Mega Knockdown News

Matchmaking:

• In the online mode, you can now create private lobbies that are hidden from the match browser, accessible only via Steam Invites.
  
• The game is now pointed at our new matchmaking server.
  
• Matchmaking scripts have been updated slightly.
  

Balance:

• Billy's HP has been increased slightly to 17.
  
• Justification: Most characters have seen slight increases in their HP, and baseline HP has increased from 14 to 15. Billy has avoided getting any increase up to this point, so this change should (relatively speaking) put his HP closer to where it was before, relative to the baseline.
  

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed issue where Tutorial Mission 13 would freeze if the player is punished by the AI.
  
• Fixed issue where Billy's armor would not trigger vs another Billy's jumping attacks
  
• The move timer will no longer count down when the game is paused. (The timeout animation will still play, but that will be fixed later.)
  
• Fixed an issue where Paulcano could cause the opponent to glitch out if they attempt to walk up and jab while minus.
  
• Fixed an issue where lewis and flatskin could end up in the same space if lewis got hit by a vine next to the corner when flatskin does lightning legs.
  
• The AI will no longer explode if players somehow end up in the same square due to an error.
  
• Fixed some problems with hit detection involving backward jumping moves.
  
• Fixed an issue where the training mode achievement would trigger too fast.
  

These bug fixes were possible in part due to community submitted bug reports. To make a report, you can press F8 at any point while in-game to send feedback directly to the developer.

Mega Knockdown has a brand new online multiplayer system: Online Lobbies! Additionally, Mega Knockdown is now Steam Deck Verified, and has native Linux support!

Online mode features:

• Up to 4 players can currently be in the lobby at once (Players beyond the second can spectate).
  
• "Level up" your bravery rating by winning, losing or spectating online matches.
  
• Player rotation! The loser of a match goes back to the end of the line, and the next spectator in line gets to play. Players can also pass their turn and go back to the end of the line, if they want.
  
• Match length (First to X, unlimited rematch, etc) can be customized by the host.
  
• Steam Invite support
  
• Double blind character select.
  
• Mid-match lobby joining.
  
• Lobby chat. Press Enter in lobby to chat/send chat messages. Also works on Steam Deck, or a controller (if Big Picture Mode is enabled).
  
• Waiting awhile for a match? Feel free to alt-tab. If someone joins your lobby while the game is minimized, an alert will draw your attention back to the game. You can also hop on the Official Discord to find a match.
  

Planned features for online mode:

• Timed variants and Strife Mode toggles (Not enabled yet for lobby)
  
• Option to keep spectating/stay at the end of the line
  
• Private lobbies
  

Controls:

• If there are no controllers plugged in, the game will now assign the first controller plugged in to Player 1, even if that device was previously assigned to Player 2.

Platform support:

• After many rounds of improvements to the Steam Deck experience, Mega Knockdown is now Steam Deck Verified!
  
• Mega Knockdown can now be natively played on Linux without a compatibility layer like Proton. Now you can play Mega Knockdown while acting smug and superior to your friends who don't understand FOSS the same way you do.
  

Future directions:

• The Mega Knockdown dev team now has an artist, Alan McMillian! Over the next few months we will be revamping the look of the game, a little bit at a time. Below is a an art piece with Alan's new designs for the cast so far. With your support, together we can make something really great!
  

Update 11/1: Beta has ended! Online will be coming soon to the main branch.

Since launch, I have been working on an online lobby system to allow players to play online multiplayer without relying on Steam Remote Play or Parsec. I'm pleased to report that it is now available for a public test. To play this beta, follow these instructions:



Instructions for playing the beta

1. Right-click Mega Knockdown in your library and click Properties
   
2. Navigate to the Betas tab. Select the Online Lobbies Beta Test beta.
   
3. Launch the game. Navigate to the Globe icon and select it.
   
4. You can now create a room, or join an open room. Pinging the @Netplay role in Discord can help you find an opponent if you have a lobby open and are waiting for a match.
   

I strongly recommend joining the discord if you want to play online: https://discord.com/invite/bGVftKK. This will make finding and organizing online matches much easier.

Online mode features:

• Up to 4 players can currently be in the lobby at once (Players beyond the second can spectate).
  
• "Level up" your bravery rating by winning, losing or spectating online matches.
  
• Player rotation. The loser of a set goes back to the end of the line, and the next spectator in line gets to play. Set length (First to X, unlimited rematch, etc) can be customized by the host. Players can also pass their turn and go back to the end of the line, if they want.
  
• Steam Invite support
  
• Double blind character select.
  
• Mid-match lobby joining.
  
• Chat system for lobby. Press Enter in lobby to chat/send chat messages.
  
• In-game chat.

Planned features:

• Timed variants and Strife Mode toggles (Not enabled yet for lobby)
  
• Option to keep spectating/stay at the end of the line
  
• Private lobbies

***

If you have problems, please press F8 to notify the dev. Your feedback will ensure that this feature will launch as smoothly as possible.

Patch 0.855:

Gameplay

• Marv's HP has been increased to 14 (same as Lewis). This should allow Marv for slightly more room for error, while keeping him tied for the lowest HP in the game.
  

Steam Deck Compatibility

• Changed how the game checks if it's running on Steam Deck. This should allow the Steam Deck specific improvements from the previous patch to work as intended.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where you could (unintentionally) lock in the next turn's inputs while waiting for your opponent to lock in theirs.
  

Patch 0.85:

Mega Knockdown is now confirmed "Playable" on Steam Deck! This patch is intended to increase the Steam Deck compatibility of the game even further.

Gameplay

• Big Billy now has resistance to side switch effects on a successful block, due to his large stature. On hit, those moves (jC, back throw) can still side switch him. Side switches are especially debilitating for Billy due to his slow speed, so this will reduce the viability of hit-and-run timer scam strategies against him.
  

User Interface

• If you are using a gamepad or the Steam Deck, gamepad specific hotkeys should now display, in general.
  
• Certain PC-specific tooltips and images no longer display when playing on Steam Deck.
  
• Increased the size of fonts in the Controls Rebinding menu.
  
• An adjustment was made to how custom controls were saved. As a result, players with custom controls will have to set them again.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where your max HP could keep getting higher indefinitely when playing on Easy Mode survival.
  
• Fixed an issue where buttons in the Controls Rebinding menu were not always consistent in size and shape.