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226
Announcements / Progress Update: August 29th, 2016
« on: August 28, 2016, 09:08:01 PM »
Good news and bad times, but the latter are behind us, so here's an overdue update!
First of all, over on the blog I posted a new article describing The Alpha Release Cycle, where you can read in great detail about the entire development process behind putting together and releasing a new major alpha build.
Part of it talks about the advantages of a one-month cycle, though I can say now that Alpha 11 is going to be one of those somewhat longer cycles
That's where said "bad times" came into play... My ancient dev laptop was on its last legs, so I had no choice but to get a new one, and the transition has gone quite poorly as Windows 10 is a terrible buggy mess on this thing. I'd really like to go back to 7, but after many days of problem solving and fixing broken things, I can finally do work without too many serious disruptions, so in the interest of continued progress I'll have to stick with what I've got for now!
In a few weeks I'll also be taking some time out to participate in the Roguelike Celebration in San Francisco, so that will contribute to a lengthened dev cycle. Only a few days left to get tickets to that, by the way, but all talks will be recorded so you'll be able to watch them either way. More recently than what you'll see on the site there, I decided to change my talk, since the original was a very serious topic aimed more at developers than a general roguelike audience, and is probably more suited for my blog, anyway, which tends towards that type of content. Instead by popular demand I'll be talking about my background and how I went from being a hobbyist to a full-time roguelike developer. It'll be a lot lighter, fun, and more personal, plus towards the end it can still include some relevant elements from the original talk.
In good news, despite the non-dev factors resulting in a longer wait for Alpha 11, I can already say that it will be the largest Cogmind update ever. I am partially making up for lost time by finally unlocking lots of late-game content which was built into the game even prior to Alpha 1, but only now does it make sense for it to be accessible. Special items and other fun stuff
(also deadly stuff ).
Most of what I've been working on lately is secret (as usual...), but here's a new little feature I can show you:
Taking EM damage now also does a bit of ASCII-static animation along your HUD borders. (Of course I also blow up the Power Conduits for good measure--hard to resist!)
In another fun milestone, Cogmind has now reached over 100k lines of code (C++, excluding comments, scripts, and data).
First of all, over on the blog I posted a new article describing The Alpha Release Cycle, where you can read in great detail about the entire development process behind putting together and releasing a new major alpha build.
Part of it talks about the advantages of a one-month cycle, though I can say now that Alpha 11 is going to be one of those somewhat longer cycles
That's where said "bad times" came into play... My ancient dev laptop was on its last legs, so I had no choice but to get a new one, and the transition has gone quite poorly as Windows 10 is a terrible buggy mess on this thing. I'd really like to go back to 7, but after many days of problem solving and fixing broken things, I can finally do work without too many serious disruptions, so in the interest of continued progress I'll have to stick with what I've got for now!
In a few weeks I'll also be taking some time out to participate in the Roguelike Celebration in San Francisco, so that will contribute to a lengthened dev cycle. Only a few days left to get tickets to that, by the way, but all talks will be recorded so you'll be able to watch them either way. More recently than what you'll see on the site there, I decided to change my talk, since the original was a very serious topic aimed more at developers than a general roguelike audience, and is probably more suited for my blog, anyway, which tends towards that type of content. Instead by popular demand I'll be talking about my background and how I went from being a hobbyist to a full-time roguelike developer. It'll be a lot lighter, fun, and more personal, plus towards the end it can still include some relevant elements from the original talk.
In good news, despite the non-dev factors resulting in a longer wait for Alpha 11, I can already say that it will be the largest Cogmind update ever. I am partially making up for lost time by finally unlocking lots of late-game content which was built into the game even prior to Alpha 1, but only now does it make sense for it to be accessible. Special items and other fun stuff
(also deadly stuff ).Most of what I've been working on lately is secret (as usual...), but here's a new little feature I can show you:
Taking EM damage now also does a bit of ASCII-static animation along your HUD borders. (Of course I also blow up the Power Conduits for good measure--hard to resist!)
In another fun milestone, Cogmind has now reached over 100k lines of code (C++, excluding comments, scripts, and data).
227
General Discussion / Alpha 10 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: August 08, 2016, 07:47:47 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 10 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 10 release notes and changelog.
228
General Discussion / Alpha 10 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: August 08, 2016, 07:47:17 PM »
Here's the place for general spoiler-free feedback and discussion about the most recent releases, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
Alpha 10 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 10 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.
229
Announcements / Released: Alpha 10 - "Collect 'em All!"
