Flashing Lights News

Hello all,

We have just launched a major new update for Flashing Lights, which includes the EMS revamp and new content we've been working on, optimisation and some substantial additions to the sandbox menu. Thank you to everyone who has jumped onto the recent unstable versions and helped us to refine and improve the EMS content and optimisation.

Before we dive in, we want to mention that Flashing Lights is now available at a 50% discount, for one week only!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/605740



[h2]Sandbox Menu[/h2]
We've added tons of fun new options to the sandbox menu, designed to allow you to make as much chaos as you could ask for. These new options include low/high gravity, fast player run speed, increased vehicle bounciness, amplified vehicle physics, a pedestrian spawner, and an item spawner.



Don't worry if this isn't your thing! When starting a multiplayer game you're able to decide whether or not to allow the sandbox menu, and when browsing for multiplayer games to join, you're able to see whether or not the server has the sandbox menu enabled.

To access the sandbox menu in-game, F6 is default key. If F6 does not bring up the menu, you may need to manually assign the key or reset all inputs to defaults.

[h2]Optimisation[/h2]

We heard you loud and clear, and so we decided to bring forward some of our planned optimisation work. Game performance should now be notably better for some of you, depending on your specs. Let us know how you get on!



[h2]EMS Revamp + Callouts and Equipment[/h2]
We're excited to have revamped and expanded on Flashing Lights' EMS content! You can now play numerous new callouts including Diabetic Emergency, Respiratory Failure, Allergic Reaction, Nausea and Chest Pain incidents. We've also added new medications, an oxygen mask, the ability to perform a blood glucose test, and an ambulance van - as well as updating textures for stretchers, fracture kits and defib models.





New
- Ambulance Van for EMS
- Stretcher now holds Medic Bag, Defibrillator and Fracture Kit that can be picked up by players
- Reorganized Med Bag
- EMS treatment UI
- New medications
- Oxygen Mask
- Blood Glucose Test
- Player spawn points at rural towns
- New departments at Cod Town and Beach Town
- Radio chatter background audio for police vehicles (default toggle F4, might need to manually map it in settings)
- New EMS missions:
Diabetic Emergency [ID 3004]
Respiratory Failure [ID 3005]
Allergic Reaction [ID 3006]
Nausea [ID 3007]
Chest Pain [ID 3008]
- New Sandbox menu options:
Pedestrian move speed
Traffic speed
World physics (gravity, bounce factor)
Player move speed
Player vehicle physics



Fixes
- Runtime and first time map loading optimizations
- Pedestrian spawning at suburbs
- Sometimes player could not move after respawn
- EMS treatment multiplayer sync improvements
- Stretcher model and texture updated
- Fracture Kit model and texture updated
- Defib model and texture updated
- EMS trunk reorganized
- Added toggle clothes in Defibrillator menu
- Fixed an issue with returning to Med Bag menu after applying neck collar and bandages
- Using "Move to stretcher" command broke the treatment if patient was not ready to be moved in some cases
- Possible neck injury was showing on all patients
- Patients didn't despawn when calling EMS AI transport outside of waypoint areas
- Traffic AI could respawn stopped and with driver outside after being part of Officer Needs Assistance mission
- Adjusted traffic advisor lights on SUV1 cars
- Adjusted mirror lights on sedan cars
- Visual update for buildings (Commercial signs)
- Additional map decal/props updates and fixes
- Ground phasing through highway roads


We have plenty of new content and enhancements coming your way! Please note that due to moving forward the all important optimisation work, we have had to move back the rest of the October update. More sandbox mode options, animation fixes and AI pedestrian outfit variety will no longer launch this month - but they're still on the way. Keep an eye out for more news!

We can't wait for you to jump in and play today's new update. Let us know what you think!

Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team

The unstable branch has been updated to include the IV procedures on some of the following missions: hit and run, gun shot wound and unconscious person.

Thank you to all who tested the update yesterday and reported some issues!

To access the unstable branch you can do the following:
- Load up Steam and head to your library
- Right click on Flashing Lights and then select "Properties"
- Head to the Beta tab and in the drop down select "unstable_test_branch" (no password needed)
- This will then download the new update for you

Patch notes:

Build 211022-1

New
- IV treatments added to some unconscious, hit and run and gun shot wound missions

Fixes
- EMS patient in sit pose had random rotations
- Using "Move to stretcher" command may break the treatment if patient was not ready to be moved
- Neck collar didn't spawn
- Missions 3005, 3006, 3007 and 3008 didn't come up on random dispatch messages
- Air tank on stretcher was hanging in air
- Another traffic spawner optimization

Have a lovely weekend!

