Yet Another Content Update 0.7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkKRL81Jtjk

Welcome, Survivor!

Remember how we promised you smaller updates and then released the biggest one yet? Well, sorry... this one's even bigger than the last one, eclipsing it completely.

Update 0.7 is now live, and as it increases the game's code size by 80%, we're calling it a re-evolution! We believe the time we've spent developing this update has been well worth it, as YAZS is now a much deeper and more varied game than ever before.

There's a lot to unpack! Here are some of the key highlights:

ㅤːfu_skullː New meta-progression & Specialization Points

The old skill tree has been reworked into... several brand-new skill trees!

The general tree now has more nodes to invest your points in. All the missing stat nodes are now part of the skill tree, and there are also completely new ones, such as "White Powerup Duration" and "Damage vs. Elites". In addition, the first row is made up of permanent unlocks, which are automatically unlocked as you reach each column, unlocking and expanding in-game systems as you play.

There's now a new system for leveling up your Survivors called Specialization, which gives each Survivor their own skill tree. You no longer need to farm zombie kills on every team leader: Your Survivors level up and gain Specialization Points simply by being on your team and by ranking up their weapons and abilities during each run.

Your previous progress will automatically carry over into the new system. Each Survivor will receive the amount of level and skill points equal to their unlocked rank. General skill tree points will transfer at a 1:1 ratio up to the spendable maximum available in the previous version of the game.

ㅤːfu_skullː 56 Ability Evolutions & Survivor Synergies

Gone are the days of "meh" abilities. Introducing: Ability Evolutions!

Starting with this update, each ability will have two additional evolutions, which you can choose from as you level up your abilities to their maximum ranks. As you level up your Survivors, you'll eventually get the option to unlock Evolutions for each of their abilities.

These evolutions can take many different forms. A second row of Sawblade Drones that circle counter-clockwise? An Energy Shield that acts as a projectile-blocking force field? Resurrection, which collects all the XP and Healthpaks on the map? The choice is yours every time you play.

What's more, you can now unlock synergies between different Survivors, adding extra effects to certain abilities or gameplay features. In Update 0.7, each Survivor receives two synergy nodes, each for a different teammate, and we'll be introducing more Survivor synergies in the future. Have fun experimenting with different squad configurations!

We've also tweaked every weapon and ability, hoping to draw more attention to the strengths of each option. This also means that we've reworked the passive abilities that didn't do anything gameplay-wise except be a placeholder for stat boosts. Four passive abilities have been completely reworked into new ones that we hope you'll enjoy using!

ㅤːfu_skullː Select Loadout: Badges & Difficulty Levels

A brand new interface for the starting loadout was added to the game!

Most of the feedback we receive is related to the difficulty of the game, so we're taking the first step towards allowing everyone to customize the game's toughness to their liking by introducing Difficulty Levels. You'll start each run on each map at the first difficulty level, but as you complete the challenge you'll unlock new ones. This gives you a third, vertical way to progress through the game's content!

We want the base difficulty level to be a relaxed experience, while the higher levels will hopefully prove to be a worthy challenge for our hardcore players. We're starting with 3 levels and plan to introduce more in future updates. The levels now differ in Horde scaling, Elite enemy appearance chance, and the reward multiplier, but we'd like to eventually introduce new enemy attack patterns on the higher difficulty levels.

We're also adding a new initial loadout system in the form of Badges. These can be unlocked and upgraded in each of your Survivor's skill trees. You will be able to choose up to 4 badges before each run to customize your starting stats. The Team Leader bonus system is currently disabled as we work on a new and fun way to reintroduce it, but Badges should serve as an even better replacement for the time being.

ㅤːfu_skullː Tags & Item system overhaul

Tags are a completely new thing in YAZS, but they are closely tied to the damage types (elements) of Survivor's attacks. Each weapon and ability now has a damage type tag attached to it, making it easy to see which ones scale from what type of damage. Acquiring these also increases the number of tags of that type, so the more Fire damage weapons and abilities you acquire, the more Fire tags you'll have.

Stacking Tags not only increases the damage of that Tag, but also increases the chance of applying the status effects that are tied to it. Taking this a step further, a certain number of Tags will also unlock a second bonus tied to each of these elements. For example, stacking the new Slashing damage type tag increases the chance to apply the Bleeding status effect, which drains a percentage of HP from enemies on each tick. Stacking more than 10 Slashing Tags gives you a chance to proc an Open Wound effect, which multiplies the Bleed damage by five!

Items have been either tweaked or completely overhauled, and now serve as powerful single-stack gameplay modifiers. Due to the super-powerful nature of the items, there's now a limit to how many you can have at any one time (up to 8), but it's a fair trade-off for some truly run-defining effects. Feel like you're missing out on some kind of synergy or can't fully utilise their power? Don't worry - we'll be adding more items in future updates.

ㅤːfu_skullː Per-Survivor stats & diminishing returns

Remember stat caps? Well, forget them, they're gone.

