We hope everyone is doing well with the current events going on around the world. Despite the quarantines, our small team has been hard at work updating and developing Garrison : Archangel. Lots of big updates are coming your way!
PUBLIC RELEASE
A major public update to the game will be released tomorrow, May 1st. It will be the culmination of two months' worth of updates and opt-in testing on our preview branch of the game. The many features below are what you all can expect when it drops!
OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK
This was repeatedly requested, and finally it's here!
The Garrison: Archangel Official Soundtrack will be up for sale tomorrow, May 1st! It features all the songs in the game composed by Richard "RE:CHARRED" Nicolas. Enjoy the beats and rhythms of fast-paced, customizable, mecha combat! The OST includes 18 special non-looped versions of tracks used in-game plus a special bonus!
You can even buy Garrison: Archangel and the OST as a single bundle for some savings! Check the DLC section of the Garrison: Archangel store page for more details.
SIX ALL NEW WEAPONS
You heard that right! Six new weapons have been added to the game in the last two months. These are brand new weapons with new mechanics (or new combinations of existing mechanics) not seen before in the game.
Sunshooter Railgun
Powered by Shenji. The Sunshooter, so aptly named, was a secret weapon used against the Solar Empire during the Tian Annexation Conflict. It is a handheld railgun that fires special guided ricochet projectiles. The weapon can be easily identified by its distinctive bow-shaped cooling fins.
An alternate fire mode converts the special ammunition into a disruptive shot called 'Crowbiter', which temporarily slows the enemy down by 50% on hit.
Brahmastra Laser Cannon
The Brahmastra Mega-Laser Cannon is a huge, complex energy projector array mounted on the back of the Archangel. When deployed, it fires a powerful, continuous beam that is strong enough to cut open the hulls of large warships. One can only imagine the damage it could inflict unto smaller craft... such as other Archangels. This massive weapon is a product of Astra Solutions.
Daga Parry Dagger
A lightweight dagger developed by Maaga Manufacturing, using special movement data from an ancient fencing style for its agile maneuvers and attacks. The weapon lives up to its name due to its capacity to parry melee attacks, opening enemies up for counterattack.
Trifoil Thrusters
These thrusters are straightforward in function. They provide powerful boost bonuses while the Archangel is in the air. Its activated ability is called "High Speed Hover." It pushes the Archangel upward and temporarily gives it a flat mobility bonus. For the same duration, the mode also allows them to float (negate gravity), which usually means they'll also retain the benefits of the passive aerial boost bonuses. It was made by Montaglione.
Tomoe Reflectors
Shoulder-mounted Archangel Equipment that Yoshikawa kept secret due to the proprietary 'Mitama' reflector technology utilized in its construction. The weapon is capable of absorbing and redirecting attacks directed at the Archangel, later releasing it as an orb-shaped explosion centered on the user.
Shikigami Sword Drones
A shoulder-mounted weapon commonly used by Yoshikawa as a force multiplier for their security forces. The Shikigami Sword Drones deploy to rapidly orbit around the Archangel, damaging enemies who come too close. When wielded alongside other Yoshikawa products, their sword-master Archangels are a sight to behold on the battlefield.
ALTERNATES FOR EXISTING WEAPONS
We also added new alternative versions of existing weapons! Unlock these in Missions Mode to see what they're all about!
- Chrysomallos - Alternate of the Flanker Thrusters.
- Astrape H.S.T.A - Alternate of the Astrape Laser Cannons.
- Gram Railgun type-S - Alternate of the Gram Railgun.
NEW FEATURES
Lots of new features have been introduced since the last public update! Here are the newer ones below:
GIF Recording
This new feature allows you to record highlights of your fights in the form of 6 second GIFs! Recorded GIFs are put into the Garrison: Archangel Folder where your garage mechs are saved.
Simply make sure the GIF recording function is set to 'Manual' in the Game Options, then press F2 / Back / Select to instantly record the previous 6 seconds (from when you pressed the record function) of a match.
There is also an option to automatically record the final 6 seconds/finishing blows of your matches! This can be achieved by setting the GIF recording option to 'Auto' instead.
Archangel Sharing Codes
It is now possible to share your Archangels by using an in-game code generator in the garage. With a click, the new feature allows you generate a code you can copy-paste.
Simply put these codes into the new 'import' feature to instantly create a copy of your Archangels!
Combat Slow Motion Toggle
We know there are players who don't appreciate the slow motion effects that occur during battle so we put an option to turn it off in the game options. Said effects are triggered when an Archangel is stunned from vulnerability, parry or guard break... which may happen often depending on the match and the players involved.
Shared Keyboard Controls
Another requested feature for couch players, and one that fills the developers' hearts with nostalgia. We've added a rudimentary 'Player 2' command list tied to the unused side of the keyboard, allowing two players to play split screen with just one keyboard and mouse.
However, this mode does not account for the second player's camera controls and will only work reasonably well in a 1v1 duel setting. Check the controls panel of the options screen to see these commands.
Multiplayer : Ease of Access for Steam Remote Play
We're aware of everyone's desire for improvements to our existing multiplayer function, and given the limited resources we have, we've decided to focus our multiplayer development efforts to Steam Remote Play.
We've put in-game tutorial and adding features like the above Archangel sharing codes and shared keyboard controls to facilitate ease of use. We also put in game links to our discord channel, as well as links below, so you can search for players and friends to set up games.
Steam Remote Play even allows friends to share one copy of Garrison: Archangel, so we highly recommend it!
The previously existing peer-to-peer multiplayer lobbies will remain in the game, though any further development to these functionalities, if any, will be very minimal.
