Dec 12, 2023

Risk of Rain Returns - HAN-D

Hello everyone! Today we pushed a patch for Risk of Rain Returns! While this patch has a whole bunch of different balance changes and bug fixes, detailed below, its biggest feature is the inclusion of horizontal mouse aiming!

To be clear - this does not allow you to have full 360 degree aiming/shooting - it allows you to put the cursor to the left/right of your character to attack in that horizontal direction. This huge quality-of-life change, along with many of the below changes, was developed in response to player feedback and we would love to know what you think on the Risk of Rain Discord

[h4]Patch 1.0.4 Changes
[/h4]

Horizontal Mouse Aim/Aiming Changes

Added option to enable horizontal mouse aim, enabled by default with the "Risk of Rain 2" control scheme.
Added first-time pop-up for mouse users about mouse aim.
Added “Aim Left” and “Aim Right” keybinds for keyboard and controller users. This feature is optional and only adjusts your aiming direction while held.
Added the ability to disable Huntress’s auto-aim within the accessibility settings.
Added the ability to disable the aim-direction reticule within the accessibility settings.
Added the ability to turn while using the Primary Skill if the fire button was briefly released. This change does not apply to Bandit or Artificer due to their skills already interacting uniquely with button mashing.
Added the ability for Player Drones to fire while backing up.

Bug Fixes, Multiplayer Improvements & Balance Changes

Most enemy attacks are now client authoritative.
Improved feedback on client attacks in online multiplayer.
Added some client prediction to certain online interactions to reduce networking overhead.
Increased leniency of client disconnections in online multiplayer.
Improved behavior of Lynx Archer, Lemurian Lancer, and Bramble projectiles online.
Brilliant Behemoth interactions have been made more consistent online and offline.
Decaying Sample now properly deals 100% damage and stacks correctly.
Fixed behavior that extremely rarely allowed Nematocyst Nozzle to drop from anything.
Slight tweak to Item/Equipment drop balance.
Teleporter Bosses may no longer drop Equipment.
Normalized survivor movement speed. All slower survivors now move faster.
Fixed Bandit’s “Smokebomb” skill instantly cancelling itself if an attack was performed immediately before the ability was activated.
Fixed Artificer’s “Frost Barrier” pushing enemies through walls.
Fixed Sniper’s “Steady Aim” being forced to fire early under certain circumstances.
Buffering for Sniper’s “Steady Aim” is now disabled to prevent chargeless ‘misfires’.
Pilot may now cancel his primary skill into other abilities.
Heaven Cracker now allows Miner to gain heat and Drifter to generate scrap.
Miner’s Throwing Axe skill now properly interacts with the Heaven Cracker.
CHEF’s "BUTCHER" (boosted alternate primary skill) now properly has a unique icon.
Acrid’s "Toxic Bubble" skill damage now properly stacks with damage from Caustic Sludge.
Acrid’s "Toxic Bubble" skill now damages nearby enemies when bounced on or hit by the player.
Fixed Huntress bolts not striking enemies when colliding with a wall at the same time.
Huntress’s “Strafe” ability is now cancellable into other abilities.
Various utility skills may now be canceled into rope-climbing.
Fixed some monster attacks bypassing player invincibility.
Altered rope interactions. Players no longer ‘fall’ off of the top of ropes if climbed to the top. Players may no longer mash to increase speed on ropes.
Added ledge detection to player movement to prevent near-misses during platforming.
Rapid Fire accessibility option altered slightly to improve functionality.
Added UI Scale option for menus.
Added mouse-lock option.
Added an exception to allow “Up” and “Jump” to be bound to the same input. This differs slightly from the behavior provided by the dedicated “Up to Jump” accessibility option.
Various language-related fixes.
Fixed profile menu name not appearing while being inputted.
Fixed profile menu inputs being sent while typing in chat.
Fixed descriptions being shown for achievements that aren’t yet unlockable.
Fixed a crash relating to audio fading.
Reduced the size of textures used by the game, this may help the performance on lower-end machines.
Low graphics quality now also disables the most expensive shader effects, this may help the performance on lower-end machines.
Offset ropes away from walls in Ancient Valley.
Fixed collision errors on Ancient Valley variant 6.
Adjusted spawnable tiles within tight tunnels in Hive Cluster.
Raised roof slightly in Damp Caverns variants to support taller monsters.
Adjusted some spawnable locations in Risk of Rain stages.
Fixed gap in Ifrit’s walkable paths on Ancient Valley variant 2.
Adjusted render order of Gilded Wurm segments.
Reduced damage of Swifts.
Reduced health of Archer Bugs.
Removed dive-bombing Swifts’ ability to strike the player while time is stopped.

