Hi everyone,

it has been quiet for a while, but I haven't forgotten about Minigolf. This update is a big one under the hood: new engine version, new network library, new input system. On top of that it brings a few things you asked for in the community hub and in the reviews. Thank you for all your feedback!

1. Automatic error reports - please help me find bugs!

Minigolf is a one-man spare-time project, and I can't test every situation with every setup. Until now I only learned about a bug when someone took the time to write about it, and even then it was often impossible to find out what went wrong.

That's why the game can now send automatic error reports. When something goes wrong, I get a report showing where in the code it happened and in which level, game mode and network role (host or client). This helps me find and fix bugs much faster than before. The first fixes in this update are already based on these reports.

When you start the game for the first time after the update, it will ask whether you want to send error reports. I would be really grateful if you choose "Yes, I'll help"! Every report helps make Minigolf more stable for everyone.

What you should know:

• Reports are only sent if you agree. Without your consent nothing is sent.
• The reports contain no names, no screenshots and no Steam IDs. Your Steam ID is replaced by an anonymous code, so I can only see how many players are affected by a bug.
• You can change your choice at any time in the new Help menu, and it takes effect immediately.
• The details are in the privacy policy, which you can open from the Help menu or on the store page.

2. New game mode: Training

Karl Van Zandt asked for a way to change the time limit, because 20 seconds in Extreme are hard to handle for kids. Training is my answer to that: it plays like Extreme, but without a time limit. The round only ends once every player has finished the hole. Training rounds don't count for the Steam leaderboards and records, so you can take all the time you need. It's perfect for kids, for beginners and for learning new levels.

3. Controller rumble

Idiota125 asked for controller rumble, so here it is. Your controller now rumbles:

• shortly before your shot reaches full power
• when your ball drops into the hole
• at the start of a round and again at "Go"
• as a reminder before the countdown in Dynamic and Extreme
• when you take damage and when a rocket explodes (on every controller)
• when you use the Grow, Shrink, Jumper, Aimer, Anchor, Stone and Cow items
• when you fire the pistol, machine gun or rocket launcher
• when you set a new record
• when a player joins or leaves the lobby

4. Online multiplayer reworked

Some of you reported that playing together didn't work. I took this seriously and reworked a big part of the multiplayer:

• The network library has been upgraded to a much newer version.
• The host now simulates all balls, obstacles, the stone, the cow and the catapult, and the other players see them smoothly interpolated. Balls no longer fly through walls on your screen and jump back afterwards.
• Aiming and shooting react immediately for every player, not only for the host.
• Fixed several crashes and errors when joining, leaving or when the host disconnects.
• Players who join the lobby now see the correct skins and hear the music.
• The ping indicator uses friendlier thresholds and now shows short connection drops.

Local couch play got some love as well: the game now uses Unity's new input system, which brings better controller support.

5. Graphics and performance

• Fixed a 30 FPS cap on 60 Hz monitors with the default graphics setting.
• Mouse aiming no longer depends on your frame rate.
• New lighting in the menus, the lobby, all levels and the editor, with sharper shadows and without the ugly shadow stripes.
• New animated Single Geared Games logo intro and a little "Couch's Not Dead" intro. Press any button to skip them.

6. New Help menu

There is a new Help menu in the main menu, in the lobby and in the in-game overlay. From there you can open the Steam guide and the privacy policy and change your error report setting. If you run into a problem, please still let me know in the community discussions. Together with the error reports, that's the fastest way to get it fixed.

7. Bug fixes

• Placing the ball was very slow at high frame rates.
• The ball floated above some start platforms and dropped down.
• The mouse control hint stayed visible when your ball was gone.
• The in-game overlay menu was placed too low.
• Placed stones now count correctly for the "stones placed" stat, and hole-in-ones are counted correctly.
• Text input in the level editor works again.
• Missing translations added (empty course slots, Training, Random Course and more).

Post Scriptum

That's it for this update. A lot changed under the hood, so if anything feels off, please open a discussion in the community hub. And once more: please choose "Yes, I'll help" when the game asks about error reports. It really makes a difference for a one-person project like this one.

Cheers,
Manuel