DUBIUM News

Hello, Frontiers

We would like to share what’s changed since the last beta test and what we are preparing for the Next Fest.
To share the good news first, DUBIUM is featured in Steam Next Fest official event trailer!

TL;DR, we've done quite a work and are so glad to finally share these with you guys.
Thank you for waiting and hope you enjoy the demo next week.

[h2]So, what has been improved and changed?! [/h2]

[h3]Newly added features [/h3]



[h3]1. In-game Voice Chat System [/h3]

During the CBT many players requested a voice chat system. We got you. We added a voice-chat system!

• Voice chat feature is implemented so players can verbally communicate with others close by.
  

Players will automatically be joining in the voice chat when you start a match. However, if you prefer not to use voice chat, you can turn off the auto-join voice chat option inside the settings. You can turn it back on anytime you want, enabling you to join the voice chat channel automatically in the next and following matches. Moreover, there are 2 kinds of voice chat options which are Push-to-talk and Open Mic.

• Push-To-Talk: You can press the push-to-talk button while using the microphone to speak to others. Currently, it's bound to "T".
  
• Open Mic: Any sound that's picked up by your microphone in this mode will be transmitted to others in the vicinity.
  

[h3]2. F.A.S-5 (Frontier Aggression Suppressor 5)[/h3]

• Frontiers without a weapon are very vulnerable to traitors. To prevent this weakness, we provided F.A.S-5 to all Frontiers for their basic self-defense mechanism.
  
• On a hit, it deals 1 damage and for a short duration status effect (Weaken)
  
• Weaken is a status effect that when the frontier gets shot by F.A.S-5 it slows the frontier. If a traitor is shot it seals the Force-Takedown skill.

[h3]3. Exposing the location of key mission items in the mission progress[/h3]

• During the CBT some players had a hard time attaining the locations of key items for the mission. So we added location ping which is presented in the mini-map.
  
• Now Key mission items which have not been collected by players are now shown in the mini-map and by AR.

[h3]4. Match Reconnection System [/h3]

• We Added a reconnection system. If the game crashes or the connection fails during your match. You can now re-enter the game.

[h3]5. Newly added language support [/h3]

• There have been some requests during the last beta test so you can now enjoy DUBIUM in Russian. However, texts in images do not portray in Russian.
  
• DUBIUM currently supports 3 languages
  - English
  - Korean
  - Russian
  
• Other language support might be available later.

[h3] 6. Escape Cutscene [/h3]

• Players who succeeded to escape the space station deserve attention and praise. There is now an animation escape cutscene for players that were able to escape the space station.
  
• When the player escapes, the escape cutscene is printed depending on the roles and conditions of escape. If you want to know more about the different animated cutscenes be sure to check out the game!

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[h2]What has been improved?![/h2]

[h3]1. Different mission briefing depending on the role [/h3]

• At the start of the game, a different mission guide is given depending on the roles(Frontier/Traitor).
  
• During the CBT we had a situation where players didn't acknowledge the presence of traitors in-game. To prevent that we added a mission briefing message that informs the presence of the traitor in-game

[h3]2. Enhanced AR navigation[/h3]

• During the CBT we had a case where the player couldn’t locate the key mission items during their gameplay. So we enhanced and improved our AR navigation system for optimal gameplay
  
• The AR navigation system guides you after attaining key mission items.

[h3]3. New and improved mini-game [/h3]
Improvement on Oxygen supply machine mini-game

• The three mixing gauges, the core of the oxygen supply, have been improved to be placed in the center of the screen to solve the problem of being unnoticeable on the left side.

Improvement on core loader mini-game

• We enhanced the visibility of the instruction and controls of the mini-game

[h3]4. Improvements on Gadgets [/h3]
Jessica Gadgets (Boitatá)

• We improved Jessica’s visual effect to enhance the endpoint of coverage.

Ryan Gadget (Necropsyco)

• We reworked the analysis process and the result screen of the gadget to help players have a better understanding of the track analysis result.

[h3]5. New & Enhanced Lobby Art [/h3]

• We improved the styling of our lobby.

[h3] 6. New rework on the Ping System [/h3]

• The original ping system was only able to ping about different kinds of items and locations. The new reworked ping system not only has existing ping we also added different ping for situation briefing, mission progress, and behavioral guidance as well
  
• There are 2 kinds of ping systems. Which are radio channel ping and proximity ping. Radio channel ping is a ping that every player can see. The second ping channel is proximity ping. Which only players in a certain range can see.
  
• We renewed our emote ping system artwork.

[h3]7. How to use the new ping system[/h3]

• To use the ping system players need to aim at different objects and hold the ping button. Players will be provided with different sets of ping options, depending on interactable or un-interactable objects.
  
