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201
Announcements / Cogmind voted into 2016 Top 100; also, a Triangulator!
« on: December 14, 2016, 06:47:01 AM »
Woohoo, Cogmind was successfully voted into the Top 100 indie games of 2016, third year in a row 
Thanks everyone for your votes! This year Cogmind is the only traditional roguelike in the list, where there is now voting for the Top 10 and honorable mentions. But it is a popularity contest, after all, and there's no way as a niche game not on Steam that we can compete against popular titles like... RimWorld, Factorio, SUPERHOT, Stardew Valley, Owlboy, The Witness, Firewatch, Squad, M&B II, Stellaris (<--how is this indie...). It's nice to be on the same list, though
Like I did last year, around the end of the year I'll be doing a retrospective article looking at the highlights of 2016, and talk a bit about what's in store for the future.
In recent progress, I've been working on secret stuff, but this week's non-secret development is... the Triangulator!
Stealth builds are going to love this one. It both displays how many hostiles are currently tracking you and visualizes how close hostile bots in view are to spotting you.
Visualization:
Tracking indicator:
And of course the Triangulator activation should have a unique animation (and sfx):
Thanks everyone for your votes! This year Cogmind is the only traditional roguelike in the list, where there is now voting for the Top 10 and honorable mentions. But it is a popularity contest, after all, and there's no way as a niche game not on Steam that we can compete against popular titles like... RimWorld, Factorio, SUPERHOT, Stardew Valley, Owlboy, The Witness, Firewatch, Squad, M&B II, Stellaris (<--how is this indie...). It's nice to be on the same list, though
Like I did last year, around the end of the year I'll be doing a retrospective article looking at the highlights of 2016, and talk a bit about what's in store for the future.
In recent progress, I've been working on secret stuff, but this week's non-secret development is... the Triangulator!
Stealth builds are going to love this one. It both displays how many hostiles are currently tracking you and visualizes how close hostile bots in view are to spotting you.
Visualization:
Tracking indicator:
And of course the Triangulator activation should have a unique animation (and sfx):
202
Announcements / Progress Update: December 8th, 2016
« on: December 07, 2016, 07:50:48 PM »
Alpha 13 production is underway, and this time we'll be focusing on stuff that's not quite so late-game!
In that vein, we have a new mechanic that might help in a pinch when low on parts while spelunking: Scrap! Find matter and (somewhat damaged) components in these treasure chest-like piles sometimes found around the caves and mines. They could save your life!
An example of searching one:
On the UI side, despite all the different notices, some players still don't realize they're short on some resource (okay, I'm guilty, too xD), because it's easy to become desensitized to them and filter them out. This is especially true with something like core integrity, which often isn't a worry, until it is!
So there are new (optional) pop-up indicators directly on the map. You'll never not know you're about to experience a dire emergency again!
As an interesting side effect of the system, when you load a run in progress, all the applicable alerts and warnings will trigger at once
. This also happens each time you enter a new floor.
This week I streamed my combat run through the weekly seed, and won. You can read a bit about it here (or, if so inclined, watch a bit of it to learn how to piss off the enemy and survive
).
Also, a reminder to please vote for Cogmind over on IndieDB. Thanks!
In that vein, we have a new mechanic that might help in a pinch when low on parts while spelunking: Scrap! Find matter and (somewhat damaged) components in these treasure chest-like piles sometimes found around the caves and mines. They could save your life!
An example of searching one:
On the UI side, despite all the different notices, some players still don't realize they're short on some resource (okay, I'm guilty, too xD), because it's easy to become desensitized to them and filter them out. This is especially true with something like core integrity, which often isn't a worry, until it is!
So there are new (optional) pop-up indicators directly on the map. You'll never not know you're about to experience a dire emergency again!
As an interesting side effect of the system, when you load a run in progress, all the applicable alerts and warnings will trigger at once
. This also happens each time you enter a new floor.This week I streamed my combat run through the weekly seed, and won. You can read a bit about it here (or, if so inclined, watch a bit of it to learn how to piss off the enemy and survive
).Also, a reminder to please vote for Cogmind over on IndieDB
. Thanks!
203
Announcements / Over 3,000 Cogminds! And IndieDB GotY voting
« on: December 01, 2016, 10:56:42 PM »
Cogmind blasted past a cumulative 3,000 owners this week! Thanks to everyone who's helping make this possible
I'd appreciate any votes for GotY on IndieDB! From a list of over 10,000 other games, Cogmind has been in the Top 100 two years running, and this is pretty good for general publicity.
This week I added a new feature to the leaderboards that makes scores clickable to see the full stats from a given run, useful for checking out what strategies the player was using, where they visited, etc. (since each file includes hundreds of stats). Note that some of the score sheets (especially those higher up) will contain spoilers, for those players who did special plot-related stuff.
Also this week there's a new optional feature: We already have part sorting, but you have to trigger it manually with ':'. I figured for those who don't ever require their parts to be in some other certain order, why not add an option that automagically keeps them sorted as you lose/remove/attach them?
It follows all the same rules as normal sorting, but constantly updates as your loadout changes
I'd appreciate any votes for GotY on IndieDB! From a list of over 10,000 other games, Cogmind has been in the Top 100 two years running, and this is pretty good for general publicity.
This week I added a new feature to the leaderboards that makes scores clickable to see the full stats from a given run, useful for checking out what strategies the player was using, where they visited, etc. (since each file includes hundreds of stats). Note that some of the score sheets (especially those higher up) will contain spoilers, for those players who did special plot-related stuff.
Also this week there's a new optional feature: We already have part sorting, but you have to trigger it manually with ':'. I figured for those who don't ever require their parts to be in some other certain order, why not add an option that automagically keeps them sorted as you lose/remove/attach them?
It follows all the same rules as normal sorting, but constantly updates as your loadout changes
204
General Discussion / Alpha 12 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: November 21, 2016, 06:50:42 PM »
Use this thread for general feedback and discussion about the most recent release, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
This is the open spoiler version, for discussions where you plan to talk about spoilery content and don't want to bother with spoiler tagging. Do not read this thread if you want to avoid spoilers! For non-spoiler discussion, feel free to use the non-spoiler discussion thread here.
Alpha 12 release notes and changelog.
This is the open spoiler version, for discussions where you plan to talk about spoilery content and don't want to bother with spoiler tagging. Do not read this thread if you want to avoid spoilers! For non-spoiler discussion, feel free to use the non-spoiler discussion thread here.
Alpha 12 release notes and changelog.
205
General Discussion / Alpha 12 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: November 21, 2016, 06:50:04 PM »
Here's the place for general spoiler-free feedback and discussion about the most recent release, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
Alpha 12 release notes and changelog.
If you want to freely talk about spoiler content without the annoyance of spoiler tags, there's a thread for that. Note that it's fine to talk about spoilers here as well (if perhaps they're only a small part of what you have to say), just tag them appropriately.
Alpha 12 release notes and changelog.
If you want to freely talk about spoiler content without the annoyance of spoiler tags, there's a thread for that
. Note that it's fine to talk about spoilers here as well (if perhaps they're only a small part of what you have to say), just tag them appropriately.
206
Announcements / Released: Alpha 12 - "The Place No One Lives to Tell About"
« on: November 21, 2016, 06:24:55 PM »
Remember how the last release was the biggest ever and I'd never do that again? Well, by some measures this one beats it
Alpha 12 is here! This update is much broader in scope than what we've seen before, hence the ridiculously long changelog. As usual there's new content, but alongside it we have a lot of new UI features, a range of balance tweaks, and a rather large number of new mechanics for so late in alpha (it feels like I could develop Cogmind forever, but did I mention we are now in "late alpha"?).
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 12, you can browse this couple dozen feature images I put together.
Note that Cogmind's price is currently VAT-inclusive in the EU (so basically it's cheaper there while I eat the cost myself).
The Place No One Lives to Tell About
The Access branch "Command" is open for business, and as you might expect it is in the business of crushing unwelcome guests. Sightseeing not recommended. And no one said you have to go there!
It's not quite done yet, but if you do visit you won't notice anything missing. There are just a few bits of content for it that need to wait until a future release.
Hacker Life
Hacking just keeps getting better.
One of the coolest UI features of Alpha 12 is autocompletion for manual hacks. As soon as you start typing any command, the hacking window shows you all possible matches for what you've typed so far. If there's more than one you can cycle through them via up/down, or keep typing to narrow it down further. Just press spacebar or tab to accept the current suggestion without typing the whole thing out!
From the outset all common commands are considered for the autocompletion list, while unauthorized hacks learned while playing are considered only after discovering them, information that is carried from game to game. This is to avoid spoiling secrets that are intended to be learned through regular play (NPCs and terminal records provide this info)
The automated recording of secrets learned via lore is itself helpful for hack discovery, in case you didn’t notice or forgot what some NPC told you (and don't want to search through your lore collection for it), since simply typing “Trojan” at the command prompt (or really even just “tro”!) will list all known Trojans for that machine. (“t” and “tr” work, too, but at Terminals specifically there will also be non-Trojan matches due to trap-related commands.)
You can see an autocompletion demo in the first preview image, or in my latest dev blog post where I cover this and other hacking features: "Improving the Hacking Experience."
Pure keyboard players also now have the same quick access to Query() references that mouse players do, where each reference will have an associated number (in gray), and you only need to press that number to hack its entry indirectly.
Another new feature: The limits of Schematic() and Analysis() hacks have always been pretty difficult to figure out, so in addition to lifting some of the restrictions on schematic collection and making targets for these hacks available a little lower in the complex than before, Terminals report the depth and or tier at which the hack is possible.
Scanalyzers are also capable of identifying anything, and if a schematic is not possible will give a specific reason (there are a number of reasons why Scan() won't work, and none of them were ever clearly stated).
Installable Traps?!
For years now the question has been coming up "Can you lay mines?" (or some variant thereof). I've always wanted to avoid traditional concepts of mine laying in Cogmind, though not long ago I was suddenly struck by a vision for how to integrate it into an existing system: traps. You can already reprogram traps with Datajacks or Terminal hacks, but this has been taken a step further in Alpha 12.
With a shiny new Trap Extractor you can now remove those traps from the ground and install them wherever you want! The Extractor works automatically while standing over a friendly trap (so yes you'll have to reprogram it first) and puts the trap directly in your inventory, or drops it to the ground if your inventory is currently full. Extraction may fail, but all that usually means is you'll have to try again by waiting another turn. Traps are then installed elsewhere by dropping them and pressing '>' or clicking on yourself (that part doesn't require an Extractor). You can repeatedly extract and move traps, too, no problem.
Traps affecting enemies have no effect on the alert level, making them the ultimate stealth weapon-tool. They're also a lot more interesting than just "mines" because some have different effects rather than simply damage.
On the less stealthy side, pressing '>' or clicking on yourself while standing on a trap (friendly or not) forces it to trigger--there are some useful and/or devious things you can do with that.
(Note: Trap items currently use the non-part item sprite and ASCII--they'll get their own unique look in the next release.)
Great Utility Update, Part 1
I've been talking about how it would come, and lo and behold here it has begun.
A number of utilities have needed some obvious adjustments for a long while now, but I've been intentionally holding off on that until most of the game mechanics are in place and the gameplay is well tested and understood. This process can't wait much longer, though, because the effects of these changes, and more down the line, will themselves need to be widely tested before a proper 1.0, and that will take some time.
So Alpha 12 includes the first batch of significant utility updates.
The biggest is probably the complete removal of Processor upkeep. No more toggling them on and off for optimal play. They're all free to use.
Well, the other major change is the removal of Scan Processors. Everyone gets all robot info for free, too, which in particular will help especially new players figure out resistances and why that Sentry is shrugging off missile after missile. It's info that can be acquired over time anyway, and from a design perspective there's no reason to require a wiki or cheat sheet to reference it.
That and many of the other utilities which are being changed or removed are remnants of the Cogmind 7DRL, which was designed relatively quickly and some of its ideas weren't exactly thought through very well--back then it was basically "I'll do it because I can."
A more subtle change is the adjustment to utility distribution. To an extent, you'll be seeing fewer of the items you probably don't want, and more of what you probably do want.
The changelog at the end of this post lists a bunch of more specific utility changes.
New and Old Stats
To get the easy stuff out of the way first: power sources no longer have "Heat Stability" and "Cooldown Period" stats. These, too, were old 7DRL remnants that needed to go. No one really cared about them. Goodbye.
On the other hand, a new category of power sources can now be overloaded like some hover/flight/weapons. This doubles their energy output and heat, and will make a strong case for the benefits of force fields over armor. All these overloadable power sources have the Cld. prefix ("cooled"), so they're easy to distinguish. The stat indicating a power source is overloadable is named "Stability," because they're not 100% stable in that state--obviously overloading your power source indefinitely has a chance to create problems
The award for stat change with massive gameplay implications goes to... Heat Transfer! I've been thinking about doing it for a while, and the deed is finally done. Thermal weapons now indicate a relative amount of heat they transfer to the target: Low, Medium, High, or Massive. This allowed me to decouple heat from damage and have it play a lateral role in combat strategy. It's kinda like EM corruption and spectrum considerations on steroids. It's also been hell to balance
Meltdowns are back, baby! We had that one release when meltdowns were first introduced and they were kinda broken/OP, then robots got so good at cooling themselves that they became practically impossible. Now robot heat management has been adjusted so that most variants operate at optimal dissipation efficiency, so taking out their heat sink has more meaning, as does using thermal weaponry against them to up their heat level, which they can't really bring down while firing at you.
Basically if you fire a repeated volley of thermal weapons, the target is going to feel it and fast. As one might expect, Flamers really live up to their name now, and overloadable thermal weapons gain an extra heat transfer level when overloaded.
The only way to balance this system and keep it fun was to make Cogmind (and special NPCs) less susceptible to the effects of Heat Transfer. You'll still notice it, but then that's always been a thing so, yes, going up against a squad of Grunts will tend to heat you up as they lase you.
Both force fields and thermal resistance help protect against heat transfer in the same ratio they apply to damage.
Other robots now more clearly suffer a range of side effects from overheating. That will become obvious as you burn them, and these effects could easily hasten their demise. But Heat Transfer is not a panacea! Even victims that are not melted may still have otherwise salvageable parts melted due to the heat. The hotter they are the more likely parts will be lost, with low-max-integrity parts being the most likely to melt.
Since depending on one's strategy robot heat is a little more important now, rather than force you to open the robot info page to check its value, in tactical HUD mode it's now shown directly in the scan window. If the temperature is anything higher than Cool, the color will show under the normal scan window robot integrity indicator. Dangerously hot robots will also glow red for a moment, suggesting when a well-placed volley of thermal weapons could very well cause a meltdown!
Note that power source explosions due to chain reactions are considered thermal in nature, so there is a bit of synergy there between narrow-spectrum EM attacks and thermal weapons.
Propulsion Shuffling
Alpha 12 includes lots of little changes to hover and flight propulsion to rebalance them, ostensibly as part of the goal to ensure that all overloadable parts in the game (across all types) use the Cld prefix. There were some stat changes, too, though, and rating adjustments.
Hover also got a new Cmb ("combat") series, and there are even a few new legs to be found. These fill some strategic niches that weren't fully supported by the the existing set of propulsion components.
Miscellaneous Balance
Notes about various balance-related entries in the changelog:
Damage Overflow
We're not done with new mechanics yet!
