Axon TD: Uprising News

In a couple weeks, Version 0.5 will be releasing with several major pieces of content:

• Campaign Chapter 4
  
• New Survival Map
  
• Map Editor & Workshop
  

Today, we're showcasing that last one. Our Designer, Johan 'Taencred' Svensson, walks you through the basics. Check it out below:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
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Version 0.5 will be releasing on Friday, May 10th!

But you don't need to wait to try it out. We have a Public Alpha Branch, which contains the Map Editor. To access it:

• Right-click Axon TD: Uprising in your game library
  
• Select Properties
  
• Select Betas
  
• From the Beta Participation dropdown menu, select "alpha - Public testing"
  

Try it out and give us your feedback on our Steam Forums or our Discord!

There is now a public alpha branch where you can try upcoming changes early!

Currently 0.5 is under testing and there are a lot of things that have changed. For instance, everyone will be glad to hear that shields have been nerfed.

There is also a new survival map to try.

But the biggest news is...the map editor can be found in the alpha!

Let us know your feedback on the Discord server.

Next weekend we will have a proper preview of the map editor but in the meantime enjoy playing around with the map editor.

Unlike April Fool's Version 0.4.666, the following fixes are actually real.

[h2]Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a rare bug that would cause Recycle to think a node is invalid.
  
• Fixed EMP Gatling U3 damage amp not working at all.
  
• Fixed another case of the game freezing when hovering over "Waves until next Expand".
  
• Also fixed the "Waves until next Expand" value being inaccurate.
  
• Fixed a visual error where Missile Launcher's missiles were perpendicular to the trail.
  • Ironically, we only noticed this bug when cranking up its attack rate for the 0.4.666 Hotfix. It served a purpose afterall.
    

An alternate dialed-down cut of 0.4.666's World Engine. Sadly, this is a little too powerful to make it into the actual game.

Guess what! Version 0.4 had so many bugs, we found even more wrong with the game. So this hotfix here should address the remainder of the problems. We also adjusted balance just slightly. Read on below for the full notes.

Missile Launcher wasn't firing enough missiles, so we fixed that.

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[h2]General[/h2]

• Due to lack of use, the Builder has been removed from the game.
  
• Every time a Defense kills an Axon, confetti explodes from it. Time to celebrate!
  
• Placing an Add will require you solve a quick math problem in limited time. Failure to answer in time or getting it wrong will result in Subtracting a random tile in your maze.
  
• Revolutionary Discord Integration added. Every single message from the Element Studios server will now appear in the middle of the screen, in every mode. If the server is unable to reach your account because you're offline, your account will receive a VAC ban.
  
• In Co-op, you can no longer send resources to each other. In this feature's place, you have the ability to send Axons to your partners.
  
• In the Campaign, OMEGA has been updated to be a washing machine stuck in the spin circle for all eternity.
  
• Western Mode from Element TD 2 has been added. There is no option to turn it off.
  

Pulseray now perma-stuns Axons. Finally, this tower is useful!

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[h2]Axons[/h2]

New Axon: Adaptive

• Becomes resistant to your highest damaging Element Damage Type from the previous wave.
  

Advanced Repairer

• On death, repairs the platform itself to its original state, restoring all Recycled Tiles. These are truly advanced tactics!
  

Avenger Squadron

• These are far too expensive to hire and have thus been replaced with bootleg versions: Adventure Squadrons.
  

Berserker

• Each time a fellow Berserker on the field dies, it rages and attacks your Defenses.
  

Booster

• No longer speeds itself up. Attaches to your Defenses, speeding them up by a factor of 10. Any Defense that refuses to move will have its legs ripped from the platform in dramatic slow motion.
  

Carry

• Renamed from Carrier to Carry.
  
• If supported properly, it will lead accrue enough gold to max out its items and lead the Axons to victory.
  

Cleaner

• Renamed from Purger to Cleaner.
  
• Now cleans up all the messes your Defenses and the other Axons made. Great for the environment!
  

Cloaker

• Has been updated to wear an actual cloak. Now it looks 200% cooler!
  

Colossus

• Has a shadow that can be considered climbable. Do you have the skills?
  

Disruptor

• Disrupts your game's input by adding real-time lag from around the world. Experience up to twelve-hour long delays per action, and really feel like you're traveling the world, one delay at a time!
  

Engarde!

• Renamed from Vanguard to Engarde!
  
• Periodically surrounding Defenses to a duel. If it is not destroyed by the end of the duration, it shouts "Engarde!" and stabs the challenged Defenses with a fencing blade, permanently disabling them.
  

Hoverjet

• Now jetpacks over your entire maze to the end. There will be no stopping them.
  

