5:10pm EST - It's a new week for Rust development and we're seeing some ongoing progress on AI along with several changes to items. Let's get into it…

AI progress

Garry continues trucking along on the new artificial intelligence for animals. Working on the prerelease branch, he has added a bunch of functionality including:

• Animals wake up when being attacked
• They wake up when gunshots are heard, and move away from where the shots are coming from
• They don’t try to eat alive things
• They stop fleeing if tired
• They fear players a bit more

Keep in mind, this new AI will not be in the game this week. The earliest we’ll see this in game would be the next forced wipe (March 2nd), however, given the size of this body of work, it may take longer than that before it’s ready for prime time.

Vending machine changes

Helk has tweaked a couple things with vending machines this week. They now have double the health (1000 hp instead of 500) and the quantity of each item for sale shows up on the front monitor. It doesn’t appear this is live on the staging branch as of writing this, so check back later for a picture.

Turret improvements

Some improvements to the peacekeeper mode of turrets are also coming down the pike. They will no longer continue to consider players hostile if they’ve died and come back. Also, they no longer consider water bottles, bota bags, and buckets to be hostile.

Decor deployable progress

Vincent continues his work on the base deployables branch. Although we haven’t seen anything specifically on this yet, it does appear we’ll be able to decorate our bases in the near future. So far Vincent has added rugs and chairs. Given it’s on a separate branch, we don’t have any visuals on this quite yet, but maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll post some on the devblog...

1:41pm EST - Base decor has been added also! See below for some pictures.

1:05am EST - The team at Facepunch is on fire! Heavy armor, guest codes, true naked notification, vending machine location broadcast, plus a slew of other tweaks and improvements.

As always, our update stream goes live at 2pm EST and follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Heavy armor is here

The newest craze in Rust attire has arrived: Heavy Armor. This tri-piece set provides excellent protection while limiting mobility. It’s a first iteration - so all is subject to change - but at the moment, each part limits players speed by 15%. We’re still waiting on damage stats, so stay tuned later today for specifics on how this armor matches up.

Heavy Helmet
2 sheet metal
5 high quality metal

Heavy Jacket
3 sheet metal
8 high quality metal
3 rope

Heavy Pants
2 sheet metal
4 high quality metal
2 rope

Caveman sash: Revealing the true Newman

You can now tell who has truly just washed up on the beach versus those motherfuckers running around with no clothes, yelling “I’m friendly, I’m friendly!” only to have them ram a spear down your gullet the second your guard is down.

Allow me to introduce: the caveman sash. This new article of clothing is involuntarily added to naked Newman's once they touch a 'potentially hostile' item (basically any weapon or tool). Fresh spawns, provided they haven’t laid hands on anything, will remain naked in the eyes of every other player. If they, however, grab a spear, bow, gun, etc, they will be branded with this new sash.

How fucking cool is this? We can finally know when someone is really, truly, a naked.

Game. Changer.

Guest codes

A new option for base access is here: guest codes! They allow you to set a secondary code which give people access to the door - and that’s all. It restricts guests ability to lock/unlock, remove the lock, or change the master code.

Like the normal (master) code, a guest code can be set while the door is unlocked. Once set, that code will allow access to the door, but won't let anyone unlock, remove the lock, or change the core code. Awesome!

Base decor

Several new items have been added to help spruce up the look of your base! Vince has put in two rugs (bear and Rust) along with a table and chairs. Here are some pictures:

Bear Rug
100 leather

Rug
100 cloth

Table
300 wood
150 frags

Chair
150 wood
100 frags

Vending machine map broadcast

Commerce in Rust just became a lot easier as Vending Machines are now able to broadcast their locations. This setting can be toggled by holding 'E' but will be on by default for all newly placed vending machines. It will, however, default to broadcast off for any VM’s placed prior to this update.

Using a paper map, players will be able to see icons (green circles with shopping carts) across the entire seed for all vending machines set to broadcast.

Other vending machine changes

Helk made some other improvements to vending machines. They are now twice as strong (1,000HP as opposed to 500) and they also show the number of items per sell order on the bottom right of the front screen.

Monuments on maps

Vending machine broadcast isn’t the only new thing with maps this week; monuments are now labeled clearly on every paper map from the get-go.

Sewing kit world model larger

Part of a slew of new world models added last week, the sewing kit has been a bitch and a half. After several complaints and a fucking hilarious video on Reddit, Alex has increased the size of the kit, making them much easier pick up - and comically large.

Auto turret changes

Some love has been given to turrets this week - many in the realm of peacekeeper mode. Here is a rundown of the changes:

• They now have freaking laser beams attached to their heads!
• Rock is not considered hostile
• Water bottle, bota bag, buckets no longer considered hostile
• Turrets no longer consider dead players hostile after they respawn and run back
• Any damage dealt marks you as hostile to sentry turrets

Other stuff

• Beds can be made public and slept in by others
• Shopfront now equal strenght of metal walls (750hp)
• Double barrel now has proper iron sight
• New world model for gunpowder (now a sack, easier to pick up)
• Fixed some doors being invisible when moving for the first time after joining a server
• Fixed being unable to right click-move objects into customer side of shop front

4:20pm EST - With a new month and forced wipe just around the corner, the team has some awesome stuff in store. Before we get into that, I’d like to touch on a thorn in our side...

Server performance

For the past several weeks, server performance has become more and more of an issue. Things run great the first night of a wipe, however, once entity counts rise into the six figures, we’re seeing severe drops in server side FPS. This results in delayed actions for players, lag, and outright crashes.

The larger the player count, the more affected the server. This is not an issue of hosting resources, we are simply pushing the limits of the game/engine, and with that, there is some pushback. We’ve been working with the developers to get them save files and data dumps so they can profile the issue(s) and put some optimizations in place. This is an ongoing process and it may take some time until performance is boosted again.

In the meantime, if performance on any of our servers takes a dump, unscheduled wipes may occur. As always, I’ll keep you up to date on how this progresses. Now, onto the fun stuff...

Mo’ snow!

With spring near, Andre is upping the cold by increasing the area of arctic and reducing the tundra. No examples on this yet, as it is wrapped up in the save142 branch, however, that should be merged in shortly.

Holster display

Adding on the sash functionality from last week, Helk is working on getting weapon models to display on players backs. I think it’s a huge deal to be able to see what people have on their person, and I’m really excited to see it in game. This, too, is on a separate branch still. Expect more details and pictures on our Thursday update summary post.

Wind flutter

Expect a bit more movement from bushes and the like this week as wind flutter has been added to foliage. This is part of a new foliage system arriving with the map changes this week, which hopefully provides some client optimizations and maybe a bit of new eye candy. More on this in our Thursday update post (once it’s all merged in).

Bone frag world model

Continuing work on adding world models for dropped items, Alex has added bone fragments. It also looks like wolf skulls are not far behind, but they are not quite in yet.

Other stuff

• Fix for vending machines being destroyed when walls nearby are upgraded
• Increased nobuild zone around trainyard

3:45pm EST - The client update and devblog are live!

