3:00pm EST - A new week of Rust development is  underway and we’re seeing progress on long term functionality along with some great fixes for this week. Given Thursday is the last day of the month, there will not be a game-wide forced wipe until next week (April 7th). That said, all Rustafied servers (with the exception of Low Pop) will wipe when the update hits this week.

Armor fixes

After condition for metal armor was added last week - armor no longer lasts forever, it now needs to be repaired - Helk is working on fixes to some kinks in the system. Along with this, he’ll be adding conditioning to the other clothing items. Expect more details on this as we get closer to the update on Thursday.

DX9 Fix

Diogo has fixed an issue which has many objects not rendering when clients are running in DirectX9 mode. This has been giving people an unfair advantage as they are able to spot players which would otherwise be hidden. Thankfully, this fix should be live with the update on Thursday.

Player model rework

Expect some cleaner looking Newmans when the update hits, Taylor is getting ready to merge his fixes for player models. As mentioned in the devblog last week, he’s cleaning up those pesky seams around various body parts.

Procgen progress

Andre is trucking along on the next iteration of the procedural map generation system. After tweaking the spawn rules for resources and greatly improving the look of rivers last week, he’s now delving into some topology rules for roads and rivers. No new visuals yet as it is still on a separate branch, but expect to see some great changes to the Rust landscape after the forced wipe on April 7th.

XP system

Garry continues on his top priority: the new XP (leveling) system. Cleaning up interactions and display issues with menus, he’s making some great strides towards having this game changer launched. As mentioned in last week's devblog, however, a launch of this new system is not looking very likely for the April 7th forced wipe.

For a preview of how the new leveling system is working, check out this great video from Phaedo.

VIP Slots

It’s no secret, our servers have been having some issues with performance over the past several weeks. Sure, the game (and underlying engine) still have a long way to go when it comes to optimization, but we’ve also been pushing the limits of our dedicated box. Given this, I’m raising funds to help us purchase a second dedicated box so we can split up the server load.

To help raise this money, we’re selling a limited number of VIP slots for our low pop and medium servers. They cost $10/month and allow players to skip the queue when entering the server. Don’t worry, no current players will be kicked to make room for VIP’s, it simply ups the slot count temporarily. Also, this is no way will change the vanilla state of gameplay.

The funds raised will go directly towards a new dedicated box, so I’m hoping to have much improved performance within the next week or so. To learn more and purchase a VIP slot, click the button below.

Guide updates

We’re making some more progress on updating our guides. Along with the Guns in Rust guide getting current, we also have revamped our guide for how to host your own Rust server. Expect more progress on this over the coming weeks.

3:55pm EST - The update and devblog are live!

3:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

1:34pm EST - Helk just changed to cost of the new ceiling light from 4 high quality metal to 200 metal frags (and still 30 low grade fuel).

11:50am EST - The team is still putting out commits in preparation for the update (due to hit in several hours). Here are some things of note:

• Reduced wounded immortality time.
• Wall frame can no longer be placed after roof (fix for RUST-689).
• Lanterns can now be placed on boxes (and they look a bit nicer, too).
• Improvements to the new ceiling lights (mainly for performance).

1:00am EST - Our favorite time of the week is here - update day - and we've got a great one! There were a ton of changes to armor and damage calculations this week along with a much needed exploit fix for DirectX 9. On top of this, there’s been forward movement on some of the more long term projects (XP system, procgen, character models, etc.). Oh, and swinging ceiling lights!

This update will not force a wipe game wide (expect that next week). As always, some servers will choose to wipe anyway (including all Rustafied servers except low pop). Our update stream will return today at 3pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for info throughout the day.

Ceiling light added

A new way to illuminate your abode is here: Ceiling lights have been added. Running on low grade fuel - because electricity isn’t in yet - these bad boys produce a great amount of light and start swinging when shot. Here are some details and pictures:

Cost
200 metal frags
30 low grade fuel

Starting fuel
15

Blueprint
Book
 

Armor condition

Building on the initial implementation from last week, all armor now has condition (meaning it’ll break as it protects from hits). Along with this, there have been a bunch of tweaks and additions to the armor condition system in general. Here’s the scoop:

• Armor condition lowered when damage is taken from melee or bullets
• Armor provides 100% protection until broken
• You can wear broken armor but it only provides 25% protection
• The final breaking shot on armor only absorbs what it can (based on condition / damage dealt)
• Damage from animals does not lower armor condition at the moment
• Broken helmets fly off the player on kill headshot
• Broken items have a warning icon

Armor balance

While working on the armor condition, Helk also made some balance changes to specific types of armor. Here are the details:

• Roadsign armor is more effective against melee, less effective against bullets.
• Wood armor very effective at stopping shots, but breaks after being hit twice.
• Wood armor pants / jacket are not repairable
• Helmets are overall more effective against melee, but easier to break.
• Metal facemask / chestplate slightly cheaper, but only save 5-8 shots before requiring repair.
• Bone armor nerfed against bullets slightly.

Damage calculation

The way damage is calculated has shifted this week. If you’re in to looking at numbers, here is a before and after of the damage multiplier for each body part. Long and short, hits to the arms now yield 50% damage instead of 100%. This is aimed at making armor more viable because if you wore full metal before and someone shot your arm in front of your chest, it would do 100% damage instead of the 30% that armor would have provided. So now, shots to the arms always do 50%.

In addition to this, melee weapons now look for the best body part to deal damage to rather than just taking the first one they can find. This means if you swing at someone's chest and a hand gets in the way, the strike now registers as a hit to the chest, not the hand. But, if you hit just the hand, it’ll do 50% damage. Make sense? Cool.

Syringe nerfed

An important note to you PvPers out there, syringes have been nerfed this week. They now only heal 5 health instantly then gradually heal an additional 30 over time (at a rate of about 1hp per second). You’ll also note this is 5hp less than the previous healing power.

DirectX 9 fix

A huge bug has been in play which had various map elements like bushes not render if you ran the game in DirectX 9 mode. Thankfully, this has been resolved.

Player model rework

Taylor has been working on some improvements to the player models, with a focus on cleaning up those pesky seams. Although some progress has been made, these changes have not yet been merged into main, so we might have to wait another week before we’re sans seams.

Procgen next week

Andre has continued his work on the next iteration of the procedural map generation due out next week. No new visuals yet as it’s on a separate branch - expect more details from Andre in the devblog.

XP system: Probably May

As mentioned in last week’s devblog, it’s not looking like the XP system will make it in by next week. Therefore, we’re probably looking at a May 3rd launch of this new system at the earliest. Stay tuned for more details as this system progresses.

