Hi All,

A new patch is here, fresh with some of the most recent requests and bug reports from the community! We've also finished up the last(?) of the game files to be integrated into the Steam Workshop page. If you haven't checked it out yet, vist the Workshop page to see some neat creations by our community and see what's possible to mod into the game!

We've also had an influx of new users since the Blessed Addition has been released, so I'd like to share the official Barony discord http://discord.gg/Eg2r5fE where you can organise multiplayer lobbies and chat with us!

• Added minimap "pinging" using the right mouse button/gamepad 'use' keybind on the minimap.
  
  • Alerts all allies with a sound and flashing icon for a few seconds, up to 4 per player can be active.
• Added 4 separate player colors on the minimap. Followers now properly display for all players and are color coded.
  
• Minimap opacity and size can now be modified in the Video settings tab.
  
• Added minimap "zoom" hotkey, default is bound to 'X'. Toggles between 3 stages of minimap zoom.
  
• Added hotkey to hide the persistent chat/event log. Default is bound to 'L'.
  
• Added specific obituary text for falling from death when levitation runs out.
  
• Added Vertical Sync menu option to the Video settings tab.
  
• Added UI scaling options to the Video settings tab. Character sheet, HP/MP bars, hotbar, inventory, skills sidebar, and chat log can now be scaled via the settings menu.
  
• Improved the 'End game' and 'Disconnect' confirmation window text to better describe what happens when the button is clicked. Clicking disconnect no longer deletes multiplayer savefiles.

• Trading items worth 0 or 1 gold no longer increases Trading proficiency once the SKILLED level is reached.
  
• Trading more expensive items (150+ gold) has a higher chance to increase Trading proficiency.

• Added language file en.txt to Workshop support.
  
• Added items.txt to Workshop support, gold/weight/sprites now editable.
  
• Added monster limbs.txt file to Workshop support.
  
• Added 'system' images to Workshop support (images/system/ files like the logo, menu backdrop, chatlog background etc)
  
• Closing the client with Workshop mods loaded will automatically be repopulated on next start without having to manually reselect them again. Selecting Workshop then 'Start modded game' will load up the previously selected mods.

• Fixed slight delay when clicking 'start game' which could lead to some long load times due to checking if modded content was installed. Now mod content will only be checked if the 'Custom Content' or 'Workshop' menu options have been selected in the session.
  
• Fixed some overlapping text in the Workshop subscribed item list browser. Better handled printing out descriptions.
  
• Fixed Angel of Death achievement triggering off non-ally characters.
  
• NPCs no longer pick up invisible items (Sokoban reward).
  
• Fixed issue where bear traps could be placed in air gaps while levitating.
  
• Fixed issue where slippery fingers dropped a cursed weapon. Now item remains in hand as a proper curse should!
  
• Fixed Brawler achievement being disqualified if pressing the cast magic key without a spell equipped.
  
• Pickaxes now have a small delay when digging that prevents switching equipment during the animation. Should reduce rare bug where item durability could underflow and cause crashes.
  
• Fixed right-clicking on the hotbar in shop window not notifying the player where to actually click to sell items (should be in from inventory).

Thanks all for your support, as always the bug-report thread is here if you encounter any issues, and feel free to make any requests/suggestions on the forums and the discord.

Cheers,

Ben

This update brings support for rich presence in both Steam and Discord.

If you participate in Steam Beta you will now see more information in your Friend List window. What map is your friend playing, difficulty, number of slots taken and number of maximum slots available on server, as well as the active Challenge name.



Discord users will see similar information.



Also in Discord players are able to post invites in chats to invite players to join their lobby. As well as using the "Ask to Join" button when clicking on player's nickname.



Feel free to join our Discord community to chat and invite people to play with you.

If you are working on a map you may want to check out the community Source Engine Discord server to gather feedback, share screenshots or invite for playtests. Feel free to share your favorite Discord servers in comments section.

Another major change is we've fixed a bug reported by NoName which was causing game difficulty to become lower after a mission restart. Now mission restart will not lower difficulty. 8-player games on Brutal will become harder. 4-player games are slightly affected too. As this issue was present since Alien Swarm's release we want to hear your feedback to decide whether we keep the change or revert it to how it was before. Please use this discussion to leave your feedback on this issue or create a new discussion if necessary.