« on: August 08, 2016, 07:25:41 PM »
Alpha 10 is complete, and with it we are officially entering late-game branch territory! While the new content is mostly focused on the upper parts of the world, there's definitely something for everyone considering all the new UI features and quality of life enhancements.
Alpha 10 introduces less new lore than the previous two releases, though what lore has been added is incredibly crucial to tying the story together, and is also very secret and difficult to access
. And to help organize it all there's the whole new meta interface for lore collection, described below.
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 10, see the preview gifs and images posted recently.
New Maps
Anyone rampaging (or zipping) through the upper parts of the complex has probably at one point or another come across an entrance to the Armory. You can now opt to go in that entrance and find out what that place is all about. As one might expect, it's probably quite dangerous if you're not heavily armed, but... you could get lucky!
There is another new map.
It's entrance is not easily found.
And even once you get in...
That is all that will be said about that map
Lore
The lore collection UI, accessed through the game menu as button #9 and demonstrated in the first gif among the preview images, is a new way to automatically record and review how much of the lore you've explored. It remembers all terminal-hacked lore-related entries as well as most dialogue across all runs.
Half of the lore is found in dialogue, so for that you'll have to seek out and talk to the NPCs, not all of which are in every run, so it could take some time to meet them all. And to help determine which terminal lore you haven't yet hacked, the subject name is followed by a '!' indicator right in the machine interface. (If you don't care about lore and the exclamation points really bother you, you can also turn that feature off by changing the markUndiscoveredLore value in /user/cogmind.cfg file.)
When examining lore in the new interface, note that you can skip straight to a given topic simply pressing the key for the first letter of its subject, rather than scrolling there. (Of course all the usual buttons work for interfacing with it as well--arrows, numpad, mouse wheel, home/end, and more.)
The system is fully backwards compatible, meaning when you update to future versions, even when new lore has been added, it will continue to store all your old discovered lore, but don't forget to migrate your /user/ directory if you aren't doing that already! (If you want an easier time piecing the story together, that is.) So feel free to start collecting away with Alpha 10! Also remember that "lore" doesn't just include story bits; there are a lot of tips and strategy, and some opaque mechanics, explained therein.
Note: Anyone looking to add something to the wiki, know that the dialogue reference numbers are assigned dynamically, and will change when other topics are added to the same category, so those numbers don't really have any long-term/permanent meaning.
QoL
Evasion Window
The main UI's volley window, which wasn't super useful unless in combat anyway, has been replaced with the brand new evasion window (as long as not in combat). It contains a summary of all defensive modifiers to the chance to be hit by an incoming projectile.
The evasion window assumes the standard base hit chance of 60%, and cannot take into account the many attacker-sourced and situational factors, thus it is not generally an accurate representation of the actual chance to be hit, instead serving to demonstrate the relative defensive value of certain circumstances and part configurations. Hovering the cursor over the window (or holding '/') opens the full details, which lists each component by name and will also indicate why a given value is grayed out (i.e. inapplicable).
I imagine this window will be more useful for non-combat builds, where projectile avoidance is key (well, without it you kinda become a smoldering wreck), but for all new players it will also help learn a lot of the defensive-related mechanics without reading the manual, like being hot makes you easier to hit, no flight dodging bonus while in stasis or overweight, etc.
Difficulty
Surprise! The mid/late-game just got slightly more challenging. There are several factors at play here.
Firstly, alert level used to drop by a static percent simply based on whether you were entering a main complex map or a branch map. This worked okay early on when the world layout was relatively simple, but now we have so many different pathways and destinations, as well as a better understanding of how challenging various parts of the game are, so it's about time to begin fine tuning that difficulty by more specific amounts depending on what maps are being exited and entered. As part of that process I've adjusted the alert level reduction percents, generally in a downward direction, not by much at all in the early game, but especially closer to the surface you'll notice that if you've caused a higher alert level it won't drop quite so easily just by heading to a new area.
Also as part of those changes, entering Waste doesn't have quite the same special impact on alert that it used to.
Combat heat mechanics are another factor. A number of the most dangerous robots were overheating too easily due to an oversight in my robot testing suite where I can analyze their overall effectiveness (it wasn't merging regular utility-based heat generation with volley-produced heat during simulated attacks). All those problems are solved and some of the mid/late-game nasties are going to be that much nastier since they no longer overheat and have to pause firing so frequently.
Don't let the difficulty changes discourage you, because there are an increasing number of methods and strategies for dealing with the late game, so it will balance out in the end. Hacking to purge threat records from the system will also likely become somewhat more important now, like it used to be before the game's difficulty gradually came down over the past year.
