Garrison: Archangel News

For the new Public Early Access Update, this covers the major features and changes from last 4 months. To get weekly development updates, you can join our Preview branch for testing.

The full text and detailed changelog can be accessed here.


- Sunfield Frontier Final Paragon Mission, Ending Cutscenes.
- Ducouronne Final Paragon Mission, Ending Cutscenes.
- Improved Missions Squad AI.
- Multi-targeting on some Missile weapons upgrades.


- Fine Manipulators - Reload & Trick speed +30%
- Assault Condensers - Trick Charge Rate +20%
- Melee Overdrive - Melee attack speed +15%


- Melee Dash Bonus
- While Boosting, accumulates up to 30% increased dash speed for melee attacks.
- After Dodging, instantly gains 30% increased dash speed for melee attacks.
- Dash speed bonus decays over 2s.


- Reload Speed Bonus
- For WESPE AR, EMANCIPATOR SG
- After projectiles hit, instantly gains 30% increased Reload speed.
- Reload speed bonus decays over 2s.


- Boost cooldown (instant) no longer overrides Dodge cooldown (0.9s) when used in sequence.
- Overload regeneration decreased to 3s.
- Dodge regen delay increased to 0.9s.
- Boost regen delay increased to 0.3s.


- Rapid Missiles - Increased missile lifetime from 1.5s to 3s.
- Fusion Blade - Added 2 Burning stacks on melee and projectile hit in Charged mode.
- Liberator - Cooldown reduced from 2s to 1s.
- Hawkeye Sensors - Cooldown bonus increased from 10% to 20%.
- Blutreiter - Transform speed increased by 20%.
- Nere Crucis - Transform speed increased by 20%.
- Peacemaker - Increased Special shot startup from 0.15s to 0.2s.
- Peacemaker - Incresed Special shot intervals from 0.05 to 0.07s.
- Cannons, Dual Lasers, Railgun - Added Hyperarmor to ready Frames.
- ICBM - Lowered cooldown to 12s.
- Barrier, Aurora, Hata Jirushi, Hawkeye - Increased startup animation duration to 0.5s.
- Barrier, Aurora, Hata Jirushi, Hawkeye - Buffs activation is now earlier, animation duration is unchanged.

Fixed: Unintended Input interruption from taking damage ticks, causing attacks to be buffered.
- Was more apparent in fast DPS ticks.
- The 'Damage Cancel' penalty was intended
- for escaping damage immediately, but not to delay incoming counter-attacks.

Garage Pattern Texture Scaling
Improved Camera re/locking.
Improved performance for Physics updates .
Improved AI attack and reaction timings for fair play.

Finally, it's here! We'll be releasing the long awaited Du Couronne and Sunfield Frontier final missions and endings for public testing this friday, December 20!



The two major belligerents of this wartorn planet can now be supported toward their ultimate victory! Will you choose the energy-mining conglomerate or the military aristocracy? The fate of Baja Secunda is in your hands!



Depending on which side you support, the war will eventually bring you to the orbit of the planet, where you will lead raids on their flagships!

There are still two more main routes we aim to complete in Q1 of 2020 : The Imperial Legion and the Piedrana Separatists. They will also reveal more about the nature of the conflict surrounding the wartorn planet and tell sides of the story that remain unexplained.

Also, another huge enemy!?








To coincide with all these epic space battles, we released the Astral Void map! Set in the unforgiving vacuum of space, with space battle explosions in the background... Surely this will bring up some nostalgic memories from our older mecha fans!




Three new internal parts have been added to the game, giving people more options to customize and power up their Archangels!
- Augmented Fine Manipulators - Increase the animation speed of all hand weapons' 'Special Attack' and 'Reload' functions.
- Overclocked Melee Subsystems - Increase the animation speed of all melee attacks.
- Kinetic Assault Condensers - Increase the charge rate of all weapons with the 'charge' system. (Dominus, Star Gauntlet, etc)




With last month's introduction of Steam Remote Play and our recent live tournament (Clashpoint Paradox), we were able to gather updated PVP data. This led us to revisit some systems and review our game's balance (in terms of arena battles). For this month of December until January, we may be introducing new mechanics and adjusting weapons in the preview branch of the game to experiment with new systems and tweak stats for existing weapons.

Some of these new systems will make their way into the Public Update described above.


[h3]NEW UNIVERSAL MECHANIC : ASSAULT DRIVE[/h3]

The mysterious Archon Helix equipped on all Ghost Archangels give it strange and powerful abilities. With it, they enjoy much greater power output, gain the ability to absorb energy from destroyed enemies, and benefit from an invisible field that lessens incoming damage. However, another interesting capability this strange device grants them is the ability to store excess inertial force from thruster-propelled movement to later redirect them into the thrust of their melee attacks!