Other changes

• perf 4 in console now shows ping next to fps.
• ping in console prints ping
• Lanterns now take low grade fuel instead of wood
• A fix for chat bar selection issues
• Injure command puts you into the wounded state (admin only)
• Players now get kicked on exceptions

VIP Slots

In an effort to raise funds for a new dedicated box, we’ve started selling VIP slots for our medium and low pop servers. These allow you to skip the queue and get into the server even when it’s full.

I’m happy to report we’ve almost hit our goal and expect to have the new box in the next couple weeks. Also, at the request of several people, we’ll soon start selling VIP slots for our other servers as well, so stay tuned.

NSFW Notice - Head’s up, there are some pictures of topless bald women right below the fold - unless you’re 4k’ing it at work, in which case, too late maybe...

3:40pm EST - Some more changes and tweaks being introduced today. Here are some highlights:

• Idle players will be kicked after 30 minutes (only if server is full)
• Syringes stack to 2, bandages stack to 3
• Holosight fixed
• Grenades throw quicker and more reliable

1:52am EST - It is an exciting week for Rust development. Forced wipe imminent, the team is crunching to merge in new functionality and put out fires from last week. The issues have been fixed, however, it will be Thursday before they see the light of day.

But who cares... you know why? We've got females!

Female models are in!

That’s right, the long awaited feature, which first teased our cocks months ago, will be live this Thursday. Garry has rolled the gender dice and that Newman penis you love so dear will potentially be replaced by some labia majora.

If you'd like to see what character model you have now, opt you client into the staging branch, join a server and press tab to bring up your inventory menu.

New character models

Females aren't the only ones who got the attention - male models have a whole new way to “blue steel.” Not only have the unsightly seams been smoothed out, several new bodies and faces have been added; and the detail is just remarkable! A picture speaks a thousand and all...

A huge thanks to my Rust fashion models: Helk, Kat, Sandwichmaker, Eggbert, and Naxii.

Rocket fix

Raiding has been pretty fucked this week, all due to a little issue with explosive damage and the the recently re-implemented hard / soft sides of building blocks. This issue is fixed, but don’t get your hopes up for any epic rocket raids before the wipe on Thursday, because the changes won’t go live till then. Same goes for this armor and syringe stuff...

Facemask fixes

After the changes to armor last week, people have notice facemasks are very overpowered (as in, dealing only a couple HP damage per hit). After some looking into it, Helk figured out there were two colliders on the mask, causing double protection to be applied. Along with fixing this, he’s made the facemask protect less (40 damage dealt from AK now) but last longer (lasts 10 hits now).

Other armor changes

Other head protection has been balanced to match the changes to the metal facemask. This basically means the bucket helmet, coffee can, and riot helmet protect a lot less now. Also, the metal chestplate will last about 15 hits now.

Syringe buffed

In addition to the armor changes, the syringe has been buffed slightly after its nerf last week. It now heals 15hp instantly (instead of 5) then gradually heals another 20 (instead of 30). It may be slight, but that 10hp can make all the difference sometimes.

Procgen

Andre is still trucking along on his changes to the procedural map generation system. No pictures yet as it hasn’t been merged - expect some as we get closer to the forced wipe.

Dev branch server

I updated our dev branch server today and it wiped without notice. This happens as we get close to the forced wipe updates each month. Keep in mind, this server's purpose is to help test changes. Expect another wipe on this server as we get closer to Thursday.

Oh, and the name is going to change to 'Staging' shortly because there hasn't been a 'dev branch' for some time now. Don't worry, all blueprints will stay.

VIP slots on all Rustafied servers

Due to popular demand, we have made a limited number of VIP slots available for all of our servers. A VIP slot allows you to skip the queue if the server is full and in no way changes the vanilla state of gameplay (no redeemable kits or any of that pay to win shit).

The proceeds go to server expansion and covering our existing operating expenses. To get your VIP slot, please click the button below.

4/8 @ 3:40pm EST - A small server / client update came out before which fixed some spawn populations, censorship issues, a couple other small bugs.

4:55pm EST - The update is out and devblog is live! Enjoy!

2:50pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

12:34pm EST - We're seeing some cool new things make their way in today before the update hits. Here are some highlights:

• Key codes for locks can now be entered with your number pad - numbers on screen are now stars instead of showing the code
• Blinking and random eye drifting added.
• Admins can edit locked signs.
• Two new server cvars for idle kick: 'server.idlekickmode' and 'server.idlekickadmins'

9:00am EST - Blueprint wipe confirmed.

2:12am EST - Our favorite time of the month is here - a fresh start accompanied by a big update. The team at Facepunch has a good one in store for us this week. Forcing a wipe on all servers, this update features a character reroll (now with females), map improvements, PvP balance, and a whole slew of fixes.

Our update stream goes live at 3pm EST. As usual, this update will hit whenever it's ready - the average time tends to be between 3pm and 5pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for updates throughout the day.

Blueprint wipe?

There has been some chatter about a forced BP wipe, mostly sparked by two tweets from Garry on Wednesday. Although the next forced BP wipe was expected to come with the XP system, it appears one may happen with the update later today. That, or Garry is just trolling everyone - which wouldn’t be the first time.

At the moment, no forced BP wipe has happened on the staging branch. We’ll keep you updated through the day if it happens.

Update: Blueprint wipe confirmed.

Female models added

A new gender enters Rust - female models go live today! Determined by SteamID, the fate of your character's sex is in the hands of the Rust gods.

If you’d like determine the sex of your character before the update hits, opt your client into the dev branch, join a server, and bring up the inventory menu with tab.

Character model changes

With the addition of female models, a whole slew of other improvements and changes to the character models are in this week. Taylor has done an incredible job on these new models - out with unsightly seams, in with incredible textures and detail!

As with anything new, there are still tweaks to be done. Some skin tones are weird and eyelashes can look really creepy at certain times of day. Regardless, I think they look great!

A big thanks to my Rust models: Loach, Pipopip, and B3LLA MaC

New procgen

Andre’s latest iteration of the procedural map generation system is live! This updated landscape includes better spawning for resources, more interesting rivers, and a bunch of changes to overall topology and map layout. Also, the grass has been made a bit ‘rougher’ - which seems to make things a bit harder to see.

If you look at these pictures and think, "I see no difference." Don't worry, it's more noticeable once you're actually walking around...

Syringe changes

After its nerf last week, the syringe is seeing a slight boost in stats. It now heals 15hp immediately, then 20 over time (same overall total healing, but 10 extra HP immediately). Accompanying this change, syringes can stack to 2 and bandages can be stacked to 3.

