Gunlocked 2 News

[p]This patch represents the culmination of almost all previously received feedback. Unlike 0.11.00, this update focuses a lot more on quality of life and balance changes based on both user feedback, and what I’ve learned from watching how players are interacting with the various systems. There’s more to do, of course, Early Access only started 6 days ago, but I’m already really happy with progress.[/p][p]If you’ve reported something and I haven’t addressed it yet, I haven’t forgotten it (there’s still time for me to do that), I just didn’t prioritize it yet. It’s on the list.[/p][p]I’m now shifting focus toward getting the big Utility update ready for testing. This should strengthen various build paths and open up a couple new archetypes. As previously mentioned, these utilities are not chance-based, so for those of you over the %chance to trigger text, this ones for you.[/p][p][/p][p]One final note: I’m keeping an eye on pacing/difficulty, and watching various stats and achievements, to see how these things might be adjusted in the future. I don’t want to rush to make any sweeping changes here because the Utility and (especially the) Symbionic updates are going to significantly change build power.[/p][p]I can’t stress enough how much is going to change and grow as Early Access goes on. This is just version 0.12.00...It’s a long way to 1.00.00. And if sales and reviews are strong, there’s no reason we can’t take this baby all the way to 2.00.00! See you all at the next patch![/p][p][/p][h3]Features[/h3][p][/p]

• [p]Mouse: You can highlight popup menu options now and click the options that way. Previously they worked for mouse like keyboard and gamepad, indicating which button to press for each option and not requiring you to select them. A lot of people didn’t seem to realize (I blame myself).[/p]
• [p]Gamepad/Keyboard: Pop-ups now work similarly to the mouse menu update. Selecting an option first. You can still quick cancel out of them with the menu cancel button.[/p]
• [p]UI: I’ve added a new popup that explains that you have a dodge ability when you start a new run. Too many players skip the tutorial and don’t check the controls.[/p]
  • [p]This shows up in your first couple games even if you don’t use the tutorial[/p]
  • [p]It goes away when you phase shift or leave the starter area[/p]
  • [p]It will only show up for the first couple of games you play[/p]
  • [p]It also always shows up in the tutorial when you reach that part of the dialog[/p]
• [p]UI: You can now see how many copies of a utility you have in the choice pods as well as your inventory below[/p]
• [p]UI: You can now see the version number of the game in the inventory and upgrade menus to better help with bug reporting, or questions (so I know what version you’re on in screenshots). It can be found below the Synergy menu button.[/p]

[h3]Visual Updates[/h3][p][/p]

• [p]UI: Pilots and NPCs now have animated portraits during events[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Afterstrike has a visual effect now[/p]
• [p]Items: Added a new Hull Repair effect[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Sunsetter Explosion recolored and adjusted[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Bombsolesence has a visual effect now[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Blast Core has a new visual effect[/p]

[h3]QoL[/h3]

• [p]UI: Certain Pop-up menus are now dynamically positioned based on where in the menu you’ve selected something to make mouse selection quicker.[/p]
• [p]UI: There’s a new menu highlight effect when a settings option is currently selected. Note: Another change is coming to make it easier to see selected options when the option is not active.[/p]
• [p]UI: Updated damage popups now properly show plasmic and electric damage, and are color coded for clarity[/p]
• [p]UI: Upgrades that apply effects but no damage will not trigger 0 damage popups[/p]
• [p]Text: Reworded the description of “Boom Bots” because several players expressed confusion about how it worked.[/p]
• [p]Save/Resume: Post game stats and upgrade rankings will properly resume from where you left off when returning to a saved game. Note: There may still be some lingering issues with how damage is tracking. Some upgrades may still be over-represented in the post game stats.[/p]

[h3]Balance[/h3][p][/p]

• [p]Weapons: Plasma Bomb has been updated. The targeter now extends and retracts as you move up and down the battlefield. Allowing you more precise control over its aim.[/p]
• [p]Upgrades: Standardized all electric damage to have a base 10% chance to trigger chain shock, unless otherwise stated. Note: This change doesn’t actually affect that much, most electric upgrades have their shock chance listed, and it’s higher than this.[/p]
• [p]Upgrades: Rare and uncommon upgrades have slightly lower base drop odds. Note: These were set before there were items that could improve the drop rates[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Afterstrike remake – Common – When a missile deals critical damage, it creates a secondary explosion that deals 2 damage for every 20 damage the missile dealt. +5% crit chance for missiles. Additional Copies: +2 damage, +2% crit chance for missiles.[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Gasolier now affects Bombikaze as intended, allowing the bomb to keep charging after you leave the area[/p]
• [p]Masteries: Artemis’s mastery now has a 1.5 second cooldown that can not be reduced. Note: Artemis will likely get some additional fine-tuning later on.[/p]
• [p]Masteries: Locke’s homing mastery now has a faster seeking speed toward enemies.[/p]
• [p]Masteries: CRT’s Mastery’s ability to exceed the Drone maximum on Drone Swarm has been capped to 200% of its normal limit.[/p]
• [p]Skills: Volley's Bullet Buffet is capped at 6 charges. Note: This wasn't even triggering in the most recent update, so it's actually a buff, haha.[/p]
• [p]Items: Data Decoders now add only 3% bonus to rare drops, but still grant 5% to uncommons[/p]

