NightSpawn News

Welcome to the second of our weekly highlight posts. Following on from last week’s look at the new Electrical Substation, this week we’re going to cover the very latest at the nearby supermarket.

On to this week's highlight…


The supermarket, known simply as ‘The Market’ locally, is a key location and potential escape avenue. If survivors can brave the Electrical Substation and restore power to the automatic doors to gain entry, a maze of shopping displays and back rooms awaits. Of course… the sanguivore prowls the aisles.



In and amongst the strewn groceries and goods, loot can be found. Keep a keen eye out for loot boxes and bodies to loot. Some locations may be tucked away so always worth searching every dark corner.

Towards the back of The Market are the store offices and breakroom. As well as being a useful place to hide and loot, navigating these backrooms is the key to escaping.



The other, much larger backroom, is the stock room. This section of the store houses endless shelves of stored goods. Tread carefully around this area. Although there are a multitude of hiding places, the wider spaces of this warehouse can make staying hidden difficult.



Accessing the various areas of the supermarket may be a challenge without lockpicks or other tools. If in doubt, there are many bodies scattered around which may contain helpful items.

In a future Weekly Highlight, we’ll discuss the supermarket roof, which is also an important potential escape route connected to the wider town.




In addition to the selection of new hiding places featured in our last Weekly Highlight, a new cardboard box hiding place has been added, often found around The Market.




We will be continuing to discuss various Sanguivore related topics in the coming weeks. We would especially like to talk over some community suggestions. If you have an idea for a topic to be discussed, please let us know in the comments below!

Welcome to the first of our weekly highlight posts. Our plan is to release a new highlight each week covering areas of maps, mechanics and even the Sanguivores themselves.

Let's get to this week's highlight…


For our first post, we have decided to cover the new electrical substation, available in the upcoming Section 3, known as: “The Town”.

The town covers a large area for players to navigate. Importantly, most areas require players to re-enable the power in order to progress. This is where the substation comes in.



With multiple ways to get to the substation, finding quick passageways to the heart of the landmark is key.

But be aware that the Sanguivore has left the comfort of indoor environments and ventured outside into the cold to search for the sweet notes of human blood.



Players will have to navigate around a small maze of metal and wire, to locate switches, slowly bringing the power back up to the correct outage value.

Getting The Town’s power back online will open up various escape plans to execute. One example is the Market, which will only open when the power has been restored.

Head to the main hub at the substation to check that all switches are in the correct position and you have not underpowered or overpowered the system.




Tucked in to Electrical Station and the wider map are some handy new hiding places. It is always worth keeping tabs on the nearest place to hide in case it’s needed in a hurry.

The portaloo will be found across various industrial locations, of which there are plenty to be found in Section 3 - The Town. Worth checking if it is vacant ahead of time, of course.



Additionally, two new crate hiding places have been added. You can either crawl inside boxes on their side, or vault into bigger crates with the lids on top.



Incidentally, just a friendly tip to all survivors - the Sanguivore may check hiding places if they think you’ve snuck inside. The chances of having your hiding place searched is much lower if there are lots of hiding places nearby to choose from - so pick wisely. If there is only one place to hide, it might be better to keep running lest the Sanguivore finds you.


We will be continuing to discuss various Sanguivore related topics in the coming weeks. We would especially like to talk over some community suggestions. If you have an idea for a topic to be discussed, please let us know in the comments below!

Dev Bites - Issue Four

Welcome to our issue four of Dev Bites! In this issue, we are going to give everyone a peek at the brand new map section soon to arrive in Sanguivore: Twenty Below as well as several new UI improvements scheduled for the next upcoming update. We also discuss concepts for new game modes planned as well as outlining our intentions for using shards to unlock new characters.

Overview

• Section Three “The Town”.
  
• The Mine Yard
  
• The Mine
  
• The Market
  
• The Substation
  
• Main Menu Redesign.
  
