We have some updates to share about Starminer.
New Release Window
First, we have a new release window for our game, and as a result we won’t release in Early Access this year. We’re now aiming to launch in 2025, and will announce the final release date a bit later.
We understand that a delay is not the kind of news any of you wanted to hear, so we want to share a few things that will hopefully soften the blow a bit!
Development Progress
Most importantly, the development of the game is going well! We made a lot of good progress this year, and we hope you saw it in some of the trailers we shared in recent months. To give you a better idea of what we worked on these past 12 months, here is a "before" and "after" shot of early game of Starminer:
October 2023 build:
November 2024 build:
What you can probably see first, is increase in modularity and component variety of space rigs and stations, and an example of what you can easily create in the game now, vs a year ago. Some of these new modules we already covered in Developer Diary 6, and we'll tell you more about the many new nodes we introduced, in the coming days!
You can also see some of the progress we've been making with UI. Starminer is a complex game, and to make it a fun experience, we're working hard to make sure the UI and UX make it easier to learn and master the game.
That aside, there is plenty of work being done on various in-game systems. Here is a list of some of the features and content we added or improved over the past year. Deduce from them however much you want... :)
Development progress October 2023 - November 2024:
- Complete interface and UI rehaul
- Docking and merging stations
- Asteroid hauling - the ability to grab and transport asteroids
- Asteroid bases - build modules and installations on asteroids
- Over 15 new modules
- 2 new "commander" type ships with their own upgrades
- Heating system and radiators, with two different types of heat management, radiation and thermal dumping
- Officers - hire different officer types with perks to unlock as they level-up (engineering, combat, construction, logistics, science)
- New sandbox mode with various customizable settings: location, enemy difficulty, starting resources and more
- New campaign mode and rehauled tutorial
- Intro story sequence
- NPC dialogue system
- 6 new starting classes each with different perks to unlock and level-up
- Starmap and starmap travel
- 10 new space sectors
- 2 new resource types: H20 and eonite
- 3 types of missions - story missions, bounties, contracts
- Revamped research tree and player progression
- Autonomous combat frigates
- Improved build system for free building in 3d space (construction points)
- Updated graphics&FX, loads of optimizations for much better performance
- Full Nvidia DLSS integration
Finally, just as a curiosity, here is a shot from the first ever build of Starminer, a few years ago. We've come a long way!
What's next?
Together with our publisher, we’re committed to give you the best, hardcore space mining simulation we can, and that’s the main reason why we want to work on Starminer a bit longer.
That said, we know that you want to see more!
First, we can promise more Developer Diaries and videos before the release. Next Dev Diary will land this month, and will dive more into the subject of nodes! There is plenty left to talk about how you can build your stations and ships!
Before the end of the year, we also want to invite you all to join us for a special end-of-year stream. We’ll play the game, and answer your questions! More details on that will come soon!
For now, we wanted to thank you for your patience! Your support matters a lot and we can’t wait to get Starminer in your hands #whenitsready!
