Hello, once again Sandstorm community.

We would like to welcome you to the release notes for Update 1.13 Operation: Livewire! We know you have all been waiting patiently to see what’s in store for this update, and we’re happy to finally be sharing it with you.

You may have been following along with the content reveals and promo activities for this update, but this is where we get to deep-dive into the details and changes you can expect from Operation: Livewire.

We'll see you on the front line.

-Jude, A.K.A. Koventry




Defusal is our new high-intensity objective-based PVP mode where each team takes turns attacking and defending chemical weapon caches. Insurgent Forces will attempt to plant explosives on two cache points while the Security Forces try to intercept and deny them control of the points.

Each round will start with a five-minute timer. If Security can hold the line and stop the Insurgents from detonating a cache, they will win the round and get points for every cache remaining intact. However, if the Insurgents manage to destroy one of them, the timer will reset to five minutes and Security will need to defend the remaining cache until the clock runs out.

At the end of the two rounds, each team's points will be tallied with Security gaining points for caches remaining intact and the Insurgents gaining points for destroyed caches. In the event that the teams finish with the same number of points, the match will end in a draw; otherwise, the team with the most points overall will be declared the winner.


Cache A


Cache B

• 2 rounds per match.
  
• 5-minute round timer, resets if one objective is destroyed.
  
• Player count: 4v4 - 12v12 (10v10 on console).
  
• The team with the most objective points at the end of the match wins.

• 10 second respawn timer.
  
• Caches can only be destroyed with the timed charge.
  
• Timed charge has a 40 second timer.
  
• Defusal takes 5 seconds.
  
• Insurgents gain objective points for each destroyed cache.
  
• Security gains robjective points for each cache remaining intact.

• Rifleman - Unlimited
  
• Breacher - 3
  
• Advisor - 3
  
• Demolitions - 2
  
• Marksman - 2
  
• Gunner - 2

Coming soon in Operation: Livewire we are introducing two workhorses of the LMG world: the M60 and the RPK. Both come in at a 3 supply point cost and have the same attachment compatibility as the Galil and Galil SAR.


Stand strong against resistance and lay down some serious firepower with the M60 for Security.


Strike fear into the heart of your oppressors at 600 rounds per minute with the RPK Gunner weapon for Insurgents.

• Added the M60 and RPK to the Firing Range
  
• Added the M60 and RPK to Survival Crates

Jump into the action with two new free cosmetic sets. Hold fast as the Gunner or break through as the Seasoned Fighter, the choice is yours!


Put the power back in firepower with the Gunner gear set!


Bust out the salt and pepper shakers and show them that experience matters with the Seasoned Fighter Gear set.



These new DLC will be available for purchase upon the release of Operation: Livewire and are included in the Year 2 pass for those of you who have it standalone, or via the Gold Edition. These cosmetic items can be combined with others in-game.
Here is the breakdown:


You know what they say, the best offense is a good defense! Prove it with the Technician Gear Set for Security.

This Gear Set includes four items.

• Technician Helmet (Headgear)
  
• Technician Top (Torso)
  
• Technician Bottom (Legs)
  
• Technician Boots (Feet)

Black looks good with everything! Strut your stuff with the Black Powder Weapon Skin Set for Security.

These skins can be applied to six different weapons.

• M60
  
• AUG A3
  
• Honey Badger
  
• Tavor 7
  
• M110 SASS
  
• M45

Whatever you need, he’s got it. Get ready to take up arms with the new Dealer Gear Set.

This Gear Set includes six items.

• Dealer Hat (Headgear)
  
• Dealer Glasses (Eyewear)
  
• Dealer Gloves (Hands)
  
• Dealer Top (Torso)
  
• Dealer Bottom (Legs)
  
• Dealer Shoes (Feet)

Be unique, be stylish, and be deadly with the Damascus Weapon Skin Set for Insurgents.

These skins can be applied to six different weapons.

• RPK
  
• FAL
  
• P90
  
• M99
  
• Desert Eagle
  
• UZI

Yes, that’s right, we have been listening and talking to many of you in the community about the changes made to Firefight during the Summer of Sandstorm event. With the collected feedback, we have made the decision to revert Firefight to its original 12v12 player limit (10v10 on console).

Our intention is to eventually come back to the 5v5 mode, but that will happen after much more testing and tweaking so as to properly balance it.



We’ve made changes to improve the lighting in various night maps in order to increase the viability of all night equipment across all maps and provide a more balanced experience to the player. Some of these maps needed more love than others, so the visible changes will vary from subtle to drastic depending on the map.


Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



Old Lighting


New Lighting



We are introducing a whopping thirteen new layouts as part of Operation: Livewire! Take a peek at the images below for an idea of what’s been added.













































That’s right, you heard it here first. Update 1.13 marks the return of NVG Point Shooting to night scenarios!



Good news! We have addressed the issue where all team members were displaying with the same colour as the party. Additionally, the colour picker has been made much more user-friendly, as players no longer have to enter distinct RGB values.





Spawn protection at its launch suffered from some issues that meant that it wasn’t functioning as designed, so we’ve enacted some tweaks to ensure that it’s far less intrusive and functions the way we originally intended.