• Game modes
  
• New Character
  

[h2]Section Three “The Town”[/h2]
With Section 1 (the Police Department) and Section 2 (the Houses) already established, we’re well into development on Section 3, a.k.a “The Town”. This next section will expand the world again, with four new escapes to choose from.



We’re really pushing the boundaries with these new escapes. The size of the area means each escape is almost a small zone in itself. Sometimes players may need to explore the wider area for resources and tools, but in many cases players will be able to choose to focus on an area with a view to completing a specific escape.



Section three really switches things up, before the main sanguivore “The Noble” would only interact with players in houses and the Sheriff’s Department. This time, he is free to wander the main areas outside where players must complete their tasks including:

The Mine Yard, the Mine, the Market and the Substation. This time it will not be so easy to evade death.

[h2]The Mine Yard[/h2]
The mines of this desolate Alaskan Town stretch deep into the cold stone of the mountains. Escape may be found through the gloom, but only if survivors can find a way inside. Outside the mine lies The Mine yard, an industrial patch used for transport and storage. Weaving in and out of the machinery is the only way to stay hidden while investigating the best way to open up the mine itself.



Maybe those generators might get things moving again…?



[h2]The Mine[/h2]
The old Mine along with the Mineyard outside are the first objectives to be almost complete. If you can figure out how to get inside, escape awaits down the oppressive passageways. For survivors able to outlast The Noble stalking his prey through the gloom, light is at the end of the tunnel. Maybe those old minecarts might see some action one last time.



Search the fallen miners bodies for parts to complete tasks to escape.



[h2]The Substation[/h2]
This area of level is a little different. It is not an escape in itself, but restoring power to key parts of the town can open up multiple new escape options. As long as you're careful not to touch anything live and can stay out of sight of the Sanguivore, restoring power at the substation might be a smart way to start.



Watch out for new ways The Noble has of getting about.



[h2]The Market[/h2]
The insides of the market are being worked on right now. What we can reveal for now though is players might find the supply door at the back a useful means of escape - if they can get to it. The Noble prowls the isles in here, uninterested in the toppled fruit and scattering frozen goods, but looking for his next meal.



The market will be composed of several main areas, including the shop front, employee offices and backroom storage. Navigating all these areas will be necessary in order to open the way out.



[h2]Rooftop Escape[/h2]
Crawling through claustrophobic mineshafts and unnerving supermarkets might not be everyone’s first choice. Another objective, also now mostly complete, dares survivors to navigate the various town rooftops. Although this solution may help you stay out of trouble with the Noble, finding the necessary equipment to zipline around and access rooftop vents may prove tricky. This escape is well suited to survivors who rely carefully on managing their inventory to have just the right tool for the job.

[h2]Final Escape Option[/h2]
There will be one more escape option added to the The Town section to complete the four total escape objectives. This objective is still being worked on, so we’ll be sharing more information when the time is right.

[h2]Main Menu Redesign[/h2]
We’re planning a small rework to some of the menus, partly to make them extra shiny, but also provide better support for SteamDeck users and players using a gamepad. We are aware that some of the font sizes can be difficult to read on some devices and setups, so we’re taking measures to increase text readability. Take a look below at the latest concept design:



Coming away from the Sheriff lockup scene in the background of the menu, we are opting for a completely image based UI, so it will fit with all the maps and Sanguivores planned.



Reworking how the lobby looks and works has been something planned for a while. With this new update we have added the ability to select the section of map you would like to start with, so if you have already played and completed section one and two (after this update) you will be able to use shards to start at section three or four (when available).

This will also include several new buttons for new game modes in being concepted:-

• ESCAPE: Coop Campaign - Up to four players battle their way through all four sections of a map.
  
• Vs. Coop PvP: Two teams of two players race to see who can escape from a single section first.
  
• Time Trial: Coop speedrun - Can your team beat the top score and time for a single section.
  
