The Automation Update is Live

Hello everyone!

We've finally completed work on a major update centered around Automation. The current version of the game has been updated to 13333.

Please take a look at the patch notes, where we've provided detailed descriptions of changes related to new buildings, secondary quests, and technologies to ensure that all the innovations are transparent and easy to understand.

Enjoy the game and happy holidays to everyone!

Patch Notes

New Features, Changes, and Improvements

• Automation of Water Collection. We've added a Water Condenser module to the game, and with this change, the resource of ice is removed. Instead, we've introduced a universal resource - Water. The accumulated ice in player containers, inventories, and engines is replaced with Water at a specific conversion rate. Condensers automatically collect water over time and store it with a limited capacity. Water is most efficiently used in crafting and gardening, although you can also drink it either raw or boiled. The Water Condenser is introduced into the game through a secondary quest, which will be available to you in your journal.
• Automation of Loot Collection. From the early stages of research (Research Stage 5), the Lootcatcher's Nest becomes available. It's a special nest automatically occupied by a creature that will gather physical loot from the Void. The maximum number of Loot Harvesters per section is 1. Just a reminder, a section refers to a 2x2 floor platform. The Loot Harvester Nest requires water replenishment to operate and can also store a limited amount of collected resources (don't forget to collect them in time to avoid halting the assembly process).
• Automation of protecting the train from mines and other threats during the journey:

[*]The Ram (T1/T2) now has infinite durability but destroys barriers on the tracks only at boost speed. The Ram no longer requires repairs.
[*]The Ram has been removed from the technologies of the 11th stage. Now, this module is available in the depot of the seventh cycle.
[*]Turrets can now be placed on the Rams - one turret on the T1 Ram and two turrets on the T2 Ram. The first time is accompanied by a secondary quest in your journal, as mentioned before - in the 7th cycle/path. If you are between depots on a cycle later than 7, just reach the next depot to receive the quest to build turrets. The turret technology has been added to the first research phase (it appears there upon completing the quest or progression conditions described above).
[*]The turret serves as a workstation that needs Rofleemo to be assigned to. The turret requires special Turret Ammo, crafted through Workbenches.
[*]There are two levels of turrets in the game, T1 (Research Phase 1) and T2 (Research Phase 25), differing in rate of fire and damage parameters.
[*]Turrets cannot be destroyed by external damage, such as from mines or soldiers, but like the engine, they will cease to function until you repair them.

• Farm Automation. A special Botanist's Station (Research Phase 15) is introduced into the game, where you can assign Rofleemo to autonomously tend to the train's gardens. Specifically, at the first perk level, Rofleemo plants seeds, waters them, and harvests the crops. At the second level, Rofleemo can also fertilize the gardens, and at the third level, there's a chance to harvest bonus crops. The Botanist also stores the harvested crops in the station up to a certain quantity limit.
• Cleaning Automation. While cleaning is not fully implemented yet (pollution and cleaning will be added to the game in the future), the Cleaner, with its Cleaner's Station (Research Phase 18), can still assist you with some tasks. For example, it can automate Rofleemo's toilet duties by cleaning the toilet, refilling it with chemicals, and periodically eliminating leech miasmas on the wheels that block the train's movement.
• Water Refill and Repair Automation. The game introduces a special Trainkeeper's Station (Research Phase 21), where you can assign Rofleemo to assist you with: refilling water for Lootcatcher's Nests throughout the train and repairing objects on the train (depending on the perk level, restoring 35% or 60% durability periodically).
• A new object, the Recycler, has been added to the game (on trains already built with the Crusher, it will be automatically replaced with the Recycler). This new module not only allows for crushing blocks like its predecessor but also enables the disassembly of weapon modules and crafted items into simpler components.
• Rofleemo's Diner. A new module (Research Phase 16, additional line) is introduced into the game to simplify feeding Rofleemoes. This module doesn't replace the current functionality; your pets can still take food from containers if you choose not to build the Diner. However, it enhances the efficiency of this process as you personally replenish it with the required amount of food, observe potential consequences of not feeding, and also reduces the necessary amount of food for the same number of pets.
• Rofleemo’s Toilet. In the future, we plan to integrate a full-scale train pollution system where the toilet will play a significant role. At the current stage, we introduce this module so that you can obtain fertilizers for more efficient farming. The toilet is unlocked for the player through a secondary quest after leaving the depot on the 10th path. The toilet has been added to the first research phase (it appears there upon completing the quest or progression conditions described above). The toilet requires chemicals for its operation.

