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Annoucement: future major update 2.0 for Robot Arena Survivors!

[p]Greetings, Robot Arena Survivors players![/p][p][/p][p]One year has passed since the release of the 1.0, the on December 4th 2024![/p][p][/p][p]First, thanks a lot for purchasing and playing the game. It took me 11 months to build and release it, almost alone (but not entirely as I teamed-up with Scott Hsu who is a very talented composer who made the audio for the game). Today, Robot Arena Survivors has sold 700 copies and is about to reach 2,000 wishlists. All of this, thanks to you![/p][p][/p][p]This year, I had the pleasure to watch your videos, live streams; but also to read all of your comments - regardless of if they were positives or negatives. I also wanted to thank you for that, as feedback are always extremely importants for an indie developer like me.[/p][p][/p][p]Even if the game was well received, some aspects of it were still a bit off and disliked. It's a fact that I can totally understand and share. I also observed myself some stats about the game (leaderboards, achievements...) to better analyse how the game was played and what could be better in the future.[/p][p][/p][p]In the positive things, we can list:[/p]
  • [p]That the low-poly/futuristic-neon art direction was liked.[/p]
  • [p]That the UI/UX was understandable and liked.[/p]
  • [p]That the game runs well, even on a SteamDeck.[/p]
  • [p]The core gameplay was liked and satisfying.[/p]
  • [p]The OST was greatly appreciated, and again shoutout to Scott Hsu for the amazing work here.[/p]
[p][/p][p]Meanwhile, what's now interesting is to list all the things we can improve on:[/p]
  • [p]The selection of a premade HTU is a very basic feature, not that interesting. Also, the fact that you need to grind to get a new one is tedious, and not properly understood as people tend to think the next HTUs will be stronger whereas they are supposed to be balanced.[/p]
  • [p]The statistics' meta-progression is boring and very grindy. Worst, its discriminating new players to challenge arena's leadeboards as they have to grind their base stats to have a chance to rank-up.[/p]
  • [p]The many leaderboards and game modes isn't a good idea, because most of the players aren't having much time to play and won't bother trying hard on every single one of the leaderboards.[/p]
  • [p]The choices of abilities is kinda interesting, but their evolution system is boring and does not offer many synergies to play with.[/p]
  • [p]The choices of rewards is quickly becoming annoying, as it's mostly about picking a new statistic upgrade. It's not funny as is, and doesn't do much to help with synergies. [/p]
[p][/p][p]This is why I think it's time for me to update you with a very exciting announcement: a free major update of Robot Arena Survivors is in developement for more than 2 months now. Robot Arena Survivors 2.0 will arrive in a few months from now, with a ton of new features and improvements![/p][p][/p][h2]A new HTU customisation system[/h2][p]Exit the need to chose between premade HTUs. With the 2.0 of Robot Arena Survivors, you'll have total control to configure your own HTU![/p][p]Chassis, turret, front weapon & pair of side weapons: every single HTU slot will be customisable, allowing you to create and fine-tune your own builds thanks to a variety of items to unlock.[/p][p][/p][h2]A new fair and interesting meta progression[/h2][p]The new meta progression will be focusing on unlocking new parts for your customisable HTU. No more stats to increase, but a new shop where to buy new gear![/p][p]Thanks to that, the first gameplay minutes can be played to grind a leaderboard with the same chances than any other player, regardless of their playtime.[/p][p][/p][h2]A unified and unique leaderboard[/h2][p]Multiplying the leaderboards was a bad idea. In the future, a unique leaderboard will appear in Robot Arena Survivors 2.0. Regardless of the arena you're playing in, you'll be able to compete for the same leaderboard. You prefer a specific arena? It's no longer a problem.[/p][p]Additionally, the score of the leaderboard will now be displayed in points - points will be calculated based on various things happening during the fight (time spent, waves completed, destroyed enemies...)![/p][p]Finally, this new leaderboard will give more information about the actual builds players were using when ranking-up, and their combat statistics.[/p][p][/p][h2]A unique but varied game mode[/h2][p]Having multiple game modes wasn't a good idea too. Now, every single arena will only have one game mode:[/p]
  • [p]Reach and complete 10 waves to finish the arena and unlock the next one.[/p]
  • [p]Keep playing above the 10 waves to enter the new "Challenge" mode and fight for a place in the leaderboard.[/p]
  • [p]In Challenge mode, various events can and may happen: participate (or not) to the events to earn more points or unlock more rewards![/p]
[p][/p][h2]Improved handcrafted arenas[/h2][p]Unlike the previous arenas that were built with a little bit of procedural generation, the new arenas will be entirely handcrafted to ensure a unique challenge and vibe.[/p]
  • [p]Every arena has been entirely rethinked to match with a very specific theme, with a very specific damage type to face (e.g. Kinetic).[/p]
  • [p]The overall vibe, the traps and the enemies will be specifically designed to match with the arena theme.[/p]
  • [p]The arenas no longer have fixed walls; you can now go outside of the arena for a short amount of time (before losing the run).[/p]
  • [p]The arenas have dedicated slots where you can call for a friendly ability (e.g. turrets), obtainable through in-game events completion.[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][h2]A new weapon evolution system[/h2][p]During a run, all of your equiped weapons will be upgradable and will be able to evolve two times - like they did in the current version of the game.[/p][p]But, in the 2.0 version, the evolution possibilities will be way better than before with more interesting choices and possible synergies with your other weapon slots.[/p][p]Discover all of the new possibilities by playing with the weapons and check them - after unlocked - in your assembly![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]And more![/h2][p]Many other improvements and features are planned, like the support of new languages, or maybe new OST tracks?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Initialy, I was hoping to launch the new update for December this year - for it's anniversary. But, I prefered to spend more time on it to ensure the version has the best quality possible. This is why the release date isn't announced yet; and this is why I'm publishing this update note to tease you about what's next and gather some feedback around it![/p][p]You can still find me on social networks (links on the Steam page) to follow the updates about the game and be informed when the release date is announced![/p][p][/p][h2]FAQ[/h2][h3]Q: How much the update will cost?[/h3][p]A: This update will be entirely free as long as you have the game in your Steam library.[/p][h3]Q: Will the price of the game increase with this new update?[/h3][p]A: No. The price of the game will remain the same as of today.[/p][h3]Q: Will the leaderboards be resetted with the new update?[/h3][p]A: Yes. This is due to the fact that all of the changes are deeply modifying the balance of the game. And also, the unified leaderboard system doesn't match with the current setup having multiple dedicated leaderboards. But, I'm thinking about a way to remember of the best players of the 1.0, maybe by doing some kind of a hall of fame somewhere in the game![/p][h3]Q: Will I lose my progress with the update?[/h3][p]A: No. If you already have unlocked an arena, you'll still have it unlocked in the new version of the game. The game will convert the previous save to the new system.[/p][h3]Q: Will I lose my meta progression and currency with the new update?[/h3][p]A: Yes and no. The meta progression has been entirely modified so when starting in 2.0, you'll have everything locked (but the default items and the ones that are given as a reward if you have finished an arena). Beside that, your previous purchases will be refunded in-game and the currency will be converted into the new one - so no real loss.[/p][h3]Q: Will I lose my Steam achievements with the new update?[/h3][p]A: Yes and no. We'll try to keep as many achievements as we can, and convert them to something relatively similar if possible. But there might be deleted achievements or new achievements coming-in with the new update. Stay tuned for more information about that later.[/p][p][/p][p]If you have any additional questions related to this annoucement, please don't hesitate to comment this news and I'll be happy trying to answer them all![/p][p][/p][p]Thank you,[/p][p]ShidyGames.[/p]