[h3]Simulator Updates[/h3][p]Still a bit more to do before this goes from Alpha to Beta, but it’s coming along thanks to some great feedback on the Discord. Mostly bug and usability fixes, but there’s enough to justify its own category in the notes.[/p]

• [p]Equipping: The upgrade in the 11th slot of the simulator can now be unequipped in the Simulator. Note: This weird bug was caused by the game expecting your starter weapon to be in this slot[/p]
• [p]Equipping: You can no longer equip locked upgrades in the Simulator[/p]
• [p]UI: If you have an upgrade highlighted and exit the loadout screen, the text will now properly clear upon reopening the Simulator menu.[/p]
• [p]UI: When selecting a synergy, the highlight cursor now follows properly at all times.[/p]
• [p]UI: Selecting the synergy menu jumps to the last selected synergy in the Simulator.[/p]
• [p]UI: When exiting the synergy selection sidebar in the simulator, you will now be placed on the first upgrade in the library menu.[/p]
• [p]Misc: You can now force the boss to be destroyed if you turn boss spawning off after you spawn a boss.[/p]
  • [p]Note: There are still conflicts with fighting the same boss twice without restarting/resetting the simulation. One of the downsides of adding a major unplanned feature is getting it to play nice with systems that weren’t designed with it in mind.[/p]
• [p]Misc: If your ship is destroyed in the simulator, the simulation will now restart after your ship explodes[/p]
• [p]Misc: After re-opening and closing the simulator menu, gems and items no longer stop scrolling[/p]
• [p]Misc: The phase shift will no longer trigger if you use the shortcut to exit the Simulator. Note: It’s not deja vu. This bug was reintroduced when I made changes to how the phase shift triggered in general.[/p]

[h3]Bugs[/h3]

• [p]Keyboard: Fixed a critical bug preventing keyboard rebinding[/p]
• [p]Keyboard: Fixed an issue where you sometimes would need to press a key twice at the start of the mission menu[/p]
• [p]Mouse: The "Accept" prompt in the mission menu will now properly update to left mouse when mouse controls are active[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Drones will no longer gain infinite stacking damage if you equip the utility “Bot Blade”[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Fixed a bug that could allow “Pulse Field” to stack with itself, creating infinite lasers and crashing the game.[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Blitz Bomb should no longer cause various bomb type upgrades to sometimes get stuck on screen[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Lucky Lancer removed from pool temporarily, will return with the Utility update[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Fixed an issue preventing Flak from triggering[/p]
• [p]Utilities: Bombsolesence is now consistently triggering[/p]
• [p]Skills: Fixed a bug caused by a recent change that prevented Volley’s Bullet Buffet from triggering.[/p]
• [p]Augments: After triggering the augment “Perfect Fit” if you get a beacon before your next level up, the infinity symbol will no longer still be visible briefly[/p]
• [p]Weapons: Cross Bolt bullets does not trigger Chain Shock nor mark enemies for Shock Collar.[/p]
• [p]Data Beacons: In the rare event 2 or more beacons show up on screen and you’re able to charge them side-by-side, they will now properly queue two upgrades[/p]
• [p]Data Beacons: Rerolling a replicator beacon purchased from an NPC should no longer leave you stuck with an empty shop[/p]
• [p]UI: The achievement progress meter should no longer briefly exceed its frame[/p]
• [p]UI: Data Decoders picked up (not purchased) will properly add to your inventory[/p]
• [p]UI: Fixed the incorrect Pilot portrait showing up at NPC events[/p]
• [p]UI: Collected items are no longer misaligned in the item inventory Note: this was likely caused by a recent fix to other, not entirely related issues[/p]
• [p]Text: Fixed a typo in the replicator description in NPC events[/p]
• [p]Achievement: Fixed an issue with the Boosted Achievement, where depending on which achievements were still incomplete, it would be disabled.[/p]
• [p]Boss: Fixed an issue that could cause the Sting King to get stuck doing nothing in level 3 boss fights[/p]
• [p]Boss: Sting King Targeting Cursors should no longer get stuck on screen after his invulnerable phase[/p]
• [p]Misc: Fixed a small memory leak where duplicate upgrade icons were not being removed from memory when stacking[/p]

