Damned 2 News

Hi everyone!

These last weeks have been really busy for us. Developing a game while seeking opportunities and partnerships to keep pushing the quality and spread the word about the game is no easy task. Lots of online meetings and business discussions going on behind the scenes. I hope to have good news to share soon.

This update highlights are:

• Improved sanity system.
  
• New sanity effects.
  
• New possessable objects.
  
• UI improvements.
  
• Lots of balances and fixes.
  

Regarding the audio balance and new effects, we had a problem preventing the audio team to work on the game, they were unable to access the game project for a few weeks. This problem is now solved and we should be working on it this week or the next one.

From now on, we'll start working on :

• New map
  
• New monster
  
• New puzzles and traps
  

What kind of map you would like to play on? Does a prison sounds interesting? Let's have a discussion going!

And now, the changelog:

Gameplay

• Added new 6 new Sඞnity effects for survivors, in a total of 9 effects.
  
• Survivors now lose more Sanity when alone.
  
• Sanity effects won't only happen over time after a threshold of Sanity, they can now trigger after an action.
  
• Sanity effects now ends when sanity is restored past its threshold.
  
• Remade heart sanity effect.
  
• Improved toilet lid opening.
  
• Changed vision system for monsters and survivors, now players don't highlight items through the glass.
  
• The valve socket is now highlighted in red when the survivor doesn't have the Valve to install.
  
• Improved small box lid position.
  
• Double doors only need to be unlocked once.
  

Balance

• Increased Prey Track cooldown from 45 to 65 seconds.
  
• Re-balanced Sanity Effects threshold and time.
  
• Increased base Sanity lost over time by 20%.
  
• Increased minimum trigger radius from Object Possession from 100 to 150.
  
• Improved the AI prediction of the survivor movement. Survivors can't hide behind the corner and expect the monster not to find them.
  
• Reduced the AI precision of a noise location made by a survivor.
  
• Improved the AI transformation location.
  

Map

• Added 4 new traps through the map.
  
• Removed some traps to balance the number of traps.
  
• Removed the majority of pumpkins.
  
• Added new decorations through the map.
  
• Moved one of the Pressured Puzzles in the Stockroom to another wall.
  
• Improved Main Menu and Lobby background map.
  

Visuals

• Added new doors with windows as the main door of the hotel.
  
• Added a small help text to the Valve Socket.
  
• Decreased the camera effect when triggering a Possessed Object.
  

Performance

• Improved Doors, Drawers, and Lid culling.
  
• Improved the LOD's of various objects.
  
• Textures optimisation.
  

Interface

• Improved TAB, Items, Stamina, Sanity, and Monster's Energy visuals.
  
• Improved List of players in the TAB interface, decreased size, and changed position.
  
• Improved Skill interface, decreased text length, and added more details.
  
• Revised all tutorial texts.
  
• Moved the Game Options list from the tab screen to the Options (ESC).
  
• Changed the message when pointing to pressure puzzle from "Require revolving tool" to "Requires a Valve".
  

Sound

• Improved overall basic sound effects occlusion.
  

Fixes

• Fixed a wall inside the elevator without collision.
  
• Fixed the TAB menu not closing when the final screen is open.
  
• Fixed total game time not showing the correct time for games that last more than one hour.
  
• Fixed various door collisions being too thin.
  
• Fixed the safe's door becoming invisible to the survivors.
  
• Fixed Passwords not being shared with the Shared Inventory option.
  
• Fixed possible error with the last door lights.
  
• Fixed multiple feedback text displayed at the same time overlapping each other.
  
• Fixed tutorial not closing when the final screen is open.
  
• Possible fix syncing doors position when a player reconnect to the game.
  
• Fixed survivor playing monster music while not in monster's vision.
  
• Fixed VOIP use feedback not updating for other players inside the game.
  
• Fixed some floating objects.
  
• Fixed Object Possession skill icon showing at the start of the match for the monster before other skills.
  
• Fixed the last door Exit Sign not changing the color to green when its unlocked.
  
• Fixed the metal door in the Stockroom not opening correctly.
  
• Fixed the AI not being able to open doors sometimes.
  
• Fixed the doors not blocking the AI path correctly when the doors are slightly opened.
  
• Fixed for keys not animating correctly for non-server players.
  
• Fixed AI transforming inside closed rooms near the Survivor.
  

Stay safe and happy gaming!

Hi Everyone!
Today I bring you a new patch note. This patch focuses on fixing bugs, improving new door/drawer mechanics, VOIP, usability, networking and game balance. This patch took longer than usual due to the complexity of the door and drawer mechanics that now involve physics.

