Future content/Archive Update 4

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Summary List of features that were announced/teased through official channels This list is not exhaustive of what will be added in the update Uses unofficial naming for features with unknown names
 * Items
 * Fused Modular Frame, Quantum Computer, Superposition Oscillator, Packaged Sulfuric Acid, Packaged Alumina Solution, Aluminum Casing, Cooling System, Zipline Tool, Gas Bottle, Bottled Nitrogen Gas, Uranium Crystal, Plutonium Pellet, Encased Plutonium Cell, Plutonium Fuel Rod, Plutonium Waste


 * Project Assembly Parts
 * Magnetic Field Generator, Assembly Director System, Thermal Propulsion Rocket


 * Fluids
 * Nitrogen Gas, Nitric Acid


 * Buildings
 * Blender, Resource Well Extractor, Resource Well Pressurizer, Power Switch, Priority Power Switch, Power Storage, Unnamed (Plutonium) processing building


 * Mechanics
 * Tier 8, Tier 7 overhaul, Gases (lacking head lift), Resource Wells, Generators except Biomass burning always at 100%, Geothermal Generators' fluctuating generation, Ziplines, Building interface overhaul, Uranium Waste reprocessing

Release date
March 16, 2021 

Before the final date was confirmed, it was narrowed down to March 9th or 16th earlier, although not definitively.

General
"We're adding Tier 8 in Update 4, yeah! We're going to break your saves, yeah!"

- Jace, Community Manager

On December 4th 2020, Coffee Stain uploaded a video to YouTube, where Jace announced that Tier 8 is officially coming with Update 4, which he says will release mid-February to mid-March. He discusses that the vision for Tier 8 has changed, and with this Tier 7 will have to change, which will change a lot of late-game production lines. However, he only discusses general topics and gives no specific numbers. Specifically, the production lines for items relating to aluminum and Bauxite will be heavily affected, alongside some of the late game technologies such as Uranium Fuel Rods, Turbo Motors and Supercomputers.

"The main challenge here was intended to be the back merging of the Water by-product and a longer production line using a variety of different resources. However, we feel the setup has gotten out of hand for the start of a new Phase, which is supposed to be interesting or just 'different' and not necessarily complex. Also, we are still looking into reducing the number of Refineries outside of Oil production and alternative recipes (and Bauxite refinement uses a lot)." -Director Mark

Update 4 will include the movement of certain milestones, buildings, items, and production lines from lower tiers to higher tiers and vice-versa, as well as the implementation of new buildings (see below). It has also been said by Jace that the early game is currently not changing that much, and the earliest changes in milestones we will see will most likely be around Tier 5. However, it has been said that because of the many late-game changes, saves that delve heavily into late game production will see a lot of things break in their world, and should prepare using these three tips that Director Mark created:
 * 1) Don't start investing in Tier 7
 * 2) If you do invest, stockpile late-game parts
 * 3) That's it, there were only two tips

The community managers have also answered some minor (and major) Q&A questions in multiple streams with answers relating to Update 4:
 * Up until the week of February 15th, new stuff was still being created for Update 4. After this Coffee Stain has said, they are in a "content freeze" phase, where the content for Update 4 is set, and all of their energy is focused on polishing the update, before the release on Experimental.
 * The new content in Update 4 will not be game-changing like the fluids and pipes system in Update 3, but it will be adding a large number of new items into the game otherwise.
 * There will also be a large number of performance and optimization changes, updates, and additions included.
 * The full focus of the developers is on Update 4. There will be no minor updates like Update 3.6 between the January 12 stream's release date and the release of Update 4, besides the Unreal Engine upgrade.

With Update 4, the way the content files of the game is distributed is changed, making the game backend more modular, allowing for easier mod making. This will make the file size of the game slightly larger. This also means that the game will probably need to be completely redownloaded when Update 4 is released, to accommodate this change.

Each building will have its own customized UI, instead of all of them using visually the same UI. The AWESOME Shop UI will receive an overhaul.

