Greetings Convicts,
A new update launches today, OPERATION FODDER! With it comes a wealth of content from new features to fan feedback changes. A lot of groundwork has been going on behind the scenes to allow updates to come out faster and more reliably, so expect this to be the first of many large updates to come. There's a lot of topics to cover today, including but not limited to:
New Enemies
Bossfight Redux
New Tutorials
New Interactable Objects
Shotgun Redux: Damage, Sound & FX
New Arenas & Rooms
New Collectable Audio Logs
New Music To Orchestrate Your Destruction
New Ability: Melee
That's a lot to get through, so strap in. Lets see what's new!
NEW ENEMIES
PROTODROID SQUAD
With word spreading of a lunatic with a shotgun running round, a call was sent out to deploy the best of the best. When their train was delayed and they got stuck on the bus replacement service, the worst of the worst had to do. Enter the Protodroid; old decrepit prototypes produced en masse with the hopes that overwhelming numbers will outweigh their general inability to do their jobs. They deploy in squads of three, with two basic units and a leader to add some hierarchy to their dread as you tear through them like butter.
Due to prolonged periods in storage some have become a little quirky succumbing to the infamous Droid Rot and reducing their mental capacity. Expect cowardice, fear and panic wrapped in tin foil armour given the most basic of weaponry, easy fodder for building up Adrenaline and chaining lightning attacks. They will be taking a headline spot from even the earliest of arenas.
LUXMELD-SNIPER
If Protodroids are expendable cannon fodder, the Luxmeld-Sniper is anything but. Wrapped in the latest photo-reactive camouflage plating, they blend into their surroundings making them a hard target to spot. Well, other then the large red targeting beam and buzz they emit when locked on. Hang around in their sight for too long and you'll find yourself on the receiving end of some very high calibre firepower.
These units will appear in later arenas, waiting for some unfortunate soul to stumble into their sight lines. Some other units have been redistributed to later areas so the Luxmeld-Sniper has some room to operate. Keep your eyes peeled.
SCRAP LIMPER
In the depths of the service ducts, where scrap is dumped to rust, sometimes that scrap isn't quite ready to give up the ghost. Alongside the legless Scrap Crawlers already emerging from the metal heaps, some of them have finally figured out how to walk again. Repairing themselves with whatever parts they can find, Scrap Limpers shuffle towards their targets hoping to satiate their anger at being discarded on the nearest living thing.
With revisions to the Scrap Magnet boss fight (more on that below!), an opportunity arose to add some variety to the enemy types spawned during the fight. Alongside Scrap Crawlers, Scrap Limpers will join the fight, using different attack patterns and generally being a menace, but providing great sources of Adrenaline to keep your health steady while taking on the main event.
BOSS REDUX: SCRAP MAGNET
SCRAP MAGNET
In line with player feedback the Scrap Magnet boss fight has received an overhaul; new mechanics, new music and better optimisation make this fight better then ever.
Work The Arena - Energy towers now surround the Scrap Magnet, giving him an invulnerable shield that can block even the strongest of attacks. The towers must be dealt with to have any hope of taking him on.
Extra Goons - Not content with just improving his defences, more mechanical monstrosities have been called from the junk piles to deal with any intruders. Scrap Limpers now spawn alongside the Scrap Crawlers, utilising different attack patterns and weaponry to ruin your day.
New Tunes - A new music track orchestrates the fight more in line with the energy of other boss fight tracks!
NEW TUTORIALS
NEW TUTORIALS IN THE ROBODEX
Look, we've all been there. You pick up a new game, it's a little confusing, you die a few hundred times and you start to think "I'm not certain I've got the hang of this." Well, worry no longer. Alongside the tutorials in the Robodex there are new tutorials throughout the intro that explain the basic mechanics and give you some helpful tips for playing the game. Missed something? It's all updated in the Robodex under the Tutorials section should you ever need it. You'll be a pro in no time.
NEW INTERACTABLES
SWITCHES & BUTTONS
Some objects can now be interacted with and have been added to a number of rooms, giving new ways to move through environments and maybe even new secrets to be found. Check every nook and cranny, you never know when you might come across something! Currently these mostly take the form of buttons and switches, but you never know what might be hiding in unexpected places.