• Drag your mouse to an option and release to use it.
  
• You can cancel using a ping by dragging the mouse to the middle of the wheel menu or pressing "Left Alt"

How to switch ping channels

• Hold the number 1 key above the QWERTY area.
  
• You can switch between channels even while you have options showing up on a wheel menu.
  

Radio Channel & Proximity Ping

Radio channel ping
Radio channel ping can be transmitted to anyone making it a very powerful tool for players to communicate without any restrictions on distance. Because of its powerful effect. It has a cooldown of 50 seconds, meaning that you'll have to wait at least 50 seconds after using the last one to use one again.

Proximity Ping
Proximity Ping can be only transmitted to players who are close by. This means players can share information with a certain player who is only nearby.

Check below for information about different ping sets
- Un-interactable objects: Default ping set
- Interactable objects

1. Items (Mission items, consumables, weapons)
   
2. Lootable objects (Dead bodies)
   
3. Mini games (Oxygen, Solar Panel, Core loading)
   
4. Other Characters
   

[h3]8. Space Station (Uterlab-11) lighting improvement [/h3]

• During the gameplay, there were different kinds of light showing the status of the situations

1. Low energy Mode (Orange)
   
2. Optimal Mode (White)
   
3. Escape Mode (Green)
   
4. Self-Destruction mode (Red)
   

[h3] 9. Matchmaking system improvement [/h3]

• We improved our match-making system for players to enjoy their favorite character
  
• By unselecting “Allow Random Character”. Players can choose their characters to play. However, the match-making duration might be longer
  
• By selecting “Allow Random Character” and select your preferred frontier. Players will have a higher chance to play their preferred frontier. However, players have a low probability unable to play their preferred character but, it will shorten the match-making duration time.
  - If the players couldn’t play their preferred character, it will increase the chance to play their preferred character in their next match.

Whoa, hope you like what we prepared :) We are as excited as you are to welcome you next week.
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave them in the comments below or on Discord

See you next week!


MUMO STUDIO

Hello, Frontiers!

Here are the new updates this month for DUBIUM!

[h3]DUBIUM in Gamescom[/h3]
DUBIUM participated in Gamescom 2022 last week in the Business Area and received lots of praise from many industry experts including publishers, developers, and media. DUBIUM was also featured on the Gamescom Steam page therefore we got some attention from other players.
DUBIUM will be attending Tokyo Game Show in September. During the Tokyo Game Show, you will be able to try out some parts of DUBIUM at the booth on September 15th~18th. We will be in Hall 2 at the Korea Pavilion section of the Tokyo Game Show. We hope to see you guys there!



[h3]New Rework on the Ping System[/h3]
One obstacle in any games that have some emphasis on social interactions is, that all players do not use the same language. Communication is a key core aspect of DUBIUM. In DUBIUM players need to communicate with other Frontiers not only truthfully but may also need to deliberately send out false information for their victory of the game. Being a game where players need to frame, deceive, and call out on someone, it wouldn't make sense if these communications were not possible.
We developed on recreating the ping system so players who use different languages could communicate with one another (or those who simply prefer not to use any form of verbal communication) and have various options on what to say.

In the original ping system, players could select one of ten options, with two of them being ping messages that would transmit to all players regardless of the distance between the players.
However, it was a limited function especially when it came to situations that required communications regarding objectives to missions, items, frontiers, etc. We could have simply added numerous options on the original ping menu, but it wouldn't make sense to have ten, twenty, or thirty different choices on one menu. There would simply be too much on the screen at the same time.

So, we decided to develop a dynamic ping system, which would categorize the options depending on the target subject. There are patterns to what messages are often used and needed depending on the subject, so we narrowed it down to an acceptable number. The system is also flexible enough to iterate on without too much trouble, so we were able to try out different sets of options too.
We also wanted to keep two different channels for the ping. One for the proximity pings, and the other for global pings. Players can select the channel to which their next ping will be sent, allowing some control over what information reaches whom. However, a cooldown has been added for using the global ping due to its potential of making the game too difficult for the Traitor.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We hope this will not only provide players a better experience regarding communications, but also the ability to utilize it to their advantage when needed.

Hope you guys like what we prepared. Please stay tuned for DUBUIM's September Dev Log. There will be great news coming for you guys!

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave them in the comments below or on Discord.
See you next month!

MUMO STUDIO

Hello, Frontiers!

Here are the new updates this month for DUBIUM!

