A big new update has been released for BlastZone 2! (v1.29.0.0)
The flagship feature for this update is a completely new scripted particle system. It uses a powerful scripting system for advanced effects and highly customizable animations, and incorporates all the optimizations of the existing explosion particle system, simulating up to millions of particles at once. A simple example particle script has been included in the “test_pack_1” level pack, but isn’t used yet other than that. A huge update is in the works to fully leverage this new particle system. It will flesh out the battlefield of ships around you and add new effects, such as volumetric clouds, trees, and smoking fissures, among others. More details will be announced soon, so watch for it!
Also included in this update is a new level selection screen. This changes the layout of the screen, adds descriptions of each of the levels and bosses, and shows a background preview for each of the areas. These give much better context and information before choosing a level so the player has a better idea of the style of gameplay to expect ahead of time.
A number of netcode improvements have been made including a TCP_NODELAY parameter and timing adjustments for DirectIP multiplayer communication to significantly reduce latency. The Steamworks multiplayer UDP netcode has received a number of improvements as well to reduce latency and improve handling of high object counts. It now strictly complies with packet size limits on a broader range of routers to fix reported issues. There are also a few general bug fixes for both Steamworks and DirectIP netcode, including improved particle effect precision, corrected particle effect types, and improved packet error detection. All of the above improvements and more provide a much better online multiplayer experience.
There are a number of other improvements included in this update as well. Here are the full release notes for v1.29.0.0:
- Redesigned the Level Selection screen -Changed the level selection menu to use a smaller font and a smaller window at the top of the screen -Reorganized the layout of the level and boss selections -Changes the background environment to match the level the cursor is pointing to -Added descriptions for each level and boss
- Added a new scriptable particle system for Mission mode -This is a very powerful, completely customizable, and highly optimized particle system -Capable of up to millions of precisely designed particle patterns at high performance -Can be used for numerous effects, such as volumetric clouds -Particles can be attached to elements of the environment to improve immersiveness -Uses a texture atlas to increase variation between particles while maintaining compatibility with performance optimizations -Designed to work with files exported from powerful particle design software, such as Houdini -NOTE: This new particle system is not fully leveraged yet, content is being developed for it
- Updated the "test_pack_1" mission level pack to include sample scriptable particles
- Added a terrain positioning command to the scripting system
- Updated enemy definitions to include an option for localized environment positioning instead of absolute positioning
- Improved Steamworks multiplayer UDP netcode -Now strictly adheres to packet size and flow control standards for most internet routers -The server now sends all split packets as fast as possible instead of waiting for the next update tick to reduce latency -Improved packet error detection
- Improved DirectIP(TCP) multiplayer netcode -Added the TCP_NODELAY parameter to reduce latency by eliminating Nagle buffering -Eliminated client-side wait timer to reduce latency; timing is now completely server-side controlled -Eliminated explicit server-side packet splitting to handle it through TCP without waiting for the next update tick -This improves the client side update rate when many objects are on screen
- Enemy bullet detail is now proportional to the "Particle Detail" setting -Enemy bullet detail is determined by the maximum total amount of "shadows" rendered on screen -Old static enemy bullet detail limit: 500 -New scalable enemy bullet detail limits: -Off: 0 -Low: 125 -Normal: 250 -High: 500 -VeryHigh: 1000
- Changed behavior when the game loses focus -Disables sound and music -Limits the framerate to 20fps
- Fixed low precision client side positioning of foreground particle effects in online multiplayer
- Fixed incorrect client side particle effect when holding a level 1 or level 2 charge in online multiplayer
- Slight optimization for cloud plane rendering
- Increased the foreground particle limit for all detail levels by 67%
- Optimized rendering matrix calculations in many areas
As usual, to make sure you have the latest update, launch the game and check the lower left corner of the title screen for “v1.29.0.0” or higher. Enjoy!