The Crust 1.0 is OUT NOW with the new Planning Mode, a new road tool, a leaderboard, the completed story campaign, new visuals, optimization, new maps, new modules, and much, much more. CRUST Corp. is waiting for you.
What to expect from version 1.0?
Version 1.0 is a massive update for The Crust, and we are very proud of it!
This update brings a huge amount of new content and improvements for both new and existing players. Even if you already played The Crust during Early Access, there is definitely something new here worth coming back for. That said, this release does not mean development is over: there are still plenty of plans ahead! (But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.)
We have spent a lot of time polishing the game, and thanks to the many beta testers who thoroughly tested this release, we expect virtually no bugs and good performance.
We really hope you enjoy it!
~The entire Veom Studio team
Key new features
With over 2,000 commits made since Update 3, briefly describing every improvement included in version 1.0 is no easy task. We did our best!
macOS and Linux ports
We have done a lot of work and fully ported the game to macOS and Linux.
Turkish localization
After many requests from the community, we have localized all texts and interfaces into Turkish.
Planning Mode
The game now includes a Planning Mode that lets you lay out a construction plan for modules and conveyors, with convenient copying of modules together with their recipes. A handy required-resources tracker lets you easily calculate and plan the production of those resources to bring your grand designs to life. Combined with the new roads, this tool has made building in The Crust even more convenient and engaging.
Roads
Have you ever noticed how trucks sometimes drive onto areas that were never meant for them and clip expensive equipment? We decided to put an end to that. The game now has a very convenient tool for building roads and parking, which speeds up cargo truck traffic and improves the overall look of your base. Trucks pick the shortest route themselves, taking the nearest road into account.
Optimization
Once again, we dove deep into the guts of our algorithms to make it possible to build even bigger production chains. What did we do? We reworked the logistics algorithms, added distance-based calculations, and improved warehouse-to-warehouse calculations, which gave a substantial boost on large bases. A clean +30-50% FPS. On top of that, we worked on the rendering side of the project: we reduced the number of draw calls and optimized the polygon count of mass-used models and LODs, such as resources, conveyor models, colonist suits, and the most frequently used modules in the game. This optimization noticeably reduced the load on both the CPU and the GPU. We also optimized the power calculation system and several smaller systems at the orbital level. As a result, we got a significant FPS boost: 100-200% on large bases, and the weaker your PC, the bigger the gain from the optimization.
RAM usage has been optimized, the required amount of memory has been reduced, and the minimum PC requirements have been lowered.
Save file size on large bases has been optimized.
Room wall "painting" mode.
We received a complaint: one of the colonists walked into the wrong room for the third time because all the living quarters look the same. Well... he has a point, so we have a solution.
New wall panel styles will not let your colonists get lost in the maze of living quarters! You can place them in any room on your base and create the right atmosphere for different types of rooms. And colonists will most likely avoid places that remind them of work (we are joking, of course: they are very hardworking).
You can now choose the interior finish style for rooms, and a large set of different wall panels has been added, including wood, steel, stone, and bright wallpaper.
Completed story campaign
A complete story with multiple endings and thought-provoking questions for reflection and discussion, which put the player in front of a tough choice more than once.
Resource type selection for input and output conveyors
Many players asked us to add the ability to switch resource types so you do not have to rebuild a module or its conveyors when changing a recipe. We did it. Starting with version 1.0, you can easily choose where resources come from and where they go, according to your preferences.
Online leaderboard
Detailed player statistics are now recorded in an online leaderboard across several indicators: base capitalization, capitalization growth rate, and other metrics. A condensed leaderboard is available in the game's main menu, and the detailed one can be found in the statistics section, where the data is updated online.
Starting October 1, a new table will also be added to the game: the Monthly Leaderboard, which is updated every month, while the previous table is saved to an archive that can be viewed for all past months.
New maps
4 new maps (landscapes, craters) have been added for Sandbox mode.