When a part is destroyed by damage that exceeds its remaining integrity, the surplus damage is then applied to the core or another part as chosen by standard coverage/exposure rules. Exceptions: There is no damage overflow if the destroyed part itself is armor, and overflow damage always targets armor first if there is any. Damage overflow is caused by all weapons except those of the "gun" type, and can overflow through multiple destroyed parts if there is sufficient damage.
Allowing guns to cause overflow would be too brutal to players already in a bad situation, as most of your enemies are armed with guns. This does however mean your few cannon-equipped foes just got yet another boost though (*cough* Behemoths *cough*). So the big guys just got a tiny bit deadlier against weaker enemies, and so did many of your weapons, especially the really good ones. That was the main motivation behind this feature, because it was always extremely annoying (not to mention demotivating) to take some massive cannon and spend ages trying to kill some little Swarmer as each of its individual parts was blown off in turn.
In general damage overflow is a net positive for the player.
Melee Gets Even Cooler
Melee is gradually becoming a pretty powerful tactic given the right gear. Seeing as melee weapons are highly damaging, they stand to benefit the most from the overflow mechanic above, and as of Alpha 12 they no longer incur the old -10% targeting penalty for attacking immediately after moving.
Oh yeah, I guess this also means melee enemies are going to be that much scarier, too
But now you also get sneak attacks! Melee attacking a target that hasn't noticed you yet is a practically guaranteed hit, and does double damage. So waiting around a corner in ambush--or rushing in so fast that they don't see you coming before you hit them--can be a very powerful way to say hello and goodbye all at once.
General QoL
One final note: The hastily implemented scorehistory.txt file had a few incorrect columns in Alpha 11, which have since been fixed, though new entries will continue to be added to that same file. It's your choice whether you want to start with a clean slate (just delete your old one) or keep adding to the same one regardless.
Remember to migrate from an earlier release by simply copying over your /user/ directory to the new game directory.
The full Alpha 12 (0.10.161122) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Command"
* NEW: 2 more plot-related NPC encounters
* NEW: 1 major new NPC (unique robot class)
* NEW: 1 new prototype robot variant
* NEW: 1 new common robot class (3 variants)
* NEW: 37 new items (total = 768)
* NEW: Several more machines
* NEW: 1 more cave encounter
* NEW: 25 more score sheet entries (total = 492)
* NEW: Borderless fullscreen mode (see options menu)
* NEW: Option to automatically deactivate all other weapons when attaching/swapping in a launcher (cogmind.cfg only: see autoReadyLauncher)
* NEW: Core Heat Shields raise threshold at which overheat effects occur
* NEW: HUD temperature readout shows modified overheating threshold if currently above regular threshold with an active Core Heat Shield
* NEW: Recalibrator effect replaced with new ability to restore functionality to broken parts, including prototypes
* NEW: Manual hacking now includes autocompletion feature (press Spacebar or Tab to accept current match, or up/down to cycle through all matches)
* NEW: Indirect hacking of lore topics through references now possible via number keys (keyboard mode only)
* NEW: Previously undiscovered lore topics marked in query results using '!' (as also seen in hacking target list)
* NEW: Score sheet records borderless fullscreen setting in meta data ("2")
* NEW: Damage overflow mechanic (see manual)
* NEW: Expanded manual intro with "Using this Manual" section
* NEW: Manual explicitly states that successful hacks can increase alert level
* NEW: Trap extraction and reuse mechanic
* NEW: Use '>' on top of a trap to force it to trigger (LMB for mouse users)
* NEW: Some power sources can be overloaded to double their energy output (and heat)
* NEW: Less common combat-oriented hover propulsion ("Cmb.") with higher integrity and support, but slower
* NEW: Super fast experimental flight propulsion with relatively low support (rare)
* NEW: Non-scanalyzable parts can still be inserted into scanalyzer to identify them (anything!), with specific messages for why schematic impossible
* NEW: Manual part/robot Schematic()/Analysis() hacks report required depth and security level if target unavailable at current terminal
* NEW: Evolution interface accepts numpad Enter for confirmation as well
* NEW: More possible side effects of system corruption: Matter Fused, Heat Flow Error, Energy Discharge
* NEW: Allied followers prioritize gathering around an exit if Cogmind is adjacent to one, even if under attack
* NEW: Option to block propulsion auto-activation if already have different form active (cogmind.cfg only: see disableSecondPropulsionAutoactivate)
* NEW: Wait commands blocked for 1 second on spotting a new enemy (can safely hold/repeat wait) (adjust duration in cfg: pauseWaitDurationForEnemies)
* NEW: System Backup Modules and related utilities report to the message log on taking effect
* NEW: While part swap mode active, indicator now shows at top of parts list as well
* NEW: Alt-free modal inventory management! ('d' to enter drop mode, followed by a~z or 1~0; compatible with ',' direct dropping) (keyboard mode only)
* NEW: Temporary descriptive indicator appears when sorting inventory or changing part visualization mode
* NEW: "World map updated" log messages now indicate precisely what was added/learned
* NEW: All robot info always available (Scan Processors removed from game)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes eighth mode: "relative vulnerability" (toggle via coverage 'c' command/button)
* NEW: Thermal projectiles/explosions have a "Heat Transfer" stat that determines how much an impact raises target heat (decoupled from damage)
* NEW: AI robots have some unique overheating side effects, and they'll occur more frequently
* NEW: Meltdowns are more easily triggered
* NEW: Combat robots glow red for a moment when seriously overheating (and are therefore prone to meltdowns)
* NEW: Otherwise salvageable parts may melt on robot death due to heat level at the time
* NEW: Unique animations for robot death to meltdowns and system corruption
* NEW: Scan window also shows robot temperature indicator in a separate block below integrity (tactical HUD mode only)
* NEW: Known map outside FOV auto-reveals regular colors when view not centered on Cogmind (e.g. mouse panning or kb-based map shifting)
* NEW: Melee attacks against unaware targets are "sneak attacks," almost certain to hit and inflict 100% more damage
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 11 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 11 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: HUD temperature readout doesn't glow even when hot, if within Core Heat Shielding-modified overheating threshold
* MOD: Most AI robots tweaked to have near optimum heat efficiency, making them easier to forcefully overheat/meltdown
* MOD: Windowed mode blocks fonts that create a game window slightly larger than the screen (for maximum font size use borderless fullscreen instead)
* MOD: Upkeep removed from all Processor-type utilities
* MOD: Exp. Optical Array effect dropped from 8 to 7
* MOD: Component Analysis Suites converted from Processor to Device, have new art, and a mass of 1
* MOD: Repair Stations take longer to repair broken (non-functional) parts
* MOD: Repair Stations can repair broken (non-functional) prototypes
* MOD: Integration Analyzer/Error Protection Suite/Quarantine Testbed removed from game
* MOD: Integration Analyzer effect merged with Integration Mediators (in addition to latter's existing effect)
* MOD: Heat Shielding effect increased from 50% to 75%
* MOD: All Core Heat Shields always prevent power source overheating
* MOD: Increased Core Heat Shield ratings and energy upkeep
* MOD: Recalibrators no longer auto-activate, and require energy upkeep
* MOD: Disposable cooling utilities take effect even if at the overheat threshold, where negative effects are technically still possible
* MOD: All Maneuvering Thrusters' coverage dropped from 80 to 60, integrity approximately doubled
* MOD: All Cloaking Devices' coverage dropped from 100 to 80, integrity slightly increased
* MOD: Updated Integration Analyzer effect description, which still implied removing parts has an associated matter cost
* MOD: Lowered all drone bay mass, to better serve their secondary purpose as armor
* MOD: Increased Mini/Mapping Drone Bay coverage and integrity
* MOD: Removed heat upkeep from all high-tier drone bays
* MOD: Tactical Quantum Warhead damage increased, reduced variability
* MOD: Destructive force of EM-triggered Light/Compact/Mini/Micro power source chain reactions upped to match non-light variants
* MOD: Increased damage and reduced matter cost for Flak Guns/Cannons (projectile count unchanged)
* MOD: Unknown manual hacking commands no longer added to command buffer
* MOD: Manually succeeding at a Query() hack darkens any previous references to that topic in other entries from the same hacking session
* MOD: Indirect hacking modifiers no longer apply to Trojans/brute force hacks (now much easier to succeed across all machine tiers)
* MOD: Haulers escorted through Materials no longer also capable of calling in reinforcements
* MOD: Operators can no longer be stationed at Recycling access terminal
* MOD: Exiting a research branch garrison always advances to another area rather than having a chance to bring Cogmind back to the same one
* MOD: Hauler Manifests containing matter now list the total amount in addition to the number of stacks
* MOD: Weapon heat context help (and manual) explicitly mentions how heat is averaged over the volley turn duration
* MOD: Lowered coverage of Electron Diverter and Imp. Diametric Drive to match other prototypes, and raised integrity and support of latter
* MOD: Slight increase to mass support of Nuclear Pulse Array and Field Propulsion Array
* MOD: Armored Leg increased to rating 5, support -2, heat +1
* MOD: Increased rarity of all Launcher Guidance Computers
* MOD: "AA AOE weapon" converted from explosive to thermal damage (trying to avoid spoilers here)
* MOD: Shock Trap corruption effect now modified by EM resistance (especially meaningful for NPCs)
* MOD: Blade/Segregator Traps no longer capable of affecting strip-immune victims (e.g. major NPCs)
* MOD: Traps triggered on Complex 0b10 robots no longer affect alert level
* MOD: Ally BUILD order removed
* MOD: Flight-capable builds can jump over large allies, movement which was originally blocked because swapping was impossible
* MOD: "Cooldown Period" stat removed from power sources, now use the same random range across entire item category
* MOD: "Heat Stability" stat removed from power source info
* MOD: Power Sources: Mni./Fusion Reactor -energy; F-Cell Engine -energy, +storage; Imp. Quantum Reactor -heat
* MOD: Message log file output ignores pure fluff messages like Serf cleaning, Engineer building, etc.
* MOD: Numerous hover/flight propulsion names and tiers shuffled to make way for new Cld-prefixed overloadables
* MOD: Active heat upkeep of all Cld-prefixed hover and flight propulsion dropped to 0
* MOD: Diametric Drives (and Imp. version) no longer overloadable, speed increased, support and energy drain reduced
* MOD: Nuclear Pulse Thrusters and Array no longer overloadable
* MOD: Dehyphenated several part name words (Antimatter, Antigrav, Antimissile); switched F-Cell/Q-Thrusters to lower case c/t
* MOD: Force Lance renamed to Force Rifle, actual Force Lance piercing melee weapon added
* MOD: All Demolisher variants switched to combat-type hover propulsion (slower!)
* MOD: Score sheet Most/Average/Final Carried stat records use inventory contents size rather than count
* MOD: Scanalyzer and Recycling Unit selection lists indicate item integrity values to aid differentiation (like Repair Station behavior)
* MOD: Scanalyzers can now operate on broken parts and rating 9/10 prototypes (still excludes unique items found only in certain locations)
* MOD: All part/robot schematics available one floor earlier than before
* MOD: Critical strike damage bonus against armor now 20% (was 25%); Cogmind critical strike part loss threshold down to 33% integrity (from 50%)
* MOD: Obstacles along line of fire in targeting mode have a bright animated glow instead of just highlighted
* MOD: Direct terminal hacks with unchanging permanent mapwide effects (12 in all) are removed from all terminals once successfully hacked once
* MOD: Power generation and energy/matter upkeep drain now occurs before applying any per-turn utility effects
* MOD: Targeting autoselection for large robots prefers the location with open line of fire rather than nearest point with line of sight
* MOD: Removed map data loss side effect of system corruption (AKA "map rot")
* MOD: cogmind.cfg forcePauseForEnemies variable renamed to pauseMoveDurationForEnemies (value reset to default this alpha)
* MOD: Transfer Stations now appear in blue
* MOD: Raised volume of part swap mode activation sfx (and multiconsole switch)
* MOD: Ally AID order can target any other ally, rather than only controllable allies
* MOD: Matter Storage Units renamed to Matter Pods
* MOD: Stasis link color changed from purple to yellow to differentiate from forms of protective stasis
* MOD: Robot destruction log message no longer shown after "terminal corruption" or "critical meltdown" effects (redundant)
* MOD: Core Heat Shield renamed Internal Heat Shield
* MOD: -10% to hit when attacker's previous action was a move no longer applies to melee combat
* MOD: Behemoth core switched from kinetic weakness to thermal weakness
* MOD: Removed Grunt core kinetic weakness
* MOD: Kinetic guns tweaked: most now have recoil, most now salvage-neutral, reduced some excessive critical chances
* MOD: Adjusted distribution and rarity of many utilities
* MOD: Microactuators, Quantum Capacitor and low/mid-tier Weapon Cyclers more common
* MOD: Increased resistance effect of all Focal Shields, Thermal Shields, and the EM Shield
* MOD: Lowered impact of certain events on alert level, most notably machine destruction
* MOD: Alert level increase due to allied activity now based on rating--lowered for low/mid-tier variants, raised for high-tier variants
* MOD: Cogmind base energy storage doubled to 100
* FIX: Mouse autopathing was broken by a regression (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [magi163])
* FIX: Screenshot feature was broken by a regression (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [Sherlockkat])
* FIX: Operators that lose a Datajack might be fitted with Backup Lasers by a Mechanic [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Internal slot counts for robots tallied incorrectly (only a minor affect, on repairs) [Decker, Amphouse]
* FIX: Firing overloaded thermal weapons might crash the UI under certain circumstances [Amphouse]
* FIX: Hackware art misalignment in ASCII spritesheet could reveal names of other art (regression in Alpha 11) [Amphouse]
* FIX: Reactive Armor art not centered [Amphouse]
* FIX: Armory dispatches were blocked from entering area [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: scorehistory.txt recorded occupied slots rather than total slots [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Trojan intended to speed up fabrication only applied to a build in progress, rather than including all those afterward as intended [Decker]
* FIX: Data Miner Network Hub terminal info referred to old/incorrect effectiveness modifier [Decker]
* FIX: scorehistory.txt Carried Avg not divided by turn count, resulting in huge incorrect values [zxc]
* FIX: Description of "Seed" variable in options menu didn't fit in allotted area [zxc]
* FIX: External log file output excluded dialogue [zxc]
* FIX: Typo in Containment Facilitator record [zxc]
* FIX: Typo in Zion encounter dialogue text [zxc]
* FIX: Score sheet "Traps Reused" stat tallied incorrectly [zxc]
* FIX: Recall(Extermination) and Recall(Assault) did not actually immediately call off the target squads [zxc]
* FIX: Subatomic Replicator temporarily increased max inventory size if attached directly from the ground with a full inventory [zxc]
* FIX: A pair of very long lore entries were cut short in the lore collection UI [zxc, Amphouse]
* FIX: Part sorting via ':' might not finishing shifting listed items to final position (rare, circumstances unknown) [zxc, Decker]
* FIX: Art gallery excessively incremented collection tallies of matter storage utilities [gressup]
* FIX: Crash on manually entering gibberish for the Fabricator Load() command
* FIX: Using keyboard-based reverse cycling of map robots/items in targeting mode while mouse active would auto-pan the map to center on the target
* FIX: If pure keyboard "DIRECT" drop mode (inventory skipping via ',') left to expire on its own (5s), would take two presses to reinstate it
* FIX: Score sheet "Database Lockouts" stat wasn't being tallied
* FIX: Special NPCs intended to follow more closely would lose that status and revert to loose follow if brought to another floor
* FIX: Shock Trap and EM Surge Trap had their corruption severity swapped with one another (latter intended to be more powerful)
* FIX: Unique hack missing from some Testing terminals
* FIX: Makeshift hackware art background colors incorrect
* FIX: Impact damage description in game manual still referenced pre-Alpha 6 "durability" mechanic
(As usual, if you haven't already, Prime Tier supporters and above remember to use the form linked in your original download email to provide the name you want to use in game. Attribution/names are added with each major release.)
