- December Announcement - 7 December 2018
Hello Pioneers, After months of hard work, we are now happy to announce that we will be pushing our Beta Version 2 build to the main steam branch! What this means? For anyone who hasn't been playing the BETA branch of the game, you will now be required to download the new version of JCB Pioneer: Mars. Unfortunately, due to the nature of our restructuring and rebuilding of the game, you will be forced to lose any and all progress that you have gained up to this point and will need to restart the game from the very beginning. We apologise for any inconvenience but are assured that you will find the new version plays better than the original. For any who have been playing the BETA branch, you will need to swap back to the main branch of the game from now on as we will not be pushing any further updates to the BETA branch. Here's a link to the updates/bugs fixes made to Version 2.0 of the g…
- Beta Test Publicly Available - 29 August 2018
Hello Pioneers, We'd like to announce to you all that we've now made the Beta test build for Version 2.0 publicly available to everyone who has purchased the game. Please bear in mind it is the test build for Version 2 and we'd like your help in finding issues and bugs with the build, and possible balancing issues. Issues fixed will be applied to the test build as soon as possible. If you'd like to help, any issues you've found with the new build can be reported to this Version 2/0 BETA Test -Bugs & Issues Reports thread. We sincerely thank you all for your support. Atomicom
- August Announcement #2 - 28 August 2018
Hello Pioneers, VERSION 2.0 BETA TEST CHANGE/UPDATE NOTES Some of you are already aware, but we now have the Beta build of version 2.0 available to test. Over the last week, we've been adding those who've asked to be part of the Beta testing and will be doing so for those who've yet to be added but have signed up for it. We already thank most of you for your feedback and on-going support you have given us. We're planning to make the beta test build available for everyone soon and after that make Version 2.0 the official version. As requested and promised we're providing update/change notes that have been made for Version 2.0. We appreciate your patience in waiting for these notes as we collate the changes and tick off which changes are available for testing in the beta test build. As a quick reminder for those who have been testing the build if you have any issues please use the Version…
- August Announcement #1 - 13 August 2018
Hello Pioneers, We have a very quick announcement. We have Version 2 ready in our test branch right now and we would like to inform you that if you are still interested in getting involved and helping us test out Version 2 there is still time to join in. Post your reply here if you would like to receive access. Thank you, Atomicom Team.
- July Announcement #2 - 18 July 2018
Hello Pioneers, Here’s the next update on our progress. Fixed a few bugs with our new UI and building information panels. Added in new assets for our new levels and underground cave systems. We are now beginning to build these internal levels. Improvements to the Dropship; how it handles and delivers purchased vehicles and their garages, as well as transporting vehicles across the game map. Fixes to the vehicle garage terminal, with new displays for the vehicle and handling when a vehicle enters its respective garage. Changes to the UI screen when purchasing, managing and making any changes to your suit(s). With better feedback on active suits and when you are changing between them. Applying new sound ambient noises; when the player is moving in an out of the HAB, when the game is loading and more specifically in regards to the hazards. The team have also been making small fixes here an…
- July Announcement - 2 July 2018
Hello Pioneers, Here’s the next update on our progress. Improved displays when looking at the buildings in your colony which highlights their health, efficiency and storage details. Better logic when handling setting way points and deleting them in the map. The new save/load system will now allow you to access saves from multiple profiles in the main menu. And when in game you can access the saves related to the profile you are currently playing. There will be a limit to the number of saves in the future which we will mention when it is implemented. A new, cleaner Pause Screen. Adding audio effects for the tools and vehicles. Working on our new explorable cavern systems. We’ll provide further details and inside views at a later point. Testing Version 2.0 For those of you who commented to be involved as a tester for our Version 2.0. Thank you. Once we’ve secured a version 2.0 build that…
- June Announcement #2 - 18 June 2018
Hello Pioneers, Here’s the next update on our progress. Adding in new missions, with planned rewards and better signage of those rewards. Improvements to the player rank level, with new icons and rewards for when players reach certain ranks. Updates to the UI to handle the various rewards players will achieve during gameplay. A new and improved map system. Visual feedback tweaks to when upgrading buildings through the tech tree. One of the new tools that will be made available in game, we're calling it the "Gravity Gun" https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F30507453%2F2529f427676666708aaa3d2a371e766916095faa.png Additionally, for any who have been able to find the numerous blocked cave entrances, we are working on building explorable cavern systems that will be accessible through those entrances. Complete with their own mechanics and new hand tools which you w…
- June Announcement - 4 June 2018
