A fresh week in Rust development and we’re seeing optimizations, improvements, and forward progress on new items and functionality. Let’s get into it...

Binoculars

The days of needing a gun and 4x scope to see far distances will soon be over. With the prefab, viewmodel, and worldmodels for Binoculars all rigged up, implementation into the game isn’t that far off. Helk told me they'll get in this week if possible - stay tuned as we get closer to Thursday to see.

Furnace optimizations

In a much needed effort to improve server performance, Helk has started work on a new branch called ‘furnace optimization.’ As he mentioned during our update stream last week, furnaces spitting out and combining bags all over the map creates more overhead than necessary.

This new system for furnaces aims to streamline the process and reduce server overhead. How exactly will this work and how will it change operating furnaces? I’ve been given a sneak peek, and it could be big, but I’m sworn to secrecy on specifics at the moment. Expect more as we approach the update.

Entity pooling

Also in the optimization realm, Andre has been doing a bunch of work this week with entity pooling. As opposed to the furnace stuff which focuses on servers, this entity pooling is mainly aimed at improving client performance. Awesome! Hopefully between the two we’ll see better performance all the way around after the update this week.

Stuck decals on spinner actually spin

Helk, iterating on the spinner added last week, has made it so stuck items will actually spin with it. That means any arrows, spears, machetes, etc. thrown at the spinner will also move around. Although it may be a small change, it does open up more possibilities for this new spinning wheel.

Netting cost reduced

Providing a bit of cost balance to this newly added item, Helk has reduced the price of Netting. It now costs 1 less rope and requires wood instead of metal fragments. Here’s a rundown of the old and new cost:

Old Cost
5 rope
15 frags

New Cost
4 rope
200 wood

AI progress

Garry continues trucking along on the new AI system. Still on the prerelease branch, he’s cranked out a ton of commits around animal eating, attacking, sounds, and more. Will we experience the new AI come the forced wipe April? That remains to be seen, but it sure looks like Garry is pushing for it.

Airfield underground

More progress on the new underground tunnel and bunker system for airfield this week. As mentioned in the devblog last week, this new expansion to airfield will provide more loot and cover opportunities when visiting this dungeon. No new visuals yet as it is still on a separate branch, but expect to see more as we approach the end of the month.

Community build contest wrapping up!

Community Build-a-thon submissions will be closing later this week! Have a shot at our prize of VIP for you and your team. So if you can build a community project quickly, or you've already built one and didn't hear about the event, you've got 2 days to get your submissions in. Check out our rules and how to enter here.