"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 This is my unfiltered dev journal, so please keep in mind that what I write here are my thoughts and will be outdated by the time you read this, as so many things change quickly.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.
The community reception has been very good, with most players understanding why we're releasing an alpha and doing open development, sharing the journey together with them.
Of course, SE2 doesn't have as many features as SE1 yet, but it brings significant improvements (new VRAGE3, new visuals, new fractures, unified grids system, new animations, blueprint building, and many other new things) and it's the foundation of what will come now.
Steam Reviews are currently at 80%, which isn't bad, but I believe long-term we will get above 90%. SE2 is selling very well, so I don't have worries about our long-term stability. In the last few years, we invested heavily in building a great team. With our strong team and clear vision, now it's just a matter of hard work.
Thank you for all the honest Steam reviews so far. If you haven't left your thoughts yet, consider leaving your Steam Review here.
I am really happy to see SE2 players satisfied with the performance across different hardware setups! While we still have more optimization planned - especially for upcoming features like planets and volumetric water - it's wonderful to see our VRAGE3 engine delivering smooth gameplay even on older GPUs. Your excited feedback fuels our commitment to performance! Here's a great community perspective on this.
I we've shared some comparisons between SE1 and SE2, showing the 11-year technological leap in areas like ship collisions.
Development Updates
VS 1.1 - UGC/Workshop
Work is ongoing, and I'm waiting for another round of playtesting.
VS 1.2
Work is continuing, with my main focus on animations. We had a review meeting for IK (Inverse Kinematics) for character feet - this feature helps ground characters' feet to the surface, preventing them from floating above it (which happens with just animation data).
I realized how tricky this is if you want to polish it to AAA quality. There are so many edge cases to consider. We're just starting to add features that will make it more anatomical. See the attached gifs for failure cases that we're working to fix.
VS 2
Work is progressing well. We had a kick-off meeting for the asteroid generator for VS2. We want the Almagest system to be populated with asteroid rings and fields, with proper ore distribution.
VS3 Water
Development is going well. The water will be a big change to SE - not just destruction and fractures, but a whole new substrate for physics simulation.
After months of anticipation and hard work, we’re excited to take this first step together. The thrilling journey of Space Engineers 2 starts now, and we invite you all to be part of it. The release of the Alpha and Vertical Slice1: Creative Mode is just the beginning - there’s so much more ahead!
We’re taking a unique approach to developing Space Engineers 2 with our Vertical Slice strategy. A Vertical Slice is a fully playable portion of the game that showcases specific core features and improvements implemented at production quality. It serves as a milestone in the game’s development, allowing us to focus on delivering polished gameplay in stages while more features are added in subsequent slices.
Vertical Slice 1: Creative Mode
You have now access to VS1: Creative Mode, our first vertical slice, featuring:
new 25cm unified grid system (no more small vs. large grids!)
new blueprint building (snap to grid, partial copy/paste, assign to toolbar)
grid undo/redo
enhanced creative mode with powerful building tools (new voxel hand, symmetry tools, line/plane building) and paint tool
grid speeds up to ~300 m/s
safe speed system preventing damage under 20 m/s
new magboots with camera stabilization
new physics and dynamic fractures and debris for more realistic destruction
visual revolution thanks to ray tracing, global illumination, tessellated terrain, parallax mapping, sleek armor edges, and enhanced lighting
New VRAGE3 engine brings better performance and future optimization potential
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.
You can explore everything included in the detailed Changelog.
Forging the Future Together
But first let’s talk openly and honestly about the Space Engineers 2 Alpha - the word “Alpha” is really important. Releasing Space Engineers 2 in such an early stage of development isn’t just a milestone for us; it’s a deliberate choice. It reflects our commitment to transparency, collaboration, and building something incredible together with our players.
We’re just as excited about Space Engineers 2 as you are. We couldn’t wait for you to get your hands on it and see what amazing creations you’ll dream up within this new chapter of the Space Engineers universe. Your creativity inspires us, and we know the game will truly shine as you begin to explore, experiment, and push its boundaries.
We’ve seen firsthand the power of a great symbiosis with our community. Space Engineers 1 was shaped, refined, and elevated by your ideas, feedback, and passion. You push us to try harder, aim higher, and get further. Without your voices, Space Engineers would have been a much different game. That same spirit is what drives us today.
