About This Dev Diary
Every Thursday, I share some of what we’ve been working on – the challenges, solutions, and ideas that caught my attention. This is my unfiltered dev journal, so my thoughts and plans may change quickly, and nothing here is set in stone. And if you don’t like spoilers, don’t read further!
Space Engineers 1
Warfare 3 is one of the most significant combat updates we have ever made for Space Engineers.
Guided missiles and heavy torpedoes. Countermeasure flares. EMP weaponry capable of knocking entire grids offline. Jump Detection that can turn an escape into a pursuit. Warfare 3 is not just adding more firepower – it is changing how battles are fought, defended, and engineered!
All of this and more is coming in the free game update, and you can wishlist the Warfare 3 Pack on Steam right now!
Guided Missiles & Torpedoes
Guided missiles and heavy seeking torpedoes are joining the arsenal, bringing exciting new options for long-range combat. Fast moving missiles can pursue targets with precision, while larger torpedo systems sacrifice speed for raw destructive power. A variety of ammunition types, coupled with new weapon reloading mechanics, will allow you to swap tactics and munitions mid-fight.
These new weapons use predictive guidance and can be used to strike specific subsystems… but beware of enemy point-defense and countermeasure systems. Powerful as they are, guided weapons aren’t the only combat systems getting an upgrade in Warfare 3.
Countermeasure Flares
Countermeasure Flares will serve as an important strategic defense against seeking weaponry. Deploy them at the right moment to distract incoming missiles and torpedoes, disrupt their guidance, and give your ship a critical opportunity to evade an attack.
EMP Weaponry
The Factorum has a devastating new weapon at its disposal. The new Prototech Microwave Emitter can unleash a powerful burst of radiation, temporarily disabling grids within range. Catch an enemy off guard, create a critical opening in their defenses, shut down a fleeing ship moments before it can jump to safety, or expose hostile boarding crews to a deadly dose of radiation. Used at the right time, this devastating new weapon can completely change the course of an engagement.
Jump Detection
We’re adding a major new PvP system: Jump Detection. This system gives players a new way to find large or heavy ships when they perform long-distance jumps, revealing their exit destination to nearby players, and making them susceptible to interception or pursuit.
Warfare 3 Pack
Can’t wait? Wishlist the Warfare 3 Pack on Steam right now!
Space Engineers 2
Lighting Changes
We are continuing to tune the lighting in Space Engineers 2. One important change is that we can now use separate lighting settings for planetary environments and for space. This means we can push the look of planets further without changing how the game looks once you leave the atmosphere.
For planets, we are experimenting with stronger saturation and contrast to make vegetation, terrain, rocks, and distant landscape features easier to read. The goal is not to make the game artificially colorful, but to get more definition between the different parts of the environment while keeping the realistic direction we want for Space Engineers 2.
Here you can see some before and after comparisons from our current work. This is still being tuned, but I think separating planetary and space lighting gives us much better control over both environments.
Ore Visual Overhaul
We are also revisiting how ores look in the terrain. Iron, Nickel, Silicon, Cobalt, and Copper are all being refined so they are easier to recognize visually when you encounter them.
The main thing we are working on right now is their color identity. We are increasing and adjusting saturation so each ore has a more distinct appearance instead of different deposits blending together too easily. I want experienced players to eventually recognize an ore from its appearance at a glance, without having to stop and inspect every patch of terrain.
This is a relatively small visual change compared to some of the larger systems we are working on, but for me it is an important usability detail. Mining is something you will do constantly, so the materials themselves should become familiar and recognizable parts of the world.
Cobalt
Copper
Iron
Nickel
Silicon
Question to you: Which revealed Warfare 3 feature are you looking forward to the most?
Share your thoughts in the comments below – I read them all, and they’re one of my favorite parts of making our games.
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Thanks for the changes to the ore coloration and appearance, it’s something that has been bothering me a lot in SE2.
Even though combat isn’t my favorite aspect, I’m excited for Warfare 3 because of the new blocks!”
its super cool to see all the new features, and missiles are a dream come true.
i just wish Se2 got the same treatment and that we could get some info on a future Se2 combat update or addition to the roadmap.
Other than that keep up the great work
Please, *please* make jump detection tied to a new block specific to that purpose! The idea is super cool, but I want it to be a physicalized subsystem.