Hello Pioneers, Here’s an update on our progress: We're making changes into improving player feedback; showing player upgrades and stats within the journal. Creating new buildings assets. Improved the Trade post shop, concentrating on the overall UI display and additional signage. We’ve implemented new HUD icons for the CPV. Added two new tools for gameplay, the Rock Cutter and Gravity Gun. Improvements to the repair sockets on buildings. Improvements to the usage of connectors when connecting buildings to the colony, you will now find it easier to remove buildings and re-apply connections. Items are now represented with physical objects, they can be dropped and picked up repeatedly. New mission systems, we’ve mostly been working on how they are displayed and handled within the new journal system. In regards to our next release patch, we’ve had a new build updated to our QA branch recen…
- April Announcement - 20 April 2018
Hello Pioneers, We know things have been quiet for a while but we are getting close to testing the next major update that we’ve been working on for the past 3 months. We’ve spent time going through all of your feedback, both negative and positive, and addressing as much as we can in the new update. We’ve fixed a lot of bugs but the major ones have resulted in us doing a major technical re-write of the underlying parts of the game which should result in no crashing. Feedback on over thousands of hours’ worth of gameplay testing has been reviewed to get the balancing of fun and challenge just right. Internally we have had concerns about promising a release date to the community and then not hitting it but we fully understand the frustrations of not knowing what’s going on with the games development. We are committed to getting this update out as soon as possible but if the game is not rea…
- Attention all Pioneers - 28 February 2018
Pioneers, Back in our previous announcement regarding Patch 1.07r we mentioned about beginning to bring you updates regarding our long-promised code base update. It’s taken us to the end of the month, but we’re now confident that what we’ve been working on in the meantime will be something you’ll all be pleased to see. What have we been up to? For transparency’s sake, in short, we decided it was best to bring JCB Pioneer: Mars back to the drawing board, collating all of the concerns, complaints and comments you guys have given us for the last 5/6 months - all of which are greatly appreciated. The decision to address the code base, and effectively rebuild the game from the ground up, has given us the chance to be able to readdress a lot of the games inner workings, from mechanics and design to the UI (more on that to follow). From there, we plan to add more content, a narrative, new area…
- Attention all Pioneers - 28 February 2018
Pioneers, Back in our previous announcement regarding Patch 1.07r we mentioned about beginning to bring you updates regarding our long-promised code base update. It’s taken us to the end of the month, but we’re now confident that what we’ve been working on in the meantime will be something you’ll all be pleased to see. What have we been up to? For transparency’s sake, in short, we decided it was best to bring JCB Pioneer: Mars back to the drawing board, collating all of the concerns, complaints and comments you guys have given us for the last 5/6 months - all of which are greatly appreciated. The decision to address the code base, and effectively rebuild the game from the ground up, has given us the chance to be able to readdress a lot of the games inner workings, from mechanics and design to the UI (more on that to follow). From there, we plan to add more content, a narrative, new area…
- Patch 1.07r - 29 January 2018
Happy 2018 Pioneers, Before we go over the latest patch notes we want to address some concerns regarding our continued work on the game, which we have always been 100% committed to. Some of you may have read that we are working towards a new code base for the game and haven’t been given more information than that. Now, we are happy to say that through February and onwards we will be showing you the first in a series of small updates on our progress; you will get to see exactly what we’ve been working on over these last few months. We hope that you’ll be pleased with what you see as we have spent time going through everyone’s feedback, both positive and negative, and using that to make the game better. So until then, here’s the changes in the latest patch update. HAB Improved building descriptions in the CPV. Fixed an exploit where the buying and selling of buildings refunds the player m…
- Patch 1.07r - 29 January 2018
Happy 2018 Pioneers, Before we go over the latest patch notes we want to address some concerns regarding our continued work on the game, which we have always been 100% committed to. Some of you may have read that we are working towards a new code base for the game and haven’t been given more information than that. Now, we are happy to say that through February and onwards we will be showing you the first in a series of small updates on our progress; you will get to see exactly what we’ve been working on over these last few months. We hope that you’ll be pleased with what you see as we have spent time going through everyone’s feedback, both positive and negative, and using that to make the game better. So until then, here’s the changes in the latest patch update. HAB Improved building descriptions in the CPV. Fixed an exploit where the buying and selling of buildings refunds the player m…
- Patch 17.11.10.1r - 11 November 2017
