Greetings, Hard Chip players!
Let's review the changes made from versions 0.0.6.12 to 0.0.6.17. This update is another round filled with enhancements, new features, and fixes to improve your experience. Here's a detailed overview of what's included in this update.
1. UPDATED Lab area and Fab control area
The mini FPS part of the game has been reworked to include more terminals and machines to repair, which will give players more frequent rewards. The previous lone chip map was the entire Adder in one go. Now, it is split into three parts: bypass chip, Inverter chip, and Adder chip.
Not only that, but we've also made significant performance improvements to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience.
Changelog:
- NEW Fab area;
- NEW Fab area is used for Adder now;
- NEW Visual cue model when a chip is fabricated;
- NEW Starting area with two machines to repair, Material Bank 1 and Material Bank 2;
- NEW Bypass Chip Map, Inverter Chip Map, (and then Adder Chip Map);
- NEW Adder chip map shortened for material bank2 and material bank 2 repair;
- PERF Improved loading time for the fps part;
- PERF Prepping off screen loading logic;
- MI Improved hitboxes for the Fab area, fixed pipes' textures with wrong UV;
- MI Generator wiggles;
- MI Terlinals flickering is back;
- MI show only one "replace" action when a chip is in hand;
- SX Story mode scripts are more rewarding with smaller steps;
- SX Remove misleading instruction on build-up;
- SX 8Bit in terminal logs as it's now the required part;
- MI Updated starting area, dark portion;
- MI Terminals of fixed machines are locked now (avoid players guessing if it's still useful);
- FIX Inputs as terminals hack;
- FIX Stuck on mbank1 on reboot;
- FIX Falling through the doorstep;
- FIX partial crash in UI screen in world;
- FIX start fabrication process twice;
- FIX reboot labcontrol twice;
- FIX typo in Crossing state;
2. NEW Saving best player solutions and Comparer mode
One of the primary loops of HC is getting the perfect part with the help of 4 metrics that help the player gauge their progress. But for visual people, seeing the best solution they have made against their latest attempts is even more helpful!
Every time a metric is beaten by the player's solution (block count, volume, ticks, or mos count), a "ghost" is saved. Then, you can load those ghosts to compare your current attempt with your best ones!
And for good measure, 2 more save slots per level were added. You can now have 5 variants for each level!
Changelog:
- NEW Show best ghost from Perf report window;
- NEW 4 best ghosts are saved when one of the 4 metrics is beaten;
- NEW Comparer mode with transparency slider;
- NEW ALU Chip map (placeholder as of now, WIP);
- NEW 2 more save slots;
- UX Clicking graph to compare with best solutions;
- MI Tutorial doesn't save bests;
- FIX Z-fighting with ghost and everything else;
3. NEW Negative number representation with associated challenges and chip map.
A chip map is a set of challenges to build a chip that can be used to repair a machine after replacing that chip and rebooting.
So far, only a positive number adder could be done. And you know what the next logical step is!
Challenges based on negative numbers!
This part is very early still, but it offers great potential for upcoming levels and new sorts of chips! This one is an very rudimentary revised adder chips that can now perform substraction!
Changelog:
- NEW Negative number representation with 2s complement, usable in some challenges;
- NEW Challenge type: play with inputs to finish;
- NEW 8bit signed challenge;
- NEW 8bit value inverter challenge;
- NEW 8bit Adder Substracter challenge;
- NEW Adding schematics for AdderSubstracter, ValueInverter;
- NEW 16bit Adder bonus;
4. UPDATED Movable Input/Outputs
Movable outputs were already in the last update for the demo. Now all inputs/outputs are movable and already benefited from a week of bug fixing.
Changelog:
- NEW Movable inputs; Saved in file; Clipboard exportable; Sticked to the left edge;
- NEW Dedicated Input/Output overlay (stable between steps), cleaned previous input readout;
- UX Show check/cross on expected numeric output (not only bit value);
- UX InOutput position at y=2;
- UX Indicating +- hint in Mode Bar when moving outputs;
- FIX Can't change output position during validation;
- FIX Right click to cancel input/output picking;
- FIX Picking input/output hitboxes issue;
- FIX Expected value indicator order;
- FIX Neutral bit positions of outputs considered as 0;
Quality Of Life, Bug, and Crash fixes list:
- NEW Quick update for xbit vs xbits naming;
- NEW Not inverted Half bit adder;
- UX y/n enter/escape shortcut on exit modal;
- UX Align helper reworked from playtest session;
- MI Reference Pass update ok;
- FIX Inverter tutorials don't share save file anymore (only copied once between challenges);
- FIX Force auto start on Conflict, One in, one out, compliance, crossing states and the wall;
- FIX Tentative crash fix selected block indicator;
- FIX 4Bit Multiplier challenge inputs were unmodifiable;
- FIX Tentative crash fix selected block indicator;
- UX Centered icons in the library;
- UX Breakpoints stop only the first time a block is in a selected state. Can resume the sim, and it won't be stopped until the block changes state before returning to the selected state;
- MI Update all challenge starting files and challenges to allow Input blocks to be moved;
- FIX Wrong F2 label on Camera UI Control;
- FIX Crash on large block delete tentative;
- FIX Crash at game exit;
- FIX Challenge file save edit hack;
- DDD Naming xbit vs xbits (breaking);
I want to play it!
HC is still in closed beta, but its demo is already out! If you are willing to give feedback, join the waiting list for the closed beta access. You might want to try your luck by "Requesting Access" to the playtest on HC's main store page (this is a lottery system)!
Your feedback, suggestions, and comments are not just important, they're the lifeblood of this game. We value your input and encourage you to join our Discord server to share your thoughts and ideas!
Thank you for playing Hard Chip, and stay tuned for more updates and new features!