In The Black News

[p]Post-Match Enhancements[/p]

• [p]Post-Match scenes now display real squad data instead of placeholder/random squads.[/p]
• [p]Full squad performance is tracked and shown, including correct squad names, members, and top squad highlights.[/p]
• [p]Top squad determination now uses actual performance stats, falling back to legacy behavior if no squad data is available.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Squad & Team System Overhaul[/p]

• [p]New client-to-server squad handshake system ensures consistent squad membership and team placement.[/p]
• [p]Squads sync live to the stat tracker, ensuring Post-Match and Match History reflect accurate compositions.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]UI & Quality of Life[/p]

• [p]Added a Steam icon in the hangar and footer bar; clicking it opens the ITB Steam page.[/p]
• [p]History panel ordering fixed – results now display in proper chronological order.[/p]
• [p]Updated button styles for Steam and Discord links to match ITB’s icon set.[/p]
• [p]Minor polish to emissive lighting on station gantries for better balance with ambient light.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Fixes & Stability[/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue with armor welding where the simulation root mesh could sometimes be invalid during ship construction.[/p]
• [p]Various backend improvements to squad tracking, Post-Match data flow, and stat propagation for more reliable match results.[/p]

[p] [/p][p] Steam Deck Controller Layout[/p]

• [p]Improved steam input control scheme to fix some of the mapping issues when using a steam deck.[/p]

[p][/p][p]🚀 Post-Match Overhaul[/p]

• [p]Introduced a new Post-Match streaming system for faster, more reliable result transfers between server and clients.[/p]
• [p]Added player performance breakdowns: credits, XP, commendations, repair costs, and rentals now display clearly.[/p]
• [p]Victory bonuses, commendations, and economic adjustments now roll into a final credit payout.[/p]
• [p]Improved post-match cameras, spacing, and ship animations for a more cinematic results screen.[/p]
• [p]UI reworked: holo grids, pilot reports, and ribbon-style commendations added.[/p]
• [p]New cinematic intro updates: shorter delays, mission unique IDs shown in text crawl, improved hologrid visuals.[/p]
• [p]Added new loading throbbers and SFIOS branding/iconography to post-match UI.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]🏅 Commendations & Rewards[/p]

• [p]Commendations now reward credits and XP, integrated into the new ribbon system.[/p]
• [p]Placeholder credit/XP values added for kills, assists, objectives, and commendations, with tuning ongoing.[/p]
• [p]Repair and rental deductions applied correctly to final payouts.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]📜 Match History[/p]

• [p]Match History saving implemented: up to 25 recent matches are stored locally.[/p]
• [p]Each saved match includes IDs, start/end times, and detailed breakdowns.[/p]
• [p]New UI components in the Master App show past results with expanded detail.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]⚔️ Combat Balance[/p]

• [p]Adjusted global projectile damage multiplier: temporarily raised to 5.0 (nerfing missiles) then reset to 3.0 for balance.[/p]
• [p]Ongoing tuning for missile behavior and projectile damage math.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]👥 Multiplayer & Squads[/p]

• [p]Build version check added for squad invites: prevents mismatched builds from joining sessions.[/p]
• [p]Improved error messages for failed squad joins, with clear “client out of date” or “host out of date” reasons.[/p]
• [p]Added hangar popups to notify players of build mismatches before attempting to join.[/p]
• [p]Friend list sorting and cleaner squad invite handling added.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]🛠️ Vehicles & Assets[/p]

• [p]Shrike updates: cockpit meshes, dashboard sockets, and fuselage improvements added.[/p]
• [p]Added Reus ship schema prep assets and updated templates for Reus variants.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted post-match ship spawner and scene environment for client-side stability.[/p]
• [p]Fixed duplicate SimulationRoot crash on some vehicles.[/p]
• [p]Updated SpaceVehicle construction and module management to align with thumbnail/system changes.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]🎨 UI & Experience[/p]