3:00pm EST - A couple more balance changes just came in:

• reduced cost of pickaxe (125 metal frags now)
• reduced cost of bucket helmet
• reduced protection of bucket helmet

1:40pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

12:56am EST - March is here, and with it, the forced wipe, and some solid shifts to Rust - holster display, more snow, cave loot, overgrowth, and some new swaying shrubs.

As always, there is no set time for the update. It does, however, tend to hit between 3 and 5pm EST (8-10pm GMT). Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Update summary video

Here's an update summary video from Puddy!

Holster display

Helk, building on the caveman sash functionality introduced last week, has added the view of weapons on player models. A feature long requested by some (mainly me), players will now truly be able to see if the person approaching them is armed or not. Beyond that, you can see tools, explosives, side arms, bows, and more.

Yes, if sneaking up on people, naked, with a pipe shotgun yelling ‘friendly’ is your thing, this may suck. Beyond that, we can finally see what someone is armed with, and react accordingly. This will not only bring about more ability to trust in Rust, it aids in scoping out during PvP engagements and counter raids.

Let it snow!

As with many forced wipes, there are some changes in store for procedural map generation. Most exciting this month is the increase in snow zones! Andre has added more winter zones while decreasing the size of the desert.

Overgrowth

Monuments around the map look a bit more rustic this week with the addition of overgrowth. A project several weeks in the making, overgrowth adds various plants and shrubbery to the different dungeons and monuments across the Rust landscape.

Although they may be a bit overboard in some instances, I really dig the vibe of this addition - it provides a sense of desolation.

Cave loot

The natural cave system has increased in value as loot spawns have been added throughout.

Swaying shrubbery

Another eye candy addition this week, a new set of foliage has been added. This set of shrubs, flowers, and bushes not only looks a bit different, it now sways in the wind.

New bunkers

The military tunnel dungeon has recieved a bit of a face lift this month with the addition of stylized bunkers. Although there are still some bits of graybox, these rooms are looking awesome!

Other map changes

• No big mountains on maps 3k and less
• Increased minimum distance between caves (more space between their nobuild volumes)
• Increased no build zone around trainyard

Pump shotgun cost reduced

The pump shotgun got its crafting costs significantly lowered. Here's a comparison of costs:

Old cost
30 high quality
5 pipes
2 springs

New cost
20 high quality
2 pipes
1 spring

New world models

Wolf skulls and bone fragments now have world models. Here's a look:

Other stuff

• Fix for vending machines being destroyed when walls nearby are upgraded (not fixed apparently) 
• Peacekeeper mode on turrets now has a green laser

Announcing: EU Small

Due to popular demand, we are expanding our EU servers. I’m happy to announce the latest addition: EU Small. Like the US Small server, this is a 150 pop, 3k map, weekly wipe server aimed at maximizing PVP. Look for ‘Rustafied.com - EU Small’ on the official list once the update goes live.

It’s a fresh week for Rust development and we’ve got some fixes, tweaks, and some exciting new convenience when it comes to storage...

Storage lockers added

A new way of storing items has been added, and it provides a new level of convenience when it comes to storing loadouts. The locker allows you to store a total of 36 items (split into 3 groups of 12) and, most important, provides the functionality to instantaneously swap those items with your current loadout. Instead of dragging and dropping items in one at a time, you simply click the 'swap' button. All your equipped clothing and belt items are instantly swapped with the appropriate contents. This will allow people to get going much quicker after freshly spawning.

Like vending machines, they can only be placed on foundation or floor blocks. Also, as you probably guessed, lockers accept code locks just like other storage... and it can be skinned!

Cost
100 metal frags
50 wood

Crafting time
30 seconds

Weapon tweaks

Minh and Alex have been rocking out a bunch of fixes and tweaks to weapon animations and world models. Here are some highlights:

• Crossbow world model fixed
• Added new silencer smoke f/x when shooting
• Tweaked the position of the muzzleflashes when a muzzlebrake is added
• Tweaked the offset for the thompson viewmodel holosight
• Tone down the recoil animation when firing (ADS)
• Improved revolver 3rd person animations.

Fixed foliage transparency

Recently pointed out on reddit, using TSSAA would make certain bushes essentially see-thru. Thankfully, this has been fixed on the staging branch, so it will no longer provide an advantage after the update on Thursday.

Fixed skin memory leak

The devs have fixed a memory leak involving skins which has been plaguing people recently. He’s also added a new cvar...

Itemskins cvar

Added by Andre today, this cvar allows clients to completely toggle off custom skins. To try it, simply to go console (F1) and type ‘itemskins 0’ (set this back to 1 if you’d like to turn them on again).

Note: this only disables new skins from loading. If you toggle this off while in the presence of a skinned item, it’ll still render the skinned version.

Animal animation fixes

A few tweaks to animal animations are making it in this week, while the specifics are unclear we can hope that this is leading up to changes in animal AI!

Other things

• Fish provides animal fat
• Shopfront no longer blocks wall placement on triangle foundations
• More progress on animal AI branch (still on prerelease)

3:15pm EST - The update just lauched and devblog is live!

2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

12:05am EST - Update day is here and with it we’re seeing a bunch of balance, tweaks, and fixes, along with an exciting new way to store items!

This update will not force a wipe, however, weekly wipe servers will reset when the update hits (or sooner in some EU cases). Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST and follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it…

Update summary video

Here's this weeks update summary from Puddy

Introducing: Lockers

A new, convenient way of storing loadouts is here! Lockers have been added by Helk, and they provide a type of inventory management never before seen in Rust: hot swapping multiple items with the click of a button.

With 3 sections holding 12 items each, the lockers enable players to store and swap their loadouts quicker than ever before. Simply craft a locker, place it, then click one of the swap buttons to have all items currently equipped in your hotbar and clothing slots moved into the locker. Want them back? Just click the swap button again to have them returned to your inventory.

Lockers can only be placed on foundations and take up about as much space as a salvaged shelf. Also, like storage boxes, locks can be placed on lockers to secure the loot inside.

Cost
100 frags
50 wood

Crafting time
30 seconds

Demo playback

A new development tool has been added by Garry this week. Demos are now able to be recorded and played back, allowing moderators and devs to reproduce bugs which happen in servers. Similar to the source engine, these demos record the entire environment, and allow viewers to playback from different vantage points (like debug camera and 3rd person).

This functionality is obviously not available to every player, as it would result in people recording a demo then flying around in free cam to view in others bases. It does, however, pose interesting new opportunities for content creators.

For more on this, check out the post from Garry.

