Cyber Knights: Flashpoint News

Update #71 follows on a big weekend with the TRUCK JOB heist hitting the streets and so many new Knights joining the New Boston zone. We're excited to return to the regular update schedule this week and smash some fixes, smash your F10s and smash on to the next heist release.

Sorry about the big download size on this one. The build server had a caching issue and the only way to move forward was to flush it and the build size suffered for it.

If you're liking the game, the pace of updates and our style of Early Access, please take a minute to leave a review!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1021210/view/4176599795022391616
We've also started a new community challenge this week to see your best multi-class builds! This one is a lot of fun to test out new things and new metas that maybe haven't been explored before. You in?


[h2]Truck Job Floaters[/h2]
If you were running the TRUCK JOB and saw the mechanized infantry simply "floating" through stuff, you weren't the only one. Scary, right! Well, now fixed.

[h2]Retargeting Annoyances[/h2]
We've rebuilt how a character steps out around cover to give the character more options (now 8 options instead of just 4) which will help you get the best sight lines to enemy targets or when trying to get a good Overwatch cone setup.

This also has a big impact on any time that the targeting got confused when planning movement (saying that you could hit 1 in the bottom left but when you got there it was 0). This was due to the less step out spots and allowing the step out spots to be influenced by rotation. Technicalities, but big ones!

And finally, this fix fully resolves all of the annoyances around retargeting that were going. Sometimes, when trying to shoot an enemy multiple times in a row, suddenly you'd be stuck with an "No Sight Line" result until you hit ESC or reclicked on them, or you'd just lose the targeting altogether. These issues are now fixed, thankfully.


[h2]Biomimic and BioScan Fields[/h2]
We fixed the issue with the Scourge's Biomimic bug that was not always working in a Bio-Scan Field, depending on the ordering of who entered the field last. Now it always works and a Biomimic'd Scourge is excluded for any and all merc counts.

[h2]Enemy Spawning[/h2]
We've resolved the issues with enemy spawnng in odd positions and rotations, kind of a bad jumble. They are back to being nicely organized and fanned out from the main spawn location. Only if they need to find other locations due to something blocking them will they get more organic.

[h2]Enemy Spinning[/h2]
Sometimes the enemy AI would just start a rotation action and not really try to turn much or at all. This kind of twitchy is now cut out completely and the enemies will only go for a rotation action when it is sensible. It looks nicer and actually cuts down on a good deal of thinking cycles and raycasting required every time a turn was done.

[h2]Pathing and Lighting Issues[/h2]
There are a few types of textures we are fighting in certain levels -- usually paper on the ground -- that can in some cases be painted with a white background. We're working through addressing these as they are new bugs caused by the new lighting engine. We'll get them all fixed soon.

We also fixed a number of odd pathing issues in the Forward Op mission map[.

[h2]Typos and Duplicate Journal Entry[/h2]
We fixed a heap of typos and also a duplicate entry in the journal for Water Desalination. Thanks to the F10 crew for posting these up!

[h2]v1.5.7 - 4/84/2024[/h2]
- New Power Button Eyes option
- Fixed issue with mechanized infantry in Truck Job walking/running through objects
- Fixed issues where sometimes target or sight line would be lost after making attack on a target until canceled / retargeted
- Fixed bug with Scourge's Bio-Mimic not deceiving BioScan Field if Scourge is the last merc to enter
- Improved AI behavior to avoid repeated rotations that sometimes don't go anywhere
- Fixed issue with start enemy positions for reinforcements not being well organized
- Fixed duplicate lore text paragraphs in Water Treatement and Desalination section of journal
- Fixed odd pathing issues in Forward Op mission map

[h2]End of Month Wrap Up[/h2]

(Description of challenge below)

Hello, Knights! Over the last month, we've been enjoying the multiclass challenge. It has sparked a lot of conversation, particularly over on Discord and led to some interesting class combos! If you would like to catch up on the fun, you can check out the Steam discussion thread and hop over to our Discord to check out #multiclass_challenge.

A few highlights from the month:

Dr Spendlove for opening up the conversation about what we could call each multi-class combo which got us to names like:

• Vanguard + Scourge = Viper
  
• Hacker + Cyber Knight = Neuromancer
  
• Knight + Scourge = Deathknight
  

Thank you to all of you in our Discord who tossed in names suggestions! It was a very fun time.


Ahab crossed every class with vanguard, building a team built for stealth but also packing the firepower. One particularly interesting combination was giving the sniper some vanguard talents, allowing them to quietly get into a good position before taking out enemies.