Highlights:

• Now the monster can listen to survivors for a brief period of time when they fall into traps. You can hear your friend getting scared, or cursing you =]
  
• 
  
• We have added new containers and safes for you to search for items, the safes can contain all kinds of items, including keys, but you will have to find the password hidden on the map.
  
• 
  
• Various balance adjustments to make the monster have more interaction with survivors, more hunts and more scares.
  
• 
  
• We have added several usability options, such as color blind options and brightness adjustment.
  

A few weeks ago I announced to you that we are working on improvements to the game's audio and sound effects, unfortunately we didn't have time to include these audios before the end of the year, so it will be for the next patch, but we have already approved the material sent by our audio partners and we're excited to see your reaction.

This will be the last patch for this year, but I would like to announce that we are closing partnerships that will take Damned 2 to a new level in 2024 if everything goes well. I can't wait to tell you!

We will also be removing the DEMO version of Damned 2, so new players will need to sign up for our Steam Playtest starting early next year.
So if you have friends who want to join the game before the Playtest, ask them to join our discord and send me a PM.

And now with you, the patch notes:

Gameplay

• Added Safes. Safes work as rooms and are open by a Password found inside the previous room and inserting the 3 numbers. They are meant to be simple to open not a puzzle.
  
• Added multiple positions for the Red Safe and the Yellow Safe in 2 different rooms.
  
• Added feedback for when the survivor unlocks the last room to get the last 2 valves.
  
• Added feedback for when the monster can talk while invisible. The microphone feedback goes from "Silenced" to "Haunting" and changes colors.
  
• Monster can hear and speak in the voice chat with the survivors that trigger Objects Possessed and Fool's Trap for a few seconds.
  
• Fool's Trap's offscreen interface (the one with a hand holding a knife) at the Fool's Trap location.
  
• Voip automatically activates when the game starts if activated in the Lobby and when a survivor becomes a Ghost.
  

Balance

• Decreased the number of times to solve the Pressure Puzzle from 3 to 2.
  
• Increased the default number of survivors' hearts from 2 to 3.
  
• Increased Lurker's passive energy gain by 30%.
  
• Monster can now see the Prey Trඞck steps through the wall.
  
• Increased Prey Track cooldown from 40 to 45.
  
• Lurker AI now has a high variance of actions, it will not be as predictable as before.
  
• Lurker AI at Damnation difficulty is slightly easier.
  
• Increased Fool's Trap's offscreen interface time from 0.5 to 3 seconds.
  

Map

• Added chandeliers to the Dining Room, Corridors, and Party Room.
  
• Added a new light switch to the Dining Room for the chandeliers.
  
• The toilet lid now opens more to make it easy to stay open.
  
• Added 3 small boxes with a lid that can spawn items inside through the map.
  
• Added more objects to the Lobby.
  
• Removed some blocked item spawns from the Lobby.
  

Interface

• Added Gamma correction option in the Video Setting.
  
• Added Color Blind Correction in the Video Setting.
  
• Added Microphone Device selection in the Sound Setting.
  
• Added Default button in the Game Options for the Server.
  
• Added Game Options to all players in the Lobby, but only the host can edit it.
  
• Game Options will set the number of survivors' hearts to 3 in the first load.
  
• The player can see if other players have the Voip turned on in the Lobby and in-game.
  
• Changed "Last Door Unlocked" to "Escape Room Unlocked"
  
• Changed the name of the escape room from "Escape Room T2" to "Escape Room".
  
• Changed voice chat display at the Lobby.
  
• Changed "You are being seen" to "You are being seen and heard"
  
• Increased the spacing between screen messages from 12 to 16.
  
• Added at the offscreen interface feedback for the monster to turn on voice chat and haunt the survivors.
  
• Improved the offscreen interface animation.
  
• Increased the size of the item selection in the Fuse Box.
  

Visuals

• Changed Prey Track step effect.
  

Fixes

• Fixed AI hunting after the game has ended.
  
• Possible fix for screen text wrong spacing.
  
• Fixed tutorial not blocking the TAB button and not closing the TAB interface when open.
  
• Partial fix for the possibility of characters not colliding with the door.
  
• Fixed character not pointing to doors while interacting with it after stopping pointing at it.
  
• Fixed door handling sound not playing for the monster while hunting.
  
• Fixed doors disappearing for the Ghosts when unlocked.
  
• Partial fix for the doors' positions when a player reconnects.
  
• Fixed metal puzzle doors not updating the material when a player reconnect.
  
• Fixed chat not sending messages correctly.
  
• Fixed doors at reconnect and other problems.
  
• Fixed start random positions for drawers causing visual issues.
  
• Remade item spawn system to fix all past issues.
  
• Fixed possible infinity loop with doors.
  
• Fixed major issues with key and fuse spawn.
  
• Fixed some objects positions.
  
• Fixed various VOIP issues.
  