Armor balance

Helk has done a bunch of fixes and changes to armor this week. Here is a summary:

• Metal facemask now protects less (40 damage dealt by AK per hit) but lasts longer (will not break for about 10 hits).
• Metal chestplate now lasts about 15 hits before breaking.
• Other helmets (bucket, coffee can, riot) protection adjusted to be less than facemask.

30 minute idle kick

Going idle while you craft a crap-ton of stuff just got a bit more challenging as a 30 minute AFK timer has been added. It’s only active if the server is full, but watch out, because crafting queues have been known to get screwed up if you get disconnected from the server.

Note: Admins and developers are immune to the AFK kick

Grenade improvements

Helk has given some much needed love to grenades this week. Along with being much snappier and quicker to throw, beancan grenades are now much more reliable than before (i.e. they have a better chance of exploding). Keep in mind, the longer you prime the grenade, the farther it goes.

More dungeon textures

Some more textures have been added to the dungeons. Here are a couple shots:

Other things:

• Rockets + explosive rifle ammo deal full damage to strong side walls / doors again
• Steam overlay works again
• Can enter codelock codes with keyboard Codelock dialog show as stars instead of the code
• Hemp is bigger - easier to find
• Fixed some ragdoll stretching weirdness
• Item attachments are refunded when weapon is used for crafting (eg. sentry)
• Fix for disappearing holosight
• Increased emission of ceiling lights
• Hapis got some texture improvements
• Added new shader level (500) to rainfall that enables soft particle
• Added convar 'specnet'  - if enabled you will be networked when you're spectating so you can hear voice
• Admins can unlock / change signs

Now, for some Rustafied news...

New dedicated box

Rustafied expansion is afoot. Our new dedicated box is on order and expected to be set up by next week. With this new box, we will be able to split the load of our servers - increasing performance and possibly allowing for expansion. More on this next week.

VIP Slots

After many requests, we’re making some VIP slots available for our other servers. Allowing you to skip the full server queue, VIP slots help fund our expansion (Rustafied EU anyone?). They are $10/month, can be activated immediately, and can be purchased via the button below.

Thank you everyone for the support, I can't wait to grow our server presence worldwide!

A new mechanic of the game is on its way: Water buckets and barrels. Due to go live with the update tomorrow, these items provide a new way to store and handle water.

But... why? Let’s start with the items themselves...

Water bucket

The water bucket does exactly what you'd expect: Go to a water source (a lake or river), fill up the bucket (by holding left click), then carry water in said bucket till you’d like to toss it on a fire or into a barrel (by pressing right click). Watch out, if you switch to another item with a full bucket, all that water will splash on the ground.

Cost
100 metal frags
25 cloth

Blueprint
Not default
Page

Capacity
1,000ml

Water barrel

You guessed it, the water barrel stores water. Take a full bucket to a barrel, right click, and the barrel fills up. It holds about 10 buckets of water and can be placed inside your base or out. 

Cost
80 metal frags
30 cloth

Blueprint
Not default
Page

Capacity
10,000ml

Is there a point to all this?

I know, I know, at this stage of the game, water is not very significant. Sure, I drink it when I come across a bottle. But if I want to put my campfire out, I don’t need a to throw a bucket of water on it (although that does work). Also, the inferno at a helicopter crash site burns too hot to reasonably be put out by some buckets (I already asked Helk).

That said, this new functionality will help you on the off chance someone comes by with an incendiary rocket - it’ll put out those flames in about 2 buckets. Also, remember that nifty little flamethrower which was being worked on the other month? I can imagine buckets of water will come in handy the first time some motherfuckers start torching your property from head to toe.

Where’s the staging server?

With these additions came a protocol++. That means you’ll need to have your client opted into the staging branch before you can see the server. Click here for instructions on how to do that.

New dedicated box here!

I’m happy to report: Our new dedicated box has arrived. This will allow us to split our current load in Chicago, re-open our Savas server, launch a prerelease server (to test the new XP system), and maybe more (pending resources).

It should be set up later today and I plan on completing the transfer before the update on Thursday. Don’t worry, no data or blueprints will be lost (but you may need to update your favorites for medium and hapis).

4/15 @ 5:00pm EST - A quick patch hit a little while ago to fix the OP fire damage dealt by the flamethrower. Servers will have to update for this change to take effect.

4:10pm EST - The devblog and update are live!

3:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

10:58am EST - It is update day and pyromaniacs are in for a treat: Flamethrowers are in! We also have some new ways of extinguishing fire along with some FPS improvements (hopefully). This update will not force a wipe, however, some servers may choose to wipe anyway.

Our update stream goes live at the normal time (3pm EST) and follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let's get into it…

Flamethrowers added

Setting your enemies ablaze and scorching everything they love dear just became possible - Helk has added the flamethrower! Fueled by (you guessed it) low grade fuel, this fire breathing beast spits flames several meters.

A new tool in the Rust raiding arsenal, the flamethrower does damage against wood and stone (including stone exterior walls). Your best bet for doing damage is to conserve fuel by lighting small fires near the building. Let them run out, then light again. The more fires burning, the more damage dealt per second.

The reload animation looks great, the fuel gauge works, and the pilot light can be toggled on and off with right click (even though it isn't required to discharge flames). Keep in mind, as with any new functionality, there will be some bugs and balance needed.

Edited to account for stone wall damage added this afternoon.

Cost
8 high quality metal
250 metal frags
100 low grade fuel

Crafting time
2 minutes

Rarity
Blueprint book

Ammo
Low grade fuel

Tank capacity
50 low grade fuel

Duration of tank
~10 seconds

Pilot light
Right click to toggle

A special thanks to my Rusty models: Errn (RustyMoose), KalypsoPuppy (BoondockOxide), and Jake (jRust).

Buckets and Barrels

With this new form of fire creation comes ways to put fire out. Water buckets and barrels have been added, and they do exactly what you’d expect: store and spread water. For more on these, check out my article from yesterday.

FPS improvements

There have been a lot of commits this week dealing with shaders, surfaces, and various other graphical elements. The goal is to gain back some of the FPS lost in previous updates. How much has FPS improved? Only time will tell…

Other things

Some other stuff has been done also. Here are some highlights:

• More progress on the XP system (expected to hit May 5th). See devblog for more details on this.
• Eyebrows added to character models
• Asian male variation of character model added
• Perf 5 displays frame time
• Fixed options opening with wrong tab selected

3:50pm EST - A small client patch was released a little over an hour ago. It fixes a big exploit along with a couple other things...

Freeze fix

First identified over the weekend, a huge exploit involving certain ascii characters in player names has been causing freezes, crashes, and headaches for players game wide. Thankfully, a small client patch was released a little while ago which fixes the issue (no server update required).

