Kenshi

Kenshi 2 development updates marked a significant moment in this period, with an announcement detailing ongoing work and a new website for future updates. Additionally, the Kenshi Steam Points Shop received new animated avatars and avatar frames, enhancing player customization options.

• Kenshi 2 Development Update: An announcement was made regarding the progress of Kenshi 2, along with a new website to provide updates.
• Steam Points Shop Items: New animated avatars and avatar frames were added to the Kenshi Steam Points Shop.
• Beep Plush Pre-order: The official Beep Plush became available for pre-order until June 25, 2026.
• Metallic Skeleton Poster: A new metallic print of Sergei Musin's Skeleton Blueprint was introduced on RobaRoba.
• Community Spotlight #20: This release showcased fan art and screenshots contributed by the Kenshi community.

Kenshi introduced a significant Free Camera Mode on April 1, 2024, allowing players to capture unique screenshots and videos, enhancing the game's visual storytelling capabilities. This update also included a new FCS 2.14 that brought features like an undo system and custom themes, alongside a celebration of reaching 2.3 million sales.

• New Features:
  • Free Camera Mode: Added for enhanced screenshot and video capture.
  • FCS 2.14: Introduced an undo system, settings window, and custom themes including dark mode.
  • Animated Avatars: Released animated avatars for purchase in the Steam Points Shop.

• Seasonal Event:
  • KenshiFreeCam Contest: Announced on April 16, players could submit screenshots taken with the new Free Camera Mode for a chance to win a Beak Thing hoodie until April 21.

• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • Regex Search: Players gained advanced searching capabilities in the FCS.
  • Bulk Modification: Allowed for selecting and modifying multiple items collectively.
  • Spell Check Feature: Implemented for multi-line item properties.

• UI/UX Enhancements:
  • Custom Themes: Users could create custom themes and switch to dark mode.
  • Translation Improvements: Added tools for translators, including a lexicon and improved word swap functionality.

• Performance Updates:
  • Item Filtering: Improved performance for item filtering tasks.

The Hive Queen's First Dance launched on April 1, 2023, introducing a new game that combines dating sims with the world of Kenshi, featuring player choices and interactions. This update also brought various content enhancements, including new keyboard layout graphics and the ability for characters to spawn with items in their belt slot.

• New Content:
  • Characters can now spawn with items in their belt slot.
  • A new keyboard layout graphic was introduced for both new and returning players.

• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • A compilation of Tips for New Players was provided, covering building, jobs, healing, and blocking.
  • Default keybinds were added for SteamDeck and controller configurations, making setup easier.
  • Players were prevented from deleting active saves from the save window.

• UI/UX Changes:
  • A messagebox was introduced to inform players of potential save issues.
  • The default font size was changed from 0 to 4 for better readability.

• Seasonal Event:
  • The Midweek Madness Sale offered a 55% discount on Kenshi from June 12 to June 19, 2023.

• Localization Updates:
  • Major improvements were made across multiple languages, including Japanese, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, fixing inconsistencies and enhancing clarity in translations.

Kenshi marked Year 4 since its release with the experimental release of FCS 2.1 on January 31, 2022, enhancing modding capabilities. Significant updates included the initial round of localization for Kenshi 2, which began on June 24, 2022, aiming to improve the game's accessibility in multiple languages.

• New Content:
  • Vampire Outbreak v0.5 Mod launched on October 28, 2022, allowing players to engage in a vampire-themed gameplay experience.
  • Several other mods were released on October 28, including Mist Ghouls, Grievewraiths, and Zombies Horde, adding various new creatures and gameplay elements.
  • The Kenshi Egg Hunt Speedrun Page was created on May 12, 2022, for players to submit their speedrun times.

• Gameplay Changes:
  • The disguise quality was adjusted on December 13, 2021, to be influenced by the player's unmodified stealth skill, correcting previous inconsistencies.

• Seasonal Events:
  • The Kenshi Easter Egg Challenge kicked off on April 14, 2022, encouraging players to find and sell different types of eggs for prizes, with results announced on May 12, 2022.

• Balance Changes:
  • On June 24, 2022, the team shared insights on the lessons learned from Kenshi 1's localization, aiming to improve the process for Kenshi 2.

• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • Numerous enhancements were made in translation mode, including an improved searching feature and the addition of a settings window for application settings on October 17, 2022.

