HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed News

Dear Community,

We're extremely proud to have won this award and would like to thank our wonderful community for helping us develop Hypercharge into something special. We couldn't have won it without you! We were against fierce competition with hundreds of amazing games nominated.

A huge congratulation to each game that won an award and a big clap to those who were nominated.

Read the full press release on Gamastura.

Thank you again. - Joe
Digital Cybercherries.

Hello there, fellow Toy Soldiers. Sgt. Max Ammo has a friendly request. Would you mind writing some feedback via a Steam review? It takes less than a minute and helps us out so much. Being an indie team of just five, we greatly appreciate all the support.

https://store.steampowered.com/recommended/recommendgame/523660

Bots are still a work in progress, but we're super proud of how well they react to the surrounding dangers.

Attention, Small Soldiers!

TL;DR - Major Update #3 will focus on vastly improving the single player experience. This includes adding bots to PvE & PvP, plus lots more.

We know many of you absolutely love single player. It’s a convenient mode to jump in and out of as it doesn’t require the need to find an online server full of players. You can play to your heart’s content. However, we understand the biggest frustration is not being able to beat certain difficulty modes and earn the highest tier rewards. Part of this frustration comes from not knowing what enemy types you'll face on each level. We're still thinking of ideas, but some form of labelling for each level that hints at which enemies are to be expected in that level, may work quite well. In turn, players will have a better idea of the defenses needed before hand. In terms of balance and progression, the gameplay is not where it needs to be right now. Each level should be a challenge, but it should not feel frustrating. We're working hard on changing that.

After careful consideration, we’ve decided that Major Update #3 will focus on Single-player, with Major Update #4 focusing on our new game mode, Survival. COVID-19 has affected everyone, and it has put us behind schedule. By separating these updates, it enables us to work more efficiently. The last thing we will do is rush out an update just for the sake of it.

[h3]THIS SOUNDS GREAT. BUT WHEN WILL MAJOR UPDATE #3 ARRIVE?[/h3]
We're hoping to launch by the end of November. No promises, though!

[h3]OKAY, COOL. BUT WHAT ABOUT SURVIVAL?[/h3]
Our target is to launch the Survival update at the end of January 2021.

[h3]ABOUT THE BOTS[/h3]
Hypercharge is primarily balanced around 2-4 players. By adding bots, we intend to close the gap between the difficulty harshness of single-player, as they will help to build defences and protect the Hypercore. In PvP, bots will feel dynamic and challenging. We’re using a lot of fuzzy logic and reactionary responses to the players/other bots actions. Adding random movement, gunfire, weapon decisions and low-health defensive play-styles should make them feel more exciting.

• You’ll be able to choose the number of bots; the difficulty will change based on the number of bots/players.
  
  
• Bots may be randomly generated, but we are considering allowing players to give them profiles to use. Or, they will use whatever Split-screen profiles you have saved.
  
  
• Bots will try their best to protect a Hypercore that receives the most amount of damage and/or have the most amount of enemies targeting it. We may allow them to respond to some voice commands so players can override their core target. If we do get around to bots respecting voice commands, we may allow them to follow you or be told to head to specific locations.
  
  
• If you find you're low on credits, don’t worry. Locate your friendly bot and take some credits from them. I’m sure they won't mind.
  
  
• Bots will help with power management. They’ll place batteries into power nodes. Although, we’re not 100% sure we will get throwing working.
  
  
• Bots will be available for Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. We are also trying to see how well they perform in Plague mode.
  
  
• We’re still exploring ideas, but the number of bots, and perhaps their difficulty, will be shown in the server rules, with other options to experiment with.
  

Here you can see a very helpful bot inserting a battery into the power node. Power managment FTW!

[h3]ENEMY FEEDBACK[/h3]
We’re putting more emphasis on enemy feedback. For example, enemies will show signs of deterioration the more damage they receive. This will give you a better sense of progression.

You'll finally be able to tell how much damage you have inflicted upon the Cargo plane.

Jets look more terrifying than ever.

The Tank will be easier to spot in outside areas such as the Garden.

[h3]AND MUCH MORE CONTENT PLANNED[/h3]
Don't worry. We haven't forgotten about new maps, weapons, skins and the rest we've mentioned in the past. We aren't giving up on Hypercharge, it's just going to take a little longer to roll out the content throughout the next year. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

That’s it for today. As always, we are listening to your ideas and suggestions. Please keep them coming in. We are building Hypercharge, together. Thank you for reading and stay safe out there. We sincerely appreciate your support!

Have a brilliant start to the weekend. - Joe

- Digital Cybercherries.

Please note: We can’t promise that every single feature will make it into Major Update #3. This announcement is a development blog aimed to shed light on what we are working on, and hope to add in the future.

[h3]TL;DR - Developers are actual people, just like you.[/h3]
https://twitter.com/HYPERCHARGEGAME/status/1306962541336297472

We love our fan-base and the enthusiasm you have for Hypercharge. It means a great deal to us. Without you, all of what we have achieved would not have been possible. The past few months have been extremely difficult for us, just like they have been for the rest of the world.

