What We're Working On (January 2021)

Author: From Steam
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2023
Signs of Life Game Banner
Genre: Action, Adventure, Casual, Indie, RPG, Early Access
Developer: Sweet Dog Studios
Release Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2014
Hey folks, it's been a bit since our last update and I know we can be kinda quiet when we're busy behind the curtain, so we wanted to give you an idea about the stuff we're working on.

Revamped Mining Base Story Content


We're somewhat close to finishing this up, as we have most of the new mechanics, creatures and assets finished. We still need to finish up the new boss, build out the levels and tie everything together.

World Generation


The current worlds are too small, and use up too much memory so we're fixing the glitch. The next update will allow for larger worlds, and those larger worlds are really going to let us play around with making the surface of the planet more interesting.

World Zooming


We're adding the ability to zoom in and out in the world. We also plan on doing UI scaling before leaving Early Access, but this is the first step in future-proofing the game for different screens and resolutions.


Ore Scanning


The current ore scanning has always felt functional but really janky to me, so we're re-doing it completely. Our main goal is to create a system that helps you find ore so it doesn't feel like you're just digging randomly, without simply pointing out the ore on your screen. The new system will show you the projected density of ore overlayed on tiles in the world, and if you find a bright enough spot then you'll find ore.


Cybernetics


Um, we decided to add cybernetics to the game. I can't fathom what inspired it, but here we are.


Parasites that burst out of your stomach



Reworked Codex


The current in-game codex only tracks creatures, but we want to make it more of a generic data storage device. To that end, we're adding the ability to scan structures in the world, and the codex will also track any datapads you find and read.

Block Building Delay


One of the persistent balance problems we've had with the game was that it was too easy to just take a stack of blocks and wall in any creature you come across. In the next update, we've added a small delay to block building, that can be interrupted if any creature moves through it while it is building in the world.


Anyway, that's what we've been working on. We don't really have a firm ETA for you folks on when it'll make it into the game, but I'd be surprised if it took us more than a month or two to finish this stuff up.

Hope everyone has a great 2021!

As always, if you have any suggestions, criticisms or just want to say hi then feel free to post a comment on this announcement, make a post in the Steam discussions, or join us at the official Discord Server.

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