Hello everyone!
v1.4.2 is now live! This is the first non-beta game update in a while, so I’ve added a summary of everything that’s changed since v1.3.1 down below. The beta option for builds has been temporarily disabled but will be re-enabled likely with v1.4.3 as we continue to work towards the big changes coming with v2.0.
IMPORTANT! If you have time, please give the new Starter Decks a whirl. I’m in the final weeks (hopefully!) of wrapping up the tabletop version, and I want to make sure everyone feels these are strong decks for new players. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Improved Starter Decks
The Firepower Starter Deck has been reworked to include improved survivability. This deck is intended to be all about guns blazing with little regard for safety or noise, but some players felt it left them a little too exposed--especially for a “Starter” Deck, which shouldn’t have new players feeling overwhelmed (or underwhelmed, depending on your viewpoint). By hiding behind some 1-cost Protectors, or utilizing Medics, your heavy hitters should be a bit safer as they lay waste to the enemy. Just remember that using Ranged Weapons can create a lot of quick resources for the Fallen.
Likewise, the Firepower’s Base has been changed from Resource+ to Draw+, so you will now draw an extra card at the start of every turn. This gives you far more options to work with, and you can also salvage the extra cards if you would still prefer that extra resource instead.
While the Last Stand deck has been left alone, the Scavengers Starter Deck has been given one major improvement in the form of a unique new Base: Stealth Assault (which we learned the deck-builder automatically abbreviates as “Stealth Ass”). The Stealth Assault Hideout deals 1 DMG anytime an enemy is Stealth Killed. This will help the trickier Scavengers deck chip away at the Fallen Hive even without attacking it directly. A small but substantial change that should add even more viability to all of the stealth-related units and cards in the game.
For a bit more of a deeper dive on the new Starter Decks, I’ve recorded a video as well:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1318662793
As mentioned at the top, I’d like to take this opportunity to get feedback on the Starter Decks, since once the tabletop version ships, I won’t be able to edit them freely like I can with the Steam version. Feel free to post in the comments below, in the general discussion forum, or by emailing me: [email protected]. Thanks!
Other
- Fixed a typo in the Flare Gun tooltip
- Unit twitching should be a little more stable when set to extreme parameters (still not perfect yet, though!)
- Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
None. The game runs 100% perfectly all the time on all computers and there is no chance of any bugs ever happening to anyone, ever....................... :rcry:
***PREVIOUS UPDATES SINCE v1.3.1***
v1.4.1 Changelog
General
- Improved support for non-1080p monitors
- Custom Hardcore Decks can now be saved
- Adjusted the input options in the game launcher
- Improved support for aspect ratios aside from 16:9
- Added a debug system that will allow us to track AI issues better
- Added the foundation for user-generated localizations (more on this in a future update)
- Decreased AI timeout limit to 45 seconds (turn will automatically end if the AI gets frozen)
UI
- Increased the size of Fallen slash FX
- Traps have been relocated to the corners of the screen
- Added Loading Screens when signing in or transitioning from the main menu to a match
Loading screens will be generated with a random image and a random tip. The tips should help remind players of key rules or suggest new cards/strategies, while the images are a nice way to see some of the artwork up close.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug that displayed the incorrect turn number when playing against the Fallen
- Fixed a bug that displayed the incorrect cost for the Pepper Spray item
- Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
Depending on your Unit Twitching settings, you may experience some visual bugs when units search, attack, or die while twitching. This feature is still experimental and we’re working towards stabilizing it.
I hope to start rolling out updates a little faster than we have over the last several months, so please stay tuned for some cool new stuff soon!
v1.4 Changelog
Variants 2.0 (WIP)
- Variants are no longer consumable
- Hardcore-specific decks can now be saved in the Hardcore Deck-builder
- Variants max out at 03 in the deck-builder, except for Heroes/Horrors which max out at 01
The first stage of overhauling the Variants system is in place. I haven’t received much feedback about the Variants/Hardcore mode at all, but the little I have heard is that most people don’t seem to like the idea. I think it’s partially my fault for not having a tutorial or way to better explain the reason I designed Variants the way I did, and I think it’s also due somewhat to the current climate of games in general, thanks to players feeling burnt by Battlefront II and a million other games with various questionable approaches to making money or dragging out gameplay, etc. And that’s totally understandable.
