After spending quite a while in testing, Starbounds Update 1.2 is now finally here. It has brought with it ancient vaults to explore, the ability to terraform entire sections of a planet's surface, weapon upgrades to extend the end-game, and a variety of other, somewhat minor changes.

And if you're wondering what all of this might look like in-game, wonder no more as the developers have released a preview video showcasing Update 1.2 in action. Have a look:

The full patch notes are a bit too complex for me to easily summarize, so if you're interested in all of the details you should head over to the official forums. But if you're just looking for the general highlights, here's the brief list and a couple of images showcasing the new features:

Ancient Vaults

• Players who have completed the main storyline can visit a mysterious trader on the Outpost who will send them on a quest to activate and enter the Ancient Gateways found floating in some systems

• These gateways provide access to Ancient Vaults: challenging procedural dungeons left by the ancients, filled with dangerous guardians (including procedural bosses!) and fantastic lost technologies

Terraforming

• Using powerful devices acquired from the Ancient Vaults along with a new Essence currency, you can now transform regions or whole planets into entirely different biomes

• Terraformers can be used to expand a region across a planet’s surface, replacing natural blocks, objects and plant life, and eventually changing the type of the planet itself

• Microformers are consumable single-use terraformers which provide even more region types to add to your worlds

Weapon Upgrades

• Use the ancient anvil available at the end of Ancient Vaults and spend Essence to upgrade your outdated legendary weapons, opening up many new options for endgame combat styles

Elemental Damage

• Monsters now have resistance and weakness to elemental damage types, making your choice of weapons more important than ever

Holiday Spirit!

• Celebrate the holidays with the variety of festive items bought from Space Santa at the Outpost!