Monstrum 2 - 0.8.8ea
Ahoy, everyone!
Now that August is here we have our August update now live! Please check out the change list below to read what is in store. We have also updated our known issues log, but if you have any seperate issues please do get in contact with us!
Thank you,
Team Junkfish
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New Features
User Interface Overhaul
There has been a big update to the main menu and in-game HUD to make it feel more cohesive with the game.
- Updated the UI and HUD, both in menu/lobby and in-game
- Complete visual update: 3D menu implemented with cinematic cameras moving between each scene
- Updated chat visuals
- Improved chat functionality
- Progress Track scrolling and thumbnail fixes
- Store & Customization UI fixes
- After Action Report visuals updated
- Fixed a number of border, bracket and font inconsistencies
Environmental Lighting and Effects
To improve the visual ability for both the prisoners and monsters, there has been a lot of balancing and updates to the lighting. Light and effect changes have also been made to help the player locate themselves more easily in the levels and to improve performance.
- Lighting pass throughout the levels to check consistency and added ambience
- Balancing of players night light for better visibility and added a green hue
- Lights placed to better highlight puzzles
- New fog implemented for ambience and improved performance
- Orientation Cables running along the levels has been reworked
Graphics
A lot of changes have been made to our internal graphics systems.
- Geometry popping in and out will no longer happen
- Resolved a lighting issue that allows all lighting to better match the intended vision
- Fixed an issue where RAM was not being freed up correctly after games completed. This also allows us to enable higher quality textures for the High quality setting
Improved Item Spawners
To help the players find items and keep it more consistent in size we have done an overhaul of them. This should make it easier for the player to find what they need.
- Placement and size of the items has been updated
- Players should find tools they need for the puzzles closer at hand than previously
- Items are more closely themed to the Sectors they are in, for example extra Medical Kits and Adrenaline can be found in the Infirmary while extra Industrial Tools can be found in places like Archives or the Moon Pool.
- Fire Extinguishers will now respawn back into the Sea Fort when they thrown into the ocean
- Fuel Cans in the Refuel the Helicopter Mission have had minor position adjustments to prevent various clipping issues
Gameplay Changes
Changes to gameplay.
- Fire extinguishers slow down monsters if they enter the spray
- Security cameras now detect Monsters
- Security cameras will detect characters faster if they are sprinting
- Security cameras passive light is now orange instead of blue and a grid pattern has been added to make the cameras sensor range more apparent
- You can now break windows with a sledgehammer and with a punch by the monster
Tutorial Changes
Bhagra Tutorial
- The room teaching Lunge Jumps with the three horizontally moving Mannequins has had a lighting pass to make those targets stand out more
- An extra ledge has been added to the final room to make the required Lunge Jump across easier
Audio Changes
We are currently making changes to how the audio interacts within the game. Our intention is to create a more intense experience as the game progresses
- Music and Ambience
- Chase music removed
- Audio Stinger System Added:
- Monsters will hear a stinger if a prisoner is within their line of sight
- Prisoners will hear a stinger if they are within the Monsters line of sight
- An audio stinger will play whenever a player is killed.
- Ambient audio will change as more switches are completed during the initial phase of the game
- Music intensity increases as you progress the escape mission
Misc Audio changes
- Splash Screen SFX added
- Processing on Tannoy audio
- Prisoner 06 audio implemented
- Volume of Prisoner breathing increased
- Prisoner footstep audio consistency improved
- Bug fix for Bhagra Blink audio attenuation and spatialisation
- Bug fix for Exterior Audio being heard inside SuperBlocks
Performance
Due to the combination of various graphics system changes and lighting/content changes, we decided to implement a fog effect for this update to help improve performance. The fog will be consistent for all players to prevent imbalance between players with higher + lower spec machines, and will be subject to change as we continue optimizing Monstrum 2.