Since I don’t want my little experimental mode to hover over this game as a unanimously unenjoyable aspect, or all the work that was put into it to go to waste, Variants are getting remixed considerably, starting with the fact that they are no longer consumable.
This is only the first step of Variants 2.0, though. Variants as they are now are way too OP and every single one of them is getting rebalanced to take into account that they’ll no longer be consumable. This change and more will happen over the next few months leading up the v2.0 launch. Everyone’s Booster Packs / Variants will be getting reset upon launching v2.0 to account for these changes, so don’t worry about losing or wasting anything you’ve already opened/used.
As always, your feedback is welcome!
Capped In-Play Units to Six
In an effort to tighten up the game and keep matches more balanced and intense, the in-play unit cap per player has been reduced from 8 to 6. This is not final, so feel free to sound off on your thoughts after giving it some time, but I do think it tightens the game up considerably. Neither side can drastically outnumber the other side as often, which should especially help the Survivors.
Note that for the longest time, the max unit cap was actually 5, with no Bases. We eventually made it 8 just to see if we could, and that number stuck. This also has the added benefit of allowing us to enlarge the units so the cards and text are featured more prominently.
The way Traps and Bases are displayed has also been changed temporarily to account for the new size/spacing, but will be further adjusted in a future update.
Twitching/Fidgeting
Units will now twitch (Fallen) and fidget/shiver (Survivors) at random intervals and intensity. This is a small thing I’ve wanted to add for a while, as I feel it makes the units and game feel more alive. When coupled with some of the upcoming audio improvements, the characters should feel a less flat.
This is just one more step towards making Z. feel like a horror movie disguised as a card game! Or is it a card game disguised as a horror movie?!
Note: By pressing Shift+T during a match, you can actually edit various parameters for Survivor and Fallen twitching. Feel free to mess around with it!
Unit Placement
You now have much more control over where your units can be placed. Instead of a single unit placement field, there a six individual unit positions. When playing a unit, you can choose which one you want that unit to be played to.
Enhanced Audio Sliders
Added audio sliders for the following:
- Ambiance
- Music (none currently implemented)
- SFX
- UI
- Voice (none currently implemented)
Game Launcher Permanently Enabled
We have re-enabled Z.’s launcher and will leave it on permanently, now. This should help players encountering resolution issues when playing on unusual or unsupported resolutions. We’re also aware of several resolution issues and are actively looking to resolve them with the next major build.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug where Keys would float under a unit’s equipped items
- Fixed a bug where Fallen loot was not visible to the Survivor player
- Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
- Various resolution issues when not playing in 1080p. We are looking into fixes for these, so please report them if you see them
- A possible issue with in-play units disappearing but still being active due to the enlarged images; please report any instances of this should you encounter it
- Pepper Spray costs 2 but is shown as only costing 1
v1.3.2 Changelog
New Feature: Magnifier
I’ve seen a handful of people comment that the text is too small in Z. If you’re playing as intended (fullscreen 1080p) this shouldn’t be an issue, but I also realize some players may have Z. windowed while multitasking, or are sitting further away from their display, etc.
To this end, a magnifying glass effect can now be triggered by pressing and holding the right mouse button. A couple of notes:
- The magnifier is a rectangle shape to help read tooltips better.
- Tooltips will freeze in place when the magnifier is activated.
So you need to hover over the card you want to magnify first, trigger the tooltip, and then magnify it. For example:
I hope this helps anyone who was having text legibility issues.
Card Changes
- Added a tooltip to Jordyn’s Drone A
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug where Supply Run mutators would persist in other modes
- Fixed a UI issue when opening the How to Play screen from the Main Menu
- Enabled logging in while the game wasn’t the active application
- Fixed a bug where Stay Alert IV wouldn’t draw a card
- Fixed multiple UI issues in the deck-builder
- Fixed a bug where LeeAnna’s Machine Gun showed as Non-Combat
- Fixed a bug where shooting a Barricade with a Rocket Launcher would attack the Fallen instead of the Survivors
- Fixed a bug where Snipers with Overwatch wouldn’t shoot enemy units discovered by searching/roaming
- Fixed a bug with replacing weapons and finding equipment (h/t to Le pompon)