• 4v1: Play as the Sanguivore - Coming soon.
  

Also introducing new characters that can be unlocked using your hard earned Shards.



These characters will come with a number of perks and abilities selected from the perk and ability tree available to all characters that can manually be assigned (on release of the perks and ability functionality). Each character will eventually come with customisable outfits (purchased with Shards) and standard outfits for each map released.



What are Shards?
Shards are earned from every game played and are added to a player's Sanguivore account that is automatically created on first play.

Currently Shards have no use in game until the release of the character update, but are still earned from playing.


Work continues with getting Section 3, The Town, into shape. Most of the objectives have been designed and implemented with a few placeholders that need to be developed further. Most of the remaining updates involve level design and layout.

Naturally, we’re going to be doing a lot of testing, performance checks and tweaks in the coming days in preparation for the main release.

We will be working towards turning the Menu UI concept into a workable system for the game, with the ability to select your game character in the game lobby.


Our next update is expected to be a major update including the entirety of Section 3 (The Town). The update will release when it is ready, although as you can hopefully see from the screenshots, development is well in progress.

If possible we will also be working on implementing the new menu UI elements. This comes with the added bonus of making us eligible for being certified for compatibility on SteamDeck, a goal we are aiming to achieve as soon as possible.

Expect to see another Dev Bite before the next update.

Version 0.27.0 has begun! As a small peak behind the curtain, this update was originally planned to be a small hotfix. But after a successful slew of bug fixes in combination with several fancy new map features, we’ve upgraded this humble patch into a full sized update.

The houses in Section 2 now fully show the destructive power of the Sanguivore, featuring new damage to the walls that players might use to their advantage, offering new sneaky routes in and out between the buildings. The outdoor areas of the level have been given some TLC, with new environmental features and assets.

Keeping an eye out for fuses has always been essential for managing the power circuits. This update introduces some new mechanics for scavenging those fuses. Fuses can now be pulled out of electronic machines around the world.

Take a look at all the new features, as well as quality of life improvements, rebalancing, fixes and more in the patch notes below!

[h2]Links[/h2]
Remember to check out any of the following resources for more information and updates on the game.

Steam Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432990

Website: https://bloodeater.games/

Sitemap: https://starter.productboard.com/beg-starter/1-sanguvoire-blood-eater-games

Presskit: https://impress.games/press-kit/blood-eater-games/sanguivore

Twitter(X): https://twitter.com/BloodEaterGames

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BloodEaterGames

Discord: https://discord.gg/YwnEHmpA2y

• Added new damage to Section 2 houses. New routes in and between houses are now available.
  
• Added highlight to other players so they can be seen when downed/captured.
  
• Added new fire alarm switch locations.
  
• Added auto benchmark skip after skipping for the first time. The benchmark screen will no longer show at startup.
  
• Added secret passage between area’s on the map.
  
• Added the ability to break down electrical units eg. vending machines, coffee machines to get an additional fuse.
  
• Added TV noise traps to houses in section two (yet do not make noise as of yet, they just turn on).
  

• Various optimisations affecting all hiding places
  

• Various house layout updates
  
• Moved body upstairs in Sheriff’s Department to prevent clipping with the camera when searching the body.
  
• Adjusted head torch position to prevent clipping through walls
  
• Improved general camera smoothness when exiting interaction animations
  
• Improved close proximity light levels. Players also now have better visibility on the inside of hiding places. Prevents situations where the player is left in total darkness.
  
• Updated Epilepsy warning to auto skip after 50 seconds
  
• Removed some small floating geometry outside houses
  
• Updated distribution of self revive kits
  
• Keypad codes length now scale with difficulty
  
• Made minigame speed slightly slow on Hard and Nightmare difficulties
  
• Player is now warned if their inventory is full when trying to take a fuse from a fusebox
  
• Noble no longer always spawns at the closest window to a player. Higher degree of variance.
  
