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DAY 9/10: Performance & Zombie System Overhaul – Smoother Gameplay Ahead!

DEVELOPER CHALLENGE - DAY 9/10: PERFORMANCE & ZOMBIE SYSTEM UPDATES
[p][/p][h2]PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS & SYSTEM FIXES[/h2][p]
Today's Progress:
Soldier Food Feedback System Removed after causing overall performance issues
Zombie Horde Sound Optimized for better audio performance
Zombie Horde Spawning Logic Reworked for smoother gameplay at low FPS and high zombie counts
New Merge & Move Indicators for clarity during gameplay
Critical Tutorial & Save Fixes across multiple devices

MAJOR UPDATES:

Soldier Food Feedback Removed – System rolled back due to performance degradation

Zombie Sound Optimization – Horde sounds now more efficient and less performance-heavy

Zombie Spawn Waves – Zombies now spawn in waves each second, fixing missing spawns at low FPS

Merge & Move Indicators – Clearer information for merge availability and unit actions

Cloud Tutorial Save – Tutorial progress now saved across devices to prevent repeat issues

[/p][h2]ZOMBIE HORDE SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS[/h2][p]
Optimized Horde Sounds – Zombie swarm audio optimized for lower CPU/GPU usage
Wave-Based Spawning – Zombies now appear in timed waves each second, fixing situations where large hordes would fail to fully spawn on low FPS setups
Gameplay Stability – Ensures every zombie always spawns regardless of performance issues

[/p][h2]MERGE & CARD SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS[/h2][p]
Max-Level Merge Indicator Fix – Merge indicators no longer appear on max-level soldiers and buildings
Merge Info Overlay – Buildings now display icon + name when merge is possible for clearer visibility
Level-Up Card Resource Fix – Prevented double resource collection exploit (resources are now gathered instantly when using a level-up card)
Move Card Indicator – Merge indicators now also correctly appear when using Move cards
Special Card Fix – Reroll button no longer stays disabled after using a Special card

[/p][h2]TUTORIAL & SAVE SYSTEM FIXES[/h2][p]
Tutorial Save Issue Fixed – If tutorial wasn’t completed, switching PCs could lock items and even delete saves; now resolved
Cloud Tutorial Progress – Tutorial completion is now stored in the cloud to prevent restarts when starting a new save on different PCs
Hidden Object Performance Fix – Certain disabled objects no longer run in the background, improving performance
Range Display Fix – Soldier range indicators now display correctly for 1x1 and 3x3 units

[/p][h2]COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IMPLEMENTATION[/h2][p]
Special thanks to players who reported these issues:

Bug Report Champions:
• Players who highlighted performance issues from the food system
• Community members reporting missing zombies at high counts
• Testers who spotted merge indicator inconsistencies
• Players who flagged tutorial/save problems across multiple devices
• Feedback from Discord & Steam discussions that shaped today’s fixes

Your reports directly improved performance and clarity – thank you!

[/p][h2]THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES[/h2][p]
Day 9 complete: Performance optimized and zombie systems reworked.

Tomorrow: Final day of the 10-day challenge – more fixes, polish, and player-driven updates.

Remember: This challenge never truly ends. Your feedback will always drive our development.

Join the Community

Official Website

City Defense Z Wiki

Day 9 complete. Day 10 begins tomorrow. Let’s finish strong together.

Your feedback drives our development.
[/p]

DAY 8/10: Merge Indicator & Polish Updates - Enhanced Gameplay Experience!

DEVELOPER CHALLENGE - DAY 8/10: LEADERBOARD BALANCE & POLISH UPDATES
[p]

[/p][h2]SCORING BALANCE & MAJOR UI POLISH - ENHANCED GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE[/h2][p]
Today's Progress:
Leaderboard Scoring Balanced between Standard and Timeless modes
Major UI Polish Updates across multiple systems
New Merge Indicators for soldiers and buildings
Farm Collection System improved for convenience
Critical Bug Fixes for better gameplay flow