Decor changes

Helk has tweaked some things about the newly added base decor. Most important, items like rugs, chairs, and tables can no longer be picked up by anyone. You now must have cupboard access and equip a hammer to grab them. Also, the cost of chairs and tables have been reduced. Here are some numbers:

Chair

Old Cost
150 wood
100 frags

New Cost
50 wood
75 frags

Table

Old Cost
300 wood
150 frags

New Cost
200 wood
100 frags

Turrets cheaper

Base defense has become a bit more affordable this week as Helk lowered the price of the turret and flame turret. Here are some new numbers:

Old Cost
15 high quality
5 pipes
5 propane tanks
3 gears

New Cost
10 high quality
2 pipes
5 propane tanks
3 gears

Old Cost
75 high quality
1 computer
1 camera

New Cost
40 high quality
1 computer
1 camera

Attack heli always napalms

Helk has switched up how the attack helicopter handles its fiery napalm strikes. Instead of only doing napalm strafes if tool cupboard access is detected, it'll now fire them all the time, regardless of TC. With this shift, Helk has made it so napalm only damages players, not buildings.

Out of stock VM red on map

Consumers of the Rust landscape have a bit more insight into the vending machines around the map this week. Helk has made it so any VM’s which are completely out of stock show up on the map with a red icon instead of green.

Skin memory leak fix / itemskins cvar

A nasty performance killer related to custom skins has been plaguing people recently. Thankfully, Andre has fixed a memory leak related to skins which failed to load. He’s also added a new client cvar which allows players to toggle off custom skins entirely. To try it out, simply type ‘itemskins 0’ in console (F1). To turn it back on, just switch that to ‘itemskins 1’.

Foliage fix

An exploit became apparent earlier this week allowing people to see through bushes by setting their antialiasing to TSSAA. This has been fixed, so no more transparent bushes after the update hits today.

Animation tweaks

Gooseman and Alex have been rocking out a bunch of fixes and tweaks to weapon animations and world models. Here are some highlights:

• Crossbow world model fixed
• Added new silencer smoke f/x when shooting
• Tweaked the position of the muzzleflashes when a muzzlebrake is added
• Tweaked the offset for the thompson viewmodel holosight
• Tone down the recoil animation when firing (ADS)
• Improved revolver 3rd person animations.

Fish provides animal fat

A new source of fat is here: Fish. Gutting a small trout now provides 3 animal fat along with the existing bone fragments and raw fish.

Other things

• Optimizations from Andre (nice!)
• Shopfront no longer blocks wall placement on triangle foundations
• Fixed craft canceling sometimes losing resources when inventory is full (RUST-1587)

4:20pm EST - The client update and devblog are live!

2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

3/16 @ 11:20am EST - Bit of a slow second half of the week, so I'm just adding to the post below instead of creating a whole new one. Main thing: Supply signals are back!!

Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day.

3/14 @ 1pm EST - It's a new week for Rust development and we're seeing some improvements, bug fixes, and tweaks. Let's get into it…

Update summary video

Here's our update summary video from Puddy.

Spinner wheel added

A new interactive item has been added: the Spinner Wheel. With the ability to be painted like a sign, then spun around, this wheel will allow people to make decisions or play games. You can allow anyone to spin or only one person, and lock edits once you've painted it just right. Here are some pictures and details...

Cost
150 frags

Craft time
60 seconds

Supply signals are back!

Helk has added supply signals back into the loot tables. Although they are very, very rare drops in military crates, we at least have a chance of finding them again!

Edit: Confirmed from Helk, there is a 2% chance drop in military crates for supply signals.

Netted wall frames

First seen in the devblog last week, work on wall netting has progressed. Allowing players to quickly traverse between levels of their base, this netting stands to provide a lot of new opportunities when it comes to building. It's not clear if this will make it in this week, but stay tuned for more as we get closer to Thursday.

Edit: Netting made it in! 5 rope and 15 frags to craft.

Console system 4.0

Garry has updated the F1 console, bringing about a new look and some functionality improvements. There’s a new style to the top tabs and the window now fills the entire width of the screen. Best of all, console commands now have autocomplete!

Foliage displacement

Gone are the days of big bushes sticking up through your base. In a small but impactful change, Andre has added foliage displacement to foundations, meaning those pesky bushes pushing through your floors should be a thing of the past.

Edit: This isn't fully implemented at the moment. It should be working for grass, but not all foliage as of yet. 

Demo improvements

After adding the functionality last week, Garry is making some tweaks and improvements to demo playback. Along with recording voice data, he's fixed it so you can now see grass. He's also added a helpful new cvar for camera speed, “camspeed.”

Death pit walk out

In a controversial shift, Vince has taken some of the danger out of the death pit in caves. Players are now able to walk down and recover their loot.

Edit: Damage has been upped to make sure fully armored people die everytime.

Sewers coming to airfield

Some exciting changes are coming to the airfield, as Vince has started working on a series of sewers and bunkers for that location. Don't expect to see them this week, however, as with most dungeon art changes must wait till the next forced wipe (April 6th).

Other stuff

• New bed model added
• Added small refinery to both harbors
• Presumably fixed vending machines sometimes breaking when placed in doorways
• Heavy plate armor no longer provides insane rad protect
• Potential fix for errant explosive rockets from helicopter
• Fix for difficult locker placement
• Pumpkin has 1 season
• Fixed all throwable weapons referencing the aim point inside the bow prefab (!)
• Some work being done on Hapis! (confirmed with Petur, we won't see this till next forced wipe)

Edge - Soft launch!

I'm very happy to report our new server, Edge, has gone into soft launch today. If you requested an invite previously, check your email for instructions on how to get it (look in promotions/spam if you don't see it).

We're launching with 3 whitelist servers: Trio, primitive, and primer. If you'd like an invite, request one here (watch out, invites are closing in the next little bit).

A fresh week in Rust development and we’re seeing optimizations, improvements, and forward progress on new items and functionality. Let’s get into it...

Binoculars

The days of needing a gun and 4x scope to see far distances will soon be over. With the prefab, viewmodel, and worldmodels for Binoculars all rigged up, implementation into the game isn’t that far off. Helk told me they'll get in this week if possible - stay tuned as we get closer to Thursday to see.

Furnace optimizations

In a much needed effort to improve server performance, Helk has started work on a new branch called ‘furnace optimization.’ As he mentioned during our update stream last week, furnaces spitting out and combining bags all over the map creates more overhead than necessary.

This new system for furnaces aims to streamline the process and reduce server overhead. How exactly will this work and how will it change operating furnaces? I’ve been given a sneak peek, and it could be big, but I’m sworn to secrecy on specifics at the moment. Expect more as we approach the update.

Entity pooling

Also in the optimization realm, Andre has been doing a bunch of work this week with entity pooling. As opposed to the furnace stuff which focuses on servers, this entity pooling is mainly aimed at improving client performance. Awesome! Hopefully between the two we’ll see better performance all the way around after the update this week.

Stuck decals on spinner actually spin

Helk, iterating on the spinner added last week, has made it so stuck items will actually spin with it. That means any arrows, spears, machetes, etc. thrown at the spinner will also move around. Although it may be a small change, it does open up more possibilities for this new spinning wheel.

