed an issue with the shading on the Large grid Rocket Turret
    • Fixed an issue with the shading on the Solar Panel
    • Fixed an issue with the transparency and clarity of the inside view of the Small grid Cryo Chamber
    • Fixed an issue with the UV texture on the Beam block
    • Fixed an issue with the UV texture on the Conveyor Pipe T Junction
    • Fixed an issue with the UV texture on the Corridor narrow stowage
    • Fixed an issue with the UV texture on the Corridor X Intersection
    • Fixed an issue with the UV texture on the Exhaust Pipe
    • Fixed an issue with the UV textures on Warfare Reactors
    • Fixed an issue with the Willis Duct collisions forcing the character's head through the ceiling when walking in 1st person
    Support Site Fixes
    • Fixed a crash when deleting a grid with an AI Offensive block actively engaged in combat
    • Fixed a crash when renaming a blueprint item containing a dot in the name
    • Fixed a set of issues with the Large grid Solar Panel, including a misaligned model and loss of colorable material on lower LoDs
    • Fixed a set of issues with turret models not being centered, having holes in the geometry, and misaligned UVs
    • Fixed an issue when selecting block sizes in the Radial Menu
    • Fixed an issue where a block/grid without ownership would be detected as an Enemy by a Sensor; now detected as Neutral
    • Fixed an issue where a character would be sliding around after jumping without a Jetpack being allowed in the world
    • Fixed an issue where a NaN value would propagate from the wheel steering logic through the grid to the physics constraints, causing Clang
    • Fixed an issue where a Sensor would not be buildable near a voxel
    • Fixed an issue where accessing the Terminal through an attached Piston Top Part would not select the associated piston
    • Fixed an issue where Action Relay Set Channel and Send Signal actions were not working in multiplayer
    • Fixed an issue where an empty tree would still be rendered, causing the leaves in the wind to be spawned as a mysterious pulsating grey ball
    • Fixed an issue where an inaccurate message was displayed in Creative when trying to paste a grid in a world where copy/paste is disabled
    • Fixed an issue where connecting to a lobby or starting the game in a scenario through an argument would result in a black screen
    • Fixed an issue where Fireworks would not explode on planets as gravity would overcome their velocity too early, not reaching the trigger height; lowered the trigger height
    • Fixed an issue where highlighting text using a mouse drag and drop input in the Terminal could result in clicking on other UI elements
    • Fixed an issue where Hydrogen Thrusters did not require a connection to tanks to function
    • Fixed an issue where it was not possible to claim NPC grids when Block limit was disabled
    • Fixed an issue where overridden propulsion on wheels would not consume any power
    • Fixed an issue where Saberoids and Wolves could not be removed through the Entity list
    • Fixed an issue where the "Reloading…" text and circular indicator were desynchronized
    • Fixed an issue where the Action Relay would use the antenna range of an antenna that was turned off for its range checks
    • Fixed an issue where the actual percentage to which Auto Heal heals the character in a pressurised environment was missing
    • Fixed an issue where the AI Defensive block Flee behavior would happen at the end of an AI Recorder path regardless of the continual presence of danger
    • Fixed an issue where the AI Flight block behavior for Follow Player would happen only once and then stop because of other incompatible AI Flight blocks being present
    • Fixed an issue where the AI Offensive block would continue shooting at characters that were already dead
    • Fixed an issue where the AI Offensive block would lose reference to set-up weapons after being printed and split
    • Fixed an issue where the alignment of Large grid Connector models left gaps between the models
    • Fixed an issue where the Assembler production queue would report an incorrect count of remaining components
    • Fixed an issue where the available weapon ammo would not be displayed on the toolbar until the weapon was equipped
    • Fixed an issue where the Broadcast controller did not send messages through the grid itself when located on a subgrid with no antenna
    • Fixed an issue where the Camera consumed power while turned off
    • Fixed an issue where the Camera overlay would partially stay visible after accessing and leaving a turret control view
    • Fixed an issue where the Cargo Crate and other blocks with animated panels would not keep the same panels open through save/reload
    • Fixed an issue where the character health stat would get shown as 0 when the value was between 0 and 1
    • Fixed an issue where the character mass was not accounted for in total grid mass; introduced dry mass (no inventories + base character mass) and total mass (grid inventories + base character mass)
    • Fixed an issue where the Cockpit LCD contents were not persistent through save/reload
    • Fixed an issue where the Comms tab message history window would not scroll down to the latest message automatically
    • Fixed an issue where the Conveyor Junction blocks had different PCU values for each size
    • Fixed an issue where the Corner Light Double mount points were inconsistent with the Corner Light
    • Fixed an issue where the Curved and Sloped LCD collisions would revert to a simple box
    • Fixed an issue where the Custom Turret Controller AI was not able to handle a case where the rotor had its base on the turret subgrid and top part on the main grid
    • Fixed an issue where the Custom Turret Controller would keep repeating the last rotation input when the player stopped controlling it
    • Fixed an issue where the Custom Turret Controller would not recognize a Camera reference being changed
    • Fixed an issue where the Custom Turret Controller would stop functioning when welded from projection
    • Fixed an issue where the decimal part of a Timer block's setting would get discarded on copy paste; the timer only accepts whole numbers now
    • Fixed an issue where the Direct Connect option in the Server browser failed to resolve a domain name
    • Fixed an issue where the displayed mass of the occupied grid was hard to read; added thousands separators
    • Fixed an issue where the Emotion Controller LCD text content would not be synchronized through DS
    • Fixed an issue where the Enable Scrap Drops world option functionality was inverted
    • Fixed an issue where the Event Controller lost reference to blocks that were split/merged to/from a subgrid but remained physically connected; the level of separation matters, tracked blocks at the ends of chains of subgrids may still exhibit the behavior before the fix
    • Fixed an issue where the Event Controller retained the last output when one of the watched blocks was damaged
    • Fixed an issue where the Event Controllers kept a reference of and acted upon changes on blocks that were no longer physically connected
    • Fixed an issue where the final Merge Block constraint would not be released on detach in advanced contraptions with multiple attachment points
    • Fixed an issue where the game would not recognize swapped mouse buttons
    • Fixed an issue where the Gatling Gun barrels were not updated after welding from projection, preventing shooting
    • Fixed an issue where the Gatling Gun orientation would not get updated with grid rotation, causing damage to unintended targets when shooting
    • Fixed an issue where the hazard sticker on the Large grid Small Hydrogen Tank was changing orientation on lower LoDs
    • Fixed an issue where the Hinge minimal angle could be overridden by a script
    • Fixed an issue where the Industrial Cockpit LCDs were shrunk
    • Fixed an issue where the Large grid Ship Welder had decreased reach
    • Fixed an issue where the Lobby Host could see the GPS locations of its Clients if the Clients turned them off and then back on
    • Fixed an issue where the Nickel Ore Russian translation had a typo
    • Fixed an issue where the Oxygen Tank port would not align with a connected conveyor tube
    • Fixed an issue where the Passage 3 lower LoD model was deformed
    • Fixed an issue where the Programmable script method GatlingTurret.SetTarget always made a turret aim at 0,0,0
    • Fixed an issue where the Railgun lost colorable material at lower LoDs
    • Fixed an issue where the reflection between Window 1x2 Face and Window 1x2 Face Inv. was inconsistent
    • Fixed an issue where the Remote Control Forward Direction setting order was changed by localisation, causing a grid in German to fly differently
    • Fixed an issue where the Remote Control was missing some of its settings as toolbar actions
    • Fixed an issue where the Remote Control would trigger actions assigned to a waypoint on the waypoint removal
    • Fixed an issue where the reputation changes would not be displayed while sitting in a cockpit
    • Fixed an issue where the Round Window blocks wouldn't be aligned when stacked
    • Fixed an issue where the Small grid Control Seat did not offer the ability to build from the cockpit with Ctrl + G
    • Fixed an issue where the Temporary container floating object would not fit into tight spaces; introduced a small version for those cases
    • Fixed an issue where the textures for armors and panels would not have the same shade of black upon painting
    • Fixed an issue where the Window Wall German translation had a typo
    • Fixed an issue where Thrusters contained in a Safe Zone were damaging the contained structures

