Garrison: Archangel News

A new visual has been released for "Garrison: Archangel The Animation ~The Final Tears of a Starry Sky~"!

It features the pilots of 'Kuroyami Moonshadow', 'Gorgonaut' and 'Hikarilight Sunsparkle'.





Some character designs were also revealed! Here are some of them :

Blitz Airmaster's strange masked pilot : Blitzer



A mysterious young girl, and Ran-Doom's pilot



Mr Surprise's pilot : Marquis Napoleon Cage of Gehenna





The opening song has finally been released! This is the TV Size of "Archangel ~Shiny Groove~ ver. P" (as per popular request!). We will make this song available in-game soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-tTLJWSCVY



Production, Direction, Script, Character Design, Animation and Singing the Opening song will all be done by Paolore. Due to budget constraints, He will also be expected to do all of the voice acting. We sadly don't have any samples at this time.


On behalf of the GA development team, we wish Paolore good luck on this new venture. Please look forward to the new anime season!


(Thank you to the G:A Staff and our supporters for putting up with his antics!)

This is the massive public update with the features outlined in the March 2019 issue of Archangel Announcements. This includes the major February Balance Patch and changes to Overload, the new Vajra Weapon, and the new lockon system and flight mechanics.

Since a general outline for the new features and changes will be redundant, we suggest reading the original post here : https://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791461484074/announcements/detail/1797406065558513827

This post will, however, include the lengthy changelog of all changes from previous preview builds up until this release.



Balance Changes :

- Base Dodge cost decreased to 150 from 200.
- Burning status DoT increased up to 30 damage.
- Missile lifetimes to compensate for previous timer changes.
- Missile speeds to compensate for previous timer changes.
- LIBERATOR : Primary Fire tracking behavior now similar to Arc missiles.
- Liberator : Removed tracking from Secondary Fire. Increased damage to 400/400.
- Reduced Liberator primary missile rate of fire
(doubled time between missiles and put some startup before first missile releases).
- Reduced Liberator primary missile tracking time.
- Increased Liberator secondary attack damage to 500/500.
- Reduced Liberator primary missile AOE.
- Removed recovery frames on Liberator secondary fire.
- Liberator reload now unaffected by the Ammo Expansion.
- Liberator reload reduced to 2 from 3.
- Liberator primary projectile tracking reduced to 4 (was 6).
- Liberator alt projectile speed increased to 200 (was 250).
- Increased Liberator primary fire velocity to 125 without affecting turn speed.
- Liberator primary fire tracking time increased to 2 seconds (was 1 second)
- ARC MISSILES : Added a 1 second to recharge.
- LONGLIN SHOULDER ARMOR : Reduced passive deflect bonuses to 5%.
- Longlin Armor : Added 1 second to shoulder tackle recharge.
- SHOULDER HL : Reduced recharge rate by 2 seconds.
- BACK FLANKER THRUSTERS : Reduced recharge time to 6 seconds.
- HALO TARGE : Reduced thrown base armor damage to 100.
- HALO TARGE and OBLOCHKA shields durability regen rate reduced to 200 (was 300).
- SYTEKH : Reduced thrown base armor damage to 150.
- SMG : Reduce shot spread to increase effective range.
- SMG bash is now faster and cancellable.
- TRAILBLAZER Thrusters : Changed damage values to 100/200.
- Trailblazer cancel window decreased to 5 from 8 frames.
- LINEAR MISSILES : Changed tracking behavior.
- TOWER SHIELD : Added 1 second to bash recharge.
- AMMO EXPANSION : Removed ammo recharge bonuses for Missiles and Cannons.
- Both Swarm Missiles reload to max capacity with the Ammo Expansion.
- Both Homing Lasers reload to max capacity with the Ammo Expansion.
- FUSION BLADE directional attacks armor damage increased to 150.
- Increased all Fusion Blade directional stab damage to 350. (Neutrals remain unchanged).
- CHARGER THRUSTER : Reduced Charge Thruster stab damage to 400.
- Reduced Charge Thruster hyper armor frames to only when in flight.
- BURST RIFLE armor damage to 150/25 per bullet.
- SHENQIANG Rifle Spear Melee back attack now has a usable cancel window.
- WESPE AR weight reduced to 1000.
- Wespe bullet damage up to 30/0.
- SCHAFER weight reduced to 1000.
- Schafer alt fire armor damage increased by 100.
- Schafer alt fire blast damage increased to 150/150.
- STAR GAUNTLET charge times changed to 1/1.5/2 (was 1/2/3).
- Star Gauntlet Level 3 is now a single hit proximity attack.
- Star Gauntlet level 2 star damage to 100/75.
- Increased tick damage of Star Gauntlet level 3.
- ELUSION THRUSTER AoE burst now applies two stacks of Burning.