Netting cost reduced

Providing a bit of cost balance to this newly added item, Helk has reduced the price of Netting. It now costs 1 less rope and requires wood instead of metal fragments. Here’s a rundown of the old and new cost:

Old Cost
5 rope
15 frags

New Cost
4 rope
200 wood

AI progress

Garry continues trucking along on the new AI system. Still on the prerelease branch, he’s cranked out a ton of commits around animal eating, attacking, sounds, and more. Will we experience the new AI come the forced wipe April? That remains to be seen, but it sure looks like Garry is pushing for it.

Airfield underground

More progress on the new underground tunnel and bunker system for airfield this week. As mentioned in the devblog last week, this new expansion to airfield will provide more loot and cover opportunities when visiting this dungeon. No new visuals yet as it is still on a separate branch, but expect to see more as we approach the end of the month.

Community build contest wrapping up!

Community Build-a-thon submissions will be closing later this week! Have a shot at our prize of VIP for you and your team.  So if you can build a community project quickly, or you've already built one and didn't hear about the event, you've got 2 days to get your submissions in.  Check out our rules and how to enter here.

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

2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

2:50am EST - Update day is upon us and we’re seeing some big balance shifts, changes to furnaces, and binoculars!

Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day.

Update summary video

Here's our update summary video from Puddy.

Binoculars

Seeing far off in the distance no longer requires a gun with a scope; binoculars are in. This new tool allows you to toggle between 3 zoom levels, offering magnified views greater than even then 4x scope! They do cost a gear (and high quality) but you can find them in purple loot boxes around the map (and even recycle them for a chance of a gear).

Cost
5 high quality
1 gear

Craft time
30 seconds

Furnace and campfire auto stop

No more bags upon bags piling up amongst ever burning furnaces and campfires - they now stop altogether once a single item is ejected. It may be inconvenient, but is aimed at improved server performance. All those burlap sacks piling up and combining outside of every burning furnace across the server adds up.

There were some more drastic changes proposed to furnaces - which we may still see in the future - but for now, furnaces and campfires just stop the moment something ejects.

Crossbow: No gear required

The crossbow may be seeing a resurgence as it no longer requires a gear. With any give, there comes a take, so it does now cost more wood, rope, and frags.

Old cost
100 wood
50 frags
1 rope
1 gear

New cost
200 wood
75 frags
2 rope

Netting cost reduced

Providing a bit of cost balance to the newly added netting, Helk has reduced the price. It not only now costs 1 less rope, it requires wood instead of metal fragments.

Old cost
5 rope
15 frags

New cost
4 rope
200 wood

Other cost reductions

The cost of several other items has also been reduced.

• C4 requires 2 tech trash (instead of 3)
• Holosight requires 1 tech trash (instead of 2)
• Silencer requires 5 high quality metal (instead of 8)
• Eoka cost reduced (now 75 wood and 30 frags)

More pick ups

In addition to the new requirement of tool cupboard access and hammer for picking up all objects, Helk has added the ability to pick up a several deployables. Here’s a list of what you can now pick up:

• Auto and flame turret
• Tuna lights
• Lanterns
• Ceiling lights

Stuck decals on spinner actually spin

Iterating on the spinner added last week, Helk made it so stuck items will actually spin. Arrows, spears, machetes, etc. thrown at the spinner will also move around. Although it may be a small change, it does open up more possibilities for this new spinning wheel.

Other changes

• Skins are no longer marketable while they're in the item store
• Client optimization in the form of entity pooling
• Candle and miner hat show fuel inventory
• Muzzlebrake has higher durability and further reduces recoil
• There's an awesome looking new simple handmade sight which is on the item list, however, it needs more work on geomitry so it won't make it in this week.

It's a fresh week for Rust development, and although we're not yet seeing a ton of new things for this week, we are seeing a bunch of preparation for the next forced wipe on April 6th.

Plant fixes

Helk has implemented a couple fixes for plants. First and most important, he's fixed plants not growing. He's also fixed the color scale of plants (which wasn't being applied).

Unity 5.6.0f2

Garry has upgraded the prerelease branch to Unity 5.6.0f2. Along with continuing on the animal AI, he's implemented some fixes and improvements to the UI. Here's hoping the new AI system will launch with the April 6th forced wipe!

Optimization

Continuing on his work from the past several weeks, Diogo is doing some culling optimizations to increase performance and improve the gameplay experience. Also, Andre is dabbling with some performance improvements as well. Stay tuned for more details come Thursday.

World model shifts

Minh Le and Alex have been working on several world model and LOD changes for guns, attachments, and other weapons/tools.

Rocket facility progress

Damian is working on the rocket facility site, first teased last week in devblog 153. Don't expect to see this April 6th, however, according to Alistair the launch site is quite some time away, and has not been merged into the staging branch.

4:25pm EST - Client update and devblog are live!

2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

11:55am EST - Update day is here. With just 7 days before the forced wipe, much of the work this week has been on the prerelease branch. That said, we are seeing some fixes, new models, optimizations, and a new weapon sight coming in this week.

Our update stream goes live at 2 PM EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Update summary video

Here's the update summary from Puddy.

Simple handmade sight

First teased last week, the new simple handmade site has been implemented. Costing high quality metal, this weapon attachment allows you to aim at your foe slightly better than iron sights. Here are some details and pictures…

Cost
6 high quality metal

Crafting time
60 seconds

Searchlight added!

Helk has just added the searchlight item. It runs off low grade (1 low grade spent every 20 seconds), is bright as fuck, and can be pointed around by holding E and selecting 'Use.' Here are some details:

Cost
1000 wood
500 frags

Crafting time
60 seconds

New wood armor models

Some new models for the wood armor have made their way in this week. Although it still provides the same protection and function, it looks cooler now. Here are some pictures…

Other stuff

Several other things have been completed this week, for more information on that check out my previous post, but here's a rundown:

• FOV is fixed (reverted back)
• Fix for plants not growing / applying color scale
• New skins added
• Various optimizations (see details on devblog)
• Fixed purple textures on stone hatchet projectile
• More progress on new rocket factory dungeon (probably not making it in next week)
• More progress on animal AI (maybe next week?!)

2:30pm EST - It is a big week for Rust. With the forced wipe just two days away, we're seeing some large shifts enter the game. Before we get into that, I have some sad news...

RIP @RustUpdates

If you track the development of Rust religiously like I do, you'll probably have noticed the update feed has been silent for the past several days. No, the team isn't on a collective hiatus, nor is this some April fools joke. I have confirmed with Garry that the feed has been turned off intentionally.

This is very concerning. Insight to the developer commits is one of the things that makes Rust so special. These commits raise hype, and more importantly, allow players to know what changes need to be tested.

Granted, sometimes players will see a commit they don’t understand, jump to a conclusion, then start bitching about something which isn’t even going to happen. Sure, that’s a pain in the ass, but if Facepunch wants to continue to count on the player base to test new functionality, we need to know what that functionality is prior to the devblog.

Thankfully, Garry told me, "we'll have to find another way". Which hopefully means another form of commit tracking is around the corner. Ideally sooner rather than later, because right now we are flying blind - which is a shit place to be on such an important week for testing.

Help test on staging!