Thank you to all of you who joined in for the conversations and shared your build ideas! With the new auto-train functionality in game, it is easier than ever to share your powerful builds with other players! We hope you will consider creating some Steam guides of those builds.

Stay tuned for more community events in the future!


---------------------------



Hello, Knights! It's time for another CKF Community Challenge. Our previous challenged focused on engagement style and challenged you to "Go Loud" as you completed levels. This time we are focusing on classes and multiclassing.

There are three requirements for this challenge:

- Multiclass everyone who runs heists and missions
- Split your talents as evenly as possible between each merc's two classes
* Your talents must be split evenly, you may assign your level points unevenly
- Each merc must be a different class combo



As always, we want to see and hear about your adventures tackling the challenge so here are some ideas for what we’d love to see:

- Screenshots of your squad and their talent trees
- After Action Reports of your missions, challenges you faced
- Tell us how multiclassing affected your strategies and which multiclass combo was your favorite
- Any other creative ways you want to share to tell us about your heists with your multi-classed mercs: memes, interpretive dance, gifs, etc



No matter what you choose to share, please share screenshots of your squad's talent trees so we can see what fun combinations you came up with!

We’ve opened up a discussion here on Steam in the General Discussion forum for aIl of your posts. If you post in our Discord, head to #multiclass_challenge to join in on the conversation!

Update #70 hits another major roadmap item by adding Mac OS support, adds a new and exciting heist in the TRUCK JOB, and adds the first mission with other linked missions attached to it. We've got a killer calendar of updates laid out for April, and all roads are now leading toward the next major roadmap milestone - base building.

Thanks to everyone playing, posting and supporting our ongoing efforts by leaving a review 👍


[h2]Mac OS Support[/h2]
With Update #70, we've smashed another major roadmap item by adding Mac OS support to the game. This one has been a long journey but we made a commitment as far back as the Kickstarter to deliver to all 3 platforms on Steam. The lighting engine was the last domino in a long line of dominos to fall that were blocking Mac OS support, so here we are!

The only requirements are a Silicon chip (M1 or higher) and recent version of Mac OS (12 / Monterey or higher). The game runs buttery smooth on the Apple hardware and chips, so enjoy that!

Thanks to everyone on Mac who wishlisted and is now checking out the game - welcome to New Boston. We hope you'll share a review once you've had a chance to play.

[h2]New Heist: Start of the Boost[/h2]
With Update #70, we've added a new heist from a corporate contact who approaches your Face with a plan. We'll skip on the spoilers but the heist leads to a set of linked missions (see below) and foot-race with a transport truck. Your squad needs to be at least Power Level 3 before the TRUCK JOB will proc.

During Early Access, we're working a host of storylines and this is another one that is a good opener with more coming soon. After the TRUCK JOB, the on-going storyline will wait paused on your timeline for the next content release to extend the storyline.


[h2]Linked Missions[/h2]
The TRUCK JOB includes the first example of links missions. It's exciting to roll out the first linked missions as this is a key construct in building multi-part and complicated heists that let you approach them in many different ways.

Linked missions are shown with the chain icon in the mission, with the parent mission always listing first in the list and its children appearing below it with a yellow arrow in their names. Linked missions can have different effects, such as making certain paths through the parent mission available, or in this case, completing the linked mission unlocks an advantageous Leverage in the parent.

In future cases, the linked mission(s) will unlock options that are required to start the parent mission at all, where one or more stages of the parent might be locked until some of the linked missions are completed.

[h2]Better Currency Formatter[/h2]
The successful heisters in New Boston are racking up the cash and the formatter was getting hard to read as you hit multi-million dollar stacks. With the updated formatter, we've kept the same precision ($1.11M) but flipped from $10K to $100K to $1M to $1.11M to $10.25M.


[h2]Randomize Codename[/h2]
We've added a handy Randomize button to the renaming pop-up. In the case that you've earned a codename (getting your first level from a successful mission) you can now randomize to your hearts content and try out the hundreds of codenames the game can make up for you. I've always loved this kind of exploration and taking inspiration from the random ones, so I hope you enjoy it too.

[h2]Loophole Heist Extraction Bug[/h2]
We've fixed a bug at the end of the Loophole Heist where the extraction points would not allow individual extraction and only 1 of the 2 would allow team extraction. This went out as a hotfix yesterday, but we're mentioning it here in case anyone was stuck with that. It was a result of a mistake in merging the big lighting upgrade branch that wasn't caught. Our apologies for any hiccups, extra Damage or dead mercs this may have caused.