Spawn Protection should now last for 30 seconds OR until the player performs any of the following actions, move, aim, activate equipment, shoot, at which point the timer is reduced to 5 seconds.

We appreciate all of the feedback we received from the community about its functionality. If you witness it behaving counter to any of these points please let us know by filing a support ticket here.



It is important to note that not all bugs or issues are experienced by all players, and there are differences between platforms. If anything below is still affecting you after the update, please contact our support team here.

• Resolved an issue where the M4A1 could be missing the carry handle when using Universal Digital skin.

• Resolved an issue where accepting changes in menu while using a controller would not play the appropriate sound.
  
• Added a hover sound to the Create Party button.
  
• Resolved an issue where Molotovs extinguished by sprinklers would still play audio.

• Overhauled grenade behaviour.
  
  • When thrown, the grenade spawns further away from the camera.
    
  • Grenade now rotates while in mid-air.
    
  • The final position on the ground is more natural.
• Supply Crates in the Push mode now work consistently across all game maps.
  
  • The Supply Crate near the next Spawn Zone opens at the moment when an Objective is captured, except for the Supply Crate in the attacker’s final spawn zone.
    
  • The Supply Crate in the attacker’s final spawn zone opens when this spawn zone becomes active and remains available until the end of the round.
    
  • The defending team has an additional Supply Crate near the Weapon Cache location when the final objective is active.
• The smoke effect from the M81 grenade now can’t be removed by an explosion.
  
• Resolved an issue where players using the QBZ could scavenge mags from a QTS 11 with the extended magazine upgrade.
  
• Vehicles now always spawn when selected from the spawn menu in the Range mode.
  
• Fixed an exploit regarding the M1 Garand.
  
• Explosive Drones can now fly up while navigating to the target mark.
  
• Reduced the cost of Point-Shooting Grip from 4 to 2.
  
• Night-Vision Point Shooting is now available in Versus night scenarios.
  
• Fixed an issue where players in a party that were kicked from a server could rejoin immediately by re-joining on the same party.

• Removed sandbags from objective C on Summit Push Security.
  
• Moved the initial spawn on Farmhouse Checkpoint Security to improve flow, allowing players to reach objective A more naturally.
  
• Reduced capture zone for Refinery Domination objective C to limit it to the first floor.
  
• Resolved an issue where AI would spawn facing the wrong direction on Crossing Checkpoint Security
  
• Geometry tweaks across a number of maps and game modes:
  
  • Bab Domination: completely revised the layout.
    
  • Gap: added an additional pathway through the slums area; added cover objects in the hotel area.
    
  • Gap Ambush: completely revised the layout.
    
  • Gap Push Insurgents: moved the Insurgents objective D spawn closer to the hotel area; revised restricted areas around objective D.
    
  • Summit Push Security: removed sandbags on objective C to open an easier way for attackers to get inside the objective.
    
  • Hideout Push Insurgents: added an alternative way to access second floor objective A for Security.
    
  • Refinery Domination: limited the capture area of objective C to the first floor.
    
  • Farmhouse Checkpoint Security: moved the initial spawn so the players could navigate towards objective A more naturally.
• Removed various geometry exploits, invisible collisions, and out-of-bounds exploits across all maps.
  
• Reworked Gap day lighting to make it less saturated and contrast.
  
• Resolved an issue where not all interact-able doors on Prison had destructible hinges.
  
• Resolved a seam on Citadel that could be fallen through.
  
• Fixed an area on Citadel where players could get stuck in rocks.
  
• Resolved a collision issue on Bab where players were unable to fall through holes in the roof.
  
• Resolved an issue on Tell where players were unable to jump off a balcony.
  
• Adjusted the playable area on the Firefight East scenario of Precinct.
  
• Fixed an exploit on Crossing.
  
• Fixed an exploit on Outskirts.
  
• Fixed an exploit on Prison.
  
• Fixed an exploit on Summit.
  
• Fixed an exploit on Tell.

• Fixed missing floor on example map.
  
• Fixed Audiokinetic events not playing sound.
  
• Fixed custom audio in mods overridden by game default sounds.
  
• Fixed existing assets missing in editor.
  
• Fixed textures missing in several master materials.

• Resolved an issue where radio icons would appear for both living and dead players rather than the talking head icon or skull icon.
  
• Resolved an issue where HUD would reappear after match end.
  
• Resolved an issue where in-game hints were showing as unbound when using a controller.
  
• Resolved an issue where players would still receive the “toggle optic” prompt when using a weapon with both Point Shooting Grip and a toggle-able optic.

• Resolved an issue where party members’ avatars were absent on the main menu.
  
• Resolved an issue that was causing AI to T-pose upon death.
  
• Improved ragdoll behaviour on consoles.
  
• Resolved an issue where the colour of the 6x-3x connectors were showing as tan.
  
• Resolved an issue where if a player kills a suicide bomber at the exact moment they explode the body and backpack where not destroyed.
  
• Resolved an issue where the characters fingers would bulge out during speed reloading.
  
• Resolved an issue where the Range was missing the M19 mine.
  
