"Need to create" - Builder, accelerationist, and Founder/CEO at KeenSWH.com and GoodAI.com - Working on AI People and LTM, Space Engineers 2, VRAGE3 engine and Resilient Civilization
Every Thursday, I will share a dev diary about what we've been working on over the past few weeks. I'll focus on the interesting challenges and solutions that I encountered. I won't be able to cover everything, but I'll share what caught my interest.
Why am I doing it
I want to bring our community along on this journey, and I simply love writing about things I'm passionate about! This is my unfiltered dev journal, so please keep in mind that what I write here are my thoughts and will be outdated by the time you read this, as so many things change quickly. Any plans I mention aren't set in stone and everything is subject to change. Also, if you don't like spoilers, then don't read this.
Space Engineers 2
On Monday we released our first update (VS 1.1) - Steam Workshop. Now players can share their blueprints and worlds. I can see a lot of activity there.
We are now focusing on VS 1.2 and polishing the last few things, and then the testing period begins.
Our graphics team is hard at work on planetary features planned for Vertical Slice 2. They’re currently focused on improving flora draw distance and developing new foliage for a variety of biomes, including high mountains and savannas.
Today we are finishing the design for Dynamic Music. Here’s a short summary: The music system will feature dynamic tracks based on context, including missions, and sandbox exploration. Music selection will prioritize combat scenarios, playing faction-specific tracks if applicable, or generic combat music otherwise. Location-based ambient music will play when no combat is detected, with unique loops for different planets (Verdur, Byblos, Kemik) and biomes, underwater areas, and space. Combat and danger states will trigger specific loops with a 15-second cooldown before reverting to ambient music, while transitions from danger to combat or ambient to danger/combat are instant.
Adding support for emotes/animations + here you can also see the Inverse Kinematics on character’s feet
We are also streamlining our animation tools
We are improving the 3D UI for Partial copy selection. Currently it’s a bit confusing where the selection volume is because it is rendered without depth-testing. We will enable depth testing and also add more contrasted edges.
More and more survival mechanics are being added (for VS2), for example here is “manual respawn”. The block dropped after death is a current placeholder for the character backpack. ;)
There’s a Brown Dwarf in the center of Almagest System, here’s how it will most likely look (The in-game side is just the first iteration - so far without any added effects).
Space Engineers 1
SE1 team is almost finished with the 206 update, and soon to start working on 207. Looks promising!
Mouse Sensitivity Controls and Inverted Mouse Setting
New Grid Pasting Mode, Pivot Controls
Advanced World Settings
Release Notes
What’s Next
Marek’s Dev Diaries
FAQ
Hello, Engineers!
This is our first Vertical Slice update since the Space Engineers 2 Alpha release, and we’re excited to bring you a whole set of new features - and improvements based on your feedback. This update adds in-game UGC Workshop support with Steam Workshop integration, making it easier to share and discover Blueprints and Worlds. We’ve also introduced mouse sensitivity controls, an inverted mouse axis option, and a new grid pasting mode with improved pivot controls.
On top of that, we’ve added advanced worldsettings for all saves and improved performance when pasting and placing grids. We’re just getting started, and there’s plenty more to come!
Vertical Slice 1.1 Features
Steam Workshop for Blueprints and Worlds
The UGC Workshop, with Steam Workshop integration, allows you to easily share and explore Blueprints and Worlds directly in-game. Mod support is planned for Vertical Slice 1.5. The Space Engineers 1 Steam Workshop is the 4th largest on Steam, with over 500,000 creations, and we hope Space Engineers 2 will one day surpass its older brother!
You can start sharing your blueprints - build something incredible, and show us what you're engineering!
This is just the initial implementation of the Workshop, supporting Blueprints and Worlds. We have many additions and improvements planned, including Workshop Collections and other enhancements to make sharing and discovering content even better.
This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see what our amazing community creates!
Mouse Sensitivity Controls and Inverted Mouse Setting
Because you wanted it, we’ve added Mouse Sensitivity Controls and an Inverted Mouse Setting in today’s update!
Keyboard and mouse controls aren’t fully customizable yet, but don’t worry - they will be in a future update!
New Grid Pasting Mode
We’re introducing an improved Grid Pasting Mode, making it easier to place and align copied grids and blueprints. When pasting, you'll now see a projection of the grid in your clipboard, complete with a bounding box selection effect. A new “Pasting” banner will indicate when you're in pasting mode - whether you’ve copied a grid with Ctrl+C, pressed Ctrl+V with a grid in your clipboard, or performed a partial grid copy.
Helpful tooltips and input hints will guide you through the process, and pressing Ctrl+B will now take you directly to the Blueprint Creation screen.
