Big update day! We couldn't be happier to finally bring Paradiddle to the official Meta Quest Store, with a huge new update on both PC and Quest. Let's take a look at what's new:

You can now play Paradiddle with your friends, with up to 4 players in a room! Joining is by room code only right now, but we'll make this easier in future updates with improvements such as direct invites on Quest.

Each room automatically has voice chat enabled, with voice controls for each player. The main 2 ways of playing are:

Co-op Note Highway Play
• You can play any built-in song in-sync with other players, and compare your scores at the end. Time to settle who's the best drummer in the group!
  
• Custom songs not supported right now, but we're working on it. Let us know if you'd be excited about having custom songs supported in multiplayer :)
  Free Play
  
• When not playing a song on the highway, each person in the room can hear the others' drums freely. We're hoping this'll pave the way for some fun virtual performances, remote teaching sessions, or just the best type of absolute chaos where everyone is banging on their drum fortresses.
  
• Keep in mind that networked audio latency isn't quite good enough to play in sync with others freely, so it's tricky get a 4 person jam session going where everyone's playing at the same time. However as you'll find out, it's still quite fun to show off your skills freely to the others in the room!

• MIDI Monitor: We added a MIDI Monitor under the MIDI tab in Options where you can see the last MIDI message that was received by the app. This should make it easier to spot any MIDI connection or message issues without having to rely on another program to inspect incoming messages.
  
• MIDI Learn Button: Each drum now has a "Learn" button under its MIDI settings. Simply click the button, and hit the MIDI e-drum pad or pedal you'd like to use for that drum, and its MIDI settings will be automatically set.
  
• (Quest native version only) Midi input on Quest over USB: You can now plug in your MIDI device and have it be detected automatically by the app on Quest. Easy!
  
• (Quest native version only) Midi output over network: Using our updated Paradiddle Companion App, you can now have your Quest send MIDI messages over the network to your PC. After quite a bit of testing, we can confirm that in most cases you'll get lower audio latency with this setup compared to the default audio latency of the Quest. So if you wish your drums were just a bit more responsive in terms of the audio delay, and have a PC, give this a try! You can also change the sounds of all your drums this way, since it's now possible to connect the Quest version to a DAW such as Ableton or Superior Drummer.

We've almost doubled the number of songs in the app, bringing it to a total of 30!
Out of the new 14 songs, we have 7 new original songs from the one and only ElNeax, as well as 7 new licensed indie songs belonging to a variety of genres. Let us know what your favorites are out of the new songs!

We've added several new instruments:

• New mallet instruments like the steel drum, hand pans (hapi drums) - these were actually started from community requests!
  
• New auxiliary percussion instruments: rope tension (marching) snare drum, giant bass drum
  
• Added a new drum kit: the Virtuosity kit

Players on the native Quest Store version can now see the note highway represented on top of their real, physical drums in mixed reality. Electronic drums are preferred for the best type of integration where the app can also detect when your real drums were hit, however acoustic drums will also work for a visual overlay.

https://github.com/emretanirgan/ParadiddleUtilities/releases/latest
We're now renaming the Paradiddle Song Converter as the Paradiddle Companion App since it does more than converting songs now! The MIDI companion allows you to connect to your Quest and send MIDI messages to your PC over the network.

• We're looking into Mac and Linux builds for the companion app.
  
• The MIDI messages are one-way currently (from Quest to PC) however we already have the other way working, so we'll have an update soon that makes the MIDI traffic two-way.
  
• Big thanks to Primitive for their help in refactoring the companion app repository on GitHub!

We've updated the Paradiddle song format to be lighterweight and more flexible when it comes to different types of music.

• New metadata file: Each song can now have a lighterweight "info.rlrr" metadata file that only contains meta information such as the title, and the file names for the different difficulties.
  
• Time signatures are now supported in song files.
  
• Song-mapper defined bookmarks and jump points are now supported in song files. We'll add a visual representation of these on the app side soon, where players will be able to jump to predefined or self-defined points on the song timeline easily.
  