Gameplay Changes :

- Added new Roster Character : THE COSMIC GORGON preset.
- Updated Roster Character : LIOPLEURODON preset.
- Added new Weapon : VAJRA CANNON.
- Movement is now enabled during Jump and Dodges.
- Increased Movement coefficients to 100% during Jumps, allowing for a more controlled ascent and descent and not locking your mech in an axis.
- Initial Jump velocity decreased to 80% of Dodge velocity.
- Updated: Online Multiplayer Client Movement.
- Client-side position authority increased,
- Client-side position correction now happens only on certain states,
- Client-side position corrections now include velocity prediction.
- Updated: Online Multiplayer Proxy Movement and Attack synchronization.
- Overload - Combat actions now pause the Overload Regeneration timer.
- Improved Input buffering for weapon activations.
- Increased Horde enemy Vulnerability values.
- Melee Perfect Dodge events for single player.
- Multiple manufacturer and equipment copy changes.
- Added new key bindings for additional features.
- - Controller: Left Stick Button, Directional Pad.
- - Keyboard: X, R/V/F/G.
- Soft Lock Toggle - bound to R / Dpad Up.
- - Can now be toggled directly from Locked camera.
- - Now automatically switches to the target closest to the center when moving the camera.
- - Removed Enemy status trackers.
- Next/Previous Target functions will now cycle only through visible targets by distance.
- Flight Mode Toggle - bound to V / Dpad Down.
- - Activation is now distinct from Boost controls.
- - Until Deactivated: it blocks weapon, movement, and boost inputs.
- - Automatically deactivates in when melee range.
- Mech Free Rotation controls in the garage.
- - RMB + X Axis, RMB + Y Axis
- - RMB + Mouse Wheel to Zoom.
- - Controller: Left and Right Triggers to Zoom.
- Old Win Pose rotations are now incompatible (flipped 180).
- Updated Garage Equipment button layouts to display more information.


Bug Fixes

- Fixed: Issues with health comparison on Death Tickets winners.
- Fixed: Flight mode no longer required forward to be held to continue.-
- Fixed: Missing Client-side proxy animation events and animation layering.
- Fixed: Network Stats display with N on the keyboard.
- Fixed: Weapon animations not buffered correctly after AutoGun/Missile Down animations.
- Fixed: Equipment upgrade data.
- Fixed: Player Stats not reset properly on round reset.
- Fixed: Equipment upgrade levels.
- Fixed: Online multiplayer client movement.
- Fixed: Online multiplayer Weapon State updates.
- Fixed: Weapon animation issues on dodge cancels.
- Fixed: Gun aim correction at melee range.
- Fixed: Movement sometimes not enabled after the end of perfect guard deflection.
- Fixed: Shields stopping boost regen.
- Fixed: Wave Axe charge attacks.
- Fixed: Duplicated input buffers on some attacks.
- Fixed: Stability regen rate issues with time scaling.
- Fixed: Stability regen issues on hit animations.
- Fixed: Inconsistent inputs on flinch cancels.
- Fixed: Overhead collisions causing Grounded state.
- Fixed: Gun aim correction at melee range.
- Fixed: Mech close in-air alignment.
- Fixed: Dodge Cancel and gun animation issues.
- Fixed: Projectile tracking and proximity timer inconsistencies.
- Fixed: Projectile knockback values not being applied properly.
- Fixed: Timed proximity explosion tickers.
- Fixed: Confirmation popups for Randomize in Garage.
- Fixed: Booster flare instances turning off while boost is enabled.
- Fixed: Weapon damage with zero stability values not displaying properly in the Garage.
- Fixed: STAR GAUNTLET Lv1 special from not colliding.
- Fixed: SCHAFER blast radius.
- Fixed: Missile lifetimes to compensate for previous timer changes.
- Fixed: Star Gauntlet charging inconsistencies;
- Fixed: Wave Axe projectile colliders.
- Fixed: Returned old Taunt key binding.
- Fixed: Toggle transitions between locked and soft-locked modes.
- Fixed: Jittery floor movement on Unlocked camera.
- Fixed: Shoulder Shield down animation not playing properly.
- Fixed: Torso animation issues when switching from guns and melee.
- Fixed: Controller navigation on garage popups.
- Fixed: Garage camera rotation controls.
- Fixed: Mouse Axis input detection blocking controller input on the UI.
- Fixed: Online Multiplayer Proxy not locked on.
- Fixed: Online Multiplayer Proxy camera rotations not updating.
- Fixed: Online Multiplayer Client camera movement authority.
- Fixed: Online Multiplayer button inconsistency.