Improved Pivot Controls
We've also refined Pivot Controls to give you more precision when copying and pasting. Now, when you copy, cut, or create a blueprint, the pivot point will automatically be set to the block you aimed at during the action. When pasting, this pivot point will be highlighted, making placement clearer.
Additionally, the snap size of the pivot point now determines the default snap size of the pasted grid or blueprint, giving you better control when positioning structures.
Game Saves - Advanced World Settings
We've added the ability to edit World Save Settings, giving you more control over your game. You can now rename your world, enable or disable Auto-save with a simple checkbox, and view all Autosave backups in one place.
This makes managing your saves easier and more convenient!
There are many additional improvements and fixes in Vertical Slice 1.1 - you can explore everything included in the detailed Changelog.
Work in Progress / Ongoing Improvements
While your feedback is invaluable, some features are not yet ready for your input. These systems and mechanics are temporary solutions or placeholders, and we’re already hard at work redesigning and refining them. We ask for your patience while we bring these elements to their full potential.
We wanted to give you UGC Workshop as soon as possible (so that you can start sharing blueprints and worlds between each other), and we didn’t want to delay its release. But here are a few additional features we are actively working on:
Known Issues - will be hotfixed ASAP
Better communicated response time when placing complex Blueprints in-game.
Corrupted files in "UGCContentCache" can cause a game crash.
Players are not able to re-publish a local item after deleting the published version.
Space Engineers 2 Workshop
In-game Blueprint interface - Additional features and improvements will be introduced based on player feedback.
Published items are Public by default.
Displaying Steam Workshop Collections in-game is planned.
Blueprint screen refresh can be slow in some cases - it should be fixed in the next update.
Your owned Private items are not currently visible in the in-game Workshop browser.
We are addressing edge cases where re-publishing, renaming, tag display in the Steam interface, and sorting may not work as intended.
Offline mode improvements - we are working on better handling when Steam is offline.
Keyboard and mouse controls are not customizable yet, but they will be!
Toolbar block groups and sizes (block selection via R key) are a temporary mechanism and will be redesigned in a near update.
We have additional Symmetry Mode fixes planned for VS1.2
We’re aware of incompatibility at launch of Space Engineers 2 on Intel Arc A-Series and Core Ultra Series 1 built-in Arc GPUs. We are working with Intel to enable the game experience and will provide relevant updates as development progresses.
Some blocks are decorative-only for now (for example, the Assembler is present but cannot produce components)
Performance
Performance optimization is ongoing. For Alpha release, we’re targeting 16x Red Ship grids at 60 FPS on recommended hardware.
Autosave may cause brief lags during gameplay.
Performance optimizations of ship collisions and destruction are ongoing, so it won’t be lag-free at this moment. We will be continuously improving it in the following updates.
PCU values per block may appear higher compared to Space Engineers 1, reflecting SE2's increased detail and more precise performance measurements. While the current total PCU limit is set at 400,000 in VS1, we plan to raise this threshold in future updates as we implement scheduled optimization improvements.
The current GUI (Graphical User Interface) and HUD (Heads-Up Display) are works in progress. Our team is prioritizing core functionality first. Once we've confirmed all features are working as intended, we'll enhance the visual design and overall aesthetics.
The inventory system will be implemented in a future update.
Fracture models will receive additional visual updates in future versions.
Inverse kinematics (IK) is not yet implemented. Animations for uphill/downhill movement, jumping, and tools will be refined in the future update.
Undo/redo functionality for the paint tool is not implemented yet, but internally we already have it, so it will be available in a near update. Changing block colors currently requires switching to the paint tool, but this will be streamlined. In addition, the paint tool’s limited palette is temporary; future updates will include RGB/HSV color settings and custom palettes.
Jetpack mechanics are being polished, including adjustments to boost, acceleration, sound effects, and camera shake is coming in VS 1.2
We continue to experiment with the off-center third-person camera for characters and ships.
Ship controls are functional but will be further refined with target-based gyroscope controls.
Character shadow in first-person mode is disabled temporarily and will be re-enabled in future animation updates.
Work on enhanced sound effects is ongoing, including jetpack audio, debug gun, ship sounds and destructions.
The Alpha releases in English language, more localizations will follow.
Sometimes character peeks through the cockpit - this will be fixed in the following update.
Tutorials will be added closer to the end of development.
We understand that you’re eager to help us improve the game, but there’s no need to create tickets or reports for these features right now. They’re already on our radar, and we’re hard at work bringing them to life in the best way possible. When these features are more fully implemented, your feedback will be welcomed.
This is just the start of an incredible journey, and we want to thank everyone who’s joining us on it. Your creativity and passion are what make this community so special.
