Cue Club 2: Pool & Snooker News

Hi everyone,

We have a nice new update for you today just before Christmas! Some requested features have been added in with further fixes and improvements.

• The overhead table lamp in 3D mode has been enhanced, with more detailing and a smokey light haze effect.
  
  
• Chalk marks left on the table after playing shots with deep backspin have been made softer and slightly thinner to look more realistic.
  
  
• A key shortcut (F2) has been added to chalk the cue in-game.
  
  
• The default camera height above the cue in 3D mode is now automatically saved when you exit a game, and so there is no need to reset it each time you play.
  
  
• Clicking the middle mouse button now performs a 'Zoom Out' effect of the camera in 3D, similar to standing back from the table. You can also use the F3 key, or joypad shoulder buttons.
  
  
• Online multiplayer has been made more stable, and is a little faster too.
  
  
• We have introduced a multiplayer notifications button in-game, to assist with matchmaking. This pops up when other human players enter the lobby, and also alerts you when you have been sent a message or invited to play a match. This feature can be toggled on or off in 'Options > Match Settings > Multiplayer'.
  
  
• Customisation of the colour scheme of the Cue Club Bar has been moved to 'Options > Match Settings > Room Colour'.
  
  
• A bug that may have caused problems executing a shot when using a joypad controller has been fixed.
  
  
• Joypad navigation through the menus has been made slightly faster.
  
  
• In snooker mode, after a foul is committed the incoming player is now told whether a 'Free Ball' is awarded, before they are asked if they want to continue play, or make their opponent play again.
  
  
• It is now possible to talk to A.I. opponents during a Quick Match, Bar Challenge or Tournament game. Go to the in-game menu and select 'Chat' or press F1.
  
  
• There is a new option to turn chalk marks on or off. See 'Options > Display Settings > In-Game > Chalk Marks'.
  
  
• We have restored the green connectivity light in the multiplayer lobby.
  
  
• Other minor enhancements and bug fixes.
  

[EDIT: Just added a small update today and we've made some improvements to camera tracking. In 3D mode the camera can now be rotated higher above the table to get a better overhead view. There are also more levels of zooming. Clicking the middle mouse button draws the camera up and over the table. Then rolling the mouse wheel will shift it back further. Click the middle button to return to aiming. These are mapped onto keys F3 (short zoom out) and F4 (long zoom out) and also the joypad left and right shoulder buttons. These same controls will now instantly adjust the zoom level in 2D overhead view too.]

We hope you like these new updates, and once again big thanks for your support and feedback!

Hi everyone,

Over the last few weeks we've been working hard to provide more improvements to Cue Club 2 and have another update today with new features and fixes to further refine playability and performance.

• Ball weight has been reduced slightly to limit the amount of forward roll following a collision, and going 'in-off' is now less likely to occur, unless the object ball is very close to the pocket.
  
  
• Table friction has been increased a little when using a fast table cloth, and reduced for the slow table cloth, making them more usable and closer in performance to the normal setting, whilst still offering variation.
  
  
• The transfer of topspin and backspin from the cue ball to the cloth has been significantly improved, leading to more realistic ball physics.
  
  
• Table cushions and pockets have been made a little less bouncy, and 3 custom settings are now available (slow, medium and fast). Go to Options > Dynamics > Cushion Speed
  
  
• The overhead table lamp now has two modes: 'Soft Light' which produces a brighter glow in the centre of the table fading out towards the edges, and 'Strong Light' which offers a more uniform table bed illumination. See Options > Display Settings > Table Lamp.
  
  
• Steam Cloud saves have been added for game progress, current saved games and settings/preferences. So if you have more than one PC, you can access the same game data. This feature can be toggled on or off. Go to Options > File Management > Steam Cloud.
  
  
• Saved data settings have been moved to Options > File Management.
  
  
• In-game chat settings have been moved to Options > Match Settings.
  
  
• In 'Detonator' mode, the ball explosions have been made faster and more powerful.
  