• Resolved an issue where pressing the “start” button would bring up the class selection instead of the loadout tab.
  
• Resolved an issue where players could not use the report function on console.
  
• Resolved an issue where accepting a party invitation while the game is not running will cause a crash on start-up.
  
• Resolved an issue where the mountains on Outskirts would render in low resolution.
  
• Resolved an issue when wearing a poncho, the player sees a different torso while in first person.
  
• Resolved an issue where in third person the magazine floats in the air during idle and crouch reload.
  
• Resolved an issue where dismemberment would still display although dismemberment option was toggled off.
  
• Resolved an issue where S.O.R.T DLC on precinct would show up incorrectly.
  
• Resolved an issue where a gas mask would appear on the ground between characters’ legs in third person.
  
• Resolved an issue where the first objective in survival visibly switches during insertion phase.
  
• Resolved an issue where the Rifleman default loadout displayed the wrong supply cost.

Finally, the known issues section. Everything that is reported to our support group greatly helps us with logging and investigating issues. If you have encountered something you believe to be an issue, please file a ticket with our friends in the support department here. Don’t forget to take a peak at the FAQ while you’re there!

The following list is not exhaustive so if yours is missing, it doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t looking into it.

• Players may encounter issues with party system functionality on Playstation platforms
  
• Certain taglines are not showing on the round end screen in Ambush.
  
• Player voice chat may be live regardless of push to talk setting.
  
• Gloves may clip when turning the steering wheel in a vehicle.
  
• AI will sometimes not raise their weapon when firing.
  
• There is a chance players may be booted to the title screen on map transition.
  
• Tariq Flash Hider and Compensator are incorrect size for Tariq Model.
  
• The Two-Tone Green cosmetic is not displayed correctly on the M4A1’s foregrip.
  
• S.O.R.T. Top clips through gloves.
  
• S.O.R.T. Bottom clips through player hands in 3rd person.
  
• Bad Day Hands may clip through various player torso cosmetics.
  
• NVG’s clip with some Insurgent Facewear and Headgear.
  
• Ammo carrier and armour may disappear from the player model when entering a vehicle in PVP.
  
• The “True Grit” Weapon skin may remain on the MR73 upgrades after removing it in the loadout.
  
• Player character hand does not hold the AUG A3 grip correctly.
  
• If both the “Warlord Top” and “Warlord Bottom” cosmetics are equipped there is a visible gap between them.
  
• Launcher smoke may turn black if multiple shots are fired in succession.
  
• Brute head is clipping with some headgear in 3rd person in online play.
  
• When entering a vehicle while wearing a gas mask, the gas mask may show outside of the vehicle.
  
• Vehicle lights may not render correctly when turned on.
  
• Distant water may suffer from visual distortion.
  
• Muzzle flashes may fail to render after switching between primary and secondary weapons.
  
• Some distant textures may render incorrectly.

If you're reading this, thanks for sticking with us till the end! We can’t wait for you to dive into this update as a lot of hard work went into it! As always, see you out there gamers.

Hello everyone, Leikir Studio on air! Today we wanted to share our recent progress towards Synergy development, with a detailed focus on buildings. Synergy is a city-builder, so it just made sense to talk about this major part of the game. As always, we didn’t miss the opportunity to talk a bit more about the environment as well!


Forge workshop and Foundry
Here, you can see the forge workshop and the foundry. The forge workshop is used to create tools whereas the foundry can be used to make new construction materials.



We are currently working on a system where buildings can buff each other by strategically placing them close enough.
Both buildings you see here are used to test this specific mechanic.



Pontoon
Let us introduce the Pontoon! A very useful structure to pump toxic water from lakes and ponds. For now, it serves two purposes: extracting a large quantity of toxic water that will be stored, or pumping less water while being able to begin its purification at the same time. This process will then offer proper drinkable water for all citizens.



Wise Hall
With the Wise Hall (and also later the Research Lab), we’re settling the upcoming Research and Dogma Trees features. These are key buildings since the player will be able to choose their path and open new possibilities whether it is through the Wise Hall (Dogmas) or the Research Lab (Technologies).



Arranged Cave
Latest building to join the party: The Arranged Cave! In order to create this new member of our collection, we needed a relevant environment prop where the building will specifically land. Once the player has found a cave in the rocky biome, they can begin the construction of the Arranged Cave. Perfect to gather specific resources.



Infirmary
Survival is a core feature of Synergy, so we recently developed a health system mechanic: citizens can suffer from many different ailments such as malnutrition, dehydration, injuries…etc. In response, the Infirmary has been created to take care of everyone.




Synergy is filled with many biome types, each with their own characteristics. When we decided to bring more life to the environment with new props, we planned every biomes with the following process:

Each tile on the map has specific soil properties: heat, humidity rate, organic matter rate and finally minerals rate. Depending on the biome, you will find more or less resources of each type.

What we call, for now, the “Rocky biome” is a windy biome covered with immense rock formations. There, the ground offers key minerals for specific plant growth.



