The latest update to Infested Planet is out and here are the new features in it:


The campaign has been extended with a new mission - "The Return" - where you face off against an old enemy. You have some help from your army buddies, but you'll have to rescue them first.

This mission steps up the difficulty a bit, by introducing the Guardian mutations to the scripted campaign. You're going to have to figure out how to deal with them.

Fortunately, there's a new technology to help you out.


In the last update the "Reinforcements" tech was made obsolete by the ability to spawn as many marines as you like. In this update, Reinforcements has been completely reworked.

When you build the tech station, helicopters will ferry your respawning marines to the front lines. Instead of having to walk from your territory, they'll be dropped right into battle. This can be incredibly useful if your team is being killed quickly and needs fast reinforcements. You can keep up the pressure on the guardian hives and stop them from regenerating.

The price for this useful tech is 5 BP and an ammo cost every time a helicoper drops off marines. This means that you can't fight a rolling battle forever - eventually you'll run out of resources.

The latest update to Infested Planet is out and here are the new features in it:


The campaign has been extended with a new mission - "The Return" - where you face off against an old enemy. You have some help from your army buddies, but you'll have to rescue them first.

This mission steps up the difficulty a bit, by introducing the Guardian mutations to the scripted campaign. You're going to have to figure out how to deal with them.

Fortunately, there's a new technology to help you out.


In the last update the "Reinforcements" tech was made obsolete by the ability to spawn as many marines as you like. In this update, Reinforcements has been completely reworked.

When you build the tech station, helicopters will ferry your respawning marines to the front lines. Instead of having to walk from your territory, they'll be dropped right into battle. This can be incredibly useful if your team is being killed quickly and needs fast reinforcements. You can keep up the pressure on the guardian hives and stop them from regenerating.

The price for this useful tech is 5 BP and an ammo cost every time a helicoper drops off marines. This means that you can't fight a rolling battle forever - eventually you'll run out of resources.

It's time for yet another Infested Planet update! This one has a lot of gameplay changes. The biggest one is that you can now increase your team size as much as you want by spending BP. The BP cost increases each time, but you can get pretty large teams by the end of the game.

Another big change is that failing campaign missions now gives you partial cash reward. This way you get something if you almost beat a mission, but fail at the last moment. Hopefully this bonus cash allows people to upgrade their team and try again after being licked.

Custom maps include a new raid mode - this is just like the one in the campaign, but you can tweak it yourself now. Oh, and I added a presets page for selecting existing difficulty levels for custom levels. That way you're not always starting with Abyss as a base. For those of you who like to turn up all the dials to 11, the maximum BP cap is now 999.

I've also spent some time rebalancing a couple of mutations. After thinking about it, I didn't like how brutes shut down all bullet weapons. They didn't just make bullets less effective - reflection meant that you had to switch to flamethrowers ASAP. After the change brutes still fill the same role, but they won't cause all bullet classes to kill themselves. Because of the brute change, I also changed the way Calcification works - it creates giant trails of barriers now. Finally, there's a new mutation - Reflection - that makes barriers reflect bullets. It's only on at Abyss mode, if you like that sort of difficulty.

Finally, guardians have been hit by the nerf stick a little bit. They now get hit harder by scouts (whom they can't see any more) and siege cannons. Grenades are more effective towards them as well. This should give you more options in dealing with them.

• Added campaign payment dialog and failed mission payments
  
• Added unlimited marine spawning and UI for it
  
• Added raid mode to custom maps
  
• Added presets to custom game mode
  
• Increased maximum build points to 999
  
• Added a new hive tower layout, radially clumped instead of mixed
  
• Made engineering reduce damage by 4x to buildings (and increase shield projector duration by 2)
  
• Made guardians less likely to flee with more regeneration trips
  
• Removed guardian scout-detecting ability
  
• Made guardians more vulnerable to sap damage
  
• Made guardians more vulnerable to blast damage
  
• Changed Calcification mutation to spawn barriers along swarm paths
  
• Added Reflection mutation that makes barriers reflect bullets
  
• Changed brutes to spawn barriers on death instead of bullet reflect

• Tweaked respawning to prefer proximity to main team
  
• Made double-click attack move an option
  
• Fixed crash with custom mode if there are initial mutations with an empty queue
  
