Hello, this is Dongsoo Oh, Creative Director of Blackout Protocol.
In this devlog, I'd like to provide a quick update on the 0.11.4 patch, and introduce some of the improvements we'll be making in the upcoming 0.12 patch.
#1 Patch 0.11.4 – Adding an additional difficulty option to Rogue mode
As mentioned in a previous devlog, we'll be adding a new, lower "Normal" difficulty mode for solo players in patch 0.12, and upgrading the current experience to "Hard" mode. So we're rolling out an early version of those changes now, for testing and feedback.
In the new Normal difficulty, enemies will have adjusted HP and attack power, as well as various other behind-the-scenes structural changes we hope will better serve the mode's purpose.
As a better single-player experience was one of the most common pieces of feedback we've gotten so far in Early Access, we wanted to take the time to get it right, and have undergone a few rounds of internal testing with friends and family before bringing this patch to you.
We’ve also streamlined the flow of the early gameplay, and adjusted various other elements so that players will enjoy a smoother solo experience. (For example, Crawlers are a bit of a pain when you're on your own, so we've reduced their spawn rates a bit in Rogue mode.)
We hope any solo players who felt a little overwhelmed previously will give the new options a try.
#2 0.12 Content Update Sneak Peek – New and revamped Synaptic Enhancements
The upcoming 0.12 patch will include several adjustments to overall balance for existing Synaptic Enhancements, as well as the addition of some new ones. The following changes were our primary focus:
- Balance tweaks to mechanics for 3 specific synaptics (Bloodshot, Hardbody, and Resilience).
- Buffs to a whole slew of synaptics, to make them more viable during a run.
- Added Silver-level versions to a bunch of synpatics that previously only had a Platinum tier, which we hope will introduce more variety, and encourage players to pursue different builds.
Separate from these concerns, we're also tweaking and adding a ton of synaptics generally. Changes include:
- Damage increases for existing Bionic and R&D synaptics, plus new synaptic enhancements that better enable synergies across different build types.
- Several new, common synaptics that provide increases to movement speed, e.g. after rolling.
- New synaptics that grant damage boosts proportional to movement speed.
With these changes and additions, we believe a greater variety of playstyles and builds will be viable now, delivering better on the game's core promise of a roguelite experience.
(We're also aware that increasing the overall quantity of pick-up types, in a random-drop upgrade system, brings a few drawbacks of its own. Rest assured, we're working on some solutions to that already.)
We hope you enjoy the changes, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts.
#3 Upcoming Patch Content Preview – Character Passives!
Finally, in the 0.12 patch, the most exciting change we're making is the addition of passive abilities, which we've been working on for a while. Passive abilities are character-specific traits that complement an agent's Special, and give each one a more unique playstyle.
[This is a mockup of the UI, showing the active ability up top, and the passive ability at the bottom]
Each character will have several passive abilities, which you'll be able to swap between in safe rooms, using a new device, the Dimensional Mirror.
Despite being "passive", these abilities really alter how each character plays. We're putting a lot of work into making them impactful and fun, and we hope you'll enjoy them.
From 0.12 onward, we’ll be adding new content on an ongoing basis. We'll also continue working to refine the game based on your feedback, and striving to deliver the roadmap of features promised for full release.
Stay tuned!
Creative Director, Dongsoo Oh
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Editor's note, 9/15:
The previous version of this post mistakenly stated that passive abilities could be switched at the start of a run. Overzealous editing on my part. The post has been corrected to hide my sins.
—ODS Brandon