The Mossy biome is obviously a land where plants and moss reign, but don’t get fooled by its appealing look as the toxicity level will rise! Right under the moss carpet lies precious organic matter for your crops.



In the most common biome of the game, the arid one, the heat is almost unbearable. But the sand always hides some secrets yet to be discovered…



Lakes’ toxic water doesn't necessarily prevent plants from growing around, some even love the humid atmosphere they offer.



And it's a wrap! It was a lot of visuals update for us as well, but we thought it was necessary to clearly show where we are in Synergy's development. It's still very early but we hope we can deliver more about other features before the end of the year.

Thanks a lot, have a good one!
Leikir Studio team


Support us:
https://twitter.com/synergy_thegame
Wishlist the game on Steam!

Hello survivors!

It is accomplished! We dismiss you into a world where surviving the scorching sun's intense blaze and the night's paralysing chill is paramount. A world where terror has many legs and indolence brings an undignified and swift end.

With the 1.0 release, you will find an area of mysterious machinery hidden among mountain peaks and a leather scroll that holds a plan for you. But be wary, for what you have encountered so far has only been a small taste of an enemy bound to put terror into your hearts. Nonetheless, you will have to confront him if you want to escape! This time, you have all you need to end your journey and say: I survived.

In addition to the new features that the full release has in store for you, we don't want to deprive you of the fact that we have incorporated a few fixes and optimisations into the game that will improve the fluidity and enjoyment of the game experience.

As always, you're invited to leave your feedback here or on our social media channels!
Now, go and fight for your survival in Starsand!

The teams of Tunnel Vision and Toplitz Productions

• New mini cave in new zone with new interactable item.
  
• The Attack plans.
  
• Mechanic to kill the queen.
  
• The endgame cinematic.
  
• gloves in first person while wearing the seeder suit.
  
• Poisonous gas at the bottom of the canyon in the new zone.

• RAM usage.
  
• New SFX for the seeder rifle.
  
• Untamed camel keeps bags and other components.
  
• ‘Camel is hungry’ message will not be shown anymore when a camel has access to a trough with food.
  
• When a camel returns to the wild a message gets shown now.
  
• The fall damage with a seeder suit has been slightly reduced.
  
• The fertilizer depletion rate in the farm plot has been slightly reduced.
  
• The beetle panel only shows after discovering the recipe now.
  
• The dodge ability has been removed.
  
• General recipe location overhaul.
  
• Animal fat can now be looted from camels too.
  
• Refilling water in the farm plot with only a single click.
  
• Animal/alien bodies de-spawn time has been increased.

• Flickering terrain border in new zone.
  
• The description for the red mushroom.
  
• The door to the ruin in new zone can be opened.
  
• The water well on foundation.
  
• The light up fire arrow on a turned off campfire.
  
• The item multiplication in the inventory using the split button.
  
• Sandscrew can’t be picked up after loading the game.
  
• Coconut grenade not dealing damage to the eggs.
  
• Some eggs in the nest couldn’t be destroyed.
  
• Standing torch bug when dismantling it.
  
• Aliens attacking through walls.
  
• Overlapping overlays of seeder suit and night vision.
  
• Consuming stamina while going on the sandboard.
  
• Sandstorm won’t damage the player when underwater.
  
• Artifact while riding.

Specialists,

Please find our From Space Patch Notes for Patch 2 below:

• Autosave – Progression now autosaves when you are no longer in combat. If KIA, the player will respawn at their last manually saved Safe Zone. Mission, Level and Item progression will be retained.
  Note: We have added a setting to toggle this off if you would like to play with the original save game design (manually saving at Safe Zones)
  
• The Stash – Stashes have been added throughout the world where players can store their weapons, items, and perks outside of their inventory
  
• Chat Wheel – A new Chat Wheel has been added so you can communicate with your squad in-game and give them a thumbs up! Press (Spacebar) to activate this
  
• The Map can now be accessed by pressing (M)
  
• When hovering over icons on the map, a description of that icon is displayed. Other player icons will show their name
  
• Icons have been added for the Merchants, Workbenches and Specialist Lockers for easier identification

• Fixed an issue where crafted perks do not give the items at higher levels
  
• Waypoints of an active mission no longer disappear when an inactive main mission task updates
  
• Fixed an issue where reloading a level before using a Safe Zone one would reveal the entire map
  
• The tutorial prompt for “Assassinating Aliens to Lower Influence” is no longer displayed during combat
  
• Fixed an issue where an invisible wall blocked the player from navigating behind a building in the Suburbs near the entrance to the Metro Station
  
• The Medkit Crafter perk now shows the correct energy cost
  
• Fixed an issue where NPCs could get stuck on a certain ramp within the Metro Station
  
• Social community buttons following the credits can now be selected with a controller

Thank you for your continued support, Specialists! We’re continuing to make improvements based on your feedback and are committed to making From Space the best experience for you. Expect to see more updates soon!

For all things From Space, be sure to follow us on Twitter, and join our Discord, and of course, follow us right here on Steam!

Greetings my fellow Victorians, Paul here to talk about some of the things I have been doing for Patch 1.1.