• Added rich presence for Steam and Discord. You need to have Steam Beta installed to see the new features in your friend list window. If you have Discord desktop app installed RD will send an extended status in it. You can also invite people to your lobby using Discord.
  
• Added soundscripts required for bonus_mission2 map(thanks to Rock N Roll)
  
• Fixed medic rifle has infinite heals with rd_infinite_ammo(thanks to element109)
  
• Disabled blinking light at til1MidnightPort. Blinking light at map start was causing frame time fluctuations. Looks like lights with changed appearance are causing frame-time to increase which makes next frame time to be decreased. Such fluctuations in frame-time cause monitor to display the same frame during two monitor refreshes. This results in reduced actual framerate even if game's reported framerate is 60
  
• Added rd_suggest_difficulty cvar. If set to 0, game will not show a message suggesting player to change their difficulty(thanks to element109).
  
• Added rd_hud_minimap_drawing convar. If set to 0 the player cannot draw on the mini-map and does not receive other's drawings. This does not affect other players ability to draw and receive drawings(thanks to element109).
  
• Fixed asw_spawner Skill Level. Brutal and Insane are no longer treated as the same Skill Level.
  
• Fixed alien health is being lowered after mission restart. Difficulty modifier was not properly updating, affecting aliens' health(lowering it). Thus asw_adjust_difficulty_by_number_of_marines and rd_increase_difficulty_by_number_of_marines cvars didn't properly work.

Well, after month of silence we want to clear some stuff. Game has lots of gameplay mechanics and items, but many people drop game before they discover it. So the problem is - game is not intuitive and many things are not obvious. So we will try our best to make it better. Now we deleted all trashbins from the game, so you can now levelup with air supplies. You needn't search for trash bins and break the gameplay tempo.
Run speed was highly increased.
Cat rivalary was fixed and changed again. Earlier, more fertility you have more strength rivals had. Now you have to level up your cat to stay on top of a rating.
Next patch we want to make brothel and kittens mechanics more obvious. Thank you.

Hey guys,

we are still working on the game to get rid of the nasty bugs you are so kindly reporting (thank you for that!) and improve it in as many aspects as possible.

Here is the full changelog:


Fix on Draggable Actors.
Several player feddback adds, like:
-Hit animations
-Sounds while damaged is received
-Map markers
-Alert time feedback to let player know the remaining time until enemies return to their patrol
-Full Stealth Mode Icons on instakill rooms
-Soldiers, drones and light color changes in instakill room
-Some in-game sequences are now fully skippables
Improved and more responsive AI.
Hack games abort automatically when player receives damage.
Map starts on full zoom.
When the player grabs dash level 2 a camera sequence shows the exit.
Checkpoint before some objectives.


Known Issues:

Before the trash compactor, if the player died and is spawned at the checkpoint to immeadiatelly walk to the trash compactor sequence, the screen keep the black fade
.
Same black fade issue happened on TKST when spawned before the fight starts.
Airport Boxes where the player didn't return to the initial position of the puzzle.
Issue where the cars and buses didn't had collissions after the tank persecution.
VR devices were recognized if plugged in
.
Some Places where the player wasnt suppose to reach were reachable with dash.

Check this and other games now in summer sale: https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=tero+lunkka

Also new project coming next week: https://store.steampowered.com/app/874700/The_Putinland_Divide__Conquer/

Happy Tunesday, Scrubs!

It's been a busy few weeks for us so forgive the slight delay in getting the most recent batch of absolute bangers to you!

You can find the playlist here: https://spoti.fi/2Kp98gI

Here's the songs that have been keeping Two Point Studios ticking over these past weeks:

Tom and Phil of Cedar Studios:
and ‘Electric Indigo’ by ‘The Paper Kites’ , this whole album is gold dust and super relaxing. Playing anything from this album takes everything down a gear and that’s a good thing

Chris Knott, Lead Animator:
N 2 Gether Now – Limp Bizkit and method man.... Method man is awesome...
Out of the Black – Royal Blood. I still find it incredible this music is made by just two people..

Ben Hymers, Lead Programmer:
Carpenter Brut - Turbo Killer. Fast angry 80s electro is great to code to, when you just need to get your head down and crack on! Much like the C&C soundtrack from last week!

