Axon TD: Uprising News

Even though the game isn't officially out yet, we'll be posting our internal patch notes here. Also, for anyone with an early demo, you'll be able to see changelogs finally.

General
- Quickplay now has 2 additional modes. These do not affect your score.
-- Random Mode allows you to go into a level with a randomized loadout.
-- Rush Mode is not yet implemented.
-- God Mode starts you with 10000 Credits and 5000 Power.
- Quickplay now starts the game with 1 Sell.
- Survival now starts the game with 2 Sells.
- The game now remembers between sessions whether you left the Damage Graph On or Off.
- The game will now remember which submenu in Quickplay you were on when coming back to it.
- Bosses are now highlighted on the field.
- Replicant(Replicator spawn) now has a Model!

- A couple of new Perks have been added:
-- Axons take 1 damage for every 10 tiles it travels.
-- Gain 5 credits for every 20 length of the path at the end of a wave.
-- Gain 1 power for every 20 length of the path at the end of a wave.
-- Gain 1 free reroll every 2 waves.

VFX
- Added a visual for Axons under the effect of Damage Amplification.
- Damage numbers on Axons under the effect of Damage Amplification now appear red.
- There is now a temporary visual for Breaking Armor.

- Temporal Mine VFX added.
- EMP Mine VFX added.
- Flame Vent now has a continuous visual.
- Inertia Blaster projectile has been updated.
- Mass Driver Charge-up VFX has been updated.
- World Engine now has a charge-up visual.
- Network visuals have been updated.
- Radiation Vent visuals have been updated.
- Gravity Driver visuals have been updated.
- Plasmathrower visuals have been updated.
- Gravity Field now has a debuff visual.
- Seeker Drone is now yellow.

SFX
- Gatling EMP now has audio(unsure if implemented in build).
- Flame Vent now has audio(unsure if implemented in build).

Balance
Axons
- Replicator now spawns Replicants every 6 seconds, down from 7.5.
- Protector shields no longer stack their damage mitigation.

Towers, Mines & Traps
- Missile Launcher U2 no longer has a stun cooldown.

- Network damage gain per second reduced from 2 to 1.5.

- Gravity Trap U1 now stuns closer to the center of the trap.

- Plasma Mine has been reworked into EMP Mine!
-- Now applies an EMP in 3 AoE for 4 seconds when triggered. Only triggers on Axons with abilities.
-- Costs 50 Credits.
-- U1 increases the number of charges.
-- U2 Only triggers on Armored Axons. Breaks Armor in addition to its normal effect. Increases AoE to 3.
-- U3 Deals 10% of the Axons Max HP as damage when triggered.

- Orbital Cannon:
-- Damage increased from 20 to 24.
-- U1 Damage remains at 20.
-- U2 Damage increased from 27 to 30.

Perks
- End of Wave Sells Perk now gives 1 Sell every 2 waves, as opposed to a Sell every wave.
- Extend the Path to gain Credits Perk now gives 30 Credits, up from 18.

Smart Targeting;
- Sniper:
-- Base tower & U2 now prioritizes Armor by default.

- Seeker Drone:
-- Now ignores Armored Axons by default.
-- U1 ignores Armor unless the Axon is below 50% HP.
-- U2 will prioritize Armor lower.
-- U3 prioritizes Armor.

Maps
- Relic wave 12 nerfed a little bit.
- The area around the first checkpoint on Quarantine Zone has been adjusted slightly.

Bug Fixes
- Fixed Network tower not dealing damage while Axons were stunned.
- Fixed a typo in the Sniper U2 tooltip.
- Fixed Stasis Wave being removed by Debuff Cleanser.
- Fixed Inertia Blaster damage cap not accounting for the base damage.
- Fixed Network U1 being able to surpass its damage cap.
- Fixed an issue where the Mines gain one extra charge Perk didn't apply a cooldown to the last charge, and also didn't display the charges correctly on the wave it was picked up.
- Fixed an issue where the No Adjacent Towers damage bonus didn't apply to the current damage, but rather the base damage.
- Fixed being able to load a checkpoint to re-roll which Overloads you were given in the End of Wave rewards in Survival.
- Fixed an issue where the Boss in Survival would respawn after loading a checkpoint.
- Fixed an issue where the corpse of the Boss in Survival would come back to haunt you after loading a checkpoint.
- Fixed an issue with the animation of the Boss in Survival on wave 30.
- Fixed an issue where Axons would jump over the Boss in Survival.

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Note, balance updates will be less frequent from here on out. Maybe once every 2-3 weeks, as opposed to constant small updates.