[p]With many of the most pressing issues taken care of, and the frenzy of the first several days of launch now settling down, I thought I'd take a moment to discuss the first leg of Early Access development.[/p][p]The pace of hotfixes should slow down as I move to a more healthy work/release schedule. But I have a lot planned for new content, and still more polish for the launch content. I'll break each category down to be more specific, but these are the primary goals for month 1:[/p]

1. [p]Improve the user experience based on feedback[/p]
2. [p]Polish and complete the Simulator[/p]
3. [p]Add new content[/p]
4. [p]Fix lingering bugs and strange upgrade interactions[/p]

[h2]The User Experience[/h2][p]I've been reading all of the feedback in all of the places, and watching videos and GIFs from various users, and there's a few areas where things could use some clarifying that I didn't realize needed it.[/p]

• [p]A lot of new players are skipping the tutorial and not checking the controls. I'm not sure if this is because people expect this to play exactly like the original Gunlocked, but it has lead to a number of players thinking there are attacks they can't avoid taking damage from. I don't like mandatory tutorials, personally, so I want it to stay optional, but the first couple of times you play a game after the next update, you can expect to see this pop-up at the start:
  This will also show up at the appropriate time in the tutorial to clarify that as well.[/p]
• [p]Another issue that has come up is around the confirm pop-ups that happen for various menu interactions. Some users think they're interactive buttons to be clicked on, but they currently just indicate which buttons to press to confirm or cancel. Initially I thought I'd just communicate this more clearly, but I think it will be easier to simply make them clickable buttons. You can still right-click to instant cancel. There's more bug fixing to do (you can spot some in the GIF), and I want to make them dynamic so you don't have to move your mouse so far to click them, but they're coming along. [/p]
• [p]Gamepad is still the way I recommend you play this game, but I'm working to make sure the mouse experience is as good as it can be. Not everyone wants to or can use a gamepad, and I respect that.[/p]
• [p]Finally, there's a number of smaller updates coming based on feedback in the Discord that will touch on multiple systems. Nothing worth making a GIF for though.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]The Simulator[/h2][p]The Simulator is a sandbox mode that opens up as you play through content in the main game. It's in a very early state right now, and actually wasn't even a planned feature. This is something a user in my Discord requested, and I obliged because I thought it had a lot to offer for the genre. It wasn't part of my initial pre-launch roadmap, which is why it currently says "Alpha" on it. But I'm making good progress now, cleaning things up, adding more polish, squashing bugs. There's not a lot more to say about it, other than it's a big focus right now. I'm sure you all just want to know about upcoming content anyway.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Content[/h2][p]Content patches are divided into two groups: Regular and Major, Medium and Deluxe, Alpha and Omega...You get the idea.[/p]

• [p]Regular updates will be smaller content drops that offer a mix of new things, filling out systems that already exist. New pilots, bosses, NPCs, utilities, achievements. There's a lot in the works.
  [/p]
• [p]Major Updates will be themed updates that cover a number of interconnected systems of content types. Many of these will be about adding brand new systems, or dramatically expanding current systems. These will take more time and testing.
  [/p]

[h3]Regular Update 01: The Supply Drop[/h3][p]I touched on this in the last hotfix notes, but the first regular update planned will expand the selection of utilities significantly. [/p][p]Some users have expressed frustration at so many chance-based abilities in the early offerings. This wasn't specifically by design. I designed pages of upgrades, and as I chose the ones for Early Access I seem to have selected more of the chance-based ones. But the Supply Drop update will add a whole host of new utilities with various other means of triggering, none of them luck.[/p][p]This update should also help fill out some build archetypes that aren't yet viable, or as powerful as others just yet. Testing on this update will likely begin by the end of the week.[/p][p][/p][h3]Major Update 01: The Symbionic Update[/h3][p]This is the most requested feature at the moment, and with good reason: Symbionics are great! If you're new to Gunlocked, Symbionics were a secret way to improve a number of weapons with hidden bonuses in the first game. They weren't required, but acted as a fun surprise with powerful new effects.[/p][p]The new Symbionic system greatly expands on the depth and breadth of the system, and will give those of you looking for more direct weapon modifications a lot to work with. The system is huge compared to the original, and it will take some time to cook, but it will follow the Supply Drop update.[/p][p]Alongside the Symbionics, will be the updated Codex: An expanded depository (I said depository) of Gunlocked knowledge, that can be accessed to understand more about the game, and see what you have and haven't discovered.[/p][p]Like Symbionics, it's greatly expanded, offering more information than before, and also being accessible during a run. This might prove useful with symbionics...[/p][p][/p][h3]What lies beyond...[/h3][p]I have the entire roadmap to 1.0 planned out, but development can change at any time, especially as I receive more feedback, so I'll hold off on setting too much in stone just yet.[/p][p]You can probably figure out a lot of what's coming by looking at what's in the game already, but if sales are good, there's a bunch of fun ideas I'd like to explore to expand this beyond anything I've previously discussed. Only time will tell on that front. But either way, there's a lot of content coming![/p][p]Let me know what you think below![/p]