Providence Trials Changes

Fixed ability for score to change after a trial has already ended.
Fixed Umbras ignoring time stop effects in “Judgment.” (It was funny, RIP)
Chef’s “The Right Ingredients” trial now properly only counts “Cook” kills for score.
Han-D’s “Main Systems Offline” trial altered slightly to account for Decaying Sample change.
Han-D’s “Routine Maintenance” trial significantly re-adjusted.
Huntress’s “Blades in the Wind” trial significantly re-adjusted to allow for more diverse gameplay scaling as you progress.
Cleaned up collision errors in Pilot’s “Emergency Ejection” trial. Removed an awkwardly placed scoring item.
Increased visibility of some platforms in Pilot’s “Race to the Finish” trial.
Engineer’s “Get Off My Lawn” trial now ends when you hit 5,000 points.
Loader’s “Crash Landing” trial rebalanced slightly.
Loader’s “Ruins of the Future” trial has had Hopoo Feathers relocated slightly.
Miner’s “Scorching Heart” trial difficulty increased. Bosses now respawn appropriately.

Thanks again everyone!

Hopoo Games

Dec 12, 2023

Wanted Dead or Alive #5: Corky "Dead Eye" McGee! 🏴‍☠️

Soulslinger: Envoy of Death - Mamas_Johnny

Ahoy Soulslingers!

All sails are set for the Early Access release of Soulslinger, and in 2 days you will be finally able to enter the unforgiving realms of Limbo. Until then, I would like to introduce you to another "resident" of Afterlife. And as previously announced, the similarity in his name with a known game designer is is purely coincidental!

It's a pleasure to introduce you to Corky "Dead Eye" McGee!

As Soulslinger moves through Limbo, he enters a rather odd area of Limbo - rather than another Wild West territory, it seems more nautical in nature, more suggestive of a place like Tortuga, or a pirate cove. As he enters the area, he hears a raspy voice singing a sea shanty.

That is the introduction of Corky "Dead Eye" McGee, the mysterious pirate shopkeeper who sells items of suspicious origin to Soulslinger -- for a hefty price, of course. He even explains to Soulslinger that the "coins" he owns normally have no value -- but for some reason, they are of great value to him.

The area of limbo that Dead Eye is from is called "The Abyss", a sea far below the rest of limbo, where pirates, banshees and all sorts of other strange spirits reside. The coins have exceptionally high value there. However, Dead Eye has an odd relationship with the truth and his tales of the Abyss are often a bit too colorful and too fantastical, to the point that Soulslinger can never quite figure out how much of Dead Eye's stories are fiction and how much of it actually happened.

This was the last "Wanted Dead or Alive" update for the time being. But during the Early Access phase of Soulslinger: Envoy of Death, new characters will appear, which I will also introduce to you in due course. Properly, as always!

So long, friends. Have a great time!
Ede out!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2429240/Soulslinger_Envoy_of_Death/

Dec 12, 2023

Update #76: Pixel Noir To Launch In January!

Pixel Noir - SWDTech Games

This is a surprise update!

As many of you know, we've been trying to link up with the perfect publishing partner for the past year. Given that we've been sitting on a finished product, we've made a BIG decision.....

Drumroll, please!
Tuh tuh tuh truh tuh tuh truh....! We will be releasing the game ourselves! This empowers us to deliver Pixel Noir directly to you, our backers and the fans! So, without further ado......

January 18, 2024 Pixel Noir will launch on PC, Mac and Linux available on Steam!
BOOM! Mark your calendars, set your alarms, tell your pals, snitch on the cat lady down the street, and join us for an unforgettable journey as we head to launch day! But that's not all...

January 18th also happens to be the start of MAGFest in Oxon Hill, MD!

In celebration of the end of an era in development, we will present the full version of Pixel Noir to the general public at MAGFest's Indie game showcase (MIVS)! If you're going, swing by our booth for some good times and exclusive merch!

Note: cover art for the Pixel Noir Arrange Album is still under construction

DRM-free Pixel Noir USB keys with the digital OST for $25
Physical Pixel Noir Arrange Albums by various musicians for $10
Stylish Pixel Noir T-shirts for $20
All of the above for a sweet $50 bundle deal!

Early Access, Launch Discount & The Great Beyond!

Heads up, savvy gamers! The Early Access price is available right now of $14.99 at the moment, but come launch day, it will leave Early Access and transition to its retail price of $24.99. But fear not! We will roll out a 20% launch discount on Steam during the first week! Backers, you're already covered, so enjoy getting in on the ground floor and helping us build this odyssey of a game!

You get a discount. You get a discount. *Everybody* gets a discount!

After launch, we'll transition to getting out the backer rewards! We plan on having a more detailed backer rewards-based Kickstarter update sometime in the months after launch. That all said, this is a great time to ensure that your BackerKit survey is current- link here to review!