• Thanks a lot to CANADan and anonymousthing for the feedback on this!

• Kit rotation: While grabbing your whole kit, you can now rotate it by using your right thumbstick left-right axis.
  
• Added a zoom setting to the camera menu.
  
• Added individual audio level controls for Environment and UI sounds.
  
• Added more accessibility options for the note highway under General:
  
• Latency slider: You can now change the visual latency of the notes on the highway relative to the audio.
  
• Auto kick: The song will trigger the kick notes automatically without affecting your score.
  
• Mute drums on miss: By default, a missed note lowers the drum track audio for a song if it has one. You can now turn this off if you'd like.
  
• Removed some settings on the menu that were PC-specific.
  
• Fixes to various bugs reported on our Canny board.
  
• Various performance improvements to particle effects, menu rendering optimizations.

Long time supporters of the app already know, but we're always listening for your feedback and we have no plans to stop improving Paradiddle further. We'll do a follow-up post in a few days that goes over some of our future roadmap, as well as any currently known issues that pop up with the new release.

You can use our Canny board to submit, see and vote on bug reports and suggestions for the app! https://paradiddle.canny.io/

And finally, if you're enjoying your time in the app and wouldn't mind spending a few minutes to leave a rating or review, that would be greatly appreciated :)

Emre

emre@paradiddleapp.com

Join us on Discord!: https://discord.gg/paradiddle

Official Paradiddle website: http://paradiddleapp.com

FAQ: http://paradiddleapp.com/faq

Unearth the wonders of New England in a game that combines history, adventure, and hidden object challenges. 'Finding America: New England' takes you on an unforgettable journey. Seek out hidden objects amidst stunning scenery and unlock the stories of America's colonial past.

• Behold the sights of New England, all done in a Hidden Object style.
  
• Play over 30 fun minigames, all connected to New England!
  
• Pick up fun facts about the region!
  
• Comes with wallpapers and a full soundtrack.
  
• Maximize your vacation with Unlimited Mode!

• 12 more chapters
  
• 6 CE-exclusive Hidden Object scenes!

Enjoy one stunning chapter after another and experience all that New England has in store in this all-American Hidden Object game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2589350/Finding_America_New_England/

Added some ambient sounds to improve the game experience.

Unearth the wonders of New England in a game that combines history, adventure, and hidden object challenges. 'Finding America: New England' takes you on an unforgettable journey. Seek out hidden objects amidst stunning scenery and unlock the stories of America's colonial past.

• Behold the sights of New England, all done in a Hidden Object style.
  
• Play over 30 fun minigames, all connected to New England!
  
• Pick up fun facts about the region!
  
• Comes with wallpapers and a full soundtrack.
  
• Maximize your vacation with Unlimited Mode!

• 12 more chapters
  
• 6 CE-exclusive Hidden Object scenes!

Enjoy one stunning chapter after another and experience all that New England has in store in this all-American Hidden Object game!

Ready your digits, tinkerers!

You’re invited to our first-ever Pocket Dungeon Modfest Community Event!

Last month we announced the release of the Early Preview of the Paradox Pack DLC with the long awaited Mod Support feature! This feature allows folks at home to edit the game in fun ways - changing up gameplay styles, adding your character sprites, levels, Relics, color palettes, and more! Our community has already been tinkering away at it and we’re blown away with the creativity.

With that said…Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon’s 2nd anniversary is on the horizon! What better way to celebrate than by putting the spotlight on the community’s incredible creations and giving them a whirl on our live stream?

The stream will take place on the anniversary on December 13th at 2pm PT/ 5pm ET! This is all in good fun. We look forward to a load of laughs, gaffs, and having a great time with you on Stream.

EVENT DETAILS:

• The stream will be held on our Twitch Channel: twitch.tv/yachtclubgames
  
• You can submit your Mod at anytime between now and December 12th! We'll be playing them on Stream on Dec 13th at 2pm PT!
  