• Removed Wild Mutation
  
• Fixed crash with Abyss raid missions
  
• Fixed typo for Crow's Neck mission
  
• Fixed skirmish and custom mode UI reaction to video mode switches
  
• Fixed text entry on non QWERTY keyboards
  
• Fixed bug with Burrowing Hive in Raid missions
  
• Fixed music switching in custom mode menu
  
• Made GL 2.1 an optional requirement
  
• Fixed email address validation

• Disabled window icon, since it stopped working with SDL2
  
• Fixed inplace button response to mouse in/out events when disabled
  
• Deleted SDLMain.m - not needed in SDL2
  
• Did some research into multiplayer prospects (it's still hard)
  
• Added ability to specify mutation pre-requisites
  
• Fixed lua CallFunction issue
  
• Added ability to drop shadow on text
  
• Added shadow to some UI text
  
• Added CSV exporter to metrics
  
• Changed event sort order for sharing server report
  
• Reduced the number of indexes for event table
  
• Added remote_api access point to sharing server (for bulk loader)
  
• Switched to SDL2 for OSX
  
• OSX compile fixes

It's time for yet another Infested Planet update! This one has a lot of gameplay changes. The biggest one is that you can now increase your team size as much as you want by spending BP. The BP cost increases each time, but you can get pretty large teams by the end of the game.

Another big change is that failing campaign missions now gives you partial cash reward. This way you get something if you almost beat a mission, but fail at the last moment. Hopefully this bonus cash allows people to upgrade their team and try again after being licked.

Custom maps include a new raid mode - this is just like the one in the campaign, but you can tweak it yourself now. Oh, and I added a presets page for selecting existing difficulty levels for custom levels. That way you're not always starting with Abyss as a base. For those of you who like to turn up all the dials to 11, the maximum BP cap is now 999.

I've also spent some time rebalancing a couple of mutations. After thinking about it, I didn't like how brutes shut down all bullet weapons. They didn't just make bullets less effective - reflection meant that you had to switch to flamethrowers ASAP. After the change brutes still fill the same role, but they won't cause all bullet classes to kill themselves. Because of the brute change, I also changed the way Calcification works - it creates giant trails of barriers now. Finally, there's a new mutation - Reflection - that makes barriers reflect bullets. It's only on at Abyss mode, if you like that sort of difficulty.

Finally, guardians have been hit by the nerf stick a little bit. They now get hit harder by scouts (whom they can't see any more) and siege cannons. Grenades are more effective towards them as well. This should give you more options in dealing with them.

• Added campaign payment dialog and failed mission payments
  
• Added unlimited marine spawning and UI for it
  
• Added raid mode to custom maps
  
• Added presets to custom game mode
  
• Increased maximum build points to 999
  
• Added a new hive tower layout, radially clumped instead of mixed
  
• Made engineering reduce damage by 4x to buildings (and increase shield projector duration by 2)
  
• Made guardians less likely to flee with more regeneration trips
  
• Removed guardian scout-detecting ability
  
• Made guardians more vulnerable to sap damage
  
• Made guardians more vulnerable to blast damage
  
• Changed Calcification mutation to spawn barriers along swarm paths
  
• Added Reflection mutation that makes barriers reflect bullets
  
• Changed brutes to spawn barriers on death instead of bullet reflect

• Tweaked respawning to prefer proximity to main team
  
• Made double-click attack move an option
  
• Fixed crash with custom mode if there are initial mutations with an empty queue
  
• Removed Wild Mutation
  
• Fixed crash with Abyss raid missions
  
• Fixed typo for Crow's Neck mission
  
• Fixed skirmish and custom mode UI reaction to video mode switches
  
• Fixed text entry on non QWERTY keyboards
  
• Fixed bug with Burrowing Hive in Raid missions
  
• Fixed music switching in custom mode menu
  
• Made GL 2.1 an optional requirement
  
• Fixed email address validation

• Disabled window icon, since it stopped working with SDL2
  
• Fixed inplace button response to mouse in/out events when disabled
  
• Deleted SDLMain.m - not needed in SDL2
  
• Did some research into multiplayer prospects (it's still hard)
  
• Added ability to specify mutation pre-requisites
  
• Fixed lua CallFunction issue
  
• Added ability to drop shadow on text
  
• Added shadow to some UI text
  
• Added CSV exporter to metrics
  
• Changed event sort order for sharing server report
  
• Reduced the number of indexes for event table
  
• Added remote_api access point to sharing server (for bulk loader)
  
• Switched to SDL2 for OSX
  
• OSX compile fixes

Patch 0.72 is here and it has a few things that the community has been requesting. The biggie this time is the new Custom Skirmish mode. This is a new mode in the Skirmish screen that allows you to tweak everything about the map generation. Want a giant map with 3 hives? A tiny map with 30 hives and unlimited resources? You can do all that yourself.

