Update 0.5.2

What We Have Been Working On

• Upcoming Campaign Levels and Character Skills
  • Planet Part I is moving steadily and will soon be going through dev testing
  • Planet Sentinel Part I and III are currently in dev testing and early art passes!
  • (Please note that each of these planets will take several months to fully implement, test, and go live, but this last cycle’s progress represents a major milestone for Phase Four!)
  • New Character Skills are currently in development and will be ready for the next update!
  • Watch the Discord channel to stay informed with the latest screenshots and dev news

Solar Purge Wins First Place!

• On January 21st & 22nd Hitscan Games visited the ATG Expo in Waco, TX
• There we had the opportunity to meet with both old and new fans and showcase the game
• We also won 1st Place in the Indie Game Competition!

v0.5.2

Campaign

• Tutorial Popups
  • Created a new UI element to explain game mechanics to players
  • These will mostly appear in Lockjaw and the Training Room but will ultimately be used whenever new elements appear for the first time in-game
  • This is still a work-in-progress and the timing of each popup will adjust over time based on play-testing and feedback

Characters

• Character Select Skill Descriptions
  • Updated language on the short skill description during Character Select to prevent an error with the window resizing:
    • Stryker Barrage updated to say 'Aerial Rocket Strike'
    • Engineer Healing Drone updated to say 'Team Health Regen'
    • Assassin Warp Dash updated to say 'Move Through Foes'
    • Juggernaut Overcharge updated to say 'Boost Melee & Shields'

General Updates and Fixes

• Gameplay
  • Fixed several issues preventing co-op players from spawning/de-spawning correctly
  • Major under-the-hood updates to NPC dialogue (this will make dialogue changes and (potentially) future localization much easier)
  • Disabled Escape input during cutscenes
  • New and updated AOE effects for Assassin Slash skill, Stryker Barrage skill, Juggernaut Energy Drain skill, Medastia poison and Kamikaze Bot detonation radius
  • Fixed Juggernaut Plasma Shield skill dome deployment animation
  • Stryker Barrage skill Updates:
    • Increased Level 1 rockets to 10
    • Increased Level 2 rockets to 15
    • Increased Level 3 rockets to 20

• UI
  • Fixed an issue causing the HUD to disappear when picking up weapons and there are 4 players available
  • Added new keyboard and mouse input icons
  • SP skill points now appears on screen when 1 unused point is available
  • Adding extra players from the Pause Menu now requires holding the button for 1 second instead of a press
  • Player 1 can no longer attempt to drop out
  • Updated icon for Juggernaut Overcharge skill
  • New Hitscan studio intro splash screen

• Training Room
  • Added new tutorial popups to explain basic movement, weapon control, and the various practice zones
  • Updated the controller and keyboard Instructions in the starting area
  • Major overhaul to the Trap Room to include spike traps
  • Basic Training modes now cannot begin until the player has started the mission
  • Fixed an issue in Live Fire Training where one group of Spyders would not attack the player
  • Restored music in the level
  • Corrected a long-standing collision error at the back of the Combat Sim Library – players can now move to the edge of the room
  • Added new level geometry to the Slayer Mission Training
  • Removed the primary ammo kiosks from the Armories

• Genesis II Station
  • Fixed some minor art errors in the floor of the Command Core
  • Corrected several grammatical and spelling errors in NPC dialogue
  • Added New Warp gate in view of hangar
  • Minor Art updates
  • Lighting Optimizations

• Lockjaw Mining
  • Added tutorial popups throughout the level (this has temporarily affected the comic timing of the Prison Attendant but a future update will both restore this dialogue and better space out the popups)
  • Updated the art by the locked door to Mineral Processing to prevent confusion on where to go
  • Solved a long-standing bug preventing enemies from moving through the opened gates at the end of the Mining Floor
  • Created very short cutscenes to show what has happened after players unlock doors
  • Zoomed out the camera slightly while activating the Manipulator Crane in Loading Zone A to better showcase what is happening
  • Made art and gameplay updates to the Security Checkpoint area at the end of the Mining Floor – both doors are now useful to check but only one will allow the player to move forward
  • Fixed players’ starting weapon names for consistency with dropped weapons
  • Adjusted the height of the staircase leading out of the Mining Floor Security Checkpoint to solve a collision issue some players were having at the top of the stairs
  • Moved the falling debris at the staircase by the end of the Processing Transfer area so it can no longer catch on the lowest stair and end up floating
  • Slight adjustment to the continue point nearby to give players room to respawn
  • Added new post processing FX
  • Added new elevator introduction sequence
  • Art, Visual FX and Lighting optimizations
  • Fixed respawn locations for mini boss mech warden fight
  • Fixed Skolac dialogue

• Lockjaw Cell Blocks
  • Updated the Manipulator Crane art for consistency with Mining
  • Updated Skorlac dialogue icon
  • Art, Visual FX and Lighting updates and optimizations
  • Added extra wall lights to guide players
  • Fixed several Z-Fighting issues near Cellblock A
  • Fixed missing lower cellblock floors
  • Fixed overlapping Voice Over dialogue for Prison Attendant

• Titus
  • Fixed drill startup timing logic

• Titus Queen’s Nest
  • HUD now appears when the level starts

• Oterion Jungle
  • Filled in some missing art assets in the cliff face by the edge of the dam
  • Solved an issue where some players were getting stuck when trying to move onto and off of the landing pad
  • Players can no longer flee from B3-L1-4L during the miniboss battle (this was causing an edge case where it could despawn and prevent player progress)
  • Updated Signposts in the Boomtown area to fix icon size errors and missing dialogue
  • Restored Nent’s unique dialogue when speaking to Assassin
  • Made behind-the-scenes fixes to the Data Module quest and added branching dialogue when interacting with the Decoder Terminals while holding various numbers of modules
  • The Entry Key in the Forward Base is now collectible, and must be retrieved from the lockers before the player can proceed with the mission
  • Updated art and some dialogue in the Forward Base
  • Art, Visual FX and Lighting updates and optimizations

• Oterion Lost City
  • New Voice Over dialogue for Dr. Hadley (Plays when entering the Grassy Clearing)
  • Art, Visual FX, Audio and Lighting updates and optimizations
  • New screen FX for rain
  • Increased waterfall resolution
  • Fixed missing Visual FX details

• Oterion Ruined Sanctum
  • Added energy waves from the broken Glyph Cube to the water in the second and third Puzzle Path rooms

• Oterion Guardian Sanctum
  • Cleaned up navigation along the edge of the boss arena and in the Artifact chamber
  • Improved the collision in the floor geometry, which should prevent players getting stuck on the seams between stone blocks

• Holochamber
  • Updated hologram art for Mission kiosks
  • Art, Visual FX and Lighting optimizations

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