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Fireworks Mania News

Join Multiplayer Beta Now!

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TIP: If you are just here to figure out how you switch to the multiplayer beta - just scroll to the bottom. However, I recommend at least getting back and read a bit about what a beta is and what mindset you should have when joining a beta.

Finally the day has come! 🤓

Some of you have been waiting for this since the release in 2020, some since January 2023 where I started on multiplayer and some of you have no idea what I'm talking about :)

Anyway, today is the day you can JOIN THE MULTIPLAYER BETA and play with your friends in Fireworks Mania!

As mentioned in a previous post the plan is to have the multiplayer beta running from now until release, which I currently plan to be in dec. 2024.
So we will be in this beta stage for a year - assuming all goes well.

[h2]Keep in mind - It's a beta[/h2]
When joining a beta you need to keep in mind that its an unfinished product.

Therefore, it is important that you join and play the game in this stage, with the right mindset.

You need to be ready to adapt to changes, because this version of the game change a lot and much more frequently than the regular version of the game. You also need to be ready to live with missing features and many more bugs than you would in the regular version of the game.

However, if you can live with the above you also get at chance to be a much more active part of the development of this game and be at the forefront of the development of the game.

Its due to early adapter like you that this game is what it is today and in the future. Thank you for that.

[h2]Remember to keep an eye on the News page[/h2]
As I'm updating this version of the game a lot, I will not be posting patch notes here on Steam for each version. Instead, I have created a "News" page in the Main Menu in the game, where you can see changelog and other relevant information that you need to know.

Therefore, keep an eye on this page each time you start the game as it will change over time as there might be some really useful information there.


[h2]Known issues and bugs[/h2]
First off, there are many bugs, don't worry, that's why its a beta, but as of writing, 1st of December 2023, there are two very important known bugs that I need you to know about.

[UPDATE: This have been fixed]
First of all, for many people when they Quit the game, it crashes. I'm looking into it.

[UPDATE: This have partly been fixed]
Secondly, and this is the big one, there currently is a bug in Unity, where the more audio files you have in the game the lower the FPS. The FPS will even go down overtime due to this bug.
It's a REALLY annoying bug, as it's something internally in Unity that I can't do anything about.
I'm in dialog with Unity about it and hope they fix it soon.

One way to minimize this bug, is to lower the amount of mods you enabled in your games at the time, especially fireworks mods. More fireworks means more sounds and the sooner you loose FPS.

Loosing FPS in a game, is almost the worst...so I'm really not satisfied with this! I'm doing what I can in dialog with Unity to get them to fix it, but I don't know when that will be.
Again, keep an eye on the News page in game, because that's where news about this will be posted.


[h2]Not included in public beta[/h2]
[h3]Mod Tools[/h3]
There is a new Mod Tools in the works to support more multiplayer features and in general more features. However, its still to early to make public, so therefore, no multiplayer Mod Tools yet.
I'll post in the Workshop part of the Discord once its ready to try out.
However, right now I don't expect that to be before summer 2024.

[h3]Dedicated server[/h3]
Once you start playing the multiplayer beta you might see a few "dedicated" servers in the server list. This is obvious because I'm also working on adding dedicated server support, however, that too is still to early to open up to too many people. So that will stay in closed beta for a while.
However, you can still enjoy joining these servers, you just cannot host them yourself yet.

[h2]Submit mod to multiplayer beta workshop[/h2]
Another thing you will notice when you start playing multiplayer beta is that the content of the workshop in the game isn't the same as in the regular version of the game.
See more info about how to submit mods here on my Discord.

[h2]How to join multiplayer beta[/h2]
To join the multiplayer beta you need to switch to the "multiplayer-beta" branch here on Steam.

Right click on Fireworks Mania --> Properties:


Click Betas and select "multiplayer-beta" from the dropdown:


Once you close the window, Steam will update your game to the right version and will look like this in the menu:


If you wanna go back to play the regular version, you just set the beta dropdown back to "None" and you are back. You can switch back and forth as much as you like.

See you in game 🤓

YouTube | Twitter | Discord

- Enjoy!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/

Nominate Fireworks Mania

Hey!

Closing in on year 5 working on this game in my spare time - I'll say its a good candidate for a "Labor of love" award 🤓

YouTube | Twitter | Discord

Thanks in advance 🤓

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/

Developer News - November 2023


Hey!

