Planet Nomads

Planet Nomads

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Menzagitat 2 Feb, 2018 @ 11:44pm
Roadmap™️
Final state
  • post-release features:
    • we are working on ability to lock joint rope "unwinding" and also manual "height tuning". It will be part of some of the next releases.(added in update 1.0.6.2 ✔️)
    • improved access to container networks (in update 1.0.6.2 ✔️)
    • death will allow loading the auto-save (in update 1.0.6.2 ✔️)
    • added new blocks - armor and glass pieces (in update 1.0.6.0 ✔️)
    • implemented properly the tech tree overhaul 🎄 (in update 1.0.6.0 ✔️)
    • possibility to create "unfinished" blocks in creative mode (added in update 1.0.6.0 ✔️)
    • added Block Mover and Scanner to creative mode (in update 1.0.6.0 ✔️)
    • added possibility to build non-kinematic blocks in the air using a key configuration - useful to drop floating foundations onto the water (added in update 1.0.6.0 ✔️)
    • upgraded to Unity 2019.2.3f1 (in update 1.0.5.3 ✔️)
    • electrically controlled rotor and hinge (added in update 1.0.5.0 ✔️)
    • keybinding: possibility to associate keys with each active block (added in update 1.0.5.0 ✔️)
    • possibility to play with reduced gravity, like on Moon
      (added in update 1.0.4.3 ✔️) To activate the feature:
      • open the console with Shift F1
      • use the apollo11 command
      • type help to see all the commands
      • to deactivate the feature, restart the game
    • custom world setting to change the automatic miner excavation limit (added in update 1.0.3.2 ✔️)
    • autonomous water purifier (added in update 1.0.3.1 ✔️)
    • motorcycle (added in update 1.0.1.0 ✔️)
  • post-release bug fixing
  • vote the bugs you want to get fixed here: https://bugs.planet-nomads.com/

The Roadmap™️ (until full game release in Q2 2019) 🚧
  • tech tree overhaul 🎄 with unlock-able blocks via story or with "something" 🎅mentioned on Aug 29th (added in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)
  • survival overhaul to have a more challenging game-play. (?)
  • Survival will be closely tied with the story. See this post from Sept 3rd (added in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)
  • Scanner Tool for some story purposes mentioned on Feb 14th (added in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)
  • shipwrecks from Kickstarter backers (added in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)
  • further changes of temperature with day/night, in water. See this post from
    Dec 17th and a more recent one from Jan 3rd[www.planet-nomads.com](added in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)
  • thermometer 🌡️ (added in update 0.9.7.5 ✔️)
  • thermoregulator (added in update 0.9.8.0 ✔️)
  • mover tool for moving blocks - mentioned on Feb 16th, 2018 (added in update 0.9.8.0 ✔️)
(items shifted from 2018)
Survival
Weather 🌩️
  • fix current bugs, like raining inside (fixed in update 0.9.7.7 ✔️)
Planets 🌍🌎🌏
  • change the way how planets are generated so it will not be so easy to obtain endless water by digging down for few seconds (balanced ✔️ - probably in hard biomes digging with low level multi-tool takes longer time)
    • It will probably need wiping of all saves
  • to make the building of advanced blocks more challenging:
    • the layout of materials in biomes will be changed (re-balanced in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)
    • recipes of different blocks and items will be updated (added in update 0.9.9.0 ✔️)

The Decision to release the game
On October 2018 Steam reduced the visibility of small indie producers. See this article:
visibility algorithm[gamasutra.com] and this one: https://www.pcgamer.com/a-steam-bug-has-reportedly-halved-the-revenue-of-some-indie-developers. I saw other developers complaining as well:
Kingdoms, Rising World, Vaporum

On December 2018, one day before the winter sale, Craneballs published the following story about game development and company survival[www.planet-nomads.com].

