Read through the FAQ. While the changelog below will give you a rough overview of the features, the FAQ contains all important info about the new features in a question-answer style: http://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-6-0-experimental-faq.10344/

Play the game and if there is any open gameplay questions left (“How do i use…?”), please use the FAQ-question thread over here and add your question. We’ll answer and add it to the FAQ (if not answered yet): http://empyriononline.com/threads/alpha-6-0-experimental-gameplay-questions.10345/

After having played the experimental version and if you want to give feedback about a specific feature, like O2 rooms, temperature etc, please do NOT discuss this in this patch announcement, but use one of the following feature-dedicated threads to help us track any related feedback. This is key to successfully track your feedback on the different main-features, as otherwise your suggestions/remarks might get lost in a slew of mixed conversations: http://empyriononline.com/forums/experimental-features-discussion.35/

If you run into any issue, please - as always - report it in our bug thread: http://empyriononline.com/threads/bug-reports-alpha-experimental-6-0.10352/

Hi Galactic Survivalists!Welcome to our first Experimental 6.0 release! We have teased you for some days - now it is your turn! ;-)In contrast to earlier experimental releases where we released the first experimental version almost feature complete and quite stable, we decided to have a different approach this time: Given the fact that we integrated many new features, feature changes and game changers, we seek your feedback already at a very early state of the Alpha 6.0 development cycle. Thus, we released a very rough and literally “experimental” first version. Nearly all of the features are still Work-In-Progress! So please switch to the experimental branch only if you are willing to accept bugs, issues and un-balanced features.Due to this work-in-progress status of the current experimental release and because of the multitude of new features, feature changes and game changers, we’d like to suggest a different testing and feedback approach for this experimental cycle:We are planning to have around three major (weekly) Experimental releases before Alpha 6.0 will be pushed to the public branch. Thus, this Experimental phase will run longer than usual, as we want to catch as much of your appreciated feedback to make the new features an awesome Alpha 6.0 experienceFinal note: while your Alpha 5.5 save games are compatible in the Experimental 6.0 version, we recommend to start a new game to experience all the new features we added. Moreover, we reserve the right to break save games during the Experimental 6.0 phase but will ensure that your Alpha 5.5 will be compatible in the public Alpha 6.0 release.The Oxygen System allows to create pressurized environments which will allow you to take off your helmet and drop off your heavy player armor without having to care about the possibility of suffocating in your own base or vessel. Pressurized rooms also have a lower O2-consumption than wearing your suit with helmet on.These are the force fields that prevent rooms from decompressing:All playfields now have a dedicated temperature and some also have radiation. Temperature and radiation have a direct effect on your health - if you are not protected well (enough). On planets, temperature depends on where you are and the time of day.- Added radiation pills- Added temperature increase / decrease to food- Added radiation reduction to some food- Promethium and Erestrum are now radioactive- Added radiation and temperature to blocks and devices (eg Warp Drive, Generators, Thrusters, etc)- Added console commands “give” to change health / stamina / food / temperature / radiation. Example: give food 100, give temp -10Player armor not only replaces the old suit-system, but also adds slot-based configuration by offering boosters for certain task (they have up and downsides, of course).- You can choose between: Light Armor, Medium Armor and Heavy Armor- Armor has different parameters / characteristics that affect player stats (e.g. armor value, speed modifier, stamina modifier etc)- Armor console command for equip, repair, set slots, display armor details -> cmd: "armor"- Added armor upgrade (booster) system- Added Armor Locker -> you can now change your armor only in locker (however, you can still change it via console cmd)- Implemented first version of a signaling system where structure devices can send and / or receive signals to control device-specific functions- Current triggers / sensors: Trap door, Trigger plate, Light barrier, Motion sensor, LeverBasic mechanism: instances (playfields) that temporarily open to players and in which they can fulfill missions (accessible via portals) - changes on the instanced playfield will not be saved, i.e., you can re-do instances several times.- Added first Version of New HUD. We did not yet finish all windows. Let us know what you think.