Prisoner Changes
Items and Inventory
- If you take damage whilst using an item the item will cancel its use
- If you enter a cutscene whilst holding an item the item will cancel its use
- Can no longer switch from the Fire Extinguisher when it is being used
- Can no longer switch from the sledgehammer whilst it is being swung
- Can no longer switch from the camera if it is being used
- Visuals
- Faint ambient light has been added to the Prisoner to provide faint lighting in the darker areas to improve visibility. These lights are not visible to other players
Monster Changes
Monster Visuals
- Bhagra vision post processing tweaked to improve visibility
- Malacosm vision post processing tweaked to improve visibility
- Faint ambient lights have been added to the Bhagra and the Malacosm to provide faint lighting in the darker areas to improve visibility. These lights are not visible to other players
Monster Balancing
Malacosm:
We were made aware that the Malacosms raw chasing ability was a bit too strong so to combat this we have reduced the speed of the Malacosm and reduced the rate that the Malacosm can track Prisoners especially in games with fewer players.
- Malacosm sprint multiplier reduced from 1.6 to 1.55
- Malacosm Clairvoyance cooldown adjustments, this is how long it takes between ending Clairvoyance and being able to use the ability again;
- Against 1 Prisoner cooldown has increased from 15 seconds to 30 seconds
- Against 2 Prisoners cooldown has increased from 18 seconds to 30 seconds
- Against 3 Prisoners cooldown has increased from 21 seconds to 30 seconds
- Against 4 Prisoners cooldown has increased from 24 seconds to 30 seconds
- Malacosm traps will now be affected by gravity
Bhagra:
We found that the Lunge was being used as a way to gain an advantage in a chase more than being used as an attack at the key moments. The lunge has been changed and the cooldown increased to make the lunge less frequent.
Reworked Bhagra Lunge:
- Bhagra movement speed in the air whilst lunging has been decreased
- Lunge will no longer be affected by gravity until the lunge has reached its target position based on the direction and strength of the lunge
Bhagra Lunge cooldown adjustments, this is how long it takes between landing after a Lunge Jump and being able to use the ability again;
- Against 1 Prisoner cooldown has increased from 4 seconds to 10 seconds
- Against 2 Prisoners cooldown has increased from 3.5 seconds to 9.5 seconds
- Against 3 Prisoners cooldown has increased from 3.25 seconds to 9 seconds
- Against 4 Prisoners cooldown has increased from 3 seconds to 8.5 seconds
We found that the Bhagra was frustrating to maneuver whilst on the ceiling tiles, so changes have been made to make this less frustrating.
- The Bhagra will now attempt to slide along the edges of the ceiling tiles instead of completely stopping where possible
- Bhagra ceiling crawl speed is halved if the Bhagra is sliding on the edges of a ceiling tile
Movement Changes
Ladders/Vines
- Interaction with ladders will now only happen if the character is facing the ladder / vine
- Characters should be centralised to the ladder after starting to climb
- Can no longer move left and right whilst climbing
- Fixed issue where the players rotation would snap after climbing
Other Changes
Miscellaneous edits to the game.
- We have internally changed how gaining XP is implemented when updating a player account. This should prevent XP not being awarded in certain scenarios.
