Check out what we have in store for you, sneak peeks of the hot update, and some frequently asked questions. If you hang on tight until the end, you will find out about our juicy pre-patch event with a new mech skin! ????
Without further ado, let's get down to the brass tacks and dive into the Shifting Gears Update you all have been waiting for!
A WORD FROM US????
Since we started, we've had the privilege of watching our game grow together with our amazing community. As we've listened closely to your feedback, it's been clear that we were not living up to the fantasy that Lightyear Frontier promised.
Although many players praised the lush nature of the game world, you also found it to be small and limiting, missing viable options for where you could build a farm. Many of you quickly explored the entire map and were left wanting more. We also saw that you enjoyed making huge farms, but the world didn't support that, and there was no reason to farm a lot of crops.
In the Shifting Gears update, we have created a huge new world, allowing space for large-scale farming. In addition to supporting the large-scale farmers' dreams, we’ve reworked the main progression system for higher emphasis on farming. The new system involves sending large deliveries of crops to other planets, which will reward you for your contribution.
To make the world a little more challenging and create exciting moments during traversal, we've added hazards, such as tornadoes, which can damage your mech, so you will have to be a bit more alert while exploring. Adding some challenge to the game can be scary, especially for the part of our community who enjoy and thrive more in cozy peaceful gameplay. But don't worry, we hear you! That's why we’ve added the option for you to turn off damage in the settings!
We have been fairly silent these past six months, which understandably made you wonder what's happening with the game. To address the community feedback, we needed to change several core parts of the experience, and unfortunately, we couldn't do them in individual updates. Since the changes are all interconnected, we had to do everything in one big update. In the future, we want to invite you earlier on to test and discuss WIP experimental stuff, and not leave you in the dark. We are committed to this journey to continue improving the game with you, and all feedback we get will go into our decisions on what we focus on next, so don't hesitate to let us know what you think!
Thank you again for staying on this journey and growing with us, and let's get to the more fun stuff: the Shifting Gears Update sneak peek! ????
SHIFTING GEARS UPDATE SNEAK PEEK????
We packed this update full of changes to aim and make the world feel more alive and rewarding! Here's a quick look at some of what's coming: BIGGER WORLD & CHANGED NARRATIVE????????️
- HUGE new map ready for you to explore - Where will you settle your homestead?
- Discover and use new materials, crafting recipes, and buildings - it's time to craft a Watering Drone Station!
- New hazards in the world - watch out or you might get swept away! ????️
- Investigate and unravel the planet's ancient past and get rewarded for your progress!
YOUR MECH & EXOFARMER????????????
- A bigger plow for plowing some HUGE fields!
- Standing in water with your mech will fill up your water tank!
- Get ready for an even more powerful Irrigation Hose - with a satisfying shotgun-style blast covering fields broader and quicker! ????
- Your mech is hungry for fuel to operate! Farm, produce, and explore the best oils to fuel the engine!
- Deliver crops to remote colonies in need with the Delivery Canon and achieve delivery milestones to unlock new buildings and mech upgrades!
- Choose from a wide range of new customizable colors for your mech in the Upgrade Depot. ????
- Use the new mod chip system to upgrade and specialize your mech's abilities!
- Add mod chips to parts to enhance and specialize your mech to be stronger at farming, traveling, or gathering resources.
- Customize your mech as you progress and unlock stronger parts!
- Using the Appearance system, you will make the mech feel like yours, you can have the functionality that you want, and pair it with your favorite look!
- Easily save and switch between mech configurations with loadouts.
- Farm and pick up resources to your inventory with your exofarmer!????????Use the following tools to farm by hand:
- Hoe
- Watering Can
- Seed Bag
- Use the Repair Tool to take care of the health of your trusty mech, and it will protect you on your adventures!
FARMING & HOMESTEAD????????
- Our most requested feature - DRONE WATERING AUTOMATION IS HERE!
- Soil matters! Channel your inner farming mastermind and rotate crops for maximized yield, much like real-life farming.
- Different pets produce different types of "droppings"???? you can make into fertilizer. This was our artist’s most enjoyable work to date.
- Cheat and use fertilizer instead of rotating crops to change the soil type and get the yield you were aiming for!
- Create your safe haven with the home area Farm Center barrier - your sanctuary to farm, relax, and gain beneficial buffs.
- Build the homestead of your dreams - Or why not a gigantic warehouse? (Thank you More Than 8 Rats, Goob, and Yeyo, for your Home Sweet Homestead event contribution; the whole team is OBSESSED with your creation!)
That concludes the steaming hot, freshly produced, mech-tastic goodness overview of some of MANY cool things to expect in the update, and we can't wait for you to experience it firsthand!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will hazards damage my homestead?
A: Your homestead is always safe from hazards with the help of the Farm Center barrier. We based this decision on earlier feedback, making your homestead a relaxing place to be, and wanted to make sure you have a calm space to return to after your adventures.
Q: Is there a peaceful mode to avoid hazards?
A: Almost! Although there is no way to turn off hazards, you can still disable damage on both your exofarmer and your mech in the settings. This way, you can enjoy the game more peacefully for those who prefer a more cozy experience. If there is a strong interest in avoiding hazards altogether from the community, we may look into further options to customize your experience.
Q: What about PIP-3R?
A: Our initial plan, based on the feedback and data we've gotten about PIP-3R, was to remove their presence from the Shifting Gears update. However, thanks to the community showing love and sadness over the missing companion, we've included the possibility to switch on PIP-3R's chatter in the settings menu.
Q: What happens to my old Legacy save files?
A: As this update has a completely new map and many systems rebuilt, you will have to use a new save file to start a new game. However, if you play on Steam, you can enable the Lightyear Frontier Legacy branch to access your previous saves after the Shifting Gears Update. We have no plans to update or maintain this branch as our focus will be on the newer and bigger world. The Legacy branch will stay available for now, but may be removed in the future.
PRE-PATCH EVENT MAY 28TH????
Journey To The New World
Prepare for the Shifting Gears update by building the spaceship that will take you to your new planet and adventure - and get a new skin for your mech!
On May 28th, you will get access to a blueprint for a spaceship in preparation for your new chapter in the Shifting Gears update! As a reward for crafting the spaceship, you will also receive a new mech skin to use both in the Legacy branch and the Shifting Gears update!
The event ends the day before the big update - June 3rd!
And! While our event is scheduled to end when the summer update launches, Steam players will still be able to access and enjoy the contents of this event via the Legacy branch even after the official timeframe has ended.
Good luck on your new journey Exofarmers, and see you soon!????✨
//The FRAME BREAK team
