Howdy, Exofarmers!

Do you like trying new things? Do you enjoy seeing weird bugs? Well have we got just the thing for you! We’re rolling out our next update later this year, and we want your input!

We will be holding a beta test for the next update, where you will be able to try out new features and content. This helps us squash bugs and fine-tune the experience!

What’s in the beta test?

This beta test introduces a bunch of cool new stuff, some of which you might have seen in our sneak peeks!

Mech Hauling & Large Objects

Your mech can now pick up, carry, and throw Logs and Boulders. These are dropped from Large Trees and Large Stones. Carry them back home and process them in the new Sawmill and Rock Crusher to get extra resources compared to cutting them down in the wild! 

Wagons

You can now craft and spawn Wagons using the Fabricator Platform. Wagons can be attached to the Mech and will greatly expand your inventory capacity.

There are two different Wagons: 

• Storage Wagon - Works like a portable storage Construct. Carry up to 1000 extra units of weight!

• Large Object Wagon - Allows you store and haul additional Large Objects.

Multiple wagons can be connected to each other, but beware! The more Wagons you have connected, the heavier they will be to pull.

Wagons aren’t the best at off-roading and will be disconnected from the Mech if they get stuck, so you may want to build some roads to increase their efficiency. Speaking of roads…

Highways

Dirt paths not quite cutting it? Take the next step and build a highway instead! Cross the map in style on these versatile roads that grant a speed bonus and allow Wagons to move quickly. Highways are built using the Build Menu, under the “Essentials” category.

Constructs, Mod Chips, Milestones

This update adds a new Milestone, Milestone 11, and we have made some changes to existing Milestone progression. Here's all the new stuff you'll find spread throughout the game:

New Constructs

• Oil Mixer - Create more potent oils by mixing them

• Highway

  • Highway End

  • Highway With Railing

• Fabricator Platform - Craft Wagons to expand your ability to transport resources 

• Sawmill - Cuts Logs into resources, yields more than doing it by hand

• Rock Crusher - Crushes Large Rocks into resources, yields more than doing it by hand

• Mineral Extractor - Extracts breakable minerals from the ground. Must be built near natural deposits

• Drone Station II - Drones from this station will water 4 plots at the same time

• Oil Presser II

• Grinder II

• Furnace II

New Mod Chips

• Water Surfing 

• Tractor Mode Movement Speed Lv. 2

• Transform Mode Width Lv. 2

• Transform Mode Active Speed Lv. 2

• All Transform Mode Movement Speed Lv. 2

• Trailblazer Mode Mk. 2

• Trailblazer Boost Charges Lv. 2

• Trailblazer Boost Recharge Rate Lv. 2

• All Armor Up Lv. 2

• Armor Up Lv. 3

• Carry Capacity Lv. 3

• Spike Saw Punch Damage Lv. 3

• Spike Saw Sweeping Strike Damage Lv. 3

• Sprint Speed Lv. 3

• Water Efficiency Lv. 3

• Water Tank Capacity Lv. 3

• Lock-on Targets Lv. 3

New items

• Concrete - Crafted in Assembler, used for building concrete Constructs

When does the beta test start?

The beta test will be open from today, 8 October, and will run until the next update releases (TBA!). 

Our intention is that the end of the beta test will transition into the release of the next update so you can keep right on playing. This includes converting your beta branch save files back to the main branch. 

We’re trying something new with this type of release, so we appreciate your understanding and patience as we deal with any bugs or issues that may occur during this process.

How do I participate in the beta test?

You can participate in the beta test by playing on the “beta” branch on Steam.

To play on the “beta” branch, do this: 

• Right-click on Lightyear Frontier in your Steam library, then click "Properties"

• Go to the "Betas" tab

• Select “beta” in the dropdown menu of “Select the beta you would like to opt into:”

• Close the Properties window

And you're done! You may have to restart Steam to download the new build.

If you want to switch back to the normal version of the game, select “None” in the dropdown menu of “Select the beta you would like to opt into:”. 

Participating in the beta test requires owning Lightyear Frontier on Steam.

Should I participate in the beta test?

If the following applies to you: 

• You like to try new things, including things that are not explained 

• You enjoy experiencing weird glitches

• You want to help improve Lightyear Frontier and can give healthy and constructive feedback

• You looove finding and reporting bugs, ideally with clear steps on how to reproduce them

• You are not scared of crashes or lost progress

Then you should join the beta! If not, you should stick to the main branch and wait until each update is done.

You will be interacting with unfinished, work-in progress features and content. You may encounter errors and bugs and the game may crash. Only join if you are okay with this.

What about my save files?

You will be able to use your existing save files on the beta branch. Our intention is for them to carry over to the main branch once the new update is officially released.

We strongly recommend making copies of any save files you want to use on the beta branch. If you do not, you run the risk of save file incompatibility, loss of progress, loss of access until the update release, and other unfun stuff.

Warning: If you load a save file on the beta branch, you will not be able to play on that save file again on the main branch until the update comes out. DO NOT play on the beta branch if you are not okay with this. 

Since you will be interacting with unfinished features in the beta branch, we can’t guarantee the integrity of your save files.

How do I copy my save files?

In the Select Saved Game menu, hover over a save file and press F on keyboard or Y on controller (default bindings) to create either a Standard or Shared copy of that save file.

Should I make a new save file for the beta?

You don’t have to - we design updates to be compatible with and build on top of existing saves. With that said, we may make changes to things like the early-game experience and milestone progression, so playing from the start might give you a more natural experience.

Playing on a new save file (or a copy of an existing save file) is a good idea if you are scared of losing access to or progress on your existing save files.

What about Shared saves?

Shared saves will still work on the beta branch. However, to play on a Shared save, all players will have to be on the same branch - you can’t have one player on the beta branch and one on the main branch, for example. 

If a player starts a Shared save file on the beta branch, that save file will be converted into a beta branch save file from then on. It will continue being a beta save file until the beta is over and the update is released, where it will be converted back into a normal main branch save file. We can’t guarantee that things won’t go wrong, so make sure you have copies!

Where can I give feedback and report bugs?

We have a channel dedicated to beta branch feedback, bug reports, and discussion on our Discord server.

We have also made a subforum for it on Steam. 

As always, you can also use the in-game feedback tool by pressing “Give feedback” in the pause menu to share your thoughts and report bugs. 

Please keep discussion about the beta branch limited to the places mentioned above. We reserve the right to remove posts related to the beta branch that are posted in the wrong places.

Is the beta available on Xbox? Can I play it with crossplay?

No. We are only able to offer the beta branch of the game on Steam, meaning it will not be available on Xbox platforms and crossplay will not work.

Will the beta be localized in my language?

The beta will only be available in English. We want to get this beta into the hands of y’all as early as possible, so it has not yet had the time to go through the translation and localization process. This means that any new features and content will only be available in English (older content will still be localized). Rest assured, it will be localized for the full release later this year!