In addition to some awesome new features, such as hero switching and voice chat, this patch introduces some balancing alterations and numerous improvements and fixes to areas like the queuing system. Be sure to check out the full list of patch notes below.
Hero Switching
Hero Switching is now enabled in Friendly matches by default, and Custom matches if the host of the match enables it. This allows you to choose a different hero when you have been killed. Be aware that switching your hero, or their block loadout, will destroy any blocks which you have placed which are not available to all heroes.
Voice Chat
A preliminary version of voice chat is now present. You will only be heard in the Hero Select screen and in a match. Only your team will hear anything you say over voice chat. You can turn voice chat off completely in the settings menu if you do not wish to hear other players (Settings > Audio). This will stop you hearing anything other players are saying, and will stop you from being heard by other players.
Queuing
- There is now a loud warning when a match has been found.
- If the Block N Load window does not have focus (either alt-tabbed out or minimized) when a match is found the icon in the taskbar will light up.
- There is no longer an option to decline a match when it has been found.
- Players either have to accept, or will time-out.
- The second time a player fails to accept a match they will receive a warning message.
- Players who fail to join matches 3 or more times will be blocked from queuing for a short period of time. Continuing to fail to accept matches will result in a longer block on queuing.
- Players who fail to accept the prompt to join a match must confirm the message which appears on their screen before they can re-queue.
Sound
- Improvements to voice over frequency and variety.
- Cap’n Cog from the Skins for the Win pack will now play voice over lines on the Hero Select screen.
- A preliminary version of voice chat is now present. You will only be heard in the Hero Select screen and in a match. Only your team will hear anything you say over voice chat. You can turn voice chat off completely in the settings menu if you do not wish to hear other players (Settings > Audio).
- This will stop you hearing anything other players are saying, and will stop you from being heard by other players.
Settings/Options
- When attempting to bind a key which is already assigned elsewhere to another function a warning prompt will appear.
- Audio menu contains an option to turn voice chat on and off named “Steam Voice”
- Audio menu contains an option to change the voice recording settings between “Off”, “Push To Talk” and “On”. When set to “Off” no voice will be transmitted from your microphone, on “Push To Talk” you will only be heard when holding the assigned key, and when set to “On” your microphone will always transmit to your team.
- Key binding option for push to talk voice chat has been added to the “Controls” menu under “Steam Voice in mode push to talk”.
Visual
- The unlockable Shoji Speed Block skin now has a yellow arrow instead of red.
- Caltrops and Bear Traps are now team coloured.
- Joint between the unlockable Golden Cog skin’s tool and his arm has been improved.
- We have made where you need to click on the respawn select screen (after your hero has died) clearer.
- The barrier present during the build phase has been made more opaque.
- The muzzle flash from Eliza’s Acid Washer tool has received a further reduction in brightness.
- There is now a visual effect to Nigel’s passive ability, Speed Loader, being activated.
- Small improvements to end-game screens including the scoreboard.
Balancing
O.P. Juan Shinobi
As mentioned in Can8dnBen's post on balancing we felt that O.P. still needed a little tweaking, so we have made the following changes:
- Time taken to equip the Shuriken has been slightly increased.
- The time taken for the alternate-fire triple Shuriken attack has been increased.
- Katana can no longer perform critical hits.
- Katana damage lowered slightly.
Gameplay
- Sprockets and Lil’ Buddy turrets no longer take bleed damage.
- Stun effects are no longer applied to players under spawn protection.
- If a Ninja Shrine is blocked and O.P. ‘Juan’ Shinobi cannot teleport back to it when using his active ability the Ninja Shrine will be removed when the ability is used.
- Destroying a Lil’ Buddy turret with your tool will yield 100 bricks.
- Destroying a Sprocket with your tool will yield 100 bricks.
- Using the “Full Size Map” control now correctly displays a large version of the current Arena’s map in the center of the screen.
- Hero Switching is now enabled in Friendly matches by default, and Custom matches if the host of the match enables it. This allows you to choose a different hero when you have been killed. Be aware that switching anything about your hero, for example block load out, will destroy any blocks which you have placed which are not available to all heroes.
- The crosshairs for Al Castone’s Tommy Gun (Skins for the Win DLC) now better represents where the shots will land.
- When aiming at an enemy Hero with Tony’s Caulk Gun the “do not shoot” symbol is no longer displayed.
- Cap on the number of bricks gained from collapsing large structures (block cutting) has been reduced further.
- Hit detection has been improved for Cogwheel’s Cannon.
- Hit detection has been improved for Eliza’s Globe Gun.
- Hit detection has been improved for O.P.’s Katana.
- The toughness of ‘window’ blocks has been reduced making it easier for weapons to destroy glass windows.
- For devices with escalating costs, such as Lil’ Buddy turrets, the number displayed telling you how many you can build now takes into account the cost escalations.
Other/General
- The reasons for reporting another player at the end of the match have been updated to better reflect the issues that have been reported to us. Messaging related to losing merit has been improved.
- Chat message limits are now more strictly enforced to prevent exceptionally long messages from attempting to be sent.
- Some lines of text have been re-worked to improve them, such as the one displayed for selecting a new respawn point after your Hero has been killed.
- For players who have not yet registered a Block N Load display name and email address the two fields now contain examples of what information should be entered.
- Sarge’s Satchel charge is now named C4.
We all know the best way to see the changes is to witness them first-hand, so get in game and let us know your thoughts