Other bug fixes

In addition to the freeze fix, this update included several smaller bug fixes. Here are some highlights:

• Fix for some deployables being slanted (like the large storage on shelves)
• Fixes for handling shadows when they are disabled
• Don’t kick admins/devs for exceptions
• Fixed code locks floating when placed on door
• Bone scaling fixes - no more huge boobs or amazonian women :(

New arrow head

Along with those bug fixes, you’ll notice a new arrow head with this client update. This is a good step towards some of the arrow head variations we first saw the other week.

Planters progress

After generating some hype in last week's devblog, Tom has committed the materials, textures and gibs of the new small and large planters. Keep in mind, these are only the visuals. The actual planter functionality will still need to be added in before we’ll be setting up home gardens. This does bring us one step closer though, so hopefully we’ll be planting inside soon!

3:55pm EST - The devblog and update are out!

3:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

11:15am EST - It is update day and we’re seeing some big changes to a key factor of survival: Hydration. Not a huge update feature-wise given the freeze fix patch went live earlier this week (details here), however, surviving in the wild is getting a bit more complicated.

Our update stream goes live at 3pm EST and follow @Rustafied for new throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Hydration is key

Helk has made some shifts to the metabolism system, increasing players reliance on calories and water. Along with halving the max calories and water held by players, Newman’s now burn more calories while running and can no longer sprint if they are dehydrated. Finding water has been made a bit easier though…

Drink from the world

Players are now able to drink freely from any body of water by pressing ‘E’. Mind where you’re drinking though, a big gulp of salt water will cause you to throw up and lose hydration and calories quickly. Therefore, when drinking in the wild, make sure you’re pulling from a stream or inland body of water.

Water jug added

A new way to store water has been added: The water jug. Like the water bottle, it is found in loot throughout the map and cannot be crafted. With a 750ml capacity, it holds significantly more than the water bottle (100ml) or bota bag (300ml). Speaking of capacity, the water barrel now holds double what it previously did (20,000ml).

Bota bag changes

In the same vein, the bota bag is now a default blueprint and cheaper to craft. It now costs 15 cloth, takes 20 seconds to craft, and can be filled up in rivers and lakes (by holding right click).

Bleed damage lowered

Bleeding out will take a bit longer as the damage dealt by bleeding has been lowered.

Arrow head alignment

After the addition of the new arrow head model earlier this week, the alignment on the crossbow was a bit off kilter. This has been fixed with this update, and the arrow now lines up properly with the crossbow.

Edit: The new arrow heads have been taken out for the time being.

Other stuff

• Improved animal attack animations
• C4 no longer sticks to other C4
• Flamethrower finds fuel on belt
• Type 'benchmark' in console (when not in a server!) - cool stuff happens.

More VIP available

In preparation for the update today, I've made some VIP slots available. Supplies are limited, so get them while they're hot!

4/28 @ 3:34pm EST - The client update just hit!

4/28 @ 3:29pm EST - The devblog is out! Client update due out very soon...

4/28 @ 3:10pm EST - The server update is out. Don't update yet if you are a server owner, wait till that client update hits!

4/28 @ 2:30pm EST - Looks like the update may hit a bit early today... stay tuned!

4/28 @ 12:10pm EST - It is update day and the team is mainly working on optimization, tweaks, and bug fixes. Here are some highlights:

• Andre is still doing a ton of changes aimed at improving FPS and performance (more details in the devblog)
• Maps now only cost 1 paper (instead of 5)
• Fixed not being able to bandage other players
• Fire damage fixes based on surface it's on
• Starting calories slightly increased
• New sounds for eating/drinking and flamethrower

No update stream today - I just moved and have limited internet. The stream will be back next week for the forced wipe!

4/26 - It is a new week for Rust development and the focus appears to be on bug fixes and performance improvements. The update this Thursday will not force a wipe - expect that next week. Let’s get into it...

Benchmarks and performance

Last week we saw the addition of a new tool - benchmarking - to provide developers more insight into performance and allow them to make more impactful improvements. This week they are working out some of the kinks and improving on the system. Along with that, there have been some optimizations and performance enhancements, so hopefully we’ll see some much needed improvements when this update hits.

Also, if you haven’t yet, make sure you go into console and type ‘benchmark’ next time you enter the game!

Bota bag fix

Now that water is much more crucial to surviving the Rust landscape, Helk has fixed a bug with the bota bag where players were unable to drink the last 50ml. Good, every drop counts!

Water barrels prevent building

Also in the realm of water related bugs, water barrels have not been blocking the placement of other deployables near it, allowing people to place multiple barrels overlapping each other. Helk has fixed this issue, ensuring that only one barrel can occupy the same space.

Door close bug

There has been a sporadic bug which causes doors to not always close fully for certain players. This would allow arrows to be shot through what was effectively a closed door. Andre has fixed this issue, making sure the door close animation always plays to the end.

Sheet metal floor fix

Certain deployables have been visible through sheet metal floors, allowing for people on the lower floor to loot or kill players through the ceiling. Some tweaks are being made to prevent this from happening in the future.

Edit: This is still fucked.

Dungeon progress

Vincent is continuing his work on the art and textures for the various dungeons around the map. This week he is focusing on industrial buildings, cooling towers, and powerlines. Don’t expect to see any of these changes go live this week, however, they’ll likely have to wait till the forced wipe on May 5th.

It is a new month for Rust development and, as with all new months, a forced wipe is in store. That’s right, maps on every server will wipe when the update hits on Thursday. And now, the question on everyone's mind...

Will the XP system come this week?

No. Unfortunately, Helk confirmed to me the other day the new XP system will not be ready for primetime this week. There is still a good deal of work to be completed and, with such a huge change, a premature release could be game breaking. Given this, it appears the earliest time we could see the XP system would be the forced wipe in June.

On a side note, this means there will likely not be a forced BP wipe this week.

Map generation changes

Although we won’t see the XP system this week, we might see some changes to the landscape of Rust. Andre, working on the ‘save118’ branch, has been tweaking and adding to the procedural map generation system. Along with capping the worldsize at 6k (previously 8k), he’s added temperate and arid mountains. What will these look like? We’ll have to wait till the branch is merged in - which will hopefully be before the update on Thursday.

Performance

One of the top priorities for the team right now is improving performance. They’ve pushed out a lot of optimizations, however, it’s up in the air as to how much difference they will make. One thing Helk noticed was some large improvements after updating his Nvidia drivers. If you’re running a Nvidia card, help him out by contributing to the reddit thread he created.

Rustafied EU!

