Slapshot: Rebound News

[p]Hi Slappers,[/p][p][/p][p]We've made some improvements to the rendering techniques within Slapshot that should improve compatibility for older devices and (slightly) improve frame rates for newer ones.[/p][p][/p][p]For those familiar with rendering techniques, this is what we've done:[/p]

• [p]Defaulted the game to DirectX12, with DirectX11 as a fallback We have reverted this due to performance issues with AMD GPUs.[/p]
• [p]Improved support for Vulkan (preferred) and OpenGL ES 3.0 (if it really has to).[/p]
• [p]Completed porting of our URP render passes to RenderGraph[/p]
• [p]Fixed a GPU callback issue from a third party library when using DirectX12[/p][p][/p]

[p]Make sure your GPU drivers are up-to-date![/p][p][/p][p]We hope to improve support for integrated graphics with this update. Even though we don't officially support integrated graphics since it falls below our minimum specs, we will try to improve compatibility where we can. These changes should also have a positive impact on emulating the game on Linux and Mac.[/p][p][/p][p]If you're experiencing issues starting the game, you can put -force-vulkan into the launch options to use a different rendering technique. (Right-click Slapshot in Steam -> Properties to find the launch options).[/p][p][/p][p]GLHF,[/p][p]Oddshot Games[/p]

[p]v1.9.0 Hotfix 3 [/p]

• [p]Fixed the last remaining crashes caused by the game engine update (If you do experience a crash, please make a ticket in ⁠help!),[/p]
• [p]Added a new volume slider for "Crowd" so you can control ambience and crowd noises separately,[/p]
• [p]Made the default volume for the dash recharge alert 0 while we rethink the sound,[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where the replay would not find the puck correctly after the first replay happened,[/p]
• [p]Made the camera transitions snappier, reducing the time they take in most scenarios,[/p]
• [p]Removed the camera transition from replay to your player character after a replay has ended,[/p][p][/p]

[p]This patch resolves the most urgent issues and requests that have made their way to us. If you experience different issues or have requests to drastically improve your experience with Slapshot feel free to let us know in ⁠Discord or through a reply to this post / new post in the Steam forums.[/p][p][/p][p]We're very happy with the first 24 hours of the Showdown event, the Yetis are pulling ahead but the Goats and Puffins are not too far behind. Let us know if you're enjoying the event and how we can make them even better the next time around![/p][p][/p][p]You can restart Steam to get the update right away.[/p][p][/p][p]GLHF,[/p][p]Oddshot Games[/p]

[p]v1.9.0 Hotfix 2[/p][p]- Fixed special characters lagging some people's games[/p][p]- Fixed rendering for many special characters in chat and names[/p][p]- Fixed a shader optimisation issue related to the new crowd[/p][p]- Potentially fixed the issue that leads to crashes for several players related to the engine upgrade[/p][p][/p][p]You can restart Steam to get the update right away.[/p][p]Thank you to those that have helped me debug the issues![/p][p][/p][p]GLHF,[/p][p]Oddshot Games[/p]

[p]v1.9.0 Hotfix 1[/p][p]- Fixed Contract summary text overflowing incorrectly when you have pro/plus and more 2+ digits in tiers[/p][p]- Fixed aviator glasses tint[/p][p]- Fixed spectators not showing up in online matches[/p][p]- Fixed ping checker showing -1 ping and recommending those regions for some players[/p][p]- Clarified that people meeting the contribution threshold will be added to the Showdown leaderboard when it's empty[/p][p][/p][p]You can restart Steam to get the update right away.[/p][p]I'm still looking into the chat related stutter and a memory leak that causes crashes for some players.[/p][p][/p][p]GLHF,[/p][p]Oddshot Games[/p]

