Protectors of the Light,
We've got some exciting updates.
Firstly, we're thrilled to announce that "Malice Mayhem" - the next content update for Age of Darkness: Final Stand will be arriving in August! The update will focus on changes to the way players engage with Blessings, Malices, and Hardships. We’ll be sharing more details on this soon!
We're also ready to share some exciting details on the substantial development progress we’ve made for multiplayer in Age of Darkness: Final Stand. The team have been hard at work since we last checked in, so thought it would be a good time to share how things are going!
Multiplayer Lobby System
We introduced a Steam-integrated lobby system, enabling players to invite friends, join lobbies, and start co-op matches. This includes Steam networking support, friend invites via the Steam Overlay, and a streamlined game start process. Players can now select their characters in the lobby before starting a match, setting the stage for a more engaging multiplayer experience. Additionally, we further refined the lockstep networking system, which ensures synchronized events and simulations for smoother gameplay.
Stability and Map Generation
Stabilizing the game’s core mechanics and map generation was a core focus. The new map generation system utilises pre generated map textures based on seeds that will allow for more efficient map generation when playing multiplayer matches, this further ensures a consistent and crash-free experience. We also integrated pre-generated maps into the multiplayer flow and added support for map seed transmission over the network, ensuring all players start with the same map.
Significant refactoring of the game mode framework has brought us closer to our target architecture, with improved support for multiplayer flow, lockstep synchronization, and simulation initialization events. These changes provide a more robust foundation for future development and enhance the overall stability of the game.
Features & Enhancements
Our efforts also extended to gameplay feature stabilization and enhancements. We worked on shared vision functionality and tested various gameplay mechanics such as nights, triage tents, and keeps. These updates are pivotal in creating a cohesive and enjoyable multiplayer experience, laying the groundwork for future enhancements and more complex gameplay scenarios.
While we’ve encountered a few bugs and issues along the way, these updates are a huge leap towards delivering a fully functional and enjoyable multiplayer experience in Age of Darkness: Final Stand.
Age of Darkness: Final Stand is also now 33% off during the Steam Tower Defense Fest, running until August 5th. Stay tuned for more updates, and get ready to dive into "Malice Mayhem" in August!
Till next time…
We greatly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to let us know about these bugs and crashes you’ve encountered. If you come across any bugs or crashes in the future, please report them to us either through the Steam forums or using the in-game bug reporting tool.
AoD Social Links:
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Have a question about the game? We have a handy FAQ we’ve posted on the Steam forums that you can view. If your question hasn’t been answered there, we’ll be doing our best to keep up with questions here, on the forums and our Discord server. Speaking of which, you can also chat with our team and ask them questions on our official Discord server here!