Hi everyone, we have another update for the beta branch today, but this time it's a little different!
There are of course new recipes, skills, etc., but the focus is on the Other game modes tab.
Behind this, there are currently two things:
- Custom unranked games that allow you to queue against a ranking bracket of your choosing and select custom rules.
- The option to create or join lobbies.
Of course, this is also a nice place where more custom modes could find their home in the future.
What lobbies are
Lobbies are designed as a mode to play with a friend or many friends at a time!
You open a lobby by selecting “Host lobby” which will generate a 6-letter lobby code.
Your friends can then join by pressing “Join Lobby” and entering that code.
All players will play at the same time, with a timer (configurable at the start) ending the shop phase. You will then be matched against one of the other lobby members. Your goal is to win as many rounds out of 18 as possible.
What lobbies are not
Lobbies are not planned to become a public mode where anybody can join, this also means it will not be ranked.
The future
Currently there are 3 types of custom rules that can be enabled for unranked games - there are lots of opportunities to expand on that. We would love to hear your ideas for interesting custom rules as well.
We also work on making custom rules possible in lobbies soon!
The Beta Branch
We have instructions on how to join the branch on our Discord server.
Please keep in mind that the goal of the beta branch is to find bugs and issues! (And this is a huge feature, so expect many hotfixes!)
The update is planned to go live on December 20th, coming with balancing changes.
A look behind the scenes
We have been working on the lobbies behind the scenes for about a year now and for us, finally being able to show them is a huge milestone towards the game's full release.
When we started developing Backpack Battles, it was planned to become a tiny experimental side project.
Since then, the game’s popularity exploded, and even though we decided to keep developing as a two-person team, we were able to commit to the project full-time.
We never considered adding a synchronous mode to this asynchronous game, but with the decision to make it our main project, we had the resources to consider the massive undertaking of adding a synchronous mode.
We are so hyped to finally get this feature out to you, and hope you have fun playing with a buddy or two! :)
- Mario and Doro
P.S.: We know many of you are hyped for achievements, and they are certainly coming with the full release!