Monsters Loot Swag News

Update 20, version 1.7.7.6 ... there is something sinister about that number that strikes fear into the heart of every Englishman ... fear, fear for the safety of his tea!

But ... anyhow ...

There is a new BETA branch available! A BETA in EARLY ACCESS - just how much testing can 1 dev ask of you? The BETA branch is a whole new game engine ... well, actually it's kinda the same game engine with a whole new system. This system includes a fully function asset system, Physical Based Rendering (that's cool reflections of roughness and metal to normal folks), and HDR!

Want to try out the BETA branch? Go to your game library in Steam and click on Monster Loot Swag, click settings (circled in red) and bring up the drop-down menu, choose preferences and when the new window appears, go to Beta in the sidebar and select the new BETA version. You can opt-out of the BETA in the same way, by choosing default.



Don't want to play the BETA for the new game engine? No problems, the original version is still available.

Q: So why is it a BETA and not just the standard game branch?
A: Well because it's taken a fair bit of effort for updating and I need extra testing for various internal linkages that I may have missed, before I can set it to the master/default branch of the game.

Q: Is the default branch still getting updated?
A: YES! The default branch is still getting updated whilst I work on bringing the new game engine BETA version up to speed.

In fact, here is the changelog for version 1776 (ouch my tea!).

This version replaces all placeholders of special attacks with their final versions.

1. Update 20: update to v.1.7.7.6
   
2. Fix: Monsters could sometimes collide with player only barriers. Added an extra check in C++ to make sure this never happens under any circumstances.
   
3. Fix: Followers could sometimes collide with player only barriers. Totally removed physical zone collision checks from them.
   
4. Fix: Prevented unnecessary calls to and from server when opening the Options Screen during play.
   
5. Fix: Lag on first opening of Options Screen during play if Options Screen had not previously been initialized.
   
6. Change: Video options lists are now populated at the Main Menu Screen on initial start up.
   
7. Fix: Stopped Boss Monsters from getting stuck on terrain walls.
   
8. Change: Increased Monsters climbing ability for traversing terrain and objects.
   
9. Change: Made loot coins and taels bigger.
   
10. Change: Monster Boss display stats now allow a small pause before displaying to the player.
    
11. Fix: Client now makes multiple attempts to get Monster Boss health from client side ghost incase health bar is not displaying.
    
12. Fix: Missing flame/fire texture.
    
13. Change: Client call to server for insert coins / buy swag has extra check to see if it has already been bought.
    
14. Fix: Stopped attempting to delete objects which did not exist when Swag was spawned.
    
15. Fix: Got rid of phantom projectile spawning near player which sometimes happened at low fps. Engine now ticks 3 times before projectile will render (0.094 seconds).
    
16. New: Added animated model for Special Use Item: "Angel with an 40mm cannon. Air support on Heaven's behalf."
    
17. Change: Added pilot to "Dive Bomber" special defend Swag model.
    
18. New: Added Rocketrix model to "Rocketrix Delivery Service" special attack.
    
19. Change: Updated audio for "Rocketrix Delivery Service".
    
20. New: Special Use Item "Bait Bomb" now has a unique model, a distraction catgirl holding a sign which reads; "Free Kitty".
    

And here is a quick video of two of the new special use items, Bait Bomb and Angel Cannon ... with a sound problem on the video which I forgot about ... turn up volume high (soz).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls_efdl7Kic

Next update will mostly focus on fixing the BETA and bringing it into line with the default branch,

How long until EARLY ACCESS ends? I plan to make 3 more levels (total 10), 3 more playable cosplaying catgirl characters (total 8), and have a few more collectables to sort out. At the moment, I am anticipating shipping the final game around May/April 2024.

Introducing EARLY ACCESS UPDATE 19! The concerted effort to squish annoying bugs into liquidated goo continues!

Highlights of this update, fixed a whole host of gamepad controller issues, concerning, amongst other things Playstation controller glyphs not correctly displaying, added Steam Deck glyphs, hardcoding a dead-zone for Playstation controllers, and got the HOME/GUIDE button to respond correctly.

Note on first run of v.1.7.7.4 any previously customized keymaps will be reset to default. Future customized keymaps will be saved as standard.

1. Update to v.1.7.7.4
   
2. Change: In game Options are now activated on gamepad by START button or equivalent right sided OPTIONS button depending on controller brand.
   
3. Fix: HOME/GUIDE button on gamepad controller now activates the Steam Overlay.
   
4. Fix: Playstation 4 controller inputs now correctly display.
   
5. Fix: For menu navigation, have added minimum input for non-dead zoned input devices (PlayStation controllers) so they can no longer spam input changes when in keyboard and mouse control mode.
   
6. Change: Dead zone minimum range is now -0.1 to 0.1 for all controller types, previous Xbox default range -0.08 to 0.08.
   