I’m happy to announce our first European server is launching with the update this week! Rustafied.com - EU will be a 200 slot server with a biweekly wipe cycle. The server is actually open now for testing, so if you’d like to try it out before the official launch (and get a head start on some blueprints), search for Rustafied.com - EU in the community list or use the direct connect info below.

client.connect 95.172.92.176:28065

4:00pm EST - The update and devblog is live! All of our servers have wiped, game on!

3:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

12:56pm EST - We’re just a couple hours away from the update and the team is still cranking:

• A fix for metal facemasks not always protecting
• New fish trap model is in (see below)
• Sounds have been added and tweaked
• We may have a fix for decay timers resetting on server restarts!

3:50am EST - Our favorite time is upon us! As with all first Thursdays of the month, the map on every server will wipe when the update hits later today (no sign of a forced blueprint wipe). Although the new XP system is not making it in this week, we are seeing some great gameplay additions and beautiful changes to the landscape!

Our update stream will go live at 3pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Now, let’s get into it...

Fish traps

A new way to get food is here - fish traps have been added. Long and short: Craft a trap for 200 wood and 2 cloth (it's a default blueprint), place the trap in some water, wait a couple minutes, go grab your fish. Cook the fish and it nourishes roughly the same as a piece of chicken. Here are some details:

• Traps can be placed in shallow water
• You bait traps with any type of cooked meat
• They'll catch a fish after about 3 minutes
• You'll hear and see when a fish is caught
• There are not yet any fish actually floating around in the water, they just appear in the trap

Map generation changes

A new iteration of procedural map generation is here and it includes some of the biggest and best changes we’ve seen the the Rust landscape in months...

Let it snow!

Our beloved biome is back! The northern part of each map is once again covered in snow. Although it doesn’t feel quite as big as before, it is complemented by various new mountains, which also produce a powdery mix.

New mountains

Several prefab mountains have been added to the mix - this means you'll notice different topology in each biome. Adding contrast, these new hills create a fresh sense of diversity as you travel.

Dungeon art

The Rustification of dungeons continued this month with Vince adding new textures and art to various parts of the loot-filled landmarks...

New power lines

The high tension line model has adopted a more ‘Rusty’ feel. They still traverse the map by connecting various dungeons and monuments, but you'll now find the occasional downed line as well.

Food changes

Accompanying the various shifts to the landscape, sources of food are now more prevalent. Pumpkins and corn now spawn fully grown while mushrooms are more plentiful and easier to spot (they no longer spawn in grass). Also, lower level food items such as chocolate, cans, and granola can be stacked up to 10. And finally, human meat has been made salty (meaning it increases your thirst).

Peacekeeper mode

A new option for the auto turret is here: Peacekeeper mode. Instead of shooting every unauthorized person on sight, a turret in peacekeeping mode will only fire upon people who are brandishing a weapon. This could be useful for town and community builds, where randoms are welcome to come and go, as long as they don’t fuck around.

Other changes this week:

• Rifle (5.56) ammo now stacks to 100
• Coal stacks to 1000
• World size clamped to 6k (instead of 8k)
• Reactive target is cheaper and resets on its own after 6 seconds
• No footstep bug fixed
• New water barrel model
• Fixed heli gibs being destroyed by flames
• chat.tail and chat.log commands added for web rcon

A new Newman!

A huge congratulations to Garry and Sarah on the birth of their daughter, Jessica. Best wishes to you and your family from the entire team at Rustafied!

Rustafied - EU goes live today!

That's right! Our EU server officially launches today. It's a 200 slot, 4k map with a 2 week wipe cycle (basically a clone of medium). It should be on the official list soon, however, if you don't see it, connect with this info:

client.connect 95.172.92.176:28065

VIP Stock replenished

In honor of the forced wipe, I've open up the stock for VIP again. Supplies are limited, so get 'em while they're hot!

Edit: We now have VIP slots available for our EU server.

Coming off the forced wipe last week, the team is working on bug fixes and quality of life improvements. Let’s get into it...

Hack fix

A new hack reared its ugly head after the update last week which gave clients the ability to loot through walls. Although the symptoms (high quality items missing from boxes) led many to think it was a new noclip hack, it turns out this modified the ‘eye position’ of a client, which let them look through walls and loot items like they were standing right there (among other things). Thankfully, Helk released a server patch yesterday which appears to have resolved this issue.

Farming hemp!

Glaucoma sufferers rejoice, Andre has added in the ability to farm hemp! 420 references aside, this change has a huge impact on the supply of cloth in the Rust environment. Planting hemp works just like corn and pumpkins - equip a seed, place it in the ground, and wait for the plant to grow.

This change does come with some shifts to the hemp you will find around the map. Each wild hemp plant now yields 10 cloth (instead of 20) and 1 hemp seed.

Other farming fixes

Along with the addition of farming hemp, Andre has been making some changes and fixes to the various other plant life around the map. Mainly, after the changes last week which have corn and pumpkins spawning fully grown, some bugs around the regrowth rules needed to be worked out.

Bone scaling

After the update last week, bone scaling limits got a little wonky, resulting in some interesting (and sometimes busty) models. Alex has committed a fix for this, setting bone scaling back to the same levels it was before the patch last week.

Water wells and desalination

Some new items related to water are on their way, Vince is working on the models, LOD’s and gibs for water wells and water desalinators. No visuals on these yet as the actual items have not been implemented, however, I would expect we see these in game in the coming weeks.

Other fixes

Various other bug fixes have been introduced this week also. Here are some highlights:

• Tightened valid cupboard deployment angle
• Lanterns back on deployables
• Fixed being able to repair things with just wood
• Fixed world models / ragdolls / projectiles ignoring cave triggers

3:50pm EST - Update is live!

3:42pm EST - Devblog is out! playrust.com/devblog-110/ 

3:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

1:10pm EST - With the update only several hours away, the team is still working on various fixes and cleanup. Most notably, the hide halterneck and skirt have been added (see below).

12:30am EST - Our favorite time of the week is here: update day! A good one in store - hemp farming, water purification, anticheat improvements, and some welcomed bug fixes.

Our update stream goes live at 3pm. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Water purification

Salt water is now good for something - Helk has added a water purifier. Placed on top of a campfire, this contraption turns salty liquids into potable water. It costs 80 frags and 15 cloth, is a default blueprint, and holds about 2k ml of water.

Hemp farming

A new way to gain cloth is upon us - hemp can now be farmed! It works just like corn and pumpkins: equip a seed and toss it down, wait a while, then harvest. You obtain hemp seeds from the various hemp plants which spawn on the map. Each plant now gives 10 cloth (instead of 20) and 1 hemp seed.