  
• A bug in the Achievements section that occasionally prevented Speed Pool and Snooker breaks from being replayed, has been fixed.
  
  
• Referee activity has been removed from replays to make them run smoother.
  
  
• The in-game exit menu now has a follow-up confirmation screen, so you do not accidentally lose your progress.
  
  
• Other minor fixes and enhancements.
  

Thank you once again for providing feedback and supporting the game!

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to announce that another update has been added today with some nice new additions and improvements to the game.

• Support has been added for Ultra-Widescreen monitors (21:9) which visually improves loading screens, menu screens, and the layout and table dimensions in the 2D overhead view, and also offers a wider field of view in 3D mode so you can see more of the playing area.
  
• We have further reduced the amount of steps that A.I. players need to set up and perform a shot, leading to faster and more enjoyable gameplay.
  
• A.I. opponents are now more likely to position the cue ball along the headstring rather than behind it, during a break shot.
  
• A.I. players apply backspin on the cue ball a little more sensibly and are less likely to over-use the feature.
  
• The amount of frames played in each round of a tournament can now be modified individually from 'Best of 3' right up to 'Best of 35' in increments of 2. Go to 'Options > Match Settings > Tournament'.
  
• The mouse pointer has been ghosted out slightly when A.I. players are at the table, to make it more obvious who's turn it is.
  
• A bug in Speed Pool which required you to respot the cue ball on the break or after scratching, has been fixed.
  
• A bug that occasionally halted the game when an A.I. opponent tried to nominate a ball or pocket in 3D mode, has been fixed.
  
• A bug in Multiplayer that sent the game out of sync when a player elected for the balls to be re-positioned following a foul in snooker, has been fixed.
  
• The 'Load Tournament' feature has now been made more stable and has been replaced with 'Load Game' instead. Select 'Play Game > Load Game' from the main menu.
  
• Camera tracking has been made smoother when replaying shots, Speed Pool games, or Snooker breaks in 3D mode.
  
• In 'Slam' mode, the cue now remains off the table at all times.
  
• End game animation for completing Bar Challenge has been re-rendered to support Ultra-Widescreen.
  
• A bug in the 'Load Game' feature that halted progress has been fixed.
  
• Text in the 'Game Over' menu screen has been reworded.
  
• Other minor fixes, improvements and performance enhancements.
  

Thank you again for supporting Cue Club 2 and offering your valuable feedback!

Hi everyone,

There is a new update today with some extra features and improvements to the game.

• We have included a new 'Best of 9 frames' option for Quick Game, Bar Challenge and 2 Player modes, in addition to the shorter match options.
  
• The number of frames played in a tournament final can now be fully customised from 'Best of 3' right up to 'Best of 35' frames, in increments of 2. Go to Options > Match Settings.
  
• The number of frames per round is now displayed on the tournament fixtures screen.
  
• AI players now set up their shots a little faster for an improved gameplay experience.
  
• A bug that sometimes made the 3D view of the table vanish after loading a game has been fixed.
  
• In-game music volume is now correctly set after resuming a saved game.
  
• Visual enhancements made to the table selection menu.
  
• Stitching on the middle angular pool pockets has been improved.
  
• Other minor fixes and improvements.
  

[A small correction has been made since the original update to fix a bug in tournament mode that halted progress at the end of a frame]

Many thanks once again for your support.

Hi everyone,

Another new update has been added today following some more useful feedback from the community, with extra features and improvements.

• New mid-game save facility. To use this, go to the in-game menu, select Exit then choose the Save option. The game can be resumed from the main menu by selecting Play Game then Load Game. You can save at any point in a match - there are no restrictions.
  
• Progression in Bar Challenge mode has been made clearer and the current opponent to beat in order to unlock the next opponent is now highlighted by default.
  
• We have also made changes to further increase performance across a broader range of PC systems and configurations.
  
• Small improvements made to gamepad navigation.
  
• Other minor enhancements, optimisations and bug fixes.
  

Thanks again to everyone for your comments and support!