7. Change: Changed some of the Playstation Controller icons/glyphs.
   
8. Fix: Left and Right gamepad Stick glyphs were displaying the wrong way around.
   
9. New: Added Steam Deck icons/glyphs.
   
10. New: Cursor keys Up/Down and Return/Enter keys can now be used to navigate menu lists (and only menu lists, any other button on the UI must be accessed with the mouse if not using a gamepad controller).
    
11. New: Added a button on the Main Menu screen for reporting bugs directly to the forums (mouse accessable only).
    
12. Change: Reduced scripted checks for insert coins when paying for loot by 75%.
    
13. Change: Tripled amount of coins spent when paying for loot.
    
14. Change: Reduced console spam for player damage.
    
15. Fix: Check for unlocked cosplay on game startup with initial Achievement check.
    
16. Fix: Achievement MEAT SHIELD had wrong id.
    
17. Fix: Achievement MEAT SHIELD did not send percentage complete updates to the player.
    
18. Fix: Achievement MINE SWEEPER now displays percentage of discovered Traps towards fulfilling the Achievement.
    
19. Fix: Achievement MARATHON check when all players are dead was misidentifying the client on reset.
    
20. Fix: Monsters were not getting their appropriate damage bonus increases if more monsters should spawn but the current maximum number of monsters had aleady arrived.
    
21. Fix: Loot cost of resusitating a dead player was wrong.
    
22. Fix: Monsters did not successfully check to see if they were swarming a single player in online multiplayer co-op, to see if they should target another player.
    
23. Fix: Game Control Object was being referenced with multiple local aliases when a client connected to the server.
    
24. Fix: Players and Monsters were not receiving the correct buff when escaping a slowing movement trigger.
    
25. Fix: Monsters were being given the incorrect vector to flee from Terror Tower special item.
    
26. Fix: Unneccessary checks when deciding whether a player or Monster had entered the exit trigger.
    
27. Fix: Monster large area attack was recording the wrong hit vector.
    
28. Fix: Monster medium area attack was recording the wrong hit vector.
    
29. Fix: Bikaver player character melee attack was using the wrong impulse vector for knockback.
    
30. Fix: Bikaver player character special attack was not spawning the required particle effect.
    
31. Fix: Bikaver player character special attack was using the wrong impulse vector for knockback.
    
32. Fix: Water Hazard player character melee attack was using the wrong impulse vector for knockback.
    
33. Fix: Monster laser beams striking Traitor monsters under special attack False Flag events were not spawning the required particle effect in the correct place.
    
34. Fix: Monster medium energy beams striking Traitor monsters under special attack False Flag events were not spawning the required particle effect in the correct place.
    
35. Fix: Monster miniguns were not reporting their hits on players in the correct place.
    
36. Fix: Monster miniguns striking Traitor monsters under special attack False Flag events were not spawning the required particle effect in the correct place.
    
37. Fix: Level 4 Monster Boss Elafi The Runner special attack was using the wrong impulse vector for knockback against the player.
    
38. Fix: Monster lightning attacks were not reporting their hits on players in the correct place.
    
39. Fix: Monster multiguns were not reporting their hits on players in the correct place.
    
40. Fix: Monster Super Orbiting Laser attacks was using the wrong impulse vector for knockback against the player.
    
41. Change: Tweaked the Swag Radar bitmap to give the distance holder more height.
    
42. Change: Made the Swag Radar Distance text font larger.
    
43. Change: Updated IDE to latest version of Visual Studio 2022.
    
44. Change: Updated to a new version of SDL2.
    

And that is EARLY ACCESS UPDATE 19. More to come in the future! ːhappychappyː

Whilst I port the game to a completely new engine build with such modern delights as Physical Based Rendering (PBR) and a fully fledged asset system, I also continue to update the current game build.

Porting requires me to methodically move and rebuild assets and functions - I could just bung the lot in, in one go, but then then would not get a better understanding of the new engine system. During this process I have hunted down numerous script issues, most of which are due to simple misnaming of local variables. Much of the time this is harmless, but some of the time it could lead to bigger problems. In the end, a whole lot of little bugs can merge into one of big, bad bug - like cheap plastic robot toys for 1980s cartoon made in Far Eastern sweatshops! ːnotsohappychappyː

So here, in order that I found them rather than importance, is the list of bugs squashed in the latest update:

1. Update to v.1.7.7.1
   
2. Fix: Spawned SWAG was calling a collision timeout on a NULL object rather than the player. This may well have been causing a crash for some people.
   
3. Fix: NULL object being called at the end of a level should have been the player's client connection ID. This may have prevented some Achievements for being accomplished.
   
