Update log
Full Ships At Sea update
The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.
Extracted changes
- Server
- Performance
- Gameplay
- UI and audio
- Compatibility
Public Test v0.8.6
First of all, we would like to thank our community for your patience, feedback, and continued support while developing Ships At Sea. Your reports, suggestions, and testing efforts play a key role in shaping the future of the game.
With Public Test v0.8.6, we are releasing one of the most technically significant updates for Ships At Sea so far. This update introduces dedicated server support, allowing players to host or rent servers and build their own maritime communities with ship simulation enthusiasts from around the world.
Alongside this, we have implemented a wide range of graphical improvements, character upgrades, gameplay refinements, and performance optimizations across the game.
Ships At Sea now runs on the latest Unreal Engine 5.7.3, enabling further improvements in performance, visual quality, stability, and long-term scalability as development continues. This update also focuses heavily on the core systems that will shape Ships At Sea moving forward. It introduces a completely redesigned fish ecosystem, major weather system improvements, a new fuel consumption model, multi-engine throttle controls, refined buoyancy and ship handling, and the first iteration of the new fuel station system.
In addition, players will notice the first foundations of our new character system, including new male and female main character models, improved on-foot movement, better character stabilization, and the beginning of a reworked animation framework designed to support future interactions and character features.
The Logbook and several UI systems have also been redesigned to improve clarity, navigation, and overall usability.
As always, we would greatly appreciate your help testing this Public Test build. Your feedback is extremely valuable and helps us refine these systems before they move to the main branch. Together with the community, we continue shaping the future of Ships At Sea.
Back up your Save File
As usual, to avoid any potential issues, we strongly recommend backing up your save files before joining to the Public Test version v0.8.6
To find your Steam for Ships At Sea saves:
Press Win + R to open the Run Window
Paste the following path: %USERPROFILE%/AppData/Local/Sas/Saved/SaveGames into the field
Press OK
To try the PUBLIC TEST, please follow these steps:
Open Steam
Right-click on Ships At Sea in your library
Select Properties
Go to the Betas tab
Enter the password: SaSPublicTest
Choose "public_test" from the "Beta participation" drop-down list
Wait for the game to update the files (if nothing happens, restart the Steam client)
Launch the game
Note: Also, remember to verify the integrity of game files via Steam to avoid issues.
Dedicated Server Support
With Public Test Major update v0.8.6, Ships At Sea now supports Dedicated Servers, expanding multiplayer possibilities for the community.
Friends List and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) multiplayer remain fully supported as usual with up to 4 players, so you can continue playing easily with your friends through the existing system. Nothing changes for players who prefer quick sessions with their usual crew.
In addition, we now offer Dedicated Server support for players who want to connect with others around the world — without needing to be on each other’s Friends List. You can host or rent your own server and build your own maritime and ship simulation community with up to 8 players in the same session, bringing together captains from across the globe.
Whether you're organizing fishing operations, running a service fleet, or creating a long-term simulation environment, dedicated servers allow for greater flexibility and control.
Please note: Password
Source