BIG Update #9 "Hail to the Chieftan" Released!

Hey there!

Back to back BIG updates - wow! Good things come to those who wait. We've got a new enemy, better skyboxes and lighting, better visual polish and clarity, and more!

Here's the full list of changes:

KAGOROX CHIEFTANS

• Added a new monster - the kagorox chieftan! They are now present in Rainforest II.
• Green chieftans empower nearby enemies with the gift of regeneration, and yellow chieftans with speed.

SKYBOXES

• Added new skyboxes and lighting for all levels.
• Objects in the world are now factored into the world's shadows. (This can be disabled in the settings menu.)

VISUAL POLISH

• Improved the portal display so there's greater color depth.
• Added a new color for closed portals (or portals that won't have any enemies during the next wave).
• Fields now have proper icons. These have been applied to the fields XP level screen as well.
• Added visual effects for the fields.
• Added visual effects for Space Jam.
• Added visual effects for each of the enemy status effects.
• Overhauled the screen shake system. Events (weapon firing, taking damage, etc.) now have their own unique screen shake.
• Added a new in-depth display showing when an item has spawned at the item platform. This only applies to the normal difficulty setting.
• Hunters now produce a small dust cloud when hitting the ground after being killed.
• Metroplex now has some subtle dust particles in the air.
• Improved the highlight around newly acquired items on the inventory screen.

NEW & IMPROVED

• Kain's Bravestar can now be used to deflect enemy missiles by hitting them with your swing.
• Amp fields now stay active until everything leaves the field.
• Marking fields now apply marks to a set number of enemies before going on cooldown.
• Increased the duration of level 2 gravity fields from 3 seconds to 4, and level 3 gravity fields from 4 to 8.
• Lowered the amount of XP required to level up for all levels.
• Moved Giggordo's regen and power totems closer the boss portal.
• Giggordo now summons one cluster of monsters in world 1, and 2 clusters of monsters in world 2 (used to be 3 for both).
• Giggordo's regen totems are now stronger in world 2.
• The charger is now a consumable item that can be used any time you like - rather than a pickup.
• Renamed the "charger" to "shield charger".
• Slightly improved the numerical display of damage dealt, and reduced memory overhead.
• Added the "tons" option for the amount of decals that can be present.
• Fired rockets now have a delay before emitting particles.

FIXES

• Fixed a bug causing monsters to get stuck against the wall.
• Doomwalkers now fully play their explosion sound - instead of stopping once they blow apart.
• Fixed some issues with enemy VFX not carrying over properly from portals into the world.
• The medal displayed after you beat a boss is now a reflection of your performance at the boss.
• Fixed a crash occurring when deadeyes fire during a power shot.
• Fixed monsters not responding properly to destroyed barricades.
• When getting a locked item type through the gambling shop, the inventory screen/shops now show you as having that item, rather than the locked icon.
• Fixed the Blazar sometimes not playing its overheat animation.
• Fixed some issues with the wave bottom message display.
• Fixed a glitch with Giggordo causing his intro animation to play constantly in the Rainforest.
• Fixed an issue with the Bravestar where the impact VFX would play at a range different from the actual slash area.
• Fixed some loading related lag after restoring a save.
• Fixed an issue with blending to/from animations with a randomized start time.
• Fixed the missing doomwalker explosion sound when overkilled.
• Fixed a bug making items spawn higher than they should when continuing.
• Fixed a bug causing you to look north instead of east when east has more open terrain.
• Fixed a rendering issue causing the display inside portals to glitch if other portals are in view as well.

Thanks everyone! We'll see you out there in the Exoverse.