- Increased the AFK timer to be 2 minutes instead of 1
- Return to lobby timer decreased from 30s to 15s
- Security Camera movement speed has been decreased
Level Design and Environmental Updates
Escape Routes
Submarine Escape Route
- Vents have been added to the roof sections of this area to split up the Bhagra Ceiling tiles
- Submarine Hoist Mission will now roll back at only half the speed if no Prisoners are operating a Hoist Station
Superblocks
Barracks
- Added a ramp to the top of barracks so players no longer have to jump up to get onto a platform
Examination
- Fix for Triple Wide Examination window half-breaking
Laboratory
- Blinding light in Lab removed
- Item replacement pass in Lab
- Fix to laboratory puzzle where players could climb onto the platform before it was lowered
- Fixed broken chain link fence puzzle in lab
- Lab fridge materials from Asset packs optimised
- Lab Generic Round Light LOD changed to reduce popping
- Retrofitted Lab glass no longer casts shadow
Genetics
- Room layout change to increase the difficulty of the Keycard Puzzle on the upper floor
- Room layout changes to increase the difficulty of the Keycode Puzzle in the lower floor
- Keycard dispenser in genetics that was mislabeled has been fixed
Infirmary
- Altered door interaction with the locked Infirmary doors so they don't immediately close behind you as you enter the numbered rooms
- Added colliders to the internal roofs in Infirmary to stop players being able to get into it and see through it
Morgue
- Morgue Cable Pass
Operations
- Added extra ambient lights to operations
- Operations Lighting Pass
- Operations Cable Pass
- Operations item spawns upper and lower floor
- Operations item database
- Added new item spawners inside Operations
- Fixed the gap in the wall inside Operations
- Switch object moved to prevent clipping in operations
- Moved a chair in operations that was causing players to not be able to move past
Residential
- Added new item databases for both Residential and Vault
- Added new item spawners inside Residential
- Removed crouch walls and replaced them with breakable walls inside collapsed floor room in Residential
- Residential cable pass
- Residential lighting pass
- Residential random passes adjustment and optimisation
- changed residential database
- fixed broken wall in residential
Misc Bug Fixes
Bhagra
- Fixed Bhagra shaking whilst on the ceiling
Malacosm
- Fixed Malacosm traps to always render on top and display arrow
Breakables
- Breakable walls: wooden barricades can only be broken when hit by the sledgehammer/monster punch and not when the wall adjacent is attacked
- Windows can break from prisoner vaulting, using hammer and monster attacks
Collision
- Fixed missing colliders on the pipes near the moon pool
- Items should no longer to be able to be thrown through walls when the player throws them whilst facing a wall
- Fixed collision issues with the Powerplant Sledgehammer puzzle
- Changes have been made in an attempt to improve collision stability of players in elevators
Interactables
- Fixed various interactions so they display the correct text
- Fixed a broken interaction with the Crane Controller
- Keycode fail test- when you input the wrong code into a keypad the text now becomes red and turns back to green when a new input is entered
- Interaction prompt will only show in areas of the chain fence that will allow the interaction to happen
Items
- Adrenaline no longer stacks, can only use one before its affects runs out
- Fixed item highlight shader to not render geometry on top of each other
Lighting
- Improvements made to the resolution of the flashlight
Menus
- Fix for nameplates not equipping
Spectate
- Fixed headless prisoners that would be seen after dying if you spectated them
Tutorial
- Fixed issue where the door in the Vaulting Tutorial for Prisoners would not close
Vaulting
- Fixed issues where vaulting was not viable for the high window by the staircase in Laboratory
- UI
- Changed the Audio options values to be Percentages
- UI hint marker in aquatics was changed to show the interaction key rather than 'E'
- Malfunction notifications removed from working crane controls
- Vault Box puzzle - now shows the correct Keybind
- Fixes to text overflow in the options menu.
- Fixed Font Issue in the Lobby and the XP Popups
- Incapacited text no longer goes over two lines
- Keycard dispensers UI prompt standardised
- UI for chain fences has been made more consistent
Known Issues
- Monsters can still have missing heads in the monster intro cutscenes
- The fog can make some volumetric lights really strong in the distance
- The fog in the escape areas can be a bit strong
- Sometimes a wrong character model may render in the lobby scene
- Some vaultable windows may struggle to let you vault through due to desks on the other side
- Certain areas such as the moonpool can still take an fps hit
- On Low quality the classic Brute skin will appear white to the player playing the Brute
- When joining a group to play, there can be some issues where the Monster player is being displayed in the lobby outside of the Monster tank
As always, we want to thank everyone who has been playing and giving feedback for Monstrum 2. You all help us improve and raise Monstrum 2 to be the game we want it to be and we couldn't guide this without you - so thank you!
Don't forget to join our Discord where you can interact with the community and the Devs if you have any questions you would like answered!
Cheers,
Team Junkfish