• [p]Polished post-match and hangar menus.[/p]
• [p]Fixed camera interpolation in post-match sequences.[/p]
• [p]Expanded match history entries and updated footers in the Master App.[/p]
• [p]Improved Squad Member Ready visuals, disabled "Training" button for squads larger than 1.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted DPI scaling, fonts, and top button styling.[/p]
• [p]Added animated floating stars background and new loading throbber visuals.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]🖼️ Thumbnail System (Hangar Ship Previews)[/p]

• [p]Major Thumbnail System overhaul:[/p]
  • [p]Queue-based pipeline for stability, modules rendered before vehicles.[/p]
  • [p]Per-item warmup delays and inter-queue timing for cleaner renders.[/p]
  • [p]Added texture streaming residency to ensure high-quality thumbnails.[/p]
  • [p]Added light toggling controls for thumbnails, including per-capture disabling of tagged lights.[/p]
• [p]Default thumbnail camera positions adjusted for Shrike and Reus.[/p]
• [p]Updated thumbnail lighting and rendering scene for better fidelity.[/p]
• [p]Editor crashes due to blueprint dependency loops identified and under review.[/p]

[p] [/p][p][/p][p]💡 Hangar & Environment[/p]

• [p]Gantry lights now reset to default rotations when inactive.[/p]
• [p]Lighting in hangar baked and improved for clearer visuals.[/p]
• [p]Added mission contract countdown timers to Hangar Game State.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Shop & Inventory[/p]
  • [p]Shop widget now properly rebuilds lists after selling an item.[/p]
  • [p]Added sell option to the inventory menu.[/p]
  • [p]Monies change animation now works as intended.[/p]
  • [p]API: After purchases, inventory refresh events are now broadcasted alongside currency refresh.[/p]
  [p][/p]
• [p]Economy[/p]
  • [p]Default credits are now 30,000.[/p]

[p] [/p]

• [p]UI & Vehicles[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Shrike’s battery and utility slots protruding out of the frame.[/p]
  • [p]Locked slots now correctly display in the Hardpoints Editor.[/p]
  • [p]Multiple Shrike rental and store templates updated.[/p]
  • [p]Header bar, Hardpoint Slot Container, Shop Widget, and Hardpoints Editor UI assets updated.[/p]

[p]Join Principal Designer David Wessman and Assistant Producer Al Wood this Saturday, August 9 starting at 12:00 EDT. We're actually going to do two 2-hours sessions with a one hour break in between.[/p][p]For everyone who already has a key, please join us as we return to Saturn for some nuclear-powered space combat! For everyone else, please be sure to tune into our livestream on Twitch or our community Discord. [/p][p][/p][p]This time we’re going to give away TWO Steam keys! A link to the survey will be posted right before we go live at 12:00 PM EDT. The playtest will end and the survey will close at 5:00 PM EDT. You don’t have to stay for the entire playtest, but you do have to be there for at least a little while. [/p][p]As always, we are incredibly grateful to all of you for sticking with us and engaging with us over these livestreams. We are also monitoring the discussions in our Discord, Steam, and social media channels, so please continue to share your thoughts and feel free to ask questions, or provide feedback. Your voice is crucial to us and your feedback helps us deliver the best game we can to you. Thank you for your patience and support! We hope to see you on August 9th. [/p][p][/p]

[p]Today Principal Designer David Wessman and Assistant Producer Al Wood are livestreaming a playtest of In The Black. Join us on Twitch or Discord to chat and ask questions. We're actually going to do two 2-hours sessions with a one hour break in between. [/p]

The next Playtest with the Devs is today! SURPRISE!!! We start at 15:00 EDT. We're going to play for 2 hours. If you have a key, please join in! If you don't have a key you can still check out the action as we'll be livestreaming. You can catch the livestream on our Twitch channel https://twitch.tv/impeller_studios or by joining our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/jgwHXWA

For a chance to win a Steam key, you need to join one of the livestreams. There will be a survey to fill out to enter a random drawing for the Steam key!

Please wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/380110/In_The_Black/