The other big (but invisible) thing is that the game now keeps track of how long it takes you to finish each level. I'm hoping that I can use this info to build some community features in future updates. For example, I can make a system that detectes people's favourite random maps. This will also allow me to see which levels and mutations are too hard - I can get data when people fail a level.

What about privacy? I think that the system works fairly reasonably. The game does send data online, but it's only "Level Started" and "Level Ended" messages. No personal data is ever sent - everything is anonymous.

• Custom game mode - Tweak everything (in Skirmish menu)
  
• Added foundation for possible future online map sharing
  
• Resolution changes are now instant

• Added update timer and notification signup
  
• Made announcements speed up if there are a lot of them
  
• Increased marine radius
  
• Made mines vulnerable to SAP damage, but also resistant
  
• Added mouse-wheel scrolling to options and campaign
  
• Added mouse grabbing option
  
• Fixed out-of-bounds bug in pathing, if the path is trivial
  
• Overhauled campaign research descriptions
  
• Fixed centering bug with research widget

• Added update timer and notification signup
  
• Switched to SDL2
  
• Updated entity arranger to filter infested structure placement more flexibly
  
• Added fatal error message boxes
  
• Added more error messages on init failure
  
• Added init checks for OpenGL version 3.0
  
• Reworked mutation system to randomize on level start, to tie mutations to level seed
  
• Added ability to load debug constants
  
• Added player UUIDs
  
• Added Metrics
  
• Changed double-tap group focus to use global timer, not world timer
  
• Added guard code to Hive Spawner Effect (to prevent spawns outside of the map)

Patch 0.72 is here and it has a few things that the community has been requesting. The biggie this time is the new Custom Skirmish mode. This is a new mode in the Skirmish screen that allows you to tweak everything about the map generation. Want a giant map with 3 hives? A tiny map with 30 hives and unlimited resources? You can do all that yourself.

The other big (but invisible) thing is that the game now keeps track of how long it takes you to finish each level. I'm hoping that I can use this info to build some community features in future updates. For example, I can make a system that detectes people's favourite random maps. This will also allow me to see which levels and mutations are too hard - I can get data when people fail a level.

What about privacy? I think that the system works fairly reasonably. The game does send data online, but it's only "Level Started" and "Level Ended" messages. No personal data is ever sent - everything is anonymous.

• Custom game mode - Tweak everything (in Skirmish menu)
  
• Added foundation for possible future online map sharing
  
• Resolution changes are now instant

• Added update timer and notification signup
  
• Made announcements speed up if there are a lot of them
  
• Increased marine radius
  
• Made mines vulnerable to SAP damage, but also resistant
  
• Added mouse-wheel scrolling to options and campaign
  
• Added mouse grabbing option
  
• Fixed out-of-bounds bug in pathing, if the path is trivial
  
• Overhauled campaign research descriptions
  
• Fixed centering bug with research widget

• Added update timer and notification signup
  
• Switched to SDL2
  
• Updated entity arranger to filter infested structure placement more flexibly
  
• Added fatal error message boxes
  
• Added more error messages on init failure
  
• Added init checks for OpenGL version 3.0
  
• Reworked mutation system to randomize on level start, to tie mutations to level seed
  
• Added ability to load debug constants
  
• Added player UUIDs
  
• Added Metrics
  
• Changed double-tap group focus to use global timer, not world timer
  
• Added guard code to Hive Spawner Effect (to prevent spawns outside of the map)

I just released a patch to fix some issues up left from Tuesday's big patch. There were crashing problems with the new pathfinding code and this update should solve them.

I just released a patch to fix some issues up left from Tuesday's big patch. There were crashing problems with the new pathfinding code and this update should solve them.

Welcome to the first Infested Planet content patch. I've got a a few big additions to the game for you as well as a ton of smaller fixes and tweaks.