Two weeks ago, we announced Axon TD: Uprising, a Mazing Tower Defense that lets you directly manipulate the map, and the response so far has been positive! Many of you have been asking when you'll be able to play it. Below, we'll be addressing Demos, our Dev Streams, and our Update Schedule going forward. Read on for more info!

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[h2]Private Demo[/h2]
Recently, you may have noticed certain folks already playing the game. Thanks to cooperative efforts with PR company Future Friends, numerous influencers as well as longtime supporters of us have received a Private Demo. Visuals and audio are incomplete, and it's got its fair share of bugs still, but otherwise, it's playable.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]This gameplay preview comes from Retromation!

Just to clarify, outside of the above listed groups, we are not going to be handing out early keys. However, we do have a Public Demo coming up in June...

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[h2]Public Demo[/h2]
From June 19th-26th, Steam Next Fest will be going on, and we'll be a part of that with a Public Demo! Its content will be severely limited, but otherwise it'll be playable! We'll reveal the exact details of the demo as we get nearer.

In the meantime, if you want to keep up with updates for Axon TD...

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[h2]Developer Streams[/h2]
Every 2 weeks, we'll be hosting a Developer Stream. During this, we'll be showing off gameplay, updates since last time, and you can ask us questions as we go. This will be on our Element Studios YouTube Channel.

Our next Dev Stream will be hosted on Saturday, April 15th at 11am PDT / 2pm EST / 8pm CET. Going forward, this'll be the time/day of the week we run it, every 2 weeks.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]We'll be showing off the Survival Mode. Come join us!

If you want to check out our first Dev Stream, fear not, the VOD survives! Click here to check it out.


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[h2]Regular Updates[/h2]
Throughout the course of Axon TD, from now to Early Access and beyond, we intend on providing you with a mix of updates.

Monthly Updates will focus on showcasing larger pieces of our game, from the Survival & Co-op Modes to our individual Towers. Expect the next one in early May.

Weekly Updates will be usually be something cool we accomplished that week, shared on our Discord and our various socials.

Hop on in to keep up with the updates!

"It was supposed to be a simple mission. Get in, defend the colony, and get paid. Instead, I found myself trapped on the planet, caught in a war between mankind and a robot uprising. In the end, I'm not sure who I should be fighting for..."



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
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[h3]What is Axon TD?[/h3]
Axon TD is a mazing-centric tower defense where you manipulate the map layout to your advantage. Build towers, make the longest maze, and survive against an onslaught of enemies!

In the Campaign, you'll play as a defense contractor on a routine mission. But when you arrive, your ship is shot down, and you're attacked by a robotic force called the Axons. Your only way off the planet now is to fight. Build towers, secure each location, and push back against the Axons! And perhaps, find out the truth behind the war...

Be free of your restrictions and maze how you please!


[h3]Ways to Play[/h3]
Outside of the Campaign, there's three major modes:

• Quick Play: Pick a level, choose your Tower Loadout, and try to beat it!
  
• Survival Mode: A longform mode that has you start with minimal towers and space, but throughout the course of the game, you'll receive randomized expansions that you can place where you please, and slowly grow your loadout. Just beating all the waves is a challenge in of itself.
  
• Online Co-op: These are larger levels designed for 2, 3, or 4 players. Each of you chooses your Tower Loadout before the game begins, and then you're free to build where you please. Coordinate with your team, transfer resources, and try to clear each level!
  

All three of these modes support Global Leaderboards.


[h3]When will it release?[/h3]
Axon TD will release in Early Access in Q3. By then, it will contain the following:

• 32 Towers, Traps, and Mines
  
• 8 Castable Abilities
  
• Chapters 1 & 2 of the Campaign
  
• Numerous Quick Play Levels
  
• Survival Mode
  
• Co-op with up to 4 Players
  
• Leaderboards for Quick Play, Survival, and Co-op
  
• And an actual Tutorial
  

[h3]How does this game differ from Element TD 2?[/h3]
The speed, scale, and style of the game is very different, even from Element TD 2's Mazing Mode. You choose your Towers at the start of the game. You've got unlimited time between each waves. You have a limit to how much you can sell, making each placement really matter. And you can directly manipulate the map to add pathways that didn't exist before.

On some levels, you can even change where the "end" is.


[h3]Will there be Workshop Support?[/h3]
Hypothetically, this would include the ability to create custom maps for Quick Play and Co-op. We don't know when it'll happen, but we're making Workshop Support a top priority for this game.

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[h2]Wishlist Axon TD[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2296550/Axon_TD_Uprising__Tower_Defense/
Arriving in Q3 2023.

[h2]Join our Discord Server[/h2]
We'll be providing smaller weekly updates on here. Hop on in!