Oxygen Not Included February 2024 Roadmap

[JarrettM]

Hi everyone, 

It's time for the 2024 roadmap! We've been having lots of conversations behind the scenes, and have some big news to share: 

We're back to work on content-focused DLCs! 

There are tons of great things we want to add to the ONI universe, and they're getting too big to squeeze into free updates. 

Wait, What? 

When we were originally considering making more DLCs back in early 2022, we had just come off a three-year-long haul on Spaced Out!, and our ideas for future DLCs were all on a similar scale. Trying to make them work for both the base game and Spaced Out! was daunting. 

But over the past year, DLC ideas just kept coming—many of them focused on content that would be a more natural fit with the base game, Spaced Out! DLC, and each other. 

So after a year of smaller free updates, we're switching back to paid DLCs that'll allow us to take our derpy little colonists into wild new uncharted corners of time and space.  

Our plans for these modular DLCs center around new asteroids packed with new biomes, critters, plants, buildings, elements, lore and blueprints (aka cosmetic skins).  

At some point, we may make systems changes. If that happens, those changes will likely be added (for free) to any existing versions of the game that you may own. 

What's Next?

We haven't nailed down an exact schedule, but we do know that it won't involve multi-year waiting periods between DLCs! 

In fact, we're planning to release the first one this year. Perhaps featuring a chilly new starting asteroid...

We'll keep releasing free quality of life updates, fixing bugs and improving performance. 

We're also continuing to build out the blueprints system, creating more opportunities for colony customization. You'll be able to earn blueprints through gameplay, and we expect to include new collections in DLC as well. 

TL;DR

Our plan for this next chapter is to switch from occasional smaller free updates to content-focused paid DLCs. We're still doing free QoL updates. 

We know it's a big pivot! This year's ONI adventure promises to be a particularly exciting one. 

Thank you all for your ongoing support—it means the cosmos to us. 

See you at the next DLC! 

FAQ

Why the change from free updates back to paid DLCs?
DLCs were always the better choice for expanding the ONI universe, but we just didn't think we could do it. Now that we have new ideas that play nicely with existing versions of the game and lend themselves well to mixing and matching later on...we're making it happen! 

Will these new DLCs work with both the base game and Spaced Out?
Yup!

What kind of DLCs are coming? 
Lots of new content: New starting asteroids, biomes, critters, plants, buildings, elements, lore and blueprints (aka cosmetic skins). We expect that each DLC will contain all of these things, but that may change depending on demand or scheduling concerns. No big plans for systems changes right now.

How much will these DLCs cost? 
The plan is to have them cost less than the Spaced Out! DLC. We’ll have more details as we get closer to release. 

How often will we get new DLCs?
The first one is scheduled to come out this year, and the turnaround time between DLCs will be (much, much) shorter than it was for Spaced Out! 

What's happening to blueprints (aka cosmetic skins)?
We expect that DLCs will include new blueprints, but blueprints already in the game will be attainable through gameplay. 

Are you still doing free QoL updates?
Yes! We're still figuring out the scale and scope for these, but we have lots of performance improvements and bug fixes on our To Do list. 
 

 

 

 

 

[pether]

That sounds cool! Really nice surprise, most welcome one Can't wait for the next DLC!

[SmashRookie]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! TAKE MY MONEY KLEI!!!!

[Charletrom]

Will there be a way to buy blueprints/spools directly or will they only ever be bundled with dlc?

[Primalflower]

that's really exciting! I wonder what ideas you all have in mind, and perhaps how it ties into the ongoing story we have already.

[GScully]

Hopefully some more performance updates, I'm on cycle 1500 and the game is very sluggish, had to turn saves to every 20 cycles as they take forever.

I'm looking forward to the new dlc's they could add some life to the game.

[ALCRD]

Am i only one dissapointed that Klei flatout LIED about no more dlcs just content updates? Aswell as teased the DST like free skin drop system - and now it's like "we gonna make content updates with things like new asteroids that gonna be paid dlcs!! And new skins are also gonna be in those paid dlcs from now on! And our first content update this year is gonna be one of those paid DLCs instead yay!"

Did i understand this right? This feels like a early not funny Aprils fool joke.

Guess Tencent finally managed to corrupt this company aswell.

Well that ruined my day...