Sandbox 2.0
You can now choose your starting position on the Moon, with varied resource compositions. New Custom Game settings have been added, as well as seeds for settings and starting generation. You can now fine-tune the game to your preferences even further.
New module: Shower/Toilet.
I think you can guess what this module is for :). Colonists need it to boost their mood and reduce the risk of an epidemic on the base.
Updated Prologue
The Prologue combines tutorial elements; it has become simpler, clearer, and more convenient, and it has also received visual improvements. If this is your first time playing The Crust, we recommend starting with it. It is a scenario about 20 minutes long that introduces you to all the essential basics and lets you transition smoothly into the story campaign.
Global Events
The Moon has no atmosphere, which means nothing will slow down a rock flying at your head. Yes, unfortunately, the Moon has its downsides :)
Meteorites are one of the new events. They fall one at a time or in a whole shower, and you cannot choose when or where they land. The process is, of course, random, but our programmers have kept quiet about the probability they set ;)
While your base is small, most rocks land on empty ground and leave behind debris rich in resources, including rare minerals, so for a while you will be happy about every impact.
But over time, the base grows and there is less and less empty space. Before you know it, a meteorite will land exactly where you spent three hours in Planning Mode. We did tell you that production on the Moon is no easy business, didn't we?
New module: Anti-Meteorite Laser Cannon.
For this stage, there is the Anti-Meteorite Laser Cannon. It shoots down rocks as they approach, but not for free: each shot costs one Energy Cell, after which it needs to recharge. One cannon does not cover the whole base, so decide what to protect first: the reactor or the bar.
Of course, in the late game you will have no trouble with the supply of Energy Cells, but please spare the nerves of the colonists who happen to be on duty outside at the moment of impact.
Solar Flare
This event occurs randomly and can either trigger increased power output from your solar panels (but that's not certain =)) or damage your buildings and the colonists working at their posts on the surface. But your brave scientists will come up with an elegant defense against this event too.
Epidemics
Epidemics break out when the colony is in chaos and unsanitary conditions. They worsen colonist mood and work efficiency, and in the most neglected situations they can lead to colonist injuries and deaths. This event is easy to avoid by equipping rooms with showers and toilets and by keeping a positive balance of medicine on the base.
Firing and salaries
We have added the ability to fire any colonist you do not want, as well as to control the salaries of the whole crew. The colonist salary management system lets you fine-tune payments, which in turn affect team morale. But do not forget: colonists can now quit on their own and leave on the next capsule if working conditions become truly unbearable.
Visual improvements
New visual style for excavated walls.
New visuals for regolith rocks dropping from excavated walls.
New visuals for basalt in walls.
Mobile Drilling Rig and harvester improvements
A statistics and analysis section for nearby resources available for extraction has been added to the Mobile Drilling Rig interface.
New research that upgrades the Mobile Drilling Rig, the Helium-3 Harvester, and the Ice Harvester.
Updated Mobile Drilling Rig balance. It now requires less micromanagement after the automation upgrades.
Improved construction interface.
A level selector has been added to the underground conveyor construction interface.
Improved routes and expeditions interface.
Added the option to split across several trucks or several trips when there is not enough room in a truck.
Conveyor direction.
In conveyor laying and planning mode, you can now see the conveyor's direction, which can be changed with the V key.
Improved conveyor laying interface.
Canceling a planned conveyor no longer destroys what has already been built, plus other improvements.
Conveyor QoL improvements.
Added an indicator for resources getting stuck at Distributors and module inputs.
Outpost removal.
Added the ability to remove Outposts and transfer them to other Organizations.
Underground resource scanner improvement.
It now highlights vein cells suitable for construction, making it easy to place extractors.
Improved Auto-Purchase and Auto-Sell modes.
You can now put up to 5 goods up for trade on a single Flight Control Center, and hovering over a resource shows its market price.
Hotkeys.
Hotkeys have been added for all main functions and menus, and you can customize them in the game settings.
