1:00pm EST - Our update preview stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

12:00am EST - A slew of changes and new functionality is available for testing on the AUX2 branch! This article previews what’s in store for players once this stuff goes live (along with some other development news on the bottom).

Our update preview stream goes live at 1pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day.

Hardcore mode: Coming soon!

Before we get into the train stuff, Facepunch has officially announced they are working on a hardcore game mode for Rust! It will not be coming next month, will not impact vanilla (it’s a separate game mode), and will not bring back old recoil.

The exact feature set is still up in the air, but on the new hardcore branch we’ve seen the team system removed, maps disabled, and safe zones removed. We’ll keep an eye on this as more comes to light. Now, on to trains…

Trainyard update overview

After weeks and weeks of development, the Trainyard update body of work is available for testing on the AUX2 branch. This includes an updated trainyard monument with the new coaling tower, new train wagons, a new locomotive, and a bunch of miscellaneous changes to other monuments.

When will all of this go live? It’s not confirmed, but I think it’s very likely we’ll see this live with the August 4th update next week.

Keep in mind: This is all subject to change!

Join AUX2!

To test this out yourself, simply join the AUX2 branch by going to your Steam library, right click on Rust staging, go to properties, betas tab, then select AUX2 from the dropdown. From there, let the update run, then launch the game and join a server.

Edit: This was all merged in to normal staging, so no need to join AUX2 anymore.

Trainyard monument updates

As the branch title alludes, there have been several updates to the Trainyard monument. First, the above rail network now ties in to the monument, allowing entry via train from 2 directions. Next, the coaling tower has been added (more on that below). Also, the spawn priority of this monument has been raised to high, meaning it’ll likely appear on most procedurally generated maps.

Coaling Tower

Highlight of the Trainyard update, a Coaling Tower has been added. This tower allows for trains to pull up and unload the resources into the various new loot and resource wagons (details below). Here is the basic flow of unloading:

Pull your train / wagons under the Coaling Tower
Enter the coaling tower on the first floor by swiping a green card
Power up the control panel by inserting a fresh fuse
Use the control buttons to unload and move the train wagons forward or backwards
All unloaded resources will be placed in a storage dumpster on the first floor (or outside on the wagon if you’re dealing with a wagon with loot crates)

New resource wagons

A key element to this new Coaling Tower is the addition of 3 new types of train wagons. Replacing many of the empty wagons which spawn on the tracks around the map, these new wagons spawn with loot or resources already in them.

The trick is, although the player can see what loot is in the wagon (visually represented on the model and you can press ‘e’ to preview), they cannot access the loot without a trip to the good ole Coaling Tower. Here is a summary of each new wagon type:

Loot wagon
An uncovered wagon full of gravel with loot buried in it
Loot per wagon: 2 military crates, 1 normal crate, 1 food crate, and 1 medical

Resource wagon
An uncovered wagon full of either sulfur ore, metal ore, or coal
Loot per wagon: ~<3000 ore

Fuel wagon
A tanker wagon where you’ll find low grade fuel
Loot per wagon: ~<1500 low grade fuel

New Locomotive

There’s also a new, more powerful locomotive in the mix to help you transport all these new loot wagons. Spawning around the map, looking more like a proper train engine, this puppy has twice the HP of a normal work cart (which are still spawning).

They are also more powerful than their work cart little brother — able to pull roughly double the wagons before slowing down (~17). They operate like a normal work cart would, and have lights (controlled with F) and a horn (activated with Left Click). They run on low grade fuel which you insert via the undercarriage on the outside. Oh, and there are some fresh sounds in the mix.

Light switches

Also on this branch, a number of light switches have been added to monuments around the map. These user operated switches control a various number of lights around a given monument and will allow players to have more control over their visibility while looting at night.

So far we have found these new switches at: Harbor, Train Yard, Launch Site, Lighthouse, Gas Station, Supermarket (Sign on top now illuminated), Airfield, Power Plant, Arctic Base, and Mining Outpost.

Fixes

In addition to this Trainyard work, the team has implemented a bunch of fixes this week. Here is a summary.

Fixed armored double door hatch sound
Fixed rowboat small stash culling at 10m
Fixed missing rad tea world models
Fixed a broken radio station, added new stations
Reworked radio streaming LOD system to fix connected speakers playing distorted audio if player leaves range of root boom box
Improved audio sync when playing radio through multiple connected speakers

Other stuff

There is a slew of other stuff being worked on - some which will make it in for the update next week, some which won’t. We’ll have full details of everything making it in on our update post next week.

Underwater labs have been made smaller overall
Wood sign models and textures have been updated
Resized Hitch and Trough loot panel
Scrap tea now yields more scrap and lasts longer
Show genetic code when purchasing plant clones via a vending machine (in-person or via drone)
More work on Molotov Cocktails and Flashbangs
More work on Nexus (server to server transfers)
Work on improving the server browser (caching and the like)
More interaction sounds added
More tweaks to the furnace UI rework
Start of work on an Electric Furnace
More work on the Pets branch