• Updated cliffs and mountains in outside sections of the twenty below map.
  

• Fixed salt upstairs in Sheriff’s Department misaligned with doorway
  
• Fixed some items not spawning when they should due to the difficulty system limiting what items can spawn at harder difficulties
  
• Fixed player getting stuck between cabinets and loft stairs.
  
• Fixed issues clicking on gamma bar and confirmation buttons when starting the game
  
• Fixed issues clicking on the epilepsy warning button at the start of the game.
  
• Fixed issues scroll through journal entries where select item could go offscreen
  
• Fixed issue where all fire alarm switches could be missing
  
• Fixed camera being at an unusual angle after reading a document
  
• Fixed camera being at an unusual angle after being grabbed while in the process of entering the inventory/journal tablet
  
• Fixed vents being open for the client but closed for the host on harder difficulties.
  
• Fixed a working fire alarm switch not spawning
  
• Fixed characters being able to move away while also using a computer
  
• Fixed minigame progress often going over 100%
  
• Fixed situation where minigame could continually reset to 0% progress
  
• Fixed a geometry clipping issue with the new stairs and the adjacent wall
  
• Fixed being able to move while self healing
  
• Fixed some small geometry issues with foliage causing small spheres to appear nearby.
  
• Fixed fuse boxes sometimes visually have a fuse inside them, even when missing a fuse.
  
• Fixed client involuntarily moving to interact with fusebox after host has interacted with the fusebox
  
• Fixed client getting extra fuses out of the fusebox
  
• Fixed players not receiving a fuse from the fusebox on easy and normal difficulty levels
  
• Fixed PCs with no power symbol that are powered and working
  
• Fixed several TVs and sparking cables that were still turned on even when the power was turned off
  
• Fixed serval self revive kits being sunken into the ground
  
• Fixed The Noble getting stuck behind sparking cables. He can now traverse them in his smoke form.
  
• Fixed double locker sound when The Noble searches a hiding place.
  
• Fixed various escape plans being visible on the UI, even when not available due to the game difficulty.
  
• Fixed player collision and shadows on player held tablet
  
• Fixed The Noble occasionally entering via a window and immediately leaving again.
  
• Fixed some on-screen effects flashing with a white or yellow box before playing
  
• Fixed player’s camera clipping in to wall when entering an upstairs office desk
  
• Fixed blue light appearing at base of lockers after player gets inside
  
• Fixed issue when client uses a hand mirror but two hand mirrors are removed from their inventory
  
• Fixed other players legs sliding when moving while exiting their inventory/tablet
  
• Fixed the power being on in the side office even though power is off on the ground floor.
  
• Fixed issues if a player starts healing another player and that player dies
  
• Characters will no longer incrementally lose health while healing themselves or being healed.
  
• Fixed game locking up for players if grabbed by fledglings while getting into a car boot.
  
• Fixed duplicate tutorial messages appearing in the journal.
  
• Tentative fixes for issues navigating in the journal.
  
• Navigation is now able to update with dynamic changes to the level (e.g. broken stairs, random barricades, etc).
  
• Several other AI navigation issues were also fixed.
  

• Various translation issues.
  
• Controller support issues interacting with settings
  
• Various issues with Hardware ray tracing (RTX) on translucent objects either rendering black or not rendering at all. (RTX is not enabled currently)
  

Version 0.26.0 is our first update of the year - and we’re starting with a big one!

As of today’s patch, players will be able to start customising their own games with all new difficulty settings. These difficulty settings allow players to adjust individual game rules on most aspects of the game, including AI perception, objectives, minigame difficulties and more.

Furthermore, this update introduces all new interaction animations and revamped minigames. Players will now engage in animations when interacting with objects in the world. Other players can see these animations too, giving better visual indications of what other players are doing. The updated minigames aim to make interactions with objectives more meaningful. For example, players may need to carefully choose when it is safe to make progress on accessing PC or radio. If threatened, a player may have to decide to come back to the minigame later when it is safe to do so.