Speaking of testing, in preparation for the forced wipe this Thursday, the prerelease branch has been merged into main. That means the new animal AI, an updated version of Unity, and many other things are now playable.

Garry posted a request on the Rust website to have players opt into staging to help test all these changes. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you take the time to opt into staging and give it a whirl. Remeber to use F7 to report any bugs.

Don't worry, he's just sleeping...

New Animal AI is in

One of the biggest changes coming in this week is the new animal AI. After weeks in development, this functionality is at the point where players can test it out. I’ve been running around on the staging branch, and I’m happy to say, I have not been able to get one animal to run up a sharp cliff or through a large rock. That's a good start! More on this in our Thursday post, after we’ve had some more time to test.

Unity 5.6

This update includes a new version of Unity which features a ton fixes and improvements - best of all: Fullscreen exclusive mode should work again! For more on what’s new in this version, check out Unity’s site.

Server performance

Andre continues his work on server performance. He’s been doing a bang up job as performance has gotten better over the past 2 weeks. Unfortunately, performance on the staging branch seems to have taken a hit with the latest merge from prerelease. Hopefully we’ll see some improvements before the update goes live on Thursday.

Deer meat added

With the new AI comes new meat! Deer no longer simply drops chicken as Helk has added in the deer meat item. Along with this, he’s tweaked it so animals now drop proper amounts of food like they used to.

View model tweaks

Minh has done a bunch of tweaks on various weapons and items in the game with the intention of fixing clipping and improving animations. Although it might not be instantly obvious, items like the LR-300, rocket launcher, Thompson, P250, MP5, pickaxe, and binoculars should look better after this update.

Other stuff

• Searchlight fixes, balance, and visual improvements
• We might be seeing some changes to farming this week

April Community Building Event!

This time around we're asking players to build the best "Place of Business" that they can.
Shops, Hotels, Bars, Casinos, if it's a place of business, it's acceptable. The winner has a chance at some nice prizes too!  

Check out the full details and rules on our forums, and good luck!

Skin Pix

There are a ton of great skin submissions this week. Check out the top 10 picks by the guys over at Xtab studios.

4:58am EST - It's official, the update will not be launching today. Regardless, all Rustafied servers will wipe today at these times:

EU Servers
5pm GMT

US Servers
3pm EST

2:10am EST - Just heard from Helk that the update probably isn't going to launch today. Given the state of things, I'm relieved. If this is the case, all Rustafied servers will wipe today regardless at the following times:

1:20am EST - Today marks the monthly forced wipe for Rust, and with it comes the long awaited animal AI, a new version of Unity, some fresh footsteps, and more.

Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Edit: Given there is no update, we will not have an update stream today. We will be streaming from our Edge Trio server after the wipe.

New animal AI

The biggest shift this week is with wildlife. An entire new AI system is in play, which Garry has been working on for weeks. Animals still look the same, but there is more going on upstairs.

Animals now more strategically navigate the terrain, meaning they no longer fly up and down sheer cliff faces or run through shit all willy-nilly. This also opens up the possibility for much more intelligent behavior in the future.

Given it's a first iteration, there is still work to be done. Everything attacks, so you may find your naked self running for your life from deer. Animals also seem to be prone to narcoleptic behavior - these motherfuckers are sleepy! 

Long and short: AI is still rough around the edges, but animals are not running up and down cliffs or through rocks anymore.

Unity 5.6

A big step forward this week for the underlying engine which runs Rust, Unity has been updated to the latest version. This is a significant update given till now Rust has been running on Unity 5.4.2f2.

What does this mean for you? Well, along with making the new animal AI possible, Unity 5.6 boasts better tools for developers, improved performance (or so they say), better graphics, and a slew of bug fixes and improvements (including full screen exclusive mode).

New footstep sounds

Expect to hear some new noises while walking around Rust this week. Alex has merged his work on footsteps, providing a bunch of new sounds depending on what you’re walking on and what type of attire you have equipped.

Deer meat added

Supplementing the new animal AI, a new type of meat has been added. No longer do deer yield chicken, as Helk has added deer meat into the game.

Hapis improvements

Petur has given some love to the Hapis over the past couple weeks. Most of the focus has been on reworking and improving the radtowns. Along with those fixes, he’s added radiation to those areas and done a couple other miscellaneous fixes.

Although not merged in yet, these changes might go live today. He shared with me there are still many more things planned, this is simply an initial pass. Expect more improvements to this map over the coming weeks.

Edit: Petur just told me he's likely to wait till the launch site dungeon is complete then roll out all these changes at once. That means we probably won't see any changes to Hapis till the May forced wipe at the earliest.

Dungeon art

Between an underground section for the airfield and an entirely new launch site, Vince and Damien have been doing some awesome work on dungeons in the past several weeks. At the moment though, it’s unclear if either of these additions will make it in for the update. Stay tuned here as we get closer to launch time...

Performance concerns

I’ve been thrilled to see the improvements to server performance over the past two weeks. A big acknowledgement to Andre, Helk, Diogo, and everyone else at Facepunch for the steps forward as of late.

Unfortunately, I sense we might take a few steps back with this update. On the ‘Help us test the staging branch’ Reddit post, open issues currently include client and server performance being ‘less than stable’. I can attest to this - specifically from a server standpoint.

When I start a server on the staging branch, the entire dedicated box lags out for 5 minutes, with CPU at a steady 100% while the start process builds the navmesh.

What's navmesh? It basically provides NPC’s the ability to navigate around complex terrain without running through objects and shit (ring a bell?). As great as that is, there appears to be a huge overhead which comes with using navmesh. Not only does starting a server lag out the entire box - along with any other server running on that box - server FPS, once started, is a fraction of what it normally is.

The developers are aware of this, and have a couple ideas in mind for optimization, so hopefully this won’t be a huge issue. But with the update potentially going live today, we’re down to the wire, and I’m pretty concerned about how servers (especially those with 300+ players) are going to run once the update hits.

Other stuff

• @RustUpdates commit feed removed. RIP :*(
• New skins added
• Searchlight fixes/balance/visual improvements

Rustafied Edge is live!

Although the update may not go live today, Edge definitely will! Here's a trailer video by the talented Swemba:

Edge-ucational video series

As part of Edge, we're developing a new video series aimed at educating the masses in the ways of Rust. We're starting with 1 video which cover the very basics of the game - more planned in the coming weeks!

6:30pm EST - A small client update just came out. Fix for Sound NRE (shotgun/heli). No server update required.

3:50pm EST - The update and devblog are live!

2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

10:10am EST - We have confirmation from the official Rust Twitter that the update will hit in a couple hours. Also, new skins are live!

12:20am EST - After delaying the update last week, the team is pushing to release the patch today. Will it launch? Helk and Co. are definitely shooting for it - we'll keep you posted if that changes. Like all first updates of the month, a wipe will be forced if and when the update hits.

What's in store? A new animal AI, improved sounds and models, better large furnace placement, a fresh version of Unity, along with a bunch of other changes and tweaks. Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Update summary video

Here's an update summary video from Puddy!

