We added a ton of things to the game since the last update, and we can confirm that the core redesign that went on in early October has provided the right foundation for a solid Factorio RTS experience.
Introduced a building dependency system. This makes the early game more straightforward, as you need to build some core buildings first, and then decide what to build depending on your play style and priorities.
We added a "Connect" targeted ability to some buildings, that allows you to automatically create and configure the conveyor / inserter infrastructure between two buildings. As long as you have the necessary conveyors and inserters in the inventory. This dramatically reduces the cognitive load required to build your industrial chain.
Production buildings can now directly output into the global inventory, instead of forcing you to manually collect the output. This further reduces the cognitive load required for base building, without removing the incentive for automation.
We updated all the units to a more stylized look. Workers will now be referred to as "Engineers". Their importance will grow in the game beyond resource extraction: they will be able to repair buildings and mechanical units. More on this soon. We also finalized the unit draft and will be implementing them swiftly over the next couple of weeks.
We have a new terrain shader that supports u to 8 texture channels. This enables a slightly more realistic look and a wider range of environmental elements. We can have a mix of natural elements (sand, rock, snow etc.) and human made elements (pavement, concrete, etc.)
We support elevation plateau with ramps. This enables us to design maps and missions with more strategic depth. We support up to 4 levels of elevation, with ramps between each level