Mechanically, the Assault Drive is triggered whenever you use your boost/flight or dodge command. A small halo of energy will appear around your mech to signify it is active. Any melee attack activated during this period will have its dash range increased significantly. This new system gives all melee attacks a greater reach potential at the cost of some boost.

Very useful for melee-type units who have trouble catching up with mobile opponents with ranged weapons!


[h3]NEW WESPE MECHANIC : ASSAULT RELOAD[/h3]

The reload mechanic of the Wespe Assault Rifle has been modified to give it a leg up over other ranged weapon options.

The aptly named "Assault Reload" triggers whenever an enemy is hit by the wespe's projectile. For a short period after the hit, the weapon will glow. While it is glowing, its reload speed is increased significantly, allowing you to quickly rearm the weapon.


[h3]NEW FUSION BLADE MECHANIC : BURNING MODE[/h3]

The powered up mode of the Fusion Blade will not only fire off waves, but add a stack of the burning status effect to anyone damaged by its slashes.


[h3]DODGE AND BOOST REGEN PAUSE[/h3]



The regeneration of boost pauses whenever one does an action, uses boost, or dodges.
The pause time for doing a dodge is increased to 0.9.
Boosting previously did not have a pause, and is now set to 0.3.


[h3]WEAPON TIMING TWEAKS AND ADJUSTMENTS[/h3]

Several weapons have had their startup timings increased, such as the Agimat Barrier, Hata-jirushi, Hawkeye Sensor Suite and Aurora Field Generator - all of which previously did not have startup for their effects. Peacemaker's fan shot interval was also similarly increased.

Other weapons like the Liberator and the Balang Araw had the cooldowns on weapon recharge times decreased.

Some weapons had their transform animations sped up, such as the Nere Crucis and Blutreiter.

Expect more minor tweaks to weapon stats and timing until January!




As we develop the game, we've continually refined the graphics and visuals as we introduced new systems and content. Of particular note is the combo counter which now also indicates the enemy's state on hit and actually calculates how much of your final damage went through to their Hull after deflection and barrier considerations.

We've also been adding new effects for enemy destruction; some of them will now sometimes leave scorch marks on the ground. Effects for existing states such as overload, blocks, flinches, knockdowns, and burning have also been updated! It's best to see these for yourselves on the latest build!




The grand prize winner of the Clashpoint Paradox is now in the game as a preset character! Despite wielding only the flamethrower, homing lasers and the peacemaker, its high mobility and armor scores allow it to survive and win most encounters with its enemies!




As usual, even when we're approaching the end goal, we still have bugs to hunt down and parts of the game to polish! We'll be relying on our community more than ever to help us with reports and suggestions!


_________________________________________________

As usual, make sure to like/follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates!
We also have a YouTube channel where we post videos of our game's development.
You can also visit our Discord and talk with the devs and players of the game!

Updates to improve PvE combat cameras in Campaign mode,
New Movement options, Weapon mechanics fixes,
And a new map to as a sneak peek at the upcoming space battles.

v0.24.3 PUBLIC

Updated: New Map - Astral Void.
Updated: Missile launch vectors. Tracking and lifetimes are unchanged.
Updated: Space and Sky maps now have more leveled floors.
Fixed: Camera mouse control sometimes not responding.

~
v0.24.2 PREVIEW

Updated: Added Idle and Wakeup states to Perfect Dodge conditions.
Updated: Reduced Perfect Dodge detection range.
Updated: Hit Counter now shows Missed melee attacks.
Updated: Hit Counter now shows Blocked attacks and reduced damage.

Fixed: Star Gauntlet level 3 collider size.
Fixed: Dominus level 3 collider refresh issues.
- Not being able to hit the same target more than twice.
- Not refreshing across match rounds.

~
v0.24.1 PREVIEW

Updated: Quick Boost Option Only - New Boost Jump
- Using the Boost button while grounded with any direction will have a short jump at startup.

Updated: New Quick Dodge Option
- Separated from Quick Boost.
- Double tapping movement then releasing keys/direction now directly activates Dodge

Updated: Cruise Flight movement
- Unlocked Camera - Now has Free Movement, indepenent of Camera direction.
- Soft-Lock - Now has Free Movement, not toward the Target.
- Hard-Lock - Now has controlled Horizontal movement while moving toward the Target.

Updated: Lock Toggles
- Toggle Type - Mouse 3, Analog R3
- Switches between Soft-Lock and Hard-Lock types.
- Toggle State - V, Dpad Down
- Switches between Lock On or Off.