Frank Klepacki - Hell March
https://open.spotify.com/track/5AELt9X93xZraWqZrsS3B4?si=5X-Z3zr8SNKaLYR08aEeBA

This week I've really needed to get my head down and crack on with work, and I've found that the C&C and Red Alert soundtracks are EXCELLENT music for this! There are some great tunes from both games (plus some bizarre funk and electro tunes too), but from all of them I'll pick the timeless classic, Hell March.

Mark Smart, Lead Artist:
Wilko Johnson – Beauty
From the new album that even he thought he’d never make. More Delta Blues Rock (Thames Delta Blues that is) He also crops in Game OF Thrones!

Half Man Half Biscuit – Knobheads On Quiz Shows
More HMHB sardonic whit. Can’t stop playing the latest album after seeing them recently…..very good they was too, enough material to choose from.

Rat Scabies – My Wrists Hurt
One of the founders of the Damned, releases first solo album P.H.D (Prison, Hospital, Debt) Chose this over Floydian Slip which has a great soundbite over it.

Rich Brooks, Progammer:
Radiohead - Moon Shaped Pool - Burn The Witch

I chose this song because I'm an enormous Radiohead fanboy. But also, because I've been watching a lot of childrens' TV on account of me spending a lot of time with my 3 year old son. And the video for Burn The Witch made me laugh waaay more than it should have done. Watch it here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2oS2hoL0k.
I know, given that it's Radiohead, that there's a much deeper meaning hidden there. But I'm quite happy for it to go over my head. I enjoyed it!

Craig Laycock, Brand Manager:
Learn to Fly – Foo Fighters
I’d love to know what it’s like to fly. Flapping about up there in the clouds with the birds. I often think about my flappy wings flapping away, the smile it would bring to my face.

Dreams – Cranberries
Everyone deserves to dream. I don’t mean your standard “close your eyes, go to sleep” dreams, of course. I mean the big dreams. For me, the big dream would be to flap about it a cloud like a bird.

I’m like a Bird – Nelly Furtado
Not sure why I like this one tbh

Prem, Artist: Feeling classical this week!

In the hall of the mountain king - Edvard Grieg

Gayane - Sabre Dance Aram Khachaturian.

Swan lake -Tchaikovsky (ed's note, I've included the intro as the whole piece is about three hours long ;) Lauran)

Mark Webley, Founder:
Johnny Marr... "Hi Hello" - this is absolutely brilliant and everyone should try a bit of Johnny Marr. Looking forward to a new album later this month (and seeing him in November!) - you'll almost definitely have more from the album from me very soon!

Lauran, Community Manager: I was lucky enough to catch Taylor Swift on her Stadium tour recently so OF COURSE I've chosen Taylor. Getaway Car is a tune!

Fellow Guardians!
The servers are back online. Unfortunately, we don’t have any patch notes for you as promised.
While rolling out the patch there were some unexpected database errors, making it impossible to access/play any character. In order to make sure you can enjoy the 1.5.1129/1.5.1130 patch we will review the issue with the developers and try to patch again as soon as possible.
Sorry for the inconvenience!

Your GoE Team

Today, Anarchy Online celebrates its 17th year of active service. Not a whole lot of games can boast this kind of accomplishment, and we sincerely thank you for your continued love and support of Anarchy Online. You are the very matter that makes up this universe, so thank you again.


To celebrate, beginning today (June 26th) and lasting until July 19th, Ganimedes Personal Jetpack & Nano Crystal (Balloons) are available in the shop, and an array of new membership offers and new armor that increase stats as you level up!





Subscribers can also log in to pick up a Ganimedes Personal Jetpack MK II!




Purchase a 3 month subscription to receive the Dust Brigade Tech Unit Legwear, Gloves, and Boots, along with one Combat Nano Can: Premium Experience Boost.


Purchase a 6 month subscription to receive the Dust Brigade Tech Unit Legwear, Shirt, Sleeves, Gloves, and Boots, along with two Combat Nano Can: Premium Experience Boost.


Purchase a 12 month subscription to receive a Vacuum-Packed Dust Brigade Tech Unit Armor pack which includes everything, a Dust Brigade Technician Datapad, and four Combat Nano Can: Premium Experience Boost.




Combat Nano Cans are shared among characters on your account.