[h3]A visual update on the airlock exits for Escape pods (Single Soyuzes)[/h3]

Do you remember that, during the last beta test, you got lost while listening to an alarming sound? We finally made the airlock doors for the escapes pods look different from the generic ones you can use to access the solar panels out in space.
The design was based on fire escape doors, hence the two big noticeable differences, the red color and the removal of the big door handle. By removing the handle, we also think it should guide more players to the hacking console on the right side of the exit, which is what the characters need to interact with to open the door.
We hope that the Escape pod airlock exits are now not only more aesthetically pleasing, but also more effective in signaling their purpose.


[h3]Minor updates on oxygen supply machine mini-game [/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
In our May Devlog, we showed some changes made to the oxygen supply machines to improve the playability of its mini-game. We adjusted the mini-game to move the player’s viewpoint depending on which step of the mini-game was ongoing. It adds more immersion and makes it easier to see the indicators without being covered by other screen elements.

[h3]Lighting changes to make it easier to differentiate the station’s self-destruction type[/h3]

We all know how it can get hectic when suddenly the self-destruct sequence fires off. However, not all hope is lost… at least in some cases.
Depending on what caused the self-destruction, the station is lit in different colors.

If it’s lit up green, that means the last core has been removed from its charger. If the Frontiers manage to load all the cores to the Shadd Shuttle in time, they can successfully complete the mission and escape on the Shadd Shuttle. However, the Traitor can still escape during that time so don’t forget to stay vigilant.


On the other hand, if the station is all lit up with red lights, that means there’s no way for Frontiers to complete the mission they came here for. So it’s time to make a run for the red air-lock exit! In this situation, everyone(Frontier or not) has to compete for any Escape pod available for use. Only one person can leave safe and sound so again, constant vigilance is key to survival.

[h3]Necropsyco gadget update[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Necropsyco is Ryan’s unique gadget that can be very helpful in gathering information about someone and tracking them. However, the information shown on the screen was not as clear as intended. We reworked the analysis process and the result screen of the gadget by adding more animations and images to showcase the information in a more interesting manner. We think these improvements will help players have a better idea of what to do with what they see and have a better experience with the gadget.




If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave them in the comments below or on Discord.
See you next month!

MUMO STUDIO

Hello, Frontiers. We want to share the development progress via our Dev log for June.

As we shared in the previous news, we are in the process of supplementing and polishing DUBIUM based on the feedback we received from CBT last year. What's certain is that there will be more tests and opportunities coming for you to play DUBIUM this year. So, this year, we will have the opportunity to let you enjoy the gameplay and bring DUBIUM to more people.

For that purpose, DUBIUM will participate in Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show this year to introduce DUBIUM to more people. Come and say hello if you see the news of DUBIUM regardless, online or offline. We would appreciate your support :)

[h2]What's New and Improved[/h2]

[h3]1. Improved Mini-game of Core Loader[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The Core Loader, the last device to carry out the primary mission, provides a very important mini-game for Frontiers.
However, in the previous CBT, we found out that two areas in the core loader need some improvement. One is that some Frontiers did not play the mini-game even when it was failing on the screen, where the mini-game required to be played. The second was that mini-games were not noticeable, even though they needed quick situational judgment and control. To solve these two improvements, the dev team has changed the core loader mini-game to a more intuitive form and strengthened the instruction for control.


[h3]2. Improved AR navigation information[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

AR navigation information guides Frontiers and Traitors to the place to carry out their missions. It is handy because you can get lost in a complex Uterlab-11 without navigation.
During the CBT, the texts of destinations overlapped with one another when players had multiple key cards for missions in their hands. We fixed the issue by having the texts stacked on top of each other for better readability. In addition, we differentiated the navigation color of the key card for the mission and the key card for acquiring Keystones to help players for better gameplay. (Traitors, no more mistakes when you go to pick up Keystones)


[h3]3. Changes to the movement speed debuff at low health[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Frontiers may get damaged from environmental factors or other Frontiers/Traitors while carrying out their mission. Eventually, their HP(health points) can reach a critically low level at times.
Suppose the player's HP drops below a certain level. In that case, the movement speed will be slowed and will stay that way until the player recovers his/her health. In CBT, we saw that slow movement speed was excessive, making gameplay unnecessarily inconvenient for players.

To improve this, we tuned the status effect mechanic regarding that part.
Players will still enter the same injured state when their health points drop below a certain value, depriving them of the ability to run. However, now it’s temporary, so the players will be able to move normally again if a certain amount of time has passed. Though it does not stack, the effect can still be applied repeatedly if your health is low upon any damage. Keep in mind that the health itself won't be restored unless players use Health Kits that can recover their health. It's always a good idea to keep a Health Kit to complete the mission.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave them in the comments below or on Discord.
See you next month!

