It’s been a long time, but I have returned to release this new update to Rodina which adds - among other things - many rocks to the planet surfaces! This is a major overhaul for many of Rodina’s systems, including a total physics replacement to Jolt Physics, planetary-scale solar shadows, a new clustered lighting system, some UI polish, and lots more!

Rodina is now 64-bit, and the new engine work brings a massive reduction in stutter and dropped frames. The GravBike got a big overhaul too - it rides over rocks, leans into turns, and works indoors and in space.

Please see the new Rock Density and Shadow Detail / Distance options - these may need tweaking for good performance.

This update was a long time coming for many reasons, but Rodina’s development is back on track! Our next update(s) will be some combination of destruction features, mining, and armor generation - see the updated Roadmap for more.

You may also notice that the website got a fresh coat of paint behind the scenes. The site is now faster and more secure than ever - and the Readme, FAQ, and About pages have all been brought up to date.

Thank you so much for playing!

**** RODINA 1.7 ****

* New Feature: Physics overhaul - total replacement of Havok with Jolt Physics engine
* New Feature: Procedural rocks on planets
* New Feature: Planet-scale sun shadows
* New Feature: Clustered lighting renderer
* New Feature: 64-bit version

* Improvement: Massively reduced stutter and dropped frames
* Improvement: More responsive / less floaty character control
* Improvement: Interior generation reliability overhaul - bad layouts detected and regenerated
* Improvement: Gravbike overhaul - rides over rocks, leans into turns, works indoors and in space, new engine audio
* Improvement: Terrain generation moved to compute shaders
* Improvement: UI scales to any resolution and aspect ratio, with a UI Scaling option
* Improvement: UI has much sharper text
* Improvement: UI menu scroll bars
* Improvement: Enemy ships avoid terrain and rocks
* Improvement: More accurate / single pass loading bar
* Improvement: Gamepad triggers give analogue ship up/down
* Improvement: Better handling of non-English characters in saves and character input
* Improvement: New more reliable crash reporting / MDMP writing

* Options: Shadow Detail / Distance, Rock Density, UI Scaling; Terrain Detail overhauled; VSync on by default; Max Framerate up to 300

* Crash fix: Many crash fixes, including shutdown, save, and non-English install folder crashes

* Bugfix: Black flashes when crossing doorways
* Bugfix: Cracks between terrain tiles
* Bugfix: Bloom shining through fog
* Bugfix: Xenos stuck in rocks or walking through walls
* Bugfix: Rocket explosions fixed against enemies indoors, cover now blocks explosions
* Bugfix: Point-blank shots passing through targets
* Bugfix: Invisible mouse cursor after error dialogs

The tale grew in the telling! This was supposed to be a small patch, addressing a few issues while I work on the next major update (planetary rocks + drill!). However, a few new features ending up sneaking in!

The rocks update is going to add a lot of new objects to the planet surfaces. As part of that, I needed to revamp planetary lighting: this patch includes colored sunlight, atmospheric ambient lighting, and reflective terrain colors.

Also, a feature I’d been hoping to get to for a long time: twinkling stars! I also fixed the skybox generator and tweaked the star sizes and milky way color.

This update also contains some behind-the-scenes changes to the way the terrain generation works, which might affect performance, so let me know if you see any new issues.

The next big update is going to be awesome: a big change to the planet surfaces, and a big change to the way the game plays. I’m also attempting to smooth out performance in general, reducing annoying frame spikes which have gotten worse over time. I’m very excited to share it with you!

**** RODINA 1.6.5 ****

* New Feature: Atmospheric lighting. Subtle addition of colored sunlight, atmospheric ambient, and planet reflective colors

* Improvement: Twinkling stars! Also tweaks star sizes and milky way color
* Improvement: Terrain feature data now stored in vertex colors rather than planetary texture map
* Improvment: Backup log files

* Bugfix: Prevent title music from playing after we start the game
* Bugfix: Tweak quickwheel tutorial to make it harder to skip by accident
* Bugfix: repair skybox shader
* Bugfix: Remove font files to improve stability and reduce startup time
* Bugfix: Remove unnesessary error messages
* Bugfix: Error message for invalid save names - don’t fail silently

For this update, I have added Player Stat Upgrades and Power Systems to the game!

Mix and match upgrades in your installation grid to increase your character’s speed, health regeneration, damage, and jump level! These upgrades require a Power Core to function - find the first one in the Asteroid Belt! These Power Cores also provide energy to the Carrier Beam and the Trilaser.

This update also adds two new moves - the Slide Attack and the Ground Pound - each available as their own upgrade chips!

For the next update, I am going to add an interesting new feature to the game: a drill! This item will be used to acquire resources for armor… but where will these resources come from???

