Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball News

A short time ago I added support for custom announcer packs. Now, the first one has been completed and is a highly recommended (and free) download! It's by Videogre and here's the preview video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WURBUbrEP8M

It's very simple to add to your game - just go to its workshop item page (below), click Subscribe, then next time you launch the game you'll have it available to select within Options / Audio / Announcer:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=730417152

If you want to submit your own pack, it's straightforward and the instructions are in this guide:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=425217999

(Friendly reminder that copyrighted material is prohibited)

I'm also very close to releasing version 7.4 which is a huge content patch including many new game modes & two new levels. Will post another announcement when that's ready!

Erik

For a long time, I've wanted a better way to communicate item drops and XP gain to players. Now, there's a new window that shows up at the end of each PvP match (after the player awards - wait 5 seconds or click the mouse button to show this menu). It'll animate the XP you gained during the match, and show any items that you unlocked (by reaching a level requirement) or dropped randomly during that match.

Note that XP is earned during the match, so resetting or leaving early won't incur any XP penalty. You just won't see the animation.

For PvE matches (e.g. Arcade, Challenges) this screen isn't shown because it doesn't work with the menu flow. But rest assured you are still earning XP and items in those modes - item drops during PvE will be shown as a mini-notification on the right-hand side as it always has.

Also made these changes:

• Fixed ‘Match Won’ announcer clip being played before final ‘Score’ in hoops and Captue The Cube
  
• Room name is displayed on game pause menu
  
• Lowered level requirement for many built-in glasses
  
• Fixed missing text on Arcade perk progress notifications
  
• Fixed pathfinding issue for bots in Octagon preventing them from reaching some ramps
  
• Added ‘follow’ button to main menu
  
• Added ‘Assist’ Announcer line
  
• Fixed final cube capture saying ‘Score’ in big text isntead of ‘Match Won/Lost’
  
• Fixed missing buttons when navigating to Dedicated server browser and then back to Find Match panel
  
• Status label on network panel works
  
• Fixed fog in Cage being too strong
  
• Fixed some key commands (like spectator movement) triggering while chatting
  
• Fixed default Quality settings interfering with and overriding video settings (like reflections)
  
• Fixed fog not rendering
  
• Fixed reflection probes picking up unintended colors from powerups
  

Version 7.2 is now available. It includes a huge batch of new cosmetic items, created by players!



[LEGENDARY Throw FX] Rainbow Helix - twin jets of rainbow particles spin out of your throws
[Epic Wheel] Hamster Wheel - powered by a tiny animated hamster
[Rare Hat] Super Bowler - the hat band pulses in time with the music!
[Rare Hat] Bombastique - a cartoon bomb hat with a lit fuse that produces sparks
[Rare Body] Brute Armor - an intimidating set of space marine armor
[Rare Head] Dice Head - do you feel lucky?
[Uncommon Hat] Banana
[Uncommon Hat] Boogie Bowler
[Uncommon Hat] Traffic Stopper
[Uncommon Hat] Wizard Hat
[Uncommon Throw FX] Energy Shot

Decals:
Target, Radiactive, Biohazard, High Voltage, RoboCola Cap, RoboCola Can, Barcode, Get Dunked, Watermelon, Kitty, Battery Powered

Glasses:
Fox Mask, Pig Mask, Owl Mask, Dog Mask, and Hi-Tech MonoEye

These items are now craftable, and additionally will drop during normal gameplay. Alternatively you can buy them direct from the Item Store which gives 35% of proceeds to the item creators.

I also added support for custom announcer packs! These will be ready-to-use items that you can create & subscribe to at any time. Check out the Workshop Guide for a list of file specifications. Basically take a bunch of audio files, give them the correct name, upload them as an Announcer Pack and players will be able to replace the standard announcer. Drop a note in the forums if you're interested in making one, but the process is a bit straightforward. The first one should be available shortly!

Other changes:

• Death spiral now a more regular spiral and shows correct tint
  
• Headphones pulse glow with the beat of the music
  
• Shortened fire wave trail
  
• Made fog more prominent
  
• Ball particle effects pause when charging shot to avoid view obstruction
  
• Improved charge particles
  
• Announcer lines don’t overlap, and can queue (e.g. says “Helicopter” and “Triple Kill”)
  
• Announcer says “On Fire”
  

Update 7.1 has just been released!