• Performance Improvements:
  • The translation mode's dialogue tree view performance was enhanced on October 17, 2022, leading to a smoother user experience.

Kenshi 2 made significant strides in its development with new unique designs for Hiver sub-races and enhancements to biome blending, showcasing the game's evolving visual identity. Players also saw updates to the Forgotten Construction Set, improving modding capabilities.

• New Content:
  • Kenshi 2 Unique Designs: New designs for Hiver sub-races launched on October 4, 2021.
  • Biome Blending: The development of two adjoining biomes began on February 15, 2021.
  • Defensive Gates: Customizable military-style gates were introduced on February 15, 2021.
  • River Raptor: A reimagined River Raptor with two variants was revealed on May 27, 2021.
  • Official Discord Server: Launched on February 15, 2021, providing a platform for player interaction and updates.
• Balance Change:
  • Stealth Skill Impact: On March 18, 2021, the disguise quality was adjusted to reflect the unmodified stealth skill.

• Modding Improvements:
  • Forgotten Construction Set Updates: Updates were made on May 27, 2021, enhancing functionality and fixing bugs.

• Quality of Life Enhancements:
  • Reference List Speed: Improved filtering speed for reference lists on May 27, 2021.
  • Auto-Complete in Dropdowns: Added functionality for dropdown menus on May 27, 2021.
  • Dialogue Conditions Sorting: Alphabetical sorting for dialogue conditions introduced on May 27, 2021.
  • Periodic Automatic Backups: Automatic backups for user data were added on May 27, 2021.

• Visuals Update:
  • Hiver Design Refinement: New visual distinctions for Hiver designs were revealed on October 4, 2021.

Kenshi celebrated significant development milestones during its second year, notably with updates surrounding Kenshi 2, which included progress on a 'vertical slice' for testing gameplay ideas as well as various modes for furniture placement. The game also reached an impressive 1 million global sales, further funding the ongoing work on its sequel.

• Kenshi 2 Development: The team made strides on key features, including:
  • Narrative Development Insights: Discussed narrative and technical aspects to enhance the sandbox experience.
  • GUI Development: Progress on remaking GUIs using Unreal Engine.
  • New Team Members: Welcomed new contributors, including Christopher Schlesag and Paul Crilley.
• Performance Improvements: Kenshi 2 will leverage multi-threading and Unreal Engine 4's World Composition for better performance, which includes:
  • Improved Pathing: Enhanced pathfinding capabilities using Recast navmesh.
  • LOD Implementation: Better detail management compared to the original game.

• Quality of Life Updates: Players received various enhancements, such as:
  • New Save Game Location Option: Saves can now be stored in the user directory to avoid issues from Windows updates.
  • Improved Bug Reporting Flow: Streamlined process for reporting bugs.

• Localization Enhancements: Significant updates were made, particularly for Korean and Japanese translations, ensuring a better experience for non-English players.

• Modding Support: The Level Editor Version 2 was ported, allowing for terrain editing, and issues related to modded character meshes were addressed.

Kenshi Version 1.0 launched on December 6, 2018, marking a significant milestone after 12 years of development. This update not only introduced the full game but also included Steam Trading Card Support and various new backgrounds and emotes, enhancing player engagement and customization options. Additionally, the team announced a shift in focus towards Kenshi 2, responding to community feedback.

• New Content:
  • Five new backgrounds were added: Dunes, Drifter, Ashlands, Shek, and Beep.
  • Steam Trading Card Support was introduced, featuring five trading cards, five backgrounds, and five emotes.
  • Characters can now spawn with robot limbs as an optional feature.

• Gameplay Changes:
  • A new pathfinding system was implemented with the transition to Unreal Engine, improving navigation and movement.
  • Pet animals now heal at double speed when knocked out, enhancing animal care mechanics.
  • The feeding limit for slaves was adjusted to a maximum of 100 if not in a cage.

• Performance Improvements:
  • The switch to Unreal Engine promised better performance and stability, along with enhanced graphics.
  • A new save logging system was introduced to assist in debugging save/load related issues.

• Seasonal Event:
  • A Halloween Modding Competition was held, encouraging community participation and creativity.

• Balance Changes:
  • Crossbow XP now only increases if the target is within range, addressing an exploit.

• Localization Updates:
  • Simplified Chinese language support was added, improving accessibility for players.