We’ve heard quite a bit of feedback from the community regarding how the AI feels a little too attached to the player. This update addresses this issue with a plethora of adjustments, including by tweaking The Noble’s pathing and creatures will lose interest in the player much faster when their target is hiding in an inaccessible location. Please head over to our Discord to let us know your feedback on these balance adjustments.

The Sheriff Department had a few remaining corners that needed a new lick of paint in the wake of the recent visual update. The PD is now good to go with new visual details including fleshed out offices and some interesting new routes.

This update features loads of general improvements, fixes, quality of life changes and optimisations. Additionally, a particularly nasty crash on startup has been addressed for any players with this issue. Take a look at the list below for all the details.

[h2]Links[/h2]
Remember to check out any of the following resources for more information and updates on the game.

• Website: https://bloodeater.games/
• Sitemap: https://starter.productboard.com/beg-starter/1-sanguvoire-blood-eater-game
• Presskit: https://impress.games/press-kit/blood-eater-games/sanguivore
• Twitter(X): https://twitter.com/BloodEaterGames
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BloodEaterGames
• Discord: https://bloodeater.games/discord

• Added a new difficulty system. Players can now choose a range of preset difficulties, or mix and match many of the game’s parameters to create their own custom game rules.
  
• Added new interaction animations for various activities, such as using computers, squeezing through gaps, healing players and using fuse boxes.
  
• Added a new squeeze through barricade which replaces the original crouch under barricades.
  
• Added new stairs, which can sometimes be destroyed and replaces the original barricades on stairs.
  
• Added zipline to church roof allowing faster access back to generator room.
  
• Implemented a new benchmark system allowing the game to automatically estimate the ideal settings of the player's hardware.
  
• Added support for Intel® XeSS (Intel GPU and Arc).
  
• Added a new accessibility option to remove flashing lights.
  
• Added new hotkey prompts on screen, such as a prompt to remind players they can highlight teammates with Spacebar.
  

• Minigames redesigned to be a more significant part of the gameplay. Minigames now require the player to succeed on multiple checks over a period of time. Players may choose to start progress on a minigame, then come back later when able to do so to finish the objective. This new approach also allows minigames to scale with difficulty.
  
• Finished all visual updates to rooms in the Sheriff’s Department.
  
• Players can now scroll through journal entries with their mouse wheel.
  
• Redesigned church roof layout and visuals. New visuals show how the church roof has been damaged.
  
• Breaker boxes in the Sheriff’s Department now use an updated model which syncs with new animations.
  
• Updated layout of Police Department Utility Room so that vent hatch and fuse boxes do not interfere with each other.
  
• Fuses and Circuit Breakers have been renamed to 30A fuses and 100A fuses for consistency.
  
• Scoreboard now shows the current version number.
  
• Scoreboard no longer shows columns for players who do not exist.
  
• FPS Display and Hardware Timings toggles have now been moved into Video Settings.
  
• General reassessment of default game settings.
  
• Fledglings no longer hang around for an extended period of time when the player moves to an inaccessible location such as under a house.
  
• Updated audibility of noble’s cane and footsteps.
  
• Rebalanced storm coldness rate and damage.
  
• Damage from the cold now only happens when the player is below a temperature of 0.
  
• HUD displaying temperature updated to be more understandable
  
• Players now return to the main menu screen instead of the language selection screen after disconnecting from the host.
  
• Bringing items used for objectives forward into the second section now properly updates the relevant objectives.
  
• Keypads now scale with difficulty.
  
• Moved some loot containers that could be blocked if a coffin spawns in front.
  
• Removed fledglings hanging from doors to be replaced with other scary things in the future.
  
• Animation now players to show other players using their inventory
  
• The Noble now creates slightly more space when grabbing a player from a hiding place. Prevents bite animation being misaligned due to lack of available space.
  
