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Deep Space Directive
Steam News 2 March 20262mo ago

World Map, Long-Range Transport, and More – v0.16 Preview

It’s been a hot minute since the last update! Even so, DSD is still 100% in active development, and the biggest update yet is close to being done! Much of the last few months have been spent working on the new World Map…

Update log

Full Deep Space Directive update

The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.

Extracted changes

0 fixes5 additions4 changes0 removals
  • Maps
  • Performance
  • Gameplay
  • Compatibility
addedMuch of the last few months have been spent working on the new World Map functionality. Initial prototypes took the game in one direction, but that direction proved to be unsustainable and very error-prone. But as they so often do, failures, constraints, and wrong turns became a source of creativity and led to an even better solution.
changedWhat’s New?In the upcoming release, the world will be broken up into leasable sectors, allowing you to expand your industrial colony. Each sector will have a primary biome, defining both the look of the sector and the resources distributed throughout it. Need oil? Secure a desert sector. Need titanium? Head out to the rocky, barren sectors at the edge of the map.
addedWhat’s New?Overall world size and buildable area are currently set to roughly double compared to the current live build (pre-version 0.16). Further performance testing still needs to be done to determine whether the world can be made even larger. Early performance testing is NOT showing any slowdown based on world size. In the future releases, world size may become configurable when starting a new game.
addedNew Transport ShuttleWith a bigger world and longer distances, new transport solutions are needed! A new long-range, higher-capacity transport shuttle will be added to the tech tree. This should ease logistical challenges and, more importantly, reduce the micromanagement involved in transporting resources between sectors and across the map.
changedNew Transport ShuttleThese shuttles will transport resources from an Outbound Relay to an Inbound Relay, with no limit to connection distance. Getting resources to an Outbound Relay, or from an Inbound Relay, will be handled by regular cargo shuttles. Outbound Relays can only connect to a single Inbound Relay, creating a one-way transport link across the map.
addedAuto Add ResourcesWhen making connections to a Transport Hub, Supply Ship, Relay, or the Headquarters, the deliverable resources from the connecting unit will now automatically be added to the allowed resources of the receiving unit. Making it easier to build and expand your supply chains.

It’s been a hot minute since the last update! Even so, DSD is still 100% in active development, and the biggest update yet is close to being done!

Much of the last few months have been spent working on the new World Map functionality. Initial prototypes took the game in one direction, but that direction proved to be unsustainable and very error-prone. But as they so often do, failures, constraints, and wrong turns became a source of creativity and led to an even better solution.

What’s New?

In the upcoming release, the world will be broken up into leasable sectors, allowing you to expand your industrial colony. Each sector will have a primary biome, defining both the look of the sector and the resources distributed throughout it. Need oil? Secure a desert sector. Need titanium? Head out to the rocky, barren sectors at the edge of the map.

Overall world size and buildable area are currently set to roughly double compared to the current live build (pre-version 0.16). Further performance testing still needs to be done to determine whether the world can be made even larger. Early performance testing is NOT showing any slowdown based on world size. In the future releases, world size may become configurable when starting a new game.

New Transport Shuttle

With a bigger world and longer distances, new transport solutions are needed! A new long-range, higher-capacity transport shuttle will be added to the tech tree. This should ease logistical challenges and, more importantly, reduce the micromanagement involved in transporting resources between sectors and across the map.

These shuttles will transport resources from an Outbound Relay to an Inbound Relay, with no limit to connection distance. Getting resources to an Outbound Relay, or from an Inbound Relay, will be handled by regular cargo shuttles. Outbound Relays can only connect to a single Inbound Relay, creating a one-way transport link across the map.

Auto Add Resources

When making connections to a Transport Hub, Supply Ship, Relay, or the Headquarters, the deliverable resources from the connecting unit will now automatically be added to the allowed resources of the receiving unit. Making it easier to build and expand your supply chains.

This option can be toggled off in the game options menu. Allowed resources can still be manually controlled, as they were prior to the 0.16 update.

Other Notes

Version 0.16 will break compatibility with past save games. While it is technically possible to continue supporting old saves, doing so would introduce fragility that I don’t believe would benefit the DSD community overall.

Roadmap

While the new update is fully playable, it still needs additional playtesting before it’s ready for release. I expect the update to be ready within 1–2 weeks!

After release, development time will focus on the following:

  • Fixes for any bugs reported by the DSD community

  • Performance testing and improvements, with a focus on large map sizes

  • Building out the next tier of the Tech Tree

  • Refining and reintroducing the Orbital Lift and special projects

Source

Steam News / 2 March 2026

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