Survivalist: Invisible Strain News

Hey everyone I've released another patch in publicbeta. This one is a bunch more fixes for things people reported over the last week or so, in particular a couple of crashes. Still avoiding major changes while I try to make sure the publicbeta build is in good shape to be pushed to the main branch. Let me know if you see any more crashes - thanks!

• AI in combat with zombies has a chance (based on hand to hand skill) to parry/dodge them when they come in for a bite
  
• Possible fixes for FEMA and Pilot's Union declaring war on each other
  
• Fix for achievements for story or sandbox mode being unlocked when not in the correct mode
  
• Fix for chefs sometimes emptying cooking pots of valuable stew in order to cook something with them
  
• Fix for red strain zombies spawning in white strain towns in Sandbox mode sometimes
  
• Fix for characters with invisible strain who got kicked from their communities and then turned getting deleted very quickly
  
• Fix for characters sometimes just saying What's up? as a 'true' memory in the drinking game
  
• Fix for characters not having a Died memory if someone in their community dies of natural causes while not visible to anyone else in the community
  
• Fix for crash that maybe happens when a vehicle goes off a bit the edge of the map
  
• Fix for crash in online co-op when going into a building sometimes
  

EDIT - released another patch, v209, to fix a missing dll crash on some machines.

[h3]What's this publicbeta thing?[/h3]
v208 will be in the "publicbeta" branch for a while, before pushing it to the main game. If you want to try the latest features as they come out (and help test them!) it's a good idea to start using this branch. But keep in mind:

• Because it's the bleeding edge it could be less stable
  
• If you want to be able to play online co-op with someone you'll need to be on the same version as them
  
• If you go back from the "publicbeta" branch to the main branch you may not be able to load savegames created on "publicbeta".

To use publicbeta, just right-click on Survivalist: Invisible Strain in your Steam library and go to Properties, then Betas and in the drop-down select "publicbeta".

Hello, I've got a new patch in publicbeta with a few small fixes, including one crash fix. Currently just trying to stamp on any remaining crash bugs so I can push the publicbeta build into main branch, so let me know if you see any more of those. Here's the patch list:

• Fix for being able to see allies character screens (and therefore cancel/pause their roles) when they follow you into a building
  
• Fix for feuding character continuing to hit their rival while they are saying the speech to stop the fight
  
• Fix for achievement for recruiting a character being unlocked when you get a chicken
  
• Fix for offscreen characters skipping over traps
  
• Crash fix
  

EDIT - added another quick fix, so now it's v206.

• Fix for crash when hitting the road with chickens for company
  

EDIT - and another small crash fix for a scenario that I think would only happen with mods, where the mod author changes a file name. That's v207.


[h3]What's this publicbeta thing?[/h3]
v207 will be in the "publicbeta" branch for a while, before pushing it to the main game. If you want to try the latest features as they come out (and help test them!) it's a good idea to start using this branch. But keep in mind:

• Because it's the bleeding edge it could be less stable
  
• If you want to be able to play online co-op with someone you'll need to be on the same version as them
  
• If you go back from the "publicbeta" branch to the main branch you may not be able to load savegames created on "publicbeta".

To use publicbeta, just right-click on Survivalist: Invisible Strain in your Steam library and go to Properties, then Betas and in the drop-down select "publicbeta".

A couple of people reported a crash in the last build, so this is a patch to fix that. But it includes a few things I was working on in the meantime! Raiders will sometimes now spawn with infected weapons (melee weapons, bow with infected arrows, or pipe bombs). Higher level raiders can have higher level infections on their weapons. And I've added a handbrake to the vehicles.



On keyboard controls I moved handbrake to Space and horn to Shift, by default. I also played around with the tyre friction on the vehicles a little bit in hopes of improving the handling. Hopefully made it better and not worse, I think they brake faster now regardless of if it's handbrake or footbrake.