We have an unstable build today, featuring a bunch of new EMS missions! More details below!

IV procedures are in progress and will be updated soon.

To access the unstable branch you can do the following:
- Load up Steam and head to your library
- Right click on Flashing Lights and then select "Properties"
- Head to the Beta tab and in the drop down select "unstable_test_branch" (no password needed)
- This will then download the new update for you

Patch notes:

Build 201022-2

New
- Reorganized Med Bag
- New medications
- Oxygen Mask
- Blood Glucose Test

New EMS missions:
- Diabetic Emergency (ID 3004)
- Respiratory Failure (ID 3005)
- Allergic Reaction (ID 3006)
- Nausea (ID 3007)
- Chest Pain (ID 3008)

Fixes
- Added toggle clothes in Defibrillator menu
- Return to Med Bag menu after apllying neck collar and bandages
- EMS next procedures steps hidden until one is done
- Possible neck injury was showing on all patients
- Treatment steps now showing up on non-mission patients (hit/shot)
- Ground sticking through highway roads

Hi everyone,
Today we are updating the unstable branch with the new EMS user interface.
This vastly improves the UI and helps players navigate EMS tasks with ease.

We are looking at adding new missions next week.

New
- EMS treatment UI

Fixes
- EMS treatment multiplayer sync improvements
- Patients didn't despawn when calling EMS AI transport outside of waypoints areas
- Traffic AI could respawn stopped and with driver outside after being part of Officer Needs Assistance mission

Hello everyone,

Optimisation improvements and an EMS update preview is now available on the unstable branch!
We decided to bring forward much of the optimisation work which was scheduled later in the year. We felt this was a very important area of the game we needed to work on as soon as possible.

Due to this, we have a short delay to the public version of the EMS update. However, we are making parts of the EMS update and the optimisation fixes available on the Unstable Branch today. We would love to hear your feedback on the optimisation work while we are still working on the final areas of the EMS update.


[h2]What is Available Now[/h2]

By downloading the Unstable Branch build you can experience:

• A new ambulance
  
• The stretcher now holds med bag, defib and fracture kit
  
• New department buildings in rural towns, including spawn points
  
• Optimisation of chunk loading and props
  

[h2]What's to Come[/h2]

We are of course still hard at work, completing the final elements of the EMS update.
You can expect the following in the coming weeks.

• New missions
  
• New tools
  
• Improved UI for mission management
  

[h2]How to Access the Unstable Branch[/h2]

To access the unstable branch you can do the following:

• Load up Steam and head to your library
  
• Right click on Flashing Lights and then select "Properties"
  
• Head to the Beta tab and in the drop down select "unstable_test_branch" (no password needed)
  
• This will then download the new update for you
  

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]

New

• Ambulance Van for EMS
  
• Stretcher now holds Medic Bag, Defibrillator and Fracture Kit that can be picked up by players
  
• Player spawn points at rural towns
  
• New departments at Cod Town and Beach Town
  
• Radio chatter background audio for police vehicles (default toggle F4, might need to manually map it in settings)
  
• Added pedestrian waypoints in both towns and City Marina (this adds more locations for calls)
  

Fixes

• Runtime and first-time map loading optimizations
  
• Pedestrian spawning at suburbs
  
• Sometimes not being able to move after respawning as been addressed
  
• Stretcher model and texture updated
  
• Fracture Kit model and texture updated
  
• Defib model and texture updated
  
• EMS trunk reorganized
  
• Adjusted traffic advisor lights on SUV1 cars
  
• Adjusted mirror lights on sedan cars
  
• Visual update for buildings (Commercial signs)
  
• Additional map decal/props updates and fixes
  
• If setting sandbox menu as Host Only in multiplayer, the game now correctly shows in server lists
  
• Optimized AI spawning area calculations around players
  
• Improved pedestrian spawn rate (Peds now go towards player +/- 20 meters at their first spawn, then continue on random waypoints)
  
• Added more props to city hospital parking lot