Update 42 - New Playtest Group, Grades, Tutos and Improved UX

Greetings, Hard Chip players!

We're excited to share some insights into our recent development updates, focusing on enhancing the gameplay experience and integrating new features into our game. Our journey is filled with iterations, learning, and a constant push toward creating a more intuitive, engaging, and cleaner gaming experience. Let's break down the key updates we've made this time around:

New wave of playtesting

A fresh batch of participants who requested access to the Hard Chip Playtest build has now been granted access to test the latest release! Please see if you're one of the lucky individuals selected!

1. New Grades for Campaign Challenges

Players now receive grades for all campaign challenges, adding an extra layer of achievement and motivation.

This helps indicate to the player if he is doing great following predetermined solutions. Competing with other players' scores could be intimidating. This allows the player to know if his solution is good enough to advance in the game.

Grades are Functional, Satisfactory, Streamlined, Advanced and Masterpiece. The first 3 grades are predetermined, and the last 2 are based on other players' scores.

Here's a masterpiece grade solution (this grade can only be achieve with equal or better solution to the best known one):

2. New Campaign Introduction Challenges and Enhancements

We've reduced the text and unnecessary lore in the campaign for a leaner intro experience. Efforts have been put into dedicated challenges to aid the learning of more game mechanics (namely: PMOS, Schematics, Input interactions, Die size and Optimization):

As you can see, the Challenges map's UI has also been revised, with visible locked sections. Also to preserve progress seamlessly, we've enabled autosave upon challenge success.

And you are not required to see the schematics anymore! If you want to create all the way from scratch all by yourself, it is now possible! The hard way!

3. Smarter Simulation Start and Validation Logic

Validation Logic Overhaul: Validation readouts are now created once and cleared once per validation step, ensuring a smoother validation process with dedicated 'ReadOnlyOut' for output management. Each 'ReadOnlyOut' shows the current expected output value with a small check if the condition is met!

Enhanced Building Experience: We've refined the upward build process, preventing multiple blocks from being accidentally added at once. At last!

Simulation Starts on Interaction: The simulation springs to life the moment any input is interacted with. More responsive and more intuitive!

Undo/Redo and Simulation Reset: We've made undoing and redoing resets the simulation/validation, offering a fresh start for experimentation.

Many other small modifications were made, but this post is already too long. Here's a dump of oneliner of every other notable changes:

Quality Of Life, Bug, and Crash fixes:

1. Minimal Steamworks integration;
2. Tweak challenges' speeds and show save as blueprint;
3. Fix EventValidator;
4. Remove ShortcutHelper window;
5. Build up tuto help revised;
6. Filter in all file lists, Library;
7. HalfBitAdder challenge terminal placement;
8. Thread safe voxel rebuild (tentative fix);
9. Allow 3 errors on rebuild voxel loop before crashing;
10. Don't show the bottom build bar when no permitted block;
11. End game weird camera behavior fix;
12. Fix reverted camera, camera handle mouse lock;
13. Campaign challenge map no border
14. Fix auto simulation start;
15. All Intro challenges use a separate help modal window;
16. None Input Mode with no cursor rendered in 3d
17. Separate bonus progression from the campaign one;
18. Starting camera position updated in all tutorial challenges;
19. Mos vacant indicator command plugged in fix;
20. Fix mos vacant pin indicator shows 0 and 1 according to pmos and nmos;
21. Remove not useful anymore states help window;
22. Key Binding for select/delete segments;
23. Unable to remove readout fix; Quick readout edit;
24. No need to reset;
25. Disable all Mouse and Keyboard when not focused;
26. Fix Alt+Tab resuming a wrong Mouse and Keyboard state;
27. Show unlocked schematics in library
28. New SRLatch alternative, DLatch and MSDLatch challenge.
29. CCMouse handles buttons the same;
30. Close the door when campaign not finished on main menu;

As always, your feedback/suggestions/comments are instrumental in making this game. Join our Discord server!

Thank you for playing Hard Chip, and stay tuned for more updates and new features!