MUMO STUDIO

Hello frontiers, How have you been? For those of you who have been thirsty for the news of DUBIUM since December last year, we prepared this news after much consideration.
From now on, we will be able to share the development progress periodically through DUBIUM Dev Log.
Firstly, we would like to answer some questions that many people often ask.

[h2]Questions (FAQ)[/h2]
[h3]Q. How is the development progress?[/h3]
Development is taking place in two contexts.
One is to explain the gameplay as easily as possible and improve the parts found during the CBT, which were unnecessarily complicated during the gameplay.
The other is to produce new characters, new maps, and new content such as character customization and gadget level-up.
We think the improvement issue is more urgent, and we are doing our best to make DUBIUM more approachable.

[h3] Q. Will there be another beta (or Alpha) test soon?[/h3]
We are running a very small, closed test based on these improvements. It remains to be seen whether the test can be carried out on a larger scale, but when it is determined that we are ready, testing on the Steam platform is our top priority.


[h2]Updates on Work-in-progress(WIP) Contents[/h2]
Before introducing the WIP contents, we would like to share why we decided to focus on developing these specific parts. Our development goal for the first half of 2022 is to improve DUBIUM based on the precious feedback we received during the closed beta test(CBT). The feedback that we had received is as below;
"Game is too difficult, and there is no tutorial. I have no idea what I am supposed to do."

What we want to achieve for the improvement this first half of 2022 is 'To deliver a clear goal of the game' and 'To make it easier for the new users.'

[h3]To deliver a clear goal of the game;[/h3]
Adding pop-up briefing system

• Each team's key missions and traitor warning were added at the beginning of the game as a pop-up message to deliver the goal of the game from the start.
  
• Players can see a glance of the Frontier's mission, where a player has to load the core and escape from the space station.
  

• A player can also find out the traitor's mission at once, which requires a player to collect 10 keystones.
  

[h3]To ease the learning curve for new users;[/h3]
Enhanced AR navigation

• In DUBIUM, hacking the Chief researcher's room in Uterlab-11 and obtaining the core charger's key card in the room is one of the most important mission processes.
  
• After difficulty hacking into the chief researcher's room, we found frequent cases where players did not inspect the cabinet. The AR information was enhanced so that players could check the cabinet.

• In the case of the traitor, AR information has been strengthened in the Keystone storage area. Even a traitor does not miss the location where the keystone is stored.

• Players can now discover keystones without missing out.

Improved oxygen mini-game

• The three mixing gauges, the core of the oxygen supply, have been improved to be placed in the center of the screen to solve the problem of being unnoticeable on the left side.

Improvement of routes on the map

• We are reviewing the area on the map that seems overly complicated when playing DUBIUM
  
• We are considering reducing or removing unused areas or areas that do not work as intended. We will decide based on the Heatmap data from several tests.

Exposing the location of key items in the mission progress

• We found a traitor hiding the keycards needed to solve the frontier missions, to sabotage the Frontiers.

• Of course, hide-and-seek can be something any traitor can try, but we don't want DUBIUM to be a treasure hunt game.
  
• So, we added the function in the Frontier cam to find the location of keycards and core (cube) items, which are key mission items when left unattended for a certain amount of time.

Improving UI style

• We think the decorative elements in the existing UI were a hindrance to the information of the game. The UI has been improved to be as simple as possible and make important information easier to see.
  
• We especially pay the most attention to the page where players can see the entire map and missions.

In addition to these, we are developing "Enhancing chatting experience in the result screen" to maximize the player's excitement about the game right after the match. We also added 'a feature that shows players who are currently in a mission’. And 'FAS5(tentative name)', the Frontiers' primary defense method, has been added.

Enhanced chat in a result screen

• We provide a chat window so that players can enjoy the afterglow with other players who played together.

Shows players who are currently on a mission

• Now players can see who is running the mission at once without looking around the screen. It is because the Frontier Cam has been improved to display the status of Frontiers. Players can find Frontier's image in the player information of the HUD during a mission.
  
• This may be better news for the traitor.

Frontier's primary defense method, FAS5

• We sympathize with the extreme helplessness experienced by Frontiers who traitors have targeted.
  
• We think that Frontiers who carry out dangerous missions should have something to protect themselves.
  
• Like a self-defense weapon that can put an opponent in trouble for a while, even if it can't do fatal harm.

We hope you guys like what we shared. If you have any more questions or requests, please let us know via comment below or via our official discord.

We appreciate your love and interest in DUBIUM so far, and we hope to see you and share more updates with you.

Thank you

MUMO STUDIO