Infector

• Its ability to shut down nearby Defenses has been adjusted to be contagious.
  

Juggernaut

• Now quotes its iconic line when it spawns and when it dies.
  

Lifter

• Now races to the finish against other Axons. Winners proceed to the next race. Losers are yeeted into space.
  

Linked Squadron

• They are now joined at the hip. As a courtesy, please congratulate them before you destroy them.
  

Mass Cloaker

• Goes out of its way to equip all other Axons in range with cloaks, making them 200% cooler. What a nice bot!
  

Mass Teleporter

• See the presentation below.
  

Overcharge Tank

• Now has an actual cannon. Periodically shoots your Defenses with overcharged projectiles, knocking them back by several tiles.
  

Overprotector

• Renamed from Protector to Overprotector.
  
• Gets overprotective about its fellow Axons. Any attempt to intrude further on this will be met with tirades of justice.
  

Regenerator

• No longer has an HP cap. Now regenerates 5% of its Current Max HP per second.
  

Repairer

• Now helps repair your Defenses. Consider keeping one as a pet.
  

Replicator

• Has been upgraded to be capable of manufacturing Tea, Earl Grey, Hot.
  

Replican't

• Renamed from Replicant to Replican't.
  
• It just can't do it anymore, man. It's too much for the poor bot.
  

Rogue Squadron

• Renamed from Squadron to Rogue Squadron.
  
• Does exactly what you think it does. It goes rogue, and it doesn't come back, not even for a modern remaster.
  

Scarab Lord

• No longer has a limit to how many times it can split. Should it eventually shrink small enough to split the atom, it will trigger an atomic detonation.
  

Scout

• Has been given a shotgun, a baseball bat, and can double jump.
  

Sentinel

• No longer takes damage from any source. Not even insults.
  

Spectre

• Now haunts your Defenses after dying by inflicting a permanent Guilt Trip debuff. Defenses that shut down as a result of this should seek therapy.
  

Speedy Supply Tank

• First!
  

Supply Tank

• Now supplies affected Axons with tanks. Lots of them. Tanks will periodically shoot back at your Defenses.
  

Transport

• You can now hire them as shipping services! However, do be aware - they tend to carry maniacal Squadron-type Axons in the back that get rather obsessive over shipped goods.
  

Teleporter

• Has been installed into all standard transportation facilities. Just don't get your atoms mixed with a crate!
  

Mass Teleporter felt very underwhelming and rarely was a threat. Its AoE and jump distance has been adjusted to compensate.

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[h2]Towers[/h2]

New Tower: An Actual Tree

• The game lacked a distinct amount of nature. Now you can plant trees one tower at a time!
  

Arc Reactor Tower

• Now does exactly what it says. What will happen in the next story arc? Gives you play-by-play reactions of every scene, character, and implied moral quandary.
  

Blast Cannon Tower

• Launches itself into space when it fires. This tower is blasting off again!
  

Bonk Hammer Tower

• Renamed from Frag Hammer to Bonk Hammer.
  
• Now makes a "bonk!" sound when it hits Axons, striking them into the ground. They'll need a shovel to get out!
  

Carolina Reaper Tower

• Renamed from Reaper to Carolina Reaper Tower.
  
• Now fires hot sauce beams that scale to millions of scoville units.
  

Command Link Tower

• Towers adjacent to this are now obligated to command the troops. Effective leadership, huh?
  

Cryobeam & Drilling Laser Towers

• If you know, you know.
  

Electron Launcher Tower

• Its energy orb now has the properties of an actual Electron. You will never know both its velocity and position.
  

EMP Gatling Tower

• Now fires at a rate of ten thousand rounds per minute. In exchange, it costs four hundred thousand credits to fire this weapon for twelve seconds.
  

EMP Mine

• Now accurately depicts the properties of EMP. When triggered, it permanently shuts down itself and all other Axons and Defenses within range.
  

Gravity Driver Tower

• Renamed from Adam Driver to Gravity Driver.
  
• He needs more power. More! MORE!!!
  

Gravity Generator Tower

• Now turns Axons upside-down. What a cruel joke.
  

Gravity Trap

• No longer slows Axons. Instead, it presents the gravity of the situation in as detailed as a manner as possible. You'll be stuck here all day.
  

Hide & Seek Drone Tower

• Renamed from Seeker Drone to Hide & Seek Drone.
  
• It's already hidden. What do you mean you haven't found it yet?
  

Inertia Blaster Tower

• With each attack, it gains inertia. Should it gain enough inertia, it will exceed the galactic speed limit and transcend reality.
  

Link Blaster Tower

• This defense now does exactly what it says. Upon firing, it destroys a random link from the internet. Sometimes, this hits random fairy boys in green. How does that happen?
  