Most stats that could reach a cap now have diminishing returns instead. This system allows you to collect stat gains and bonuses in a run virtually indefinitely. The bonuses you gain will gradually decrease as you gain more, but the gains will always remain as such, the idea being that you never have to stop accumulating power if you don't want to!

Another system that has been implemented to further increase the depth of gameplay and build variety is the per-survivor stats. All weapon and ability-related stats are now tied to each of your Survivors on the team. These can be improved separately using Military Training, where you can choose which Survivor receives the highest bonus (others receive 50% of the bonus).

The above change has allowed us to increase the numbers in the Military Training bonuses, as well as introduce the first batch of items and ability evolutions that take into account the per-survivor stats and the number of Survivors in your team.

ㅤːfu_skullː Jukebox & QoL improvements

Miss the old music? We hear you! It's back, and you can now play any tune on any map!

The Jukebox is now available from the pause menu, and it re-enables the use of Creative Commons licensed music tracks from previous Early Access versions of the game (check the toggle in Options > Audio). As long as you've cleared the map and game mode where the music first appears, you'll be able to queue, play and even create playlists of your favorite tracks in-game!

We've also improved the leveling aspect of the game: The Cash requirement for each Survival level has been reduced by $500, and the Cash you collect during a run is now saved between runs, so you'll continue to progress in the meta progression every time you play, even if you're just a few dollars away from the next skill point. Extermination mode now allows you to earn Cash, and the Skip function now both restores your HP and gives you extra Cash!

And that's not all! You can now change the way the camera works so that it's always centred (no more motion sickness!). You can reduce visual clutter with the Terrain Detail Density slider and further customize graphical fidelity with the added presets. Controller users can now enjoy added gamepad vibrations, and you can now decide if the game pauses when you switch Windows / alt-tab it.

Patch notes / Changelog

• New stat systems:
  • Global and per-Survivor stats (separate for each Survivor in the squad),
  • Diminishing returns for most stats - displayed as "BONUS (REAL VALUE)",
  • Military Training now offers much greater Survivor stat bonuses,
  • Infinite level-up upgrades now offer stronger bonuses for random Survivors,
  • Due to an infinite number of Banishes now being possible, Infinite upgrades are now non-banishable,
  • New stat bonuses calculation equation (“Base * A * B * C” changed to “Base + (A * B * C)”).

• Meta progression rework:
  • One general skill tree (old system of Cash → Training Points),
  • Skill trees for each Survivor (new leveling system: Specialization),
  • Upgrades and synergy nodes between different Survivors,
  • Max skill tree levels equal to the maximum amount of skill points possible to gain, which will be increased with future updates,
  • Previously earned training points transfer directly up to the maximum number of skill points needed to 100% the old skill tree (up to 475),
  • Cash required for each Survival Level is decreased by 500$ (faster leveling!),
  • Cash progress is now saved between runs.

• New Survivor leveling system:
  • Specialization bar fills from the time spent on the field and the amount of upgrades acquired on each Survivor,
  • Specialization is separate from Cash and Training Points (main skill tree currency),
  • Different game modes, maps, and difficulty levels have different specialization points gain modifiers,
  • Previously earned Survivor ranks transfer directly into the new system’s ranks (skill tree columns unlocked),
  • Each Survivor's progress is saved between runs.

• New Badge system:
  • Select badges before starting the game to receive stat boosts,
  • Unlock new badges from Survivors' skill trees,
  • Use badges to customize each run to your liking.

• New Difficulty system:
  • Customize your run by selecting the difficulty level,
  • New difficulty levels are unlocked by completing previous ones on each map and game mode,
  • Higher difficulties are harder, but offer better Cash & Specialization point rewards,
  • Currently offers basic scaling modifiers, with more advanced changes and difficulty levels coming in future updates.

• Damage type tag system:
  • Every weapon, ability, and their upgrades, that deal set damage type, adds +1 to its tag,
  • Each tag gives a damage type bonus and a higher chance of applying its status effect,
  • Additional effect applied after reaching certain tag amounts,
  • Tag system can interact with other systems, eg. item effects.

• New damage types/tags & their status effects:
  • Kinetic - Injured (Damage done increased),
  • Slashing - Bleeding (Percental damage over time),
  • Electric - Electrified (Damage and Crowd Control),
  • Fire - Burning (Damage Over Time),
  • Ice - Frozen (Crowd Control),
  • Chemical - Toxified (Spreading Damage Over Time),
  • Explosive.

• 56 new Ability Evolutions (2 ultimate upgrades for every ability).

• Revamps of passive-bonus abilities:
  • (Huntress) Eagle Eye → Bear Trap (Damage / Crowd Control),
  • (Ghost) Protocol: Critical → Pulsar (Damage / Crowd Control),
  • (Medic) Transplantology → Medical Drone (Healing / Shield / Damage),
  • (Medic) Field Surgery → Experiment 21 (Damage / Status Effects).