New animal AI

After weeks in development, the new system for animal 'intelligence' is set to go live with this update. Although the Rust wildlife will still look the same, they should move much better than before - no more jutting up and down sheer cliffs or running through stuff. Some also now have meaty gibs!

As with any first iteration - especially one of this magnitude - there is still a lot of work to be done. This launch is the baseline functionality. Once in place, the team will be able to build over time; adding new models, animations, sounds, and hopefully creating unique behavior for each animal.

Don’t be surprised to see bugs, glitches, or just overall wonky animal behavior this week and expect more improvements and optimizations to AI over the coming patches.

Better large furnace placement

A great quality of life improvement this week, large furnaces are now much easier to place on uneven terrain. Also, their foundations extend down further than before. 

Wood armor helmet added

A last minute addition to the update this week, the wood armor helmet is in. As Helk told me, it's basically an upgraded burlap headwrap. Here are some pictures and details...

Cost
200 wood
1 rope

Crafting time
60 seconds

Rust Hack Report is back

After being silent for over a month, the Twitter feed of game banned cheaters, @RustHackReport, is back. How better than to come back with a bang? It added ~2,400 bans to the still growing list (although much of that is probably backlog). Hopefully those bans keep coming; this hacker situation has been out of control lately.

New footstep sounds

A whole slew of new sounds have been added, mainly footsteps based on where you’re walking and what type of footwear you’re sporting. This accounts for barefeet, boots, burlap, hide, and hazmat on surfaces like grass, dirt, sand, snow, concrete, carpet, metal, wood, stone and more! Great work by Alex on this one, walking around is much more dynamic now.

Updated models and animations

Mihn has done a ton of tweaks and fixes to animations and viewmodels for various items in game. Although nothing may be immediately apparent, it's likely you'll notice some differences as you settle in this wipe.

Deer meat added

Supplementing the new animal AI, a fresh type of meat has been added. No longer do deer yield chicken - deer meat is now an item.

Unity 5.6

A big step forward for the underlying engine which runs Rust - Unity has been updated to version 5.6. This is a significant change, as up till now, Rust has been running on Unity 5.4.2f2.

What does this mean for you? Well, along with making the new animal AI possible (Navmesh), Unity 5.6 boasts better tools for developers, improved performance (or so they say), better graphics, and a slew of bug fixes and improvements. You can find more on Unity 5.6 here.

Performance concerns

As always, with large launches months in the making, a major concern is performance. Although the team has made strides forward in both client and server performance over the past several weeks, this new version of Unity (and specifically Navmesh) currently causes some issues.

Mainly, starting a server is now a much longer process due to the Navmesh creation. During that time, CPU usage on the server box shoots up to 100% and holds there for up to 5 minutes. This generates lag and sometimes mass kicks on all other servers running on the box - which stands to be a big issue, especially for servers on shared hosts (you know, like most of them).

On top of that, with any change this massive, you can’t really know how server performance is going to hold up with 300+ people in one server until you actually have 300+ people in the server. This is all to say, we’re entering a bit of untested territory with this update; fingers crossed it all goes smooth.

Other things

• New skins added
• Garry made the old hazmat froggy boots skinnable
• Helk removed froggy boots from the game entirely :(
• A bunch of language fixes to various item descriptions
• Rcon.web is now enabled by default. (set rcon.web 0 if you’d like to revert it)
• Fixed underwater bubbles continuing to play after surfaced
• Fixed large furnace being destroyed when buildings modified nearby
• Shift clicking a server in the server list will copy its IP to clipboard
• The new dungeon art (airfield underground and launch site) will not be making it in today (next forced wipe at the earliest)

Edge-ucation Volume 2: Harvesting

With the official launch of Edge last week, we released our first in a line of videos to teach people how to play Rust. We’re back with a new edition this week as we cover: Harvesting. 

I know this is rudimentary stuff, but we wanted to cover the basics first. Expect more advanced videos in the coming weeks!

A huge thank you to everyone who has made these videos possible by subscribing to Edge. The EU Edge server will be coming online next Thursday. We've got more events and new content planned over the coming weeks. 

Community Building Event continues!

Our community build event for April continues with the forced wipe this week. This month we're asking players to build the best "Place of Business" that they can. Shops, Hotels, Bars, Casinos - if it's a place of business, it's acceptable. The winner has a chance at some nice prizes too!  

Check out the full details and rules on our forums!

4/20 @ 3:00pm EST - The update and devblog are live!

4/20 @ 2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

4/20 @ 1:24pm EST - Heavy armor has been nerfed. More info below.

4/20 @ 10:20am EST - Not a whole ton of other stuff has made it in as of now, so I'm just updating the post below instead of creating a whole new one. We'll still have an update stream starting at 2pm EST.

4/18 @ 1:15pm EST - After a large launch last week, the team is focused on tweaks and fixes. Let’s get into it...

Heavy armor nerf

Helk has nerfed the heavy armor in 3 ways:

1. Your view is now limited when wearing a helmet (see above)
2. Putting any piece of the armor on reduces your speed to the max
3. With chest piece equipped, you can't aim down sight

Navmesh

One of the biggest pain points for server hosts since the update last week has been Navmesh. Providing the pathfinding ability for the new AI, this system has a lot of overhead, especially on server start, where it’s been using 100% of the CPU to generate the initial mesh.

Thankfully, Garry has added two new cvars which may help lighten the load.

• nav_wait - Will start the server before generating the mesh, but may cause some lag in the first couple minutes of the server being up (default true)
• nav_disable - Totally disables navmesh. Will cause animals not to move. (default false)

Player boosting kicks

After some shifts to the ingame antihack system last week, players have been getting kicked for violations while boosting on other players' heads. This has been fixed, so player boosting should no longer result in a kick.

Viewmodel tweaks

Minh is continuing his work on viewmodel animation fixes. After tweaking a ton of them last week, there are only a few more to go before he moves on to animal animations.

Limited server's ability to call convars on clients

Some servers have been using trickery to bind certain keys for players in the hopes of getting them to do unintentional things like direct connecting to a different server. In an effort to put a stop to this, Garry has limited a server’s ability to set certain convars on clients.

Shooting through/under stone doorway

There has been an issue with being able to shoot through a small slat under a stone doorway in certain situations (mainly during raids). This has been resolved.

Other things

• New skins added
• Fixed stuttery player movement in the distance (hopefully)
• Fixed various issues with dungeons
• Fixed issue with players being culled when looking over a low wall
• Fixed being able to drop items between icons
• Chain link and prison gates can now be picked up
• Can no longer place large furnace on top of sleeping bags

EU Medium II launching!

Due to popular demand, we're launching a new server: EU Medium II. It goes live at 5pm BST on 4/20. Look for it on the official list.

Community build contest: Ending soon!

Our community build contest for the month of April is ending soon! Get your submissions in if you're interested in winning some VIP and steam gift cards!

3:00pm EST - The update and devblog are live!

2:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

11:50am EST - Just got word from Helk he's nerfed the muzzle brake. Details added below...

12:40am EST - It’s update day and we’re looking at fixes, optimizations, improvements to AI, and a new feature for vending machines.

Our update stream will go live at the normal time (2pm EST). Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

AI work

Helk has implemented a bunch of improvements for the new animal AI. Most important, the navmesh now generates a lot faster. This is significant because the navmesh part of a server start process still causes CPU to spike to 100%.

You can be a bit more tactical while hunting, as a cone of sight has been added to animals, allowing you to sneak up on them. Animals now properly run out of stamina, and will flee until recharged. Also, wolves and bears are more aggressive while boars and stags only attack now if you get too close (then they’ll flee). Chicken damage has been reduced as well.

Finally, animals should pop up and down a lot less now while they walk on uneven surfaces. The animal AI is still in its infancy - expect more changes in the coming weeks.

Muzzle brake nerf

Responding to various complaints about how OP it is, Helk has nerfed the muzzle brake in a couple ways. The projectile velocity has been reduced to 80% and the projectile distance has been reduced to 75%. He's also made the aimcone much larger, making bullets less accurate.

Eoka buff

In an effort to make this early game gun more viable, Helk has lowered the aimcone of the Eoka, increasing the chances of more pellets hitting the target.

Vending machine names

Proprietors of Rust can now name their vending machines. Defined in the administration panel, this label appears on paper maps when hovered over.

F7 improvements

Andre has also made some welcomed tweaks to the F7 reporting feature. First, to reduce clutter, he’s omitted the entire friends list in the hacker report player selection. He’s also made it so your most recent killer is at the top of that player selection.

Death screen names

Andre has made it so the name which shows up on the deathscreen is the player's actual name on Steam. This will hopefully prevent namespoofing and other general fuckery.

Optimization

Entity pooling has been added to animals and a whole bunch of deployables. What does this mean? Pooling basically creates less performance overhead when things are being created or destroyed.

Other stuff

• New skins added to the item store
• Fixed camera clipping issues with view model crossbow animations
• Properly ignore hud setting for blackout overlays (scope/helmet/binoculars)
• Fixed a couple errors with models and ragdolls introduced last week
• Tweaks to sound distances and some mixes

New Edge Video: Basics of Building

Continuing our Edge-ucational series of videos, I'm proud to present: Basics of Building. This should sum up the ultra-basic fundamentals, expect an advanced building techniques video next week.

It’s a great day for Rust! A new update feed is here, along with optimizations, and some huge shifts to Hapis. Given it’s a new month, expect a forced wipe with the update on Thursday. Let’s get into it...

New update feed

Since @RustUpdates was shut down a couple weeks ago, the community has had much less insight into what’s being going on with Rust development. Thankfully, a new version of the update feed went live today!

With a very minimal look, this feed shows the author, time (when hovered on author), message, and branch of each commit, sorted by day (newest on top). It also shows the number of files added, modified, and removed - although that’s not very important for the casual observer.

I also asked Alistair about getting an RSS feed hooked up to allow for more integrations - he’s looking into it (fingers crossed).

http://rust.facepunch.com/feed

Edit: The design has been updated a couple of times since writing this. There's now a more table-like layout, no more numbers, and the timestamp is always visible.

Skin caching

Going live this week, the skin caching branch has been merged. Latest in optimizations from Andre, this functionality will hopefully lessen hitches and improve performance related to custom skins.

Hapis progress

Petur is back full time on Rust and working on some drastic shifts to the Hapis island map. Reworking the entire topology of the west coast, he’s replacing those filler cliffs with a new cliff wall with winding paths and mines.

This is the first in many topology changes planned for Hapis. Petur shared with me that he plans on eventually implementing something similar to all low mountainsides - adding cliffs and winding paths which can obscure little bases, as opposed to being totally open like it is now.

He told me to expect these changes to hit prerelease sometime later this month. Stay tuned for more over the coming weeks.

12:02am EST - Rarely do we see an update which shakes fundamentals of the game to its very core. Not only has base building and raiding completely shifted, the component system is getting a huge new dynamic… Oh, Scrap!

Given it’s the first Thursday of the month, this update will force a map wipe on all servers when it goes live. Tune in for our update stream starting at 2pm EST and follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Introducing: Scrap

For the first time in the history of the system, components can now be crafted. Using a research table and some scrap, players can craft the components they need.

Remember blueprint fragments? Well, this is sort of like that. Drop a component and some scrap on a research table, then roll the dice. The more scrap (fragments) added, the higher percent chance of returning a component. Unlike blueprint research, the component on the table doesn’t break or disappear if the research fails - your scraps, however, are always used up.

You can find scraps throughout the map in barrels (chance of 1) and boxes (chance of 5-10). You can also recycle components to get scraps.

Scrap crafting and recycling amounts

As mentioned above, scraps are used on research tables to increase odds of crafting components, and can be acquired through recycling other components. Here are the amounts of scrap needed for 100% crafting and yield on recycling:

Gears

To craft
30 scrap

Recycle yield
3 scrap

Metal Blade

To craft
10 scrap

Recycle yield
1 scrap

Metal Pipe

To craft
20 scrap

Recycle yield
2 scrap

Sheet Metal

To craft
20 scrap

Recycle yield
2 scrap

Propane Tank

To craft
10 scrap

Recycle yield
1 scrap

Metal Spring

To craft
50 scrap

Recycle yield
5 scrap

Road Sign

To craft
20 scrap

Recycle yield
2 scrap

Tech Trash

To craft
100 scrap

Recycle yield
10 scrap

To craft
50 scrap

Recycle yield
5 scrap

To craft
75 scrap

Recycle yield
6 scrap

To craft
100 scrap

Recycle yield
10 scrap

Uncraftable components

These components cannot be crafted:

Tarp

Sewing Kit

Rope

Research table

To do all this new component crafting, you’ll of course need a research table. Thankfully, it has been added back into the crafting menu.

Cost
1000 frags
25 hqm
5 sheet metal

Raiding: Buffed.

Component crafting isn't the only drastic shift coming in today, the pendulum of raid balance has swung in the other direction. In the largest change to build and raid dynamics in years, Andre has shifted how placement in building blocked zones works. Any player can now place twig building blocks and ladders ANYWHERE in a building blocked zone.

This shifts the entire thought process of building a base and securing your loot. Anyone can now get on top of your base, over high walls, or in open areas - with great ease.

Cupboards now basically serve one purpose: to avoid getting griefed. They don’t block building, raid towers, or ladder placement at all.

Lowered costs

A bunch of clothing has had their costs reduced.