Farming changes

Hemp isn’t the only thing new with the botanicals of Rust - several changes to plant life have been made this week. Mainly, corn and pumpkins now always spawn next to rivers. There have also been various fixes to the lifecycles and spawning of plants on the map. Long and short: there should be more plants to pick.

Antihack improvements

It’s no secret, hacking is one of the biggest issues this game faces. Nothing is more frustrating than losing hours of hard work to a cheater. This last week has been especially trying, with a new exploit which allowed hackers to loot straight through walls (among other things). Thankfully, this was patched earlier in the week and appears to be a thing of the past.

The team didn’t stop there, they have implemented several more countermeasures to the ingame antihack system, most notably the instahit fix. They’ve also added tracking for kicks and bans along with several other tweaks to the system. Hopefully this will provide some reprieve from the terrible influx in hackers we’ve seen lately.

Decay reboot

One of the biggest issues impacting server longevity has been a bug where the decay timer for every building block resets each time the server restarts. Thankfully, Andre has fixed this along with several other issues with the decay system this week.

Hide halterneck and skirt added

Some more clothing options for women have arrived: The hide halterneck and skirt. Both default blueprints and 30 cloth - these two pieces won't make you the belle of the ball, but they will cover your ladybits.

Silencer buff

At the request of reddit, Helk has adjusted the silencer slightly. It now lasts over twice as long (2.5) and reduces damage 25% instead of 30%. 

Other things

There have also been a bunch of other fixes and additions this week. Here are some highlights:

• Bone scaling back to normal (no more Amazonian women)
• You can no longer code lock fish traps (like you would anyway...)
• Caught fish sound added for the fish trap
• Improved player animations
• Valid cupboard deployment angle tightened
• Lanterns can again be placed on other deployables
• Fixed being able to repair things with just wood
• Fixed world models / ragdolls / projectiles ignoring cave triggers

2:30pm EST - A new week for Rust development is underway and the team is making some great progress. With a ton of bug fixes, tweaks to antihack, exploit fixes, and decay added to several deployables, we should have a solid update on Thursday. Let’s get into it...

Deployable decay

Andre has added decay to several deployables including sleeping bags, tool cupboards, barricades, and traps. Causing shifts to base upkeep, bag placement in the wild, raiding, and other things, a change like this sparks a bunch of questions - so I asked Andre for some clarification:

• The decay timer reset on deployables is linked to the building it is placed on (so a cupboard on a foundation will reset when an attached door is used).
• The sleeping bag decay timer does not reset when you spawn in it, making any bags placed on open land purely temporary spawn points.
• A cupboard will decay fully in 3 days. This is about the same speed as stone and faster than metal / armor. Note: this may change as no balance pass has been made yet.
• The overall idea is that a cupboard will decay before the rest of an abandoned base.

Pre-release progress

Helk has been working with the prerelease branch - making progress on the new XP system. So far he’s merged in all the latest changes from the main branch and fixed several issues arising from the merge.

There is a ways to go on the new XP system and a launch date is still unknown. If you’d like to try it out yourself, simply opt your client into the prerelease branch and join a server.

Antihack tweaks

To combat hackers, a slew of new antihack features were added last week. Unfortunately, these new countermeasures have been resulting in some false positives - kicking legit players for violations. Andre has made some tweaks to this system, so hopefully we’ll be seeing less uncalled for kicks once this update hits.

Exploit fixes

Andre has also fixed several exploits regarding line of sight issues with the helicopter and fixed an exploit which allowed players to disable gunshot sounds.

Physics bug

A physics bug has been causing some servers to crash randomly since the last update. Thankfully, the team has tracked the issue down and implemented a fix which is now being tested on the staging branch.

Other things

• Tool cupboards can now be repaired.
• Fix for jerky player animation when holding a rock
• Fixed a bunch of graphical glitches when reverse depth is enabled (graphics.revz 1)
• tweaked the 3rd person pickaxe animations so it doesnt clip into the player
• Added ‘decay.tick’ as a startup parameter to set
• Fixed estimated player velocity being extremely inaccurate during server lag
• Fixed "invisible water purifier" issue
• Fixed a case where the water purifier bucket could not be interacted with

2:42pm EST - The client update just hit! No update stream today, let's just get to playing!

2:38pm EST - The devblog is out!

2:24pm EST - Server update is already out, looks like an early one today!

11:15am EST - Update day is here. Although it isn’t a huge week for new content, we are seeing a ton of bug / exploit fixes along with some interesting changes to decay. This update will not force a wipe, however, some servers may choose to wipe anyway (see Rustafied server wipe info at the bottom of this post).

Our update stream goes live at 3pm EST and follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Decay added to deployables

Decay has been added to sleeping bags, tool cupboards, barricades, and traps. Here are some important details:

• Decay timers for items placed on foundations / floors are tied to the decay of the overall building it is attached to (meaning a cupboard on a foundation will reset when an attached door is used).
• The sleeping bag decay timer does not reset when you spawn in it, making any bags placed on open land purely temporary spawn points now.
• A cupboard will decay in 3 days time at the moment. This is about the same speed as stone and faster than metal / armor. The idea being that a cupboard decays before the surrounding base does.

Server stats

Andre has added a new command for tracking players statistics. Typing ‘stats’ in your server console will now print a list of connected players, their kills, deaths, and damage stats for other players, buildings and entities (split up by direct line of sight and indirect line of sight). You can also type ‘stats STEAMID’ for a player who is not connected.

The immediate goal of these stats is to investigate some potential antihack measures. They currently only last for one server uptime, however, Andre told me they may start saving them for a full wipe period or longer if they turn out to be useful.

Farming changes

There have been a couple tweaks to farming this week. Most notably, you can now harvest hemp plants while they are small (for less cloth). Also, the time to harvest plants before they die has increased, giving you a bit more leeway to grab your crops before they disappear.

XP system progress

Helk has been heads down on the prerelease branch all week. His primary focus has been merging in all the changes from the main branch made in the past month. Successfully completing this, he now has a solid foundation to keep building the new XP system out. When will that new system launch? The date is still up in the air.

Antihack tweaks

To combat hackers, a slew of new antihack features were added last week. Unfortunately, these new countermeasures have been resulting in some false positives - causing legit players to get kicked for violations. Andre has made some tweaks to this system, so hopefully we’ll be seeing less uncalled for kicks once this update hits.