We’re a five-man indie team with limited resources. We have done the best we can to cope with each obstacle thrown our way. However, there’s only so much we can humanly do. Our development roadmap is behind schedule. We’ve been honest and open about this many times in the past. We’re working hard to play catch up. We understand delays are frustrating, but please keep in mind that we are just as frustrated as you are. When we’re in a more stable and confident position, we will announce an updated roadmap. We appreciate your understanding and hope you will keep patient during these uncertain times. On a pleasant note, during this pandemic we have released 2 Major Updates on two platforms, and multiple Hot Fixes. We think that’s exceptional considering the circumstances.

To conclude this statement, we are human beings, just like you. We’re not machines. We have families, friends and partners to look after and worry about. We laugh, cry and sometimes have meltdowns.

From all of us at DCC, thank you for your support and understanding.

Joe Henson
Head of PR, Hypercharge: Unboxed

Small Soldiers,
We apologize for the late announcement. Here's more info about our upcoming game mode; Survival.

Gamescom Daily Show's Michael Swaim and IGN's resident toy experty, Max Scoville team up with developer Declan Doyle to check out the upcoming WIP Playground map.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Enjoy and have a great weekend. - Joe

- Digital Cybercherries.

Greetings, Small Soldier!

TL;DR - We’re working on new game modes, adding Bots to PvP/Single player and a lot of other awesome stuff, all of which is based on player feedback.

When Hypercharge launched back in April 2020, it received a very positive response. To date, it has a rating of 90% Very Positive, which is a healthy sign that we’re heading into the right direction. Our vision for Hypercharge remains the same, we want to offer the most authentic experience when playing as an Action Figure. However, there’s still much more work to do. Thanks to the feedback of our wonderful community, we have a vast amount of insight into what we should add, improve and change.

[h3]EXPANDING THE TOY-BOX[/h3]
We want Hypercharge to appeal to as many players as possible. We realise that the Tower-Defense aspect is not everyone’s cup of tea, and we don’t want to limit the potential of the game by sticking with just one primary mode. Don’t get us wrong, we love what we’ve achieved with the TD aspect, and we’ll continue to improve it, add new maps and features. However, it will not be the centre point of the game. Instead, our focus is towards the feedback of our community. We believe in your ideas and our workmanship. Many of you have called Hypercharge a hidden gem. Together, we’re confident we can lift Hypercharge from its feet and make this hidden gem gain the recognition it well and truly deserves.

[h3]WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON?[/h3]


Ahoy there, small soldier! The enemy want to board our ship. They will charge from all directions, so to fight them back you’ll need to climb the cargo net and walk the plank. Beware, however, there are sharks in these waters, and maybe crocodiles...

We’re hard at work on Major Update #3, with the main attraction being; Survival. This is a game mode that so many of you have recommended, and oh soldier, it’s hectic! So, what exactly does this mode entail? Well, there’s absolutely no building involved. Players must do their utmost to survive as many relentless waves as possible. Though, there is a little twist to it. Certain enemies will attack something called the Generator, and players have the option to save it, or else they’ll lose the ability for their shield to recharge, making surviving that little bit harder! The scoring system works by the number of waves players can survive, with different medals given for different ranges of completed waves. Players can buy new weapons and attachments for each wave. Enemies will drop health, shields and coins, allowing the player to spend currency on the slot machine.



[h3]COMMUNITY CONCERNS[/h3]
We're aware that there are many other brilliant suggestions and valid concerns. We won't include them all in today's Dev Blog, but below are some of the most common ones.

USER INTERFACE
We hear you. The UI could do with some changes. It’s difficult to navigate and hard to follow. You’ll be happy to know that we’re completely overhauling it, making sure it’s intuitive and easy to use.

SOLO PLAY
One of the biggest things we’ve learned since the launch of Hypercharge, is that not everybody has the time to play with friends. In fact, a lot of players prefer to play on their own. We designed Hypercharge with co-op mainly in mind. This took our attention away from solo players. Single player isn’t fully balanced, which means it can often be frustrating and not fun. So, how do we plan on alleviating this? Bots. For Single player only, we’re adding an A.I Bot that will help aid you in battle. Wait, you thought I finished? Get back over here. PvP. Yes, you’ll soon have the option to fight bots in PvP!

COME ON JOE, WHEN WILL THIS UPDATE BE RELEASED?
Slow down there, you’re excited, I know, we are too. But we will not rush this Major Update. It’s important that it’s very polished, stable and most of all, fun. We also want to align it with some big marketing plans. If all goes well, we should hopefully make some noise. To be on the safe side, and because I don’t want to get fired, we’re hoping to release it before the end of this year. Albeit, it should be sooner than that. And remember, we’re only a five-man indie team. There’s only so fast we can reasonably work.

If you got this far, thank you for reading and for supporting us throughout our journey. We’re in this together.

Have a fantastic rest of your weekend. - Joe

- Digital Cybercherries.

Please note: We can’t promise that every single feature will make it into Major Update #3. This announcement is a development blog aimed to shed light on what we are working on, and hope to add in the future.