Space Engineers: Announcing Automatons Beta Public Test

 SUMMARY:

• Automatons Beta: Public Test Branch released!
• Your Feedback needed: AI Blocks, Event Controller
• Install Instructions for Steam and Xbox
• How to provide your Feedback
  

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Hello, Engineers!

The next major update is Automatons (previously known as Grid AI). We want it to be the absolute best state possible for release! 

To ensure a flawless release, we invite you, our Community, to help us test things out.

That's right, it's time for another Beta test!

We know that you have been excited about this release and we want you to get involved and help us ensure that the Automatons update is one of our most impactful updates ever. We really appreciate all of the support you have shown us over this extended development period and now it's time for you to get a better look at what we have been working on, and get your hands dirty!

This is a great opportunity to help shape a future update! Please join us in the Automatons Beta and don't forget to leave feedback by filling out the provided questionnaire. 

So, what can you find on the Automatons Beta Public Test Branch? 

AI Blocks

The AI blocks give you the creative tools to completely change what a “grid” is and custom tailor your own automated creation. These tools can empower your creativity like never before! AI blocks have been added to the base game and allow the easy creation of truly autonomous drones.

This is only the beginning as we continue our exploration of the autonomous.

• AI Flight (Move) (1 block, S + L grid)
• Designed for flight control in both space and atmosphere.The Flight block enables complex behaviors in-flight as well as detailed control of how your grid will move in both space and atmosphere.
• AI Basic (Task) (1 block, S + L grid)
• An extended version of the Remote Control block that provides complex functions such as following the player, traveling to a “Home” destination, and of course Autopilot, as well as the original basic behaviors.
• AI Recorder (Task) (1 block, S + L grid)
• A precision flight path recorder. The recorder can not only log and follow a selection of waypoints, but it is also able to record and replay hotbar actions that trigger on waypoints. 
• AI Defensive (Combat) (1 block, S + L grid)
• Allows for the easy automation of complex defensive behaviors such as when (and how) to flee combat, as well as what locations to fall back to. Additionally, the defensive AI can determine what weapons to use when returning fire, and how to identify a possible threat.
• AI Offensive (Combat) (1 block, S + L grid)
• The Offensive block is able to perform extremely complex tasks including target identification, targeting priority, and execution of complex attack patterns. 

Each block comes in 1x1x1 size with both Large and Small grids variants. Players can build more than one of each Type block on a grid, to create extremely complex and nuanced drones and drone behaviors. Of each Type, only 1 block can be active at the same time.

The Event Controller

Event Controller (1 block, S + L grid)

Often requested in a myriad of different imagined forms, the concept of tracking a change in the state of one block, and taking an action based on that change, is something we have long wanted to tackle. We are very proud to deliver on this concept in what we feel is a comprehensive, but still easy to master, “Event Controller”. 

The Event Controller can monitor various block states and trigger toolbar Actions when those values change. This can be used in conjunction with other automation blocks to create logic systems on grids.

The event controller is a powerhouse addition to existing Space Engineers mechanical blocks. The concept of action, reaction, may seem simple on the surface, but when coupled with existing SE solutions, it has the power to simplify the complex, or add much needed functionality to simplistic design.

Steam Public Test Branch Install Instructions: 

1. Head to your Steam Library and right-click on Space Engineers
2. Select "Properties"
3. From the menu popup, select "BETAS"
4. You should now see the option to "Select the beta you would like to opt into:"
5. From this menu, select “Automatons Beta”

Xbox Public Test Branch Install Instructions: 

• You must own Space Engineers to participate
• You must be logged into your Microsoft/Xbox account to access the Automatons Beta
• If you already own Space Engineers, the Beta build can be found in "Owned games" as  "SE demo"

Feedback Form

After you close the game, you can provide us your feedback on new AI features through our Feedback Form.

Thanks a lot for your feedback and help! 

Follow our social media to get the latest news!

• Space Engineers Twitter
• Space Engineers Facebook
• Keen Software House Discord
• Space Engineers on Reddit

We are always impressed by the innovation of our modding community! We would like to thank the Space Engineers community for continuing to inspire us through their ideas, suggestions, and hard work.

Hiring

If you’re interested in working on awesome games like Space Engineers or our in-house game engine VRAGE3, and love solving unique challenges, we’d love to hear from you! Check out the open positions at Keen Software House and don’t forget to send us your English CV/resume and cover letter. 

Remote collaboration is possible!

Our team is global.

Finding the best candidates to join Keen Software House means exploring every possible solution, including remote work. While we strive to provide team members with the best possible work-life balance here in Prague at our incredible Oranzerie offices, we understand that it is not always possible to transition, therefore we are very remote-friendly. Here’s a map of where our teammates live.

If you want to let me know your feedback, please get in touch via my personal email address marek.rosa@keenswh.com, or use our Keen Software House support site. I welcome all of the feedback we receive and we will use it to learn and provide better services to our players.

 

Thank you for reading this blog!

 

Best,
Marek Rosa
CEO, Creative Director, Founder at Keen Software House
CEO, CTO, Founder at GoodAI

 

For more news:
Space Engineers: www.SpaceEngineersGame.com
Keen Software House: www.keenswh.com
Medieval Engineers: www.MedievalEngineers.com
GoodAI: www.GoodAI.com
General AI Challenge: www.General-AI-Challenge.org

 

Personal bio:

Marek Rosa is the founder and CEO of GoodAI, a general artificial intelligence R&D company, and Keen Software House, an independent game development studio, started in 2010, and best known for its best-seller Space Engineers (nearing 5 million copies sold). Space Engineers has the 4th largest Workshop on Steam with over 500K mods, ships, stations, worlds, and more!

Marek has been interested in game development and artificial intelligence since childhood. He started his career as a programmer and later transitioned to a leadership role. After the success of Keen Software House titles, Marek was able to fund GoodAI in 2014 with a $10 Million personal investment.

Both companies now have over 100 engineers, researchers, artists, and game developers.

Marek's primary focus is the development of Space Engineers, VRAGE3 engine, AI Game, and Memetic Badger.

GoodAI's mission is to develop AGI - as fast as possible - to help humanity and understand the universe. One of the commercial stepping stones is the "AI game," which features LLM-driven NPCs grounded in the game world with developing personalities and long-term memory. GoodAI also works on autonomous agents that can self-improve and solve any task that a human can.