Alpha 12 is here! This update is much broader in scope than what we've seen before, hence the ridiculously long changelog. As usual there's new content, but alongside it we have a lot of new UI features, a range of balance tweaks, and a rather large number of new mechanics for so late in alpha (it feels like I could develop Cogmind forever, but did I mention we are now in "late alpha"?
).Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 12, you can browse this couple dozen feature images I put together.
Note that Cogmind's price is currently VAT-inclusive in the EU (so basically it's cheaper there while I eat the cost myself).
The Place No One Lives to Tell About
The Access branch "Command" is open for business, and as you might expect it is in the business of crushing unwelcome guests. Sightseeing not recommended. And no one said you have to go there!
It's not quite done yet, but if you do visit you won't notice anything missing. There are just a few bits of content for it that need to wait until a future release.
Hacker Life
Hacking just keeps getting better.
One of the coolest UI features of Alpha 12 is autocompletion for manual hacks. As soon as you start typing any command, the hacking window shows you all possible matches for what you've typed so far. If there's more than one you can cycle through them via up/down, or keep typing to narrow it down further. Just press spacebar or tab to accept the current suggestion without typing the whole thing out!
From the outset all common commands are considered for the autocompletion list, while unauthorized hacks learned while playing are considered only after discovering them, information that is carried from game to game. This is to avoid spoiling secrets that are intended to be learned through regular play (NPCs and terminal records provide this info)
The automated recording of secrets learned via lore is itself helpful for hack discovery, in case you didn’t notice or forgot what some NPC told you (and don't want to search through your lore collection for it
), since simply typing “Trojan” at the command prompt (or really even just “tro”!) will list all known Trojans for that machine. (“t” and “tr” work, too, but at Terminals specifically there will also be non-Trojan matches due to trap-related commands.)You can see an autocompletion demo in the first preview image, or in my latest dev blog post where I cover this and other hacking features: "Improving the Hacking Experience."
Pure keyboard players also now have the same quick access to Query() references that mouse players do, where each reference will have an associated number (in gray), and you only need to press that number to hack its entry indirectly.
Another new feature: The limits of Schematic() and Analysis() hacks have always been pretty difficult to figure out, so in addition to lifting some of the restrictions on schematic collection and making targets for these hacks available a little lower in the complex than before, Terminals report the depth and or tier at which the hack is possible.
Scanalyzers are also capable of identifying anything, and if a schematic is not possible will give a specific reason (there are a number of reasons why Scan() won't work, and none of them were ever clearly stated).
Installable Traps?!
For years now the question has been coming up "Can you lay mines?" (or some variant thereof). I've always wanted to avoid traditional concepts of mine laying in Cogmind, though not long ago I was suddenly struck by a vision for how to integrate it into an existing system: traps. You can already reprogram traps with Datajacks or Terminal hacks, but this has been taken a step further in Alpha 12.
With a shiny new Trap Extractor you can now remove those traps from the ground and install them wherever you want! The Extractor works automatically while standing over a friendly trap (so yes you'll have to reprogram it first) and puts the trap directly in your inventory, or drops it to the ground if your inventory is currently full. Extraction may fail, but all that usually means is you'll have to try again by waiting another turn. Traps are then installed elsewhere by dropping them and pressing '>' or clicking on yourself (that part doesn't require an Extractor). You can repeatedly extract and move traps, too, no problem.
Traps affecting enemies have no effect on the alert level, making them the ultimate stealth weapon-tool. They're also a lot more interesting than just "mines" because some have different effects rather than simply damage.
On the less stealthy side, pressing '>' or clicking on yourself while standing on a trap (friendly or not) forces it to trigger--there are some useful and/or devious things you can do with that.
(Note: Trap items currently use the non-part item sprite and ASCII--they'll get their own unique look in the next release.)
Great Utility Update, Part 1
I've been talking about how it would come, and lo and behold here it has begun.
A number of utilities have needed some obvious adjustments for a long while now, but I've been intentionally holding off on that until most of the game mechanics are in place and the gameplay is well tested and understood. This process can't wait much longer, though, because the effects of these changes, and more down the line, will themselves need to be widely tested before a proper 1.0, and that will take some time.
So Alpha 12 includes the first batch of significant utility updates.
The biggest is probably the complete removal of Processor upkeep. No more toggling them on and off for optimal play. They're all free to use.
Well, the other major change is the removal of Scan Processors. Everyone gets all robot info for free, too, which in particular will help especially new players figure out resistances and why that Sentry is shrugging off missile after missile
. It's info that can be acquired over time anyway, and from a design perspective there's no reason to require a wiki or cheat sheet to reference it.That and many of the other utilities which are being changed or removed are remnants of the Cogmind 7DRL, which was designed relatively quickly and some of its ideas weren't exactly thought through very well--back then it was basically "I'll do it because I can."
A more subtle change is the adjustment to utility distribution. To an extent, you'll be seeing fewer of the items you probably don't want, and more of what you probably do want.
The changelog at the end of this post lists a bunch of more specific utility changes.
New and Old Stats
To get the easy stuff out of the way first: power sources no longer have "Heat Stability" and "Cooldown Period" stats. These, too, were old 7DRL remnants that needed to go. No one really cared about them. Goodbye.
On the other hand, a new category of power sources can now be overloaded like some hover/flight/weapons. This doubles their energy output and heat, and will make a strong case for the benefits of force fields over armor. All these overloadable power sources have the Cld. prefix ("cooled"), so they're easy to distinguish. The stat indicating a power source is overloadable is named "Stability," because they're not 100% stable in that state--obviously overloading your power source indefinitely has a chance to create problems
The award for stat change with massive gameplay implications goes to... Heat Transfer! I've been thinking about doing it for a while, and the deed is finally done. Thermal weapons now indicate a relative amount of heat they transfer to the target: Low, Medium, High, or Massive. This allowed me to decouple heat from damage and have it play a lateral role in combat strategy. It's kinda like EM corruption and spectrum considerations on steroids. It's also been hell to balance
Meltdowns are back, baby! We had that one release when meltdowns were first introduced and they were kinda broken/OP, then robots got so good at cooling themselves that they became practically impossible. Now robot heat management has been adjusted so that most variants operate at optimal dissipation efficiency, so taking out their heat sink has more meaning, as does using thermal weaponry against them to up their heat level, which they can't really bring down while firing at you.
Basically if you fire a repeated volley of thermal weapons, the target is going to feel it and fast. As one might expect, Flamers really live up to their name now, and overloadable thermal weapons gain an extra heat transfer level when overloaded.
The only way to balance this system and keep it fun was to make Cogmind (and special NPCs) less susceptible to the effects of Heat Transfer. You'll still notice it, but then that's always been a thing so, yes, going up against a squad of Grunts will tend to heat you up as they lase you.
Both force fields and thermal resistance help protect against heat transfer in the same ratio they apply to damage.
Other robots now more clearly suffer a range of side effects from overheating. That will become obvious as you burn them, and these effects could easily hasten their demise. But Heat Transfer is not a panacea! Even victims that are not melted may still have otherwise salvageable parts melted due to the heat. The hotter they are the more likely parts will be lost, with low-max-integrity parts being the most likely to melt.
Since depending on one's strategy robot heat is a little more important now, rather than force you to open the robot info page to check its value, in tactical HUD mode it's now shown directly in the scan window. If the temperature is anything higher than Cool, the color will show under the normal scan window robot integrity indicator. Dangerously hot robots will also glow red for a moment, suggesting when a well-placed volley of thermal weapons could very well cause a meltdown!
Note that power source explosions due to chain reactions are considered thermal in nature, so there is a bit of synergy there between narrow-spectrum EM attacks and thermal weapons.
Propulsion Shuffling
Alpha 12 includes lots of little changes to hover and flight propulsion to rebalance them, ostensibly as part of the goal to ensure that all overloadable parts in the game (across all types) use the Cld prefix. There were some stat changes, too, though, and rating adjustments.
Hover also got a new Cmb ("combat") series, and there are even a few new legs to be found. These fill some strategic niches that weren't fully supported by the the existing set of propulsion components.
Miscellaneous Balance
Notes about various balance-related entries in the changelog:
- Lgt/Com/Min/Mic power sources, the lightweight ones with little energy storage, originally had weaker chain reaction explosions. Be careful when using EM weapons up close to targets because these explosions are now just as powerful as other power sources. The effects are especially noticeable because lots of robots use this variety of power!
- Flak weapons might actually be worth using now!
- Having forgotten to taken into account machine tier impact on indirect hacks, the way Trojan and brute force hack chances were applied meant that these were harder than they should have been at a good many interactive machines. You'll find yourself succeeding a lot more now. Brute forcing a Garrison Access, for example, is always going to be easier than sealing it.
- Many kinetic guns have undergone varying degrees of nerfing, though most are minor changes now that thermal weapons have their own secondary mechanics going for them to bring the two in line with one another in terms of cost-benefit ratios. Kinetic guns no longer leave quite so much to salvage, are a little harder to hit with (recoil), and yes the KE Penetrator has finally been nerfed with a cut to its rather insane critical strike capabilities. Kinetic cannons remain untouched and deadly as ever
- Hunters, which have had quite a lot of ups and downs throughout alpha development (but always been pretty scary), have been indirectly nerfed due to other changes. Their kinetic guns are obviously going to be a little less effective, but Cogmind is also less susceptible to their critical hits now that armor takes 5% less damage from them, and Cogmind's part destruction threshold was lowered to 33% of integrity.
- Alert level will no longer spike so quickly due to a range of unrelated changes. Machine destruction only has 40% of the impact it once did, and allies won't cause the alert to spike nearly as much. It might be necessary to raise that again, but for now let's see how everyone fares. An ally-focused update is still forthcoming. That the Recall() hacks have been fixed for Programmers and assaults might make it too easy to control an entire floor.
- Cogmind's core got a permanent boost to energy storage, +50 = 100! This won't feel any different from Alpha 11, because it was actually a bug added in that version due to a change in how the value was stored, but I've decided to keep it that way. 50 was a little restrictive to the underdog Cogminds naked and dying out there.
Damage Overflow
We're not done with new mechanics yet!
When a part is destroyed by damage that exceeds its remaining integrity, the surplus damage is then applied to the core or another part as chosen by standard coverage/exposure rules. Exceptions: There is no damage overflow if the destroyed part itself is armor, and overflow damage always targets armor first if there is any. Damage overflow is caused by all weapons except those of the "gun" type, and can overflow through multiple destroyed parts if there is sufficient damage.
Allowing guns to cause overflow would be too brutal to players already in a bad situation, as most of your enemies are armed with guns. This does however mean your few cannon-equipped foes just got yet another boost though (*cough* Behemoths *cough*). So the big guys just got a tiny bit deadlier against weaker enemies, and so did many of your weapons, especially the really good ones. That was the main motivation behind this feature, because it was always extremely annoying (not to mention demotivating) to take some massive cannon and spend ages trying to kill some little Swarmer as each of its individual parts was blown off in turn.
In general damage overflow is a net positive for the player.
Melee Gets Even Cooler
Melee is gradually becoming a pretty powerful tactic given the right gear. Seeing as melee weapons are highly damaging, they stand to benefit the most from the overflow mechanic above, and as of Alpha 12 they no longer incur the old -10% targeting penalty for attacking immediately after moving.
Oh yeah, I guess this also means melee enemies are going to be that much scarier, too
But now you also get sneak attacks! Melee attacking a target that hasn't noticed you yet is a practically guaranteed hit, and does double damage. So waiting around a corner in ambush--or rushing in so fast that they don't see you coming before you hit them--can be a very powerful way to say hello and goodbye all at once.
General QoL
- Coverage mode for the parts list visualization can now be toggled to instead show relative "vulnerability," which is equivalent to coverage divided by integrity. This is helpful for understanding which parts you're likely to lose first, which is not always immediately apparent unless you already have a very good understanding of both their coverage and integrity.
- When you want to wait for an enemy to arrive in a doorway (a common defensive tactic), simply position yourself and hold the wait key. It will no longer continue waiting until they both appear and attack, because if when they enter you see them before they have an opportunity to attack, the game will block the wait action so you can act first. This makes that kind of wait a little faster since you don't have to advance one turn at a time.
- All keyboard-based inventory management is now accessible without the Alt key! The old commands are still valid, but this will be a boon for some players on Linux+Wine where the Alt key is not as convenient, and others for whom using excessive modifier keys is physically uncomfortable. Simply press 'd' to initiate drop mode, followed by the letter of the attached part to remove, or the number of the inventory item to drop. This is compatible with the previously existing ',' command, which allows dropping of an attached part directly to the ground (bypassing a non-full inventory) if desired.
- Map rot (i.e. forgetting small sections of the map due to system corruption) is gone. We have some DCSS devs playing Cogmind lately, so this and the Scan Processor removal are their gift to you . I've been thinking about removing map rot for a while now, but also needed to replace it with something else, so now you have other new corruption side effects (thank them for those, too!)
One final note: The hastily implemented scorehistory.txt file had a few incorrect columns in Alpha 11, which have since been fixed, though new entries will continue to be added to that same file. It's your choice whether you want to start with a clean slate (just delete your old one) or keep adding to the same one regardless.
Remember to migrate from an earlier release by simply copying over your /user/ directory to the new game directory.