• Fixed double door having 2 locks.
  

This will be our last patch for this year. But I would like to deeply thanks everyone of you who helped us testing the game and giving suggestions.
We lots of plans for the next year (more in the patch notes) and we can't wait to share with you.

Happy holidays and happy new year!

Hi Everyone!!

We will soon be moving our test and demo version to Steam Playtest.

What is Steam Playtesting? Well, it's basically an official Steam tool for testing games, not much will change except that we will be able to focus all players on one build, so it will no longer be necessary to divide the community into Demo or Test build. It will be easier for us to get feedback and easier for you to find games to play.

How do you participate in the playtest? It's easy, just click the Request Access button on the game's Steam page. After requesting access, you will be placed in a queue to participate in the Playtest. Access will be granted in waves, but in the first wave we will allow everyone in queue to participate.

Hello everyone,

Patch 0.01.1477 is now live. Today's update includes a new playable survivor, Hudson.
We've also made several AI fixes, balance improvements, and general bug fixes.

We will soon announce the Playtest version of Damned 2 here on Steam, this will make it easier to focus our community on just one build of the game, and will also make it easier to collect feedback from all players.

Survivors

• Added new Survivor, Hudson.
  
• Updated all survivors' textures and materials.
  
• Tweaked some animations.
  
• Survivors now have a more relaxed animation during the pre-match lobby.
  

Interface

• Items picked by survivors show for other survivors and ghosts in the tab interface. It scrolls to the side if too many items are in the inventory. With shared inventory, items shared only show in the inventory.
  
• Added a new button to add/remove monster AI.
  
• Added AI card when monster AI is enabled.
  
• Added new icon to all survivors.
  
• Monster AI now gets disabled when the lobby is full.
  
• The player card now updates the voice chat button when changed in the settings.
  
• The player card now shows the button icon to use the voice chat.
  
• Removed the duplicated Monster AI option from the Game Options window.
  
• Improved inventory items size and position.
  
• The chat anti-flood system now reset after some time.
  
• Added game version number for feedback control.
  
• Password interface now auto-focus.
  
• Added feedback for joining a game with a password.
  

Balance

• Increased Ghost's walk speed from 250 to 302.
  
• Increased Ghost's sprint time from 3 to 7.
  
• Decreased Ghost's sprint speed from 250 to 200.
  

Gameplay

• Increased the number of guarantee valves in the last opened room from 1 to 2.
  
• Fool's Trap destroys sound effects now play when it is destroyed, not at the end of the final effect.
  
• Fool's Trap end effect now changes the destroy effect to orange.
  
• Added visual effect for the monster to see the Fool's Trap area.
  

Visuals

• Decreased the size of the particle effect for random preview in the lobby.
  
• Improved the visibility of the monster preview particle in the lobby.
  
• Improved the visibility of the Pressure Puzzle's symbols
  

Map

• Decreased number of spawn in the Pantry and Dining Room.
  
• Changed various shelves to make it clear that they should not be searched.
  
• Small changes at the Game Room.
  
• Added more details in the Closet, Stockroom and Corridors.
  
• Removed drawers spawn points from the wooden cabinet when it have no drawers.
  

Fixes

• Partial fix for the mute button in the Lobby.
  
• Fixed end game screen button visual problem.
  
• Fixed monster AI not hunting after the first hunting.
  
• Fixed camera shake option not turning off monster movement camera shake.
  
• Fixed monster able to see puzzle door's light.
  
• Possible fix for items not spawning.
  
• Fixed End game interface button cutting at the bottom.
  
• Possible fix for characters bumping into invisible collisions.
  
• Fixed AI preview not showing in the lobby when already selected.
  
• Optimized objects executing an extra heavy code at the start of the game.
  
• Possible fix for items not spawning.
  
• Fixed Pressure decoder collision.
  
• Fixed metal cabinet collision.
  
• Fixed path being created on top of tables in the Party Hall for the AI.
  
• Fixed multiple path issues for the AI in the Waiting Room and Party Hall.
  
• Fixed AI getting stuck in small doors.
  
• Fixed monster AI showing hit effect for the server.
  
• Fixed shared inventory interaction with puzzles.
  
• Fixed delay after inserting a Valve to the Pressure Puzzle.
  
• Fixed the possibility of items spawning behind some drawers. 💀
  
• Fixed some objects draw distance.
  
• Fixed the same unlock message appearing multiple times in the chat.
  

Meet Hudson

Hi everyone!

This past week we have been working on the AI for monster. Its stable enough so we are updating the the DEMO version to be able to use the AI.

Note that the AI is still under development, and bugs are expected.
If you find any bug related to the AI or the game in general, please report it at our discord channel.

Hope you have a nice week and an amazing Halloween.

All the best,
9heads Games