Timberborn News

Hello, everyone!

The official release of Update 6 - Wonders of Water is near, but there were a few extra things we needed to make it fully… satisfactory.

[h2]Visual[/h2]

Update 6 allows you to build aqueducts, which means even more waterfalls popping up on the map. So why not make them all prettier… at least when playing on Ultra?

• Added particles to waterfalls, visible on the Ultra graphical preset. This change sounds simple, but we’ve encountered several serious issues with this little feature. Please let us know if you spot anything weird!
  

[h2]Game over screen[/h2]
After you launch a wonder for the first time, you are granted the highest of in-game honors and bask in the glory of the congratulations screen. Timberborn is a post-apocalyptic game, though, and sometimes, things don’t go as planned. We have a dedicated pop-up for that now, too.

• Added a game over screen, displayed after the population dies.
  

[h2]Bugs[/h2]

• Sluices no longer leak to the sides. This applies both to the occasional visual bug and the actual gameplay issue.
  
• Adult beavers no longer become a little too floaty after entering water directly from the stairs.
  
• Fixed a bug with unfinished Impermeable Floor tiles disappearing after hiding their layer with the layer tool.
  
• Bridges attached to overhangs now correctly display a path tile at the entrance.
  
• The map thumbnail should no longer break on the congratulations screen at high UI scales.
  
• Fixed a bug with power shaft connectors appearing on the incorrect side on flipped buildings (again!).
  
• Restored AoE indicators to buildings being part of the larger construction preview.
  

Hello, everyone!

Things have been quiet for a few weeks - that's because of the vacation period and our annual studio meet-up. As we do every year, all studio members met in person to discuss Exciting Things coming to Timberborn down the road. But shhh, more on that in the future.

Also, we've been working on a few extra tweaks we need to implement before releasing Update 6 - Wonders of Water (yes, that's the official name!) onto the main branch. Here’s the first bunch.



[h2]Construction guidelines[/h2]

With the addition of overhangs, aqueducts, and increased focus on vertical building, it was time to implement a new quality-of-life feature. When constructing new buildings, it is now possible to toggle the construction guidelines view. This view helps you align new buildings correctly despite height differences or large distances.

• Added construction guidelines view to the construction mode. This view can be toggled with a new button added to the top right corner of the screen (default key binding: Shift+X) or by holding X.
  

[h2]Maps[/h2]

We’re on track to revise all built-in maps for Update 6! Today, four more join our updated roster.

• Reworked the Lakes, Plains, Beaverome, and Mountain Range maps. The implemented changes range from slight to very significant.
  

[h2]Performance[/h2]

• Significantly lowered saving times, especially on larger settlements.
  

[h2]Mods[/h2]

• The mod incompatibility warning screen now uses different icons. It’s easier to tell which mods are outdated, and which are missing.
  
• Because of some under-the-hood changes, this update might break most buildings added by mods. To remedy that - at least partially - we’ve uploaded a dedicated script onto our modding repository. If you’re a modder and today’s update affected your creations, you must select a broken prefab and run the script (Timberborn -> Fix Prefab Components). Sadly, this will only fix some related issues.
  

[h2]Misc.[/h2]

• Increased the tolerance for slight mouse movements with the RMB pressed down before the camera moves. We recently removed that annoying camera delay but as a result, the camera would sometimes jerk on short RMB presses (for example, when using that to close a window). Hopefully, we’ll strike a good middle ground now.
  
• Removed the Unlock camera checkbox from settings. The camera is now always unlocked.
  
• It is now possible to build all non-Ground-only buildings on Impermeable Floor. Its model was updated to make it easier to see buildings underneath it when using the layer-hiding tool.
  
• Updated the layer-hiding tool so that it’s possible to see Impermeable Floor tiles placed under buildings.
  
• Impermeable Floor tiles now look consistent no matter what they’re built on.
  
• Earth Recultivator’s lanterns now cast shadows.
  
• Added missing flavor texts to several Update 6 buildings.
  
• Simplified the model for crop leftovers (a.k.a. these little crates sometimes left next to harvested crops).
  
• Beehive is no longer a Ground-only building.
  
• Slope now needs to be demolished by builders rather than with a single click.
  
• Did you know that Underground Pile was asymmetrical? Well, it no longer is, and you can no longer flip it.
  
• Borders on the Wonder’s congratulatory screen are now consistent.
  
• Changed the default console key binding on macOS to Alt+~.
  
• Changing key bindings no longer triggers related actions (for example, changing a screenshot key binding no longer takes a screenshot).
  

[h2]Bug fixes[/h2]

• The deletion tool now works correctly with Sluices.
  
• Ranges for buildings are no longer displayed on layers that are still in construction.
  
• Fixed the lag caused by highlighting lots of objects, for example when using the Mark trees for cutting tool.
  
• Fixed the selection collider for Mine and Efficient Mine.
  
• Fixed the incorrect height for Wood Workshop.
  
• Campfire’s light is now emitted at the correct height.
  
• Kits that visited the Detailer no longer apply parts of the design to their... teeth.
  
• Restored the visual differences between dry and irrigated areas marked for planting.
  