MAJOR UPDATES:
1. Leaderboard Balance - Standard mode players now earn more points than Timeless mode
2. UI Polish Overhaul - Expedition and NPC panels completely refined
3. Merge Indicators - Visual indicators for soldier and building merging
4. Farm Collection System - Bulk collection like other buildings


[/p][h2]LEADERBOARD & GAMEPLAY BALANCE[/h2][p]
Standard vs Timeless Mode Scoring - Standard mode players now earn significantly more points to maintain competitive balance
Fair Competition System - Players who choose time pressure get rewarded with higher scoring potential
Mode Choice Impact - Strategic decision between relaxed gameplay and competitive scoring

[/p][h2]UI POLISH & VISUAL IMPROVEMENTS[/h2][p]
Expedition Ongoing Panel - Completely polished and updated for better visual appeal
NPC Success Panel - Enhanced design and smoother animations
NPC Fail Panel - Improved visual feedback and user experience
Soldier Merge Indicators - New visual indicators show when soldiers can be merged


Building Merge Indicators - Clear indicators for building upgrade opportunities


Building Level Text Fix - Fixed issue where building level text sometimes remained visible during open/close animations

[/p][h2]GAMEPLAY MECHANICS & CONVENIENCE[/h2][p]
Farm Collection System - Farms now work like other buildings with bulk collection - single click to collect from all farms

End Day Button Freedom - Players can now end day even in the final 10 seconds for more strategic flexibility
Map Unlocking Fix - Fixed issue where some maps would appear locked after unlocking the next map

[/p][h2]CRITICAL BUG FIXES[/h2][p]
Pause Menu ESC Fix - Fixed critical bug where ESC key wouldn't pause the game during the final 10 seconds of night (Special thanks to darkseus and satans_favourite for reporting this!)
ALT Toggle Cleanup - Removed fill visuals from single-day reward buildings when ALT key is pressed for cleaner UI
Map Progression Bug - Fixed issue where maps would sometimes appear locked after unlocking the next one

[/p][h2]COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IMPLEMENTATION[/h2][p]
Special thanks to players who reported these issues:

Bug Report Champions:
darkseus and satans_favourite - Reported the critical ESC pause bug during final night seconds
• Community members who highlighted UI polish opportunities
• Players who requested merge indicators for better gameplay clarity
• Steam reviewers who suggested scoring balance improvements
• Discord members who provided feedback on expedition and NPC panels
• Community testers who identified map progression issues

Your bug reports and feedback are invaluable - thank you for helping us create a more polished game!



[/p][h2]THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES[/h2][p]
Day 8 complete: Leaderboard balance and major UI polish implemented.

Tomorrow: More gameplay enhancements, additional polish updates, and community-driven improvements.

Remember: This challenge never truly ends. Your feedback will always drive our development.

Join the Community

Official Website

City Defense Z Wiki

Day 8 complete. Day 9 begins tomorrow. Let's keep building together.

Your feedback drives our development.
[/p]

DAY 7/10: Food System Overhaul & Timeless Mode - Strategic Freedom!

[p]
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DEVELOPER CHALLENGE - DAY 7/10: FOOD SYSTEM OVERHAUL & TIMELESS MODE
[p]

[/p][h2]3 MAJOR SYSTEM OVERHAULS - STRATEGIC FREEDOM & RELAXED GAMEPLAY[/h2][p]
Today's Progress:
3 Major System Overhauls implemented
Food System Redesigned for better strategy
New Game Mode Added for different play styles
UI Improvements for enhanced visibility

THREE MAJOR UPDATES:
1. Food System Overhaul - Non-human units no longer consume food, Added Visual Inducator for Food Consumption



2. Timeless Mode - New relaxed gameplay option without time pressure



3. Building Card Minimization - UI space optimization for better visibility



[h2]MAJOR SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

Food System Redesign - Machine Gun, Turret, Rocket Launcher, and Mortar units now operate independently without food consumption
Strategic Resource Management - Food only consumed by actual soldiers for more logical gameplay
Visual Food Indicator - Food icon appears above soldiers when night begins, showing them eating (nom nom nom!)
Timeless Mode Selection - Choose between Timeless and Standard modes before deploying missions
Relaxed Gameplay Option - No time pressure for players who prefer methodical strategies
Balanced Scoring System - Extra points for time-challenge players to maintain fairness
Building Card Minimization - Minimize building cards during day for better action visibility
Air Card Minimization - Minimize air cards during night for clearer UI
Music Player Randomization Fix - Music now changes randomly each day instead of repeating the same track

