Early Access Update Fyrtiosex (46)
build id: 5D23E768 5D240A1F
nornware AB is happy to announce a new update to Space Beast Terror Fright.
HOTFIX BUILD
A hotfix build is now online (build id: 5D240A1F) that addresses the following issues identified in Early Access Update 46:
- Fixed joining private parties (bug introduced with the shift to the latest network implementation). The caveat is that you must now be friends with the party host, it is no longer sufficient to be friends with someone in the party.
NEW REINFORCEMENT RULES
Ever since it was introduced, the option to have reinforcements in-mission (dead players will respawn as new characters after 30 seconds) has been quite contentious. The original intent was to effectively increase the amount of time a given player was actually playing the game as opposed to being dead and waiting for the next mission; as this was when peer2 was the current network implementation the game was technically limited by needing to tear down the mission for everyone when someone left the game.
Since then the current client-server network implementation has been deployed, and as it is now possible to join and leave a mission at any time the dynamics of having reinforcements changes somewhat. I have opted to keep the option in the game for the time being as it appears from feedback in the forums that some players appreciate how reinforcements make the game a bit more forgiving, not least for beginner players. However, I completely understand the opposing feeling that reinforcements undermine the hard-core nature of the game.
While upcoming (planned) changes to the networking implementation may change things further, in the short-term I have opted for a slight modification of reinforcement rules. As of this update the reinforcements option is no longer binary (no reinforcements / infinite reinforcements), but rather has 8 different settings:
- No reinforcements.
- 1 extra character per player.
- 2 extra character per player.
- 4 extra character per player.
- 8 extra character per player.
- 16 extra character per player.
- 32 extra character per player.
- 64 extra character per player.
The reasons to do it this way and not just as an arbitrary number are technical, but to paraphrase a famous computer science quote: "64 reinforcements should be enough for anyone..."
NEW REACTOR OVERLOAD EFFECTS
I have implemented some more "flavor" to the reactor overload sequence, definitely a work in progress:
- Music now behaves like in power failure mode while reactor is overloading, emphasizing the klaxon and warning announcements.
- Emissive textures now flash more wildly while reactor is overloading.
- More "noise in the air" / heat shimmer and color modulation.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Party host mission settings are now persistent in networked mode.
- The Randomize All option now randomizes properly in networked games.
- Fixed layout of character info text in minor screens in splitscreen mode 3.
- Moved science display to make room for picture-in-pictures.
- Fixed the font scale for picture-in-picture player info.
- Protected from rare case when a creep is fenced and attaches during the same tick; effects would reference an invalid creep.
- Attached bullet marks to the reactor shield.
- Fixed gibs spinning / bleeding in fences.
- Fixed "ghosted" gib sizzle.
As always, thank you for your support and patience.
/nornware AB c/o johno
nornware Dev Feed
nornware on Facebook
nornware on Twitter
nornware on YouTube