Their https://www.craneballs.com page leads to a site called Cocuma[www.cocuma.co] where we can see a video of the manager Honza "Čefo" Čefelin talking about the company. He admits also that Planet Nomads didn't came out according to their expectations.
Originally posted by Honza "Čefo" Čefelin:
We invested more than CZK 20 million into Planet Nomads and it didn’t really work out as planned.
They also mention a chaotic way of development:
... we offer a strong team, freedom and flexibility. ... and a healthy (well, mostly healthy) dose of chaos in our processes, which we are currently streamlining a bit. But we’ll never be very strict on process rules.
In my opinion the chaos leads to delays, bugs and inefficient use of resources and they should not be proud about it.

The 2018 Roadmap™️ (extended to 2019 and maybe 2020)

I extracted the main ideas below. The original post is here:
https://www.planet-nomads.com/2018/02/02/roadmap-for-2018/

Onboarding
  • rework the first minutes of game experience to teach the new players in a more controlled environment all game mechanics from easier to the harder ones (added in update 0.9.0.3 ✔️)
Survival
  • better weapons (new weapon batteries added in 0.9.7.0 ✔️)
  • more types of weather; some rare weather types will make you run as fast as you can to find a shelter (added in update 0.9.7.3 ✔️)
Animals 🦍🦌🐄🕷️🦎🐢
  • We will make killing animals with multi-tool impossible. From the start we will equip you with a pistol 🔫 and limited amount of bullets for emergency use. In later stages it will be possible to make more bullets and better weapons.
    (balanced but not ok ❌ - the weapon is more powerful and comes late. I was expecting more fun in the fight mechanic, better character movement. Shooting downwards while hovering is hard. Killing with the vehicle makes the weapon useless.)
  • new animals 🦕 with a different behavior:
    • less predictable 🎲 (failed to deliver ❌)
    • not bound to nests (failed to deliver ❌)
    • they 🦍will be able to damage buildings (failed to deliver ❌)
  • usage for happy living animals like milking 🍺🍼🥛 or eating eggs 🥚🍳 (failed to deliver ❌)
Block Destruction 💣
  • we will introduce damaging of blocks. This will make killing animals by cars detrimental (failed to deliver ❌)
  • collisions will not destroy your vehicle totally, but heavy collisions could put functional blocks out of order until you repair them (failed to deliver ❌)
Building Improvements
Buildvision
  • We will make building independent on buildvision, so you will be able to turn it on even in cockpit or build without looking on all unnecessary augmented reality stuff (added in update 0.8.11.0 ✔️)
  • display mass and its center for better construction of flying vehicles (added in update 0.8.9.0 ✔️)
Blueprints
  • save creations and build dozens of them easily (added in update 0.9.2.1 ✔️)
  • exchange them with other players (for example in Steam Workshop) (added in update 0.9.2.1 ✔️)
Block Coloring
  • We have added block coloring recently (added in update 0.8.7.0 ✔️)
List of Blocks
  • filter by name (added in update 0.8.10.0 ✔️)
  • more useful information into tool-tips (added in update 0.9.7.0 ✔️)
  • better thumbnails (added in update 0.9.2.1 ✔️)
  • rearrange blocks into groups more logically (in 2019 in update 1.0.6.0 ✔️)
New Blocks
  • conveyors connectable between grids (added in update 0.8.8.0 ✔️)
  • deuterium generators (added in update 0.8.9.0 ✔️)
  • electrically controlled rotor and hinge (added in update 1.0.5.0 ✔️)
  • mechanical gears ⚙️(failed to deliver ❌)
  • logic gates (failed to deliver ❌)
Vehicle Controls
  • a terminal in each cockpit - you will be able to control all vehicle functions without going outside (added in update 0.9.4.0 ✔️)
  • altimeter and altitude indicator into the vehicle GUI (added in update 0.9.3.0 ✔️)
  • Interior Cockpit, Standing Cockpit (added in update 0.9.3.0 ✔️)
  • possibility to move buttons from the terminal into the new vehicle hotbar. (For instance you can move light switch to first hotbar slot and then turn your lights on or off just by pressing key "1") (similar function added in update 1.0.5.0 ✔️)