As was said in previous dev diaries, this patch (1.1) is going to primarily focus on game polish: bug fixing, balancing, AI improvements and UI/UX work, while the next major free patch (1.2) is going to be more focused towards making progress on the plans we’ve outlined in our Post-Release Plans DD by iterating on systems like warfare and diplomacy. Hotfix (1.0.6) should be out for you all with performance improvements and some bug fixes in the meantime.

So what have I been doing? Balance work, alongside bug fixing, and assisting with some UI work and bettering of the player experience. I’m new to the design team and during my onboarding I've been able to utilize one of my special talents: I love spreadsheets and data - so I’ve been working on building profitability, production methods, and resource availability. In Patch 1.1 two large changes I have made are to Oil and Rubber and I’ve got some cool resource maps to show you the changes.

And before you take a look at the images showcasing what changes I have done, a big shoutout to @Licarious who made the tool that I am utilizing here today. This tool is open for you all on the forum in this thread. I have found the tool to be particularly lovely, helping me make quick visualizations of the changes I am considering in the game. It's one thing to balance a spreadsheet but another to take a look at the changes proposed on the map itself.

The World’s discoverable Oil Supply as of 1.0.6


In the version of the game you are all currently playing, these are the oil reserves that are discoverable in game. They are mostly the historical oil fields that were cultivated over the current knowledge of where Oil is and has been accessible (even if we did not find out about it until later than 1936). As you’ve no doubt noticed in your later games, Oil is a scarce resource and limits the progress of later game industrialization. While we want Oil to be an important late-game resource, its current bottleneck as an available resource is a little too harsh to the player’s experience so we’ve expanded the discoverable oil fields in game.

I spent a few days going through various feedback threads on the Discord and forums, alongside as many natural resource distribution maps as I could to give a better estimate of the world’s oil supply and help make the game representative of that. As of now we’ve doubled the world’s potential oil fields to give rise to a more plentiful supply in the world by both player and AI actions.

The World’s discoverable Oil Supply as of 1.1.0


I know some of you might be asking, why did we not just increase the production of oil methods and leave the historical oil fields in place? Why have you included [specific] oil fields that were not tapped until ~1950! etc.Those fields represent a usage of either Oil Sands, or some various substrate that would have not been accessible at the time.

These are all some valid questions and I will no doubt go into more detail in the thread about choices made, but some quick answers.

• Oil production methods are already incredibly profitable and buffing them further would help but probably not fully solve the problem.
  
• The gating of Oil Fields to only historically extracted areas is always tricky, if Russia and the United States collapse in game, 50%+ of the world's oil supply is locked behind their regression and the world suffers. We want to have historical credibility but also give players multiple avenues to pursue.
  
• We don’t exactly leave a track record of “this field would have been accessible in 1880" etc in our history books when we discover new resources, so best guesstimates have to be used and a balance between historical and semi-balanced gameplay has to be found.

We are by no means done with Oil, this is my first step in their balancing and it's been sent off to QA to run tests and gather feedback. I’ve got plenty of possibilities to look into but I want to make iterative changes instead of altering many things at once and not seeing the full impact.

Things I am looking into for the future includes

• Gating some oil reserve potential behind tech to make it where deposits that were not found until more modern days are harder for the player to get to, but still possible.
  
• If Oil Supply is still too short - looking into adding more variation of production methods of balancing of input/output of those factories.
  
• Giving the Whale Oil Industry a bit more of a kick into gear in the early stages of the game.

So keep your feedback on the forums/Discord coming! I might not read and answer them right away but I do collate them for future reference and they’ve been incredibly helpful in my efforts.

And now onto the world’s rubber supply, which I have also adjusted for Patch 1.1.

The World’s discoverable Rubber Supply as of 1.0.6


While not as much of a bottleneck as the world oil supply, rubber is found to not be plentiful enough to meet world demand at current. And as we make the AI better at extracting and utilizing resources in game, we no doubt have to increase the rubber supply available to the world.

And so here are the changes.

The World’s discoverable Rubber Supply as of 1.1.0


Notice the differences? Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, the two maps are the same - and this is not a mistake. The changes to Rubber have been focused on its vertical margins as opposed to the horizontal margins. While I could have upped the world supply of rubber, looking at the later game saves I found it was population issues which were preventing the resource from meeting demands, etc.

So, what I did instead was add a new PM to Rubber Plantations, giving them an automatic irrigation system (like that of the other Plantations this building shares relation to in name only) to symbolize later efforts to modernize plantations and not be fully rainfall dependent. This would help increase the productivity of buildings already in game.


Rubber Plantations can now double their effective output in the later game, by replacing some employees with machines.


Items I am looking into for the future include:

• Adding more Rubber potential to the world if this PM is not enough
  
• Potential synthetic rubber in the late game?
  
• State traits for the specific areas of the world best suited to its cultivation to help throughput

These two resource changes have been put into 1.1 among other things and are currently being vetted for balance and functionality by the QA team. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as well but remember that all numbers are currently WIP. If you have thoughts and opinions and can find me a source backing up your claims, please feel free to put them in the thread or on Discord/forums where then can continue to be collated for me.