The full Alpha 12 (0.10.161122) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Command"
* NEW: 2 more plot-related NPC encounters
* NEW: 1 major new NPC (unique robot class)
* NEW: 1 new prototype robot variant
* NEW: 1 new common robot class (3 variants)
* NEW: 37 new items (total = 768)
* NEW: Several more machines
* NEW: 1 more cave encounter
* NEW: 25 more score sheet entries (total = 492)
* NEW: Borderless fullscreen mode (see options menu)
* NEW: Option to automatically deactivate all other weapons when attaching/swapping in a launcher (cogmind.cfg only: see autoReadyLauncher)
* NEW: Core Heat Shields raise threshold at which overheat effects occur
* NEW: HUD temperature readout shows modified overheating threshold if currently above regular threshold with an active Core Heat Shield
* NEW: Recalibrator effect replaced with new ability to restore functionality to broken parts, including prototypes
* NEW: Manual hacking now includes autocompletion feature (press Spacebar or Tab to accept current match, or up/down to cycle through all matches)
* NEW: Indirect hacking of lore topics through references now possible via number keys (keyboard mode only)
* NEW: Previously undiscovered lore topics marked in query results using '!' (as also seen in hacking target list)
* NEW: Score sheet records borderless fullscreen setting in meta data ("2")
* NEW: Damage overflow mechanic (see manual)
* NEW: Expanded manual intro with "Using this Manual" section
* NEW: Manual explicitly states that successful hacks can increase alert level
* NEW: Trap extraction and reuse mechanic
* NEW: Use '>' on top of a trap to force it to trigger (LMB for mouse users)
* NEW: Some power sources can be overloaded to double their energy output (and heat)
* NEW: Less common combat-oriented hover propulsion ("Cmb.") with higher integrity and support, but slower
* NEW: Super fast experimental flight propulsion with relatively low support (rare)
* NEW: Non-scanalyzable parts can still be inserted into scanalyzer to identify them (anything!), with specific messages for why schematic impossible
* NEW: Manual part/robot Schematic()/Analysis() hacks report required depth and security level if target unavailable at current terminal
* NEW: Evolution interface accepts numpad Enter for confirmation as well
* NEW: More possible side effects of system corruption: Matter Fused, Heat Flow Error, Energy Discharge
* NEW: Allied followers prioritize gathering around an exit if Cogmind is adjacent to one, even if under attack
* NEW: Option to block propulsion auto-activation if already have different form active (cogmind.cfg only: see disableSecondPropulsionAutoactivate)
* NEW: Wait commands blocked for 1 second on spotting a new enemy (can safely hold/repeat wait) (adjust duration in cfg: pauseWaitDurationForEnemies)
* NEW: System Backup Modules and related utilities report to the message log on taking effect
* NEW: While part swap mode active, indicator now shows at top of parts list as well
* NEW: Alt-free modal inventory management! ('d' to enter drop mode, followed by a~z or 1~0; compatible with ',' direct dropping) (keyboard mode only)
* NEW: Temporary descriptive indicator appears when sorting inventory or changing part visualization mode
* NEW: "World map updated" log messages now indicate precisely what was added/learned
* NEW: All robot info always available (Scan Processors removed from game)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes eighth mode: "relative vulnerability" (toggle via coverage 'c' command/button)
* NEW: Thermal projectiles/explosions have a "Heat Transfer" stat that determines how much an impact raises target heat (decoupled from damage)
* NEW: AI robots have some unique overheating side effects, and they'll occur more frequently
* NEW: Meltdowns are more easily triggered
* NEW: Combat robots glow red for a moment when seriously overheating (and are therefore prone to meltdowns)
* NEW: Otherwise salvageable parts may melt on robot death due to heat level at the time
* NEW: Unique animations for robot death to meltdowns and system corruption
* NEW: Scan window also shows robot temperature indicator in a separate block below integrity (tactical HUD mode only)
* NEW: Known map outside FOV auto-reveals regular colors when view not centered on Cogmind (e.g. mouse panning or kb-based map shifting)
* NEW: Melee attacks against unaware targets are "sneak attacks," almost certain to hit and inflict 100% more damage
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 11 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 11 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: HUD temperature readout doesn't glow even when hot, if within Core Heat Shielding-modified overheating threshold
* MOD: Most AI robots tweaked to have near optimum heat efficiency, making them easier to forcefully overheat/meltdown
* MOD: Windowed mode blocks fonts that create a game window slightly larger than the screen (for maximum font size use borderless fullscreen instead)
* MOD: Upkeep removed from all Processor-type utilities
* MOD: Exp. Optical Array effect dropped from 8 to 7
* MOD: Component Analysis Suites converted from Processor to Device, have new art, and a mass of 1
* MOD: Repair Stations take longer to repair broken (non-functional) parts
* MOD: Repair Stations can repair broken (non-functional) prototypes
* MOD: Integration Analyzer/Error Protection Suite/Quarantine Testbed removed from game
* MOD: Integration Analyzer effect merged with Integration Mediators (in addition to latter's existing effect)
* MOD: Heat Shielding effect increased from 50% to 75%
* MOD: All Core Heat Shields always prevent power source overheating
* MOD: Increased Core Heat Shield ratings and energy upkeep
* MOD: Recalibrators no longer auto-activate, and require energy upkeep
* MOD: Disposable cooling utilities take effect even if at the overheat threshold, where negative effects are technically still possible
* MOD: All Maneuvering Thrusters' coverage dropped from 80 to 60, integrity approximately doubled
* MOD: All Cloaking Devices' coverage dropped from 100 to 80, integrity slightly increased
* MOD: Updated Integration Analyzer effect description, which still implied removing parts has an associated matter cost
* MOD: Lowered all drone bay mass, to better serve their secondary purpose as armor
* MOD: Increased Mini/Mapping Drone Bay coverage and integrity
* MOD: Removed heat upkeep from all high-tier drone bays
* MOD: Tactical Quantum Warhead damage increased, reduced variability
* MOD: Destructive force of EM-triggered Light/Compact/Mini/Micro power source chain reactions upped to match non-light variants
* MOD: Increased damage and reduced matter cost for Flak Guns/Cannons (projectile count unchanged)
* MOD: Unknown manual hacking commands no longer added to command buffer
* MOD: Manually succeeding at a Query() hack darkens any previous references to that topic in other entries from the same hacking session
* MOD: Indirect hacking modifiers no longer apply to Trojans/brute force hacks (now much easier to succeed across all machine tiers)
* MOD: Haulers escorted through Materials no longer also capable of calling in reinforcements
* MOD: Operators can no longer be stationed at Recycling access terminal
* MOD: Exiting a research branch garrison always advances to another area rather than having a chance to bring Cogmind back to the same one
* MOD: Hauler Manifests containing matter now list the total amount in addition to the number of stacks
* MOD: Weapon heat context help (and manual) explicitly mentions how heat is averaged over the volley turn duration
* MOD: Lowered coverage of Electron Diverter and Imp. Diametric Drive to match other prototypes, and raised integrity and support of latter
* MOD: Slight increase to mass support of Nuclear Pulse Array and Field Propulsion Array
* MOD: Armored Leg increased to rating 5, support -2, heat +1
* MOD: Increased rarity of all Launcher Guidance Computers
* MOD: "AA AOE weapon" converted from explosive to thermal damage (trying to avoid spoilers here)
* MOD: Shock Trap corruption effect now modified by EM resistance (especially meaningful for NPCs)
* MOD: Blade/Segregator Traps no longer capable of affecting strip-immune victims (e.g. major NPCs)
* MOD: Traps triggered on Complex 0b10 robots no longer affect alert level
* MOD: Ally BUILD order removed
* MOD: Flight-capable builds can jump over large allies, movement which was originally blocked because swapping was impossible
* MOD: "Cooldown Period" stat removed from power sources, now use the same random range across entire item category
* MOD: "Heat Stability" stat removed from power source info
* MOD: Power Sources: Mni./Fusion Reactor -energy; F-Cell Engine -energy, +storage; Imp. Quantum Reactor -heat
* MOD: Message log file output ignores pure fluff messages like Serf cleaning, Engineer building, etc.
* MOD: Numerous hover/flight propulsion names and tiers shuffled to make way for new Cld-prefixed overloadables
* MOD: Active heat upkeep of all Cld-prefixed hover and flight propulsion dropped to 0
* MOD: Diametric Drives (and Imp. version) no longer overloadable, speed increased, support and energy drain reduced
* MOD: Nuclear Pulse Thrusters and Array no longer overloadable
* MOD: Dehyphenated several part name words (Antimatter, Antigrav, Antimissile); switched F-Cell/Q-Thrusters to lower case c/t
* MOD: Force Lance renamed to Force Rifle, actual Force Lance piercing melee weapon added
* MOD: All Demolisher variants switched to combat-type hover propulsion (slower!)
* MOD: Score sheet Most/Average/Final Carried stat records use inventory contents size rather than count
* MOD: Scanalyzer and Recycling Unit selection lists indicate item integrity values to aid differentiation (like Repair Station behavior)
* MOD: Scanalyzers can now operate on broken parts and rating 9/10 prototypes (still excludes unique items found only in certain locations)
* MOD: All part/robot schematics available one floor earlier than before
* MOD: Critical strike damage bonus against armor now 20% (was 25%); Cogmind critical strike part loss threshold down to 33% integrity (from 50%)
* MOD: Obstacles along line of fire in targeting mode have a bright animated glow instead of just highlighted
* MOD: Direct terminal hacks with unchanging permanent mapwide effects (12 in all) are removed from all terminals once successfully hacked once
* MOD: Power generation and energy/matter upkeep drain now occurs before applying any per-turn utility effects
* MOD: Targeting autoselection for large robots prefers the location with open line of fire rather than nearest point with line of sight
* MOD: Removed map data loss side effect of system corruption (AKA "map rot")
* MOD: cogmind.cfg forcePauseForEnemies variable renamed to pauseMoveDurationForEnemies (value reset to default this alpha)
* MOD: Transfer Stations now appear in blue
* MOD: Raised volume of part swap mode activation sfx (and multiconsole switch)
* MOD: Ally AID order can target any other ally, rather than only controllable allies
* MOD: Matter Storage Units renamed to Matter Pods
* MOD: Stasis link color changed from purple to yellow to differentiate from forms of protective stasis
* MOD: Robot destruction log message no longer shown after "terminal corruption" or "critical meltdown" effects (redundant)
* MOD: Core Heat Shield renamed Internal Heat Shield
* MOD: -10% to hit when attacker's previous action was a move no longer applies to melee combat
* MOD: Behemoth core switched from kinetic weakness to thermal weakness
* MOD: Removed Grunt core kinetic weakness
* MOD: Kinetic guns tweaked: most now have recoil, most now salvage-neutral, reduced some excessive critical chances
* MOD: Adjusted distribution and rarity of many utilities
* MOD: Microactuators, Quantum Capacitor and low/mid-tier Weapon Cyclers more common
* MOD: Increased resistance effect of all Focal Shields, Thermal Shields, and the EM Shield
* MOD: Lowered impact of certain events on alert level, most notably machine destruction
* MOD: Alert level increase due to allied activity now based on rating--lowered for low/mid-tier variants, raised for high-tier variants
* MOD: Cogmind base energy storage doubled to 100
* FIX: Mouse autopathing was broken by a regression (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [magi163])
* FIX: Screenshot feature was broken by a regression (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [Sherlockkat])
* FIX: Operators that lose a Datajack might be fitted with Backup Lasers by a Mechanic [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Internal slot counts for robots tallied incorrectly (only a minor affect, on repairs) [Decker, Amphouse]
* FIX: Firing overloaded thermal weapons might crash the UI under certain circumstances [Amphouse]
* FIX: Hackware art misalignment in ASCII spritesheet could reveal names of other art (regression in Alpha 11) [Amphouse]
* FIX: Reactive Armor art not centered [Amphouse]
* FIX: Armory dispatches were blocked from entering area [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: scorehistory.txt recorded occupied slots rather than total slots [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Trojan intended to speed up fabrication only applied to a build in progress, rather than including all those afterward as intended [Decker]
* FIX: Data Miner Network Hub terminal info referred to old/incorrect effectiveness modifier [Decker]
* FIX: scorehistory.txt Carried Avg not divided by turn count, resulting in huge incorrect values [zxc]
* FIX: Description of "Seed" variable in options menu didn't fit in allotted area [zxc]
* FIX: External log file output excluded dialogue [zxc]
* FIX: Typo in Containment Facilitator record [zxc]
* FIX: Typo in Zion encounter dialogue text [zxc]
* FIX: Score sheet "Traps Reused" stat tallied incorrectly [zxc]
* FIX: Recall(Extermination) and Recall(Assault) did not actually immediately call off the target squads [zxc]
* FIX: Subatomic Replicator temporarily increased max inventory size if attached directly from the ground with a full inventory [zxc]
* FIX: A pair of very long lore entries were cut short in the lore collection UI [zxc, Amphouse]
* FIX: Part sorting via ':' might not finishing shifting listed items to final position (rare, circumstances unknown) [zxc, Decker]
* FIX: Art gallery excessively incremented collection tallies of matter storage utilities [gressup]
* FIX: Crash on manually entering gibberish for the Fabricator Load() command
* FIX: Using keyboard-based reverse cycling of map robots/items in targeting mode while mouse active would auto-pan the map to center on the target
* FIX: If pure keyboard "DIRECT" drop mode (inventory skipping via ',') left to expire on its own (5s), would take two presses to reinstate it
* FIX: Score sheet "Database Lockouts" stat wasn't being tallied
* FIX: Special NPCs intended to follow more closely would lose that status and revert to loose follow if brought to another floor
* FIX: Shock Trap and EM Surge Trap had their corruption severity swapped with one another (latter intended to be more powerful)
* FIX: Unique hack missing from some Testing terminals
* FIX: Makeshift hackware art background colors incorrect
* FIX: Impact damage description in game manual still referenced pre-Alpha 6 "durability" mechanic
(As usual, if you haven't already, Prime Tier supporters and above remember to use the form linked in your original download email to provide the name you want to use in game. Attribution/names are added with each major release.)
207
Announcements / Upcoming Features (Alpha 12)
« on: November 20, 2016, 09:32:29 AM »
Alpha 12 is on the way! [Update: Alpha 12 released! Full release notes and changelog here.]
In terms of absolute volume of new world content Alpha 12 can't compare with Alpha 11, which relied on a lot of stuff I developed ages ago and simply unlocked, but 12's changelog is literally more than twice as long as any before it O_O
Of course Alpha 12 adds one of the last previously unavailable maps, the long-awaited Command, but besides that it focuses a lot on QoL, our first round of true balancing, and even new mechanics! Many of these things are the type of non-spoiler stuff I can share, so here we have the largest single collection of preview images we've had for any release to date
Manual hacking autocompletion!
Direct keyboard access to query references! (only keyboard players see this feature)
New option to auto-ready a launcher for solo fire when attached.
Force trigger a known trap via '>' or clicking on self while standing on it.
Use this to reprogram and remove hostile traps from the ground, then reinstall them elsewhere.
(examples: disarming a grunt with a Blade Trap; planting an explosive conveniently between some reactors to take out a pursuing squad; toying with a garrison by planting EMPs right outside their door)
Traps are actual items now.
Some power sources can now be overloaded for extra output (all Cld.-prefixed).
Any part can be inserted in a Scanalyzer to identify it--those without schematics are listed in yellow alongside other insertable items.
Terminals now report the requirements for a desired schematic if unavailable locally.
Obstacles to line of fire are highlighted much more brightly, with a glow effect.
Allies always prioritize reaching your position if you're at an exit, here seen rallying to defend the stairs while more allies catch up.
Alt-free modal inventory management for pure keyboard players (mode indicator at top of parts list.
Scan Processors were removed from the game, and full robot info is available for all robots just by examining them.
Visualization modes and inventory sorting are now labeled right there when switching modes.
The eighth and final part data visualization mode, vulnerability, showing [coverage/integrity] to suggest which parts will be the first to be lost when under attack (comparison with some other modes)
New Heat Transfer stat. Time to melt some bots.
Dangerously overheating bots glow red for a moment, indicating they're ripe for melting.
Cooking robots might have some negative consequences.
The Scan window includes a new heat level indicator when in tactical HUD mode.
Subtly different death animation for critical meltdowns.
System corruption deaths also have a slight add-on to their animation (this one's much harder to spot)
Panning the map view via mouse or shifting it with the keyboard automatically lights up and colors the areas outside FOV.
Melee sneak attacks!
Core Heat Shields now increase heat threshold before negative side effects, with their own indicator on the HUD.
Borderless fullscreen ("windowed fullscreen") is now an option.
I managed to fit in a huge number of feature requests this time (thanks for all the suggestions!), though a few didn't make the deadline and will have to wait. All that's left now is a little playtesting and Alpha 12 will be with you this week! When the time comes the release notes will have all the details...
(Out of curiosity I just went to compare the number of hours spent directly on each build itself, and Alpha 11 comes in at 159 hours, while 12 happens to be 158 including through today's progress.)
In terms of absolute volume of new world content Alpha 12 can't compare with Alpha 11, which relied on a lot of stuff I developed ages ago and simply unlocked, but 12's changelog is literally more than twice as long as any before it O_O
Of course Alpha 12 adds one of the last previously unavailable maps, the long-awaited Command, but besides that it focuses a lot on QoL, our first round of true balancing, and even new mechanics! Many of these things are the type of non-spoiler stuff I can share, so here we have the largest single collection of preview images we've had for any release to date
Manual hacking autocompletion!