[h2]Patch 0.11.06[/h2]

Before I get to the patch notes, thought I’d touch on a topic I’ve seen brought up a few times now: Proc or “chance-based” abilities and the ubiquity of them.

It wasn’t actually my intention to stack the upgrade pool this way, and I just wanted players to know there’s actually a ton of non-proc type upgrades coming. It just happens that the ones I picked for launch happened to lean more heavily in that direction. I didn’t even realize I had picked them in this way until it was mentioned. But there are dozens of other upgrades designed that use a variety of other non-chance mechanics. I’ll get those into the game sooner rather than later.


[h3]Balance[/h3]

• Deadlock - New effect: When an enemy dies within 1 second of taking missile damage, they launch a 15 damage missile at a nearby enemy if close enough. 4 second cooldown. Each time an enemy dies from missile damage, the cooldown is reduced by 0.1 seconds.
  

[h3]Misc Bugs[/h3]

• Utilities: A previous bug fix for utility stacking seems to have fixed the ones that weren’t working, and broken the ones that were. This update should make both work. I should probably slow down.
• Settings: Resolution should no longer change when hitting the master volume button in settings
  
• Settings: The resolution will no longer update if you select the windowed mode that is already active
  
• Settings: When changing from full screen to windowed, while using mouse controls, the cursor should now properly adjust to the resolution change, regardless of screen scaling
  
• Anomalies: Helpful Anomalies will properly toggle in the mission options section with gamepad controls (accidentally left on some debug during a previous update)
• Anomalies: The anomaly Kessel Run should no longer cause issues with instantly reappearing warp gates
  
• Items: If you collect special items at exactly the same time you level up, the menu will no longer automatically close
  
• Text: Post-Game Missile damage recap will no longer have a hidden decimal that made the number look much larger than it really was
  

[h3]Patch 0.11.04[/h3]
Another batch of small fixes before I head to bed.

Bug Fixes
• Weapons: Drone Swarm will no longer have its targeting blocked by allied units
• Weapons: The Venomizer Mastery on Viper now properly resets when changing targets.
• Weapons: Weapons should now remain banished from the pool.
• Augments: Repair Drone will no longer spawn immediately in a new zone
• Skills: Scouting Probe is dealing the correct damage again
• Items: Signal Boosters collected outside of NPC events should now correctly add to your upgrade choices
• UI: Missions completed should now correctly save/load per pilot. Previous data was writing to the save, but not being exported to the cloud file, so previous victories will not be recovered.
• UI: The Mission tracker counter will now reappear when switching to another menu and then returning to the pilot menu
• Text: Big Shot mastery damage now lists the correct damage
• Achievement: “Drone On” will now count your starter weapon properly if it’s a drone weapon
• Achievement: “Boosted” is now properly counting Signal Boosters from NPC events. It was previously still using legacy code from an older version of the NPC system.

[h3]Patch 0.11.03[/h3]

Working through the Simulator to bring it from Alpha to Beta, but not there yet. I was planning to wait to post this update, but was alerted to an issue with kinetic upgrades for keyboard users. Gamepad and Keyboard share the same control code for 99% of the game, but the 1% played a big prank on me.

Misc Bugs

• Kinetic upgrades now properly charge when using keyboard controls
  
• Clicking exit from victory or defeat menus will no longer restart
  
• The “No Current Mission” button is no longer selectable with the mouse in the Mission Menu
  
• You can no longer select the “no current mission” (with no available save) button after launching the game if you launch with the Simulator on and then toggle it off
  
• Mouse Control improvements for synergy navigation in the upgrade and inventory menus
  

Simulator Bugs

• Mouse Control improvements for Simulator navigation, specifically the Synergy and Library/Inventory sections
  
• The Synergy shortcut buttons will no longer stop working
  
• The Reset Equips button will no longer cause the Simulator to stop taking your input
  
• Exiting the Simulator menu with the shortcut will no longer trigger Phase Shift
  
• When the synergy list is selected, the synergy button no longer shows the X button icon (unless you’ve rebound it to X)
  
• If you skip the synergy menu animations, the upgrade counters will no longer have varying levels of transparency/visibility