What am I doing while this is being vetted? Why I am breaking ground into future balance changes in 1.2! As stated elsewhere on these forums, I am looking into the arable land balance of the game making changes to them. Since these changes have the potential to upend the world economy, I’m getting this branch settled early so we have as much time on our end to iterate on its balance. I will also take feedback from players upon 1.1s upcoming release, then look into tweaking other resources’ balance and such. There are always a few things to tweak!

And that’s it for this dev diary, with this little peek behind the curtain of work being done I am now going to return to it and read through the QA feedback. Then do some further balancing as needed and my work for Patch 1.2.

Patch 1.1 is planned to release before the end of the year and it's already November so it's not that far away in the grand scheme of things. Next week we will talk about some more of the changes in that patch.

We've got a November update for you with new content. We're constantly working to bring you as much additional content as possible, we know that's what you as a community expect from us.

Are you interested to know what we have prepared for you? It is well known that the work of an electrician is dangerous and he can be shocked by electricity. And have you ever wondered what also can shock him? Well, the result of a match when his favorite team is playing!

Football is one of those hobbies that unites our team. We love playing it and watching it together in the pub. That's why we decided, on the occasion of the upcoming World Cup, to prepare updates related to football.



A world cup is coming to the world of the Electrician simulator! This is the perfect time to go to a location other than customers' homes for the first time! Visit a forgotten pub, which you will have to prepare for watching the championship together.



In celebration of the world cup, one customer decided to run a certain old console. Unfortunately - the console doesn't work, and the customer can't run up his favorite football game from his childhood. Can you help him with this problem?



Feel the atmosphere of a football event! Your garage is now a turf where you can kick the ball!



And if you don't have enough of a soccer vibe, you can always use the new lamps to decorate your home. Also test the brand new induction lamp, which lights up even when picked up!

The mission, store items, and repair table tasks stay with us permanently and are not a time-limited event.

• We will add the ability to choose your favorite garage variant.
  
• We'll add lamps invented by the community, including one that allows for a lot of creativity!
  
• Big Christmas update includes several new missions, items, and changes to the environment outside the window.

• Electrical boxes can appear darkened when the player moves away.
  
• The missing texture inside the World Cup Paper Lamp.
  
• The audio of football matches can be too quiet.
  
• Certain lamps may appear as not lighting up.
  
• Glasses can load and appear on sight.
  
• Problems with shadows of glasses.

Take IT Studio! and Gaming Factory

Hey everyone!

It's been a hot minute since our last development update so I thought I'd let you all know what Paul, the (only) developer has been up to, as well as share some community screenshots that players have submitted over on the Adapt Discord.

Over to you Paul!


Since last we spoke, I’ve been putting a lot of work into building the fundamentals behind player progression in-game. So here’s a quick breakdown of how things are looking so far in this three-part system.

Requests are the next big advancement for interactions with AI, and will replace the current ‘befriend’ mechanic by allowing players to complete requests for AI in order to improve your relationship. The first iteration of this system will be delivery requests, where AI will occasionally request an item from the environment, such as food, and players can find and gift that item to complete the request. In the future I’ll be expanding on this system to include more kinds of interesting items to interact with and gift, as well as other kinds of requests.

New Missions become periodically available during play, and provide players with optional activities in exchange for new parts and genetics. This mechanism represents the primary means of genetic progression for your species during a run, but it’s important to note that these parts and genetics will only become available for your species and its offspring within that species family tree. To unlock new character options permanently for new games, you’ll have to complete achievements.

Achievements are the player’s primary means of permanently unlocking new parts and genetics. Once a part is unlocked via an associated achievement, you’ll have access to it during character creation for all future games. This means when starting future games, you’ll be able to begin with much more diverse creatures without the need to evolve during play.

In preparation for the new Progression systems, especially Requests, I’ve made some improvements to the current interaction system and its associated UI. In future updates, players will have access to a larger variety of interactions by simply holding the interaction key (default ‘F’). This new system will not only expand to include new kinds of interactions such as grooming, and competition, but will also include some of the currently context-dependent actions which can feel a bit clunky such as nesting.

Everybody loves new parts. So let's take a look at some upcoming stuff! But first… There’s a big change coming to part genetics in the next release, and that is that Part’s will now have access to variable attributes even when they share the same gene. This change is in an attempt to create more variability within similar parts to better represent specialization within anatomical boundaries. Hopefully you’ll see what I mean below.



As you can see, despite all being associated with the new Beak Gene, these fancy new beak parts offer several different base dietary abilities.

This change will usher in a number of other quality of life improvements to the Part Shop, as well as a restructure of the Adaptation / Upgrading system currently in the game. I am hopeful that these improvements will both improve the intuitiveness of the system, as well as offer some additional customization options for players.


Below are a few screenshots of the creations of our Discord users - enjoy!



Submitted by RTMARCIO



Submitted by Fisch



Submitted by Rubies

Long time no patch, eh? Aesop here as usual with Sotere and Wav3 bringing you a fresh update to your favorite game of all time ever to exist, Omega Strikers. We changed a couple of things a few weeks ago in our... "Halloween" patch, but we've got a couple more coming your way with this.

