ArkCo News 10/17/14

Hey ArkCoNauts! Things are moving along quite quickly here at Handyman, as we shift from the UI overhaul into a massive content patch that we can’t wait to roll out to you! While there are still a few things that need to be completed on the user interface, we felt that it would be most efficient at this point to stop the rapid hotfix cycle, and incorporate the rest of the UI features into the content patch. It was taking far too much dev time to keep preparing for each patch every few days, and this way we can dig in, focus, and get it all done. The most prominent features still missing from the UI are the teleporting feature on command centers, the PIOS system, and the ability to refuel vehicles. We know that this will be a temporary inconvenience, but we hope everyone will bear with us. It will be well worth it to get as much content into the next patch as we can! Speaking of the amazing content patch coming up, let’s talk about one of the things you can look forward to seeing. We’ve heard the community voice its concerns many times, that progression right now feels tedious and lacking. One of our answers to that is our new split-path progression. Driven by different sets of armor, a player will now be able to gear up according to their play style. If you like combat, you can steer your progression toward the fighter/warrior armor, which will be most easily obtained by farming enemies. If you’re a builder, you can opt for the builder/engineer style, which will be more easily obtained by mining. The armors for each style will lend bonuses to help your character be better at that area of play, and mixing and matching the different sets will allow you to even further customize your build. From a single linear path currently in game, featuring 5 armor sets, there will now be 19 armor sets available in the first 2 tiers of gameplay alone! We will have plenty more to talk about in the coming weeks as we lead up to the patch, with lots of surprises coming your way! https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5191540/WorkGIFs/minetest.gif On the community side, our Halloween Event will be kicking off Friday, October 24th, and will run through Halloween night. We’ll have forum games, giveaways, and more fun surprises to reveal when the time comes. Watch the news and social sites for more information on our spooky shenanigans! Thanks for reading everyone, and we’ll see you next time for ArkCo News!