Porting will also be a central focus after this initial launch. Pixel Noir will first spread its wings on Steam, then Epic Store, and GoG for PC/Mac/Linux. After that, Nintendo Switch will be our next goal with XBox Series X and PS4/5 on the horizon! Our dev team is taking on the challenge of porting with no publisher in the mix.

The SWDTech Games mantra 💪

That's A Wrap For This Update!

We're thrilled about this initial release! We also want to say thanks and congratulations to all the backers and Early Access patrons--this will be the end of an era and hopefully the start of a new one!

Stay tuned for more updates as we figure out the best way to bring Pixel Noir to you. Here's how you can stay in the know:

Spread the Word: Share a story or status on the social medias of your choice that Pixel Noir will be launching January 18th! Please tell people about this unique TBRPG that our team has carefully developed over many years of work and dedication!
Join Our Discord: Prepare for launch by joining the Pixel Noir community on our SWDTech Games Discord server. You'll receive exclusive screenshots and granular development updates while chatting with the team!

Our next official update will be on January 17th--the day before Pixel Noir launches!

// Team SWDTech

Dec 12, 2023

Sector 3: Decayed Hope

Meet Your Maker - BGardiner_BHVR

Sector 3: Decayed Hope brings you to the ruins of an ancient battleground corrupted and decayed by a terrible toxic catastrophe. With a brand-new environment, weapon, trap, Deco Packs and more, there are a ton of horrors to unravel, with loads of fresh Building and Raiding strategies to experiment with.

But that’s not all, this new update brings in an all-new, extended Raiding Expeditions season, with more than double the rewards to unlock, including new weapon and suit cosmetics and decals!

With this update also comes a slew of bug fixes, balancing changes and more, so let's dive into the patch notes, shall we?

NEW FEATURES & CONTENT

New Environment: Decayed Hope: The ruins of the ancient battleground that was once known as Fort Hope, now corrupted, and decayed by a terrible toxic catastrophe.

New Weapon: Lodestar Shield: A tactical defense weapon that generates a barrier wall which stays in place for a significant amount of time, blocking hostile projectiles and defending against melee attacks.

New Trap: Launchpad: A non-lethal trap that pushes its target at a very high velocity, potentially launching them into the air, or into deadly areas.

New Decopack: Chemical Plant: Toxic wreckage from the remains of Fort Hope’s refinery structure, featuring 2 Blocks, 3 Props and 8 Decals.

Expeditions Feature Updates:

In addition to Parts and Synthite, Enhancements can now also be earned directly from completing Raids. When viewing Outposts on the Expedition Map, look for the Outpost Completion Rewards information!
Expedition progression can now also be earned by completing Daily Challenges. When viewing the Chimera Menu, look for the rewards associated with each Daily Challenge.
The first-time user experience has been improved. New tutorial events have been added to the game, helping newcomers and returning players better understand how Expeditions work and how to earn rewards.
As with all tutorials, the information can always be found in the “Tutorial” section of the settings menu.
The End of Season UI has been reworked, and we’ve added an informational pop-up to inform players about the Expedition reset.

Holiday-Themed Content:
‘Tis the season to celebrate! To sprinkle some holiday cheer in the wasteland, HRV is now decked in a merry outfit, complete with jingling bells as he strolls to the GenMat. And that’s not all – eight delightful holiday-themed decals have been permanently added to the game for you to adorn your Outposts with. Let the festive decorating begin!

New Cosmetic Collection:
New Decopack: The Bastion: Protective and modular building components from the interior of the Bastion, featuring 2 Blocks, 3 Props and 8 Decals

New Cosmetics:

Instant Dispatch Kamaitachi Suit cosmetic
Pandemic Lodestar Shield cosmetic

Sector 2 Ranked Rewards

The new Sector 3 Ranking Season has begun, and for players who participated in Sector 2, the following Cosmetic rewards will be rewarded based on your Rank tier.

Gold or higher: Deadly Upsurge Kamataichi Suit Cosmetic
Silver or higher: Pandemic Sledgeblade Cosmetic

The following Decals will also be rewarded based on your Rank tier.

Master Sector 2 Decal
Gold Sector 2 Decal
Silver Sector 2 Decal
Bronze Sector 2 Decal

QUALITY-OF-LIFE

The Raid results screen has been updated to create a clearer distinction between rewards earned within the raid (Parts or Synthite), and rewards earned for completing the raid (Parts, Synthite, or Enhancements)
When a Daily Challenge is ready to be claimed and the Chimera is ready to be evolved, priority will be given to the Daily Challenge message in the Sanctuary’s message UI.
The splash screen and loading screens have been updated to the new Sector 3: Decayed Hope screens.