Before we get started, I'd like to take a moment to discuss our refocus on release. We're going to be slowing down on some planned updates and push them towards our official release.
We've gone into FULL detail about everything here:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1869590/announcements/detail/3482999795537991648

^^
Things are coming along nicely on the development end, but we want to ensure a level of function and polish that we can be happy with at release. While this means there will be a longer wait for new Strikers, new skins, and other "big" things added to the game, we'll continue to adjust and iterate on things like Striker balance, maps, trainings, etc.

With all that being said, let's take a look at some of these aforementioned balance, maps, trainings, etc. right now!

We went a little too far with respawn timers and made power plays slightly too difficult to capitalize on.

• 
  Respawn Timer :: 7s → 8s
  
  • 
    Overtime respawn is unchanged.

As promised, we have a new map for you that should feel pretty different. This new map, Narrows, should create some obvious momentum swings, change up your decision-making in clearing, and for those in desperate need, act as a safety bumper!

• 
  [NEW] Narrows
  
• 
  [TEMPORARILY REMOVED] Funnel

• 
  Your window will now come into focus when Striker Select begins. You can tab out safely!

CLASH OF CLONES

• 
  Clash of Clones is gone for now! Thanks for checking out our first new mode and leaving us feedback on it! Stay tuned for more 4fun modes in the future. :)

"Various Bugfixes". ← That's what every app writes in the update notes.

• 
  [HALLOWEEN PATCH BUGFIX] :: Firewall Sentry (Special) should no longer have its turret be invisible

Slowing the immovable object down, making her... less immovable? More movable???
Arc Beam [PRIMARY]

• 
  [NEW] :: Now slowed by 30% during the cast time of the ability
  
• 
  Sourspot hit type :: MEDIUM → LIGHT
  
• 
  Sourspot penalty :: 30% → 40%
  
  • 
    Sourspot Damage and Player Knockback ::140 (+70% Power) → 120 (+60% Power)
    
  • 
    Sourspot Core Knockback :: 644 (+242% Power) → 552 (+201% Power)

As a goalie, Atlas has been living in the giant round shadow of Dubu and now has been overtaken by other Strikers as well. Even his dear younger sister might be better in the net - debatable, we know. He will now do what he does uniquely better: save his allies. This time, he lets them get back into the action quicker.

• 
  Celestial Intervention [SPECIAL]
  
  • 
    Healing on rescue :: 15% of Stagger → 25% of Stagger

Dubu? Dubu! Duuuubu! Dubu? Du...bu?? Translation: Dubu has remained the stalwart defender of the goal. While he may not be as flashy as Kai, King Tofu has been consistently getting the job done since the start of the Beta. We're giving him a slight tap down so his opponents can opt into knockouts and give a few more windows to get around his abilities later in the game.

• 
  Cooldown gained through levels :: 0-50 → 0-40
  
• 
  Base Stagger :: 1,350 → 1,250

She's fallen a bit behind her canon teammates (Kai and X) so we're giving Era's Power Buff a little love so she can get off the bench and be more POWERFUL.

• 
  Bewitching Beam [PRIMARY]
  
  • 
    Power Buff and Debuff :: 40% → 60%

Whether she's stacking damage for a brawler teammate or defending from afar, Estelle has been a staple in several team comps. We're reducing the frequency of her Crystal Thorns as it plays into both of her strategies slightly too well.

• 
  Crystal Thorns [SPECIAL]
  
  • 
    Cooldown :: 12s → 14s

Giving our best friend and her blobbos some extra punching power. Damage Juno is back on the menu!!

• 
  Friend Fling [PRIMARY]
  
  • 
    Player Knockback :: 170 (+85% Power) → 180 (+90% Power)
    
  • 
    Player Damage :: 170 (+85% Power) → 180 (+90% Power)
    
  • 
    Core Knockback :: 930 (+350% Power) → 940 (+355% Power)

True to his lore, Kai was the champion of last patch. Best goalie. Top tier forward. Always zooming. Always looking clean. We're nerfing his pace a little bit and also making him a bit more vulnerable. If you happen to catch him, he'll be easier to punish.

• 
  Base Stagger :: 1,100 → 1,000
  
• 
  Blazing Pace [SECONDARY]
  
  • 
    Duration :: 4s → 3s
    
  • 
    Cooldown :: 14s → 16s
• 
  Barrage [PRIMARY]
  
  • 
    [BUGFIX]: Now appropriately shows as a valid choice for 'hit' trainings like Stinger

Luna tinkered with her big rocket to make the extended blast radius that much more potent. Did you see that?!

• 
  C.R.A.T.E.R.
  
  • 
    Sourspot penalty :: 60% → 50%
    
  • 
    Sourspot Player Knockback and Damage :: 144 (+72% Power) → 180 (+90% Power)
    
  • 
    Sourspot Core Knockback Unchanged

Rune has been introducing many of you to Obscura. And while great Rune play is hard to achieve, his options at the highest level of play are aplenty. We're toning down his mobility a tiny bit and we're keeping our eyes on him. You can't hide in the shadows from us, Rune.