Updated Codex, Messages and Lore
Lots of lore, codex entries and messages from the different factions now flesh out the universe of Garrison: Archangel! Some weapons and parts also have updated descriptions, and shed some light on the different Manufacturers' background.
Jockeys and Ghosts also have their own sections, which unlock when they are encountered in the Arcade and Missions modes. These entries also track kills, victories, deaths and losses against the player.
On top of the music player, we also included a cutscene viewer for endings unlocked. There are several endings you can get in Missions mode, so make sure to give it a try!
Steam Achievements
We've added Steam Achievements to the game! In addition, there will soon be Trading Cards and other community collectibles coming out!
COMBAT SYSTEM OVERHAULS
In our quest to refine and balance the game, we've applied some hefty changes to existing global mechanics!
Stability, Vulnerability and Stunning
The stability system was changed significantly by increasing base vulnerability to 800 and applying 'stun' on the first hit that puts the Archangel into the vulnerable state.
Stun is a state that is applied on parries and guard breaks, which prevents the Archangel from being able to dodge cancel out for the duration. This means that staggering enemies by putting them in the red allows for a free followup hit from which they cannot cancel out. The system change also keeps an enemy vulnerable for longer and allows for more hits before they are destabilized.
This change has allowed melee weapons with weaker damage to shine, especially those which have higher armor to stability damage ratios. Weapons like fusion blade and the newly introduced Daga can make full use of the extended vulnerability for longer combos.
Deflection
As part of the new stability system, we've introduced a global armor deflection bonus that scales off your Archangel's Armor stat. This bonus removes a portion of all incoming armor damage.
However, all deflection is nullified while an Archangel is put in the vulnerable state. This all goes back to the update regarding the extended vulnerability described above. Stagger an enemy Archangel and capitalize on its vulnerability to win!
With the introduction of this global deflection buff, some existing weapons have been given the armor-piercing tag, which allows them to bypass a portion of the enemy's deflection values. Weapons like the Wespe Assault Rifle, Schafer Flamethrower and the Homing Lasers have this ability.
Dash Speed / Distance
The Strength value of an Archangel now also modifies the 'Dash Speed' and 'Dash Distance' stat. Dash Speed refers to an abstracted speed the Archangel travels when using actions that use a quick burst of power. These actions include dodging, attacking with melee weapons, and using thruster maneuvers. Dash Distance refers to the estimated distance (using in-game meters) traveled when dodging, which can be used as a metric with which to compare the other movements (such as melee attacks).
These stats are also derived from an Archangel's base mobility value, which is its natural movement speed. Several weapons and circumstances may further increase this value, such as the Assault Drive mechanic we previously introduced.
Underload and Overweight
Underload bonuses and Overweight penalties have been standardized and reduced overall. Bonuses before could go up to 25% for being under the weight limit, now the maximum has been set to a scale of up to 20% for all affected stats. The penalties for being overweight have also been similarly reduced to a 40% factor rather than the previous 50%.
MISSION MODE : KILLTEAM SYSTEM REWORK
The ghost Killteam system has been reworked after much feedback from players of Missions mode. Killteams will no longer create their own phases and prolong missions; They will now be merely introduced as additional enemy forces without affecting the mission objective and timer tracking.
This means it is now possible to pursue mission goals while ignoring the Ghosts sent to kill you... but multiple ghosts from different factions may team up to get the bounty on your head!
WEAPON REWORKS AND BALANCING
A lot of weapons were reworked for the sake of balance, and many more had small value adjustments. The actual list of overall balance changes is really long, so we only included weapons here with significant changes.
Homing Lasers
The Homing lasers now use a charge-to-fire function similar to the Gram Railgun and the Labrys Gigantas special. The longer it is held, more lasers will fire. Individual laser power may also increase.
Tatzelwurm / Bushwhacker Cannons
Instead of rapid alternating shots, the cannons now fire paired shots and push the archangel back with massive recoil. The reload cooldown for ammunition has been lessened, however.
Thrusters
All thrusters now provide passive dash distance bonuses on top of their boosted speed bonus. Most thruster maneuvers save for the charge and sidewinder thrusters also now function as cancels. They immediately end your current action and perform the maneuver.
Held Weapons
Held rapid fire weapons and most charge weapons now allow the use of boosted movement to increase one's speed. Certain held weapons will not allow this movement due to the powerful nature of their capabilities (such as the brahmastra and the railgun).
Non-reloadable Weapons : Molniya SMG and Dragoon SG
These weapons were designed to have limited use in a 1v1 PVP setting due to their powerful stability damage, large ammo count and other features like the capacity to move while rapidly firing or having a cancel window on projectile hit.
But given the existence of missions mode and player feedback, we've decided to give these weapons an 'emergency' reload function when their ammo pool has been completely emptied. However, this reload only grants a few bullets after a long cooldown period, rather than the whole count.
LOTS AND LOTS OF BUGFIXES
As always, we've been working with the community's bug reporting to quash any bugs we've found. Quite a lot of them have been addressed over the course of two months! We'll continue to keep our bug reports channels open and address any player reports that come.
EARLY ACCESS DEVELOPMENT IS OVER!
Surprised?
This is our FINAL EARLY ACCESS BUILD. The changes you are seeing above will be our last update - and the first version of a fully realized Garrison: Archangel.
We will be launching Garrison: Archangel as a full release game on May 15th, 2020!
We'd like to thank all our supporters who have helped and guided us on this long and winding road. We couldn't reach this goal without all of you.
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As usual, make sure to like/follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates!
We also have a YouTube channel where we posted videos of our game's development.
You can also visit our Discord and talk with the devs and players of the game!