What’s Next
Additional Vertical Slices will follow in the months after, each expanding the game's features and content. This development process will continue over the next few years until we achieve our full vision for Space Engineers 2.
We are now working on Vertical Slice 1.2, which will include improved mechanics (for example Jetpack “2.0”), interface refinements, and many small features based on your feedback. After that comes Vertical Slice 1.5, with modding support as the main feature. We’ll be releasing our VRAGE3 tools, and we can’t wait to see what you create with them!
How to share your feedback?
The best way to provide your feedback is through our Support Portal. You can always find a direct link to the support portal from within the game - just press F1 to access the help screen!
This platform is your direct line to the developers and the Space Engineers community. Here, you can:
Suggest solutions and provide valuable feedback to help shape the future of Space Engineers 2
Suggestions
If you have ideas or suggestions for the game, we want to hear them! Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping the Space Engineers experience, and your contributions will be just as crucial for Space Engineers 2.
Take a moment to share your ideas and help us improve - we value your time and input!
Bug Reports
Encountered a technical issue? Let us know by submitting a bug report.
When reporting bugs, please:
Provide a thorough description of the issue.
Include reliable reproduction steps if possible.
Attach any relevant log files, screenshots, or videos.
Share a save file of your world, if applicable, to help us investigate further.
These details are essential to help us resolve issues effectively. Even if you can’t provide reproduction steps, the more information you include, the better!
Don’t Forget to Vote!
Before submitting new feedback or bug reports, use the search feature to see if a similar topic already exists. If you find one, don’t hesitate to vote for the topic to show it’s important to you!
If you don’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to start a new topic. Every vote, suggestion, and report counts and helps us prioritize updates and improvements.
The support portal is the best and most direct way to help shape Space Engineers 2. We’re looking forward to hearing from you
Post-release Support
We will continuously monitor Space Engineers 2 stability after the release and fix any problematic cases that lead to game issues.
Marek’s Dev Diaries
Marek Rosa - Keen Software House founder, CEO, and Game Director shares a weekly Dev Diary every Thursday, offering a behind-the-scenes look at Space Engineers 2 development.
These diaries dive into the latest challenges, solutions, and ideas shaping the game. They are Marek's unfiltered thoughts, meaning details may change as development evolves. If you enjoy insights into game creation (and don’t mind potential spoilers), be sure to check them out!
FAQ
Q: Will VS1 contain all blocks that are currently in Space Engineers 1?
A: SE1 has been in development for over 11 years, so it will take some time for SE2 to reach that level of content. VS1 will contain the most important blocks, but since it's launching in creative mode, most of them won't be functional (for example, the Assembler will not be able to produce components).
Q: What are we getting on January 27, 2025?
A: We will release VS1 (Creative Mode). All other innovations - including planets, survival mode, water, NPCs, campaign, and many more features - will follow in additional vertical slices. Players who join early access will receive all these updates at no extra cost.
However, please note that Space Engineers 1 and 2 use different grid systems, so not all blocks can be transferred directly. Any incompatible grid sections will be automatically replaced with armor blocks.
Q: Why are you making a sequel and new engine instead of simply iterating with SE1?
A: We want SE2 to be a revolutionary step from SE1, unconstrained by the past (SE1 code base became complex and convoluted over the years), backward compatibility in file systems and data structures (e.g., now we have a 25cm unified grid system, so old grids are not easily transferable, and this would break many save files, worlds, and blueprints on Workshop). We also wanted a game/engine architecture that is ready for the next decade, scalable with multiple cores, etc. Sometimes it's best to take what you've learned and start with a clean slate.
Q: Why aren’t you launching Space Engineers 2 with Water? Why not wait until water is done?
A: Water is a complex feature that requires more time to perfect. Rather than delay the entire game, we chose to have a roadmap where we can release meaningful improvements sooner rather than later, so that we can share with our community what we are working on and openly talk about it. We're starting with Creative Mode, followed by Survival and Planets, which is a deliberate order. One of our key improvements in SE2 is the 25cm unified grid system, but we especially want to enhance the accessibility and intuitiveness of the user experience. Beginning with Creative Mode allows us to focus on these core improvements and gather valuable feedback before introducing more complex gameplay elements.
Q: Why are you releasing a Space Engineers 2 (SE2) alpha while Space Engineers 1 (SE1) is actively updated? Isn’t this unusual?
A: We understand this approach isn't typical (but we were never a standard game development studio!). We value our community's involvement and want to develop Space Engineers 2 alongside you. By releasing an alpha early, we can share the development process, gather valuable feedback, and iterate more frequently through vertical slices. This collaborative approach will help us create the best possible experience for everyone. After all, would anyone prefer to wait a few years until we finish SE2 behind closed doors and then release it with a big bang?