Other things

• Aim mode added to throwing - hold down right click then release to throw.
• Fix for jerky player animation when holding a rock and idle
• Fixed a bunch of graphical glitches when reverse depth is enabled (graphics.revz 1)
• tweaked the 3rd person pickaxe animations so it doesnt clip into the player
• Tool cupboards can now be repaired.
• Added ‘decay.tick’ as a startup parameter to set
• Fixed estimated player velocity being extremely inaccurate during server lag
• Fixed "invisible water purifier" issue
• Fixed a case where the water purifier bucket could not be interacted with

Rustafied wipe info

We are at the halfway point for the month which means all Rustafied servers (with the exception of low pop) will be wiping when the update hits. There will be no blueprint wipes on any of our servers today.

VIP replenished

In preparation for the update and wipes, I have replenished the stock for VIP slots. Grab it while you can if you'd like to skip the queues.

5/26 @ 2:27pm EST - The client update is out!

5/26 @ 2:23pm EST - The devblog is out! Client update hitting any moment...

5/26 @ 2:10pm EST - The server update is already out, looks like an early one today!

5/26 @ 11:40am EST - It's update day and this post still covers pretty much everything coming in today (I added a couple lines to the 'other things' section). Tune in to our update stream at 3pm EST and follow @Rustafied for news as the day progresses.

5/24 @ 3pm EST - It is a new week in Rust development and the team is rocking out some welcomed features. We also have some exciting news about our main server (see bottom of the post). The update is set to go live this Thursday and will not force a map or BP wipe. Let’s get into it...

More resources!

Have you ever noticed how resources seem to become scarcer as more and more bases pop up around the map? No, it’s not just your imagination, it’s because resources (tree’s, nodes, etc.) have been set not to spawn in the radius of a tool cupboard.

Thankfully, Andre changed that yesterday so resources will now continue to spawn, regardless of cupboard placement. This should make gathering a lot easier in the long run!

New admin tool!

Admins are in for a treat this update - the developer tools which allow you to toggle off certain game layers has been made accessible to all moderators. Allowing for things like turning off buildings while still leaving deployables visible, this tool could help admins more easily spot ESP cheats.

To access it (if you have moderatorid on the server), simply hit F1 then go to the tools tab on the top.

Water caustics

Diogo has improved on the ambiance under water by adding caustic effects. For those who don’t know what a water caustic effect is, it’s basically the pattern on the ground of a body of water created by light refractions from the surface. Here is a before and after shot to give you an idea (but you really have to see it in motion to get the full effect)...

Throwable tweaks

Alex and Andre are working on some changes to throwable weapons. It’s still on a separate branch, so we’re unable to preview the changes at the moment, however, it is likely throwing weapons after the update will look and feel a bit different.

Edit: Throwable iron sights are making progress on another branch, but as of this moment, they are not merged into main (so they might not make it in today).

Dungeon art updates

Vince is working his magic on the dungeons, updating the power plant and trainyard, adding textures for big tanks and the conveyor belt crane, along with several other things. As usual, these changes won’t go live till the next forced update (June 2nd).

Other things

There’s been several other bug fixes and miscellaneous things being worked on. Here are some highlights:

• Improved world model animations
• More item pickup/drop ui sounds (and meat cutting)
• Fixed monument metal buildings roof being transparent (low decor & object quality)
• Fixed missing collision on small section of wall
• Fixed weapon attachments leaking their entities to clients
• Reset all antihack values on disconnect

Beefing up main

For several weeks now, performance on our 300 slot server has been dropping. To help resolve this, I’ve moved main to its own dedicated box. This should make gameplay much smoother and maybe even allow us to increase the number of slots in the near future. It's a new IP, so update your favorites. You can still find it on the official list, or connect using the new ip:

client.connect 192.223.26.55:26032

1:54pm EST - We’re on the cusp of a new month for Rust development and the forced wipe is imminent. Going live Thursday, this update will not only clear the map on every server, it’ll also usher in 2 new weapon mods, cheaper prices for other mods, bug fixes, and some improved dungeon art.

The new XP system will not be going live this week so there are no signs of a forced blueprint wipe. Let’s get into it...

Muzzle Boost

First of the 2 new mods, the muzzle boost increases the fire rate of weapons at the cost of velocity and accuracy. Good for when you’re planning on close range combat with a little spray and pray, this mod can be added to any gun (with attachment slots) and used in conjunction with any other mod but the silencer (because that also goes on the end of the barrel). Here are some pictures and details:

Cost
10 high quality metal

Craft time
120 seconds

Rarity
Blueprint Library

Muzzle Brake

Next we have the muzzle break. This mod lowers recoil but can make bullets more unpredictable. Costing a bit less than the muzzle boost, the brake will come in handy when lower recoil is key. Here are some details and pictures:

Cost
8 high quality metal

Craft time
120 seconds

Rarity
Blueprint Library

Mod prices reduced

In addition to the two new mods, prices of other weapons mods have been cut in half (except for the scope, that is still 50hqm). Here are the new prices:

Silencer
12 hqm

Laser sight
8 hqm

Flashlight
3 hqm

Antihack admin fixes

One of the byproducts of the various improvements and changes to the built in antihack system has been admins getting violations when in admin cheat mode. Andre has fixed this so no admins should get violations. He’s also fixed an issue where admins were taking damage when entering the water in admin cheat mode.

Dungeon progress

Vince is continuing his work on the dungeon art and textures. The pigeon nest has been textured along with the addition of some bird poop textures (nice!). This, coupled with the progress made earlier in the month, will have dungeons looking much more textured after the update.  Here are some teaser shots:

Edit note: Since originally posting this, I found a couple visuals. I also realized the pigeon nest and sniper nest (aka water tower) are not the same thing - corrected the above text accordingly.

Other things

• Building blocks now store a unique building id
• Fixed being able to place boxes partially inside walls
• Bird poop sounds (horay?)
• Display suicides in separate column in stats console command

3:45pm EST - All of our servers are back up, pardon the delay!

3:15pm EST - The devblog and update are live!

1:45pm EST - Looks like the update is going live early, so our update stream is live!

12:25pm EST - The new map changes and dungeon art have been merged in earlier today. See below for a bit more details.

12:45am EST - June is upon us and with it, a forced wipe. This week we’re seeing some changes to the map, new weapon mods, a new way of throwing (maybe), and some changes to building. Given the XP system is not coming today, there should be no forced blueprint wipe.

Our update stream goes live at 3pm EST and follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Map changes

Andre has tweaked procedural map generation. Along with fixing those random massive holes in the prefab mountains, he’s made it so there's more distance between each of them. He’s also added more monuments while increasing their minimum distance.

What does the end result look like? We’ll have to wait and see. As of this moment, the branch hasn’t been merged in. Expect an update and some visuals later today once that happens.