[h2]BUG FIXES & PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

Mouse Edge Scrolling Fixed - Screen scrolling now works properly in all directions (left, right, up, down)
Grid Color System Enhanced - Red grid shows when placement is impossible, yellow when swap is available
Performance Optimization - Cached type casting implemented for better game performance
Airstrike Cost Reduction Fixed - Permanent upgrade that reduces airstrike cost by 20% now works correctly
Airstrike Damage Buff - Increased airstrike damage to balance the price reduction from last patch, making it more effective in late game scenarios
Resource Display System Fixed - K, M, B, T, Q notation system now properly displays large numbers (e.g., 1.000 ammo shows as 1K)
Stonefist Boss Ultimate Fix - Fixed bug that occurred when Stonefist boss cast his ultimate rock throw ability
Pause Menu Settings Fix - Fixed speed input error when returning from settings to pause screen
Leaderboard Loading Improved - Further enhanced leaderboard loading speed for better performance
Banger Boss Explosion Fix - Fixed incorrect explosion damage calculation for the big fat boss
Level 5 Flamethrower Soldier Fix - Fixed bug that occurred with flamethrower soldier in level 5

[h2]UI & VISIBILITY ENHANCEMENTS[/h2]

Farm Production Indicator - New visual indicator shows food production process when ALT (building info) is toggled on



Lab Research UI Scaling - Research point production process UI now properly scaled for visibility when camera is zoomed out
ALT Toggle Persistence Fixed - Building placement no longer turns off ALT toggle state, allowing continuous viewing of building levels without holding the key


[/p][h2]COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IMPLEMENTATION[/h2][p]
Special thanks to players who requested these improvements:

Feature Request Champions:
• Community members who suggested food system improvements
• Players who requested relaxed gameplay options
• Discord members who highlighted UI visibility issues
• Steam reviewers who suggested strategic gameplay enhancements
• Community testers who provided feedback on resource management
• Players who requested more flexible gameplay modes

Your feedback drives our development - thank you for helping us create a better game!



[/p][h2]THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES[/h2][p]
Day 7 complete: 3 major system overhauls implemented.

Tomorrow: More strategic improvements, enhanced gameplay mechanics, and community-driven features.

Remember: This challenge never truly ends. Your feedback will always drive our development.

Join the Community

Official Website

City Defense Z Wiki

Day 7 complete. Day 8 begins tomorrow. Let's keep building together.

Your feedback drives our development.[/p]

DAY 6/10: STRATEGIC COMBAT & UI REFINEMENT[

DEVELOPER CHALLENGE - DAY 6/10: STRATEGIC COMBAT & UI REFINEMENT
[p][/p][h2]10 CRITICAL FIXES & SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS - ENHANCED GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE[/h2][p]
Today's Progress:
11 Critical Fixes implemented
3 Major System Improvements completed
UI/UX Polish applied

THREE MAJOR UPDATES:
1. Soldier Grid Swap System - Drag and drop soldier positioning in army grid
2. Map 4 Wall Turret Positioning - Fixed strategic placement issues
3. Camera & Control Improvements - Better user interaction

[/p][h2]MAJOR SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS[/h2][p]
Soldier Grid Swap System - Hold and drag soldiers to swap positions in the army grid area
Wall Turret Positioning Fix - Turrets now spawn in correct strategic positions on Map 4
Mouse Scroll Camera Control - Added smooth camera movement with mouse scroll
Mouse Edge Camera Movement - Move camera by placing mouse at screen edges (like WASD/arrow keys)
Building Merge System - Fixed issue where new buildings weren't appearing after merge
Trade Panel Audio & Visual Feedback - Added sound effects and cursor changes to trade buttons
Pause Panel Audio Fix - Resolved triple sound playback issue on hover
Pause Panel Cursor Fix - Fixed cursor not changing on "Give Up" button
Minigun Weapon Emission - Smoothed out emission reduction for better visual feedback
Expedition Slot Management - Fixed error when trying to send NPCs on missions with full slots
Building Outline System - Restored building outline functionality after recent updates
Permanent Upgrade Screen Fix - Fixed bug where permanent upgrade screen sometimes didn't appear