Items
The following items have been confirmed to be in Update 4 through various leaks, streams and other videos, uploaded to the Coffee Stain Studios YouTube channel.

group="Update 4" name="yt-NTeBuhOqIu0">YouTube - March 9th, 2019 Livestream - Q&A: Is it possible to use powerline as zip-lines? then later "leaked" in January 2021 on the official twitch & instagram accounts,YouTube - January 26th, 2021 Livestream - Snutt & Jace Talk: Delete the VOD followed by a "leaked" teaser trailer.
 * Packaged Sulfuric Acid
 * Packaged Alumina Solution
 * Aluminum Casing
 * Basic component for high-tier stuff
 * Crafting recipe will be from Aluminum Ingots
 * Plutonium Waste
 * Plutonium Waste is the byproduct of consuming Plutonium Fuel Rods
 * Magnetic Field Generator
 * Space Elevator Part #6
 * Assembly Director System
 * Space Elevator Part #7
 * Thermal Propulsion Rocket
 * Space Elevator Part #8
 * Cooling System
 * Potentially created from Heat Sinks
 * Nitric Acid
 * Responsible for new refinement and fuel production processes
 * Unnamed equipment made with Quickwire which allows the engineer to use Power Lines as ziplines
 * These were first denied in March 2019,<ref
 * Power Line has to be powered to use
 * It is possible to zipline upwards, going up is slower than going down
 * Gas Bottle
 * Actual name unknown
 * Made out of Aluminum Ingots in a Constructor
 * Metallic appearance
 * Packaged Nitrogen Gas
 * Actual name unknown
 * Packaged in a Packager using aforementioned Gas Bottles.
 * White on the outside
 * Uranium Crystal / Condensed Uranium Waste
 * Actual name unknown
 * Made out of Uranium Waste, Silica, a white liquid (which could be either Alumina Solution or more likely the previously unseen Nitric Acid) and another unknown fluid in a Blender
 * Similar appearance to Quartz Crystal, but green in color
 * Plutonium Pellet
 * Made out of Uranium Crystals and Uranium Waste in a previously unseen building (see below)
 * Similar to current Uranium Pellets
 * Encased Plutonium Cell
 * Made from Plutonium Pellets and Concrete in an Assembler
 * Similar to current Encased Uranium Cells
 * Plutonium Fuel Rod
 * Made out of Encased Plutonium Cells, Electromagnetic Control Rods, Heat Sinks and Steel Beams
 * Shines blue
 * Appearance significantly different from Uranium Fuel Rods

Power Changes
Power is also being overhauled significantly. Fuel-consuming generators except for Biomass Burners will now always consume fuel at the maximum rate, no longer proportionally to power draw, which simplifies Crude Oil processing lines and makes the production of Polymer Resin much more reliable. Power generated in excess will be able to be stored in Power Storage (see below), which can then be used should power demand exceed power production of all generators. A "maximum consumption" line is now shown in the power graph. Geothermal Generators will no longer produce 200 MW steadily, but fluctuate between 100 and 300 MW, their UI is also finished.

Blender
In the official video for the Blender, it is seen assembling parts from Alclad Aluminum Sheets and Heavy Modular Frames. Two Pipelines enter the building, the contents of one cannot be seen, the other is empty. For just a few frames, it is shown that the building has one belt output and one pipe output. Water or another blue fluid can be seen in a large blending chamber in the building. In the nuclear refinement teaser, the fluid in the blending chamber is green, indicating it changes color depending on the recipe.

The item being manufactured appears to be some sort of reinforced fluid container. The exact name and recipe are not known.

A Power Line connection and a green Indicator Light is present on the machine, which means it requires power to function.

The Blender seems to be the answer to the mysterious machine mentioned in this video. The tier and milestone in which it is unlocked was revealed on stream, as well as that it will be used in milestones throughout Tier 7.

It has been confirmed that the Blender ( see above ) will have one Conveyor Belt and one Pipeline output. They also mentioned that there will be two Conveyor Belt inputs in addition to the known Pipeline ones. The power requirements of the building were not specified.

The color of the fluid in the Blender changes based on recipe

Resource Well Pressurizer and Resource Well Extractor
The Resource Well Pressurizer and Resource Well Extractor are buildings that will be used to extract fluid resources from resource wells ( see below ). The Pressurizer will apply pressure to the center of these wells, causing the resource to shoot out of surrounding secondary (or "satellite") resource nodes, on which the Extractors can be built to collect and output the fluid.

The resource output rate for these resource wells and their smaller variants is much higher compared to standard resource nodes.

On January 29, 2021, a video was released which showcased the Pressurizer and Extractor in-game for the first time.
 * A single Pressurizer can be seen, and from its base four lines of cracked ground lead out from it. We can see secondary resource well nodes at the end of three of the lines, the final one leading off-screen.
 * On one of these secondary nodes, an Extractor was placed, with a Pipeline coming from it, going off-screen.
 * Nitrogen Gas can be seen coming out from the two secondary nodes with no Extractor placed on them.
 * The Pressurizer was hooked up to a single Power Line, and the Extractor was not connected to any. This implies only the Pressurizer is overclockable (if at all), which would affect the output rate of all surrounding Extractors.
 * The Pressurizer had a green Indicator Light and was actively up and down every couple of seconds.