4. Fix: Tsunami swag attack was not networking in online multiplayer co-op correctly, now it does.
   
5. Fix: Vector based raycast damage had an incorrect start point when testing.
   
6. Fix: Removed console spam when client first has camera set.
   
7. Fix: Player was not updating to first spawn position correctly.
   
8. Fix: Light animation has no starting phase.
   
9. Fix: Steam Stats for Traps Discovered was being passed from the client when not required.
   
10. Fix: Status of Achievement SADDLE BAGS was being passed to the client but not being read by the server.
    
11. Fix: Client naming alias was not being used for checking status of Achievement WALLOP.
    
12. Fix: Client naming alias was not being used for checking status of Achievement ONE SHOT WONDER.
    
13. Fix: Player object was not recording how much total damage they had taken in a level correctly.
    
14. Fix: Heal kills were not always updating correctly.
    
15. Fix: Achievement MONSTER MASH will now fire.
    
16. Fix: Achievement UNTOUCHABLE will now fire.
    
17. Fix: Achievement CHEQUERED FLAG will now fire.
    
18. Fix: Achievement SUCKER FOR PUNISHMENT will now fire.
    
19. Fix: Achievement SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK will now fire.
    
20. Fix: Dead monster cleanup was not always being scheduled correctly.
    
21. Fix: Monsters with a special death no longer attempt to spawn a non-existant decal.
    
22. Fix: Player was failing to check for noClip status when using specialEvade.
    
23. Fix: Player was not receiving full health regeneration bonus on maximum score multiplier during a Momento Mori when they became the God Of Death.
    
24. Fix: Noxious Gas special Defend was attempting to cleanup objects which did not exist.
    
25. Fix: Spurting jugulars were attempting to avoid colliding with a non-existant object. This reminds me of the old tabletop MERP game when a critical fail fumble led the adventurer to "trip over an unseen, imaginary, deceased turtle". ːhappychappyː
    
26. Fix: Player was not correctly storing the new damage bonus after leveling up.
    
27. Fix: Crash if level file does not exist and it looks for alternatives.
    
28. Fix: Safe Heal reset was missing which player to reset with.
    
29. Fix: Issue with resusitating players in online multiplayer co-op due to bad trigger naming.
    
30. Fix: False Flag special Attack was not passing the attacking player data to the victim.
    
31. Fix: False Flag special Attack was not passing the experience for damage of the victim to the appropriate player.
    
32. Fix: Monsters were not turning to stare at the False Flag special Attack victim when False Flag was first set, thus giving the player a brief moment to escape.
    
33. Fix: Napalm special Attack was not set to specifically affect Monsters only, could potentially harm other players in online multiplayer co-op.
    
34. Fix: Player was failing to check for noClip status when using special Defend Ghost Run.
    
35. Fix: Terror Tower special Use Item was giving monsters an incorrect vector to flee.
    
36. Fix: Homing Missiles were not being properly attributed to the correct client connection.
    
37. Fix: Bomblets from special Use Item Angel Cannon were not causing damage to Monsters.
    
38. Fix: Monsters were not getting correct angle for melee attacks.
    
39. Fix: Added missing terrain file for level 7.
    
40. Fix: Bad location for level 7 terrain file in mission file. When I update to the new game engine, the asset system will stop errors like this happening.
    
41. Fix: Added missing forest file for level 7.
    

Hopefully this will improve both gameplay and stability for those who have suffered crashes.

The next update is likely to be a beta release of the new engine build, and will probably come out later this month.

ːcorblimeyguvnorː

Early PBR Test: Heroic Cosplaying Catgirl T-Poses Over The Nettles To Assert Her Dominance!

693, is how many materials my models have which require converting from the previous game engine's diffuse/spec rendering system, to the new, improved and shiny PBR (Physcial Based Rendering) system for cool reflections and modern fanciness. ːhappychappyː

This has meant converting 693 diffuse textures to shadowless albedo images, and then creating Ambient Occlusion, Roughness and Metalness maps for each. Needless to say ... this has taken a while ... ːnotsohappychappyː

693 Matierals converted to PBR, though as a top-down shooter, these models LOD out quickly when looking horizontally across.

Porting to the new engine also has a fancy and modern asset system which preloads objects into memory via their instances rather than directory locations, which should help performance and stability.

Metallic and Roughness materials.

In the meantime, there has been another patch, fixing a few issues with directory/folder addresses (something the new asset system will make redundant), and I have also found some non-used audio files which can be deleted in clearup. This update does not have a new build number as no C++ was changed.

With a bit of luck, a beta release of the new game engine build will be made available next month (August 2023) before being rolled into the main branch of the game as the default once stability has been tested.

In the meantime, I am back to the code, wrapped in a blanket, huddled over a hot drink because it is
*checks notes*
British SummerTime ,,, ːcorblimeyguvnorː

Update to parallax values on all terrain textures (37) for levels 1 - 7. Values are now integers (whole numbers) rather than floats (decimalization).

Work on porting the game to a new engine with fancy PBR reflections and an asset system continues.