Squirrelmageddon! News

The Autumnal Rituals map has been overhauled and is accessible via the Squirrel Town zone.




Map works are still 'sticky / needs cleanup and tree pruning' but still super fun!

There is so much gameplay potential that I am still discovering. Hmmm... am I going to far? Have I gone completely Squirrely...? You bet I have!!!!

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]
- FIX: Info overlay Suit Mods grid
- FIX: Single player overview map
- MAP WORKS: Autumnal Ritual in Squirrel Town
- NEW MISSION: Ultra Rituals...
- AUDIO: Ultra Squirrel landing crunch audio fix
- MISSIONS: unlock structure rework (mission story flow)
- NARRATIVE: Autumnal rituals mission description tweaks
- DIFFICULTY: Ultra Missions 5x Ultra Objectives

Can't believe I am still having fun after over 700 hours of squirrel insanity and approximately 5000 hours of development over 3 years!

There are more things I want to try, but saving them for Squirrelmageddon! 2... been working on some interesting hive and mission mechanics :D

I should be starting Pre-production on SQ2 around January 2024...

Stay Squirrely! GLHF!

[h2]THE ULTRA SLAM[/h2]
Giant blue ultra squirrels now have a jump and slam attack. If not attacking they will try to pin the player down so other squirrels can rip them to shreds...

Tons of updates and map tweaks - now is a great time to reset your hive / mission zone moveable objects...



[h2]OTHER SQUIRREL MUTATIONS:[/h2]

• Squirrelmadillos now fire ecto-plasmic projectiles...
  
• Green vomit squirrels now eject 'green globs that go sploosh'
  
• Mega Purple squirrels now bulldozer the player, crushing innards...
  
• Squirrel Brain surgery performed = little more crazy
  
• Squirrel Sounds: less density, but hopefully enough where it's important to keep 'listening out for squirrels'
  

[h2]LORE / AI INSANITY[/h2]

• all AI art (a comedy of squirrel horror and AI assisted insanity) removed
  
• my prelude lore removed until new artwork created (it's not vital to the gameplay)
  

[h2]THE STATE OF MULTIPLAYER[/h2]
Things have been steadily improving with client replication on new overlay HUD features seemingly fixed. Still issues with lag on high density maps. Insanity is by definition debugging multiplayer replication...

• TESTING: added Squirrel Town zone to multiplayer
  
• FIXED: points pickup item replication - clients should now receive pickups!
  
• FIX: client character detail overlay - skills and pickups should now show
  
• MOVEABLE OBJECTS: saved to multiplayer map file so will reload
  
• CLIENT OVERLAY MAP: temporarily removed until fixed on clients
  
• DROPPED WEAPONS: removed in multiplayer
  
• CLIENT BUGS: weapon level percentage bar replication + flashlight intensity settings + others!
  

[h2]MAP / MISSION UPDATES:[/h2]
RECOMMENDED: 'reset moveable objects' on mission select if experiencing any object weirdness or broken level loading (soz - I've been adding / removing / relocating objects on some levels)

• Training Gauntlet: added new 'tight quarters / interiors training area'
  
• All maps: pickup fixes / tweaks / relocations / additions
  
• FIX: Squirrel Turbine music
  
• FIX: Turbine repair objective glow on complete
  
• Desert Squirrels: moved Ratatosk statues outside of town, tweaked lighting to accommodate full moon
  
• Removed spotlights (required real time lighting = huge performance hit on older machines like mine...)
  
• Ultra Squirrel missions now spawn an Ultra at the start of mission
  

[h2]WEAPON UPDATES[/h2]

• SNIPER WEAPONS: reworked until 'feels good'.
  
• SCOPE / AIM FPS optimizations
  
• Weapon Balancing - the auto-shottie was way too OP (nerf damage 25%)
  

[h2]GAMEPLAY: 'True Scavenger': [/h2]
I wanted the ability to turn off the objective spotter sparkles....

• 'True Scavenger' mode checkbox hides object sparkles / location hints. This gameplay mode is auto enabled on Insanity Difficulty.
  

[h2]UI / UX[/h2]

• GAME OVER SCREEN: updated UI
  
• GAME OVER SCREEN / DIORAMA MODE:
  HUD auto-hides after 10 seconds of no mouse activity.
  (move mouse to re-activate HUD)
  
• CHARACTER SELECT: [A] [D] keys rotate character model
  
• SUIT MODS: cost per level multiplier (interest rates ya know?)
  
• TRAINING / SUIT MODS: added character image status skull overlay (recovery / dead)
  
• MISSION SELECT: fixed reset moveable objects button
  
• PLAYER HUD: reworked with deployables moved top right
  
• MAP HUD OVERLAY: now shows character details, pickup items, suit and skills
  
• PAUSE MENU: updated / reverted to my 90's Web Style UI
  (made with authentic 90's web software - lol)
  
• GAME OVER: updated / reverted and tweaked UI
  
• LOBBY: fixed mission data box title wrap
  

Stay squirrely people and I'll see ya top-side!

- FIXED: client pickup item replication
- FIXED: client HUD overlay

Just a quick patch note - full post soon!

- NEW: Game Options
-- True Scavenger mode (still beta) : removes 'glow / sparkles' on objects and objectives

- NEW: Video Option
-- Experimental Retro Mode (just some nostalgia) : adds a dither post process filter to in-game cameras

- ACTUALLY LOOKS BETTER: A.I. 'art' removed and replaced with screenshots + photoshops, including all UI elements

- LIGHTING: map lighting tweaks (dark as night / fog system)

- bunch of stuff, will go through commits and add all to full post soon

Stay squirrely people! Thanks for your support and yes, the squirrels ARE MUTATING:

THE WHITE SQUIRREL EXISTS:
https://www.logandaily.com/news/logan-neighborhood-being-visited-by-small-tree-climbing-mutant/article_447e95c0-1370-11ee-b70a-b7850d25a20a.html

MUTANT BLACK SQUIRRELS ON THE RISE:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2666977/Rare-black-genetic-mutant-squirrel-pictured-visiting-familys-garden.html

It is with great disappointment and more than some sadness that I have to remove all AI assisted 'art' generated for Squirrelmageddon from both the game and all past Steam posts....

AI assisted 'horror squirrel art' gave me hope... so much hope and joy in seeing my squirrels finally rendered into reality.. they were so cool, so crazy...

Alas, Steam says no.... for the time being. This is completely understandable and reasonable until legal finality on the subject has been arrived at.

From here on out there will be NO AI 'ART' or AI GENERATED ASSETS in the Squirrelmageddon! Game or Steam page that could be subject to copyright claims.

In game images will be blanked until replacement images can be created and added.

I plan on working more posed and real time in-game screenshots in Photoshop as before. This is going to take quite a long time, but I am actually looking forward to doing this and learning some new skills!

I want to thank everyone who is following Squirrelmageddon! and showing support with comments and thumbs ups - you all have kept me going though all the insanity that Squirrelmageddon! has brought to my life!

(oh soooo much insanity... only another solo game dev would know the true depths of one's pain and suffering delivered by the claws of Ratatosk!)


NOTE: for the time being I will still be uploading 'AI assisted concept art' to the game website gallery at www.squirrelmageddongame.com

Stay squirrely and I'll be back topside again real soon!