• 
  Shadow Swap [SECONDARY]
  
  • 
    Cooldown :: 9s → 10s
• 
  Banish [SPECIAL]
  
  • 
    Tooltip now states Banish duration (1.25s)

Some of our new trainings were far too Hot (Shot), while the more aggressive options have been a bit too niche thus far. That, combined with some slight tweaks and small tunings, will hopefully make it so that no trainings are dominating the meta. THAT MEANS YOU, UNSTOPPABLE.

• 
  Persistent Speed :: 15 → 20
  
• 
  HASTE on Takedown :: 60% → 75%

• 
  [BUGFIX] :: Now appropriately grants the cooldown for a number of instantly hitting abilities (most notably Estelle Piercing Shot (PRIMARY) and Era Bewitching Beam (PRIMARY))
  
• 
  Core hits :: 12% harder → 8% harder

• 
  Primary ability hits harder:: 7% (3.5% to Core) → 5% (2.5% to Core)

• 
  Stacks lost on K.O. :: 2 → 1

• 
  [HALLOWEEN PATCH BUGFIX] :: Range indicator is now more accurate and does not scale based on Striker size

• 
  [CHANGED ON HALLOWEEN PATCH] :: Knockback Resist :: 40% → 30%
  
• 
  [BUGFIX] Strikers can no longer "equip" Unstoppable without actually equipping it.

• 
  Knockback Resistance at full stacks :: 10% → 15%

It’s been nothing but a season full of excitement here at The Deep End Games and we’re overwhelmed by the overwhelmingly positive player response to our Romancelvania demo. So let’s start it off with a BIG thank you to everyone who tried our game and provided feedback! Even though the demo is no longer available on Steam, that doesn’t mean the show’s over - far from it!

As we race to the finishing line, we’re also tuning in to hear what our players have been saying! And we’d like to share some of the results from our demo survey to give you a peek of how other players fared in our demo.



Favorite Characters
Boy, the love for Vess, Drac, and Medusa are competing for each other's throat and it’s no wonder why! It’s hard not to be in love with our “suave” and “sexy as hell” MC, Drac, taking center stage as our monster bachelor. And Medusa knows how to bring the fun with her upfront sass and humor. One player even noted that her lines “just kept making [them] laugh.”

Though, like every good champagne, our favorite genie-in-a-bottle, Vess, came out pouring with positive responses from fans! Relatability is the secret garnish, as many noted how they just really got Vess. Let’s share our favorite quotes about why Vess was their number one character:

“I just love how tired and done she is, and she has some really adorable interactions with Drac.”

“She is a whole mood that I am here for.”

“She intrigued me, and her interactions with Drac felt most natural to me.”



Favorite-to-Hate Characters
In contrast, Brocifer became our favorite-to-hate Jersey boy! Brocifer is definitely a “ride-or-die” choice for many players. To the fans who did pick him as their go-to, let’s share some of our favorite love-hate quotes about Brocifer:

“He's deliciously annoying and very well voiced.”

“His dialogue was to die for and the fact that he is a DJ and makes music is great!”

“He was the character I loved to hate.”

Because of this, he was voted #1 to eliminate at the Black Rose Ceremony. It’s a shame but any good devil always has his tricks up his sleeve.



Date Locations
We had a sample of the date locations in Drac’s castle for players to flirt and mingle in: the Fireplace, the Piano Room, and the Gold Room. Is it a casual drink at the bar or hearing someone laying Beethoven on you that gets you in the romantic mood? Neither according to players, because Fireplace is where most players preferred to heat things up! Even though Drac can’t eat, the dining table offers plenty of good opportunities for one-on-one conversation with the contestants.

Abilities
There were plenty of abilities to try out in your first run with tons more to unlock in the full version! Losing your powers to Grim doesn’t stop Wolf Dash from being the runner up favorite ability, as you get to speed mercilessly through the castle. However, at number one, Headouken, charges up ahead (get it?) as an ability you gain after meeting Medusa in the Gallery. A throwback to the classic Hadouken ability in Street Fighter, Headouken lets you throw Medusa’s head toward enemies.

Final Words
The responses we received on the survey throughout October has been eye-opening for us with tons of positive and constructive feedback! Tis a shout-out to all the shout-outs on social media, it absolutely means the moon and back! If you would like to support us and get a notification when the game comes out, please go ahead and wishlist! More wishlists means more eyes on our game which means more fans of Romancelvania!



Wishlist Us: {LINK REMOVED}https://bit.ly/Romancelvania

Feel free to continue to share your thoughts and let us know what YOUR favorite moment was in the Romancelvania demo over on social media! We’re excited to see what you have to say. Until then, cheers!

- Amanda/Bill

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Meet the next hero joining the party. The barbarian is joining forces with the party in the 5th Demeo adventure later this year.

Uhrak is an indestructible force of pure rage. Being a former pit fighter, he has learned the violent rawness of combat, one punch at a time. He takes on foes with brutality, resolve, and the infamous Hook of Varga - a weapon feared far and wide.

Want to learn more about the next adventure? More information will be revealed very soon, so keep an eye out!

- The Demeo Team