An early release like this brings enormous advantages - not just for us, but for you. We get the opportunity to test ideas, uncover hidden challenges, and innovate beyond our limits. You get to experience and shape the development firsthand, influence its direction, and witness the evolution of the game from the ground up.
That said, let’s be honest. If you’re not ready for an unpolished experience, this may not be the right time to jump in. If you prefer to “plug in and play,” we encourage you towishlist, sign up for our newsletter, follow the development, and wait for future updates when the game becomes more feature-complete. As a reminder, here’s the Roadmap, so you can see where we’re headed and decide the best time to hop on this journey.
However, if you’re excited about shaping the future of Space Engineers 2 with us - visit our Store, our Support Portal and get involved!
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.
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.
Here are some of the features and improvements we are actively working on:
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)
The Blueprint interface is currently in its initial version. Additional features and improvements will be introduced in upcoming updates.
Performance
Performance optimization is ongoing. For Alpha release, we’re targeting 16x Red Ship grids at 60 FPS on recommended hardware.
The game simulation continues even when the menu is open (no pause function) and Autosave may cause brief lags during gameplay. Performance may temporarily drop when pasting or attaching blueprints.
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.
Character shadow in first-person mode is disabled temporarily and will be re-enabled in future animation updates. Animations for uphill/downhill movement, jumping, and tools will be refined in the future update.
Inverse kinematics (IK) is not yet implemented.
Toolbar block groups and sizes (block selection via R key) are a temporary mechanism and will be redesigned in a near 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.
Many small HUD and UX improvements didn’t make it into VS1 but are planned for future updates.
Jetpack mechanics are being polished, including adjustments to boost, acceleration, sound effects, and camera shake (note: in an internal build we are already finishing jetpack 2.0, with more pronounced boost mechanics… so please expect changes in VS 1.2)
The off-center third-person camera for characters and ships is not yet implemented, but we are working on it, aiming to get it to one of the next updates.
Ship controls are functional but will be further refined with target-based gyroscope controls.
Enhanced sound effects are coming, including jetpack audio, debug gun, ship sounds and destruction.
Tutorials will be added closer to the end of development.
Keyboard and mouse controls are not customizable yet, but they will be!
The Alpha releases in English language, more localizations will follow
Recoloring some blocks is limited to certain sides only - this will be fixed in the following update
Sometimes character peeks through cockpit - this will be fixed in the following update
Physics
Character can get through voxel during collisions (this can break character physics)
Destroying cockpit, while character is using it, can disable physics
Splitting static grid connected to a voxel results in relocation and/or explosion of split grid (we are working on a hotfix)
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.
For now, we ask for your patience and trust: “Don’t worry about them, we got this!”
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.
Let’s explore the Almagest System together and see where the future of Space Engineers 2 takes us!
Our Vision for Space Engineers 2
Space Engineers 2 is more than just a sequel – it's a reimagining of the space engineering experience that takes everything you love about Space Engineers and makes it 10x better. Building on over 10 years of experience with the original Space Engineers, which has sold more than 5 million copies across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, we're bringing you closer than ever to our founding vision.
Imagine stepping into a universe where your creative engineering ambitions are finally unleashed with unprecedented power, depth, and possibility. With tools so intuitive they feel like sketching on paper yet powerful enough for your most ambitious designs, Space Engineers 2 transforms the creative experience with our next-generation VRAGE3 engine. For the first time, explore a rich universe with meaningful narrative and backstory, interact with NPCs in a living world, and harness new possibilities like volumetric water. Whether you're a seasoned engineer or taking your first steps into space, you'll craft your legacy in a universe that truly comes alive with your creations.
I can confidently say that Space Engineers 2 is the culmination of everything we've learned. It offers an experience that is more expansive, intricate, robust, and intuitive, primed for the next decade and beyond. We're making no compromises in our pursuit of the ultimate space engineering sandbox.
Why Space Engineers 2 is the Next Big Leap
We designed Space Engineers 2 to be 10x better than SE1 and other space and engineering games in every dimension that matters:
More intuitive, yet deeper in gameplay possibilities
More flexible in building, with fewer artificial constraints
More visually stunning, with next-generation graphics
More immersive, with rich storytelling and living universe with human NPCs
More performant, leveraging modern hardware
More engaging survival experience in a dynamic world
All of this is powered by our new VRAGE3 engine, representing a quantum leap in space sandbox gaming.
