Up to Par News

Hi,

This update brings a brand new look to the progression screen. Items are now categorised by type, and you can see exactly what progress you've made unlocking each section. The previous screen was difficult and overwhelming to read, and so I'm hoping this makes it easier and more fun to pick your next target on the road to completing the game.

I've also added your progress percent to the main menu, and when you finish the game there's a whole new button that'll let you quickly jump into the progress screen.



¿hablas español?. The last update brought Castilian Spanish to Up to Par, and this update sees Latin American Spanish available as well! Thank you to Eduardo Ugarte and Nico Quintana for getting this working so well in the game.



Talking about updates, I've been releasing one every fortnight since Up to Par launched. This has worked well for me, letting me balance bug fixes against features to ensure there's something interesting and something working better in each patch. The next update will be the last one before the holiday season, and I'm planning to continue this update schedule starting back in February.

Finally, this update has several bug fixes. The biggest is that particle effects now show correctly between the host and clients. Previously some effects were missing.

Other issues that were fixed are:

• The Pro Shop text now fits correctly in German
  
• Added a Golden Flag that you unlock with 100% completion
  
• Added icons for seasonal balls in the progress screen
  
• Icons are now all high enough resolution to look crisp at 4K
  
• The correct icons now show for PlayStation controller bumpers and triggers
  
• You can now map controller triggers to buttons
  
• Remapping text shows the official names for buttons on PS and Xbox controllers
  
• Fixed a crash that would happen in the progress screen
  
• The shop Unlock button is now hidden correctly after you spend shots and can no longer afford items
  
• Moving the focus from a button to a scroll bar should be more intuitive when using a controller
  
• Fixed an error with controller remapping that would happen as you booted up the game
  

As always, I'm maintaining a roadmap of bugs and features that I'll be addressing in future updates. Let me know what you'd like to see!

Happy Golfing,
Philip

(psst: It's also the Steam Autumn Sale this week, and it's a great chance to pick up my other games on Sale - the co-operative steampunk adventure 39 Days to Mars, and the chaotic local multiplayer Mini Matches)

Hi,

This update brings Spanish localisation to Up to Par. It also adds a separate effect for when you get the ball in the hole, and fixes a freeze bug that people have been encountering in multiplayer games.

First up, ¿hablas español?. I'm happy to say that Up to Par is now playable in Spanish. This update brings mainland spanish to the game, and the next update will see Latin American Spanish available as well. A huge thank you to Anthony Charrault for all the work integrating this into the game.



One of the comments that's come up regularly is that it's confusing to see the same breaking-apart effect when you run out of shots and when you sucessfully reach the hole. I agree! This patch introduces a new celebratory effect when you reach the hole. It's more satisfying, and should reduce the confusion.



I've also been keeping track of comments about difficulty and progress, and I've made some more balance tweaks in this update. Most items and attires that previously cost 5 shots or above are now cheaper to unlock. I hope this makes the mid & end game unlocks more achieveable. I'll be keeping an eye on how this change goes, and will likely continue to make more changes in future updates based on feedback and data.

Finally, I've fixed a major outstanding bug related to level generation. In some cases if you progressed through levels quickly *and* the game was trying to generate an extra-complicated course, it would leave you on a blank screen and never show the next level. This issue should be fixed now and you shouldn't get stuck on empty screens. If you do still have this issue for any reason, please let me know via the in-game bug reporting tool!

Other minor bugs I fixed are:

• The unlock item icon is now visible again in the game end screen.
  
• I've fixed a bug where the entire game would freeze after you reached 100% completion.
  
• In rare cases the camera would lag when focusing on the main menu, creating a snap effect. This is now fixed.
  
• The metal ball now has the correct coloured fragments when it splits apart.
  

As always, I'm maintaining a roadmap of bugs and features that I'll be addressing in future updates.

Happy Golfing,
Philip

Hi,

Over the last two weeks since launch I've been working on some new features and some bug fixes to address your comments in the forums and in reviews. This update brings celebrations, Steam Deck compatibility, and more predictable physics.

One of the big issues has been a lack of progress indication and rewards as you achieve big milestones in the game. In future updates I will be working on a new progression system for high scores, but as a first step I've added a much bigger celebration when you achieve these big milestones, along with a progress indicator that means you no longer exclusively have to find this in the progress screen.



The second major change in this update is a complete overhaul of the physics of the Farm Crop obstacle. This would previously send the ball richocheting off in odd directions, and was immensely frustrating. This update fixes the issue.



For the roughly 10% of you playing on a Steam Deck, there's excellent news: Up to Par is now officially Steam Deck Compatible!



I've also fixed the following list of bugs, some big and some smaller. If you're running into an issue that you'd like to see prioritised, please let me know.

• Up to Par now uses vSync by default to limit framerate on Windows. This prevents screen tearing and makes it run smoothly while limiting resource use. You can turn this off and specify a custom framerate in the graphics settings menu. On MacOS, the game defaults to 60fps as vSync is not supported.
  
• When playing multiplayer, players no longer randomly become un-ready when waiting for others.
  
• When playing with more than 6 players, the ready icons no longer oveflow the UI in the end game screen.
  
• Fixed a bug where the game could start before all players were ready.
  
• The Pond Socket, the Hex Stone, and the Woods Windmill obstacles now correctly play ball bounce sounds and particle effects when you hit them with the ball.
  
• Fixed a bug where the ball would bounce strangely against the very tip of the middle corner in U-shaped course layouts.
  

Going forwards, I'm aiming to release an update roughly every fortnight. You can see what I'm working on in the roadmap, and if you've got ideas or comments leave them below, in our discord, or in the Steam Discussions thread.

Happy Golfing!
Philip

Hi,

Today brings a small patch, the main change is that Up to Par is now using Windows Gaming Input. If you've had trouble connecting unofficial controllers, this should help. More importantly, it means you'll be able to connect more than 4 inputs at a time! If you fancy a 16 player local co-op game, now you can.



It also fixes an issue where the ball would sometimes sit on top of the hole without going in. (A slight problem for a mini golf game).



In addition, achievements on Steam are now correctly localized into Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and German.

I'll be back with a bigger updates later, but for now, happy golfing!
Philip

Hi all,

It's been a busy launch for Up to Par! Thank you to everyone who's played, and thank you to everyone who's given me feedback.

[h3]Progression[/h3]
In the last 24 hours I've been working on a balance update that'll make for smoother progression through the early and mid game. Up to Par can be a challenging game, but getting stuck with an item just out of reach is no fun.

[h3]Aiming[/h3]
I've also implemented some suggestions based on your feedback around aiming. The aiming bar is now as wide as the ball, so you can see exactly what's going to be a hit, and what's going to be a miss. If you prefer the old bar, you can turn it back on in the settings menu.

In addition, if you're playing with the keyboard or a joystick, the aim now automatically points (roughly) along the course towards the hole.



[h3]Minor Fixes[/h3]
I've fixed some other minor issues, notably:

• Framerate limiting now works on MacOS
  
• Fixed some edge cases for target framerate on PC - notably when drivers or Windows override vSync.
  
• Foresight no longer causes an error when you unlock it.
  

[h3]Roadmap[/h3]
I'm going to continue working on Up to Par, improving the game, adding features, and fixing any issues you run into. To let you know what I'm working on, I've put together a roadmap with my future plans:



I hope you enjoy playing with these new updates, and that they make Up to Par more satisfying and more fun. It's almost midnight here, so I'm off to take a break and look forward to reading your comments in the morning.

- Philip