  • battery monitor 🔋 (failed to deliver ❌)
Kickstarter Rewards
  • designing shipwrecks, holograms or statues: we have already finished and tested the blueprints saving and we will soon use it for purpose of collecting shipwreck designs from our kickstarter backers (added in update 0.9.2.1 ✔️)
  • we'll advertise the final round of shipwreck design submissions and then put them all into the game (added in update 0.9.2.1 ✔️)
  • special Kickstarter exclusive suit (added in update 0.9.7.3 ✔️)
Other plans
  • (hope) the roadmap should not take the whole 2018 ❌
  • replacing Unity 5.4 with Unity 2018 ✔️
    • a first Unity 2018 build was provided for test purposes
    • v0.9.1.0: first official Unity 2018.1 version on 12.07.2018 (moved to beta branch later)
    • v0.9.1.1: upgraded to Unity 2018.2 (dropped after short time)
    • v0.9.2.1: engine version: 2018.2.4f1 (main branch)
  • unmentioned surprises ✔️
    • v0.8.7.0: Ryu Tamaru story line
    • v0.8.8.0: flat solar panels and sloped solar panels
    • v0.8.11.0: special Easter Eggs are here for a limited time!
    • v0.8.14.0: colored lights
    • v0.9.0.3: new furniture: Cabinet
    • v0.9.3.0: new blocks: Pylon with Light, Plant Pot
    • v0.9.7.0: new game mode: Free Roam - you can play with your inventories without worrying about thirst, hunger, radiation etc.
    • v???: Steam cloud save (mentiond in the news on January 3rd)
  • small improvements suggested on forums ✔️
    • v0.9.9.0: changed "T" button functionality - cycles between best MultiTool available and Emergency Tool
    • v0.9.9.0: added possibility to bind other tools (Block Mover, Scanner, Weapon) to different keys
    • v0.8.8.0: glassed cockpit
    • v0.8.9.0: option to alter the duration of daytime
    • v0.8.9.0: switch button into block "Use" GUIs
    • v0.8.10.0: ten "pages" in building hotbar, use shift+0..9 to switch them
    • v0.8.10.0: shift+click in block catalog equips block without using hotbar
    • v0.8.10.0: weather in advanced survival settings
    • v0.8.10.0: ceiling/floor block with conveyor port
    • v0.8.10.0: interior wall with conveyor port
    • v0.8.10.0: six way conveyor
    • v0.8.10.0: solution to vehicles falling through buildings
    • v0.8.11.0: added "layers" to Build Vision - you can choose what kind of gizmos you want to see by holding TAB key
    • v0.8.11.0: hot bar remembers rotation of each block - you can reset it to original state by selecting equipped block again
    • v0.8.11.0: you can gather some loot from Nests
    • v0.8.11.0: smoothened camera movement in first person view
    • v0.8.11.0: modified Green House recipes to yield more crop
    • v0.8.12.0: removed survival bar, building bars now can contain survival items
    • v0.8.12.0: modified tool/weapon behavior - removed autohiding and other tweaks
    • v0.8.14.0: possibility to lock winches and rotors at a given position
    • v0.8.14.0: colored electricity lines
    • v0.8.14.0: item Dispenser radius was increased from 13 to 25 meters
    • v0.9.2.1: three glass blocks (windows) and 2 blocks which fit to them
    • v0.9.3.0: railing corner, stairs joint, stairs one step, half stairs
    • v0.9.5.0: added emissive effects on Wheels when powered
    • v0.9.5.0: adjustable ghost block / ghost blueprint distance - hold shift and scroll mouse button to change the distance
    • v0.9.5.0: new Bug Reporting Tool (in main menu and in-game pause menu)
    • v0.9.5.1: delayed destruction made by Tool to eliminate mis-clicking (accidental hole prevention solution)
    • v0.9.7.0: "take it all" button in Containers and Automatic Miners
    • v0.9.7.0: improved brakes and added parking brake to wheeled vehicles
Other info from threads
  • one way conveyor is not planned in the near future
  • kind of "magnetic" joints are possible in current system. See here[forum.planet-nomads.com].
  • we are making decision if rent a professional motion capture facility and create a new set of [avatar] animations or find a skilled animator who could improve it by hand
