Update 1 is the first "real" update for Null Vector. It contains some new parts, a new room type, a lot of balance changes (including changes to scoring, machines, and various loot tables), support for the PS4 controller, and difficulty "Modifiers". The full change list is at the bottom of this post.
Modifiers are an optional way of altering the rules and difficulty of the game. Once unlocked and enabled, modifiers will not only make the game more challenging, but give a bonus score percentage. This gives the potential for much higher scores, but at the cost of added challenges. You can access the Modifiers menu from the main menu.
I hope everyone is enjoying the game so far. A lot of your suggestions from the discussion boards made it into the update, either directly (Rocket starting AoE, Exchange machine, loot room duplicates) or indirectly (more consistent Shield part drops, score on damage). Please let me know in the discussion board what you think or if you have any suggestions on the update!
Enjoy!
- Alex (Optical Override)
Full change log:
Content:
- new "Challenge" room type (optional, high risk/high reward room)
- Modifiers that change the difficulty/rules of the game when enabled. Unlocked by beating the game in various ways. (5 modifiers)
- 2 new room obstacle configurations
- new part added: "Piercing"
- new part added: "Laser Bot"
- new part added: "Rocket Bot"
Balance:
- Parts: Accuracy part removed, Laser now increases accuracy
- Parts: Shield II removed (too OP for current difficulty, may return later)
- Parts: Shield will spawn more consistently (based on an increasing probability and guaranteed every N drops, where N gradually increases after each drop)
- Parts: Rocket area of effect starts larger (but increases slower with each Rocket part than before)
- Parts: Multi-Shot II drop rate slightly reduced
- Parts: Helper Bot I and II minor rebalancing (bullet and behavior)
- Scoring: each unit of damage done to an enemy now adds 1 point (including units of damage beyond the enemy's max HP)
- Machines: Converter now has a limited number of uses before self destruct (3)
- Machines: Exchange loot tables fixed (should produce more interesting deals and no more "1 HP for 2 HP")
- Loot: the treasure room (AKA the item room/store/loot room) now produces 2 unique items
- Loot: MaxHP slightly more likely
- Loot: MaxHP+2 removed, HP+2 less likely
- Loot: loot tables changed for Chests (slightly less loot likely)
- Loot: probability for crystal drop on room complete 50% less for rooms with 2 and 3 waves
- Enemy: Transporter collider stays active but shrinks in size while moving
- Enemy: Saucer slightly faster ascent/descent and movement speed
- Boss: limited the number of enemy waves that spawn during the 3rd pattern
Bugs:
- possible fix for extended black screen between the Optical Override splash and the main menu (let me know through the discussion boards or by email if this doesn't help, I'll make a patch)
- powerups no longer spawn outside the map
- player can no longer get stuck if a machine spawns on them (by killing last enemy while in upper right corner)
- Rocket can now hit things in the air (when using Homing Shot for example)
- the rotating lasers in the boss' 3rd attack pattern are now frame rate independent
Additional Changes:
- PS4 controller is now supported
- changed the player ship damage sound effects
- can now bypass the count-up displayed on Game Over and final screen by pressing interact
- Rocket's "flash" of white effect shortened (could easily blind yourself with multiple Rocket projectiles)
- limited the number of frames slow time can last when hitting an enemy (to exaggerate player bullet impact) to avoid what seemed like FPS drop
- small delay added before machines allow interact input (to stop accidental interactions before the menu fully appeared)
- added "Press [Interact] to Start" on first run of main menu (to avoid confusion on how to interact with menu)