Direct keyboard access to query references! (only keyboard players see this feature)
New option to auto-ready a launcher for solo fire when attached.
Force trigger a known trap via '>' or clicking on self while standing on it.
Use this to reprogram and remove hostile traps from the ground, then reinstall them elsewhere.
(examples: disarming a grunt with a Blade Trap; planting an explosive conveniently between some reactors to take out a pursuing squad; toying with a garrison by planting EMPs right outside their door)
Traps are actual items now.
Some power sources can now be overloaded for extra output (all Cld.-prefixed).
Any part can be inserted in a Scanalyzer to identify it--those without schematics are listed in yellow alongside other insertable items.
Terminals now report the requirements for a desired schematic if unavailable locally.
Obstacles to line of fire are highlighted much more brightly, with a glow effect.
Allies always prioritize reaching your position if you're at an exit, here seen rallying to defend the stairs while more allies catch up.
Alt-free modal inventory management for pure keyboard players (mode indicator at top of parts list.
Scan Processors were removed from the game, and full robot info is available for all robots just by examining them.
Visualization modes and inventory sorting are now labeled right there when switching modes.
The eighth and final part data visualization mode, vulnerability, showing [coverage/integrity] to suggest which parts will be the first to be lost when under attack (comparison with some other modes)
New Heat Transfer stat. Time to melt some bots.
Dangerously overheating bots glow red for a moment, indicating they're ripe for melting.
Cooking robots might have some negative consequences.
The Scan window includes a new heat level indicator when in tactical HUD mode.
Subtly different death animation for critical meltdowns.
System corruption deaths also have a slight add-on to their animation (this one's much harder to spot
)Panning the map view via mouse or shifting it with the keyboard automatically lights up and colors the areas outside FOV.
Melee sneak attacks!
Core Heat Shields now increase heat threshold before negative side effects, with their own indicator on the HUD.
Borderless fullscreen ("windowed fullscreen") is now an option.
I managed to fit in a huge number of feature requests this time (thanks for all the suggestions!), though a few didn't make the deadline and will have to wait. All that's left now is a little playtesting and Alpha 12 will be with you this week! When the time comes the release notes will have all the details...
(Out of curiosity I just went to compare the number of hours spent directly on each build itself, and Alpha 11 comes in at 159 hours, while 12 happens to be 158 including through today's progress.)
208
Announcements / Cogmind VAT-free in the EU
« on: November 15, 2016, 04:42:31 AM »
I know VAT is a tough burden for online purchases in the EU at around +20% tax, and it holds back some potential supporters who are on the fence (argh if only Cogmind came out before 2015 ), so for at least a week here I'm going to see if covering VAT on my end will help some extra people join alpha!
As you can see, so far about one-fifth of Cogmind supporters are from the EU:
(The numbers make sense since the game is English only.)
The Buy Page
Edit: Note that while I called this "VAT-free," that's because normally the tax is charged on top of the base price. Technically EU buyers will still be charged VAT on a purchase--that's unavoidable, but what I'm basically doing here is lowering the price of Cogmind in the EU, taking less myself as a result, to cover the heavy tax instead of passing it along to buyers! Hopefully that clears up any confusion.
Lots of new progress at this point, but rather than put out another update I'll just save it for the upcoming Alpha 12 preview, which is easily going to be the largest collection of alpha feature images ever...
), so for at least a week here I'm going to see if covering VAT on my end will help some extra people join alpha!As you can see, so far about one-fifth of Cogmind supporters are from the EU:
(The numbers make sense since the game is English only.)
The Buy Page Edit: Note that while I called this "VAT-free," that's because normally the tax is charged on top of the base price. Technically EU buyers will still be charged VAT on a purchase--that's unavoidable, but what I'm basically doing here is lowering the price of Cogmind in the EU, taking less myself as a result, to cover the heavy tax instead of passing it along to buyers! Hopefully that clears up any confusion.
Lots of new progress at this point, but rather than put out another update I'll just save it for the upcoming Alpha 12 preview, which is easily going to be the largest collection of alpha feature images ever...
209
Announcements / Progress Update: November 11th, 2016
« on: November 10, 2016, 09:54:09 PM »
We're coming up on another release here. In fact, Alpha 12 has already reached the usual state at which a release meets my standards for a major milestone, but in the interest of hacking a much more significant chunk out of the list of feature requests, balance tweaks, and yet more QoL enhancements that flooded in with the Alpha 11 mega-update, I'm going to put off 12 for another week while I pack in more stuff.
I spent a week since the last update working on Command, one of the final remaining maps of the game, and that's now complete. Then towards the end of this week I decided to add a fun new feature, about which I'll let the demo images do the talking for now, and get into the details for the future release notes
Also this week I finished up my blog series on Weaving Narratives into Procedural Worlds with Part 3, methods. It's an overview of specifically how Cogmind achieves the points covered in the first two parts.
The next bit of news will most likely be the Alpha 12 release preview!
I spent a week since the last update working on Command, one of the final remaining maps of the game, and that's now complete. Then towards the end of this week I decided to add a fun new feature, about which I'll let the demo images do the talking for now, and get into the details for the future release notes
Also this week I finished up my blog series on Weaving Narratives into Procedural Worlds with Part 3, methods. It's an overview of specifically how Cogmind achieves the points covered in the first two parts.
The next bit of news will most likely be the Alpha 12 release preview!
210
Announcements / Progress Update: November 4th, 2016
« on: November 03, 2016, 08:20:05 PM »
About time to report in again! Lots of things going on...
I'm currently working on the final branch of the game, which is about half done at this point. Yep can't say anything about that
Over on the dev blog there's a new ongoing series about Weaving Narratives into Procedural Worlds. The latest post includes a diagram somewhat abstractly mapping out all the major NPC encounters in the game, which doubles as a meta game for players who've already done a lot of exploring, trying to figure out what's what. That's happening over in this thread. Naturally this involves major spoilers.
Cumulative Cogmind development investment recently surpassed the 6,000-hour mark!
(Also this funny modified version by Caves of Qud dev Brian Bucklew.) We're obviously getting closer to done here, but thanks to strong support from every one of you I've been able to edge in a lot more little features that there otherwise wouldn't be time to do!
After 11 years I finally got a new monitor. Due to the climate here (and simply its age...) the old one one started splitting open all on its own a while ago, and they'd increased in number and size to the point that I was having trouble moving windows/art around to find places that weren't covered in crap so I could see it. No seriously, these cracks have been annoying:
(There are also even more vertical cracks, but you can't see them in the pic because they're too thin.) I never really had enough money to justify getting a new monitor until the old one actually croaked, but on the spur of the moment decided to check the current price of a replacement and--wow, they were on 24-hour super sale for really cheap. Immediately bought
Since the last update I've gotten an earlier than usual start on QoL features for this next release, which I'll just drop here and explain more on release day
Smart manual hacking autocompletion:
Access to query references in keyboard mode:
Optional automatic solo-readying for a newly attached launcher:
As a thanks to those players who've been reporting the most bugs over these months of Alpha, I've handed out a new Bug Hunter badge on the forum, appropriately represented by this little fellow:
. Thanks for your help, everyone!
I'm currently working on the final branch of the game, which is about half done at this point. Yep can't say anything about that
Over on the dev blog there's a new ongoing series about Weaving Narratives into Procedural Worlds. The latest post includes a diagram somewhat abstractly mapping out all the major NPC encounters in the game, which doubles as a meta game for players who've already done a lot of exploring, trying to figure out what's what. That's happening over in this thread. Naturally this involves major spoilers.
Cumulative Cogmind development investment recently surpassed the 6,000-hour mark!
(Also this funny modified version by Caves of Qud dev Brian Bucklew.) We're obviously getting closer to done here, but thanks to strong support from every one of you I've been able to edge in a lot more little features that there otherwise wouldn't be time to do!
After 11 years I finally got a new monitor. Due to the climate here (and simply its age...) the old one one started splitting open all on its own a while ago, and they'd increased in number and size to the point that I was having trouble moving windows/art around to find places that weren't covered in crap so I could see it
. No seriously, these cracks have been annoying:(There are also even more vertical cracks, but you can't see them in the pic because they're too thin.) I never really had enough money to justify getting a new monitor until the old one actually croaked, but on the spur of the moment decided to check the current price of a replacement and--wow, they were on 24-hour super sale for really cheap. Immediately bought
Since the last update I've gotten an earlier than usual start on QoL features for this next release, which I'll just drop here and explain more on release day
Smart manual hacking autocompletion:
Access to query references in keyboard mode:
Optional automatic solo-readying for a newly attached launcher:
As a thanks to those players who've been reporting the most bugs over these months of Alpha, I've handed out a new Bug Hunter badge on the forum, appropriately represented by this little fellow:
. Thanks for your help, everyone!211
Fixed Bugs & Non-Bugs / Hackware art misalignment
« on: October 26, 2016, 11:27:34 PM »
As of Alpha 11 the ASCII art for hackware is misaligned, and may show other parts of the ASCII spritesheets from which they're extracted (such as names of other parts). They've been realigned for Alpha 12. (There also seems to be some unintended miscoloration of the background for Mak. hackware--fixed.)
(Reported by Amphouse on Discord)
(Reported by Amphouse on Discord)
212
Announcements / Progress Update: October 23rd, 2016
« on: October 23, 2016, 06:50:37 AM »
Well, Alpha 11 release week was even crazier than I expected it to be! It started off rather calm, as I was ahead of schedule on my release prep, but as soon as Tuesday hit and the release went out... craziness.
Everything was going great, and then minutes after release the regular players in chat found several bugs worthy of hotfixes. It was very useful having that kind of instant feedback! (But also very tense...) So I quickly tracked down and patched the bugs, doing a stealth update rather than incrementing the version number.
It was a really bad decision to release Cogmind's largest-ever single update without any outside testing. Before release I was actually considering giving it to a few of the regulars for a quick test, but decided I would just put it out there as usual, and if anything went wrong and required a hotfix, this would be the last time I ever test solely on my own (so yeah, next time I'll be doing closed testing).
Anyway, resolving those bugs in a timely manner turned out to be extra helpful because that very afternoon RPS put up a rather favorable news piece about Cogmind. Of course I was absolutely floored, since I thought Alpha 11 was going to be "just another major alpha milestone" like all the others, and suddenly there's this article... it felt like last year's EA release day all of a sudden, with lots of website visits, lots of people talking about Cogmind--I was incredibly busy keeping up with it all. (There were a number of website content updates I've been putting off which all happened that day xD. Sudden motivation!)
After already having crunched for a couple weeks straight to make up for dev time lost to the Roguelike Celebration, I was exhausted by release day, and with all that other stuff piled on top, I felt pretty close to complete burn out :/
Finally getting outside for some exercise helped--it had been raining for weeks but I decided to ignore the weather and go biking through the rain and mud for a couple hours anyway
So after such a big release (and article) there are both a lot of new players, plus a lot of old players coming back to see where the alpha's at. Already 650 submitted runs in the first week and a half! Lots of new discoveries among the many new world areas... and a dozen wins. On that note, I've compiled some stats from Alpha 10 for you.
I'm currently working on some new articles for the blog, a multi-part series on "Weaving Narratives into Procedural Worlds." The first of those will be ready and posted soon.
At the request of Kalkkis, I've installed Semantic MediaWiki on our Grid Sage Wiki which will allow users to automatically build lists of items and other objects based on different parameters. Should be pretty useful (you did know we have a wiki, yeah? ).
This week I also decided to get a head start on The Great Utility Update, which has been planned for a while but by necessity was awaiting late-alpha so that adjustments would be less likely need reworking more than once due to changes to other more central parts of the game. Yes we're totally in late alpha now. I was going to wait even longer on the utility updates, but it's a better idea to start about now so there's enough time to gather anecdotal evidence regarding any further balance changes that might be necessary.
Alpha 12 release notes will talk some more about this stuff, but for now here's an example, Core Heat Shields which are actually useful--they now raise the temperature threshold before any negative effects from overheating start to occur.
And many of you have been asking for it, so here it is: the new borderless fullscreen mode!
I recently also fulfilled a few simple REXPaint requests, so there's a new pre-release patch that includes swapping foreground/background colors across a layer or image if anyone happens to need that.
Whew, lots to say!
Still haven't decided exactly how we're going to do this last stretch before 1.0, which is something I've been thinking about a good bit more lately. There are a lot of valid approaches each with their drawbacks and benefits, but right now I'm leaning towards just finishing the game before even putting it on Steam, so that (stupid business) side of things doesn't interfere with all the cool content and features I'd like to add!
Everything was going great, and then minutes after release the regular players in chat found several bugs worthy of hotfixes. It was very useful having that kind of instant feedback! (But also very tense...) So I quickly tracked down and patched the bugs, doing a stealth update rather than incrementing the version number.
It was a really bad decision to release Cogmind's largest-ever single update without any outside testing. Before release I was actually considering giving it to a few of the regulars for a quick test, but decided I would just put it out there as usual, and if anything went wrong and required a hotfix, this would be the last time I ever test solely on my own (so yeah, next time I'll be doing closed testing
).Anyway, resolving those bugs in a timely manner turned out to be extra helpful because that very afternoon RPS put up a rather favorable news piece about Cogmind. Of course I was absolutely floored, since I thought Alpha 11 was going to be "just another major alpha milestone" like all the others, and suddenly there's this article... it felt like last year's EA release day all of a sudden, with lots of website visits, lots of people talking about Cogmind--I was incredibly busy keeping up with it all. (There were a number of website content updates I've been putting off which all happened that day xD. Sudden motivation!)
After already having crunched for a couple weeks straight to make up for dev time lost to the Roguelike Celebration, I was exhausted by release day, and with all that other stuff piled on top, I felt pretty close to complete burn out :/
Finally getting outside for some exercise helped--it had been raining for weeks but I decided to ignore the weather and go biking through the rain and mud for a couple hours anyway
So after such a big release (and article) there are both a lot of new players, plus a lot of old players coming back to see where the alpha's at. Already 650 submitted runs in the first week and a half! Lots of new discoveries among the many new world areas... and a dozen wins. On that note, I've compiled some stats from Alpha 10 for you.
I'm currently working on some new articles for the blog, a multi-part series on "Weaving Narratives into Procedural Worlds." The first of those will be ready and posted soon.
At the request of Kalkkis, I've installed Semantic MediaWiki on our Grid Sage Wiki which will allow users to automatically build lists of items and other objects based on different parameters. Should be pretty useful (you did know we have a wiki, yeah?
).This week I also decided to get a head start on The Great Utility Update, which has been planned for a while but by necessity was awaiting late-alpha so that adjustments would be less likely need reworking more than once due to changes to other more central parts of the game. Yes we're totally in late alpha now
. I was going to wait even longer on the utility updates, but it's a better idea to start about now so there's enough time to gather anecdotal evidence regarding any further balance changes that might be necessary.Alpha 12 release notes will talk some more about this stuff, but for now here's an example, Core Heat Shields which are actually useful
--they now raise the temperature threshold before any negative effects from overheating start to occur.And many of you have been asking for it, so here it is: the new borderless fullscreen mode!
I recently also fulfilled a few simple REXPaint requests, so there's a new pre-release patch that includes swapping foreground/background colors across a layer or image if anyone happens to need that.
Whew, lots to say!
Still haven't decided exactly how we're going to do this last stretch before 1.0, which is something I've been thinking about a good bit more lately. There are a lot of valid approaches each with their drawbacks and benefits, but right now I'm leaning towards just finishing the game before even putting it on Steam, so that (stupid business) side of things doesn't interfere with all the cool content and features I'd like to add!
