Swapmeat News

Ready to go hands on with SWAPMEAT? Whether this is your first playtest or you’ve been with us since the beginning, we’re ready to welcome you into the Meat Lab!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Sign up for playtest access at playSWAPMEAT.com![/h2]

We’ve been busy since we wrapped on Meat Lab 5 — you’ll spot lots of changes this time, including new items, big interface updates, two reworked boss battles (can you take down the Monday Night Midterms?), balance adjustments based on your feedback, and lots more.

Get yourself signed up for the playtest kicking off July 17, then mosey over to our Discord server and drop a spam emoji while we count down the days.

See you in the Meat Lab!

Discord | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | TikTok

Hopefully you got your fill of playtestin' over the past week, because it's time to shut 'er down.

Between PAX East earlier this month and Meat Lab 5 this past week, it's been a bit of a whirlwind! Watching you play the game, screaming the word "MEAT" at you, apologizing for screaming at you... sorry, got distracted. The point is, we've learned a lot about our game and your notes have led to lots of new updates and changes over the past couple weeks.

So... how did we do? What were the best parts of the game? How much did you notice the tweaks we made over the course of the week? Which meat piece did you beeline to every time you saw it drop? (I'm already missing my beloved Spider legs zoomies.)

Thanks again for joining us, both in Boston during PAX East and here during Meat Lab 5. You've given us not only a boatload of invaluable feedback that's helping make the game better, but a reminder that this weird thing we're making is freakin' fun. The playtest may be over... but we're just getting started.

Thank you once again, and stay tuned for more SWAPMEAT news as we work toward launch later this year. Until then, swap on by our Discord server, grill the team, and meat some new friends.

[h2]ONE DAY LEFT![/h2]

The Meat Lab closes at 5pm PT on Thursday, so get those last runs in and leave your notes over in Discord. It helps us a lot!

• Fixed an issue where events that do not provide rewards would reduce the Hunter Threat Level
  
• Fixed an issue where Hunters that are incapacitated would respawn and play their banish animation
  
• Fixed a crash caused by exiting to the main menu while playing the launch sequence cinematic
  
• Fixed the wrong animation playing for Ninja Torso’s Mandible Ripper (Katana) swipe
  
• Fixed broken animation playing on Meat Zord Torso’s Mandible Ripper (Katana) swipe
  
• Fixed a bug where you would receive no items on level-up (usually after level 10) if your build didn’t use many elements.
  
• Fixed potential cause of the screen turning completely black with UI elements displayed on top
  
• Fixed being unable to navigate to the 3rd tab of items in the item registry
  
• Fixed a bug that would allow the harvester core to be destroyed before the event event started
  
• Updated the text scroll for start and end of each solar system with grammar fixes and updated proper nouns for places, people, and things in SWAPMEAT
  
• Fixed training dummies being able to die. Thanks for the report, Delirium!
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• Added “drunken” rocket squirrelly-ness to the Rocket Swarm rockets, and slightly decreased spread for easier aiming.
  
• Increased rocket damage radius on Rocket Swarm Ability by 50%
  
• LIV-Mas Tier 2 (green color) now has an additional laser sweep attack
  
• Increased radius of Gravity Well 4m → 8m
  
• Renamed Mutant Meridian to Ol'Tangus system
  
• Renamed Extraterrestrial Expanse to Dangerous Night system
  
• Renamed Automated Abyss to Silicon Graveyard system
  
• Renamed Protein Paradise to Meat Heim system
  

[h2]Balance[/h2]

• In an earlier update we changed Event XP to not be reduced by player count and added an XP reduction on enemy kills as the number of enemies scales with players but the number events do not. To compensate for this, we have increased the XP requirement for each level by 12%. With these changes, solo players and larger squads should now be roughly the same level when they reach the final planet of a solar system – around lvl 30 if you complete most of the secondary objectives on all three stages
  
• Increased by 50% the number of “scout” enemies that spawn over time and follow you
  

• Health bars in the event status display should stay around for important event objects, even if the object reaches zero hit points. Hopefully this makes overall status more clear during events like the Payload escort and Harvester extraction
  
• Updated Mutation / Hit Effect / Buff icons to ensure the applied buffs match the source from which they are applied
  

[h2]Animation[/h2]

• Added animation to Rocket Swarm Ability
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]

• Added SFX to Rocket Swarm Ability
  
• Adjusted mix level on Rocket Bot’s missile attack to help it punch through a little more and warn the player
  

Ahoy there -- new patch notes incoming! There are only a couple days left in Meat Lab 5, so keep the feedback coming over in our Discord server.
[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Invulnerable enemies wont be targeted by Aim Assist (on controller) or player-deployed turrets anymore
  
• Typo in the game’s opening text crawl has been fixed: ~~Sausage Spiral~~ Frankenstar System
  
• Fixed certain projectiles and lasers from shooting in the wrong direction after leveling up
  
• The Payload event now displays a marker on the control panel used to start the payload moving
  
• Thruster VFX on non-host bolt burgers will now show up in the mission start sequence when they fly out from the ship.
  
• Fixed missing audio when Ringo is incapacitated and teleports
  
• Fixed in world markers not going away after defeating the alien snipers in the sniper nests event. Thanks for the report @inaudible!
  
