Shapez 2: Factory Patch Notes

Hello everyone! Update 1.2 is now available, bringing a large update to the game engine, Blueprint Migration and several minor changes. Do continue reading after the patch notes, as we're also hosting a Screenshot Contest and have another update for you on the Puzzles project. Update 1.2Update to Unity 6The whole game has now been upgraded to Unity 6. This will give us more features to work with, fix bugs, and give us some nice quality of life improvements in the engine and the editor. Essentially, it makes it easier for us to make future updates.Testing has shown that this also brought significant upgrades to performance and stability, especially on MAC and Linux.If you'd like to read more about the upgrade to Unity 6 and what that process was like, be sure to check out this devlog:Blueprint MigrationUpdate 1.2 also brings Blueprint Migration, a change we announced just before the launch of 1.0. This changes how blueprint are saved, making the system more robust and permanent.Warning: This change means that blueprints made prior to Update 1.0 are no longer compatible. In order to transfer them, switch to the 1.1 update branch, place the blueprints you want to save in a savegame, then switch back to the live version (1.2) and save them as blueprint again. Update 1.1 will remain available as a separate branch.Support for replacing/substituting modsThis one requires a bit of an explanation. After Update 1.1, it's been apparent that our update strategy for ShapezShifter wasn't going to work for the live game. When we push an update to shapez 2, we'd need to have a new version of ShapezShifter alongside the game update to prevent all mods that use ShapezShifter from breaking. But with only one version to work from, we either need to leave ShapezShifter broken for the new release, or immediately break the previous release version. However, the game branch feature in Steam allows us to set up an experimental branch for ShapezShifter, so modders can test mods in the new game version before the game is actually updated. This way, mods may already be ready for the next game update before that update even goes live, so you can use those mods immediately.On top of this, we are actively working on making the mod development experience better for everyone. One planned change is an automated canary system in the base game that detects breaking changes to the API as soon as they're found; they can usually be slower to catch.Other changesUIThe operator level screen now includes info about the game version and if the game is modded.Renamed “Katyusha” achievement into “Space Program”.ContentAdded the song “Launched” to the soundtrackSave/LoadImproved auto-save delay.ModdingMods can now reliably target a specific release version of the game to avoid crashing the game after a patch.Bug FixesFixed shadows for machines not being visible in the whole gameFixed a fatal error when achievements.bin file is corruptedFixed operator shape targets eventually going over 2.14b and becoming negative (players having run into this problem may still have this displayed as negative)Fixed non-aligned indicators for machine launchers/catchersFixed meshes for mirrored global wire transmittersFixed the astroid pump description incorrectly showing 4 pumps needed to supply one space pipe at full saturation (now shows correctly as 24)Fixed belt/pipe catchers appearing linked to the incorrect launcher when a second launcher is within range of the catcher during gameplayFixed mouse over wire shape visualization only being correct when facing northFixed belt launchers and catchers switching to conveyor belts when pressing R to rotate while placing them in a platform notchFixed a possible crash if corrupt data is present in settings files while booting the gameScreenshot ContestNow that we've had the update to shapez 2, we'd like to see an update on your factories! Take a screenshot of the part of your factory, or factories, you're the most proud of or just really want to share. Be it insanely optimized, a creative alternative solution, a complex transport transport network, you name it. If you really want to show it, we really want to see it!Head over to our subreddit.Post your screenshot with the \ flair applied. Feel free to explain a bit about the things you screenshotted! The deadline is August 23.What you can win? We'll be giving away 5 upgrades to the shapez 2 Supporter Edition, giving you 40 extra minutes of Peppsen bangers, the ability to download the soundtrack in lossless quality, loops and twisters for your trains, as well as new skin for your Vortex!If you already own the Supporter Edition, feel free to give it to a friend.Dev Update on PuzzlesFor this dev update, here's Christian, our Head of Game Design:One of our main inspirations and guiding stars for the next puzzle project is naturally the Puzzle DLC for shapez 1. It already had all the basic loops that we envision for this project as well. However, there is one defining difference: shapez 1 was 2D and shapez 2 is 3D. That of course gives us a lot more possibilities for interesting puzzles but of course it also poses complex issues.Part of the shapez 1 puzzle challenge was using inputs/outputs of buildings to route shapez along specific paths, which they otherwise would not be able to take. Combined with the footprint of the building, this often left only very limited viable spots where the building can be placed - similar to a jigsaw puzzle piece.Translating that challenge to 3D requires us to think differently about the layout of conveyors and buildings in shapez 2. While they are currently optimized for convenience we might need a little more limitations to create interesting puzzles. For example:Conveyor lifts allow players to overcome any vertical blocker, as long as one tile is free next to it.Buildings have a smaller footprint and often have their in/outputs on the same level/in the same direction (this makes a blocker on one side usually invalidate the build...