Training Center.
A POI has been added where you can improve your colonists' skills. Pick the right staff, send them off for training, pay the corresponding cost, and after a while the colonists will return with upgrades to their chosen profession.
New music track
Added a new track from our composer, Ilya Khaminov
A few more improvements:
Production and consumption calculations in in-game days and weeks have been added to the production module interface.
The Technology Center module has been updated; it provides temporary upgrades that can be bought for credits.
Refined in-game statistics.
A news block and patch notes have been added to the main menu.
2 new achievements added: "The Crust" (scan the entire Moon) and "My mom's friend's son".
New interplanetary contracts added for the moons of the distant planets of the Solar System.
Improved pathfinding algorithm when laying conveyors
The pool of colonists offered for hire now depends on reputation
How many Organizations will help with building the laser cannon and the interstellar ship, and to what extent, now depends on reputation
Colonist experience now grows while working at Outposts
Various UI/UX improvements, such as backing out of any window with Esc and RMB.
Tooltips with hints have been added to all buttons and UI elements in the game to make it easier to learn.
New barter points of interest added to the global map.
Added a tooltip showing the expected resources at an Outpost for module construction.
Improved interaction with the Multi-Resource Warehouse; added resource selection via CTRL.
Improved Distributor UX/UI. You can now lower priority with RMB.
Made it easier to connect conveyors to the Assembler and other modules.
Previously unvoiced dialogues in the game have now been voiced.
Changed how food is handed out to colonists. They are no longer limited by module access points and are guaranteed to get their portion if there is enough food in storage.
New art added to Outposts.
Updated art for main and side quests.
What has changed since Early Access?
For those who missed the major updates released while The Crust was in Early Access, we have prepared a short list of changes with a link to the full description:
New Horizon Update
Mass Driver Outposts Helium-3 Harvester Thermonuclear Generator AI Science Center Biogenerator Blockchain module Conveyor system refactoring Drone construction Dismantle cancellation New excavation algorithm Contract filters One-click contract loading Resource filters in Cargo Docks Music player
Update Two
Gas system and gas recipes 5 new production resources (in addition to 3 new gases) Auto-trading mode for the Flight Control Center Sagan Telescope Medical Center Launch Station Sports and entertainment modules Comfort, education, entertainment, and medical systems for colonists Colonist system refactoring Hoverboards for colonists
Colonist workplace selection Financial loan system Statistics system New large truck Purchase of pre-built modules Interplanetary contracts
Update 3
Drones 2.0 Improved drone navigation Improved ground map Smart Multi-Resource Warehouse Contract automation Ultra-High Priority System Priorities for living quarters Delivery to the Flight Control Center Auto-Purchase Transport Hub Optimization Industrial Kitchen Underground Storage Slag Recycling New Outpost module: Smelter
Big FPS & QoL Update
Module naming Flight Control Center buffer management Rover, Cargo Truck, and Rocket upgrades
Balance & QoL Update
Technology Center added Help with building the laser cannon Barter contracts AI Trade Analyst New colonists
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1465470/The_Crust/"][dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/75587/The_Crust_Artemis_Edition/"]
Steam Reviews: Your Feedback Matters
[p align="start"]If you’ve been playing The Crust and have thoughts to share, leaving a Steam review is a great way to support the game. Reviews help other players understand what the experience is like and give the team a valuable perspective on what’s working well and where things could improve.[p align="start"]It doesn’t need to be long or detailed. Even a short note about your experience is helpful, and the team truly appreciates everyone who takes the time to leave one.
Join The Crust Community
[p align="start"]You can find the The Crust community on Discord and Reddit for discussion, updates, and feedback. We also post detailed patch notes on Discord for those who want to follow changes closely, You can vote for an idea that could be added to the game, or submit your own on our website: idea.the-crust.com[p align="start"] We wish you a smooth launch and unforgettable adventures!
--
Veom Studio team