This is the Archangel Announcements post for March! Here we will discuss the features for the next major public update for the month!

Most of these features are already present in the latest iteration of our experimental preview build! Check out this thread to see how you can get in on the action!
_________________________________________________



A new function called 'Soft Lock' has been completed in preparation of the coming single-player mission modes. It was meant to address issues with the default game camera and lock-on system's limitations when fighting multiple opponents. For the purposes of the game, the old system will be called 'Hard Lock' and this new system will be called 'Soft Lock' as they both exist as different targeting modes.

Soft Lock allows the player to utilize the right directional stick or mouse to move the camera while maintaining a lock on a target. This allows the player to freely scan their surroundings while launching their attacks on a chosen target. In addition, they can simply change targets by 'looking' at another unit and positioning said unit near the center of their screen, providing an alternative to the automatic target transfer toggle in the older system. This gives players more freedom to look around and gain awareness of their surroundings.

However, using the soft lock target system has a price. It loses two functions exclusive to hard lock mode : The state indicators, which tell you if the enemy is in a guarded state or invincible to further attack, and the predictive arrow system, that shows you the movement direction and roughly predicts the target's future position. Also, though Hard Lock does not allow the player to freely move the camera around, it 'locks' the target to the center of the player's screen at all times - a very important tool against more difficult mobile enemies.

The trick to using these target systems rely on switching between them according to one's convenience. For now they have two different button assignments, with the Soft-lock being D.pad Down / V in the preview build. This may be subject to change. In the future we may reduce both modes into a singular lock-on button, which cycles between these modes.



With the larger maps that will be utilized in single-player campaigns, Archangels will be expected to cross longer distances. Some Archangels built with the low speed stat will have some obvious problems handling missions that require a lot of travel. Luckily, the standard Imperial Archangel is equipped with a 'Cruise Flight' mode that allows them to enter high-speed, sustained flight, without expending as much boost resources and going into overload. This feature is not normally used by Commercial builds for the Arena, but is a convenience heavily utilized by many paramilitary units.

It should be noted that in this flight mode, boost and stability will be reduced to a minimum as the Archangel generator's resources will be redirected into sustaining the flight mode. This means that an Archangel is actually vulnerable to damage and overload in this mode, and should avoid rushing headlong into battle with this function. In addition, going into Cruise Flight requires a long and loud charging period before startup, and that makes it difficult to use in a heated battle.

Cruise Flight currently has its own default button assignment (D. Pad Up / R) in the preview build. This may be subject to change.



This one is a bit self-explanatory; A simple radar has been added to the HUD, which only appears in certain game modes such as Horde and the upcoming missions for solo play. This provides an additional display to help with the player's positional awareness of multiple enemies (and allies).



A mix of cosmetic flair and actual game mechanics, the game will go into slow motion if an Archangel perfectly times a dodge or an invincibility frame maneuver to avoid an attack. This allows the dodging player time to plan their next moves or counterattack. However, beware that this respite also allows the attacker to dodge cancel or prepare their own followup maneuvers. This feature was made to add more visual flair to melee combat, also adding to the overall aesthetic ('roman') of the game's battle systems.