**** RODINA 1.6.4 ****

* New Feature: Energy meter powered by Power Core
* New Feature: Stat upgrades: Speed, Health Regeneration, Damage, Jump Level
* New Feature: Slide Attack and Ground Pound move upgrades

* Improvement: Inventory hover menu with stats
* Improvement: Quickwheel toggle / active status / text labels

* Crash fix: Solve multithreading issue with thread tasks (savegames)

* Bugfix: Fix fire extinguisher radius issue which was making fires massively more difficult
* Bugfix: Fix first person lighting issue
* Bugfix: Improve pixelization of near terrain due to blurring
* Bugfix: Targeting in ship pilot mode (again)
* Bugfix: Solve flash when crossing into interior portals
* Bugfix: Explosions shouldn’t be blocked by debris or magnetic shields
* Bugfix: Document attachment buttons
* Bugfix: Child entity palettes and scale restored on load
* Bugfix: Anchor worldspaces rejecting children, causing slow space movement
* Bugfix: Ensure players with old-style saves receive starting equipment

The Inventory Updates continue with the Jetpack! Now a real inventory item, the Jetpack is found somewhere in the Mines in the Asteroid Belt!

Additionally, since some players may not have a Jetpack equipped when they visit the Mines, Xenos have installed Grav Elevator Beams in the mine entrances!

Next up, I will be departing from working on legacy items to add a new feature: Power Systems! This will add some brand new gameplay to Rodina!

**** RODINA 1.6.3 ****

* New Feature: Jetpack item
* New Feature: Grav Elevator Beams in mine entrances

* Improvement: Turn down oppressive docking engine volume

* Crash Fix: Repeated crash where entities would disappear around Vanguard Chunks due to LOD problems

* Bugfix: Targeting in ship pilot mode
* Bugfix: Fix headlamp and target scope being added over and over (also allow deleting headlamp and scope)

The inventory content updates are starting to arrive! First up - the Target Scope and the Headlamp! Now you can use your quickwheel to toggle between these two head items.

Existing players should receive these items automatically when you load your old savegame. New players should see them immediately when the game begins!

In this update you can also destroy items in your inventory via a right click menu. In the future, you will be able to throw items to get rid of them!

In the near term, I will continue to focus on bringing “old” items into the new inventory system. Next up - the Jetpack and story progress items! After that, I’ll be adding new weapons and gameplay systems!

**** RODINA 1.6.2 ****

* New Feature: Target Scope item
* New Feature: Headlamp item (Ship Headlight is now C / Cross Up button to match)

* Workaround: “Destroy Item” inventory right-click option

* Improvement: Laser fire / recharge sounds

The first inventory content addition has arrived - the Trilaser!

This new laser weapon focuses 3 beams for enhanced damage. It can be found in a Xeno base or debris pile on the planet Veles!

Version 1.6.1 is the first of a series of inventory-focused content updates. However, it also features a substantial number of small improvements and bugfixes, including a fix for a serious memory leak which caused frequent crashes in the ship editor.

The next few updates, which will add more items, will come much more quickly!

**** RODINA 1.6.1 ****

* New Feature: Trilaser Weapon

* Improvement: Add support for cross-portal interaction (grapple hook, laser, targeting)
* Improvement: Improve DOF blur performance with transparent objects (particles)
* Improvement: Save / Restore mouse position only for certain menus (inventory)
* Improvement: Add “Activate” gamepad binding

* Crashfix: Fix memory leak causing editor crash
* Crashfix: Fix infinite loop when creating an opening to the airlock
* Crashfix: Fix crash when exiting ship at cruise speed while grappling

* Bugfix: Fix inventory item dropping placement
* Bugfix: Fix gravbike persistence
* Bugfix: Fix editor room transparency for rooms that straddle floors
* Bugfix: Change the way we prevent accidental clicks so that players can reassign controller A button
* Bugfix: Screenshot mode HUD fix
* Bugfix: Fix crouching in space
* Bugfix: Fix controls passing through binding popup menus
* Bugfix: Fix controller default button positioning
* Bugfix: Clean up some object pools
* Bugfix: Fix Lua error for next/previosu in Archives / Radio document menus

It’s happened! Rodina 1.6: Inventory is released!

I’m overjoyed to be sharing this addition to my game with you. This is a major update to Rodina which adds a grid inventory and player equipment grid, and a new HUD, setting the stage for much more content and variety in the near future.

The first major new item is the Carrier Beam*, a grapple-hook style tool you can equip in your left hand. Our next item which is well underway is a new Laser Weapon, after which I have a long list of items, upgrades, weapons, and tools I will be working on in the near future!

* The Carrier Beam can be found on an unvisited xeno base or debris pile on Perun!

I’m very excited that this update also includes a new control scheme, a quickwheel selection menu, and various new effects like DOF Blur, Bloom, and slow motion. Additionally, the gamepad controls have been completely revamped and the game now has Aim Assist and Tracking Assist in gamepad mode.

