Squirrelmageddon! News

[p][/p][p]I saw a vampire squirrel the other day... to celebrate I've unlocked all maps and missions! They spawn around threat level 5-6 - I forget which - lol. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]So, it's been half a year since my last patch release, but I have been busy working hard when I can on what my wife now calls (after 5 years) 'that stupid squirrel game'... blessed are the wives and family of solo game devs cursed with a passion that only another solo game dev with an insane gameworld to escape to could understand... Why squirrels, why this game - why me? LoL There is still a ways to go before the final 'vision' is realised... but it's getting there! Another 10 years solo and maybe I can free myself of the Curse of Ratatosk! [/p][p][/p][h2]Patch TLDR;[/h2][p]So have made a ton of updates and a lot of repairs, mainly to the mission replay system 0.2x is just sublime sometimes). So the replays are much more robust now, with better replication of events to the recording. The camera sometimes still tweaks out on auto replay and reverses direction (meh). There is a button to fix it (until I can work out a more permanent solution). Weapons are also tuned up / balanced and some general UI fixes mainly in buttons and the HIVE menus. [/p][p]
[/p][h2]Patch Notes[/h2]

• [p]UI Buttons Overhaul - better..[/p]
• [p]VIDEO SETTING: added Fog Toggle. I like it without the fog personally... [/p]
• [p]OPTIMISATION: AI Rocket rails and explosions no longer tank framerates on complex maps! NEW GAMEPLAY: statue pickups effects added (increase player speed / reduce threat / slow squirrels etc) [/p]
• [p]NEW GAMEPLAY: loot crates spawn more types of weapons + ammo + health [/p]
• [p]NEW GAMEPLAY: I have been adding random spawning of items to maps [/p]
• [p]IMPROVED: ads/scope/aim (still tweaking) [/p]
• [p]WEAPON UPDATE: Burst SMG now fully auto [/p]
• [p]WEAPON UPDATE: Hip Fire + spread re-added [/p]
• [p]FIX: character select screen "wait 1 day" button not advancing day [/p]
• [p]FIX: TPS aim crosshair [/p]
• [p]FIX: 'free look' weapon fire [/p]
• [p]FIX: game over save remaining deployables on continue [/p]
• [p]FIX \[hopefully] : cinematic camera moves in reverse [/p]
• [p]FIX: weapon training progress bar [/p]
• [p]FIX: freelook cross hair visibility issues [/p]
• [p]FIX: replay glider [/p]
• [p]FIX: moveable crate collision [/p]
• [p]FIX: merchant last base weapon sell error UI [/p]
• [p]FIX: Brethren TPAI orb weapon [/p]
• [p]FIX: body pickup mesh disappearing[/p]
• [p]REPLAY: fix manager delete / stuck UI [/p]
• [p]REPLAY: delete all button [/p]
• [p]REPLAY: fix more sound / fx replication issues on replays [/p]
• [p]REPLAY: replay name now has play length in seconds [/p]
• [p]MAPS: tweaks / flashlight intensity [/p]
• [p]FX: laser rifle muzzle fire [/p]
• [p]MAP FIX: Elite Escape - water electrocution now working [/p]
• [p]MAP UPDATE: Squirrel Town - water barrels and down pipes added [/p]
• [p]GRAPHICS: add 'enable fog' checkbox[/p]
• [p]GRAPHICS REMOVED: cell shading - it would not work with forward rendering optimisation [/p]
• [p]LOBBY UI: added map name and threat level to mission summary[/p]
• [p]FINAL PREP: UI updates[/p]
• [p]IN GAME HUD: final prep shown bottom left [/p]
• [p]GAMEPLAY: no switching weapons while reloading (crosshair bug fix) [/p]

[p] And soooo much more...

Connect on X: @SBGamesHive42

Stay squirrely and I'll see ya top-side!
- The Other Jono


What a long strange trip it's been:[/p]

I have reverted to the FXAA anti-aliasing method which has doubled frame the rate on some maps on older cards! I can now run the game at 4K on my AMD RX580!

The REPLAY system has been getting some TLC as well with endless random replay option and sound replication fixes. More work to do and the biggest glaring bug at the moment is with the Glider Deploy system... one day I will work it out ;)

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]

• FXAA for anti-alias (doubles frame rates over TAA!)
  
• Third Person aim fixes
  
• Shotguns spread / aim fixes
  
• Cyan and Violet squirrels drop ammo and pills
  
• Ultra squirrels sometimes drop Ratatoskr statues
  
• Ratatoskr statue pickups reduce Threat Levels
  
• Lobby map name fixed
  
• Added replay endless random looping option
  
• Replay Glider improved
  
• Item pickup descriptions added
  
• Meal effects are more impactful
  

Have a safe and fun holiday season, stay squirrelie and GLHF!
- Jono

And the inevitable...

[h2]Hotfixes[/h2]

• FIX: ADS crouch camera offset bug
  
• FIX: Ultra kill spawns
  
• FIX: Jihadi squirrels grenade on back visibility bug
  
• FIX: Lobby mission map name bug
  
• BUTTON SFX: show mutation no thunder
  

[h2]NEXT PATCH:[/h2]
Some feedback saying the TPS auto ADS should return to default disabled + being 'optional enable default aim ADS' in settings. I will add this to Gameplay Options in the next patch!

GLHF!
- The other Jono

The weapons system has been overhauled and better tuned for ADS arcade action!



[h2]Weapon Patch Notes[/h2]

• ADS / IRON SIGHT firing is FIXED! (more tuning ASAP)
  
• WEAPON AIM ADS / IRON SIGHT in both Third and First Person
  
• BULLET SPREAD has been REMOVED (except shotgun weapons)
  
• CROSSHAIRS replaced with HIP FIRE aim dot in both Third and First Person
  
• COVER AIM has been added - auto stand up if from behind cover
  

NOTE: there are issues with some weapon models + sniper weapon scopes need an overhaul as well. I always seem to break the skeletal mesh when trying to edit the models in Blender... so am going to try using Unreal 5.5 with the experimental skeletal mesh editing tools to see if I can fix things with those tools and backport to UE4.

[h2]Other Patch Notes / Major Changes Rollup[/h2]

• VIEW MUTATIONS toggle button added to LOBBY
  
• REPLAY system enabled - alpha version
  - disable from Game Settings
  - access replays from LOBBY
  
• MORE wrath mutations!
  - Time Anxiety - yellow squirrels speed up other squirrels
  - Molten core - red squirrels explode
  - Jihadi Squirrel - adds grenade to squirrels
  
• ULTRA squirrels drop either CARCASS or RATATOSK STATUE - 50/50 at moment
  
• RATATOSK STATUE pickups now reduce THREAT LEVEL by 1
  
• SQ-15b BURST SMG has been overhauled as SQ-15 SMG - fully auto SMG, new fire sound FX
  
• NEW MAPS / MISSIONS: ambush, elite escape, checkpoint squirrelie
  

NOTE: Multiplayer testing has been limited and will be patched up ASAP as issues logged!

TEMPORARILY DISABLED:
Skill Respec - the new weapon proficiency system munted things, so have disabled this until I can patch in a fix.

A lot of Quality of Life changes in my to do list, along with mutations balancing.

Squirrelmageddon! is always evolving... hope you all like the new update, and thanks everyone for your continued support for the insanity!

GLHF!!

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]

• NEW: Weapon Training - assign skill point to gain 1 level (once only per weapon)
  
• NEW: Characters start with 2 Skill Points to spend
  
• SPECIAL EVENT: Halloween Map
  

GLHF!