Dev Blog #40
Hello Survivors and welcome to the first dev blog for the New Gen version of Rust Console Edition.
A huge thanks to everyone who joined us in Early Access. We're excited to deliver a smoother, more immersive survival experience on the island!
Here’s what the first New Gen update has in store!
A New Vendor Has Landed at Bandit Camp! The Air Wolf Shop is now open, your go-to spot for air vehicles.
Out front, you’ll find the Air Wolf Vendor, offering helicopters in exchange for Scrap.
You can now purchase a Minicopter from the Air Wolf Vendor at Bandit Camp for 750 scrap. Each one comes pre-loaded with 100 low-grade fuel, with a maximum fuel capacity of 500 and a consumption rate of 30 fuel per minute. If you're not planning to buy one, your only other option is to steal it from another player. Keep an eye on enemy rooftops, but be cautious, there may be traps waiting for you.
Tip: You can refuel mid-flight by accessing the fuel tank in head-look mode.
Minicopters seat two players: a pilot and a passenger. The pilot cannot look around or use weapons, while the passenger is free to use any items. Minicopters have a decay time of 48 hours when stored inside a base and 8 hours when outside. You can repair the Minicopter with metal fragments to fight against the decay.
Minis aren’t a forgiving ride. While they’re more agile than other helicopters, their speed makes precise control tricky. Minis contain 750 HP and even a slight collision can destroy the airframe and possibly kill you. But those who master piloting the Minicopters gain a major tactical advantage over other players.
So jump in, take flight, and sharpen your skills!
Just like the Minicopter, a Scrap transport Heli can be purchased from the Air Wolf Vendor at Bandit Camp for 1,250 scrap and comes pre-loaded with 100 fuel, with a maximum fuel capacity of 500 and a consumption rate of 30 fuel per minute.
Scrap Heli is not limited to 2 players like the Mini. There are 2 seats available for players in the front, but it doesn't use the traditional vehicle seating model at the back. You can simply walk on board and fly off with your clan. You'll have free movement and crouching while it is in flight, similar to movement on the cargo ship. Be wary to not be too close to the edge to avoid falling!
The Scrap Transport Helicopter contains a search light which can be toggled on/off, making it easier to fly at night and spot enemy players.
The Attack Helicopter is the third helicopter available for purchase from the Air Wolf Vendor at Bandit Camp for 2,250 Scrap. Like the Mini, it features two seats, comes pre-loaded with 100 fuel, and has a maximum fuel capacity of 500, consuming fuel at a rate of 30 per minute.
Gunner Seat & Turret System: The front of the helicopter is equipped with a turret, which allows the gunner to install a weapon and ammo of their choice. The gunner seat enables the player to aim and fire this weapon while the pilot handles flight controls.
Missile Launchers (Side Pods): The side pods are equipped with missile launchers that can be loaded with either High Velocity Rockets or Incendiary Rockets. These can be fired by both the gunner and the pilot, adding serious firepower to the aircraft.
Gunner Controls: By interacting with the gunner monitor, the gunner can aim and fire the turret weapon and rockets with precision.
Flares & Countermeasures: Standard flares can be loaded into the rocket storage alongside rockets. These are useful for deflecting homing missiles. Additionally, if the gunner has flares in their inventory belt, they can manually throw them to deflect homing rockets — a tactic that also works with the other two helicopters.
These are the default controls for aerial vehicles, please visit the Controller Layout menu to customize layout and swap special actions.
The Surface to Air Missile Sites, or SAM Sites, can be purchased at the Weapon Shop in Outpost for 500 Scrap and come with 1000 HP. SAM Sites are the most effective way to destroy air vehicles.
Simply deploy the unit, load it with SAM Site Ammunition, and forget about it! Once active, it will automatically target and fire at any player-piloted aircraft flying overhead.
SAM Sites can be destroyed using explosives or fire-based weapons. It's also important to note that several SAM Sites are positioned on the roof of the Launch Site. These can be taken out with projectiles or explosives and will remain inactive for a period of time, allowing you to land safely.
Flying lower than the SAM Sites’ position is the safest method when approaching a base, as SAM Sites only target air vehicles flying directly above them.
The parachute is a craftable item that lets you glide silently and safely from high places, craftable at a Tier 2 Workbench using 2 Tarps, 2 Sewing Kits, and 50 Cloth. Parachutes are compatible with Hazmats and other full-body outfits, and can be stored in lockers with loadout kits.
Once crafted, equip it in the backpack slot, then press Jump while falling to deploy.
Use the left stick to steer: forward to dive, back to slow, and left/right to turn.
You can use weapons mid-air, but steering is disabled until you holster them. Flights end by hitting a surface or pressing the Dismount button. After landing, a used chute drops in front of you, holding the Pickup button will allow you to retrieve it.
Each use reduces condition by 20%. A damaged chute flies slower, falls faster, and may cause fall damage at low condition. Crashing can deal up to 80 HP. SAM Sites and Auto Turrets can target parachutes while in flight.
The Homing Missile Launcher is a new craftable weapon that locks onto flying targets like helicopters.
Craftable at a Tier 2 Workbench with 20 HQM, 3 Metal Pipes, 1 Tech Trash, and 1 CCTV Camera. While crafting 2x Homing Missiles require 2 Metal Pipes, 100 Gunpowder, and 1 Tech Trash.
To use the Launcher, load a Homing Missile, aim at a vehicle, and wait for the lock-on bar to fill.
Maintain aim because reloading, switching weapons, or breaking line of sight will cancel the lock.
Pilots will hear a warning sound when targeted; they can evade by flying behind cover or using flares. Passengers can throw flares manually, while the Attack Helicopter has a built-in flare launcher, and the NPC Patrol Helicopter auto-fires flares when targeted.
The Hot Air Balloon can be purchased from the Air Wolf Vehicle at the Bandit Camp for 150 Scrap and can further be upgraded with armor. This armor upgrade is available at the Vehicle Parts Vendor in the Bandit Camp for 70 Scrap.
To steer, you'll need to find a pocket of air moving in the direction you wish to go and attempt to stay in it by maintaining that altitude. To help you with this, the balloon has a windsock and various flags positioned around it to help you gauge the wind direction. If you're rising too far above the pocket, disengage the engine and allow the hot air to dissipate causing you to lose altitude. Re-engage the engines to rise again, and rinse and repeat until you reach your destination. The HAB comes equipped with a small storage pouch to hold excess items, and can comfortably take 4-5 passengers.
Be wary of SAM Sites. The more damage the balloon takes the more it loses the ability to climb. Hot Air Balloons will eventually decay over time if they get stuck on a solid object and are no longer moving, but they can be repaired with cloth.
Building now feels more dynamic with the addition of new animations, bringing life and impact to every structure you place. When you upgrade a building block, you will now see it constructed piece by piece over the course of a second. If you want to switch to the classic way of building, you can disable this effect from the options menu.
HV Rockets and Rocket Launchers now cost less and are more durable.
The Damage for Rockets has also been rebalanced to make them more usable and more stable!
Rocket Launchers can now be crafted on a Tier 2 Workbench instead of Tier 3. The HV rockets are also more lethal against players and vehicles and have also been reduced to Workbench Tier 2.
The flight sounds for the NPC helicopters should sound more natural and dynamic now.
Following player complaints from Early Access, the sounds for all 3 newly introduced Helis have also been adjusted.
The Wait Is Over. Here's the Roadmap!
We’re excited to share what’s coming next. Here’s a look at the upcoming updates for the rest of the year!
(Please note that this Roadmap is based on current development plans. Things might be added/altered as we go)
That’s it for this month’s Dev Blog, see you on the island!