On February 5, 2021, a video was released showcasing the Pressurizer and Extractor in-game with great details, revealing the build cost and UI.

Power Storage
In the Update 4 UI Changes video, Power Storage, Power Switch and Priority Power Switch could be seen for about a second in the build menu, only the build cost and description were seen, it had no UI icon. It was revealed in the February 9, 2021, Dev Stream, that this leak was accidental. The Power Storage was later showcased in a proper teaser on February 12, and both were explained in detail in the New Power Changes in Update 4 video uploaded on February 19.

Given the cheap cost, Power Storage will most likely be unlocked in Tier 3 or 4. This also confirms won't be used for it. It lacked an Indicator Light, therefore it's unknown whether it can be overclocked, instead, it had a capacity meter on its side. When active, the center part of the structure raises itself and starts spinning automatically shortly after a power trip occurs. It is unclear whether this causes power generators to restart and run alongside Power Storage, or makes all power draw from Power Storages.

The Power Switch can be used to break a grid in two. It can also be named in the UI. The power graph is shown in the UI as well as the capacity of all Power Storages on both grids. It has a white Indicator Light despite not being overclockable, and the light doesn't change from white when the switch is disabled.

Unknown Plutonium Processing building
In the Update 4 Nuclear Refinement Teaser video at 0:38, a previously unseen building with two Conveyor and one Pipeline input and at least one Conveyor output can be seen processing Uranium Crystals and Uranium Waste into Plutonium Pellets.

Given it has a Pipeline input that is unused, it almost certainly has multiple recipes (possibly even those not related to plutonium). Nothing else is known about the building.

New mechanics
Gas manufacturing had previously been raised in the July 28th, 2020 Livestream (i.e. several months before the Fluids Update) - with gas manufacturing being referred to as "in the plans once upon a time", but it was noted that they weren't "removed".

Battle Royale mode had been *jokingly* confirmed for Update 4 in the February 17th, 2020 Livestream, and later *jokingly* confirmed in the January 26th, 2021 Livestream.

Gases

 * Only one usable gas will be included with Update 4: Nitrogen Gas
 * Obtained from resource wells (see below)
 * White in color
 * Travel in same Pipelines as other fluids (liquids) do
 * Will lack dependency on head lift

Resource wells

 * New kind of resource nodes
 * Available for, , and Nitrogen Gas
 * Consists of a central node (24 meters in diameter) and surrounding secondary nodes (seemingly 2–5, 12 meters in diameter), connected with cracks
 * Requires the Well Pressurizer and Well Extractor to harvest.

Resource wells have a "potential", which is the sum of the extraction rate if all Extractors are built. The purity of secondary nodes differs. Overclocking the Pressurizer affects all Extractors equally.

Streams, sneak peaks, leaks, and videos
On December 4, 2020, a video was uploaded, in which Jace announces Tier 8 coming to Update 4, as well as additional information for the upcoming Update 4.

On December 11, 2020, a video was uploaded, in which Jace announced seven new parts, as well as additional information for the upcoming Update 4.

On December 23, 2020, a patch was released that introduced a new item into the game, the Fused Modular Frame.

On January 7, 2021, a teaser was uploaded, showcasing the Blender building.

On January 12, 2021, Coffee Stain Studios streamed for the first time in 2021 after their break, reviewing community submissions for the FICSMAS event, discussing the state of the development for Update 4, and answering Q&A questions.

On January 15, 2021, another video was uploaded, in which Jace announced gases, a new type of resource nodes, and new parts, along with more information.

On January 29, 2021, a video was released which reveals equipment that allows Power Lines to be used as ziplines, as well as showcasing the Resource Well Extractor and Pressurizer in-game ( see above ).

On February 5, 2021, a video was uploaded, in which Jace showcases the new Resource Well Extractor and Pressurizer, and how they function, as well as showcasing various UI changes that is going to be included in Update 4.

On February 12, 2021, a teaser was uploaded for the new Power Storage and Power Switches, which had already been accidentally leaked in the February 5 video.

On February 19, 2021, a video was uploaded, in which Jace explains the changes in the Power system.

On March 5, 2021, a teaser was uploaded for the changes made to nuclear refinement, which showcased Plutonium Fuel Rods and Plutonium Waste, among other things.