I've changed the targeting with throwing weapons so it doesn't lock on until your crosshair is a little closer to the enemy, this should make it easier to target the ground around them. Also if you do lock on you can nudge the mouse left or right to unlock, if there is no other enemy to the left or right. (This is only for throwing weapons.)

Here's the full list:

• Some enemies spawn with infected melee weapons, arrows, and pipe bombs
  
• Added HandBrake on vehicles
  
• Increased tyre friction slightly
  
• Made it slightly easier to target the ground near enemies when throwing molotovs etc
  
• Slightly nerfed how much Constitution slows down the rate at which you bleed out
  
• Made catering bucket and jerry can very slightly lighter so they are slightly more efficent carriers than the plastic bottle
  
• Possible fix for AI settlements starving when you start in early spring, again
  
• Fix for Field of View setting not being remembered
  
• Crash fix
  

I'm currently trying to get a suitable release candidate to push everything from publicbeta into the main branch, but need to make sure there are no crashes to be able to do that. Let me know if you get any.

[h3]What's this publicbeta thing?[/h3]
v204 will be in the "publicbeta" branch for a while, before pushing it to the main game. If you want to try the latest features as they come out (and help test them!) it's a good idea to start using this branch. But keep in mind:

• Because it's the bleeding edge it could be less stable
  
• If you want to be able to play online co-op with someone you'll need to be on the same version as them
  
• If you go back from the "publicbeta" branch to the main branch you may not be able to load savegames created on "publicbeta".

To use publicbeta, just right-click on Survivalist: Invisible Strain in your Steam library and go to Properties, then Betas and in the drop-down select "publicbeta".

Hey everyone, there's a new patch out! This one's the result of me doing a playthrough of Story mode and sort of trying to fill in the gaps and finish up all the dialog and text. Also generally fixing bugs people reported to me. So there's a lot of smallish story stuff and bug fixes. Plus, I've added achievements! (But I haven't done the icons yet) I think story mode is basically done, I'm hoping to move it all to the main branch soon and not be adding a lot of new text from now on. Here's the change list:

• A quest to get to know Cooper McClure (Emma's husband) a bit more
  
• Added a dialog path for if Carter dies but you complete the Stranger quest anyway
  
• Added a path for Liam to trigger some of the late game stuff instead of Kelly if she isn't around
  
• Emma wants cookies mini-quest
  
• Kelly directs you to Utopia Park to find more supplies
  
• Invisible Strain percentage increases over time (except for the Sandbox Mode Easy difficulty level where it's always 0%)
  
• Story Mode starts a bit later in the Spring so your crops don't die of frost
  
• Reduced requirement to stock up on gasoline or vegetable oil at the end of Story Mode
  
• Added achievements (placeholder icons, not fully tested)
  
• Added hint for the first time a community member is unconscious and needs bandaging
  
• Added hints for crops dying of frost
  
• Added hints for drag-selecting and group assignment
  
• Added hint message for when you assign someone to a role while they are taking a break
  
• Added a minimum delay between friendly snowfights among community members
  
• Added a quest when you first get to FEMA to take Kelly with you if you haven't already
  
• Added a little extra dialog if you talk about hitting the road out of Moose Valley to someone who isn't in your community
  
• Added threatening dialog used by more aggressive characters instead of begging when trying to get an item from someone
  
• Added ability to make car parts using forge
  
• In the rivalry quests you can kill the target, but the quest giver won't always thank you for it
  
• Crafters can automatically pick up flint that's on the ground
  
• Cap the number of times you can get fake FEMA helicopter teams in Sandbox Mode
  
• Stop people from attacking people they are in love with if their opinion of them drops, instead they just get over them (via gossip dialog with a third person)
  
• NPCs don't declare war on people if they just kicked them out of their community
  
• Corpses are shown on the map in the fog of war if you have investigated them already
  
• Prevent drinking caffeine if you aren't sleepy enough, as it's annoying to have to check how sleepy you are
  