Features:

• Can request a pass (Default key is R). Shows 'Pass' over your head to friendly teammates, and bots will attempt to pass to you if they have a ball and are close to you. This lasts for 5 seconds or until you collect a ball. Super ball / Power Cube carrying bots will pass to you if you are closer to the hoop / capture point than them.
  
• Mode & Description is now more prominently displayed and displayed on each new round start, allowing players to review mode & team before confirming they are ready
  
• Added new Gif Replay capture setting “insane” - 60 fps and 8 seconds long
  
• Added visible timer before next round or match starts
  
• Activating scoreboard pauses in Solo PvE modes
  
• Time limit is more prominently displayed on scoreboard
  

Fixes:

• Up to 14 players can now cleanly spawn in each spawn area without bumping into each other and causing physics glitches
  
• Fixed menu errors if match reset while menu was open
  
• Recentered arcade unlock notification text
  
• More descriptive team titles on team Select panel for Lasers vs Jetpacks, Hunters vs Hunted, and Hoop Defense.
  
• Fixed main game camera just showing robot face if you changed video settings while a bot profile pic existed in scene
  
• Fixed some invisible triggers from blocking mouse click collect (esp on Arena)
  
• Dodgeballs reset to neutral on round end, preventing homing / boomerang balls from constantly bumping you after match end
  
• Fixed bots prioritizing score leader in FFA matches instead of much closer scoring targets
  
• Increased mouse scroll wheel sensitivity on all scroll views, especially on video settings
  
• Top-left leaderboard is now hidden during challenges & arcade while in-progress. Is visible when TAB scoreboard is displayed.
  
• Fixed challenge leaderboard not initializing properly
  
• Fixed weird camera jump when starting new match and respawning
  
• More consistent behavior of Tab scoreboard panel & overlaps with less
  
• Stopped disco lights from updating while game is paused
  
• Scoreboard highlight of super ball owning player happens immediately on pickup / throw, not just when score changes
  
• If player had active notification like “Run!” and then switches to spectator, that notification is cleared immediately
  
• Stopped 1st person spectator mode from showing HUD if the follow user wasn't alive
  
• Fixed overlap of rules / modifiers with team select panel
  
• Made scoreboard more opaque and readable
  
• Fixed weird alpha values on bot explosion
  
• Removed default homing ability from Jetpack team in lasers v jetpack
  
• Only plays boost sound effect for local humans
  
• Fixed failure to remove throw inaccuracy when easier bots are passing to friendly targets
  

In the next update I hope to add a bunch of new cosmetic items from the Steam Workshop. So make sure you pay a visit, vote on your favorite items and submit things you've built!

I just released version 7.0 of Disco Dodgeball, which includes one of the most-requested features: split-screen local multiplayer! Yep, you can now play multiplayer dodgeball with your friends on the same computer.

Hit "Local Multiplayer" on the main menu, activate your gamepads (up to 4 players), pick your bot appearance, choose any of the classic, expert, co-op challenge or custom matches and go!





A wide variety of gamepads are supported. And once you're in a match, you can further customize your bot to your liking by picking out from your existing Steam inventory of cosmetics.

Other changes:

• New 'Bot Photobooth' feature shows your real bot and all your cosmetics in the round-end stats panel (not just a bot icon)
  
• Access garage and customize your cosmetics within a match
  
• Bloodlust KOs in custom modes now gain 0 exp to prevent easy XP gain exploit
  
• Fixed decal clipping on Alkaline body
  
• Blanking out Profile Name makes it revert to Steam Profile Name, which updates dynamically
  
• Added bot self destruct when they get out of room bounds
  
• Added behavior zones within arenas to make bots slow down & boost to improve their ability to navigate jumps & gaps
  
• Greatly improved menu controller navigation
  
• Can easily switch between gamepad & keyboard controls. Just hit the appropriate menu toggle button on the device to activate it.
  
• Mouse input is now excluded from gamepad look controls, although it can be optionally enabled which is necessary for those using Steam Controllers with High Precision Input template.
  
• Added rumble sensitivity slider
  
• ‘Most Kills’ stat now reflects most round kills if in a multi-round match. Most match kills are shown when match is over.
  

Enjoy!

Erik

p.s. The game is 50% off this week to celebrate the update!