[h2]Fixed F10s![/h2]
We've fixed a big bundle of your F10s with this update, ranging from ensuring that all parts of the movement path and destination appear through geometry to the hover over a corpse not disappearing sometimes when you dissolve it.

We fixed a really popular F10 where the story event for the Gun Runner's E-Rifle didn't immediately disappear when you purchased the weapon. Also, Traits granted by Hype Limit Breaks will display that they are "Expiring Soon" instead of showing a negative number of Turns.

We fixed the tutorial issue with the door right at the start that has a misleading hover that through some players. and generally cleaned up issues with the major new lighting upgrade. There are a few places left with odd textures or bakes (paper on the ground with an all white background) that we're working through.

[h2]v1.5.5 - 4/5/2024[/h2]
- Added support for Mac OS with Silicon chips (M1 and higher)
- All new storyline and Truck Job heist with second pre-heist mission to prepare for the main one
- Updated currency format for the ballers with lots of U-Dahs - $10K, $100K, $1M, $10.52M
- Added Randomize codename button to Rename pop-up for name cycling fun
- Moved destination circle now appears through geometry like the rest of the movement line
- Fixed bug where certain story offers (like Gun Runner's offer for E-Rifle) stick around in timeline incorrectly
- Temporary Traits that are expiring soon now state "Expiring Soon" instead of "-1 day"
- Fixed issue with ESC screen and matrix sometimes causing a lock up
- Fixed issue preventing individual extraction from the second stage of Loophole Heist
- Fixed issue where dead body hover could stay on screen immediately after dissolve
- Fixed misleading hover on door in the tutorial that claims it will open if you approach (it will not)
- Fixed minor lighting and shading bugs

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
In Cyber Knights, the New Boston dome is the ever-present setting. It is more than 10 miles wide in diameter and at its peak stands over 1 mile tall. This massive structure rests on super-foundations and the ceiling arch is supported by the large buildings, the nearly mile-wide "towers". Layer upon layer of metal and concrete make the dome, slice upon slice of street, hab-sector or industrial zones stacked upon each other.

Below ground, out in the Wards, high in the towers, escaping off of rooftops - it is your playground, your heist targets, the home of your enemies, friends and safehouse. It needs to have the right vibe.

And so we're excited to roll out a major milestone off the roadmap with the VIBE update, the all-new lighting engine!


Technically outside of the official Q1 end by a few days, but we're going to notch this one where it stood. And with the lighting engine roadmap items struck down, we can at last finish up Mac support.

Onwards to the truly big beasties of Q2 - safehouse base building and blueprint crafting!


[h2]New Lighting Engine & Post Processing[/h2]
The new lighting engine includes a new post processing color grading system that is helping to push the right vibe for our dark future cyberpunk setting - dark, shadowed, gritty but still vivid.

We hope you'll jump into a heist and check out the new look because every scene, mission and corner of the game has been improved. This is a huge update with innumerable changes, so there are sure to be follow-on fixes that tweak certain areas, lights, objects that stick out as odd or that need roughness or metalness changes. If you do see anything weird just hit F10 to send us a report; we’ll be making ongoing adjustments as always.

Throughout Early Access, we're working on many, many different projects. Visual and animation improvements is a big area for these, so even with the lighting engine improvements we're continuing to push in other areas that will improve the game's visuals.


[h2]HUD Bar Spacebar Issue Fixed[/h2]
With the last update there was an issue where using some of the buttons in the HUD bar - specifically items or advantages - could result in the focus getting stuck up there. Then the next time you tried to move with spacebar, you'd actually be pushing one of those buttons or ending your turn.

Bad! Fixed now.

[h2]Photo Mode Improvement[/h2]
To make photo mode better, we've hidden the last few UI elements that were hanging around on screen when it was enabled. This includes the blue circle around character's feet which was the most annoying.

[h2]Camera No Longer Sticking[/h2]
In some cases if you chose to skip all during a scripted scene, the camera would just jam right where it was when you skipped instead of cutting ahead to the character or enemy who is about to take their turn. This is now fixed and we've made some minor improvements to the camera position before the black curtain rises at the start of a level to make sure the camera is always focusing on the right character with them in an unobstructed view.

[h2]v1.5.1 - 4/2/2024[/h2]
- Upgraded all levels and scenes to new lighting engine (lighting is more diffuse, more indirect contribution, better ambient occlusion)
- Upgraded all levels and scenes with new post processing (ACES color grading for shadowed, grittier, vibrant world)
- Fixed issue with photomode (default "P") where character selection UI stayed visible
- Fixed bug where using items or Leverages could leave selection in button bar and trying to move might end turn or be ignored
- Fixed odd white square appearing in the character hover (now is corrected to be >| icon indicating they are in the next turn)
- Fixed issue with camera getting stuck in odd positions after skipping scripted scene

Monday - a good day as any for an update! Welcome to Update #68 where we've put some extra focus on cleaning up the relationships, backstories and story tags that define your characters and recruits. We're heading into new and exciting territory with the story system and the Casting Director and it was important to take this minute to correct any last issues in the foundation before rolling forward.