Mass Driver Tower

• Added recoil. With each shot, it will launch itself backwards by 1 Tile. Should it fall off the map and die, its blood will forever stain your hands. That's on you, man.
  

Missile Launcher Tower

• Were you not paying attention? See the presentation posted at the top.
  

Nanite Nest Trap

• Periodically spawns penguins. They might attach to Axons. Or they might be your front door. Have you checked lately?
  

Network Tower

• Now has Global Range and has made a profile on LinkedIn. It's making new connections faster than ever!
  

Nuclear Tower

• Upon building, effectively nukes everything within a 150 km radius. Look at the bright side, you solved the Axon conflict!
  

Orbital Cannon Tower

• Calls in a true orbital strike from... wait. That's no moon. That's a-
  

Plasma Cannon Tower

• Its plasma properties are now more accurately represented. Upon firing, a hot flash of doom encapsulates everything in the immediate area and vaporizing it all down. This includes Axons, Defenses, the Tiles, and even your mouse cursor.
  

Plasmathrower Tower

• Fixed a bug that prevented this tower from throwing the game. Now comes with a 100% lose rate, guaranteed.
  

Plasma Seesaw Tower

• Renamed from Plasma Saw to Plasma Seesaw.
  
• It now loads Axons into either side, allowing them to play with one another in a safe and sound environment. Well, asides from the plasma sawblades. Be careful with your fingers!
  

Portable Generator Tower

• Now casts its own Overloads at indiscriminate times. Should you be out of Power, it will use any Power source necessary. It's 11PM at night. Is your computer safe?
  

Proximity Mine

• This defense has been diagnosed with anxiety problems and has been removed from the game. Now it's taking a step towards a better-
• beep beep*
  

Pulseray Tower

• See the presentation listed somewhere up above.
  

Radiation Vent Trap

• Has been given more ventilation so it can breathe better. Now breathe in clean radioactive air! Wait-
  

Siphon Cannon Tower

• Now siphons damage off your other Defenses, including other Siphon Cannons, and even itself. Upon firing, if its net damage exceeds 100,000, it will create a black hole that enraptures the entire map and game. This is the only way to get the "I beat the game" Achievement.
  

Sniper Tower

• It's retired from professional hunting. Now snipes amazing deals off the internet for you. What a steal!
  

Target Marker Mine

• This defense now does exactly what it says. It will target a marker for you. However, it's up to you to write anything with it. It's not doing the work for you.
  

Temporal Mine

• It sends Axons so far back in time, they end up in a different game. Say, isn't there a patch coming for Element TD 2 in a few months?
  

Vent Trap

• Renamed from Plasma Vent to Vent Trap.
  
• No longer shoots plasma flames. Will now vent at oncoming Axons. Sometimes about its day; other times, it just can't stop yelling. Please be there for your Vent Traps. They just need someone to listen to them.
  

Waste Thrower Tower

• Renamed from Artillery to Waste Thrower Tower.
  
• Launches radioactive waste onto the map itself. Why are you littering so badly?
  

World Engine Tower

• See the presentation listed below.
  

For something called World Engine, it didn't really affect the world that much. This is now fixed.

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If you haven't picked up on it by now, this patch isn't real. We wish it was, but sadly, implementing some of these features could breach international law. We can't tell you which ones, so you'll have to speculate.

However, we do invite you to make your own adjustments. Post below what you'd like to see in Axoff TD: Downrising!

Greetings, folks! This is just a little progress update, tellin' ya where we're at, and what's left on our Roadmap.



Earlier this month, we released Version 0.4, our largest update yet. New Defenses, new Axons, Survival Co-op, a massive Campaign update, and more. Basically, everything listed in Q1 2024 above.

As for our next update, unless we split it in half, it should contain everything listed in Q2 2024 above, and more! We're also working on more Tutorials, more Music, more Achievements, and balance as per usual. Speaking of which...

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[h2]Update on Balance Updates[/h2]
With our latest additions to the Defense Roster, even after multiple hotfixes, it would appear some our new Defenses still need some tuning. So of course, we're working to address that. Other points include reducing spammability of certain Defenses, and... counters against Shields.

Of every mechanic in the game, Shields is the hardest counter. You either have stuff that can remove it easily... or half your defense gets negated and you die. We're looking into adjusting this so it's still something you have to look out for and plan around, just not to as insane a degree.

Beyond that, we're adjusting a bunch of Techs to be less abusable (ie, conditionals that are too easy to proc), and buffing ones that are hard to use.

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In a nutshell, we're still on track to hit our Roadmap goals. Next week or so, we'll finally show off a long awaited teaser of our map editor, so look forward to that!

This looks totally balanced.