Intuitive User Experience
The days of steep learning curves are over. We've redesigned the user experience with an intuitive interface and fast feedback systems. Veterans will find all the depth they love, while new players can jump right into building.
Building Freedom
Our revolutionary 25cm unified grid system eliminates the traditional small vs. large grid distinction. Build with unprecedented flexibility - from intricate machinery to massive space stations, all within a single, coherent system.
Enhanced building mechanics include grid undo/redo, blueprint building (partial copy/paste, snap to grid, assign to toolbar), paint tool, and symmetry tools for effortless design work.
Visual & Physical Revolution
VRAGE3's GPU-driven pipeline delivers stunning next-generation visuals with raytracing, global illumination, tessellated terrain, and parallax mapping. Experience true volumetric environments where everything - from planets and asteroids to your own ships - is volumetric, fully destructible and physically simulated. Seamlessly travel from space to planets with no loading screens, all while maintaining smooth performance and visual fidelity.
Technical Innovation
Multi-core scalability will enable larger, more complex builds
The increased hardware requirements reflect SE2's advanced rendering, enhanced physics simulation, and more detailed grid system - all of which demand more computational power than SE1.
Since SE2 is in alpha, many optimizations are still ahead of us. However, VRAGE3's data-oriented architecture gives us the freedom to optimize and scale performance further.
Commitment to Space Engineers 1
Our dedication to Space Engineers 1 (SE1) remains as strong as ever. For over 11 years, we've consistently delivered free updates, enhancing the game experience for our community. We're continuing active development.
Space Engineers 1 (SE1) and Space Engineers 2 (SE2) will coexist, each offering unique experiences for players.
The Almagest System: Backstory
Space Engineers 2 is set in the mysterious Almagest System, humanity's ambitious leap into the unknown, 10,000 light-years from Earth.
In 2083, humanity launched the Bering Project—its most ambitious endeavor—to send pioneers across space and forge a new destiny among the stars. The Almagest system was chosen not out of necessity, but as a testament to human capability and the spirit of exploration. Beneath the surface of scientific curiosity lay a deeper motivation: the desire for a new frontier, free from the constraints of Earth's governments and societal structures.
Planets and Water are work-in-progress
The Bering Project sent multiple waves of colonists on a one-way journey, knowing they would never return to Earth or see their families again. These brave explorers were driven by the promise of freedom and self-reliance, much like the settlers of the old world who ventured into uncharted territories. Their mission was to build a new future for humanity, unbound by the limitations of their past.
The Almagest is no ordinary star system. At its heart lies not one star, but two - the radiant Almagest and its dimmer companion, the brown dwarf Delfos. Orbiting this unusual pair are three distinct worlds: verdant Verdure with its Earth-like potential, red and dusty Kemik reminiscent of Mars, and the enigmatic water world Byblos.
Planets and Water are work-in-progress
You'll encounter diverse groups, each with its own vision for this frontier. Astronauts Without Borders embody the ideals of cooperation, while the militaristic Legion of Engineers stands ready to defend humanity's progress. The isolated Ellickite communities, religious isolationists, and the Boatmen, a mysterious cult born from tragedy, add layers of intrigue and danger to your journey.
For the first time in Space Engineers, you'll interact with NPCs throughout your adventures. These characters—ranging from allies and pioneers to adversaries with their own agendas—play pivotal roles in advancing the narrative, offering missions, and enriching the history of the Almagest.
Planets and Water are work-in-progress
As you explore, you'll discover traces of something unexpected. Someone was here before. Your engineering skills and critical decisions will determine the success of humanity's boldest expedition. What secrets await in the Almagest? Your choices will shape humanity's future among the stars.
Venturing into the Almagest, you carry the hopes and dreams of all those who sought a fresh start. While Earth continues to progress in your absence, you and your fellow colonists are writing a new chapter in human history—pushing beyond known frontiers to build a future among the stars, governed by your own rules and ideals.
For more Story & Lore sneak peeks continue to our Reveal Post.
Pioneer Edition
Pioneer Edition includes the base game, soundtrack, and exclusive behind-the-scenes development materials (from 2022 to 2024).
