Whisker Squadron: Survivor News

0.69.1 Released.

Hey all, we've been very busy since the Campaign Mode launch! We've been reading all of your feedback and thinking about next steps for the game. To get things started, here are some quality-of-life updates for you.

[h2]CHANGES/IMPROVEMENTS: [/h2]
Increased Multi Missile damage from 18 to 25 and increased damage per upgrade.
Increased Crater Missile damage from 10 to 20 and increased damage per upgrade.
Increased Precision Missile damage from 60 to 80.
Lowered missile drop rate on some enemies slightly.
Tight Boosts now have a bit of "auto aim" to make them a bit easier.
Laser turrets and other projectile enemies will no longer fire at you from extreme angles/offscreen.
Reduced number of enhanced enemies slightly.
Made some balancing changes within challenges regarding win conditions, time limits, and mods provided.
Drone Snipers now stop charging whenever they lose line of sight.
Added some "Tight Boost" areas to final boss fight.
Improved some character dialog.

[h2]BUG FIXES:[/h2]
Fixed some bugs where music would stop playing or repeat the incorrect tracks.
Fixed some rare lockup bugs and "soft locks" where levels didn't end
Fixed "soft lock" where text got stuck on the screen and other problems ensued.
Fixed issue where roll deflector would miss projectiles after a long chain of deflections.
Made Roll Deflector and Spin Block "extension time" more consistent.

[h2]ROADMAP[/h2]
Thanks for all of your amazing feedback since our Campaign Mode launch!
Our creative director Aaron wrote up a roadmap post on the forums detailing what's coming next for the game and sharing some thoughts on on the Campaign Mode update went. We'd love your feedback!

And as always, we'd love your feedback on the public beta branch if you'd like to get the earliest peek at what's in the pipeline for the next update.

Thanks!
-The Flippfly team.

Star Fox like shooter Whisker Squadron: Survivor just added a campaign mode to blast through

Taking Star Fox and putting the survivor-like spin on it with lots of upgrades and repeat runs, Whisker Squadron: Survivor has levelled up with a new campaign mode that's really worth a go.

Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2024/06/star-fox-like-shooter-whisker-squadron-survivor-just-added-a-campaign-mode-to-blast-through

0.68.7 Released.

Introducing Campaign Mode!

This major update brings a three act campaign that features new characters, deeper narrative about the world of Whisker Squadron, new enemies, and new and improved mechanics!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Check out the full patch notes below!

[h2]NEW FEATURES/CONTENT: [/h2]

Campaign mode! We have redesigned the overall experience of the game to include a campaign that includes a map with a choice of paths. Rather than choosing your level at the start, a campaign has a map that includes a random selection of worlds along your journey.
Every campaign will include a variety of environments, and increasingly difficult combat encounters culminating in a boss fight at the end of each of the 3 acts.
This redesign includes major new features including:
- 2 shops with new characters you can visit for upgrades.
- The beginnings of a new and deeper narrative.
- Three acts, with a miniboss fight at the end of each.
New enemies: Plasma Pursuer, Pulse Wave Caster, Missile Tank, Phaser, Bombardier, Gatling Defender, Laser Pinwheel, Dart, Disco Ball, Spikehead Stunner.
New "Wave based" spawning system for enemies. Makes speed runs possible and reduces "dead zones" in combat.
There is now a default "spin block" on the A/D (or shoulder buttons). This replaces the old tilt function.
Spinning while turning will give you a little boost in your turn direction. As a treat.
Added support for 3 save slots.
Ross and Max are now unlocked as part of the story.
There's now a countdown meter underneath the combo indicator.
Shortened intro animation for every Action Zone except the first in each act.
New intro cutscene.

[h2]CHANGES/IMPROVEMENTS: [/h2]

Gatling gun energy per shot reduced a bit.
Combos now unlock on run 3 with a standalone tutorial.
Redesigned UI for hangar.
Camera is a bit higher relative to ship so it's easier to see targets in front of ship.
Laser Cannon, Multi-Missile launcher, and Crater Bomb upgrades have increased damage.
Lots of enemy/combat tuning and improvements:
- Enemies have new artwork and give more VP in later acts.
- Enemy homing missiles now have a chance to drop a missile pickup when destroyed.
- Improved enemy outlines and enhanced enemy visibility.
- Enemies and enemy attacks are more visible and are a bit more difficult.
- "Enhanced" enemies will appear with a special material, with more health.
Pierced Shot Healing will only appear if you have a weapon with piercing.
Combo Shooter now increases firing rate for 10 seconds at level 1 and activates at combo level 20.
Mods, Challenges, Perks, and Combos unlock after meeting certain conditions.
Removed Combo tutorial from first run.
Sky Crawler shoots homing missiles.
Increased turn rate on ship a bit.
Ross's trait is now "Scrap is worth 15% more".
A.R.E.S. Testing Facility (Formerly Neonfall) is wider/taller.
Larva Bombs will now stun the player when they explode.
Redesigned main menu.
Black holes, fog, and meteors are now environmental effects that appear on specific nodes on the map.
Redesigned some Cursed Choices.
Reduced Burst Blaster initial damage from 3 to 2 per pellet.
Adjusted achievements to be unlockable with new campaign mode.
Lasers and head on collisions cause more damage.
Game will warn you if you attempt to exit mid-run.
Swarm homing missiles are no longer considered enemies.

