For the past couple of months I’ve been working hard on 1.8.0. The new version sports, among other things, a completely redesigned buoyancy subsystem, which provides for more realistic sinking; see https://gabrielegiuseppini.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/a-physics-puzzle/ for details on what has changed in the buoyancy simulation.

The new version also supports multi-layer ships. With this feature, you can now specify structure, electrical characteristics, and ropes using separate image files, so that you don’t have to pollute anymore your structure with electrical materials that tend to weaken the strength of your ship. The ability to specify electrical elements in a separate image file will become even more useful when subsequent releases will add the new electrical elements I’ve been planning to add for a while; I’m only going to mention switches now, but many more surprises are in store!

Last but not the least, 1.8.0 gave wind its rightful place among the realistically-simulated world features. Prior to 1.8.0 wind was only dictating speed of clouds and waves, thus being almost exclusively an eye-candy for the game. Starting with 1.8.0, wind transfers momentum to cloth and ropes, making sailboats move (slowly) and ripping sails apart with strong gusts. Here’s a small preview of wind blowing sails:

And these are not all the new things in the new release! Have some patience while I’m completing the last development tasks and the Floating Sandbox testers ensure there are no nasty surprises with the release. We’re almost there.