Squirrelmageddon! News

Quick patch:
- FIX: projectile effects replication multiplayer
- FIX: Brethren Squirrel crash scenario where 3 brethren stuck close together were discharging in infinite loop

- NEW: footstep and bullet hit sounds based on materials such as wood, metal, dirt, concrete, water, plastic. I have lots to do still and some 'hit' sound effects will probably be wrong. Clean up patch coming soon!

A lot happening over the last couple of weeks... some much needed house keeping and UI / UX improvements as well as CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROLS.

It has been a long time coming, and I have finally been able to add customizable inputs for almost all actions in the game.



[h2]v1.07.334 - Highlights[/h2]

• CONTROLS: set custom keys for actions, weapons, movement and ui!
  
• CONTROLS: enable / disable mouse smoothing!
  
• UI LOBBY: menu and multiplayer chat borders and other tweaks
  
• UI CHARACTER SELECT: skills and suit mods now show under the character description
  
• UI GAME OVER SCREEN: inventory of scavenged items shown
  
• UI GAME OVER SCREEN: objectives completed moved
  
• UI MULTIPLAYER: borders for selections screen content and smaller font
  
• CRASH FIX: the new Brethren plasma squirrel would crash the client after Game Over when all targets were invalid and a turret was making it discharge... code logic fixed.
  
• TURRET TWEAKS: the turrets now use the same projectiles as player weapons.
  
• TURRET TWEAKS: Turret accuracy improved.
  

[h2]MULTIPLAYER - STATE OF THE SQUIRREL[/h2]

A lot of actor and object replication optimizations and fixes. Dead squirrel trajectory replication is still an issue, but will hopefully have a reliable fix soon!

• FIX: in-game and game over mission objective replication
  
• FIX: stuck player spawn fix (collision issue)
  
• FIX: speedy yellow carcass spawn replication fix
  

Known Issues / working on:

Still rubber banding on large maps and poor connections (LAN is always best). Server 'spikes' happening under certain high intensity squirrel fights with turrets and explosions and mines and fan traps all going off at once.

I am tinkering with priority settings and seeing what else I can do. Further optimization of the squirrel brain should also help take the load off the host machine.

• HUD Messaging replication (mission complete message)
  
• pickup inventory replication
  
• client weapon hit effect replication (should not be to hard to fix)
  
• large map rubber banding (host load - needs dedicated server / smaller maps)
  

[h2]MULTIPLAYER MERCHANTS ARE BACK![/h2]
I have enabled hive to access merchants again. There were a few crash bugs before, so hopefully things are working well now! Please report any game breakers in the Steam Forum - it is much appreciated!



[h2]CURRENT FOCUS[/h2]

• Map reworks and optimizations (reduce size / more map variety)
  
• More UI improvements and UI work
  
• Multiplayer optimizations and more maps
  
• Multiplayer squirrel advancement (every death levels up squirrel)
  
• Multiplayer 'score sharing' for large squirrel kills and mission completions
  

Stay squirrely!

Sorry bout the urgent re-patch!

Tested and added the Desert Squirrels mission zone to the multiplayer map group.



Have been working hard to fix a lot of multi-player client side issues including data replication and smoothing out any rubber-banding.

[h2]This week:[/h2]

• Specimen observation lab lighting updated (not _too_ dark)
  
• Desert Squirrels missions now available in multiplayer
  
• Removed quad bikes from multiplayer (causing way too many crashes - will return if able to fix)
  
• Optimized moveable objects in multiplayer
  
• Moveable objects, turrets, explosions, effects and most pickups networking reworked
  
• Multiplayer max squirrels at once is now set at 40
  
• Chipped Squirrel optimization in multiplayer
  
• Player score replication to all player HUD fixed
  
• Multiplayer menu UI tweaks
  

[h2]Current Focus[/h2]

• Saving missions completed in multiplayer to Single Player Campaign completed missions
  
• Saving picked up items in multiplayer missions to Single Player Campaign completed missions
  
• Player merchants, skills, and suit modding in multiplayer
  
• "Live" avatars in multiplayer lobby character select
  

I am trying to be wary of overwriting anyone's save games because the above is a risky update! Hopefully all goes well and will post an update next week.

Stay Squirrely!

I've overhauled the the observation lab. It's dark and gritty. You will need your flashlight...



Silver Brethren squirrels now release charges of plasma energy. It's a beautiful thing...



A few other important fixes and gameplay tweaks!.

• MULTIPLAYER CLIENT FIX: carrying large crate collision stutter
  
• MULTIPLAYER SERVER FIX: proximity mine replication and shoot to explode
  
• MULTIPLAYER FIXES: optimisation and replication (flashlight / animations)
  
• MULTIPLAYER FIXES: explosion replication (effects / sound)
  

• GAMEPLAY: silver Brethren squirrels plasma attack
  
• GAMEPLAY: fan trap drop physics added
  
• GAMEPLAY: training gauntlet base squirrels have been de-fanged (easier)
  
• LIGHTING: character glow added when flashlight enables
  
• LIGHTING: fan traps now have a power on glow
  
• EFFECTS: grenade explosions now emit strong light into the world.
  

Have fun, laugh at the horror of it all - and I'll see ya top-side!