The Vajra Cannon is an Astra-made handheld plasma cannon that creates super-heated orb-shaped clouds on impact. The orbs linger and deal tick-based damage, making them useful as area-denial weapons, attack deterrents, and stun-lock tools. If fired at close range, the projectile fails to synthesize and merely behaves as a high-stability damage projectile. With a weight of 1250, the Vajra carries 3 shots by default. Its secondary ability is a reload, making it similar to other guns (Ranger, Emancipator) that share its weight value.

We hope this weapon adds a new dimension to the ranged equipment options for the game!



This one is quite lengthy and we suggest looking up the coming patch notes for the balance changes regarding the different weapons. (If you want to see them now, we suggest looking at the preview build thread to see what has changed) We will discuss the most significant changes in their own sections below.



The Overload System used to be a 4 second timer that counted down regardless of the state of the player, with the exception of the down state which allowed them to instantly restore both stability and boost. This system allowed for gameplay that effectively bypassed the 'down period' of the timer, allowing certain builds with long-winded attacks to not suffer the penalties of going into overload. For this reason, Overload is now a conditional 4 second timer; It pauses whenever players take actions that aren't simply walking/moving around, standing still, falling, or taking damage. This means that if a player would relentlessly attack or do maneuvers, it is quite possible for them to stay stuck in overload.

By doing this, we made overload more punishing (as it was meant to be) and make it so players would think twice about carelessly expending boost. To compensate for this change, we've reduced the base cost for dodging, effectively giving archangels across the board more resources to avoid going into overload.



The Liberator Missile Launcher's gameplay has been changed, or more specifically, its primary and alt-fire have been switched. The primary fire of the Liberator will now rapidly fire homing missiles at the target, while its alternate fire launches a non-homing, but powerful trio of missiles. Also, the Liberator's ammo refresh rate has been largely increased, allowing players to have more missiles on hand more often.



The Schafer Flamethrower and Wespe Assault Rifle are unique hand weapons in that their primary fire deals 0 stab damage. Due to stability now playing a major role compared to older iterations of the game, these weapons have become less desirable due to their inherent weakness. Rather than change their gameplay design, we've decided to reduce their weight to 1000, making them budget ranged weapon options. They've also received a damage buff, making them more threatening at whittling down enemy HP.




We'd like to thank everyone who has supported the game thus far as we continue development through the first quarter of 2019. Don't fret, there's much more to come!


_________________________________________________

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!

Thanks for joining us in 2019. Here are the new internal system updates before we move into balance patches at the end of February.




With the update to the boost system and with the various mobility options now present in the game, we've upped the multiplier modifier for backward and sideward movement, which had been previously clamped at 50% and 75% respectively. They now both operate at 80% of forward movement speed, giving a higher overall sense of mobility for all.

In addition, held weapons such as machineguns, missiles and other rapid fire weapons, now disable gravity while in use. The exception to this rule are shields. While held, these rapid weapons do not allow for boost regeneration. Shields on the other hand, allow for both stability and boost regeneration.



We introduced a new boost movement system while unlocked, called Flight Mode. It has a bit of startup, and quickly drains boost and stability, but allows the player to move forward at a sustained high speed. It immediately ends as soon as you lock on to a target.

This feature was made for long distance travelling in preparation for the upcoming missions over large maps.



There are several visual updates, from animation layering for held weapons like firearms and shields, to UI updates with trackers for multiple enemy, allied and objective targets. We also made melee weapon trails a bit more flashy to approach the rule of cool anime look we set out to do.

In addition, new camera and graphic settings are available for players who want a different look at the game. Try out the over-the-shoulder camera setting in the gameplay options!




The AI has been tweaked in preparation for the coming mission modes, and some of these changes can already be seen in horde mode and the existing AI combatants in the various game modes (arcade, custom game, etc).

Though these changes are minor, there's quite a bit of them. We suggest playing the AI yourselves to feel the changes for yourself.



Garrison: Archangel runs in Unity, and much of the development in January was spent porting and updating new features to Unity 2018.3. For this reason, we also addressed many bugs and refactored many existing systems. Since each individual change is minor, it is best to refer to the detailed list below.