SHOTGUN REDUX: REWORKED DAMAGE, SOUND & FX
SHOTGUN IMPROVEMENTS
The shotgun has received a number of improvements, thanks to a lot of fan feedback (thank you!) These tweaks should result in a weapon that's more satisfying to use.
Up Close Damage - Through incredible new advancements in shotgun technology (or something like that), the shotgun now deals x1.2 damage when a target is within 3 meters and x1.5 when within 1 meter. That's damage applied per pellet, so getting into some close quarters combat is worth it. It even increases with damage upgrades!
Reworked Sounds - A shotgun should be punchy. A shotgun should have impact. A shotgun should have crunch to it. Remade audio delivers a meatier sound to match it's enhanced destructive capabilities!
Leave A Lasting Impact - Shotgun pellets now leave marks on walls, robots and anything else you feel like shooting. Tweaks to both the regular and upgraded effects increase performance when things get busy in the heat of combat.
NEW ROOMS & ARENAS
TEST YOUR SKILL IN NEW ARENAS
With so many more robots to kill, you'll need some bigger and better places to get busy. Thankfully a selection of new arenas and rooms are available to smash your way through.
New Tech Arena: Energy Power Flow Control - A place this big needs a lot of power. Enter one of the large energy flow rooms and hope for the best when fiddling with the controls. Maybe you'll even stumble into somewhere you shouldn't be?
New Cells Arena: The Dusty Breach - Want to taste fresh air? See what's outside with your own eyes? Be my guest. Just don't trip over the ledge. This dual floor arena is a hotbed for snipers with the high ground, so clean up first if you want to enjoy the view.
New Cells Arena: Lockdown Protocols - They want to stop you with one lousy gate? Good luck. Find the controls, cycle the gate and keep an eye out. The reinforcements might not like you flipping switches.
New Cells Room: Hydro Junction - Gain access to the Hydro decks or stick on your journey through the cell blocks, the choice is yours. Be warned, it's a one way trip.
A number of existing rooms and arenas have received balancing tweaks, minor redesigns and bugfixes too.
NEW COLLECTABLE: AUDIO LOGS
AUDIO LOGS
There's only so long you can blow up robots before you need a break. Check out the new Audio Logs section of the Robodex and hear some intercepted recordings to hopefully gain a sense of what on earth is happening around you. Or maybe you'll just find two Protodroids asking "why are we here". Find these new collectables throughout arenas, rooms and boss fights, marked by a blue pinging glow and buzzing when nearby.
NEW MUSIC
TWO NEW TRACKS TO FIGHT WITH
New music will accompany your rampage, with one new Gameplay track for general fighting in arenas and rooms, and one new Boss track to go alongside the Scrap Magnet Redux.
New Gameplay Track - LOWDOWN COMBAT
New Boss Track for Scrap Magnet - ROBOTIC ORGANS
VOICEBOX TWEAKS
Sometimes things can get a little rowdy with everyone trying to talk at once. After some couples therapy, counselling and a reworked enemy voice system, bots now have a bit more respect for each other and will take turns berating you in a considerate manner.
NEW ABILITY: MELEE
Somebody asked for this. This was actual feedback. Frankly, I don't know why you'd want to. You have a shotgun, right? It's already close range? It has unlimited ammo? Why punch when you can shoot?! Well, whatever. You can now punch with the butt of your shotgun with [F], for whatever reason you'd want to. It's damage even increases when you get damage upgrades for the shotgun, just in case you thought I wasn't taking this seriously. I'm just happy to make someone's day. You can stop emailing now.
WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF THINGS!
This update has been a long time in the making, but a lot of work behind the scenes is being deployed as part of this update and will make room for some very exciting things in the future. Stay tuned for more, but in the meantime grab your weapons (ah, sorry, just weapon for now) and blow some metal.
Of course, if you find any bugs, issues or have general thoughts, feel free to contact the Breakout email or post in the discussions.