BALANCING CHANGES

The Corrosive Cube’s Spontaneous Mod has been reduced in power quite significantly.
- Its effective radius has been reduced from 2m to 1.5m.
- The cooldown for acid spitting to occur was increased from 1.5secs to 3.0secs.
- Raiders can remain in acid puddles slightly longer, from 1.25secs to 1.5secs.
- The uptime of the acid puddle was reduced by 1sec from 3.5 to 2.5secs.
For both the Speed Landing and Shockwave enhancements (all rarities), the fall height required to trigger the effect has been reduced from 3+ blocks to 2+ blocks (12 meters or higher, to 8 meters or higher.) This should make the Enhancements easier and more effective to use.
Ammo Restore Enhancement: We substantially increased the % chance to the restore effect occurring to improve its usefulness, from 10-15-20-25% to 30-40-50-70%.
Synthite, Cells and Parts earned through Raiding have been increased.
The amount of Enhancements rewarded from have been rebalanced based on rarity and the difficulty of the Expedition.
The maximum Genmat required to process an Advisor has been reduced.

BUG FIXES:
TRAPS:

We have fixed an issue preventing Sentry Beams from displaying their warning laser in a specific setup.
Fixed an issue causing the Holocube to appear incorrectly when the trap is revealed.
Fixed an issue preventing the Splatter mod from triggering when the Corrosive Cube is hit with melee attacks.
Fixed an issue causing Plasma Sentinels' projectiles to change directions after hitting a Death Piston's side.
Fixed an issue causing the Bomb Ejector's warning audio to be barely audible in certain setups.
Fixed an issue causing the Holocube to not have the correctly visuals while building.

GUARDS:

We have fixed an issue causing Assassin guards to not follow their recorded paths in certain setups.
Fixed an issue causing the Hornet's Sluggish mod to stay in effect permanently when a raider passes through two overlapping bubbles.
Fixed an issue causing Enforcers equipped with the Seeker Bolts mod to sometimes not shoot at Raiders.

EQUIPMENT:

We have fixed an issue allowing Phoenix Pods deployed before the GenMat has been grabbed, to still be available after the event.
Fixed a crash occurring when a raid is restarted while a Phoenix Pod is deploying.
Fixed an issue causing Blast Grenades to be destroyed when thrown against an extended Death Piston or Impaler trap.

UI:
- We have fixed an issue causing the Enhancements inventory to not properly display the new item notifications.
- Fixed an issue causing cosmetic names displayed in the Loadout to overflow.
- Fixed an issue causing the weapon type information to not be displayed in the Weapon upgrade menu.
- Fixed an issue causing Expeditions reward UI to not properly display the time until next update or season.
- Fixed an issue causing available Synthite to not be updated after refilling an Outpost.
- Fixed an issue causing incorrect Parts or Synthite values to be shown in the Outpost Results UI.
- Fixed an issue causing the Plasmabow's VFX to be incorrectly displayed when viewing the weapon in the Loadout menu.
- Fixed an issue causing an incorrect Loadout to be displayed briefly in the Raider HUD, while viewing a Replay.
CO-OP:
- We have fixed an issue causing ranking points to be incorrectly awarded for a co-op player that doesn't escape the raid in time.
- Fixed an issue causing an invalid "Claim" action in an Expedition Map to not be greyed out for a co-op guest.
- Fixed an issue causing the co-op partner's outline to disappear when too close to a wall.
PERFORMANCE:
- We have fixed a performance issue on consoles when using the quick building tool
- Fixed performance issues caused by certain guards' animations.
MISCELLANEOUS:
- Fixed an issue causing incorrect and unlocalized text to be displayed when unlocking a new item
- Fixed an issue causing Raiders to become stuck in geometry in a specific location of the Shattered Peak environment.
- Fixed an issue causing a recently blocked player's Outpost to remain in the Expedition Map until completed.
- Fixed an issue allowing the player's view to clip inside blocks and Holocubes equipped with the Second Wave mod.
- Fixed an issue preventing audio feedback from playing when absorbing explosion damage with a shield weapon.
- Fixed issues causing the Close Call and Hazard Shot Down Raiding feats to be awarded incorrectly.
- Fixed an issue preventing the harvester's body from generating audio when falling on various surfaces.
For status updates on ongoing known issues, please refer to our Known Issues Board here: https://forums.bhvr.com/meet-your-maker/discussion/378404/meet-your-maker-known-issues-board

To report any new issues, please contact our player support team by opening a ticket here: https://support.meetyourmakergame.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

If you've been checked out of the game for a while, you might also want to check out our Sector 2: Shattered Peak Recap blog: https://forums.bhvr.com/meet-your-maker/discussion/399939/meet-your-maker-sector-2-recap-blog

See you in the wasteland, Custodian.

-The Meet Your Maker Team