[h2]BUG FIXES: [/h2]

Fixed issues with music during boss fights.
Ghost Gambit now doesn't hide projectiles.
Volume sliders have more correct values now.
Tight Boost Energy now completely refills energy meter.

[h2]KNOWN ISSUES: [/h2]

Re-rolls are currently disabled. They'll come back in a future update!

[h3]SPECIAL THANKS[/h3]
Thank you to all of our wonderful playtesters and Beta testers on Discord! We'd like to give special acknowledgement to Javier, Isabelle, Russell, Logan, Kayla, Austin, and Kyle; Josh Simons, ERmilburn02 (Eliza M), and Zcienxe, Maple, Aurakid, NalathniDragon, Lone, Wolf Of OwO Street, Whitney, and Master of the Lagness; as well as John Tearpock, LmjFTW, pvbw, TesseractE, Meridius_IX/Lucas, stradius, Alex, SaltedHoney, Acey, Syncros, Teigue, Zcienxe, Andrea S., and Edda. We have a great community, and we thank you for providing valuable feedback and support during the development of this build!

LIVE! Watch Streamers Play Whisker Squadron: Survivor's New Campaign Mode!

Check out the new release, and engage with streamers who will play the game all day! This new release features a three act campaign that follows Olivia, a woman whose house was destroyed by an AI-powered robot, and her quest for revenge.

Announcement: Campaign Mode Incoming June 19th.

Today we’re excited to announce the introduction of a new “Campaign mode” for Whisker Squadron: Survivor, launching on June 19th.

This is the most significant update to the game so far, and touches basically every aspect of the game’s design. I’m going to give an overview of what’s changed and why, and talk a bit about what’s next.

[h2]Campaign Mode Overview[/h2]
Ever since the game’s launch in Early Access last August, there’s been one throughline in the feedback we’ve seen: You all like what’s here, but want *more*. More variety in the environments, more choices, more enemies.

So first and foremost, we’re combining the existing level content into one unified campaign. This campaign spans (currently) 3 acts, each consisting of a generated map like the one below:

This map contains “Action Zones” as well as upgrade shops, story moments, and “cursed choices”. Each act ends with an epic miniboss fight.

Act 1 takes place in Nexus Station. Act 2 is the area formerly called Neonfall (more on that later!), and Act 3 is in Translink City.

Additionally, each of these areas has a *lot* more variety within it.

[h2]The Game Has A Story Now![/h2]

We’ve been busy writing the underpinnings of a story for the Whisker Squadron universe, and it’s finally represented in the game with this update. You’ll learn about the origin story for Whisker Squadron, Olivia, and the other characters.

This is still an action game at heart, but this update will give some context to why you’re fighting these bugs, and the corporation (A.R.E.S) that created them.

[h2]Other Major Features and Changes[/h2]

We’ve made a myriad of other gameplay changes both large and small with this update - here’s an overview of the biggest ones:

[h3]Cursed Choices[/h3]

Cursed choices were previously a “mandatory” feature that happened when you leveled up 10 times. We heard your feedback on this design loud and clear! In this update, Cursed Choices are an optional node on the map. Additionally we’re in the process of redesigning these to feel more rewarding. These should feel like an interesting “push your luck” choice, and not a punishment.

[h3]New Enemies[/h3]

We’ve nearly doubled the number of enemies in the game with this update. Each act features its own unique enemies, adding a lot of new gameplay variety that will take you awhile to master!

[h3]Blocking As A Default Mechanic[/h3]

In the current version of the game, it’s possible to tilt your ship (which makes you turn a bit faster), and a double-tap of the tilt button actives a spin, which by default does nothing.

With this update, we’ve replaced the ability to tilt your ship with a built in spin-block, which activates with a single click. This might take a bit of getting used to, but it’s allowed us to design a much more interesting and varied set of enemy mechanics, and we feel makes the game’s controls more accessible and intuitive.

[h3]Other Changes[/h3]
We've also redesigned the main menu and hangar screens to help support this campaign change, and made a myriad of other quality of life changes, which we'll list in full on the June 19th release.

[h3]We need Beta Testers![/h3]
Want to get an early peek at this update? Jump in the public beta branch, and then join the Discord or use the in-game feedback form to let us know what you think!