Alpha 64

With this week’s update, all of the in-game text for 1.0 has been finalized and sent off for localization (though I’ll probably end up making some changes here and there). I’ve also made a bunch of bug fixes, and did some work on the console ports.

For the next couple of months, you’re mostly going to be seeing “polish” updates, meaning lots of bug and balance fixes. There are literally 400+ of issues that are on my radar, with more being reported every day. I’d like for the game to be as stable and polished as I can feasibly get it for 1.0, and the coming months should finally give me the opportunity to do a bit of much-needed catch-up in this department.

That said, I have a bunch of new mutators ready to go that I was planning to dump out on the game’s 1.0 release. I may end up drip-feeding these in the coming updates so you folks have something new to gnaw on.

I’ll also be continuing to work on aspects of the console ports, mostly performance fixes and other random tasks, plus some marketing this-and-thats. The remaining work is being done by an external team. We haven’t entered certification yet, but we’re hoping to do so in the coming weeks. The official release date for 1.0 and the console releases is still “Winter”.

This week’s Fortnight Discussion: Game balance, since I haven't done a discussion on that since June. What are your biggest issues with the game balance right now? What abilities, items, etc. do you find overpowered or useless? What aspects of the game do you find just plain unfair?

Alpha 64

Text

• Added interaction text for a number of characters that previously had none, and just more in general
• Signposts have been added to more levels
• Added some new protips
• Added clarification to Sneaky Fingers description
• Added text for when the Mayor is enslaved at the game’s ending
• Bunch of other random new text

Graphics

• Alterations to Medium lighting
• Screen goes to black correctly when exiting the game from the Daily Run game over screen, character select screen and other instances where it previously didn’t
• Fix for NPCs sometimes appearing to still have their hat on after it is stolen by the Thief
• Fix for Firefighter’s Water Cannon not appearing when they are lying on the ground
• Fix for Generators sometimes appearing larger than they were meant to
• Fix for certain NPCs appearing to be one-armed after becoming Zombies

UI / Controls

• Current seed is always shown on the Esc menu, even if the player did not enter one
• Credits list added to main menu
• Adjusted camera during gamepad aiming with thrown weapons so the player doesn’t get scrolled off-screen
• Fix for character selection boxes not animating
• Fix for Esc menu mutator display not always showing all information
• Fix for hacker’s targeting sometimes getting immediately canceled after the player pressed the left trigger button on the gamepad
• Fix for Jock sometimes not regaining control after charging
• Potential fix for instances where Trip animation can play repeatedly
• Potential fix for player falling into hole and not reappearing
• Fix for player running out of ammo in a rapid-fire weapon and immediately shooting the rapid-fire weapon that he switches to
• Non-violent projectile weapons will not switch to violent projectile weapons when ammo runs out
• Removed “Friends” filter from online game listings (wasn’t actually supposed to be there and doesn’t work)
• Fix for some instances where player was only offered two traits at the end of a level
• Fix for player aiming in the wrong direction when Confused, using the gamepad, and not holding the right-stick
• Fix for “Floor Complete” text not always showing in online multiplayer mode
• Fix for elevator prompt appearing twice when it wasn’t supposed to

Playfield Objects

• Fix for hitting Lasers with melee weapons not working properly
• Fix for Refrigerators sometimes not having collision
• If the player uses the Podium without wearing the Mayor’s Hat, it will be automatically equipped
• Fix for Door Detonator appearing above “use key” options when interacting with doors

Items

• Fix for Molotov Cocktail exploding after being hit into walls after being dropped on the ground (it’s only meant to explode when thrown)
• Player will not aim as well with rapid fire weapons if they try to repeatedly tap the mouse button (this was previously exploitable since the first shot is typically more accurate)

Status Effects / Traits / Special Abilities

• Acid is now called Sulfuric Acid
• Clumsiness Accepted is now called Clumsiness Forgiven
• Fix for player losing Camouflage when opening Do Not Enter doors
• Fix for NPCs being able to Resurrect after falling into holes
• Fix for multiplayer client’s Zombie Phlegm not taking effect if it did the killing blow on an enemy
• Fix for instances where player could not Camouflage despite having no one around them
• Fix for water not appearing on the ground when shooting the Water Cannon at certain walls
• Fix for player being able to knock down Lockdown Walls with Wall Walloper
• Fix for using Cigarettes at the last second of Feelin’ Alright and still going into Withdrawal
• No In-Fighting and similar traits will not prevent Firefighters from hitting Arsonists

Big Quests

• Fix for cases where Wrestler (and possibly others) Big Quest could state the floor is clear, but the elevator says otherwise

Disasters

• Players with Wanted, Fair Game or Ideological Clash will not get Bounty disaster

Level Generation

• Oil spills will not appear inside buildings

Artificial Intelligence

• Mayor may be found wandering around the level with guards
• Arsonist will only appear if they are currently visible on camera
• NPCs are better at avoiding Saw Blades
• Fix for the player’s followers sometimes getting scared of other followers due to Fair Game
• If a weapon is knocked out of an enemy’s hands, they won’t immediately try to pick it back up
• Fix for NPCs hiding in bushes not getting angry when being sprayed by water
• Fix for NPCs not falling down holes when they are incapacitated (Frozen, Dizzy, etc.) on a Conveyor Belt
• Better AI during Lockdown - Cops will become hostile toward NPCs with whom they are not aligned who are outside of their homes
• Mayor will not mutiny if enslaved
• Enslaved Upper-Crusters and the Mayor will not attempt to run away when facing danger

Performance

• Various performance improvements

Alpha 64b (November 16)

• Fix for player’s left arm sometimes turning into the thrown item that they were previously holding
• Water Cannon/Chloroform Hankie/Sticky Glove are shown at the same time as thrown items
• Fix for some instances of NPCs ignoring people to whom they were meant to be hostile
• Player cannot “offer motivation” to Office Drone when they are Enslaved
• Fix for Syringe identifications not resetting at the end of a game
• Fix for Syringe colors not being the same when using the same seed
• Fix for tooltip remaining on the screen if the player had their mouse over a toolbar item and then pressed a hotkey to use that item
• Fix for objects not spilling out of an object being carried by the Wrestler when the Wrestler is a multiplayer client and is killed
• Fix for multiplayer client Wrestler not being able to pick up objects anymore after dying while holding an object
• Fix for movie screen not being destroyed when nearby walls are destroyed
• Water from Water Cannon and Fire Extinguisher cannot pass through doors and windows
• Added Kick and Ban buttons to the gamepad chat buttons list
• Fix for issues on multiplayer client with not being able to move after tripping over multiple banana peels in a short timespan

Alpha 64c

• Fix for password-protected games being joinable if the password was left blank
• Fix for people sometimes having incorrect arm sprites
• Fixed cases where people’s arms were not visible after death
• Fix for a down arrow sometimes appearing in the top-right inventory slot

Alpha 64d (November 17)

• Fix for bug where a key would sometimes be pressed repeatedly every frame for seemingly no reason
• Naked NPCs appear properly on the Missions screen
• Fix for Hologram Bigfoot sometimes not appearing correctly
• Fix for credits list appearing the second time the player starts the game

Alpha 64e (November 18)

• Added a bunch of new sound effects
• Fix for passwords in online multiplayer games not always working
• Potential fix for NPCs in multiplayer games spawning at the lower-left corner of the map
• Potential fix for Slime Puddle sometimes appearing as a pink square
• Fix for Research Gun sound effect continuing to play if the player was knocked into a pit or under certain other circumstances