• Organics have been removed from the loot lists of the Void and other sources (If you have already been in the cycle between depots, the spawn will stop after the next depot). Now, the primary source of organics is Farming. Seeds of organics drop from void-fish, which you can use to cultivate organics in your gardens. Farming is introduced through a secondary quest for the first time, which will be available in your journal.
• Changes to Gardens. The garden is the main farming object where you can grow organics from seeds obtained from void-fish. Now, the garden not only displays growth timings but also visually represents growth stages. Saplings now need to be watered, and if desired, fertilized with compost from Rofleemo's Toilet. Adding fertilizers reduces the timer for the current growth stage and guarantees the return of seeds when harvesting.
• Now, Workbenches and some train buildings have Workstation Abilities - special perks that activate when the worker's happiness level is sufficient. Additionally, some of the workstation abilities are influenced by the worker's own perks.
• The UI for technologies has been updated; now, the resource requirements for researching a technology display comprehensive information about the resource name, its icon, and where it can be crafted or obtained.
• Three new Void biomes (sky, its overall illumination, and the lighting element) have been added.
• New types of outposts (there are now three levels of outposts in the game, with the third level being the current outposts with barriers, while the first and second-level outposts lack path barriers, are smaller in size, and have fewer soldiers on them; outposts of lower levels are encountered in earlier stages).
• Diversity in the interior spaces of the depot (peaceful area) with various lighting biomes, layers of decoration, and structures.
• Improved AI for soldiers (priority given to noticeable corrections in the depot; specifically, pathfinding, behavior during attacks and retreats, behavior in cover, tuning visual glitches and bugs, and much more), as well as the addition of new logic and types of melee attacks for tank soldiers.
• Enhanced mouse sensitivity adjustment parameter (the parameter's value range has been significantly expanded).
• Refactoring and optimization of the train sounds (both wagons and the locomotive with the engine).
• The drop rate of weapon modules from enemy soldiers has been reduced by 40%.
• A sound priority system has been added; now, some sounds decrease in volume if the player is not looking at them.
• Ambient sounds have been slightly increased in volume and are now more adaptive to surrounding events.
• During an active combat phase in the depot, ambient sounds are now slightly muted.
• During void travel, ambient sounds have become clearer. Wind sounds in the void are now mixed with the flight sound only when the train is moving, and the volume depends on the train's speed.
• An adaptive ambient system has been added. If music is not playing, ambient sounds become louder.
• Global improvements to the game sound (dozens of changes and improvements): Character; Enemies of all types; Train; Void; Depot; Music and Ambience; Flora; Weapons, etc.

Fixes

• Smelters and other workstations requiring fuel can now be filled with all types of fuel.
• Fixed the translation of the Nutritionist perk and perk value.
• Sometimes, when leaving the Arena Islands, the musical theme of these islands did not turn off until the next event - fixed.
• Combat music in the depot now reliably plays the end of the track; improved transition between combat and calm depot ambience.
• Fixed the sound of weapon shots in cooperative play.
• The sound of containers duplicating when opened and closed in cooperative play has been fixed.
• Fixed a rare bug where it was impossible to destroy miasma from a leech.
• If you craft an item on a workstation with two work zones, craft it on both zones, and only take it from the first one, the item on the second zone will show a mark indicating that you have no space. Fixed.
• Fixed a bug with the blocking of workstations (workbenches, etc.) with a note of insufficient space for the product, even though the work zones are empty.
• If you move a rack with containers from a broken floor to a normal floor, the containers still couldn't be used. This has been fixed.
• It was impossible to use Mushroom Salad to unlock additional happiness slots for Rofleemo. This has been fixed.
• In cooperative play with poor internet connection or high ping, if you spam opening a container and then opening crafting in any workstation, the crafting UI would be blocked and not allow you to exit it. This has been fixed.
• If you pick up a block or chest and try to summon it by pressing X, it won't happen until you hold down X and select that object. Fixed.
• The Winch gets blocked when hit by the Grappling Hook - fixed

Thank you so much for playing VoidTrain and helping us make the game better! If you enjoy the game, please don't forget to leave a review. It's very important to us.