The two big things for this patch are the new missions. There's one more mission in the campaign - a convoy escort job. I've also added a new random game mode type. It's timed and you have to race against the clock to kill as much stuff as possible. The more you kill, the more bonus cash you get. The trick is that when you kill hives, they're replaced with bunkers. If you let them be destroyed, you lose cash. So choose - do you want to push farther into the aliens and risk your money going down the drain?

Another biggish thing that has changed is the pathfinding code. The old one had a bunch of problems, so I replaced it. The catch is that it's not entirely finished yet - there will probably be new bugs, so report strange pathfinding when you see it.

• Finished first pass on "Preparations" mission (NEW CAMPAIGN MISSION)
  
• Added new random game mode: Raids
  
• Replaced pathfinding code (expect some new bugs); this will allow large entities to move around the game map, if I ever make them

• Double-tapping group # centers view on the group
  
• Added failsafes in video mode initialization; fall back on windowed mode if can't init
  
• Centered game window in desktop
  
• Prevented damage to boss hive before the script expects it
  
• Fixed snipers doing damage to shielded entities
  
• Tweaked description for sniper
  
• Fixed path colour for chained marine orders
  
• Fixed graphical glithch (that looks like picture-in-picture)
  
• Hopefully fixed a common crash dealing with entity handles
  
• Hopefully fixed issues with old Catalyst drivers
  
• Tweaked hive's IMMUNE message again (to only appear when laser has no effect)
  
• Changed "Command Cancelled" to be a white message
  
• Added info message for group binding
  
• Tweaked human path termination (when colliding with objects) to only work for buildings
  
• Fixed toggle button border eating clicks

• Replaced polygon boolean ops code
  
• Updated debug missions to new map init format
  
• Added prop building blueprint graphic
  
• Tweaked guardian tower replacement so it works even when towers don't respawn
  
• Changed all random levels to LUA
  
• Refactored VectorMap out of GameWorld header
  
• Added private impl to CGameWorld
  
• Added more safety buffer for path short-circuiting for humans
  
• Added Framebuffer object for future use
  
• Switched pathfinding to delunay-triangulation based paths
  
• Reworked all drawArray calls into shader draw calls
  
• Added RC file for windows version info

Welcome to the first Infested Planet content patch. I've got a a few big additions to the game for you as well as a ton of smaller fixes and tweaks.

The two big things for this patch are the new missions. There's one more mission in the campaign - a convoy escort job. I've also added a new random game mode type. It's timed and you have to race against the clock to kill as much stuff as possible. The more you kill, the more bonus cash you get. The trick is that when you kill hives, they're replaced with bunkers. If you let them be destroyed, you lose cash. So choose - do you want to push farther into the aliens and risk your money going down the drain?

Another biggish thing that has changed is the pathfinding code. The old one had a bunch of problems, so I replaced it. The catch is that it's not entirely finished yet - there will probably be new bugs, so report strange pathfinding when you see it.

• Finished first pass on "Preparations" mission (NEW CAMPAIGN MISSION)
  
• Added new random game mode: Raids
  
• Replaced pathfinding code (expect some new bugs); this will allow large entities to move around the game map, if I ever make them

• Double-tapping group # centers view on the group
  
• Added failsafes in video mode initialization; fall back on windowed mode if can't init
  
• Centered game window in desktop
  
• Prevented damage to boss hive before the script expects it
  
• Fixed snipers doing damage to shielded entities
  
• Tweaked description for sniper
  
• Fixed path colour for chained marine orders
  
• Fixed graphical glithch (that looks like picture-in-picture)
  
• Hopefully fixed a common crash dealing with entity handles
  
• Hopefully fixed issues with old Catalyst drivers
  
• Tweaked hive's IMMUNE message again (to only appear when laser has no effect)
  
• Changed "Command Cancelled" to be a white message
  
• Added info message for group binding
  
• Tweaked human path termination (when colliding with objects) to only work for buildings
  
• Fixed toggle button border eating clicks

• Replaced polygon boolean ops code
  
• Updated debug missions to new map init format
  
• Added prop building blueprint graphic
  
• Tweaked guardian tower replacement so it works even when towers don't respawn
  
• Changed all random levels to LUA
  
• Refactored VectorMap out of GameWorld header
  
• Added private impl to CGameWorld
  
• Added more safety buffer for path short-circuiting for humans
  
• Added Framebuffer object for future use
  
• Switched pathfinding to delunay-triangulation based paths
  
• Reworked all drawArray calls into shader draw calls
  
• Added RC file for windows version info