Rust “Shipshape” Monthly Update Overview

Rust’s March monthly update has finally been released, bringing a vast amount of changes and improvements to February’s Naval Update. The balancing update focuses on fixes, quality of life changes, and improvements, rather than content. Follow along as we cover the entirety of Rust’s Shipshape update.

For more coverage of this Rust update and last months major update, check out our blog

Rust Guides

Extended Daytime

Daytime inside of Rust has been increased by a substantial 20 minutes in this update. The nighttime duration still remains at 10 minutes. The increased daylight duration allows for a few extra activities before it becomes night.

Boat Building Improvements

Many changes are being made to modular boat building with this month’s Rust update. Boat building blocks will be able to be rotated or demolished at anytime in edit mode, removing the need for a 5-minute timer. Dive site buoys that could block boats have been fixed and adjusted properly. Sails will also no longer be randomly deleted after being rotated. Finally, the Deploy & Edit steering option will now always be available even when it cannot be used, with a small error message displayed if misused.

Deep Sea Changes

Many balancing changes have come to Rust’s deep sea in this update. For one, the deep sea no longer opens right after a server wipes. RHIBs will no longer be able to access the deep sea, requiring a modular or PT boat. The side of the map on which the deep sea appears when opening is now random. A notification sound will play once the deep sea opens. Once inside the deep sea, the network range has over doubled from 300 to 620, allowing you to spot entities from much further away. Loot respawning has also been activating with the initial loot in the deep sea being lowered by about 30% to balance this.

Technology Comes to Boats

With Rust’s Shipshape update, electrical, industrial, and water IO items can now be used on modular boats. The change allows players to finally turn modular boats in fully-fledged automated bases. A few items were understandably blocked from placement so as not to negatively affect gameplay. The games electrical systems can be convoluted, so we have a guide covering the basics.

Cannon Buffs

Two buffs have been brought to cannons with the goal in mind of making ship combat more interesting. Movement penalties have been added to boats that are repeatedly hit by cannons. Each hit repeatedly slows a ship down all the way to 30% of its maximum speed. Furthermore, players mounted on cannons will receive additional physical protection.

Destructible Boat Wrecks

The sunken wrecks of modular ships can now be plundered. Players will now be able to dive underwater and break through modular ships block by block. Destroying sunken wrecks can be made much easier with the new double diving tank item added last month with the Important Broadcast mission. The feature is meant to add an extra layer of exploration while allowing players to recover lost treasure.

Modular Boat Decay Changes

Two changes are being made to the way Rust’s modular boats decay in this update. The delay before an active boat decays has been increased from 12 to 24 hours. The duration it takes a boat to decay, however, has been reduced from 18 to 12 hours. Overall, the changes will give players a longer amount of time before their boat begins decaying and 6 more hours in total before the boat fully decays.

Miscellaneous Changes

Storage Box Pack DLC

A new DLC has been released in the form of an organizational storage box pack. The DLC adds 16 individually labelled large boxes, allowing players to easily sort out their resources. The DLC can be purchased from the Rust item store for $17.99.

Painting Line Tool

A new tool has been added to Rust’s painting system, allowing players to draw perfectly straight lines. The line tool can be activated by holding Shift and dragging your cursor across the painting or sign you are editing. The tool allows players to create a straight line of any shape, color, or size.

Deep Sea Boat Building

The deep-sea tropical islands have received boat-building stations this Rust update. The new stations allow for deep-sea boat repairs and modifications while at sea. The station will pull your boat slightly, keeping it docked as long as it is powered down.

Naval Scientist Improvements

Changes are being made to improve the new AI given to Naval Scientists, added in last month’s Rust update. Naval Scientists will no longer be able to see through smoke and will feature flashlights and lasers, making them easier to detect at night. Physical protection will now apply properly against Naval Scientists with a Hazmat Suit, providing 30% protection. Also, Naval Scientists will now react to be sniped from a long distance and attempt to reposition.

That covers the entirety of Rust’s Shipshape update. The goal of the update was to address a lot of the concerns and issues from the community surrounding the Naval update. If you enjoyed this blog, feel free to check out some of the others on our page. See you next time!

Twitter Giveaways

Daily skin giveaways on our Twitter

Join