213
Fixed Bugs & Non-Bugs / scorehistory.txt slot count recording used rather than total value
« on: October 20, 2016, 06:57:01 AM »
scorehistory.txt "Slots" values are recording the number of occupied slots at the end of the game, rather than the actual total number of slots as intended.
(reported by Sherlockkat on Discord)
(reported by Sherlockkat on Discord)
214
Stories / Amphouse: "Why..."
« on: October 18, 2016, 07:24:30 PM »
Yesterday Cogmind player Amphouse dropped something in a not so friendly area to reorganize his inventory, when all of a sudden...
Afterwards we saw he was decked out in Damper Plating because
Afterwards we saw he was decked out in Damper Plating because
215
Stories / Guided Missile Mishap
« on: October 16, 2016, 07:32:32 AM »
(So this particular board has been quiet for a while, though during these time there have been many a short story exchanged over Discord, so I thought I'd drop one here from today's chat)
Spoiler: text content, but image is easier to follow (click to show/hide)
216
Fixed Bugs & Non-Bugs / scorehistory.txt Carried Avg value bugged
« on: October 12, 2016, 06:38:12 PM »
The new scorehistory feature incorrectly outputs Carried Avg. Will be fixed in Alpha 12...
(reported by zxc via Discord)
(reported by zxc via Discord)
217
Fixed Bugs & Non-Bugs / [Spoiler] Extremely rare item can cause inventory size > max
« on: October 12, 2016, 01:08:36 AM »
Stepping on a Subatomic Replicator and attaching it directly will put it in the inventory instead, even if the inventory is full, resulting in an inventory size greater than its maximum capacity. (Size restriction returns to normal after taking other inventory actions.)
(reported by zxc via Discord)
(reported by zxc via Discord)
218
General Discussion / Alpha 11 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: October 10, 2016, 07:20:56 PM »
Here's the place for general spoiler-free feedback and discussion about the most recent release, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
Alpha 11 release notes and changelog.
If you want to freely talk about spoiler content without the annoyance of spoiler tags, there's a thread for that. Note that it's fine to talk about spoilers here as well (if perhaps they're only a small part of what you have to say), just tag them appropriately.
Alpha 11 release notes and changelog.
If you want to freely talk about spoiler content without the annoyance of spoiler tags, there's a thread for that
. Note that it's fine to talk about spoilers here as well (if perhaps they're only a small part of what you have to say), just tag them appropriately.
219
General Discussion / Alpha 11 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: October 10, 2016, 07:20:49 PM »
Use this thread for general feedback and discussion about the most recent release, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
This is the open spoiler version, for discussions where you plan to talk about spoilery content and don't want to bother with spoiler tagging. Do not read this thread if you want to avoid spoilers! For non-spoiler discussion, feel free to use the non-spoiler discussion thread here.
Alpha 11 release notes and changelog.
This is the open spoiler version, for discussions where you plan to talk about spoilery content and don't want to bother with spoiler tagging. Do not read this thread if you want to avoid spoilers! For non-spoiler discussion, feel free to use the non-spoiler discussion thread here.
Alpha 11 release notes and changelog.
220
Announcements / Released: Alpha 11 - "Megarelease Mk. I"
« on: October 10, 2016, 07:15:39 PM »
Welcome to the mega release that is Alpha 11 . Within you'll find a ton of new content, features, and tweaks, making this easily the largest Cogmind update ever.
In short, Alpha 11 includes several new areas to explore, many more unique parts and mechanics to play with, a cast of dangerous new enemies (plus some great friends), and a really cool new UI feature.
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 11, see the preview gifs and images posted recently.
Significantly Expanded Late Game
A majority of the new content is centered around the late game, where all those exits from the Research levels are now accessible. Logic will tell you that there is going to be some really nice (and really nasty) stuff hidden away back there--each of the new areas introduces new parts, mechanics, robots, and plot elements.
Rather than facing the end game relying solely on the items generally found lying around in the main complex, or those salvaged from hostiles, you can consider taking a detour to obtain some of the unique tools that will make the journey easier or more interesting. Of course, many of these tools are themselves acquired by facing new challenges!
As of Alpha 11, all remaining plot leads that were only partially implemented in the world up until this point are now complete. There are still more to come, but none of the existing ones are loose ends.
I'm sure we'll see a rise in survivability of the latter third of the game because 1) there are now additional routes to escape the main Research area and 2) all those fun new tools. But there are also numerous other balance-related factors at play, most of which are in the player's favor...
Balance
One of the deadliest ways that the RNG could make your day miserable (read: usually smash you into a pile of nuts and bolts if you stand and fight) has been adjusted: Garrison Access points are now generally placed fairly far from one another, whereas before their placement was completely random, meaning it was possible for multiple Garrison Access to even be within sight at once. One Garrison can be problematic enough, not to mention more than once I've been surrounded by three before... You still might have to deal with multiple patrols in close proximity if hanging out in / traveling through major thoroughfares (= bad idea), but at least they won't be calling in reinforcements from all sides all at once! (Note: This only impacts Factory and later main complex floors, because other areas only have 1 Garrison each anyway.)
Also on the plus side for combat builds, all armor has been buffed. Armor still provides the same amount of coverage as before (which is good), but will generally last longer due to higher integrity. This change affects regular armor, resistant armors, part-Shielding items, and even special armors.
Alpha 11 tweaks quite a few other utilities as well--see the changelog for the full list. It'll be especially interesting to see if anyone finally starts to use Thermal Generators, which, yeah don't work according to the laws of thermodynamics, but whatever, they didn't originally, and now they really don't
For flight builds we have a Swarmer AI nerf. When out of the player's sight, flying hostiles were previously allowed to jump each other at no extra time cost, which means that a... swarm of Swarmers often had a rather easy time catching even a fast player. It's going to be easier to shake them now, which could be a game changer for fast builds. We'll see how it plays out. In any case, having cheating enemies was not cool.
Hm, balance...
Oh, look out for Behemoths
New Mechanics
While there are quite a few new mechanics, most are considered spoilers so I can't talk about them. I can, however, cover a few which have broader implications for balance and can be found in many places anyway:
QoL
While there is a good batch of little quality of life improvements for Alpha 11, like temporarily blocking movement when spotting hostiles (adjustable), confirmation required to attach known faulty prototypes, exit autolabels appearing regardless of means of discovery, etc., they pale in comparison to the main event. Even if you can't yet reach some of the new content, here we have something everyone can take advantage of right from the beginning: Item swap assist!
You can never have too many optional inventory management features...
So swapping is now possible without any Ctrl-Shift combos, and is also much easier for players carrying huge inventories that otherwise require scrolling for interaction.
Technically it's also not just for swapping two items, since it's possible to select an empty slot and get a list of what can go there, or select an empty slot as a target for a previously selected inventory item. (Note that this system, like even regular swapping, is not compatible with multi-slot parts--those must still be detached/attached alone.)
Files
There have been a few changes to the arrangement of the Cogmind directory you might want to be aware of:
Resolution Fixes
Swapping out monitors or changing the desktop resolution will convert font settings automatically (though it still requires a restart), and resolutions greater than 1440p (e.g. 4K) will now automatically select the correct font and map size (earlier this required manually editing the configuration).
To everyone: Due to internal modifications related to the above fixes, this build will reset your Cogmind font and map dimensions to the default for your screen. This is a one-time thing, and as usual your settings will be remembered properly for future versions after you set them this time.
The full Alpha 11 (0.10.161011) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Testing"
* NEW: Branch map "Quarantine"
* NEW: Branch map "[redacted]"
* NEW: 55 new items (total now at 739)
* NEW: 10 more alien artifacts
* NEW: 6 unique items
* NEW: 10 superweapons
* NEW: 13 prototype robots (including new classes)
* NEW: 1 new common robot class (2 variants)
* NEW: 1 major new NPC (unique robot class)
* NEW: 51 new machines
* NEW: Taking electromagnetic damage animates HUD window borders (scales with damage, and can be disabled via Corruption Glitches option)
* NEW: Item swap assist UI feature (Ctrl-RMB on attached or inventory item, or '/' followed by a~z/1~0)
* NEW: Part-based volley time manipulation mechanic
* NEW: Disposable heat sink/coolant injection mechanic
* NEW: Momentum boost mechanic
* NEW: Thermal cannons with a charge effect include a UI-draining animation while preparing to fire
* NEW: Access points discovered via terrain scanning, Layout(Zone) hacks, or drone spotters all now auto-labeled as if seen within FOV
* NEW: Movement blocked for a short duration after spotting a new enemy (adjustable via options menu)
* NEW: Inserting unidentified prototypes in a Scanalyzer automatically identifies them
* NEW: Equipping (or swapping in) a known faulty prototype requires confirmation
* NEW: Non-part item info includes general category description
* NEW: Non-part item info shows inventory slot count (now that some might require more than 1)
* NEW: Segregator and Tearclaws info includes explicit descriptions of their unique mechanics
* NEW: All Maneuvering Thrusters / Reaction Control Systems also provide automatic +1 to effective momentum for melee attacks and ramming
* NEW: State information available for items on the ground as well, where the info page reflects their non-functional or temporarily disabled status
* NEW: Option to completely disable manual hacking code assistance, added by request (cogmind.cfg only: see disableManualHackingHelp)
* NEW: Confirm ally command targets with KP5 or Enter (alternatives to 'o' and LMB)
* NEW: Score sheet meta data includes current lore and gallery collection percentages
* NEW: Score sheet includes breakdown of critical strikes
* NEW: Scores and basic stats from all local runs also recorded in /user/scorehistory.txt
* NEW: Tutorial message explains bump-to-talk mechanic for robots with dialogue on the first time spotted
* NEW: Messages for insufficient slots/inventory space on attaching/picking up items report size of item in question
* NEW: /user/ files (config, meta data, command buffer, save...) automatically backed up to /bak/ once per day for emergency recovery purposes
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 10 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 10 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: B-90 Cyclops buffed with new type of utility
* MOD: Fighter/Swordsman Duelist variants buffed with new type of utility
* MOD: Minimum volley time reduced from 100 to 25
* MOD: Increased Cold Fusion Reactor energy output
* MOD: Increased effect of Network Hub destruction by 50%
* MOD: Coolant Network dissipation effect +10 (=90), integrity +100
* MOD: Component Analysis Suite converted from duration-based to random application, effects much more frequent
* MOD: System Backup/Restoration utilities converted from duration-based to random application, effect frequency slightly increased
* MOD: Mining Laser/Welding Torch/Plasma Cutters converted from Special Weapons to Special Melee Weapons; enables bump-to-attack
* MOD: Weakened Hub_04(d) defenses
* MOD: Behemoths are more aggressive
* MOD: AI-controlled flying robots out of view can no longer jump other robots at no extra time cost (easier to shake Swarmers with a fast build)
* MOD: Lowered high-tier drone bay ratings, making them somewhat easier to fabricate
* MOD: Parts list integrity visualization always shows at least one bar, even where high-integrity parts are approaching 0
* MOD: Operators can no longer be stationed at unique named terminals
* MOD: Implicit bump-to-melee-attack works on all permanently disabled robots found in cave regions, rather than only some of them
* MOD: No warning shown when moving onto traps that will not trigger, e.g. treading into a stasis trap
* MOD: Signal Interpreters activated while adjacent to an exit can determine where it leads on the next turn without requiring a move
* MOD: State changes in sight range-modifying utilities update FOV on each new turn without requiring a move
* MOD: Garrison access points much less likely to be found near each other
* MOD: Important NPCs that follow player now stick closer by instead of running off to engage or chase down hostiles
* MOD: AI distress signals only go out to armed and active (or dormant) allies (excludes rebooting/disrupted/broken/unpowered/disarmed bots)
* MOD: Large heavy/blast door resistance against melee attacks increased
* MOD: Buffed Greatsword damage
* MOD: Falx better differentiated from Power Sword--slower but more damaging, and much higher critical chance
* MOD: Efficiency of all Thermal Generators more than doubled
* MOD: Non-resistant armors' integrity +50%
* MOD: Resistant armors' integrity +100%; also more rare
* MOD: Reflective/Insulated armors heavier
* MOD: Reactive/Reflective/Insulated armor naming scheme changed to types of "Plating"
* MOD: All part-Shielding integrity increased approximately 50%
* MOD: Stasis link color changed from green to purple to match newer stasis-related mechanics
* MOD: Stasis field strength around self/allies reported to log in dark orange instead of dark green
* MOD: Data Core description explicitly indicates base duration before expiry
* MOD: Molecular Deconstructor damage type changed to match effect description
* MOD: Cannibalization Unit effect description explicitly states that required duration is part-dependent
* MOD: Adv. Integration Mediator effect changed from -99% to -90%
* MOD: All Integration Mediators apply effect to energy costs of equip/unequip as well; also increased mass
* MOD: Sensor Array and Terrain Scanner effect descriptions explicitly state scans performed on a per-turn basis
* MOD: Zion generally contains some number of derelict logs
* MOD: Destroying unpowered and permanently broken robots no longer counts towards score/kills
* MOD: Fleeing combat robots rearmed by Mechanics will reengage hostiles immediately rather than continuing to original goal
* MOD: Evasion status summary hotkey switched from '/' to '\'
* MOD: Removed from options menu: "Auto-wait on Low EN" (still available via cogmind.cfg as "autoWait")
* MOD: Screenshots output to /screenshots/ rather than base directory
* MOD: Win speed bonus score formula now = (50000000/turns); previously ((8000-turns)*5)
* MOD: Score sheet excludes a wider variety of entries where their value is zero
* MOD: Hvy. Battle Rifle rating dropped from 5 to 4
* FIX: Failed to tally score on ending a game with no inventory items (regression fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [zxc])
* FIX: Crash while equipping a certain secret item from the inventory via swap command [zxc]
* FIX: Network Hub destruction alert reported old/incorrect efficiency value [Decker]
* FIX: Results of a particular major event (spoiler) did not propagate to all expected circumstances [Decker]
* FIX: A different particular major event (spoiler) could wipe some previously-learned manual hacking codes [Decker]
* FIX: Switching to a different monitor or changing the desktop resolution between games didn't perfectly resize the font and map dimensions [@phi6]
* FIX: Description for Motion Trail Duration option referenced older default value [Amphouse]
* FIX: Burnout entry in propulsion data listing displayed a faint 'N' in front of valid non-zero single digit values [Amphouse]
* FIX: Receiving Backup parts from a Repair Station or Mechanic didn't count as having attached them for gallery collection purposes [Amphouse]
* FIX: Exit positions forgotten to corruption would still show exit labels [Amphouse, magi163]
* FIX: All derelict class destruction counts were recorded incorrectly in score sheets (since Alpha 8 ) [Amphouse]
* FIX: Routes through through Waste or a Garrison caused score sheet to record incorrect core remaining percent [Sherlockkat, Amphouse]
* FIX: Analysis accuracy bonus as displayed in robot info was always +0 (but correct value was applied) [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Attempting to insert unidentified prototypes into a Scanalyzer revealed their true name [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Melee Analysis Suites provided 100 times the stated benefit [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Guided weapon waypoints could path through, but not be set to, wall rubble locations [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Weapons that failed to fire due to system corruption still applied their heat/recoil effects [Kalkkis]
* FIX: During a particular cave encounter a Sentry could request backup even while rebooting after a Datajack hack [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Mouse-scrolling a schematic list greater than 26 items before any selection, then selecting one via LMB, selected the wrong item [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Repair Station vAl.05a was the only interactive machine with a shape that that might eject an item to an unexpected location [Kalkkis]
* FIX: A stalled one-way network connection could hang the game on exit (now quits after 5 seconds) [Chad]
* FIX: Font and map dimensions not automatically set for largest size possible with resolutions above 1440p [veryfoodverygood]
* FIX: Part autoswapping to a different item of same category where there are multiple options might choose the one with less integrity [zxc]
* FIX: Long item names could cause truncation of output message for damage during Scanalyzer analysis [zxc]
* FIX: Incorrect word in component fabrication time context help message [Amphouse]
* FIX: Typo in manual section on Hackware [Amphouse]
* FIX: Typo in Stasis Canceller effect description [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Loading a game with a status-caused glowing UI border effect in progress (overheating/low integrity/stasis) would not resume the animation
* FIX: Thermal damage context help indicated incorrect amount of heat transfer (based on half damage, not full damage)
* FIX: Score sheet "Robots Hacked" total wasn't including all possible cases
(As usual, if you haven't already, Prime Tier supporters and above remember to use the form linked in your original download email to provide the name you want to use in game. Attribution/names are added with each major release.)