Hello everyone!Today, we're ready to share the winners of the shapez 2 modding contest! We got a surprising amount of submissions and we were really impressed by the quality! Aside from the modding contest, we also have some fun things to share about Update 1.2, as well as the Puzzle project!Modding Contest WinnersFirst things first, the winners of the modding contest! We received many unique and exciting mods from you, ranging from small quality of life tweaks to complete game overhauls. Thank you all for participating!To pick the winners of the contest, we considered the following criteria:Originality: how new and refreshing the idea itself is.Technical Achievement: the technical execution of the mod, i.e. how well its integrated and to what degree AI was used.Presentation: how it looks, whether through detailed buildings or clean UI elements.Gameplay: how it changes the gameplay of the game, either directly (new game mode, buildings) or indirectly (more accessible information, improved tools).Popularity: how it was picked up by the community already.You all sure made it difficult to pick the winners, but here we go!Runner upsBecause we got so many submissions, we added two runner ups to the winners. They'll both get some shapez merch in the mail!5th Place – Crystal Expansion by 鸽子This mod adds two new buildings and 5 new crystal variants. The first building is the Dissolver, a building that dissolves a shape, extracts the most dominant part, and turns normal colored fluid into Unstable Fluid holding the data of the dominant part. You can then pump this Unstable Fluid to a Crystallizer, the second new building. If the dominant part in the Unstable Fluid matches the dominant part of the shape you send into the Crystallizer, that part is crystalized!Essentially, it's a new way to add Crystal parts to a shape that also requires a whole new design. Plus, there are some new Crystal variants to discover.4th Place – Space Platform Display by JoshrlIf you're looking to add some color to your factories, look no further! Space Platform Display allows you to, as the name implies, turn Space Platforms into massive displays. These can display any fluid color or shape code you input, and are visible while zoomed out, even in Overview Mode.This can be used to mark points of interest like inputs and outputs of your setup, or color code your blueprints. Of course, if you give someone colors, art will be made! These platforms are great for drawing pixel art while Vortex LTD isn't looking.The Winners3rd Place – Mod Manager by LiAuO2Mod Managers are a cornerstone of any modding community, and we think this is a great contender! This Mod Manager implements some of the core features we were already considering adding to the modding experience. It allows you to enable or disable mods without restarting the game, easily back up your saves, check mod compatibility and even upgrade old incompatible saves to be compatible! If you have some old saves lying around that you cannot use because of mod incompatibility, be sure to check this one out.Congratulations, you win a 2TB SSD!2nd Place – Shape Recipe Lab by guardiandownShape Recipe Lab is already one of the most popular mods on the Workshop, and we see why! Simply paste a shape code into the lab and the mod will figure out the ideal setup for you, presented in a production tree. If you get overwhelmed by some of the late-game shapes but do really want to keep expanding your factory, this is a great tool for you. However, figuring out how to make a shape is a big part of the game for some, so this mod may not be for everyone.Congratulations, you win a 32GB of RAM!1st Place – Arctic Ruins by Papierkorb2292Wow. Just wow. In first places comes a new game mode that turns the shapez formula on its head, and does so in style: Arctic Ruins.In the new game mode, the production process is quite literally inversed. Instead of mining shapes from asteroids, assembling them and delivering them to the Vortex, you receive shapes from the Vortex, de-assemble them and insert them into the asteroids. Filling an asteroid up will remove the newly-introduced fog of war (a snow storm in this case), unlocking new parts of the map.The feature list is quite long, but this mod introduces new mechanics, new buildings, new milestones, new visuals, and randomly generated buildings to find around the map. Oh, and not to forget, there's new lore and even an intro cinematic. What?!A very deserved congratulations to the talented Papierkorb2292, we're very impressed. You win the RTX 5080!We'll be in touch with all the winners and runner ups for your address, so keep an eye on your inbox!Update 1.2A big part of Update 1.2 will be an update to Unity that Noah, our Unity Developer, has been working on. Currently, shapez 2 uses Unity version 2022.3, which has served the development of the game since before Early Access. However, this version was officially deprecated in June. As such, 1.2 will see shapez 2 updated to the latest Unity Long Term Support version, 6000.3. While this version is 2.5 years newer than 2022.3, it does not mean we just jumped 3978 versions. They're just naming them different now.So, what does this actually mean? Well, on the development side we'll get a whole bunch of new features, bug fixes and quality of life improvements across both the engine and editor. This will hopefully aid us in future updates, but our main concern for 1.2 is to get the game working on the feature and stability parity level that we currently have. Oddly enough, when it comes to the Unity update, this means we really hope you don't notice any big changes in 1.2. The actual changes will provide the foundation we build future updates on!However, updating the engine of the game is easier said than done, and we have some "fun" experiences to share. To preface this, we'd like to walk you through the process of updating the engine:The project is first opened in the new Unity version. Unity itself handles re...