Includes changes from v0.18.0 up to v0.18.5

New Mechanics and Features
- New Movement: Flight Boost - Increased Boost speed used for traversal when no targets are locked. Does not overload Boost meter, but the stronger acceleration drains Stability. Forward movement only, no vertical or side movement.
- New settings : Added new SHOULDER camera offset in Gameplay Options.
- New Alternates/Cosmetics: Weapon skins for RANGER, WESPE, MOLNIYA, DRAGOON, EMANCIPATOR, UHLAN, TATZELWURM, POPIGAI and YULONG

Gameplay Changes
- Sideward movement speed while boosting increased to 80% from 75%.
- Backward movement speed while boosting increased to 80% from 50%.
- Input buffer now allows repeat inputs to extend the timer, and uses the last input when triggering. This does not prevent late single inputs from expiring.
- Camera offsets now adjust to make tilting upwards more comfortable.
- Adjusted AI parameters to lessen random jumping.
- Horde Grunt enemies now have reduced mobility.
- Held Attacks now also disable Gravity. Affected weapons include Autoguns, Missiles, Cannons.
- Reduced Flinch Cancel input restriction from 6 frames to 2 frames.
- Animation layering for gun aiming and recoil.
- Increased AI priority for Dodge Cancel movement.
- Flight Boost will now not automatically cancel when re-locking into a target in far distances.
- Updated Horde mode Pickups for Health and Boost.


Updated Features
Updated: Increased AI priority to Dodge when it has a blocking or parry weapon equipped.
Updated: Melee weapon trails.
Updated game engine to Unity 2018.3.
Updated: DEFAULT camera offset renamed to OVERHEAD.
Updated: ALTERNATE camera offset renamed to LATERAL.


Bug Fixes
Fixed: Spinner weapons not using proper animation timings.
Fixed: Mech preview camera issues.
Fixed: Missing text and fonts for Chat elements.
Fixed: Other minor issues.
Fixed: Shield lowering animations interrupting input.
Fixed: Railgun hitscan issues with Targets, Terrain, and AI.
Fixed: Medium/High/Very High default Graphics Settings now include Post Processing.
Fixed: AI Held Weapon release not stopping animation loops.
Fixed: Camera not detecting if it passes through the floor at high speeds
Fixed: Melee attack alignment when camera is unlocked.
Fixed: Gun aim alignment when camera is unlocked.
Fixed: Missile aim alignment when camera is unlocked.
Fixed: Horde mech weapons not updated with new animations.
Fixed: Horde mechs not animating properly after spawning.
Fixed: Auto Gun/Missile animation loops missing transitions when interrupted.
Fixed: Cannon weapon animation issues.
Fixed: Halo Shields AI ranged priority.
Fixed: Leg animations for Shields.
Fixed: Single Recoil animation length.
Fixed: Railgun animations not stopping.
Fixed: Railgun trails not disappearing.
Fixed: Animation layering breaking Lock On/Off.
Fixed: Wave Axe AI projectiles.
Fixed: AI Trick weapon priorities.
Fixed: Auto Gun/Missile loops ending too early.
Fixed: Animation issues with melee cancels and hand guns.
Fixed: Errors with predictive Aim and grounded targets.
Fixed: Animation issues with bash weapons and hand guns.

Welcome to the first Archangel Announcements of 2019! Thank you to all our players who've supported us on Steam since 2018, and especially to everyone who's stuck with us for longer than that!

Without any further ado, here we go!
_________________________________________________





One of our primary goals this 2019 is the completion of the Single-player Campaign we discussed in previous announcements and media. In this game mode, the player takes the role of a mercenary on the war-torn planet of Baja Secunda. Various factions and corporations have taken an interest in the conflict, and pursue their agenda in the many battlefields.

Central to that single-player campaign is a procedural mission generation system. Each 'turn', the different factions post missions, from among which the player can choose. Such missions can vary in objective and scope, from sabotage, assassination, VIP defense, area control, target tests and much more.

After then, it is up to the player's skill, archangel and luck to complete these missions.

Successful completion of these missions provides the player with monetary rewards and faction rating. Faction rating represents the value, respect and/or rank the mercenary has achieved within a faction. It unlocks several benefits, such as parts, weapons, upgrades and cosmetics unique to each faction or corporation.