[/p][h2]CRITICAL BUG FIXES[/h2][p]
Soldier Grid Swap Mechanics - Implemented drag and drop soldier positioning in army grid
Map 4 Wall Turret Spawning - Fixed incorrect positioning of defensive structures
Camera Movement - Added mouse scroll and edge movement functionality for better navigation
Building Merge Bug - Resolved issue where merged buildings didn't appear
Trade Panel Interaction - Enhanced button feedback with audio and visual cues
Pause Panel Audio Glitch - Fixed multiple sound triggers on button hover
Pause Panel Cursor Issue - Corrected cursor behavior on "Give Up" button
Minigun Visual Polish - Improved emission system for better weapon feedback
Expedition System Error - Fixed crash when attempting to send NPCs with full slots
Building Outline Restoration - Brought back building outline system after update
Permanent Upgrade Screen Bug - Resolved issue where permanent upgrade screen failed to display

[/p][h2]COMMUNITY HEROES[/h2][p]
Special thanks to players who helped identify these issues:

Bug Report Champions:
• Community members who requested soldier grid swap functionality
• Discord members who highlighted Map 4 turret positioning issues
• Steam reviewers who identified camera control limitations
• Smudge and jamiebeds9 for suggesting mouse edge camera movement
• JonesyLax91 for permanent upgrade screen bug
• Community testers who found trade panel interaction issues
• Players who discovered pause panel audio glitches
• Community members who reported expedition system errors

Thanks Everyone who made us realize our mistakes or better designs..

[/p][h2]THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES[/h2][p]
Day 6 complete: 11 critical improvements implemented.

Tomorrow: More fixes, more improvements, more community-driven development.

Remember: This challenge never truly ends. Your feedback will always drive our development.

Join the Community

Official Website

City Defense Z Wiki

Day 6 complete. Day 7 begins tomorrow. Let's keep building together.

Your feedback drives our development.

[/p]

DAY 5/10: Leaderboard Fixes & Save System Recovery



DEVELOPER CHALLENGE - DAY 5/10: LEADERBOARD FIXES & SAVE SYSTEM RECOVERY


[h2]IMPORTANT UPDATE: SAVE SYSTEM RECOVERY[/h2]

We sincerely apologize for the latest cloud save problems

We deeply regret the trouble caused by yesterday's update. Here's what happened and how we fixed it:

What Went Wrong:
• A bug in yesterday's update caused critical issues
• We had to rollback to a previous build to prevent further problems
• This rollback unfortunately caused save data issues for some players

How We Fixed It:
Save System Calibration - Completely recalibrated the save system
Data Recovery - Your lost saves are now recovered and accessible
Login Restoration - You can now log into the game again normally
Cross-Platform Sync - Steam Cloud saves working properly again

We're Sorry:
Your progress and time are valuable, and we should have caught this issue before release. We've implemented additional safeguards to prevent similar problems in the future.

[h2]WE'RE BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER - CRITICAL FIXES AFTER YESTERDAY'S ROLLBACK[/h2]

Today's Progress:
4 Critical System Fixes implemented
Save System Recovery completed
Leaderboard Reliability restored
Player Data Protection ensured
Day 4 Updates Included - All previous improvements now available
Additional Bug Fixes - New optimizations and gameplay improvements

FOUR MAJOR UPDATES:
1. Leaderboard Ranking System - More reliable and accurate calculations
2. Leaderboard Loading Performance - Faster loading with more user data visibility
3. R Key Card Reroll - New keyboard shortcut for card refreshing
4. Outline Persistence Fix - Resolved outline staying open issue