    Support Portal



    18/10/2024
    Hotfix 1.205.024 b2​
    • Fixed a crash in New Game screen when a player made Custom Scenario was loaded
    • Fixed a crash related to modded NPCs when accessing MyIdentity
    • Fixed an issue where players were unable to paste blueprints with mods not present on the server
    • Fixed an issue where the Factorum Outpost global encounter had typos in the Broadcasted messages
    • Fixed an issue where the Gatling Turret Type II had wider collision models than intended
    • Fixed an issue where the new Tag based block limits couldnt be used on existing world which used to use BlockPairName
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Drill would not produce particles while drilling certain materials
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Drill would start using lower LoDs way too fast
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Gyroscope had a small cube in the center of the model in block preview
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Gyroscope model had missing railing inside the inner ring
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Gyroscope was not defined in BlockPairName based block limits
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Thruster had wider collision models than intended
    • Fixed an issue where the Repeat button was missing in the Assembler's Disassembling tab
    • Fixed an issue where the Strong Unknown Signal colors were hard to read with colorblindedness

    24/10/2024
    Hotfix 1.205.025 b1
    • Fixed a crash during the loading of a world save
    • Fixed a crash in DSGUI
    • Fixed a crash in Safe Zones
    • Fixed a crash in target locking
    • Fixed a crash when attempting to use a ship welder on a projection on a server with Tag block limits
    • Fixed an issue where a drone name in a Global encounter had a typo
    • Fixed an issue where a Factorum drone did not have the proper color mask to receive the Factorum faction colors
    • Fixed an issue where a planetary encounter containing a drone would duplicate itself on despawn/respawn
    • Fixed an issue where the High Profile Escort Global encounter refused to fight small grids
    • Fixed an issue where the Inverted Round Window and Round Window were the same
    • Fixed an issue where the Listening Post Global encounter was targeting debris instead of enemies
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Jump Drive sounds were missing on consoles
    • Fixed an issue where the Prototech Thruster flame was damaging blocks outside of its visual range
    • Fixed an issue where the server was able to save after unsuccessfully loading the world
    • Fixed an issue where the small and medium Hinge heads couldn't be reattached to the Hinge base
    • Fixed an issue where the small grid Gatling Turret Type II had a bigger collision model than necessary
    • Fixed an issue where the small grid Rocket Turret Type II had a bigger collision model than necessary

    25/10/2024
    Hotfix 1.205.026
    • Fixed an issue where only the first Wind Turbine worked
    • Fixed an issue where the Planetary encounter spawn system would retry a failed attempt without changing variables

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