Updated: Adjusted Unlocked and Softlocked camera offsets and rotations.
Updated: Added minimum range to target auto-switching.

Fixed: Hit lag will no longer interrupt while Hyperarmor is active.
Fixed: Afterimages not displaying the correct duration of i-frames.
- This did NOT change the duration of i-frames (remains at 0.25s), just visual issues.

For the new Public Early Access Update, this covers the major features and changes from last 4 months. To get weekly development updates, you can join our Preview branch for testing.

The full text and detailed changelog can be accessed here.

Steam Remote Play Together Beta

- An owner of the game can invite their Friends for local Split Screen.
- Other players do not need to own the game.
- Players' Steam Clients need to be opted into the beta.
- One or both players are recommended to have Gamepads.
- For more information, check the Steam Announcements.
- And this dev thread.

Mech Save File Sharing

- Copy/Paste easily without editing
- Can be loaded while the game is running

Pattern Options

- Texture, Marking, and Glow Layers
- Under the Advanced Colors in the Garage

Pattern Unlocks

- Arcade clears
- Faction prestige
- Campaign completion

Campaign Updates

- New Special Missions, Rewards
- New Paragon Missions, Rewards
- Improved Minimap
- Mission map pools adjusted
- Ghost Presets/Unlocks
- Improved Grunt Squad AI
- Tank grunts
- Helicopter grunts
- Turret placements

New Arena Maps

- Crater
- City
- Desert
- Carrier
- Lava

New Hazard Maps

- Drift
- Eternal Sky
- Flotilla
- Desert
- Abandoned City

Player Experience

- Arcade Records
- Campaign Records

Arcade Mode Updates

- Matches reduced per difficulty
- Pattern Unlocks
- Archangel Presets/Unlocks

Ghost Codex

- Includes Win/Loss records, Lore
- Arcade Jockeys (x18 Preset, x20 Champion)
- Campaign Ghosts (x24)

AI Improvements

- Movement
- Boosting, Dodging
- Weapons

Quick Boost Option

- Double tap directions & release to Dodge
- Double tap directions & Hold to Boost

Mech Combat

- Build Overweight penalties doubled
- Improved UI popups
- Improved UI Hit Counter

Melee Mechanics

- Light/Power/Bash Attacks
- Melee Clash
- Projectile Clash
- Hit-Lag advantage on the attacker
- Weapon Guard Frame stuns removed

Ranged Mechanics

- Manual Reload animations slowed down

Shield Mechanics

- Deflect
- Perfect Guard
- Parry
- Guard Break

Boost Mechanics

- Boost Regeneration is now based on Weight percentage
- Overload Recovery is now based on half of Boost Regeneration
- Attacking while in Overload applies self-Burn stacks

Defense Mechanics

- Directional Wake Up Tech
- Perfect Dodge scene
- Dodge costs 1x
- Attack Dodge-cancel costs 1.5x
- Damage Dodge-cancel costs 1.5x
- Stagger Dodge-cancel costs 3x
- Destab Dodge-cancel costs 3x

Soft-Lock Camera

- Free movement range, not relative to the target
- Melee attacks are still relative to the target
- Ranged attacks fire towards the target

Unlocked Camera

- Camera facing is independent from mech facing
- Melee Attack direction based on mech facing
- Ranged Attack direction based on mech facing

This Archangel Announcement covers the updates we've released in preview since last October that weren't covered in previous issues, and those upcoming changes in November.

_________________________________________________



We will be updating the public build of Garrison: Archangel to 0.24 this coming friday, 08/11/19! The expected changes run 4 months worth of updates and changes to the mechanics, game modes and content.

We suggest reading the list of changes in the preview thread (from 0.23.1 onward) here.

For a gist of the major changes to expect, you may also read previous issues of our Archangel Announcements :
July - August September-October

The updates below marked 'New' will be included in this major update. ('Upcoming' is future content)




Introduced last month on our preview branch, the new 'clash' mechanic was introduced to strengthen melee weapons and make play with them more interesting. This new system also includes interactions with our shield and guard frame changes introduced last month.

There are two main benefits for the new clash system.

Melee Clash : Melee Attacks that come into contact each other will be nullified and the attackers may both be pushed away by the impact.

Projectile Clash / Cut : Melee attacks can cut down and destroy projectiles. Some projectile types are unaffected by this property, particularly flames and explosions.

This video should demonstrate the new clash system's effects as well as our combat UI updates.


For our new Advanced Melee, it also now comes in three types: Light, Power, and Bash.

Light and Power attacks trigger clash effects when timed properly, while melee attacks of the bash type do not trigger any clash effect. Power attacks also have advantageous interactions against guard frames and shields which we covered previously.