• Prevent Cameron Hines from declaring war on FEMA
  
• Prevent hitting the road with corpses or zombies in the vehicle
  
• Possible fix for refugees etc spawning behind the entrance gates to the map sometimes
  
• Some fixes for Charlie in Ritzville
  
• Updated Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Russian and Simplified Chinese translations
  
• Fix for characters with zones set getting stuck trying to make food for others using campfires that are out of their zones
  
• Fix for NPCs getting stuck while vaulting while offscreen
  
• Fix for bodies flying a long distance when dropped while offscreen
  
• Fix for getting stuck in stream in Story Mode
  
• Fix for getting stuck unable to use controls while trying to assassinate someone who is walking away at the same speed as you
  
• Fix for red strain hordes getting stuck forever in Ritzville if the gates are closed
  
• Fix for plantable crops models being perpendicular to the ground
  
• Fix for radio/world map not being recognized immediately if you capture a building with them in it
  
• Fix for a miner not depositing stone because they also had a lower priority crafting role that used it
  
• Fix for characters in snowfights shooting each other with ranged weapons after they get interrupted by combat with real enemies
  
• Fix for animation glitch when starting to chop wood or similar activities
  
• Fix for glitch where hair goes bright yellow when by a campfire
  
• Fix for people burying Martin Steele so you can't complete a quest
  
• Fix for Emma getting stuck not reacting to anything while in labor
  
• Fix for characters such as Kelly who aren't supposed to be able to join you doing it via a chain of their friends or relatives
  
• Fix for Kaleb being able to join you which means his dialog involving the dump truck doesn't make sense
  
• Fix for dialog option asking Kelly what she wants gold for not disappearing if she trusts you enough to tell you first time
  
• Fix for communities not starting off with enough food if you start Sandbox Mode in late winter or early spring
  
• Fix for people (or chickens) being able to get into buildings they are close to even if there is no allowable path
  
• Fix for being able to teleport through walls by exiting from a car door next to them
  
• Fix for being able to remotely open/close other communities gates from across the map in command mode (e.g. to let zombies in)
  
• Fix for quest failing if Morgan Harding can't pathfind to your community, or if she dies
  
• Fix for FEMA declaring war on Cameron Hines after Emma plants the bomb
  
• Fix for homeless community occupying Pilot's Union helicopter
  
• Fix for being able to demolish supposedly indestructible edge fences with tool boxes
  
• Fix for sometimes not being able to give Cameron the valid green pass if you are evacuating yourself
  
• Fix for Story Mode saves from different new games having the same id and overwriting each other (if you're using save tokens)
  
• Fix for captives getting annoyed at you for attacking their captors (or their base)
  
• Fix for exploit where you could view another community's Community tab by stashing a body in a building and viewing their inventory
  
• Fix for equipment transfer amount dialog allowing you to transfer more items than an NPC wants to sell (e.g. if they have 2 molotovs but only want to sell 1)
  
• Fix for bug in mods where builders need a pot to building something, and they would try to get other containers instead of getting a pot from a campfire
  

EDIT - released a quick follow-up patch (v203) to fix a bug where people were being awarded the achievement for making vodka when they crafted any liquid:

• Fix for some bridge road tiles in story mode being marked as having water on them
  
• Fix for Liam being annoyed at you for attacking FEMA on his advice
  
• Fix for vodka achievement being unlocked when you craft any liquid
  

[h3]What's this publicbeta thing?[/h3]
v202 will be in the "publicbeta" branch for a while, before pushing it to the main game. If you want to try the latest features as they come out (and help test them!) it's a good idea to start using this branch. But keep in mind:

• Because it's the bleeding edge it could be less stable
  
• If you want to be able to play online co-op with someone you'll need to be on the same version as them
  
• If you go back from the "publicbeta" branch to the main branch you may not be able to load savegames created on "publicbeta".