Hello everyone!Update 1.1 just released, bringing Manufacture Hard Mode and its badge, quality of life improvements and a bunch of smaller bug fixes. Additionally, this update is accompanied by a new cosmetic DLC: the Hyper Skin DLC!Note on Modding There is a high chance that this update will break mods and will result in the game crashing if you have mods installed. We are working with the modding community to fix this, but in the meantime, if you encounter any problems: You can switch back to a stable 1.0 branch: Right click shapez 2 in your library > properties > betas, and choose the branch modding_stable. Alternatively, you can bypass mod loading by starting the game with the launch option --ignore-mods.HighlightsManufacture Hard ModeIf regular Manufacture Mode didn’t tickle your brain quite enough, Manufacture Hard Mode may do the trick! This new scenario ups the challenge with new Trade Stations layouts and much more complex shape goals. More challenging mechanics are introduced earlier, so you’ll be dealing with Crystal shapes and pins quite a bit sooner.To give you a bit of a hand, the shape goals do feature a few more consistent patterns. This allows you to reuse parts of your factories more than on the regular difficulty, or make more use of blueprints. However, this does require you to think ahead and keep your factory organised from the get-go! Hyper Skin DLCReleased alongside this update is the Hyper Skin DLC, a cosmetic override for your Vortex and trains, giving them a sleek hyper-futuristic look with a white finish, hexagonal patterns and an aerodynamic nose (for your trains, the Vortex remains nose-less).The train override includes the Locomotive, Shape Wagon, Fluid Wagon and Space Wagon, in all available line colors. These Skin DLCs are completely cosmetic and are there for those of you who want some visual variety and want to support us further. Of course, proceeds from this DLC will go right back to the development of the game!Supporter Edition VortexThe Supporter Edition of shapez 2 got a free addition of a cosmetic override for the Vortex! This gives it a more industrial look, complemented by the amber-gold Supporter Edition glow. Thank you for your support! This override will automatically be added to your game if you own the Support Edition and have it enabled in Steam. You can turn the override on or off in the new Addition Content menu – more on that next.Additional Content MenuAs there are now two cosmetic overrides available for the Vortex, you’ll need a way to pick between the two! This is where the ‘Additional Content’ menu comes in, available in-game through the main and pause menus. Here, you can enable and disable all individual skins from the additional content you own, as well as the different music packs, without having to step away from your factory. If you’d like to use Hyper Trains with the Supporter Vortex instead of the Hyper Vortex, you can set that up here!Other ChangesSave/LoadAutosave is now delayed while the mouse button is held down, to make sure you’re not interrupted.VisualsImproved the visibility of upper space levels while on lower levels, making it easier to see through.Bug FixesFixed macOS builds not using the native silicon binary of the game, leading to hangs, crashes and slowdowns.Fixed delays occurring when handling bigger blueprintsFixed train predictions traveling areas that the train will never go under certain conditionsFixed arrows on the sides of converters popping slightly at LOD 2Fixed game hanging when shape asteroid patch likelihood is over 100% and then uncolored half’s weight is reducedFixed errors on startup leading to an infinite spinner under certain circumstancesFixed and improved a couple of localization strings in several languages… and many more!

Hello everyone!We're really excited to announce that the 1.1 update for shapez 2 is releasing on June 25th, along with the first skin DLC! Update 1.1This update brings a new scenario: Manufacture Hard Mode! As you might expect from the name, this scenario is a more challenging take on Manufacture Mode. Converters have new layouts and the goals are more complex. They require more production steps and introduce challenging mechanics like pins and crystals earlier on.Manufacture Hard Mode does feature a few more consistent patterns for its shapes, potentially allowing you to reuse parts of your factories more than in the regular mode. While the shapes may be more complex, you'll be able to use what you've already built in more places!Aside from Manufacture Hard More, update 1.1 includes a bunch of small bug fixes, as well as some some neat quality of life improvements. We'll share the full list on the day of the update!Hyper Skin DLCWe wanted to spice up your factories with the Hyper Skin DLC releasing next week, giving your Vortex and trains – which includes both locomotives and wagons – a sleek, hyper-futuristic visual overhaul. The skin DLC is a small, affordable addition to pick up at only $3.99 / €3.99 / £3.49. Individual skins can be toggled on and off in-game, so you'll be able to mix and match them to your liking.You can already take a look at the Hyper Skin DLC and wishlist it here: We hope you're excited for both Update 1.1 and the Hyper Skin DLC. We'll be back next week on June 25th when both of them are live. See you then!

We hope you're having a great time with the 1.0 release so far! The game seems to be very stable, so there seem to be no major / widespread issues so far.However, this is a quick post-launch patch, that addresses a few reported issues:Fixed "unreleased" shown instead of "April 23" in the changelog for 1.0Fixed some achievements related to operator levels not properly triggeringFixed some launch / command line options not working as expected ~Tobias