Q: What about Space Engineers (SE1)?
A: We continue developing it, the next update will be in the following months.
Q: What About PlayStation/Xbox?
A: At this stage, we’re focusing all our efforts on the PC Alpha. Console release processes are quite different from Steam Early Access, and the current stage of development requires frequent updates that are better suited to PC versions.
However, we absolutely want to bring Space Engineers 2 to PlayStation and Xbox in the future!
Best, Marek Rosa CEO, Game Director, Founder at Keen Software House
CEO, CTO, Founder at GoodAI
Personal bio:
Marek Rosa is the founder and CEO of Keen Software House, an independent game development studio, and GoodAI, a research company focused on general artificial intelligence development.
Keen Software House, established in 2010, developed Space Engineers, which has sold over 5 million copies and maintains the 4th largest Workshop community on Steam with over 500K user creations. The studio is now developing Space Engineers 2, built on their new generation in-house VRAGE3 engine.
Following the success of Keen Software House, Marek founded GoodAI in 2014 with a $10 million personal investment. The company develops autonomous agents and AI technologies, including the AI People game featuring LLM-driven NPCs with long-term memory and evolving personalities. Current projects include Groundstation, a multi-drone system.
Both companies, employing over 100 professionals, work toward advancing technology through gaming and artificial intelligence, with GoodAI's specific focus on developing AGI to help humanity understand and explore the universe.
Every Thursday, I will share a dev diary about what we've been working on over the past few weeks. I'll focus on the interesting challenges and solutions that I encountered. I won't be able to cover everything, but I'll share what caught my interest.
Why am I doing it
I want to bring our community along on this journey, and I simply love writing about things I'm passionate about! This is my unfiltered dev journal, so please keep in mind that what I write here are my thoughts and will be outdated by the time you read this, as so many things change quickly. Any plans I mention aren't set in stone and everything is subject to change. Also, if you don't like spoilers, then don't read this.
Target-based gyro - Almost complete, now we only need to polish the UI. This control system is inspired by War Thunder, where you see a cursor on screen, aim somewhere, and the ship rotates towards that direction. It feels remarkably good, actually much better than expected because we implemented a little trick that maintains aim while the ship rotates.
We are also improving camera and ship handling in tight spaces.
Offset camera - I needed to "sleep a few weeks on this" to better understand what I wanted. Quick recap: in third-person mode, the camera is slightly offset to the right (or left), so you can see where the character is looking and walking towards. We tested multiple alternatives, like adaptively changing the offset distance based on character speed or zoom distance, but ultimately decided on the simplest version: 20cm offset to the right. It feels good, provides better visibility, shows the character from a side angle which creates a more connected feeling, and prevents you from hitting walls when running. I'm satisfied with it. Now we just need to polish and it's ready for VS 1.2.
Merging character and Spectator Controls - There were two independent pathways handling controls for character mode and spectator mode. Now they're unified, which saves development time and improves consistency. This means you get the same tools and UI whether you're in spectator or character mode (paint tool, shift+G, copy-paste, etc.).
Debug Gun - We've added a new model, muzzle effect, better projectile, and the ability to destroy voxels.
First person animations - several improvements:
Tools/guns are much more stable in front of the camera, creating a feel similar to other FPS games
We're reducing the distance between the camera position and the character's pivot point, ideally to zero, because then mouse movement and rotation would occur around that exact point, instead of a point offset by 20cm
Here’s what first-person animations would look like in third-person - if they weren’t designed separately. Spoiler: it’s broken and hilarious!
With designers, we've discussed character inventory and grid inventory for VS2
Recently we also explored the topics of core loop, meta loop, progression, challenges and rewards. Essentially how SE2 can evolve from a sandbox toy into more of a game. This is very important to me, as I believe it can introduce SE2 to a much wider audience, and as a player myself, I want this. This topic is still not finalized, but I want to have a clear design during the next few months.
VS 1.5 will introduce Modding, with the release of VRAGE HUB and Editor, enabling creators to make new blocks, textures, and skyboxes. We'll soon begin workflow testing with our Close Testing Group. Our goal is to streamline the process, making it easy and especially fast to add new content to SE2.
Water - The team is still addressing some core challenges (such as making water cells 25cm to enable flow through tiny holes in our 25cm unified grid system), but we've already discussed ideas for visual enhancements coming in a few months. These include adding a second layer of low-frequency, long wavelength waves to the water surface for greater realism, applying a water texture to simulate tiny color variations in the surface, and of course, adding foam near shorelines.
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