Ziggy587 wrote:Any one hear about the new update dubbed "Next" that was just released? It looks like it adds a shit ton to the game. I haven't read all the details yet, but it looks like it adds some really interesting things. I read that multiplayer is delayed from the GOG version, but I was like, "Wait, say what? MULTIPLAYER?" Yeah, apparently you can team up and explore the galaxy now.
It not only adds a ton of stuff, it completely changes how you play on a very basic level. All of the resources have been changed, condensed and reworked to be streamlined and feel useful to the player. How you harvest said materials has completely changed, requiring you to use tools you never had or could ignore. Even the rare materials are presented in new, diverse and even dangerous ways.
Your scan visor is completely changed, offering a more diverse view of what you can do and offers up a bevy of activities and collectibles that you can find that were not available in the older versions.
The game offers up a third person perspective option on the ground and in the skies as well as a character customization.
The landscape has completely changed, with math that offers up a more fantastical landscape that feels real with enormous cave structures, rivers and underground lakes, enormous mountains and more creative features that go beyond odd looking sine waves. The visuals themselves have been improved with better ship detail, animations and creatures.
The creatures themselves have been improved with better AI and behaviors. Creatures can now run in packs, eat other species (whereas in the previous version they would just kill a species) and they also have better diverse visuals and sound design.
Base building is no longer restrained to a specific plot of land. You have unlimited build range, the ability to make multiple bases and place bases down anywhere in the universe. These bases, when uploaded are permanent fixtures to the world for all players online.
They added 100s of new building pieces new building materials and a complete visual overhaul of everything, not to mention a more natural, exploration based way to unlock all of the building parts that doesnt seem grind-eye or forced. You actively want and enjoy finding what you need.
The completely changed your technology upgrades not only in what they do, but how you acquire them, how you craft them and how you install them. They offer the quick and easy way of straight up buying upgrades or offer them as rewards by exploring the universe, doing missions or repairing damaged tech found on planets.
These tech upgrades also feel substantial to the player once you install them and motivate you to collect and install them whereas before you could easily go through the game with zero upgrades.
There are more diverse star systems, with ringed planets now and the visual aspects of the planets themselves have improved dramatically. I can not spoil how... you just have to sew, but I can assure you that it looks and feels vastly different from the older iterations.
Another huge change involves freighters. Buying or earning a freighter allows you to recruit a fleet of capital ships which you can send on interstellar missions. Your freighter is also fully customizable internally with a slew of building options inside. Not only that, the freighter offers multiplayer missions that are much more difficult but offer huge rewards.
The big thing everyone is talking about is multiplayer. You can team up with up to 3 other friends (or matchmake with randoms) to explore and build together. You keep everything you collect when doing this and they migrate your quests to the star system you join so that you can continue your progress with no hassle. You simple join a friend and enter their system and can freely explore the entire universe together. There is no cutting back on features in multiplayer. Everything in single player is in multiplayer. Any other players you meet outside of the 4 man team are still the shining orbs that you can talk to but not interact with.
I could go on forever, but every item in the game, new and old has ben reworked yo make you want to use it and doesnt feel like a slog. The progression is more sensical and better thought out and feels natural.
It went from a great game during the Atlas Rises update to a spectacular game with Next.