  • prey-predator relationship: was in the game [...] they chased each other and then prey just disappeared. was very erratic and unclear
  • quest system is currently simple, but it is possible to use externally defined quests. We would need to create enough general triggers for player actions, so it will give quest writers enough freedom.
  • you need to move forward/backwards to force the block to snap at a desired place. once we'll found a convenient way how to have non-fixed building distance and still have full creative freedom, it will be the on the top of the list of things to implement
  • There won't be a seperate editor
  • Hope we will have enough time for Air blades soon, currently we are evaluating if current system is fixable, how big part is re-usable or if we need to start completely from the scratch. (adjusted in update 0.9.0.3)
  • Terrain filling feature is hard but not impossible.
  • Voice over is not finished and will be changed to match old suit voice. See here[forum.planet-nomads.com]
Dropped features and improvements
  • ❌Vehicle fastening system through magnetic joints 🚛🧲🚃
    kind of "magnetic" joints are possible in current system. See here[forum.planet-nomads.com].
  • ❌modding
    How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
    "...
    We’d like to introduce modding and full fledged story to go through."
    See here.
  • ❌Quest system for quest writers 🏰🎭
    quest system is currently simple, but it is possible to use externally defined quests. We would need to create enough general triggers for player actions, so it will give quest writers enough freedom. See here[forum.planet-nomads.com]
  • ❌Weapons
    https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1384875464
    https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1467891095
    https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1467891033
    https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1467890970
  • ❌Multiplayer
  • ❌traveling between planets🛰️🚀🛸
  • ❌more planet types with different biomes
  • ❌underwater biomes🏞️
  • ❌half-hundred different types of alien animals (this mean 50 - we have 6 now)
  • ❌rails, traps and gadgets
  • ❌three types of wheels (we have only 2 now)
  • ❌water that pours over the land🌊
  • ❌Weld blueprints/structures to other existing structures 🔩🗜️⛓️
    It is not completely impossible, but we must do it in physical-safe way, as we do not want to make whole buildings shake and launch to the skies.
    ... It is more an user interface question - how should be player supposed to point with big grid (or connected grids) in hand on another grid and tell exactly which block from the new (not yet existing) grid should fit on which one in the grid in the scene. You know how difficult is to put 8x5x3 block precisely, and imagine yourself doing it with 20x30x50 size blueprint by means we have now in game. This is the thing we should solve now. See here[forum.planet-nomads.com]
  • ❌Replace tutorial voice 📢
    PS. Voice over is not finished and will be changed to match old suit voice. See here[forum.planet-nomads.com]
  • ❌Terrain filling feature 🕳️
    Hard but not impossible. However, by adding terrain many people means many different things. Someones want to be able to undo accidentally dug holes to make terrain look intact, even with original terrain material and flora, while others want to form whole new bumpy shapes from clay and others want to create perfectly flat highway for their vehicles. See here
Last edited by Menzagitat; 5 Jun, 2022 @ 7:41am
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Showing 1-15 of 305 comments
Caleon 3 Feb, 2018 @ 8:02am 
I guess you should get that multitool kill achievement while you still can...
Some good improvements in that list. I hope they can fit most of it in 2018 though.
(John)Wolf0013 3 Feb, 2018 @ 8:12am 
Hell yeah,
piddlefoot 3 Feb, 2018 @ 10:03am 
Nice Post Menzagitat, good to see survival is going to get a facelift.
Sticky Wicket 3 Feb, 2018 @ 11:24am 
Some good things happening here.