Edited February 29 by ALCRD

[Primalflower]

16 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

Did i understand this right? This feels like a early not funny Aprils fool joke.

the way i'm understanding it is just that the scope of the things they want to add are things that would fit better as modular DLCs rather than free expansions that periodically get added upon. I'm noticing that most any update the past many months has been almost entirely self contained content that works within itself, unlike, for example, the update chains found in DST that iterate on eachother. This is probably just, the more sustainable model that allows them to add significantly more impactful content. I don't think it's anything to be worried about, honestly.

[ALCRD]

8 minutes ago, Primalflower said:

the way i'm understanding it is just that the scope of the things they want to add are things that would fit better as modular DLCs rather than free expansions that periodically get added upon. I'm noticing that most any update the past many months has been almost entirely self contained content that works within itself, unlike, for example, the update chains found in DST that iterate on eachother. This is probably just, the more sustainable model that allows them to add significantly more impactful content. I don't think it's anything to be worried about, honestly.

I do not trust this company anymore or that these DLCs are somehow gonna be so big and ellaborate to the point of requiring being spammed as paid DLCs

And i am now worried they might pull off a stunt like this for DST aswell.

Hopefully I'm wrong but doubt it i seen trusted game studios fall before. Especially ones associated with Tencent. Was hoping Klei would be different. Now i have serious doubts they keep changing their tune.

Also less important but still worth pointing out - what was the point of designing the skin drop system they implemented if all new skins will now be only available from these paid content DLCs?

Edited February 29 by ALCRD

[Primalflower]

6 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

I do not trust this company anymore or that these DLCs are somehow gonna be so big and ellaborate to the point of requiring being spammed as paid DLCs

why don't you trust them if they haven't let you down yet? this is all hypothetical, you're only interpreting words, rather than seeing them actually play out. klei hasn't made a dlc too big yet.

7 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

what was the point of designing the skin drop system they implemented if all new skins will now be only available from these paid content DLCs?

that isn't what they said. they just mentioned that they would be making new skins alongside the dlcs, if DST is once again any indicator, i think they're just referring to giving new buildings they add skins, alongside giving skins to existing, old, non-dlc buildings.

[Gadd]

OMG THIS MADE MY DAY! Thank you so much for continuing your work on this amazing game <3

[ALCRD]

1 minute ago, Primalflower said:

why don't you trust them if they haven't let you down yet?

Lying about DLCs and then doing a complete 180 about their statement does count as letting me down. Plus from my experience with other game studios if they start to dlc spam in their games that is usually a very bad sign.

I don't trust game companies that pump out "content" in bajilions of dlcs after saying they gonna just keep adding content in updates.

Okay i get it they want to be paid BUT i god damn hate that dlc spam model with passion. It's almost always done wrong in worst ways possible. Both for AAA and Indie studios alike.

4 minutes ago, Primalflower said:

that isn't what they said. they just mentioned that they would be making new skins alongside the dlcs, if DST is once again any indicator, i think they're just referring to giving new buildings they add skins, alongside giving skins to existing, old, non-dlc buildings.

And no mention that these skins will be droppable/weavable for free like in DST and like this system supposed to work. And the way they highlighted that old skins already in the game will be "still obtainable for free" kind of sounds like an indicator that new ones won't be.

[FoldableHuman]

41 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

Klei flatout LIED about no more dlcs just content updates?

It's not really a lie when the statement you're referring to said they might revisit DLC as a structure if they came up with ideas that would justify being paid products and wouldn't break the base game or Spaced Out or create a situation where you'd need a whole chain of DLC to play new additions. They're saying now that after some time working on just the micro-updates they've come up with a bunch of those ideas.

New asteroids are a much bigger scope than the micro-updates, but smaller than Spaced Out and have the flexibility of being compatible with both game modes. Sounds fine to me.

[Primalflower]

4 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

Lying about DLCs and then doing a complete 180 about their statement does count as letting me down.

they never... lied, each time they've changed direction on this they've stated it clear as day lol

[ALCRD]

3 minutes ago, Primalflower said:

they never... lied, each time they've changed direction on this they've stated it clear as day lol

Clear as mud more like

Sorry i get it you both try to calm my worries but i am not trusting this company anymore. Not after this recent bombshell of a statement that is a complete 180 to what their said previously.