To use publicbeta, just right-click on Survivalist: Invisible Strain in your Steam library and go to Properties, then Betas and in the drop-down select "publicbeta".

New patch! This introduces the ability for characters in your community to flirt with each other or hang out and make food or have snowball fights with each other, leading to them becoming friends or lovers. Of course they might also get jealous of each other if two people fall in love with the same person.



Alongside this there's a new quest where two team members who have fallen out and had a fight can go on a bit of a journey and make up. (It might be quite rare to trigger it as it's quite a specific sequence of events, we'll see). I've also added more varied items for the fetch quests, so it's not always an "antique katana" or "gourmet cookbook" that someone lost.

In general I've been trying to get in any new features I wanted that might need a lot of dialog, so the translators have time to translate it, with an eye to releasing the game out of early access hopefully a bit later this year. I'm also hoping to move Story Mode out of publicbeta pretty soon, though it'll continue to have an "Unfinished" tooltip in the menu for a while after that.

Here's the full list:

• More varied items for lost item and fetch quests
  
• More dialog possibilities in fetch quests
  
• NPCs within your community can start relationships or become friends with each other
  
• In the Track down the Stranger quest in Story Mode, NPCs will accuse community members they don't like of being infected
  
• Added a new procedurally generated quest that can trigger after two of your community members have a fight
  
• Added Turf War, Rebellion and Intimidation quests to Story Mode
  
• You can't keep using the same lines to encourage depressed community members (cooldown of 3 weeks), you can threaten them or tell them to take some down time instead
  
• Guards who run out of ammo while shooting enemies can run to get some more
  
• Higher level raiders, and guards in settlements, have higher firearm/archery/hand2hand/fitness skills
  
• Infected melee weapons run out of infection after 10 hits
  
• If a character in your community would probably already know someone's name (e.g. because they came from the same original community) they don't say 'What's your name?'
  
• Possible improvement to followers getting stuck a long way behind their group leader when the camera isn't near them
  
• Some optimizations for slowdown when you aim a throwable weapon over a fence
  
• Don't show notifications in savegame thumbnails (as they take over the whole screen), but do show dialog options (so you can see what you were about to say)
  
• Seperated possessive and objective form of 'her' for translators
  
• In Chinese, when showing someone's full name, put the surname before first name with no space between them, unless they are translated from the default English names
  
• Some fixes for glitches in road generation in Sandbox mode
  
• Updated Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Lithuanian, Simplified & Traditional Chinese, Latin American Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian translations
  
• Fix for you not getting credit for killing raiders in It Begins quest
  
• Fix for infected melee weapons infecting people even if their attack is absorbed by armor
  
• Fix for not being able to gift green passes in Sandbox mode
  
• Fix for Pilot's Union buildings being capturable
  
• Fix for grass not showing if you use the old style UI
  
• Fix for grass sometimes appearing in mid-air after you dig a pit trap
  
• Fix for NPCs not being able to sell you their favourite melee weapons even if they have more than one of them because the entire stack is hidden on the trade screen
  
• Fix for Kelly continually trying to attack the zombies trapped in the patrol base
  
• Fix for miners in a mine building stopping work if you have the info screen open
  
• Fix for farmers not depositing seeds
  
• Fix for freckles not being saved
  
• Crash fixes
  

[h3]What's this publicbeta thing?[/h3]
v201 will be in the "publicbeta" branch for a while, before pushing it to the main game. If you want to try the latest features as they come out (and help test them!) it's a good idea to start using this branch. But keep in mind:

• Because it's the bleeding edge it could be less stable
  
• If you want to be able to play online co-op with someone you'll need to be on the same version as them
  
• If you go back from the "publicbeta" branch to the main branch you may not be able to load savegames created on "publicbeta".

To use publicbeta, just right-click on Survivalist: Invisible Strain in your Steam library and go to Properties, then Betas and in the drop-down select "publicbeta".