Happy Weekend Pioneers, We have a patch that fixes the inventory transfer issue, the tech tree issues, vehicle repair issues, and many more things... It also addresses the recent Hab/O2 Generator change; as promised, the O2 generator now feeds the Hab O2. Tech Trees Tech Trees should no longer stall. Flickering/glitch issues should no longer occur. HAB As requested by the community, the O2 Generator now recharges the Hab's O2 supply once it is connected. So after connecting the O2 Generator, the player can receive an amount of O2 upon entering the HAB. Vehicle Repairs The Crawler and Pitspade are now be repairable with the Repair Rifle. Map Added a vehicle marker to the map. Leaderboard The Leaderboard has been extended and now shows more than 100 players. Inventory Fixes Fixed the bug that prevented a player from interacting with a vehicle inventory from another vehicle. NOTE - To open…
- Patch 17.11.10.1r - 11 November 2017
Happy Weekend Pioneers, We have a patch that fixes the inventory transfer issue, the tech tree issues, vehicle repair issues, and many more things... It also addresses the recent Hab/O2 Generator change; as promised, the O2 generator now feeds the Hab O2. Tech Trees Tech Trees should no longer stall. Flickering/glitch issues should no longer occur. HAB As requested by the community, the O2 Generator now recharges the Hab's O2 supply once it is connected. So after connecting the O2 Generator, the player can receive an amount of O2 upon entering the HAB. Vehicle Repairs The Crawler and Pitspade are now be repairable with the Repair Rifle. Map Added a vehicle marker to the map. Leaderboard The Leaderboard has been extended and now shows more than 100 players. Inventory Fixes Fixed the bug that prevented a player from interacting with a vehicle inventory from another vehicle. NOTE - To open…
- New Patch 1.05r - 28 October 2017
Can you survive on Mars this Halloween? This Halloween, attempt to survive on Mars and measure your progress against fellow Pioneers with the all-new leaderboard. To access it, select the Information Screen (Default: Escape) and choose the Rankings tab. In addtion, we've tweaked gameplay to prevent leaderboard exploits. So, let's see who tops the leaderboard this Halloween. Also, we’ve finally added the much-needed warnings for Dust Storms. So, get to safety when you see this message. Plus, there’s plenty more to enjoy in this new build. A rundown of the added features is presented below: Rankings We've added a "living" leaderboard? So, you can now see how long you have survived compared to other Pioneers. It’s updated each time you Save. To refresh the Leaderboard, go back to gameplay and re-enter the Information Screen. Save Buttons (at last) One of the most requested features has bee…
- New Patch 1.05r - 28 October 2017
Can you survive on Mars this Halloween? This Halloween, attempt to survive on Mars and measure your progress against fellow Pioneers with the all-new leaderboard. To access it, select the Information Screen (Default: Escape) and choose the Rankings tab. In addtion, we've tweaked gameplay to prevent leaderboard exploits. So, let's see who tops the leaderboard this Halloween. Also, we’ve finally added the much-needed warnings for Dust Storms. So, get to safety when you see this message. Plus, there’s plenty more to enjoy in this new build. A rundown of the added features is presented below: Rankings We've added a "living" leaderboard? So, you can now see how long you have survived compared to other Pioneers. It’s updated each time you Save. To refresh the Leaderboard, go back to gameplay and re-enter the Information Screen. Save Buttons (at last) One of the most requested features has bee…
- Patch 1.04r - 13 October 2017
Happy Friday 13th Pioneers, we’ve delayed this update to try and fix problems with the Suit Tech Tree. The good news is that the Suit Tech Tree is usable without corruption, but there is still one issue remaining. Despite this issue, we felt it was important to push the other fixes. Hence this update. A hot fix will follow in the coming days. Dynamic Weather Fixes / Less killer Dust Storm We were so excited with dynamic weather two weeks ago that we released it to our Early Access community, perhaps a bit too early. We soon realised this particular weather was too aggressive. So, we’ve tuned the dynamic weather and its calculations. In short, the Dust Storm is spawned with much less ferocity. NOTE - We’re still waiting on one engineer to fix the Dust Storm warnings. Expect a fix early next week. Suit Tech Tree Issues The suit tech tree should no longer corrupt while you’re upgrading. Ea…
- Patch 1.04r - 13 October 2017
Happy Friday 13th Pioneers, we’ve delayed this update to try and fix problems with the Suit Tech Tree. The good news is that the Suit Tech Tree is usable without corruption, but there is still one issue remaining. Despite this issue, we felt it was important to push the other fixes. Hence this update. A hot fix will follow in the coming days. Dynamic Weather Fixes / Less killer Dust Storm We were so excited with dynamic weather two weeks ago that we released it to our Early Access community, perhaps a bit too early. We soon realised this particular weather was too aggressive. So, we’ve tuned the dynamic weather and its calculations. In short, the Dust Storm is spawned with much less ferocity. NOTE - We’re still waiting on one engineer to fix the Dust Storm warnings. Expect a fix early next week. Suit Tech Tree Issues The suit tech tree should no longer corrupt while you’re upgrading. Ea…
- 1.03h - 2 October 2017
Hey pioneers! We've completed a small hotfix to the game that should mean that the autosave icon appears when it's supposed to. We've also ensured that the bug that was prematurely closing crates that are left by vehicles and removing buildings don't vanish until they are empty. Happy exploring...
