Hello everyone!
The Broken Beyond will be available to buy & play on June 22nd, in just over 2 weeks time!
Last week we began showing off 7 of the 13 new blocks that The Broken Beyond expansion contains and this week we’ll be continuing that theme by revealing the final 6, all of which are part of or use the new fuel system!
Balancing fuel loads is a big part of launching rockets into space in real life, so we wanted to bring that resource management challenge to Besiege’s space expansion as well.
Fuel in Besiege is quite simply named “Fuel” and it can be stored in large containers and distributed to blocks which need it. Currently there are only three blocks which require fuel, the new Booster block, the existing Flamethrower block and the new Blaster weapon.
For storing fuel there are two options, the Small Fuel Barrel and the Large Fuel Barrel. The Small fuel barrel can store up to 10 Fuel and the Large Fuel Barrel can store 100 Fuel. The mass of Large Fuel Barrels is 10 times the mass of Small ones and the mass of fuel storage blocks decreases as fuel is expended.
Placing fuel barrels (or blocks which require fuel) adjacent to each other connects them automatically into a fuel network that has a shared fuel reservoir that can be drawn on by any block that requires fuel.
Blocks storing or requiring fuel can also be connected using Fuel Hoses, which by default, automatically allow fuel to flow between the connected blocks. However, there are also options available via the parameter tool which allow you to configure keys for starting and stopping the flow of fuel.
You may also wish to connect or disconnect different fuel networks together during gameplay, in which case you’ll want to use the Fuel Coupler block. It works as you might imagine, connecting fuel system blocks together on a key press and disconnecting them on a key press. Upon decoupling, the block creates a pushing force to separate it from the connected block. The amount of force created can be customised using the Parameter Tool.
Determining the percentage of remaining fuel within a network can be done using a Fuel Gauge block. This Fuel Gauge is an automation/logic block, meaning it can be configured to emulate a key when a desired fuel level is reached within a connected network. The block also has a glass gauge on its side which visually displays the current fuel level of a connected network.
The new Booster block has a small fuel reservoir that stores 1 fuel. By default, the block expends 1 fuel for every second it’s activated but increasing the block's thrust also increases the rate of fuel consumption. The block can also be configured to start with less or no fuel in its reservoir.
The existing Flamethrower block is also compatible with the new fuel system. The Flamethrower uses 1 fuel for each second it’s activated and it contains an internal fuel reservoir capable of storing 10 fuel. This means that the block will continue to function the same way in base game Besiege as it always has, but can have its fuel extended if you have access to The Broken Beyond’s new blocks.
You might also notice that the Flamethrower’s wooden barrel is a similar size to the Small Fuel Barrel and stores the same quantity of fuel.
The Blaster… god it feels good to say that name, BLASTER.
The Blaster is a new weapon block, coming with The Broken Beyond, that fires super heated bursts of fuel that cause damage on impact and have the potential to ignite the target.
The Blaster currently expends 1.25 fuel per shot, but this may need balancing again before or after launch.
This is an extremely powerful block which we’ve added to help you fight in the fast paced, high maneuverability environment that is space!
That’s everything for this week but next week’s post will be all about building for space, where we’ll explain some fundamental design principles of building space machines and dive into some finer details of block design as well.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about the upcoming launch on June 22nd! Please consider wishlisting to get notified of the release, it really helps us out.
Cheers everyone,
Von
Previous Development Posts
Post 1 - Simulating Planets & Gravity
Post 2 - Simulating Atmospheres and Trajectory Prediction
Post 3 - Space Blocks