Update: The map changes have been merged in and, at first glance, everything looks pretty similar. As you move around, however, you'll start to notice the mountains are a bit farther apart (making the landscape feel a bit flatter)  and there does seem to be a higher density of dungeons (which is awesome). Andre also added more caves and tweaked the water to landmass ratio this morning. Here are a couple shots:

Update 2: Holy fuck, they weren't kidding when they said more caves. A 4k map now has an average of 20 to 25 caves!

New weapon mods

Two new weapon mods have been added: The muzzle boost and the muzzle brake. They can be used with any other mods (except silencer) and impact fire rate and recoil - at a cost. For more details on these new mods, check out my post from earlier in the week.

Muzzle Boost
Higher fire rate, less accuracy / velocity

Muzzle Brake
Less recoil, bullets more unpredictable

Weapon mod price reduction

With two new players in the mix, we're seeing some price balance for the other weapon mods (except the scope). The price of the silencer, holosight, and flashlight have all been slashed. Here are the new costs:

Flashlight
3 hqm

Laser
8 hqm

Silencer
12 hqm

Build changes

Andre has tweaked some placement rules for buildings. First, boxes can no longer be placed in walls. Also, foundations of seperate buildings always need to keep a distance of two world units (meters) between each other.

This change does not impact the ability to create stacked walls or many other building techniques - all though you may need to tweak how you do some things. At the moment, as long as the foundations were once connected, it still counts as the same building. Note: this may be changed prior to the update release.

Edit: I just heard from Andre that the plan is to recalculate building ID when a building is split in 2, it's just not implemented yet.

Aim throwing (maybe)

A new and very welcomed way of throwing is almost here. Mentioned by Alex in last week's devblog, throwing objects will now work more like the bow: Hold right click to aim, tap left click to throw.

It looks like this has been added to most of the objects already, however, the branch has yet to be merged. That means it may make it in this week, or we may have to wait another week or so till this improvement goes live.

New dungeon art

Vince has texturized several components of the dungeons. Like aim throwing, this branch has not been merged with main yet, so these new textures may not make it in. Check back later today for an update.

Update: The textures have been merged in with the map changes, expect to see them after today's forced wipe!

Prerelease progress

The new XP system is not going live today. That said, Helk has been doing some work on the prerelease branch. He’s rebalanced the entire unlock tree and made it so the cost to unlock blueprints are generated based on level.

Update: Helk just sent me this teaser of the unlock tree progress:

Other things

• New 3rd person deploy/reload player animations added for several weapons (ak47 / smg / pump shotgun / m249)
• Fixed sign update issues with slow client connections
• Display suicides in separate column in stats console command
• Bird poop sounds added (apparently)
• Antihack: Increased projectile LOS penalty against players
• Enabled shore wetness on road material

Main going to 350!

After the first full week on its own dedicated box, I’m happy to report our main server is running much better than before. In celebration, we’re upping the slots to 350 when the update hits.

Moderator applications open

Given our recent expansion, Rustafied is looking to bring on several more experienced moderators for our servers. If you are over 18, have moderation experience, and are interested in being part of the Rustafied team, please follow the link below, click 'new request' and select 'Staff application - Rustafied' as the department.

4:50pm EST - A new week of Rust development is underway and we’re seeing some bug fixes, prerelease progress and new dungeon artwork. Before we get into that, a small patch hit yesterday...

Monday patch

An optional server and client patch hit yesterday which fixed several things including the inability to climb ladders in dome, some large scale occlusion issues, and a couple exploits.

Prerelease

The team is still trucking along on the new XP system, pushing commits to the prerelease branch. Unfortunately, this branch appears to be pretty broken at the moment - client crashes happen when you try to do pretty much anything. The devs are aware of this issue and working on a fix, so expect a more stable build to go live shortly.

6/8 Edit - After the latest update it appears the crashing issues are resolved on prerelease.

Networking fixes

Andre is cleaning up some things with networking. Along with adding server-side melee attack verification (to improve hit detection), he’s also added lag compensation for server side projectile fire rate - which should eliminate most ‘missing projectile id’ errors which, if you’re a server owner, have seen a million times.

Decay scale

In addition to the network fixes, Andre has tweaked how decay works. The decay.scale convar now shifts both decay and duration - improving server owners' ability to make decay either slower or faster.

Dungeon art

Vince is killing it with dungeon art - only days into this month and already he’s completed the textures on several building parts. As with all dungeon art changes, we’ll need to wait till the next forced wipe to see these ingame. That said, here are some teaser shots from the man himself:

12:41pm EST - The server and client update are live!

12:36pm EST - The devblog hit a bit early today... looks like maybe an early update, too!

11:30am EST - It is Thursday, so you all know what that means: Update time! We’re not seeing a ton of new content this week as much of the team's focus has been on the XP system. That said, there are several changes of note.

No forced wipe with the update today, however, some servers may choose to wipe anyway. Our update stream will go live at 3pm EST - follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Decay changes

Andre has continued tweaking some things with the decay system. Certain deployables like boxes will now decay over time, with their decay timer being reset when opened. Doors also now only reset decay on building blocks that belong to the same building (although unique building ID is not yet being recalculated when foundations are separated).

Savas fixes

Our beloved PvP map, Savas, has been having some issues as of late. With various world objects flipped around, getting loot from crates has been impossible in some cases. Thankfully, these placement errors have been resolved with the update today.

Waterpipe swapping nerf

Mowing people down with multiple waterpipes on your hotbar is getting a bit harder - Minh has tweaked the deploy animation on the waterpipe shotgun, slowing it down to make it harder for people to hotswap between (it now takes about 1 second longer).

Throwable progress

Alex has continued his work on the new aim throwing system for tools and weapons, setting it up for the machete and salvaged sword. It doesn’t look like this will make it in this week yet as there are still a couple objects for this to be applied on.

Network improvements

Andre has been working on several things related to networking. Long and short: hit detection should be improved and projectiles now have lag compensation (clearing up some long standing warnings in the server console).

Music progress

Alex has made some great progress on the music arrangement system he mentioned in last weeks devblog. Expect more from him on this when the devblog hits today.

Prerelease

After a rough start earlier in the week, the prerelease branch has stabilized a bit, actually allowing people to play for more than a few moments before crashing. After playing for several hours yesterday, I’m happy to report the new XP system is coming along nicely.

I highly recommend giving it a shot if you haven’t already. To do so, simply opt your client into the ‘prerelease’ branch and join a server. Also, if your game is crashing, try adding this to your launch parameters (I haven’t crashed since).

Dungeon art

Vince is rocking out some more art and textures for the dungeons. As always, we have to wait to a forced wipe to see these implemented in game. Here are some teaser shots in the meantime: