Update 2 - "Community First" - Holiday Special (0.24.0)
Happy Holidays! We have something special in store for you! Special thanks goes out to the Void Crew community for all their feedback and good vibes!
We have been collecting feedback from the COMMUNITY, and in this update the focus is on addressing some of those requests/wishlists! Here’s a recap of what’s new:
Update Changes
Void Jump Revamp and Astral Map
Some peace and quiet is a welcome gift for any stressed-out Ectype. The Institute of Ectype Mental Health found that prolonged downtime in the Void Jump Tunnel could help Ectypes prepare - mentally and physically - for their next challenge*. To further decrease self-Biomassification to acceptable levels, all Astral Map Terminals have been updated to the latest OS with new user friendliness, iconography and motivational colors**.
- Leaving the ship during the Void Jump still results in a guaranteed uneventful death. We're discussing providing a risk/reward scenario for letting Ectypes repair Hull Breaches inside the Void Tunnel.
- Objectives are laid out in a sequential manner on the Map, which also forms the UX basis for navigating longer Pilgrimages with more Objectives.
Graded Enhancements
Ship System Enhancements have gotten a pass, making them much more powerful, but also more temperamental. Flubbing an Enhancement Boost will put the Enhancement into a temporary Failure State, which temporarily debuffs the targeted system.
Engineer-specced Ectypes, however, have also seen some love. The Engineer Perk Tree* has been extended with a new branch containing three Enhancement-related Perks, allowing engineers to override the Failure State, as well as buffing the Duration and Effect of Enhancements to levels above those achievable by non-Engineers.
So... remember to PRAISE your fellow Engineer - they have feelings too, surprisingly.
- The Perk Tree system is scheduled for an overhaul in the near future.
Ship System Upgrader MkI
The Department of Armament has sent out a broadcast to all Ectypes to look out for a new carryable object, namely the "Ship System Upgrader MkI". It's a versatile little Item which allows Ectypes to point and click to upgrade ship systems to one Mark higher. This works for both pre-installed Ship Systems as well as the ones fabricated via Animus Crates*.
- Not all Ship Systems have upgrade paths at this time.
Void Jump Interdiction
The Void Jump is not without peril - the HOLLOW have developed a machine to yank us out of the sanctuary that is the Void - the Interdiction Pillar. With a steady drum, it tears at the stability of the Void Tunnel, eventually forcing it to collapse, and for the Ship to emerge into a hostile ambush. If the Pillar wasn't enough, several new enemies are thrown into the fray - for example the Shield Generator, which will bestow shields on nearby HOLLOW Units.*
The Interdiction Pillar floats at the center of a large debris field - Victims of prior ambushes. Look for the METEM Wrecks within, as they're likely to contain worthwhile loot.
- Interdictions can happen once per Pilgrimage, and the risk escalates for each Void Jump. We're evaluating the mechanics and difficulty of the Encounter.
New "Shade" Armor Cosmetics
A little something for the fashionable: The "Shade" Armor collection consists of a Helmet, Shoulderpads and Chestpiece - a must have for any respectable Ectype.
Holiday Special Cosmetics and Event!
This update also sees our first seasonal content! What else could you wish for than a thematically decorated Hub with just a hint of a chime and an optional objective including a madman and a time-limited-reward pool filled to the brink with goodies?
GAMEPLAY & BALANCING
Additional updates, with Quality of Life stuff, and with focus on community requests (apart from all the other stuff already covered):
- [COMMUNITY] Gave loot in space a vertical streak-line to make them a lot easier to spot!
- [COMMUNITY] B.R.A.I.N Auto-shooting turrets, improved. Now supports shooting at varied areas of large enemy ships (not only the center of enemy ships, as before).
- [COMMUNITY] Turrets on enemy ships can now be target locked for Auto shooting turrets.
- [COMMUNITY] "The lootbox opening sound is too loud" - volume adjusted
- [COMMUNITY] "I can’t rebind target locking and scanning and it’s bad for my accessibility" "I can’t rebind thruster boosters" - Both are now rebindable
- [COMMUNITY] Display name of cosmetics when hovering
- Improved Resolution and Framerate settings
- Adapted Awakening Tutorial to the new Void Jump flow
- Functionality added to missions to show headers of 3 different types: Warning/Error/Messages
- Void Jump Sound and Visual Effects updated
- Added Directional Color Grading lerping
- Circuit Breakers now change colors based on their internal temperature
- Enemy health and shield bars reworked to give better feedback, including invulnerability shields getting a unique look to clearly communicate it is invulnerable
- Respawning in the Hub is now faster
- Balanced loot in co-op rooms
ISSUES FIXED
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed the Asteroid Rain making entire game pixelated while on Low settings
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed an issue where the logbook could not be opened through the Escape Menu
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed couple of typos in twist warning
- [COMMUNITY] Bravery Solar System got extensive fixes preventing quest objectives from appearing inside asteroids
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed some map's static objects spawning far away from the sector
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed twist warning overlapping with various UI elements
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed destination marker not being visible for players joining mid session
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed debris spawning on top of Ambush Satellite
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed items clipping through installed modules and becoming unretrievable
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed an issue where using chat while EVA would disable controls
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed Thruster Duration perk - should now apply correctly
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed items glowing while being inside of the ship
- [COMMUNITY] Fixed items spawning behind walls in Ambush Satellite
- Fixed occlusion issues in Raid Base
- Fixed fabricator objective marker in Awakening
- Fixed Sarcograph sound looping forever if the player dies in space
- Fixed Personal Loadouts misplaced graphics
- Fixed an issue with Power Couplings LOD
- Fixed culling issues in Destroyer
- Fixed reinforcements spawned by Comm Relay not being aggroed
- Fixed object markers on unscanned signatures not displaying objective text
- Fixed auto turrets sometimes breaking after destroying enemy ship components
- Fixed miscellaneous issues with loot spawns on wrecks
- Enhancement context infos should now correctly display percentages
- Various art fixes
We will gladly and shamelessly thank you all, our community, that continue to give us great feedback and report issues here on Discord! We, a small studio, will continue to push our ambitions to make Void Crew the best co-op space game out there!