. Within you'll find a ton of new content, features, and tweaks, making this easily the largest Cogmind update ever.In short, Alpha 11 includes several new areas to explore, many more unique parts and mechanics to play with, a cast of dangerous new enemies (plus some great friends), and a really cool new UI feature.
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 11, see the preview gifs and images posted recently.
Significantly Expanded Late Game
A majority of the new content is centered around the late game, where all those exits from the Research levels are now accessible. Logic will tell you that there is going to be some really nice (and really nasty) stuff hidden away back there--each of the new areas introduces new parts, mechanics, robots, and plot elements.
Rather than facing the end game relying solely on the items generally found lying around in the main complex, or those salvaged from hostiles, you can consider taking a detour to obtain some of the unique tools that will make the journey easier or more interesting. Of course, many of these tools are themselves acquired by facing new challenges!
As of Alpha 11, all remaining plot leads that were only partially implemented in the world up until this point are now complete. There are still more to come, but none of the existing ones are loose ends.
I'm sure we'll see a rise in survivability of the latter third of the game because 1) there are now additional routes to escape the main Research area and 2) all those fun new tools
. But there are also numerous other balance-related factors at play, most of which are in the player's favor...Balance
One of the deadliest ways that the RNG could make your day miserable (read: usually smash you into a pile of nuts and bolts if you stand and fight) has been adjusted: Garrison Access points are now generally placed fairly far from one another, whereas before their placement was completely random, meaning it was possible for multiple Garrison Access to even be within sight at once. One Garrison can be problematic enough, not to mention more than once I've been surrounded by three before... You still might have to deal with multiple patrols in close proximity if hanging out in / traveling through major thoroughfares (= bad idea), but at least they won't be calling in reinforcements from all sides all at once! (Note: This only impacts Factory and later main complex floors, because other areas only have 1 Garrison each anyway.)
Also on the plus side for combat builds, all armor has been buffed. Armor still provides the same amount of coverage as before (which is good), but will generally last longer due to higher integrity. This change affects regular armor, resistant armors, part-Shielding items, and even special armors.
Alpha 11 tweaks quite a few other utilities as well--see the changelog for the full list. It'll be especially interesting to see if anyone finally starts to use Thermal Generators, which, yeah don't work according to the laws of thermodynamics, but whatever, they didn't originally, and now they really don't
For flight builds we have a Swarmer AI nerf. When out of the player's sight, flying hostiles were previously allowed to jump each other at no extra time cost, which means that a... swarm of Swarmers often had a rather easy time catching even a fast player. It's going to be easier to shake them now, which could be a game changer for fast builds. We'll see how it plays out. In any case, having cheating enemies was not cool.
Hm, balance...
Oh, look out for Behemoths
New Mechanics
While there are quite a few new mechanics, most are considered spoilers so I can't talk about them. I can, however, cover a few which have broader implications for balance and can be found in many places anyway:
- Weapon Cyclers. These reduce the amount of time it takes to fire all weapons in a volley. Great for basically any build that wants to shoot, though the benefits are even more obvious for heavy combat loadouts with a full array of weapons.
- Quantum Capacitor. Similar to the cyclers above, this item (there's only one) cuts in half the time it takes to fire a single energy weapon (but not more than one). Snipe targets with something like a Lrn. Phase Cannon, and reposition easily before they have time to react.
- Actuators. Like cyclers but for melee weapons. Using actuators allows you to put together a better melee-focused build that slices and dices faster than they can shoot you up. And these things stack.
- Heat management via disposable utilities. Now a fairly common alternative to regular Heat Sinks and Cooling Systems, Disposable Heat Sinks and Coolant Injectors make it much easier to deal with heat spikes caused by firing thermal cannons. Melt them where they stand!
- Momentum boosting. Previously the only source of momentum (which increases melee damage) was speed and cumulative movement in the same direction. While the amount of momentum that movement can provide is still capped at 3, some parts allow it to be boosted further beyond that. Maneuvering Thrusters now give +1 momentum as an additional effect, essentially meaning each point-blank melee attack (no charge) is carried out with an effective momentum of 2 rather than 1. A separate new category of parts also gives a much more significant boost to momentum. Slice through a Hunter core in one hit? Check.
QoL
While there is a good batch of little quality of life improvements for Alpha 11, like temporarily blocking movement when spotting hostiles (adjustable), confirmation required to attach known faulty prototypes, exit autolabels appearing regardless of means of discovery, etc., they pale in comparison to the main event. Even if you can't yet reach some of the new content, here we have something everyone can take advantage of right from the beginning: Item swap assist!
You can never have too many optional inventory management features...
- Press '/' followed by an item's letter to get a list of all valid inventory items for that slot, then press a corresponding letter to swap in the new part.
- It also works in reverse, with '/' followed by an inventory number to mark all slots valid for that item (just press the slot letter to attach/swap to there).
- Mouse users have access to both features as well by ctrl-right clicking on an attached part or inventory item.
So swapping is now possible without any Ctrl-Shift combos, and is also much easier for players carrying huge inventories that otherwise require scrolling for interaction.
Technically it's also not just for swapping two items, since it's possible to select an empty slot and get a list of what can go there, or select an empty slot as a target for a previously selected inventory item. (Note that this system, like even regular swapping, is not compatible with multi-slot parts--those must still be detached/attached alone.)
Files
There have been a few changes to the arrangement of the Cogmind directory you might want to be aware of:
- The most fun is the new file that will appear in your /user/ directory: scorehistory.txt. As shown with the preview images, it includes a summary of all your previous runs in one place. That said, it's not backwards compatible in that it won't know about your runs prior to Alpha 11. It only records stats from your future runs.
- You'll see this release includes a new empty directory: /bak/. Each day you play, it will make one new copy of your Cogmind /user/ directory contents. If for some reason you accidentally delete or can't find your regular config, game.bin (which holds your long-term meta progress for lore collection etc.), or whatever other /user/ data, you should be able to retrieve it from one of the backups. Only the most recent ten are stored (older ones are deleted). This optional feature is on by default (it takes up very little space), but can be turned off in /user/cogmind.cfg via the new disableAutoBackups option.
- Also, when you hit the PrtScn key to take a screenshot, rather than outputting it to the base directory the game now drops them into /screenshots/.
Resolution Fixes
Swapping out monitors or changing the desktop resolution will convert font settings automatically (though it still requires a restart), and resolutions greater than 1440p (e.g. 4K) will now automatically select the correct font and map size (earlier this required manually editing the configuration).
To everyone: Due to internal modifications related to the above fixes, this build will reset your Cogmind font and map dimensions to the default for your screen. This is a one-time thing, and as usual your settings will be remembered properly for future versions after you set them this time.
The full Alpha 11 (0.10.161011) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Testing"
* NEW: Branch map "Quarantine"
* NEW: Branch map "[redacted]"
* NEW: 55 new items (total now at 739)
* NEW: 10 more alien artifacts
* NEW: 6 unique items
* NEW: 10 superweapons
* NEW: 13 prototype robots (including new classes)
* NEW: 1 new common robot class (2 variants)
* NEW: 1 major new NPC (unique robot class)
* NEW: 51 new machines
* NEW: Taking electromagnetic damage animates HUD window borders (scales with damage, and can be disabled via Corruption Glitches option)
* NEW: Item swap assist UI feature (Ctrl-RMB on attached or inventory item, or '/' followed by a~z/1~0)
* NEW: Part-based volley time manipulation mechanic
* NEW: Disposable heat sink/coolant injection mechanic
* NEW: Momentum boost mechanic
* NEW: Thermal cannons with a charge effect include a UI-draining animation while preparing to fire
* NEW: Access points discovered via terrain scanning, Layout(Zone) hacks, or drone spotters all now auto-labeled as if seen within FOV
* NEW: Movement blocked for a short duration after spotting a new enemy (adjustable via options menu)
* NEW: Inserting unidentified prototypes in a Scanalyzer automatically identifies them
* NEW: Equipping (or swapping in) a known faulty prototype requires confirmation
* NEW: Non-part item info includes general category description
* NEW: Non-part item info shows inventory slot count (now that some might require more than 1)
* NEW: Segregator and Tearclaws info includes explicit descriptions of their unique mechanics
* NEW: All Maneuvering Thrusters / Reaction Control Systems also provide automatic +1 to effective momentum for melee attacks and ramming
* NEW: State information available for items on the ground as well, where the info page reflects their non-functional or temporarily disabled status
* NEW: Option to completely disable manual hacking code assistance, added by request (cogmind.cfg only: see disableManualHackingHelp)
* NEW: Confirm ally command targets with KP5 or Enter (alternatives to 'o' and LMB)
* NEW: Score sheet meta data includes current lore and gallery collection percentages
* NEW: Score sheet includes breakdown of critical strikes
* NEW: Scores and basic stats from all local runs also recorded in /user/scorehistory.txt
* NEW: Tutorial message explains bump-to-talk mechanic for robots with dialogue on the first time spotted
* NEW: Messages for insufficient slots/inventory space on attaching/picking up items report size of item in question
* NEW: /user/ files (config, meta data, command buffer, save...) automatically backed up to /bak/ once per day for emergency recovery purposes
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 10 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 10 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: B-90 Cyclops buffed with new type of utility
* MOD: Fighter/Swordsman Duelist variants buffed with new type of utility
* MOD: Minimum volley time reduced from 100 to 25
* MOD: Increased Cold Fusion Reactor energy output
* MOD: Increased effect of Network Hub destruction by 50%
* MOD: Coolant Network dissipation effect +10 (=90), integrity +100
* MOD: Component Analysis Suite converted from duration-based to random application, effects much more frequent
* MOD: System Backup/Restoration utilities converted from duration-based to random application, effect frequency slightly increased
* MOD: Mining Laser/Welding Torch/Plasma Cutters converted from Special Weapons to Special Melee Weapons; enables bump-to-attack
* MOD: Weakened Hub_04(d) defenses
* MOD: Behemoths are more aggressive
* MOD: AI-controlled flying robots out of view can no longer jump other robots at no extra time cost (easier to shake Swarmers with a fast build)
* MOD: Lowered high-tier drone bay ratings, making them somewhat easier to fabricate
* MOD: Parts list integrity visualization always shows at least one bar, even where high-integrity parts are approaching 0
* MOD: Operators can no longer be stationed at unique named terminals
* MOD: Implicit bump-to-melee-attack works on all permanently disabled robots found in cave regions, rather than only some of them
* MOD: No warning shown when moving onto traps that will not trigger, e.g. treading into a stasis trap
* MOD: Signal Interpreters activated while adjacent to an exit can determine where it leads on the next turn without requiring a move
* MOD: State changes in sight range-modifying utilities update FOV on each new turn without requiring a move
* MOD: Garrison access points much less likely to be found near each other
* MOD: Important NPCs that follow player now stick closer by instead of running off to engage or chase down hostiles
* MOD: AI distress signals only go out to armed and active (or dormant) allies (excludes rebooting/disrupted/broken/unpowered/disarmed bots)
* MOD: Large heavy/blast door resistance against melee attacks increased
* MOD: Buffed Greatsword damage
* MOD: Falx better differentiated from Power Sword--slower but more damaging, and much higher critical chance
* MOD: Efficiency of all Thermal Generators more than doubled
* MOD: Non-resistant armors' integrity +50%
* MOD: Resistant armors' integrity +100%; also more rare
* MOD: Reflective/Insulated armors heavier
* MOD: Reactive/Reflective/Insulated armor naming scheme changed to types of "Plating"
* MOD: All part-Shielding integrity increased approximately 50%
* MOD: Stasis link color changed from green to purple to match newer stasis-related mechanics
* MOD: Stasis field strength around self/allies reported to log in dark orange instead of dark green
* MOD: Data Core description explicitly indicates base duration before expiry
* MOD: Molecular Deconstructor damage type changed to match effect description
* MOD: Cannibalization Unit effect description explicitly states that required duration is part-dependent
* MOD: Adv. Integration Mediator effect changed from -99% to -90%
* MOD: All Integration Mediators apply effect to energy costs of equip/unequip as well; also increased mass
* MOD: Sensor Array and Terrain Scanner effect descriptions explicitly state scans performed on a per-turn basis
* MOD: Zion generally contains some number of derelict logs
* MOD: Destroying unpowered and permanently broken robots no longer counts towards score/kills
* MOD: Fleeing combat robots rearmed by Mechanics will reengage hostiles immediately rather than continuing to original goal
* MOD: Evasion status summary hotkey switched from '/' to '\'
* MOD: Removed from options menu: "Auto-wait on Low EN" (still available via cogmind.cfg as "autoWait")
* MOD: Screenshots output to /screenshots/ rather than base directory
* MOD: Win speed bonus score formula now = (50000000/turns); previously ((8000-turns)*5)
* MOD: Score sheet excludes a wider variety of entries where their value is zero
* MOD: Hvy. Battle Rifle rating dropped from 5 to 4
* FIX: Failed to tally score on ending a game with no inventory items (regression fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [zxc])
* FIX: Crash while equipping a certain secret item from the inventory via swap command [zxc]
* FIX: Network Hub destruction alert reported old/incorrect efficiency value [Decker]
* FIX: Results of a particular major event (spoiler) did not propagate to all expected circumstances [Decker]
* FIX: A different particular major event (spoiler) could wipe some previously-learned manual hacking codes [Decker]
* FIX: Switching to a different monitor or changing the desktop resolution between games didn't perfectly resize the font and map dimensions [@phi6]
* FIX: Description for Motion Trail Duration option referenced older default value [Amphouse]
* FIX: Burnout entry in propulsion data listing displayed a faint 'N' in front of valid non-zero single digit values [Amphouse]
* FIX: Receiving Backup parts from a Repair Station or Mechanic didn't count as having attached them for gallery collection purposes [Amphouse]
* FIX: Exit positions forgotten to corruption would still show exit labels [Amphouse, magi163]
* FIX: All derelict class destruction counts were recorded incorrectly in score sheets (since Alpha 8 ) [Amphouse]
* FIX: Routes through through Waste or a Garrison caused score sheet to record incorrect core remaining percent [Sherlockkat, Amphouse]
* FIX: Analysis accuracy bonus as displayed in robot info was always +0 (but correct value was applied) [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Attempting to insert unidentified prototypes into a Scanalyzer revealed their true name [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Melee Analysis Suites provided 100 times the stated benefit [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Guided weapon waypoints could path through, but not be set to, wall rubble locations [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Weapons that failed to fire due to system corruption still applied their heat/recoil effects [Kalkkis]
* FIX: During a particular cave encounter a Sentry could request backup even while rebooting after a Datajack hack [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Mouse-scrolling a schematic list greater than 26 items before any selection, then selecting one via LMB, selected the wrong item [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Repair Station vAl.05a was the only interactive machine with a shape that that might eject an item to an unexpected location [Kalkkis]
* FIX: A stalled one-way network connection could hang the game on exit (now quits after 5 seconds) [Chad]
* FIX: Font and map dimensions not automatically set for largest size possible with resolutions above 1440p [veryfoodverygood]
* FIX: Part autoswapping to a different item of same category where there are multiple options might choose the one with less integrity [zxc]
* FIX: Long item names could cause truncation of output message for damage during Scanalyzer analysis [zxc]
* FIX: Incorrect word in component fabrication time context help message [Amphouse]
* FIX: Typo in manual section on Hackware [Amphouse]
* FIX: Typo in Stasis Canceller effect description [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Loading a game with a status-caused glowing UI border effect in progress (overheating/low integrity/stasis) would not resume the animation
* FIX: Thermal damage context help indicated incorrect amount of heat transfer (based on half damage, not full damage)
* FIX: Score sheet "Robots Hacked" total wasn't including all possible cases
(As usual, if you haven't already, Prime Tier supporters and above remember to use the form linked in your original download email to provide the name you want to use in game. Attribution/names are added with each major release.)