To accompany this major mechanics update, we also added melee attack tags to melee weapon attacks in the garage so players can see the properties linked to each attack. These systems' explanation is also covered in depth in new Codex updates and entries.


We hope this new system makes play with melee weapons more exciting and dynamic! We already had several fan videos showing off their merits, all care of ENMA.STATE! (Give him a subscribe when you all can!)
VIDEO 1 : 鍔迫~TSUBAZERI~【Garrison: Archangel】 VIDEO 2 : 魅捌~MISABAKI~【Garrison: Archangel】




A new arena map, called 'Crater' has been added to the game. It has some narrative significance. (See below 'Upcoming Mission Content')



Arena versions of existing maps have been added to the list.

These new maps are:
- Carrier
- Lava
- City
- Ruin (Abandoned City)

In addition, certain arena maps have had their play area dimensions changed for duel mode, for a more consistent experience.




A lot of new progression features have been added in the past month! Many of there were highly requested, and we're glad to say that they were able to make it into the game.

Win/Loss and Score Tracking

The game now tracks your wins and losses, successes and failures in the codex. In addition, it even tracks wins and losses against specific Ghosts and Arena Jockeys you encounter in various game modes!

We are still exploring ways for a more specific 'leaderboard' concept, such as tying wins and losses to garage Archangels.

Levels

You can now gain levels from playing the game, with bonuses from playing Arcade and Missions Mode. Longtime players get a big boost from previous hours spent playing Garrison: Archangel!

Right now, there are no associated unlocks with the level, though this will change in the future.

Cosmetic Unlocks

When we introduced glows and patterns in our previous issue of Archangel Announcements, we tied the few patterns we had to the missions mode factions. We've actually expanded these patterns to also include non-faction 'general' designs which you can unlock by playing arcade mode in various difficulties!

Character and Lore Unlocks

You can now learn more about the Archangels you face in Mission and Arcade mode! They each have their own section that unlocks when you fight them in battle. As stated above, the codex will also track your wins and losses against these Archangels.

The character roster, with the exception of the community submissions, has been reset. You now have to unlock presets by encountering them in various game modes. However, we have expanded the roster a bit, so you may discover some new characters that were not previously in the game...




A few weeks ago, we tried the new Steam Remote Play Beta to test its capabilities with Garrison: Archangel. We were aware of players looking for alternative multiplayer options for our game (such as parsec), so didn't pass up the opportunity to test this new feature. We are glad to say that it works! (Just make sure you have controllers for split-screen play!)

You can watch some dev test videos here and here.

We also have a guide for how to get started with this new feature in the discussion forums. Now there are more options for online play!




All melee weapons were heavily modified and impacted by the new advanced melee system detailed above, with the new attack types and properties listed in their garage section.

Beyond these game-wide changes, the Star Gauntlet in particular has been heavily modified and powered up. It now gains charge by attacking, and the charge speed from using its secondary function has been doubled. Its special attack damages have been reduced to compensate for this newfound ease of access.

Hand ranged weapons with the manual reload secondary function (Burst Rifle, Wespe, Vajra, Emancipator) have had their reload animations slowed down considerably for balance reasons.




Optimizations, bug fixing controller input issues and loading issues have been our primary concerns for this update. We've adjusted and fixed identified issues accordingly and will continue to work on stabilizing and polishing our existing systems.




In the previous Archangel Announcements, we introduced the flagships of the main belligerents of the Baja Secunda conflict that serve as their final enemy. However, we never really got down to the secrets of the planet itself.

Some who have played to the end of Missions mode have seen the mysterious enemy, but never really got an explanation to their existence. Some emails from the two belligerent factions reveal snippets of what is actually being fought over on Baja Secunda... secrets hidden beneath the craters of forgotten battlefields.

A new map (VIDEO) has been added to the game in preparation of the coming battles.

The remaining two major factions, the Imperial Legion and the Separatists, will be dealing with an ancient power as part of their narrative route.






For those in the Metro Manila Area, we are working once again with longtime supporters for a new tournament called CLASHPOINT PARADOX.

Come see us on November 30th at the Spawn Point Game Lounge! The link above should provide all the necessary information.

The grand champion of this tournament will be added to the community character roster, an encounter in the Arcade as an enemy jockey. (and/or as a Ghost in Missions mode, if the winner so chooses!)




This Public Update marks a significant milestone towards the completion of Garrison: Archangel. With our focus on progression unlocks and end-game content, we intend to wrap this all up or a full release soon. However, we have more surprises in store until then! Please continue to support us until we complete the game!

_________________________________________________

As usual, make sure to like/follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates!
We also have a YouTube channel where we post videos of our game's development.
You can also visit our Discord and talk with the devs and players of the game!