• Item spawn distributions rebalanced in line with new difficulty settings. Item spawns no longer spawn a fixed number, instead spawn between a minimum and maximum depending on difficulty.
  
• Maximum rank achievable is now dependent on difficulty. Easy = B. Normal = A. Hard = S. Nightmare = S+
  
• The working fire alarm button is now random and no longer always spawns near the helicopter.
  
• Several AI rebalances aimed at reducing the extent to which enemies feel like they hang around the player.
  
• Replaced entry smoke for The Noble to a much more performance friendly version.
  

• Fixed black screen on launch crash affecting some players
  
• Fixed various stretched button UI prompts
  
• Fixed UI icon for Spacebar being too small to read comfortably
  
• Fixed missing journal hotkey on loading screen about the journal.
  
• Fixed rooftop fledgling scream SFX being harshly cut off at the end of the sound.
  
• Fixed players disconnecting while hiding causing the items they drop to become inaccessible to other players.
  
• Fixed Gamma defaulting to 1 and ignoring player specified settings.
  
• Fixed a situation where players could not progress in the police station due to lacking access to a screwdriver.
  
• Fixed rare situations where some items could spawn in inaccessible locations preventing progress. A new system for handling spawning ensures essential items now spawn in safe locations to allow progression.
  
• Fixed many interactable objects, particularly in Section 2, missing their interaction circle to show they are interactable.
  
• Fixed some loot items intended for Section 1 spawning in Section 2
  
• Fixed some loot containers being completely inaccessible to players potentially preventing further progress in the section.
  
• Fixed situations where The Noble could teleport into the ground or get stuck in some parts of the level.
  
• Fixed UI icons getting stuck on other players.
  
• Fixed selecting ‘Low Settings’ not changing all settings to the lowest
  
• Fixed a visual bug with the floor in the room below the office with the hole.
  
• Fixed missing materials on some computer monitors.
  
• Fixed some parts of the Noble’s AI causing actions to happen slightly slower than intended.
  
• Fixed inventory sometimes locking the game up when interacting with something in the world.
  
• Fixed roller door SFX not working with sound volume settings.
  
• Fixed keypad sound not being occluded by the geometry of the level.
  
• Fixed issue where camera could clip with player's mesh when using some types of computer.
  
• Fixed Section 2 grade showing Section 1 grade on the scoreboard.
  
• Fixed rare issue where updates to the player’s health can be affected by exceedingly low framerates.
  
• Fixed missing wallpaper texture in houses.
  
• Fixed game timer (which can be turned on in the settings) not showing unless toggled off then back on again.
  
• Fixed legacy objective text in escape plans HUD element being activated.
  
• Fixed camera always snapping to a horizontal rotation after using the inventory for the host player.
  
• Fixed being stuck in a hiding place after being grabbed by The Noble
  
• Various score calculation fixes.
  
• Fixed circumstances causing times not to show on the scoreboard.
  
• Fixed time taken to complete stages not affecting total score.
  
• Fixed health kits stats not being recorded properly.
  
• Fixed some scoreboard stats not being recorded properly if the player is a client
  
• Fixed pressing Esc to pause while entering a hiding place causing the game to locked up.
  
• Fixed lighting near armoury door, where entering and exiting could cause lights to turned off erroneously
  
• Various AI navigation fixes
  

• Significant performance improvement affecting on screen UI elements, often causing poor performance depending on the direction a player is looking.
  
• Various level optimisations to ensure only assets that needed to be loaded are loaded in at any given time.
  
• Minor optimisation for some items with translucency.
  

• Various translation issues.
  
• Controller support issues interacting with settings
  
• Various issues with Hardware ray tracing (RTX) on translucent objects either rendering black or not rendering at all. (RTX is not enabled currently)
  
• Fuse boxes can sometimes visually show a fuse inside them even when the fuse box is empty.