221
Announcements / Release History
« on: October 10, 2016, 12:25:04 AM »
A collection of convenient links to [most] previous release announcements!
Arranged from newest to oldest:
REXPaint's complete version history can be seen here (at the bottom).
Arranged from newest to oldest:
- Beta 13 - "Zoom All The Things" (S)
- Beta 12 - "Encrypted Comms" (S)
- Beta 11.2 - "Polymind" (S)
- Beta 11.1 - "Heavy Dawn" (S)
- Beta 11 - "Mechanical Renaissance" (S)
- Beta 10.2 - "Forbidden Lore: Cogmind the ARG" (S)
- Beta 10.1 - "Warlord Forever More" (S)
- Beta 10 - "Warlord Forever!" (S)
- Beta 9.6 - "Core Friends" (S)
- Beta 9.5 - "Player 2" (S)
- Beta 9.4 - "Plot Armor" (S)
- Beta 9.3 - "RPGLIKE" (S)
- Beta 9.2 - "Robotic Riches" (S)
- Beta 9.1 - "Abominations!" (S)
- Beta 9 - "Wizardry" (S)
- Beta 8.2 - "Systems Online" (S)
- Beta 8.1 - "Pay2Buy" (S)
- Beta 8 - "Forbidden Science" (S)
- Beta 7.2 - "Terminal Love" (S)
- Beta 7.1 - "RIF+" (S)
- Beta 7 - "Hack the Planet" (S)
- Beta 6 - "Achievements Unlocked" (S)
- Beta 5 - "Zionic Revolution" (S)
- Beta 4 - "Data Mining" (S)
- Beta 3.1 - "In the Cloud" (S)
- Beta 3 - "Steam" (S)
- Beta 2 (preview images) - "Legend has it..." - (2.1~2.2)
- Beta 1 (preview images) - "The End" - (1.1~1.2)
- Alpha 14 (preview images) - "Hack 'n Slash"
- Alpha 13 (preview images) - "Rise of Zion"
- Alpha 12 (preview images) - "The Place No One Lives to Tell About"
- Alpha 11 (preview images) - "Megarelease Mk. I"
- Alpha 10 (preview images) - "Collect 'em All!"
- Alpha 9 (preview images) - "Epic Showdown"
- Alpha 8 (preview images) - "The Plot Thickens"
- Alpha 7 (preview images) - "Spelunkerbots"
- Alpha 6 (preview images) - "Hacking a Dream"
- Alpha 5c - "Personal Assistant"
- Alpha 5 (preview images) - "Into the Unknown"
- Alpha 4 (preview images) - "On the Offensive"
- Alpha 3 (preview images) - "It's a trap!"
- Alpha 2 (preview images) - "Thanks to U and I"
- Alpha 1b - "Quality of Robot Life"
- Alpha 1 - "Hello LRC-V3"
- 7DRL
REXPaint's complete version history can be seen here (at the bottom).
222
Announcements / Upcoming Features (Alpha 11)
« on: October 07, 2016, 09:20:21 AM »
Next week is big. Because Alpha 11 is big. Biggest Cogmind update ever
[Update: Alpha 11 released! Full release notes and changelog here.]
There's tons of new content that I won't spoil here (Research is complete!), and lots more news to come with the full release notes, but as usual here's a collection of images to share what's on the way:
Assisted item swapping for both mouse and pure keyboard players (kb ex. 1, kb ex. 2).
Dozens of new items, including Disposable Heat Sinks and Coolant Injectors to allow for more options when dealing with heat spikes. Should allow for some specialist thermal cannon melty builds
A summary of all your (future) runs will also be recorded to a single file for reference.
Firing a thermal cannon with a charge animation also drains the HUD brightness, piecemeal, for the duration of the charge.
Other new categories of items enable reduction of attack time, including Actuators (melee), Capacitors (energy weapons), and Weapon Cyclers (any projectile weapon).
Identify prototypes by simply inserting them into a Scanalyzer.
Sight range utilities (and Signal Interpreter exit destination detection) no longer require you to move to take effect once activated.
A new formula for fast win bonuses means higher rewards for the super speedy, and even some points for combat-length runs.
Discovering exits now always shows the autolabel regardless of the method used, e.g. hacking, scanners, and drones.
Taking damage from an electromagnetic source now has an associated animation in the form of ASCII characters that trace along HUD window borders.
Cogmind automatically makes optional local backups of your /user/ data "just in case" something goes wrong.
Items on the ground now show state information right in their info window as well.
There are several significant balance changes as well, to be detailed in the full release notes.
[Update: Alpha 11 released! Full release notes and changelog here.]
There's tons of new content that I won't spoil here (Research is complete!), and lots more news to come with the full release notes, but as usual here's a collection of images to share what's on the way:
Assisted item swapping for both mouse and pure keyboard players (kb ex. 1, kb ex. 2).
Dozens of new items, including Disposable Heat Sinks and Coolant Injectors to allow for more options when dealing with heat spikes. Should allow for some specialist thermal cannon melty builds
A summary of all your (future) runs will also be recorded to a single file for reference.
Firing a thermal cannon with a charge animation also drains the HUD brightness, piecemeal, for the duration of the charge.
Other new categories of items enable reduction of attack time, including Actuators (melee), Capacitors (energy weapons), and Weapon Cyclers (any projectile weapon).
Identify prototypes by simply inserting them into a Scanalyzer.
Sight range utilities (and Signal Interpreter exit destination detection) no longer require you to move to take effect once activated.
A new formula for fast win bonuses means higher rewards for the super speedy, and even some points for combat-length runs.
Discovering exits now always shows the autolabel regardless of the method used, e.g. hacking, scanners, and drones.
Taking damage from an electromagnetic source now has an associated animation in the form of ASCII characters that trace along HUD window borders.
Cogmind automatically makes optional local backups of your /user/ data "just in case" something goes wrong.
Items on the ground now show state information right in their info window as well.
There are several significant balance changes as well, to be detailed in the full release notes.
223
Announcements / Progress Update: September 23rd, 2016
« on: September 22, 2016, 10:25:16 PM »
I'm back! Well, technically I've been back for a few days, but the jet lag has been killer xD
The previous week I was mostly out of commission as I prepared for and made my way over to the Roguelike Celebration, which turned out to be basically the most awesome event ever. It was so much fun to meet that many other big name devs, including some I've known online for a while. It's not that often (okay, pretty much ever...) that I get to talk about roguelikes face-to-face with anyone. Cogmind fans new and old showed up as well, which was great
(You can see a list identifying everyone here, but even without the list it's probably not too hard to figure out who I am)
I did a writeup about the experience on the blog here. In all about 200 people attended, and the talks were both streamed and later uploaded to YouTube. My talk is .
In the end it was also a good opportunity to spread the word about Cogmind, which spurred sales to get us an influx of fresh players and fund ongoing development (kinda important). Well, technically it was a net loss for the budget since I had to travel so far, but it's hard to place a value on getting to meet so many cool people in one place!
Now that I'm finally back, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and finish up Alpha 11. A lot has been done already, but there's still a good bit to go, so I'm not yet ready to suggest a release date. All next week I'll be working on new maps before getting back to little features, but I do have a little something I can share today:
Firing a thermal cannon with a charge animation now also drains your HUD brightness for the duration of the charge
In other news, we have a semi-official Discord channel for Cogmind on the r/roguelikes server, where you can chat with other regular players (some of whom are also on the forums here). I hang out there most days, and have been there for a couple months now, but wanted to wait to see if it would continue to be a thing before announcing it. There are also channels for a bunch of other roguelikes, and more recently devs from those games have been showing up as well, including Caves of Qud, DoomRL/Jupiter Hell, and Dungeonmans. You can join via this link!
The previous week I was mostly out of commission as I prepared for and made my way over to the Roguelike Celebration, which turned out to be basically the most awesome event ever. It was so much fun to meet that many other big name devs, including some I've known online for a while. It's not that often (okay, pretty much ever...) that I get to talk about roguelikes face-to-face with anyone. Cogmind fans new and old showed up as well, which was great
(You can see a list identifying everyone here, but even without the list it's probably not too hard to figure out who I am
)I did a writeup about the experience on the blog here. In all about 200 people attended, and the talks were both streamed and later uploaded to YouTube. My talk is .
In the end it was also a good opportunity to spread the word about Cogmind, which spurred sales to get us an influx of fresh players and fund ongoing development (kinda important
). Well, technically it was a net loss for the budget since I had to travel so far, but it's hard to place a value on getting to meet so many cool people in one place!Now that I'm finally back, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and finish up Alpha 11. A lot has been done already, but there's still a good bit to go, so I'm not yet ready to suggest a release date. All next week I'll be working on new maps before getting back to little features, but I do have a little something I can share today:
Firing a thermal cannon with a charge animation now also drains your HUD brightness for the duration of the charge
In other news, we have a semi-official Discord channel for Cogmind on the r/roguelikes server, where you can chat with other regular players (some of whom are also on the forums here). I hang out there most days, and have been there for a couple months now, but wanted to wait to see if it would continue to be a thing before announcing it. There are also channels for a bunch of other roguelikes, and more recently devs from those games have been showing up as well, including Caves of Qud, DoomRL/Jupiter Hell, and Dungeonmans. You can join via this link!
224
Ideas / Drone Bay adjustments
« on: September 09, 2016, 12:47:17 AM »
Drone Bays are cool. Pretty much everyone likes them for some reason or another--you can use drones as cover, a diversion, for scouting, to find exits, etc. But in their current state, the bays themselves don't feel perfect from a usability point of view. This thread is to collect opinions on that feeling and what, if anything, might be done about it (it's perfectly fine to advocate keeping everything as is ).
Of course the final solution can hinge upon what the goal is in terms of gameplay.
Currently the vast majority of players, myself included, are simply releasing drones immediately on finding a bay and using them up for whatever strategy is convenient at the time. Doing so still requires freeing up one or more slots just for the release, then reattaching whatever parts were detached in the process. It would be nice to retain their usefulness while making them more convenient to use, though some solutions would effectively make the "drone swarm" approach no longer possible.
One suggestion, by zxc, is to turn them into consumables. There are some consumables in Cogmind, but they generally require a slot to activate as well. A feasible alternative, akin to a few instances of non-part items: Drop them on the ground and have them automatically release their drones then disappear. This would mean you could no longer use bays to recall and protect drones, repair them (docking repairs them), and/or store them in inventory for later reuse.
I wonder if the repair feature would come into play if more people had seen/used other types of drones. Most are used the ubiquitous little scouting drones, but you should know that there are some fairly nifty--and deadly--combat-oriented drones that would be really nice to repair. For Alpha 11 I've slightly lowered their rating so they're easier to fabricate if you find their schematics. I haven't heard reports of anyone abusing those yet, anyway.
Also to consider is the possibility that in the right situation, drone swarms are fairly OP. (Mapping drones in particular were slightly nerfed after that post, though.)
Another suggestion by Amphouse (and my first inclination) was to require that the bay stay attached, and otherwise removing it powers down your drones.
I'm sure there are other possibilities we could consider as well. What do you think?
Ultimately this topic is really looking at the issues of usability and strategy at the same time.
).Of course the final solution can hinge upon what the goal is in terms of gameplay.
Currently the vast majority of players, myself included, are simply releasing drones immediately on finding a bay and using them up for whatever strategy is convenient at the time. Doing so still requires freeing up one or more slots just for the release, then reattaching whatever parts were detached in the process. It would be nice to retain their usefulness while making them more convenient to use, though some solutions would effectively make the "drone swarm" approach no longer possible.
One suggestion, by zxc, is to turn them into consumables. There are some consumables in Cogmind, but they generally require a slot to activate as well. A feasible alternative, akin to a few instances of non-part items: Drop them on the ground and have them automatically release their drones then disappear. This would mean you could no longer use bays to recall and protect drones, repair them (docking repairs them), and/or store them in inventory for later reuse.
I wonder if the repair feature would come into play if more people had seen/used other types of drones. Most are used the ubiquitous little scouting drones, but you should know that there are some fairly nifty--and deadly--combat-oriented drones that would be really nice to repair. For Alpha 11 I've slightly lowered their rating so they're easier to fabricate if you find their schematics. I haven't heard reports of anyone abusing those yet, anyway.
Also to consider is the possibility that in the right situation, drone swarms are fairly OP. (Mapping drones in particular were slightly nerfed after that post, though.)
Another suggestion by Amphouse (and my first inclination) was to require that the bay stay attached, and otherwise removing it powers down your drones.
I'm sure there are other possibilities we could consider as well. What do you think?
Ultimately this topic is really looking at the issues of usability and strategy at the same time.
225
Announcements / Progress Update: September 7th, 2016
« on: September 07, 2016, 09:32:05 AM »
Lots of progress since the last update. The coolest things are naturally secrets which you may only overhear robots whispering about in dark caverns and corridors, but I can always dig up some of the next best things to share
New utilities!
(Reduce volley times for specialized builds using capacitors, cyclers, and actuators.)
Even more new utilities!
(Coolant Injectors to better deal with heat spikes.)
All your future scores will also be indexed locally in a single file like this:
I need to write something for the blog soon, but I'm swamped with other work, the latest detour being time spent preparing this talk for next week:
So I'll be flying out to do that, which will put Alpha 11 on the back burner for a little while. One new map is complete, but there's still a lot more I want to pack in.
In other news, one of our new Cogminds dylanjames has put together a nicely formatted version of the Alpha 10 manual if you'd like to print a copy. There's even a fold-and-staple version so you can make a little booklet
New utilities!
(Reduce volley times for specialized builds using capacitors, cyclers, and actuators.)
Even more new utilities!
(Coolant Injectors to better deal with heat spikes.)
All your future scores will also be indexed locally in a single file like this:
I need to write something for the blog soon, but I'm swamped with other work, the latest detour being time spent preparing this talk for next week:
So I'll be flying out to do that, which will put Alpha 11 on the back burner for a little while. One new map is complete, but there's still a lot more I want to pack in.
In other news, one of our new Cogminds dylanjames has put together a nicely formatted version of the Alpha 10 manual if you'd like to print a copy. There's even a fold-and-staple version so you can make a little booklet