Bandana

Old cost
40 cloth

New cost
5 cloth

Cap

Old cost
15 cloth

New cost
5 cloth

Balaclava

Old cost
40 cloth

New cost
15 cloth

Burlap Headwrap

Old cost
15 cloth

New cost
10 cloth

Boonie Hat

Old cost
15 cloth

New cost
10 cloth

Update feed is back

After flying blind for a month, the community once again has access to the commit feed. Not only has the @RustUpdates twitter come back to life, we have an entirely new site from Facepunch to show us the most recent changes to code. A huge thank you to the devs who made this happen!

http://rust.facepunch.com/feed

Other stuff

• Animals will no longer randomly get stuck when fleeing
• Animals have more interesting flee behavior, constantly evaluating the best place to go to avoid threats
• Snow jacket protection increased and cost reduced
• Skin caching added (performance boost)
• Miner hat model properly becomes emissive when on

Edge-ucation: Volume 4 - Advanced building 1

Here's the latest addition to our Edge video series: Advanced building #1.

2:20pm EST - It is a fresh week for Rust development and we're seeing balance shifts with raiding, along with progress on some new items. Let's get into it…

Cupboard code locks

After the significant buffs to raiding last week, Andre is providing a little more balance in favor of defenders. Most significant, tool cupboards can now have code locks added.

Along with making it easier to trust people around your base, this should increase the cupboards power as an anti-grief tool. Although this won't definitively stop griefing, it will make the prospect of doing so more expensive.

This also increases the importance of external tool cupboards. If placed properly, they will take priority if the main code locked cupboard is destroyed.

Edit: Cupboards will also now be harder to break as Andre made them the same protection properties as wooden doors.

Hammer changes

Andre has also made several changes to the hammer. First, players are now able to pick up ladders with it if building is privileged. They are also able to pick up window bars, embrasures, and shutters.

If you're an admin, you'll notice the demolish option has been removed from the hammers radial menu. Don't worry, you can still demolish things by binding a key to ‘ent kill’ (just be careful not to accidentally press that while looking at something you don't want to demolish).

Skipqueue command

Speaking of admins, they now have a new tool when it comes to the queue. The skipqueue command has been added, which allows a player currently in the queue to enter the game one time.

Workbench and mailbox art

Tom is rocking out artwork for some new items coming to the game. First, he’s finished the textures, prefabs, materials, gibs, etc for the Tier 2 workbench. He’s also done the same for the mailbox. Neither of these items are actually implemented in the game yet, as the functionality still needs to be coded. That said, this is a good step towards seeing them in game in the near future.

Dungeon progress

Vince and Damien continue their work on the dungeon art branch, adding various items and textures to the upcoming launch site dungeon. No new visuals on this yet as it’s still on a separate branch, but expect more over the coming weeks as we get closer to the next forced wipe (June 1st).

Hapis improvements

Petur continues rocking out changes to the Hapis island map. As he mentioned to me last week, he’s focusing on updating the topology - getting rid of the placeholder cliffs and adding in cliff walkways, caves, and mining tunnels around mountainsides on the map. Like the dungeon art work, no visuals will likely be available till closer to the forced wipe.

EU Edge goes live Thursday

Our first Edge server in the EU is going live Thursday at 5pm BST. It's a 3k, 150 pop, 1 week wipe vanilla server to start - we'll grow it as the population dictates. 

Also, all active VIP's can now join our Edge servers! So,  you have VIP on any of our servers and are looking for some fresh wipe action in an exclusive environment this week, EU Edge is for you!

Check back here for connect info on the bottom of our Thursday update post.

1:20am EST - Update day is upon us and we’ve got a bunch of balance and a new way to communicate with your neighbors.

Our update stream goes live at 2pm EST - tune in early for some fresh wipe action from our new EU Edge server. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

Mailbox added

Helk has added a new way to communicate in the game: Mailboxes. These craftable items may be placed across the terrain. Those passing by (or raiding) may drop a note in the mailbox. Only those authorized on the cupboard are able to see the notes which have been left. They also give a nifty notification when new mail is present (the red tab on the side goes up).

Cost
100 wood
25 metal frags

Craft time
30 seconds

Code locks on cupboards

After serious buffs to raiding last week, we’re seeing some balance swing back in the direction of defenders with this patch. Mainly, the tool cupboard can now have a code lock placed on it. Also, the cupboards protection has been increased to match the wooden door.

Not only does this secure your cupboard from random unwanted access, it makes griefing more expensive for raiders. No longer will they be able to just clear access and re-auth - they now must destroy a locked cupboard entirely.

This also revitalizes the importance of external cupboards. When placed properly, external cupboards should take priority if the main cupboard is destroyed. This’ll make it even more difficult for raiders to permanently grief your base - even if they do steal all the loot.

Fire rate changes

Helk has fixed an issue with semi auto guns wherein they weren’t firing as fast as they should in certain instances. With this, he’s reduced the fire rate of the Semi Auto Rifle, Semi Auto Pistol (P250), and revolver.

As Helk explained to me, these changes do not necessarily nerf the fire rate of these 3 guns. Rather, they help prevent against scripts and binds which allowed for clips to be emptied in a mere second.

Long and short: normal players shouldn’t feel much change; if anything, these guns should be more responsive to mouse clicks. Scripters and people with special binds (mousewheel up = fire), however, won’t be so happy after this update.

Crossbow changes

The crossbow has also received a slight buff. The reload time has been reduced by 0.8 of a second. On top of that, the scope alignment has been fixed.

Hammers pick up ladders (and more)

Andre has improved the pick-up-ability of hammers this week. Most notable: ladders can now be picked up with your hammer equipped (if building is privileged). Beyond that, window bars, embrasures, and shutters can also be picked up with a hammer.

Spear buff

Early game fans rejoice this week as the spear has been buffed. Not only has the attack rate been slightly increased, the duration between click and attack has been significantly reduced. To top it off, the range of the spear attack has been increased.

Flamethrower can now damage AI

Ever wondered what it’d be like to take a flamethrower to a bear? Now you can find out, as Helk has made flamethrowers damage AI.

HV arrow metal tip

In a temporary change - and hopefully a sign of new arrow types coming in the future - Helk has made it so HV arrows show up as having a metal tip.

Sign cost reductions

Shop keeps and artists of Rust will be happy to hear of some reductions of sign costs:

• Metal hanging signs reduced by 90%
• Wooden sign costs also reduced

Rifle body cost increase

With the addition of scrap last week, players can now make a research bench and craft components - if they have enough scrap. It’s getting a bit harder to create rifle bodies this week, as the scrap cost has gone up to 250.

Other stuff

• Food crates spawn 3x as much food
• Map crafts in 5 sec
• Note crafts in 5 sec
• Ceiling lights can be deployed on angled surfaces
• Drinking from the world is slightly less glitchy (maybe)
• Demolish option removed from hammer for admins
• Skipqueue command added (admins can skip a player in queue)
• Fishtrap requires cloth instead of rope again
• Removed antihack.enabled (toggle the protections individually instead)
• Add last violation type to player kick message and server log when enforcing

EU Edge launch

Our first Edge server in the EU is going live today at 5pm BST. 3k, 150 pop, 1 week wipe vanilla server to start - we'll grow it as the population dictates.

Also, VIP's can now join our Edge servers! So, if you have VIP on any of our servers and are looking for some fresh wipe action in an exclusive environment, EU Edge is for you!