Of course, this update may require a patch, so please let me know if you see any bugs or have a problem I can help you with! brendan@elliptic-games.com

I’ve been working on this update for a long time, but what allowed me to push it over the finish line was a period of full-time work I lined up thanks to the support I’ve received on Patreon. I truly appreciate the support of patrons as it is a huge help to get this opportunity and get updates out faster. Thank you so much!

https://www.patreon.com/Rodina

**** RODINA 1.6.0 ****

* New Feature: Grid inventory
* New Feature: Equipment and status HUDs
* New Feature: Carrier Beam (grapple hook) tool
* New Feature: Quickwheels
* New Feature: Quickwheen blurring and depth of field blurring
* New Feature: Emissive bloom effects
* New Feature: Slow motion

* Improvement: Added ducking (Shift on Keyboard, B on Controller)
* Improvement: Revamped gamepad controls (Left Trigger = Use Tool, B = Move Down, Cross = Quickwheels, Left Stick Press = Flashlight, Select = Exit Ship / Inventory).
* Improvement: Targetting is now a toggle
* Improvement: Gamepad autoaim and tracking. Reduced gamepad sensitivity
* Improvement: Rocket Blaster is now a separate weapon
* Improvement: Beam rendering effect
* Improvement: Replaces air hissing sounds which were torture for senstitive listeners
* Improvement: Added GPU events to improve frame organization in RenderDoc
* Improvement: Refactor menusystem - move to Engine side and add declarative style of tile creation

* Bugfix: Fix projectile motion to be smoother
* Bugfix: Fix particle birth orientation
* Bugfix: Fix drag in player jumps
* Bugfix: Fix vertical orientation of menu textures
* Bugfix: Fix loading savegame while riding gravbike

* Decline: Powerups removed as they do not work with new inventory / equipment systems

Rodina 1.5 is released!

Thank you for all your help with the 1.5 Beta! This update is finally complete! 1.5 was a major engine upgrade to Rodina, and introduces object persistence across the whole game.

For the first time, Rodina’s engine has a generalized way to store object properties. This opens the door to more complicated interactive stuff, like container inventories and complex game systems. In the meantime, we can now use it to save your progress as you clear the Xeno bases.

Our next update is going to be a doozy. I’m going to be adding an inventory system, lots of items and upgrades, a suit installation grid / player systems, and updated controls and an item selection wheel. I can’t wait!

If you are interested in a postmortem of this update, I made a video talking about all the programming challenges and things that went right / wrong this time. Don’t feel obligation to watch as it doesn’t have any gameplay info or hints about the future, but feel free to check it out if you’re interested in engine programming discussion!

As always, thank you so much for your support. More info on the next update coming soon!

Changelist:

**** RODINA 1.5.0 ****

* New Feature: Persistence of actors and interiors

* Improvement: Display an interior’s Xeno count on targeting UI
* Improvement: Debug pages (F11)
* Improvement: Added fog to rooms for air pressure
* Improvement: Adjust ship fire angle in first person mode to be centered
* Improvement: Refactor of entity creation and destruction
* Improvement: Move game systems to engine / air pressure and fire run in component system
* Improvement: Encode / Decode replaces Save / Load
* Improvement: Savegame format changed to EGON binary

* Crashfix: Fix editor autosave crash

* Bugfix: Fix temporary flash when crossing interior boundaries
* Bugfix: Fix targeting UI accuracy

I’m so excited to share with you version 1.4.2 of Rodina - the Planet Terrain Revamp!

This is a major update to the visuals of the Zorica System. All of the planets in the game now have their own terrain types and textures. This really takes the full-size planets in the game to the next level. Jarilo even has ice caps!

I also increased the terrain detail, both on land and in space. It makes the planets look even better (but if you have performance issues, turn down the Distant Terrain Detail or Terrain Detail options, or turn on Retro Mode!)

Thank you so much for your continued support on this amazing journey!

Next up, I am going to be redoing all of the ship art as well. Finally, after 7 long years, we will be saying goodbye to the programmer-art ships! I’ll have more info soon!

**** RODINA 1.4.2 ****

* New Feature: Planet textures based on feature, altitude, normal, latitude, etc
* New Feature: Triplanar texturing

* Improvement: Terrain physics generated at low-level when in flying mode
* Improvement: Terrain physics generated between start and end points
* Improvement: Fix low lighting quality shader compilation
* Improvement: Polish ship impacts / fire likelihood

* Options: Updated Distant Terrain Detail options (turn down to reduce hitches)

* Bugfix: Fix terrain planet curvature culling
* Bugfix: Fire should only damage the base floor
* Bugfix: Remove Xeno patrol from the first planet
* Bugfix: Fix missile blaster palette
* Bugfix: Fix script error when a debris type cannot be found
* Bugfix: Fix saves failing silently when there’s an invalid filename
* Bugfix: Fix null scene crash

This is a minor update with only one change - new Xeno art, by yours truly!

Some of you may know that I’m now doing all of the art for the game, which I’m really enjoying. Art isn’t my expertise, but by doing it myself it’s a lot easier to get something closer to my vision.

With that in mind, I’ve been meaning to redo the Xenos in a different style for a while now, and this was a good time to do it! The update was delayed a bit due to a long exhausting sickness (I’m fine now!), but I hope you like the final product!