I'm glad that a *peaceful path* is still holding out, as well it should. (It might be nice to see some steam achievements to that effect tho....).

Happy to see weather may start to play a more complex and involved part of the experience (and appropriatley that the rain coming thu rooof bug is finally going to be addressed) :steammocking:

Also very happy to see much more control over everything from cockpits is happening.

Blueprints idea +++++1

I'm still hoping that some very-needed blocks (proper curved blocks/window blocks variants) are going to be introduced soon, there are those of us that have been waiting for that for a long time now.....
Last edited by Sticky Wicket; 3 Feb, 2018 @ 11:24am
(John)Wolf0013 3 Feb, 2018 @ 12:46pm 
With new animals being introduced, the possibility of being able to milk etc. My working on a animal zoo won't be a zoo, I can start farming, now that my planet roamed is complete, I'm going to start testing my trap ship,
Red River 3 Feb, 2018 @ 1:02pm 
please add bigger and more planets as well as procedurally generated animals to that list!
Aieonae 3 Feb, 2018 @ 6:59pm 
Someone should pin this
piddlefoot 4 Feb, 2018 @ 9:42am 
Well I think PN would benifit from some form of standardization with the block system.

For example, in another very similar game the menus are very well layed out in order and easy to access, something like that in PN would really expand our block count, this is just for steel blocks we build with.
It could add potentially dozens and dozens of blocks without cluttering up the menu.
This is just for basic block building shapes, like curved blocks etc.

Also standardizing the hitpoints system for blocks would help this in a big way and allow adding new shapes much easier, the same system for LOD models would be a huge plus also.

But what I recon would make PNs block count sky rocket, is an API similar to what SE has, but dont release the source damned code to do it lol, but an API capable of assembling new devices for the game, man what a plus that would be , even right now, players here could be designing and testing there own machanical blocks, no doubt some of the stuff BCP comes up with would rock and be a huge asset to the game.

But just for basic building block shapes, some standardization would benifit this.

Alot of block building games forget about or ignore the basic shapes we build with, I really hope Planet Nomads is not one of thsoe games.

Block shapes are really important for builders, and every survivor in Planet Nomads is a builder.
oh016 4 Feb, 2018 @ 9:51pm 
A lot of good stuff in the roadmap and even better if it really comes in 2018 :steamhappy:
Survival will get interesting again!
I am with all posts above (speaking like always for my forum-shy gaming partner too).

Access to controls from the cockpit is a long awaited feature and will hopefully be at the top of the list.

Very important to us is that the option is kept to choose a mostly peaceful path of playing (some natural conflicts are o.k., forced on the player conflicts are not)

And I also join in with piddlefoot - please do not forget about the importance of blocks !!!
Originally posted by piddlefoot:
Block shapes are really important for builders, and every survivor in Planet Nomads is a builder.
So true!
Last edited by oh016; 4 Feb, 2018 @ 10:09pm
Craneballs  [developer] 5 Feb, 2018 @ 7:08am 
Maybe it was elaborated somewhere else but could you describe, what kind of block shapes are you missing?
1stGenGamer 5 Feb, 2018 @ 10:26am 
I was just about to make the same post. Good job Menzagitat. Lots of cool things on the horizon and I look forward to it all.

I would like to point out one thing though. I like the idea of block destruction. But this could be a little problematic when landing your air vehicle. I don't know about anyone else but, descending can cause some extreme bouncing if you try to do it incrementally (slower). I often have to slam my air vehicle on the ground to get it to land where I want to. I would think there would need to be an improvement to the decent mechanics of the Air Blades when block destruction is implemented.
(John)Wolf0013 5 Feb, 2018 @ 10:34am 
A set of curved blocks would be nice, a much longer block that can be used for making rail systems, like train tracks as well,
BCP Labs(YT) 5 Feb, 2018 @ 10:44am 
i dont really see anything missing myself but having a few other would be nice. now with the new colors the imagination is going wild LOL
i wouldnt mind seeing a few more variations on slopes and arcs. maybe even a 1 block cylinder. a 2x2x1 like a small ceiling tile will also be very handy. glass blocks or panes would also be a nice one.... i feel like a kid asking santa for presents :steamhappy:
Last edited by BCP Labs(YT); 5 Feb, 2018 @ 10:46am
Menzagitat 5 Feb, 2018 @ 12:44pm 
Originally posted by Craneballs:
Maybe it was elaborated somewhere else but could you describe, what kind of block shapes are you missing?

People asked for "Conveyor ceiling pass-through"
http://gtm.steamproxy.vip/app/504050/discussions/3/1520386297677906679/

I would like to have transparent walls, nicer windows, cockpit in shape of a hemisphere...
Sticky Wicket 5 Feb, 2018 @ 12:52pm 
Originally posted by Craneballs:
Maybe it was elaborated somewhere else but could you describe, what kind of block shapes are you missing?

Curved blocks is something that has been asked for again and again.
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