• Item system update:
  • Reworks for almost all existing items,
  • Items are much more powerful on average,
  • You can have up to 8 items at one time,
  • Items can be replaced when obtaining more than six/eight,
  • 9 new items. 8 old items temporarily disabled, to be updated.

• New Horde AI:
  • Enemies units now work together to surround the player,
  • Zombies find blind spots around the player and try to fill the gaps,
  • Fastest enemies are now slower (most notably - Runner Zombies).

• Cash (Money) collected is now saved between runs, so every game now always moves your overall Survivor Level further.
  
• Extermination Mode: You now receive Cash for each wave cleared (100$ * wave number * map difficulty * difficulty level).
  
• The player's hitbox has been reduced by ~15% - allows easier movement in tighter spaces.
  
• Recruiting a Survivor through an SOS Signal also gives +20% XP Modifier.
  
• “Lockdown” function is now a permanent general skill tree unlock and can be used indefinitely in gameplay.
  
• "Skip" function restores 10% HP and gives at least 150$. It also no longer requires holding the button to work.
  
• Team Leader Survivor passive bonuses removed; this system will be reworked and re-added in a future update.
  
• Weapon Cooldown system improved for single-ammo weapons (Shotgun, Bow, Katana, Axe, Flasks), allowing for greater attack speed ceiling and smoother gameplay with these weapons.

• Balance changes to all weapons and abilities. Some notable examples:
  • Most stats adjusted to take the new tag system and skill tree node upgrades into consideration (many are weaker early but much stronger late game / on higher meta progression levels),
  • Laser / Blowtorch / Flamethrower: Applies first damage instance faster,
  • SWAT: Sniper Rifle: Attack range increased, further emphasizing its core strengths,
  • Tank: Rocket Launcher explosions now deal correct (higher) damage, and Weapon Attack Speed scaling was added,
  • Huntress: Multishot: Has one additional arrow projectile on rank 4,
  • Medic: Syringe Gun: Has up to 2 more syringes in its magazine (from 2), and Weapon Attack Speed scaling was added,
  • Medic: Flasks: Both flask types have +1 projectile on rank 4, and the second flask is always thrown at a greater distance.

• Item Pool Customization: You can now ban up to 20% of your items (from needing to have at least 40 items unbanned).
  
• Level-up explosion now deals 50 flat damage (from 15).
  
• Survivor unlock requirements adjusted.
  
• 14 new achievements.

• Achievements requirements adjusted:
  • "Tons of Damage": Damage required raised to 9,000 (from 1,500),
  • "It's Over 9000!": Damage required raised to 90,000 (from 9,000),
  • "Gear Of War": Now requires 6 items (instead of 5),
  • "Third Time's a Charm": New trigger; get hit 3 times in a row without receiving any damage.

• New settings & options:
  • Overall graphics quality,
  • Ground coverage / detail density,
  • Pause game and/or mute audio when in background,
  • Camera movement style (smooth or stuck in the center),
  • Controller vibrations for gameplay and interface actions.

• Vile Wasteland: The Worm hits more enemies when it goes above ground (OM-NOM-NOM buffed),
  
• Language & terminology consolidation (Money → Cash, Magnet Range → Pickup Range, Reload → Cooldown, Fire Rate → Attack Speed, etc.).
  
• New save game file / name change (YAZSGameSave_20230620_01.es3 → YAZSGameSaveFile.es3). Previous progress is safely and seamlessly transferred to the new file.

• It’s now possible to launch the game with the use of a different graphics API than the default one, for debugging and troubleshooting purposes, by adding these launch parameters:
  • -force-gles32
  • -force-d3d11
  • -force-d3d12

What's next?

With this update, we've implemented most of what we promised last time (meta progression overhaul, difficulty levels, synergies, damage types, ability evolutions) and more along the way, but we're not stopping there!

For the near future, we plan to work on the things listed below:

• Fixes and tweaks to the current systems based on your feedback,
• Survival Guide, which will serve as both a tutorial and an in-game wiki with the most important gameplay related information,
• Customizable starting loadout / Team Leader perks,
• One Hit game mode rework into something more arcade'y,
• New gameplay mechanics/map interactables within the playable area?
• Further improvements to the item system: More items & synergies, possible item upgrades and/or combinations,
• Further improvements to the difficulty system and/or Boss type enemies & attack patterns,
• Separate, non-cloud save for in-game settings (e.g. graphics options),
• Steam Deck support improvements / verification,
• New map, new Survivor & more synergies,
• Leade███████.

We'll continue to implement more things with both major and minor updates, so expect to see some new features added in 0.7.X. As always, we won't stop improving the game based on your feedback, so don't stop letting us know what you like and what you'd like to see improved.

Again, sorry it took so long between 0.6 and 0.7, but as you can see, the amount of changes to the game code and the way it works has been staggering. We'll try our best to release smaller, but still notable major updates in the future - thank you for your patience!

Special (big) thanks to our amazing beta testers who went above and beyond to help us make this major update to the game. Thank you so much!

See you in the next one!

ㅤStay awesome,
ㅤㅤAwesome Games Studio

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