[p]Hi Slappers, welcome to Season 3![/p][p]Hop on the ice to participate in the new events in the refreshed arenas ːreboundː[/p][p][/p][h2]Introducing the Slapshot Showdown[/h2][p]For the next 14 days, you can participate in the showdown by selecting one of three teams to represent. When you sign to a team, you'll receive their jersey and title. Play matches to contribute points to your team, earn more rewards, and help your team win the event.[/p][p]You can pick between the Pink Puffins, Yellow Yetis, and Green Goats. The team score is weighted so your contribution matters, no matter how small. Select your team's role in ⁠Slapshot⁠showdown-role to show loyalty to your team in Discord![/p][p]This is our first time running an event like this, so we might need to tweak some of the balancing as we go. We appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this experiment. Let us know how you feel about the event so we know if we should create more of these in the future ːtrainerbuddyː[/p][h2]Changelog[/h2][h3]General[/h3]

• [p]Updated from Unity 2020 to Unity 6.2 (Should bring some performance improvements out of the box) (Yes it was a nightmare to upgrade)[/p]
• [p]Refreshed Slapville, Slapstadium, Colosseum and Island arenas to be more performant and up-to-date with our more recent art[/p]
• [p]Added the Slapshot Showdown event[/p]
• [p]Reworked the in-game crowd from scratch to be more immersive and react to gameplay[/p]
• [p]Rebranded "Season Passes" to "Contracts" so they are decoupled from ranked seasons and fit the hockey theme better[/p]
• [p]Added a new "Bump Strength" setting to custom games. Setting it to high puts it back to where it was pre-nerf[/p]
• [p]Replaced the Periods toggle with Ruleset when creating a lobby, including 3v3 and 4v4 competitive ruleset templates[/p]
• [p]The forfeit cooldown now resets when someone leaves the match[/p]
• [p]Changed the primary Slapshot font to be more modern[/p]
• [p]Made the Contracts summary UI on the main menu more compact[/p]
• [p]Added Ottawa Valley tournaments to the Esports tab[/p]
• [p]Updated our back-end database infrastructure[/p]

[h3]Audio[/h3]

• [p]Added a new sound for "No Dash" when trying to dash (+slider)[/p]
• [p]Added a new sound for "Dash Recharge" when you get a dash charge (+slider)[/p]
• [p]Added crowd shocked sounds to the Ambience slider rather than Game slider[/p]

[h3]Content Creators[/h3]

• [p]Added a new "Creator Supporter" necklace that you get for free when using a creator code when purchasing pux[/p]
• [p]Added a Twitch headband that you get for free for watching Slapshot for 1 hour on Twitch on a channel with drops enabled[/p]

[h3]Cosmetics[/h3]

• [p]Added ranked rewards for Season 2: Capes![/p]
• [p]Increased the maximum amount of Preset outfit slots for premium players from 20 to 50[/p]
• [p]Added jerseys for each showdown team, titles, and a stick for the winning team[/p]
• [p]Changed the cloud jersey to be a pants slot per request from community members[/p]
• [p](September drop) Added Pigeon jersey, salt hat, gym bag, bread stick, voodoo doll body[/p]
• [p](October drop) Added mummy hat, skeleton goosan, cauldron back item, pumpkin body, bottled head[/p]
• [p](November drop) Added stethoscope, lampshade facial hair, lantern stick, shirt back item, explorer jersey[/p]
• [p]Updated shop pricing for the first time in 5 years to better reflect their value (some cost more, others less, & the rest stays the same)[/p]

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed periods toggle in custom lobbies if it was set during lobby creation[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Cyberpuck default goal horn being way too loud[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Golf Club cosmetic not showing the correct default variant[/p]
• [p]Fixed controllers with a very high polling rate starting practice modes[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Slapshot Hockey Manager[/h2][p] [/p][p]We're proud to announce that in collaboration with Joseph and Couture, we have been working on a mobile game in the Slapshot universe where you manage, recruit & train your teams to become the best Slapshot hockey franchise owner in the game. The app will launch this year on Android and iOS. Stay tuned for more info! Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/68eDGqpEWd[/p][p][/p][p]GLHF,[/p][p]Oddshot Games[/p]