As development continues, we will keep adding new content and updates.
For Space Engineers 2's soundtrack and in-game music, we wanted to capture the story of people who carried their ancestral heritage across 10,000 light-years to The Amalgest System. We drew inspiration from various ethnic styles: the soul-stirring melodies of Eastern Europe, the mystical sounds of Arabia, the intricate patterns of Indian music, and the primal rhythms of Northern European tribes.
To bring this vision to life, we turned to Karel Antonin, who has been composing and leading music production for our games for almost 15 years, from Miner Wars through Space Engineers and Medieval Engineers. Under Karel's direction, each piece of music became a bridge between Earth's ancient cultures and humanity's far future, blending traditional instruments with modern synthesizers to show how our musical heritage might evolve across millennia.
Working with talented musicians and a full orchestra, Karel composed music that feels both ancient and futuristic, where you might hear folk melodies transformed through electronic textures while still maintaining their emotional core. This vision continues the musical journey we began together all those years ago, growing and evolving with each game we create.
It was an amazing day from start to finish, filled with "hard fun", notes & liters of coffee. Check it out:
FAQ
Q: Will Space Engineers 2 have Steam Workshop support?
A: Space Engineers 2 will use Steam Workshop as its primary platform for user-generated content.
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!
Conclusion
Space Engineers 2 represents not just the next chapter in our journey, but a new beginning for space sandbox gaming. We invite you to join us in this ambitious endeavor, to push the boundaries of creativity, engineering, and exploration.
Remember, Space Engineers 2 is currently in alpha. By pre-ordering and participating in the early access, you're not just getting a game - you're becoming part of the development process. Together, we'll shape the future of space engineering.
Thank you for reading this blog!
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.
Space Engineers 2
Only 4 days until SE2 launches on Early Access. Everyone is really curious how it will go, but I think the community mood is very good - everyone is looking forward to starting this journey with us. It will take several years to realize the full vision of SE2.
We had an SE2 Press Event today. Many YouTubers, influencers, and journalists came to visit us, talked with our team, and saw a presentation on the vision behind SE2. Our ambition is to go 10x beyond SE1 in areas like intuitiveness, visuals, scalability, performance, richness of the world, and more. Expect some sneak peeks to be released soon.
We are already finishing VS 1.1 (UGC Workshop). Did some playtests this week and the previous one. Now it's up to finalization and polish, and 1.1 will be released quite soon.
Also working on VS 1.2, mainly:
Improved animations continuing - now focusing on start and stop phase of walking and running, ensuring dynamics and sense of mass being accelerated + making sure feet aren't sliding on the surface; polished paint tool animation (better aiming, finger on the trigger moves, and improved particle effect)
The good feel and feedback from animations, sounds, and particle effects is very important for me personally, both as a developer and as a player.
Improved sounds
Debug gun tool - new model + hand animation + voxel destruction
Jetpack 2.0 mechanics with new charge-up phase and boost, plus new camera shaking
IK for character feet so they adapt to the surface below, don't levitate, and copy deformed armor nicely
"Pause game" is finally in game (small but important feature)
Rotation controls - in the end I decided to keep the one we currently have in SE2, it's more intuitive than the one that was always aligning perpendicular to the surface you are snapping to.
And working on VS 2 - we already have trees in the game, new blocks like the truss block (looks amazing when fractured), new O2/H2 generator block, new method for designing fractures with a rim on the exterior part for more realism - all new blocks will have it. New connector automatically snaps your ship to another one (no need to manually position it; feels like two magnets).
Work on Water is continuing, now focusing on visuals. We added water particles and it looks incredible - looking forward to showing it to you soon.
Just a reminder: the UI in SE2 has temporary aesthetics. We're mostly focusing on functionality, knowing we'll be redoing things, so we aren't settling on final aesthetics yet.
Pioneer Edition (which you can buy on top of SE2) - I love the OST & the vault book with behind-the-scenes materials. We put significant effort into this. Karel Antonin (our composer) constantly works with musicians on orchestra recording improvements, editing, recording new vocals, and more. We're already planning new tracks to add free in upcoming updates.