• Fixed some visual issues with how badwater mixed with fresh water compared to Update 5.
  
• Power Shaft connectors should now be positioned correctly when attached to buildings.
  
• Fixed an issue with water sometimes appearing cut out when rendered at the top levels of the map and under specific camera positions.
  
• Fixed Barrack’s rooftops messing up construction sites for buildings placed on its top, such as the Rooftop Terrace.
  
• Platforms no longer clip through the dirt on construction sites.
  
• Tweaked Levee, Sluice, and Dam to display construction sites for buildings constructed on their top correctly.
  
• The construction site’s entrance no longer clips with several flat-roofed buildings such as warehouses.
  
• Excavator’s model no longer clips through Overhangs.
  
• Added that one missing plank to Roof (1x1). We’re the first to admit that this was an inexcusable design flaw.
  
• Fixed several issues with the Japanese localization.
  
• Fixed a few key binding bugs related to opening the console.
  
• Fixed a rare crash related to persisting player data.
  
• Fixed a bug with save game labels not being refreshed correctly when switching between settlements in the Load Game window.
  
• Fixed a rare crash caused by the settlement panel and dead beavers... again.
  

Hello, everyone!

In addition to the usual tweaks and fixes, today’s update to Update 6 includes a highly requested feature: custom construction models for all in-game buildings! Also, completing a wonder now rewards you with some pretty art depicting your humanoid beavers at their best!




After we revealed wonders and how they’re built across several construction stages, you made it clear that the rest of the in-game buildings could use a similar feature. Fast forward a few weeks, and here we are! Now, each building in the game uses a custom construction model!

• Added construction stages to all in-game buildings. A building-specific construction model appears after materials have been brought to an empty construction site. All non-wonder, non-monument buildings in the game receive one such extra construction stage before they’re finished. The regular monuments have two.
  
• Updated the initial construction site for Dynamite (all types) so that it doesn’t cover the path underneath as much.
  

Your accomplishments deserve special treatment!

• Added new, faction-specific 2D art to the congratulatory screens displayed upon completing the wonder for the first time. You better get that construction going!
  

We’re continuing our work on all built-in maps.

• Updated Canyon with a dedicated flexible start area.
  
• Tweaked waterfalls on Cliffside.
  
• Fixed that terrible one-tile misalignment spotted in the aqueduct ruins on Meander.
  
• Fixed the incorrect initial water simulation on Diorama and Meander.
  

We’ve made several changes that should make the lives of our modding community easier.

• When you attempt to load a save file created while mods were installed, the game checks which mods are currently active. If anything's missing, a warning with a list will be displayed.
  
• Added a new button to the Load game window, allowing you to check which mods were installed during a particular save file's creation.
  
• In the mod manifest file, you may now list optional mods on top of the required mods. The optional mods are included in the launch order, but when not installed, they won’t display a warning message the required mods have.
  
• Holding the default modifier key (Shift) when clicking arrows in the mod manager now moves the selected mod to the top or bottom.
  
• Added Ctrl + ~ as a new keybinding that opens an in-game console, allowing you to view logs.
  
• Added game version information to the mod manager window displayed at the game’s launch.
  
• The IModStarter interface now has a method that lets you retrieve the mod’s system path.
  
• You can install modding tools available at https://github.com/mechanistry/timberborn-modding via Unity's Package Manager. The details are on the repository's home page.
  

• To prevent some possible crashes, only a single instance of the game can now run at the same time.
  
• Updated the Large Windmill’s model so that it now actually uses the Paper it was built with. Conversely, the (small) Windmill no longer uses Paper in its model.
  
• Tweaked the Blockage’s model, making it a little more rockish.
  
• It is now possible to build Dynamite below Sluice’s front part.
  

• Unfinished shafts no longer appear to be completed upon reloading the game.
  
• The sliders in the Sluice’s panel should now be more accurate when the building is built high above the ground.
  
• The deletion tool should now correctly mass-select objects placed on the Impermeable Floor such as paths and shafts.
  
• Fixed a bug with terrain tiles appearing inside the underground buildings. Hopefully, we won’t need to fix it for the third time.
  
• Status icons no longer appear way too high above buildings still under construction. Wonders were the worst offenders here.
  
• It is now possible to select Overhangs by clicking their “legs”.
  
• Fixed a visual bug with irrigated areas appearing to be cut off in a straight line.
  
• Aquatic plants exposed to a fatal badwater wave now display a correct obituary. ;(
  

Hi, everyone!

How about a few extra tweaks for the experimental Update 6 build?

• Added a missing arrow to the Iron Teeth variant of the Sluice.
  
• It is now possible to close the mod manager window displayed at the game's launch by hitting Enter.
  
• Hitting Start (or Enter) in the mod manager window at the game's launch now displays a loading screen instead of freezing the game for a moment.
  
• You may now place Vertical Power Shafts directly on the ground. Not that it makes much sense, but who are we to judge your engineering projects?
  

• The game no longer crashes when a beaver decides to scrap metal from ruins with bad timing.
  
• Removed the camera jerk experienced by some players after using the right mouse button to cancel an action.