NEW ADDITIONAL FIXES:
5. Save Notification System - Game saved notification added for day starts
6. Cat NPC Behavior - Cat now appears once per slot and saves between maps
7. Complete Mission UI - Updated complete mission popup interface
8. Purchase System Fix - Resolved mine and wall purchase issues from previous day
9. Music Performance - Reduced stuttering during music transitions
10. Combat Optimizations - Character attacks and enemy detection improvements
11. Flamethrower Optimization - Soldier behavior and particle system improvements
12. Material Instance Optimization - Performance improvements for material instances
13. NPC Expedition Power - Increased expedition power for NPCs
14. Zombie Movement - Increased normal walker zombie movement speed

[h2]CRITICAL SYSTEM FIXES[/h2]

Leaderboard Improvements:

Leaderboard Ranking System Enhanced - More reliable ranking calculations that were previously incorrect
Leaderboard Loading Performance - Reduced waiting time, now showing more user data efficiently
Leaderboard Data Accuracy - Fixed calculation errors that affected player rankings
Leaderboard User Visibility - More players can now see their data properly

Gameplay Enhancements:
R Key Card Reroll - Press R to reroll cards for better strategic options
Keyboard Shortcut Integration - Seamless card refresh functionality
Strategic Flexibility - More control over card selection during gameplay

UI/UX Fixes:
Outline Persistence Fix - Resolved issue where outlines remained open unexpectedly
Interface Stability - Cleaner, more predictable UI behavior
User Experience Polish - Smoother interactions throughout the game

[h2]ADDITIONAL BUG FIXES & OPTIMIZATIONS[/h2]

Save System & UI Improvements:
Save Notification System - Game saved notification added for day starts to provide better feedback
Cat NPC Behavior - Cat now appears once per slot and saves between maps for consistent experience
Complete Mission UI - Updated complete mission popup interface for better user experience

Purchase System Fixes:
Mine & Wall Purchase Fix - Resolved purchase issues that occurred in the previous day's update

Performance Optimizations:
Music Performance - Reduced stuttering during music transitions for smoother audio experience
Combat Optimizations - Character attacks and enemy detection improvements for better gameplay flow
Flamethrower Optimization - Soldier behavior and particle system improvements for enhanced visual performance
Material Instance Optimization - Performance improvements for material instances to reduce resource usage

Gameplay Balance Updates:
NPC Expedition Power - Increased expedition power for NPCs to improve their effectiveness
Zombie Movement - Increased normal walker zombie movement speed for more dynamic gameplay

[h2]DAY 4 UPDATES NOW INCLUDED[/h2]

Since we reverted to the previous build, all Day 4 improvements are now available:

Map Progression & UI Enhancements:
Map Transition Confirmation - "Do you want to exit?" confirmation panel when reaching Day 30
Enhanced Resource Management - Basic Soldier count now displayed in TOP UI resource bar
Improved Combat Visualization - Radial white sprite indicators showing soldier attack ranges

Combat & Visual Improvements:
Stonefist Stone Enhancements - Fixed random appearance issues, added explosion effects
Soldier Visibility Fixes - Fixed soldier shadow rendering issues
Combat System Improvements - Fixed random bullet visual artifacts, added population requirement notifications

Gameplay Mechanics & Stability:
Card System Improvements - Fixed aircraft card spawning issues
Reroll System Fixes - Fixed reroll button activation inconsistencies
Steam Cloud Save Synchronization - Enhanced Steam Cloud save functionality



[h2]COMMUNITY SUPPORT[/h2]

Special thanks to players who helped during the crisis:

Crisis Response Heroes:
• Players who reported save issues immediately
• Community members who provided detailed bug reports
• Discord members who helped others during the rollback
• Steam reviewers who remained patient during the fix

Your patience and understanding during this difficult time means everything to us.

[h2]THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES[/h2]

Day 5 complete: System recovery and critical fixes implemented.

Tomorrow: More improvements, more stability, more community-driven development.

Remember: We learn from every challenge, and your feedback helps us grow stronger.

Join the Community

Official Website

City Defense Z Wiki

Day 5 complete. Day 6 begins tomorrow. Thank you for your patience and support.

We're committed to making things right and building a better game together.