• Fixed not being able to fire after reloading when mashing the fire button. Thanks for the report @harmeson!
  
• Fixed the hunters not being able to access an area of the map on Tibbler’s Run. Thanks for the report @tangent4033!
  
• Fixed an issue where currency icons were invisible upon completing an objective
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

[h3]Hunter Updates[/h3]

[h3]Hunter Threat System (Arrival & Delay)[/h3]

We’re going to continue making adjustments to the Hunter Threat system and their arrival & delay timing throughout this test. Our goal is to keep the player moving and encourage objective completions – last update included a change which paid down the Threat Meter when completing secondary objectives. This update we’re increasing the time allotment of the initial delay so the player – especially on the first planet – is able to orient themselves and get going. Additional delay will primarily be provided by objective completion throughout this iteration.

• Removed Hunter Primary Objective Delay time from Hunter Protection 1.1
  
• Increased base Hunter Delay Time on Hunter Protection 1.1 180s -> 240s
  
• Changed Starr’s behaviors so that he goes away like Ringo, instead of healing slowly
  
• Both Hunters are gone/incapacitated for 60 seconds after their health hits zero
  

This is a developing system and we’re eager to hear your feedback. We’ve pushed one or more adjustments a day to this system and it’s tuning throughout this test because of your feedback. Please keep it coming, it is immensely helpful!

[h3]Managing Hunters[/h3]
If the player’s Hunter Threat Meter reaches “WET PANTS NOW” and the Hunters spawn, we’ve given the player a handful of ways to manage their presence.

• If you deplete Ringo or Starr’s health pool they will be incapacitated, disappearing into the ground, and respawn after 60s
  
• While your Threat Meter is at “WET PANTS NOW” the Hunters will gain a stack of “Meatlust” every 30 seconds until they are banished
  
  • Meatlust: +30% Move Speed, +30% Attack Speed, +6% Hunter Health
    
• Completing an objective will lower your threat level and cause the Hunters to be banished back to the Meathedral
  

[h2]UI[/h2]

• Fixed several issues with scrolling in Join Game list
  

[h2]Art[/h2]

• Enraged vfx added while Hunters are in their enraged state
  
• Cosmetic updates to the Hunter Threat Meater.
  

We're monitoring the game feedback, bug report channels, and general chat for areas of improvement as we continue to balance and flesh out these systems. Here's some updates for tonight @Playtest News

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• Breakable armor pieces (and the Butcher’s legs) can now get hit by all weapon types.
  
• Ringo waits a little longer for smoke to clear after spawning before starting to move.
  
• Made some changes to aim assist which should allow it to help, but at a lower level of effectiveness, while in the recovery phase of weapon recoil. Previously, it would remain inactive until recoil was entirely recovered.
  
• Increase Duration of Sentience Buff 10s → 30s
  

[h3]Adjust Carl's Hunter Protection Quests[/h3]

• Combine Hunter Protection 1.2 into Hunter Protection 1.1
  
• Increase Hunter Delay on Hunter Protection 1.1 60s → 120s
  
• Remove Hunter Protection 1.2
  
• Increase Hunter Arrival Time 150s → 180s on Hunter Protection 1.1
  

[h3]Adjust Rewards for Carl Quests[/h3]

• Adjusted Carl Rewards to grant a percent increase instead of a flat amount
  
• Ancient Meat Knowledge – Now grants +5% Meat Ability Damage
  
• Fish Meat Knowledge – Now grants +5% Meat Ability Damage
  
• Rock Meat Knowledge – Now grants +5% Meat Ability Damage
  
• Franken Felled – Now grants +10% Permanent Health
  
• Spiral Spine 1.1 – Now grants +5% Head, Torso, and Leg Meat Durability
  
• Spiral Spine 1.2 – Now grants +5% Head, Torso, and Leg Meat Durability
  
• Toily Tumbled – Now grants +10% Permanent Health
  
• Mutation Terminal – Now discovers @ Employee Rank 2
  
• Artifact Terminal – Now discovers @ Employee Rank 3
  

[h2]Enemies[/h2]

• The hunters now play awesome animations to go back home when you complete a prime directive while they are present
  

[h3]Hunter Balance Changes[/h3]

• Scale Ringo & Starr’s Health +2% per 10 seconds spawned
  
• Reduce Starr's Sprinting Melee Attack Damage 100 → 50
  
• Reduce Starr's Melee Attack Damage 100 → 25
  
• Reduce Ringo's Health 2000 → 1800
  
• Reduce Ringo's Grasp Attack Damage 40 → 30
  
• Increase Starr's Incapacitation Time 15s → 30s
  
• Increase Ringo's Incapacitation Time 30s → 60s
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug if Ringo had been channeling her grasp attack on the player while despawning the debuff would persist until the player died
  
• Fixed VFX and SFX bug with Starr’s healing ability; the visuals and sounds now loop for the entire 30 second state
  
• Fixed whack a mole event being uncompletable if the leg ability slot was mutated. Thanks for the reports @s1toast
• Fixed some bugs where some VFX tied to the Mutant Tag Team bosses were not rendering properly on clients
  
• Fixed pathing bug where Hunters couldn’t reach spawn position in Tibbler’s Run
  
• Fixed pothole in Tangus town, sorry Rebecca!