The next step is a new game scenario set in a world after ASI damaged humanity and left our world. People live in barren land and try to survive. You play as one of them, collaborating with your village people, surviving, farming, exploring, meeting people in other villages, etc. Bottom line: we're adding challenges, consequences, reasons to play, game loop and long-term progression. For me, this is the last step that should turn AI People into a fun game, so I'm really looking forward to it.
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 piqued 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.
Thursday 16.1.2025
Space Engineers 2
These are the main things I worked on recently:
Default Volume: We are reviewing the default volume settings (it’s a little strange the default value is 50 on a scale 0 to 100, so we need to rethink this)
Playtesting VS 1.2 (will be released sometime in next few months):
Block Rotation: We tested a new method for how controls map to block rotation directions. It's not clear yet if we will use it or stay with what's currently in SE2.
Undo/Redo for Paint Tool: You can now undo when you painted a block, a group of blocks, or an entire grid.
Accurate Interaction Dummies: When you aim at control elements (e.g., terminal, button), the game has to do raycast with the invisible dummy. If hit, it shows a highlight and allows interaction. The first implementation had problems leading to situations when you aim at the control element, but nothing happens. We improved it to consider only real geometry of the environment, and now it works flawlessly. Things like this are important for the predictability of experience.
Jetpack: We are improving the booster mechanics:
Added charge-up period with indicator and sound
Accelerate up to 300 m/s
We still have to add camera shake and improve sound effects
Planetary Terrain: Works on VS2 are starting, so we discussed how to improve material transitions. We have many ideas on how to make them more natural and also hide the resolution of the material map.
What are we doing on SE2 right now?:
Code freeze ended on 1.12.2024 - then we branched out. One branch is being repeatedly tested by our QA team and major bugs and crashes are fixed and cycle repeats. The other branch is for the next vertical slice, and the team is already adding features.
This means that what you will get on January 27 is a version from December 1, but after multiple retests and improvements.
Why we didn't want to release it immediately? We know that we need 1-2 months of testing, to ensure we are not releasing a buggy product.
Character Movement: We're working on acceleration and deceleration of the character in third person mode, adding some weight to it, and also making the animations more natural (nobody accelerates instantly). But I am not sure yet, we need to work on this more.
First-Person Animations: We have designed a proper solution for first person hand and tool animations (what’s currently in VS1 is temporary):
Separate character's upper body
Rendering:
Shadows from the first person torso are not cast onto the world
Shadows from the third person torso are not cast on the first person torso
Third person Torso is not rendered in the main view
Remaining world shadows cast on both bodies as usual
Reflections need to use the third person meshes
Separate state machine for characters on the client
Aiming Lag: Solves aiming lag because first person state machine (SM) is on the client
Pros:
Less work to set up the first person animations
Artists have complete freedom on how first person animations work now that the torso is on a separate SM
Potentially removes the need for Hand and Tool IK entirely
Cons:
Render needs to add support for new features
Engine programmers have to set up the new SM for the client side torso
Artists have to maintain two Animation Controllers
Performance impact for running two animators and rendering additional shadow map
QA have to test first and third person
Each weapon will need separate animation set, instead of using IK to allow sharing the animations
Learning from Others: I will shamelessly admit that we were checking Enshrouded and how are they doing their: Voxel terrain, Teselation, Sculpting of the material (hills, vertical walls, overhangs), Material transitions, Resolution of their voxels and more. In principle they do things similarly, but some things look better than on our SE2 planets.
New Character Model: I am sharing a character model I just received from artists. It’s for an NPC for an unannounced faction
I have good news to share: Space Engineers 2 will use Steam Workshop as its primary platform for user-generated content. This decision comes directly from listening to our community, particularly our content creators, who have expressed a strong preference for Steam Workshop.
Our initial plan to use Mod.io was driven by the goal of providing a unified backend for both PC and console platforms. However, your feedback made it clear that Steam Workshop's established ecosystem and features are crucial for our PC community. When our community speaks with such a clear voice, it's important for us to listen and adapt our plans accordingly.
Steam Workshop support will be added in our first major update (VS 1.1) after the Early Access launch on January 27. For our console players, we are evaluating the best approach to provide them with UGC access and will share more details as we progress.
Thank you for your passionate feedback. Your input continues to help shape Space Engineers 2's development.
Best regards,
Marek Rosa CEO & Game Director Keen Software House
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