But beware; Every mission affects another faction negatively. Clients will always have rivals and enemies who will remember your actions. Hostile actions against such factions will lower your faction rating with them. A low enough faction rating might mean a ban from acquiring certain goods. Unlucky players may even be attacked by that faction's armed forces while in the middle of another mission!

The mission generator represents the basic game 'flow' of the planned campaign, and we aim to release it for public testing by next month. It will have the mission generation system, the faction rating system, and even the faction threat system. We hope players enjoy this preview of what's to come.

Shops, upgrades, unlocks, narrative content and the other progression systems described above will follow. We will make sure to update everyone and discuss them in future statements.






Some animation updates can be expected in the following weeks. They particularly involve held weapons and shields, to make them feel more organic. We applied an animation layering system we currently use for our idle walking and moving animations, differentiating flight from grounded movement as well as varying movement speeds.

With the development of the single-player mode, we're also adding new elements to the HUD, such as ally and enemy indicator pips for combatants not in your lock-on reticule. This will help players differentiate allies and enemies with one glance during messy skirmishes.

Another minor addition to the HUD is a lead pip, which basically predicts the position and movement direction of the locked-on target. This was mostly a debug feature for us to test our projectiles' tracking and predictive capabilities, but it may assist players who appreciate additional information! (Also it looks cool and adds to the immersion, according to Paolore.)

We hope these visual changes prepare players for the challenges of the new game mode, since multiple enemies and allies will be more common.




The winner of the Cosmic Clash Season 2 Finale, Uusha Jajanka, has been added to the roster.

It is the first competitive build to win after the massive mechanics overhaul on stability and boost - this monster boasts very high armor, stability and deflection, and obliterates the competition with its Dominus and Dragoon!




Ever since 2017, we've worked closely with our community and have added many of our player's creations to the game. After 2 years of development, our Character Roster has grown to a whopping 32 Archangels, with more than half of them (17) being champions and contest winners!

Sadly, due to this large number, we've decided to limit community contest additions to the roster from now on. This change will particularly affect our recurring tournaments, such as Cosmic Clash. We will still have specific tournaments that feature roster addition as a prize, but only if we explicitly state it as part of the rewards.

However, do not fret! Due to the developments toward the single-player content, we've actually opened new avenues for community submission content. The one we'll discuss here are the Ghosts.

Ghosts are Archangels that cannot be selected by players in Custom Game. They will only appear randomly in the single-player campaign missions and horde mode.

The Characters represent well-known Archangel pilots in the Archangel Tournament League (ATL), the immensely popular arena sport throughout the Solar Empire. They are basically sport celebrities. The arcade mode of the game represents the player fighting their way up through the ATL. With the exception of horde mode, everything we've shown so far in the game is the perspective of the Archangel Athlete fighting for glory in the Arena.

However, the ATL with all its rules and safety regulations, do not represent the true military capabilities of the Archangel. It is, first and foremost, a weapon of war - which is what the campaign mode will focus on. Therefore, Ghosts are the pilots you find on the battlefield. Most of them don't have a name to give you, and frankly, couldn't care less. They're most likely mercenaries, just like you, or faction agents who simply need to complete a mission.

The Ghost system allows us to hold grunt and faction officer creation contests, which is one of the community activities requested of us. We also found that a lot of narrative suggestions from our community collaborators could be better put in the context of the battlefield rather than the arena. This means that we may move around existing characters to become ghosts or have characters who also appear in the single-player campaign.





The first community contest is made by our longtime supporter, Robofights! Watch the video here!

It is the first 2v2 online AI tournament of its kind! To join, simply pair up with a friend and send your Archangels over via this form.

If you're flying solo, don't worry! We'll get you a blind date from among the other solo submissions.

The winning pair stand to each win 10$ steam giftcards, and the option to add their Archangels to the character roster. Due to their synergy, they may also be included in the single-player campaign and horde mode as a pair encounter!




2018 was a good year for our debut on Steam, and we definitely look forward to working with everyone this 2019! Please do join our Discord channel and our social media pages so you can work with us in developing Garrison: Archangel to be the definitive custom mecha game for PC.


_________________________________________________

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!