Its been another month and time for an update from the developer - aka me :)

Public Multiplayer Beta is getting closer! If you didn't read about it before, see this:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1079260/view/3779143176140155324


Anyhow, nothing much to say this time, other than I'm super busy working on multiplayer.

Therefore I'm spending all my game-dev-time on making multiplayer as good as possible for the start of the beta.

If you want some more randomly shared details on the progress you can look at my YouTube channel where I share videos and live streams.

Keep in mind, the 2nd of December is only the beginning :)

I'll keep the post short, as I need to move on with the game.



YouTube | Twitter | Discord

- Enjoy!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/

Announcement: Public Multiplayer Beta Test


Hey!

As some of you know we had a Public Multiplayer Alpha Test back in July 2023.
That went really well! You guys had a lot of fun and I learned a lot to help improve the game.

Ever since I often see people asking on YouTube, Twitter, Discord and Steam about when they can play again - which is totally understandable and makes me happy that so many people still want to play my silly little game :)

[h2]Around 50% done[/h2]
I started working on the multiplayer version of Fireworks Mania in January 2023. Back then, I estimated that it would take around 2 years to fully implement multiplayer in Fireworks Mania.
I think that estimate holds up, meaning I expect there is around 1 year left for full release.
Multiplayer is a huge task, just saying. :)

Now you might be thinking, "Ohh no Laumania, I can't wait another year for multiplayer!"



I know and I have it the same way. I'm also SUPER excited to see a lot more people play multiplayer!
At the same time, I also want to provide you with a good and solid game that is entertaining to play.

As I'm only around 50% done, the game is obviously not completed and therefore not ready for official release. On the other hand, a lot of you have been patiently waiting for almost a year now...so what can we do?

[h2]Public Multiplayer Beta - No End Date[/h2]
I have been doing some thinking and had some good discussions with the people in the private multiplayer testing group and I think we have a solution.

The official release of the multiplayer version of Fireworks Mania I still expect to be ready around Dec. 2024 if all goes as planned, lets see.

However, the current version of multiplayer is actually playable and good enough to have some fun in.
Therefore I have decided to change things up a bit.

From December 2nd 2023 all players will be able to switch to a "public multiplayer beta" branch in Steam.



This means that you can play the multiplayer version, help test it, provide feedback or just have fun.
Unless something goes completely wrong there are no plans to close this branch - it will stay open for all players to play until the official release.

DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind this is a beta. There are bugs, lack of UI feedback, missing error messages and a lot of stuff missing from the normal version. However, the beta will be updated over time as I continue the development to reach a state that can be released as the official version.

I hope you guys are as excited about this as I am!

I'm really looking forward to play with you guys, see videos and hear about you guys playing together.

I will make a post on the day about how to switch, what to expect etc.


See how excited these guys are to soon be playing with YOU :)

YouTube | Twitter | Discord

- Enjoy!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/

Happy Halloween 🎃👻



To all who celebrates - 🎃🎃Happy Halloween 🎃🎃- to all others - Hello! 🤓

Again this year the community tips in with event specific stuff. I would loved to have done some Halloween content for the game, but I simply haven't had the time as all my game dev time goes into making multiplayer happen.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1079260/view/3732980645401630422

So once again guanaco0403 saves the day with an updated version of his Halloween mod!
Combine that with firework mods from Amnestey and you are in for a good time!

[h2]Release notes[/h2]
--> BIG UPDATE - Changed 90% of the models to low poly to match to the game style
- Added A LOT of details (easter eggs, haunted things,...)
- Added Scary Events (just move around the map and you will see, they are totaly random )
- Added interactions (can see some npc speak, player can trigger some little events,...)
- Added animated NPC's (they are funny)
- Added brand new smoke (A looot less laggy and better than before)
- Fixed a lot of things
**NOTE: this update only applies to the Town map, ranch isnt updated yet !!!**



You simply find the mod in the in-game workshop.
To make it easier to find you can filter mods to only see Halloween mods or search for "Halloween".



With the mod installed you will now have some detailed spooky decorations when you go into the Town or Ranch map.



You can always disable the mod or unsubscribe if you want the scary decorations to go away again.

If you run into trouble with this mod or the game in general, remember you can always ask for help in the Community section here on Steam or in my Discord. Either I or someone else from the community (most likely Keltusar :P) will help you out.

YouTube | Twitter | Discord

- Enjoy! 👻🎃🤓

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/