Howdy All 👍
Today I pushed the first Content Update of Early Access.
Given this is the first updates since launch, it focuses on addressing post-launch feedback more than new game content like Cards and Environments.
That said, Cards, Environments, Enemies, etc. remain a major focus of Content Updates in the near future, as noted in the Early Access Roadmap.
New Stuff
More Comfortable by Default
There were a few controller settings, display features, etc. that I'd gotten enough feedback on that it was a no brainer to just add/update them. Specifically:
- WMR controllers can now snap turn using analog sticks.
- Index controller defaults just more comfy than they were (grip boosters less sensitive by default, touchpad no longer causes sporadic turning). Still need some work on climbing.
- Main Display now follows player's HMD instead of their hands.
Comfort Settings
In addition to making the default controls/settings more comfortable, players can now customize much more based on their personal preferences.
Players can now...
- Choose between Smooth turning and Snap turning
- Adjust Turning Speed (or set it to zero to disable turning altogether)
- Adjust how sensitive their Boosters are to Grip force (or disable Grip to Boost altogether in favor of the alternate Booster button). Especially handy for controllers like Index with high grip sensitivity.
Players can also now...
- Allocate additional booster strength to a hand of their choosing (for instance, if you prefer to fly with your left hand and shoot with your right).
- Invert their Boosters in favor of Boosters that push you away from where you point them.
Finally, players can..
- Not new, but can still choose to control Booster direction via HMD instead of hands. I have found this option is further improved by the increased customization around turning - specifically being able to choose your preferred mechanism and increase turning speed helps with HMD based movement.
- Choose if they want their Main Display (Health, Ammo, current card, etc.) to tracks their head (new default based on feedback) or their hands (the old way).
Updated Tutorial
Already posted about this one so won't go into too much detail. I updated the tutorial two days after launch based on early feedback that it had too much reading. I think it's a lot more fun and interactive now 👍 you can read more in these patch notes.
New Room - The Clockworks
There's a new room in town! It's the first in a series for one of the new themed Floor Types I will be working towards as described in the Early Access Roadmap.
This one is the first from a new Floor Type I'm planning called The Clockworks.
The Clockworks are much more dynamic than previous environments I've made, with moving parts and ambient noise work.
This specific new room I've added is also the first of a new Room Type I'll be adding more of, which are non-elite Combat Tests that require you to clear enemies (to mitigate the current passivity meta which is not that fun).
New Card - Adrenaline
I also snuck a new Weapon Card into this update.
Adrenaline
Attack and Move Speed 2X for _ seconds after activation.
Adrenaline is a new Power Card that temporarily increases your Attack Speed and Move Speed (think of it as a playable version of the Overclock powerup). It can really spice up a quick burning deck and makes a great compliment to Rage.
I'm excited to add more Cards in near future updates that add more and more deck building strategy to the game.
Bug Fixes and Feedback
In addition to the new functionality above, I also fixed some bugs and addressed some additional feedback:
Balance
- Enemy health scales faster now with each floor to mitigate some steam rolling that was occurring too reliably.
- Level IV Cards are much rarer now.
Bugs
- Fixed bug that was preventing game data from loading in some countries due to dotnet localization issues.
- Fixed bug where it was possible to run out of boost and land on the palette in the tutorial which would not recharge your Boosters.
- Fixed bug where talking to Gun Gun Metal on the first day and moving through the door while he was still talking would freeze the loading screen.
What's Next?
The next Content Update is scheduled for 10/21. It will focus primarily on new Environments and new Cards.
One thing I've been thinking is that I want a way to get new content out faster for players who want a faster update pace and are willing to tolerate the occasional bug or issue.
I don't want people to have to wait 2 weeks if they want stuff sooner than that.
To that end, I'm starting a new practice where I will just push updates to the beta branch as soon as they are ready to go.
The idea is if you want more rapidly changing content at risk of some bugs, you can opt into the beta branch. Otherwise you can stay on the default branch and get the less frequent but more stable bi-weekly updates.
You can opt into the beta branch by following these instructions in the Discord:
https://discordapp.com/channels/680320013831241731/694426975862915164/711485596614524928
Thanks and hope you are having fun.
As always, if you have any thoughts, questions, or issues, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me via the Discussion Forums or Discord.
Thanks,
Tadatoto