• Anyone can participate in modding, as long as you own the base game

For more information on how to participate, keep scrollin’!

How to Participate

• Join the Early Preview on Steam! For directions on how to access it CLICK HERE
  
  
• Create your Mod! For directions on how to create your mod, CLICK HERE
  
  
• Submit your Mod to Steam Workshop. CLICK HERE
  
  
• Hang out with us on Stream on December 13th at 2pm PT/5pm ET. The mods will also be available for you to check out at home. STREAM LINK
  
  FAQ:
  What is Mod Support?
  Mod support allows players to add their own content to the game. Note: This feature is only for the PC version of the DLC.
  
  Where can I submit my Mod?
  You can submit it on the Steam Workshop page.
  
  Is this event available on consoles too?
  It is not! Mod Support will only be available on the PC version of this game.
  
  Do I need to own Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon to participate?
  Yes you do. The Mods are only compatible with the Steam version of this game.
  
  How long is the event?
  The event will start at 2pm PT and will last for 2 hours on December 13th. If the event is over, do not fret! Mod Support is forever so you’ll be able to play at home whenever!
  
  When is the cut off for submitting Mods?
  The cut off date for submitting your mods for us to play on stream is December 12th 11:59pm. Once the event is over, you are still encouraged to submit your mods for the community to play!
  
  Are there any limitations to the Mods?
  Yes, you'll need to heed Steam's Community Stands for Mods!
  
  How do I access the Paradox Pack DLC Early Preview and Mod Support Content?
  Check out this handy dandy guide HERE
  
  Is there a prize for best Mod?
  Eternal glory and a digital high five! This community event is just for fun! We aren’t judging the Mods on any sort of criteria. We’re just excited to see all the cool stuff you create.
  
  Can I play the Mods at home?
  Of course you can!

Note: To participate in this event, you will need to own the base game on Steam. You will also need to join the Early Preview branch of the game!

Adding basic connectivity to the new Online System.

• Act 4 Defense area boundaries have been raised to keep players from escaping...again.
  
• Fixed a bug that would cause chat to display in front of the load screen.
  
• Fixed localization issue with the Shop's Gun Highlight UI so it now translates properly.
  
• Disco boss speakers models should now display properly.
  
• Added additional zombie spawns to the Act 3 Disco Boss green squares phase.
  
• Fixed a bug caused when a player died to zombies after finishing the timer, but prior to the last zombie being killed.
  
• Fixed a bug that would cause the shop keeper to not leave once he was dismissed.
  
• Significantly raised the amount of sounds the game allows to relieve the bug that causes player sounds to cut out during heavy gameplay
  
• The UI at the end of an act should now show proper movement of experience in the Rank Experience bar.

To celebrate the release of "AN ARCADE FULL OF CATS" and the "TIMEWARP TROUBLE" expansion, we're hosting a special giveaway!

One lucky cat lover will win an arcade stick made by 2nd Impact .
To participate, all you need to do is enter the giveaway on our Discord.



The giveaway will take place on the 23rd of November. We can't wait to see who the lucky winner will be! ːfofinoː


Love & Purrs,
The Devcats ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

Minor Bug Fixes.

New!
-We've added the film grain effect which was missing before.
-We've added minor bloom effects to add more contrast to blacks than before, and to shine brighter on objects and monsters.
-The flashlight will now add bloom and add refraction when bouncing off metallic surfaces.
-Graphics fidelity has been heavily improved in this patch. You'll notice better lighting, shadows and High Dynamic Range (If using a supported monitor and GPU).

Bug Fixes
-Removed debug code that could potentially cause slowdowns on changing cameras.
-Fixed performance hit when entering the grounds by optimizing draw distances and bone weights.
-Removed debug objects from Mansion starting scene which caused minor slowdowns.
-Fixed error that could potentially freeze enemy movement in Mansion starting scene.