Edited February 29 by ALCRD

[Primalflower]

Just now, ALCRD said:

Clear as mud more like

they... stated it, with text, that if you're on the forums now you have access to. Look friend I understand the urge to just be as anti-establishment as possible but I think there is reasonable cause to take this update in very good faith lol

[ALCRD]

19 minutes ago, FoldableHuman said:

New asteroids are a much bigger scope than the micro-updates

Yet they kept adding few new Asteroids in free updates..

*sigh* 

I am done discussing this.

Lost the mood for this now. Refer to what i said in the edit of my previous post.

Edited February 29 by ALCRD

[Charletrom]

6 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

Clear as mud more like

Sorry i get it you both try to calm my worries but i am not trusting this company anymore. Not after this recent bombshell of a statement that is a complete 180 to what their said previously.

Big overreaction. Personally, I have full confidence that they will deliver good value with these DLCs. When have they not? We got SO much free stuff in 2023.

[Henlikuoth]

I am ok with this roadmap.

It's okay for me to pay for those DLCs as long as the general development of ONI continues.

Overall, the free content updates of the last year were convenient and improved the game in smaller but steady ways.

I am particularly excited to learn more about the mentioned "frosty" asteroid. I had wanted something like that for longer already.

I hope Klei will manage to release two DLCs per year. 

[PedroS123]

Excited for moving back to DLC format. While Story traits were interesting they were too small to actually significantly change gameplay. As I hope for some endgame expansion, DLC makes those more probable.

Also glad to hear performance improvements are still on the plan separately from DLC since they are still needed specially if we are adding new Asteroids.

[FoldableHuman]

16 minutes ago, ALCRD said:

Yet they kept adding few new Asteroids in free updates..

They haven't added a new asteroid since SO early access and haven't added a new biome since the start of SO early access.

[Sasza22]

2 hours ago, ALCRD said:

LIED

Well i guess...

It`s been a while since they decided against dlcs. Now it seems they changed their minds. One might say they lied. Another will say they realised it was a mistake. Lets get into what that change means:

No dlc would mean they are focusing on QoL and cosmetic and the game is going the live service route. I`m not a fan of that approach personally and many live service game s are struggling right now. DST is doing good but you could say it`s kinda stagnant since it`s getting mostly skins PoIs and end game content; kinda like ONI for the past year.

New dlcs would mean a large shakeup of the current game. New biomes and critters - that`s a real gamechanger. Now they could`ve just added those to the current game but this might have turned the resource balance upside down and upset many people. Keeping it separate makes sense. Now the elephant in the room: it costs money. Well many of us are willing to pay for new content as people were asking for a way to buy in game skins for a while. Now locking skins behind dlc seems to be the controversial thing. I guess this is what we should talk about.

Lets say some skins will be exclusive to the dlc, maybe themed or for dlc only structures. I think it would still be ok if they released some of them availalbe for all via QoL patches.

Anyway i think the change to dlc promises more content than we would get without so i`m optimistic about it.

[nets]

Changing your mind is perfectly fine! Getting paid for what you do, is also perfectly fine. I bought the Spaced Out! DLC long before i had any intention of playing it (i was on a Factorio Space Exploration binge, if i recall), and it has turned into the kind of challenge i like. Partitioned domains, interdomain communication and logistics etc. Can't wait to see what you come up with next.

[WeSaidMeh]

I'm in for that! No matter what was previously said, I like the roadmap. Free content updates are nice, but have relatively little impact on gameplay. Spaced Out was a blast and significantly added onto the game with entirely new mechanics.

I got thousands of hours out of this game, and more out of the DLC, and I'll gladly buy more DLC to add more.

[Sergadra]

So DLC make a comeback. Aint that bad i just hoped to support klei via Cosmetic Skin Model.

Yet. I look at it positive. New Elements, Biomes and Critters are a nice start. Maybe brings some more flavour. I am quiet sure QOL will continue. We will see new Buildings in the DLCs but probably normal too. Maybe the Team gets enlarged. Some elements felt empty. Sometimes i miss Variation on Buildings where you can craft stuff.

I am not sure why new Gameplay Systems arent added. It felt like that was once a large Plan. Yet this could be due to the Performance issues that are still ongoing. To be honest if they would be Tile Based i can see the a large issue. You would add another Chunk of Complex Math that would destroy Performance even more.

Yet i would like to see Pressure added to pipes and Vents. That could be intressting. It still would involve math, but it could replace the old System. And its not every Tile...