The Tinker returns to Newland Desert, ready to make things come up explodey for her favorite foe, The Desert Rider! Join her in her madness and eliminate Desert Nomads to find parts for the many gifts she wants to make. The Desert Nomads will be located in Newland Desert, Mort, Perpetual Wastelands and Broken Shores.


Upon defeating the Desert Rider, a personal teleport beacon will be left behind. It will not have much energy remaining, so access it before it deactivates to gain access to a hidden Desert Nomad fortification. This initial incursion into a Desert Nomad outpost will be a single-person encounter that will scale to players of all levels. Desert Nomads encountered here will offer unique rewards, with the Officers being able to drop pieces of the Elite Desert Nomad armor. The Desert Rider himself will also be carrying 2 Vacuum-Packed Elite Desert Nomad armor packs.





The Tinker will reward you for your efforts, especially if you walk the extra mile to get her the items she needs! "Vacuum Packed Desert Nomad Armor" await you if you assist her in collecting 250 items. She will complete a gift with 500 items this year!


When defeating a Desert Rider, all you need to do is approach the large present that is left behind, and claim a prize from the Desert Rider's personal stash!


Finally, the SBC-Xpm Sites once again feature a cadre of Desert Nomad Commandos, tasked with protecting additional rewards from the Desert Rider's private storage.


Thank you all again for your love and support as we enter the 18th year around Sol's orbit!

BLOG: 10 minutes in Flottering
By Craig @ SEGA






The double doors slide open before me. PSSSSHT. It’s like being on the Enterprise. I’m Kirk! I’m Doctor Kirk!

I slide past the beautifully-arranged plants and into the hospital in my Two Point County-issue medical socks, take in a huge breath and admire the new space before me.

“Ahhhh”, I think. “Flottering!”

Flottering can be best described as a picturesque slightly-inland, slightly-seaside village. Alexander the Great wept when he had no more lands to conquer, but if he’d known about Flottering he’d have been straight over with a giant smile on his face, for this is a wonderful land indeed.



There are some lovely houses around Flottering – some I would estimate sell for a cool mil.

And there are some lovely, incredibly naive patients to diagnose. What’s more, the Two Point Health Ministry has promised me something very special. If I can demonstrate my commitment to staff wellbeing here, I’ll be granted a proper training licence.

Finally, a qualification!



My goals are clear: achieve a level four hospital, hire 7 staff and keep their morale high. This won’t be easy; I’m a terrible manager (and I prefer fire extinguishers and reception desks to people), but I’m here to learn and I’ll do it with gusto.

Hire 1 sorted – Candica Radical. I like the cut of her jib. She’s an administrator with style, and a cool name, so I’m absolutely on board.



Before long, I have a GP’s office with hire number 2 on board. I have a calling card when it comes to laying out GP’s offices. They know me in Two Point County as Hospital Admin Twolamps. That’s because I always flank my GP’s desks with two lamps.

It’s an odd habit, but you can’t overstate the value of good lighting, and it picks out the details of the gold foil on the certificate on the wall beautifully.



But what’s this? While I’ve been spending time arranging my room, I’ve let a queue build up outside the doctor’s office and… oh my. Someone has VOMITED on the floor of my precious hospital. I recruit a janitor to deal with the problem – appropriately named Alice Puddle.



I monitor her performance. If she can deal well with this rancid human effluent, I’ll consider her for a pay rise. Of course, she takes to it like a duck to… uh, water… and clears up the vile chunks in a matter of seconds.

I add 2k to her salary right away and she’s delighted.



Pretty soon I have a nice little enterprise going. I have a reception, a GP’s office, a pharmacy, a waiting area, gift shop, a ward, and a bunch of entertainment for patients. That’s got me up to the required 7 staff and I’ve also currently got high morale in my hospital.

But now the real challenge begins. I’ll have to ensure that my staff STAY happy while I get my hospital up to Level 4.

If I succeed, there’s another world ahead of me. Another land to conquer. One where we may encounter sufferers of Jest Infection, a terrible ailment which converts the sufferer into a clown. You may have met one or two of them in the real world.

As for what I do next in Flottering: probably toilets and a staff room. “That can wait”, I mutter to myself as I slide up to a Sonic Mania coin-op in those medical socks.

“That can wait.”