- Added planetary AI aliens vessels to several playfields - we used modified workshop items from Desus, Ranger, Sorcery, Jenniphurr, Arturius1967, McFluffFace, Pyston and Waired- It is now possible to have NPCs in space (e.g. Zirax in orbital base - see alien base in Omicron Orbit)- Troop Transport will now be replaced if destroyed- Reduced HP of Troop Transport to make it easier to destroy + increased content per Troop Transport- Added different versions of Zirax: laser weapon, shotgun and rocket launcher- NPC spawners can now spawn different NPCs. E.g "ZiraxMale, Crawler, Hexapod"- NPC spawners now only spawn when active and right core is set.- Added ranged attack of spider 3 (slime attack - WIP)- Implemented durability for some higher tier weapons and each repair reduces max durability- Added special craft item for higher tier weapons that can only be found in loot- Added possibility to integrate custom Scenarios. Thus, you are now able to design your own Solar System!-> Just check out the "Empyrion\Content\Scenarios" folder to see how we setup "Example1" and "Invader vs Defender" scenarios- Added possibility to set start armor in playfield.yaml.- Added possibility to set start items in playfield.yaml (e.g. see Scenarios/Example1 "Ice" playfield.yaml under “FixedPlayerStart”)- Added possibility to set start setting (Escape Pod or in Base) in playfield.yaml: e.g. on Aclite (Scenarios/Example1) you start on platform with portal to instance playfield- Added new nebula to all space playfields- Adjusted POI positioning so POIs are less buried- Using same ground texture for random POI as surrounding area (so they do not stick out that much anymore)- Added force field to hangar doors, shutter doors and normal doors if they are airtight- Added new icons for Radial menu and Status Effects (thanks to GreenCard)- Clouds on planets starts now at 300m (instead of 250m)- Added better textures to holographic screens- More reflection on sniper scopes.- Added more layers of snow to Ningues- Updated cobalt ore icon- Ventilator block- Furnace- Armor Locker- Repair Station- Portal, Teleporter and Player Spawner- New interior door for SV- New T1 assault rifle- O2 + Fuel is now in a virtual "single tank" (similar to ATM)- Added more status effects to deco blocks: bed, sofa, shower, toilet etc.- Added new status effect "broken leg" when falling on ground from high altitudes- Added speed reduction to more status effects (eg Freezing, Radiation, etc)- Medic station uses F for healing (you don't have to enter medic station anymore)- Text "Press F to use X" is now shown for all devices that trigger a status effect (eg shower, toilet, bed, etc)- Increased max level from 20 to 25 and max experience from 250k to 500k- Increased temperature reduction when gaining height- Temp level is now relative to "pole level" and not to 0- Increased default running speed of player- Tweaked status effects: medikits less powerful now- Added new Blueprint Data Dialog when doubling clicking on a Blueprint (to set Group, Name, Y Offset and Flatten checkbox)- Console cmd replaceblocks allows now "empty" as target block to remove blocks: “replaceblocks StructureID BlockName empty”- Tweaked Techtree: devices, items and weapons are now better distributed (up to level 25)- Add console cmd prefabactivate- Enemy turrets can now be switched on/off via triggers / sensors (need to activate all old save gamed turrets manually on first load)- AI will now fire at activated turrets only- Integrated creator id/name into structures- Reworked player disconnect handling- Planet map raw files are not needed any more- Console command 'prefabinfo' now outputting real name of blueprint and if the ground is removed- Blueprint Library shows internal blueprints (referenced in playfield) if not a Survival game- Added Console Cmd "destroyme" as replacement for "Suicide" button in player window- Not showing planets on sky that are too far away and cannot be warped to- TSP-Omicron (also used on Aitis) = Captain Jack II- TSO-Zeyhines = Arturius- TSO-Skillon = Captain Jack II- TSP-Akua (also used on Masperon/Skillon) = Pantera- TSO-Masperon (TradingOutpost, Oscutune, Aitis) = Captain Jack II- TSP-Aestus (also used on Oscutune) = Captain Jack II- Fixed: Exiting the game while having drilled in a hill respawns you atop the hill after resuming the game- Fixed: Logout in underground base results in spawn on the hill (outside)- Fixed: Logging out in an underground base leads to respawn on top of the hill- Fixed: Weapon with beams (eg Multitool, Texturetool, etc) do not glue at old position any more when the beam is moved fast- Fixed: Plants/Trees sometimes regrow in bases and POIs- Fixed: Grass and Trees growing in POI bases / are not removed- Fixed: Alien Honey - Insect sound FX is only playing AFTER looting -> now also for harvested version disabled- Fixed: Avoiding infinite "reposition" tries when an out-of-view entity is repositioned.- Fixed problem that sun was shining through walls in space (increased strength of shadows in space)- Fixed problem with coloring of the mountain sides on Akua- Small fix in SI calculation- Fixed problem with over-smoothness of lab equipment.