This update does not include the new lighting engine (a visual-only improvement to the look of the game). We said in Update #67 that it was "next update" but there always seems to be one more technical hurdle. It will come very soon, but we wanted to get this RPing quality update out to everyone.

If you're enjoying the pace of improvements and steady progress the game is making during Early Access we hope that you will leave a review. Nothing is more important to a small indie developer that having you help us share the game, so we appreciate it!

[h2]Must Feed Casting Director![/h2]
The Casting Director is the heart of our proc-gen story system. The Director is in charge of picking what new stories to spin into your cyberpunk world and who should fill the available seats in those storylines. It does this by looking at the cast of characters, mercs, recruits and contacts that are within the game.


[h2]Starting Character Relationship Fixes[/h2]
The first big set of updates all come to your starting characters. These characters rolled out of new game with strong backstories and a set of contacts they know. But that data was poorly represented and shown in the roster or the contact screen.

With Update #68, we've retagged everything. This is for both old games and new games. If you load up your previous save, we've done some adjustments to correct the tagging and display for relationships to be bi-direction and to include additional data about why the relationship exists, at the very least helpful pointers back to the backstory.

This also sets up new games very nice, but you don't need to start a new game here.


[h2]Recruit Backstories, Relationships and Contacts[/h2]
In the same vein, the backstories, contacts and tags assigned to the recruits you can find in the game have been less than correctly represented.

First, there was a bug that 33% of the time, a recruit could pick the wrong faction and backstory and you'd basically end up with a recruit in your safehouse who did not match the dialog at all. This is now fixed.

Second, the new contacts that were being created by recruiting all look like Dr. Ashe... oops. This is currently fixed only for new recruits but we're working on how to resolve this in older saves as well.

Third, the backstory Trait, personality tagging, relationship tags with the new contacts, Contact Traits and Tags were all just lacking. Some of it was there but it wasn't as fully-fledged and rich as the Casting Director would like it to be. For new recruits, you'll find a much better set of RPing tagging and data is included after you've met and discussed with the recruit.



[h2]New Traits[/h2]
We're in a cycle of constantly adding new Traits for characters and contacts. We kind of aim to add one or two every time we work on a new recruit, contact or story character. With this update, we've added both Bull-Built (heavy focus on Strength and HP) and Bril (adding Willpower and bonus % to all XP gained!).

[h2]Sec AI Avoids Repeat Reboot[/h2]
While it may have been a boon to see the Sec AI pick something less than optimal, it could also be unfairly difficult or annoying if the Sec AI rebooted security devices twice in a row. Especially if you just spent your turn undoing the reboot ... only to have it re-rebooted!

The Sec AI will no longer pick Reboot Devices back to back for Security Escalations. We're continuing to work on adding new options for the Sec AI and improving the sequencing and rule set for what options are available, so please post any F10 bugs, oddities or suggestions you might have.


[h2]APU Spiking[/h2]
We fixed a bug where spiking the APU in a matrix host could result in a Security Escalation at Lvl 0. This bug could basically make the act of spiking the APU a punishment and is now resolved, thankfully.

Now the math behind the rules have been improved. The APU reduces your Sec Tally by 10 points and can gain you one "free Escalation". That is, if you're at Sec Level 2 and the Tally is 4/10 then spiking the APU will take you back to Sec Level 1, Tally 4/10. But when you pass into Sec Level 2, the APU has been corrupted and that Escalation is skipped. We need better representation of this in the visuals, but it has a demonstrable powerful effect now at any Sec Level.

[h2]v1.4.47 - 4/1/2024[/h2]
- Fixed all relationships for starting characters with their contacts (retroactively); bidirectional with details
- Added new Traits Bull-Built (Strength and HP), Bril (Willpower and extra XP)
- Improved Tags and Traits for all recruits and their known contacts (new recruits only)
- Fixed issues where recruits could end up from the wrong faction, without Traits or contacts connections
- Prevented Security AI from unfairly rebooting jammed security devices 2 Turns in a row
- Fixed Matrix bug where spiking the APU could result in a Security Escalation "Level 0" incorrectly
- Fixed tattoo and facial hair shading which had become too light