The full Alpha 10 (0.10.160809) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Armory"
* NEW: Branch map "[redacted]"
* NEW: 2 new alien artifacts
* NEW: 9 new special items
* NEW: 1 more plot-related NPC encounter
* NEW: Two dozen more location-specific lore records
* NEW: Twice as many Assembled variants
* NEW: Assembled announce their entry with a new sound effect
* NEW: Completely new mechanic which can change the way the end game is played (any more info would spoil it)
* NEW: Unique type of interactive terminal (secret)
* NEW: Evasion status summary, replaces volley window except in firing mode (hover or press '/' for full details)
* NEW: Lore-related terminal records and dialogue remembered between runs
* NEW: Lore review interface for exploring previously discovered information (game menu 9)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes seventh mode: "relative matter consumption" (toggle via info 'q' command/button)
* NEW: Discovered manual (randomized) hacking codes shown in new selection menu along with source and target when hacking machines/robots
* NEW: Force-trigger chute traps by using them as you would stairs
* NEW: Fabricators may have a random schematic preloaded
* NEW: Reconnecting to a Fabricator with a previous build in progress still shows name of object being fabricated
* NEW: All direct hacks that don't make sense to repeat are grayed out after successfully hacking them and reconnecting to same machine
* NEW: Several additional useful message types accompany Warlord-related plot events
* NEW: Option to invert map panning (available in options menu)
* NEW: Option to mark previously undiscovered lore directly in terminals, active by default (cogmind.cfg only: see markUndiscoveredLore)
* NEW: Part info visualization data preceded with a '+' when you have a schematic for that attached/inventory part
* NEW: Parts list autosorting further orders multiple same-type items by integrity, high to low
* NEW: Several more score sheet entries
* NEW: Score sheet inventory lists both for final parts and peak state are sorted by item type
* NEW: Hack-linking a target with a datajack reduces their accuracy by 15% on top of the existing benefits
* NEW: Hack-linked victims display glowing "(linked)" indicator in their info window, include a "(+)" in their label and scan window
* NEW: Advanced commands list explicitly specifies keys for setting guided weapon waypoints, also adding KP5 to that list
* NEW: Label Supporter Items option also indicates whether you've collected the item for your art gallery yet (see description)
* NEW: Most key commands also listed in the text manual itself, rather than only in game
* NEW: Several more tutorial messages
* NEW: Art gallery may also be scrolled via numpad
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 9 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* MOD: Updated robot variants with poor heat management, including Behemoths, Programmers and others, to reduce excessive overheating
* MOD: Waste somewhat less likely to contain prototypes (parts still generally out of depth, though)
* MOD: Hub_04(d) may now contain prototypes and matter among random items (originally was common items only)
* MOD: Infested traps, garrisons, etc. closer to surface include more deadly Assembled variants
* MOD: Remote Datajacks have built-in targeting assistance
* MOD: Rescaled/boosted bonus points for fast wins
* MOD: Traveling through Waste no longer has quite as significant an impact on alert level
* MOD: Tweaked alert level changes on moving to a new map; more variable and closely tied to the specific areas both exited and entered
* MOD: Item/robot schematics loaded into Fabricators remain until overwritten, allowing repeat builds without a new load hack
* MOD: Chute-chaining/farming no longer possible in Factory (only the first time each depth is visited will that area have access to Waste)
* MOD: Force of two "explosive plot events" reduced by 25% due to explosion overlap fix in Alpha 7
* MOD: Hyphen inserted into terminal-reported alert level designation to avoid misinterpretation of letters in some fonts
* MOD: Score component "Alien Tech Identified" changed to "Alien Tech Recovered" (must attach rather than simply identify)
* MOD: LMB on a hard target (robot/machine/door/wall) fires a guided weapon rather than setting another waypoint
* MOD: Refined parts list utilities auto-sorting order to better group parts with related functionality
* MOD: Manual hacking code entry can no longer be exited by clicking outside the window
* MOD: labelSupporterItems value originally in cfg file now accessible via options menu
* MOD: Part mass visualization colors switched from purple scheme to brown and yellow
* MOD: Brightened console border color effects for overheating and low core integrity
* MOD: Updated explosion damage context help to include more info from manual regarding damage spread via chunks
* MOD: Removed map dimension selection from in-game options menu (still accessible via cogmind.cfg)
* MOD: In-game supporters list change from menu 9 to 0
* FIX: Traveling through Proximity Caves recorded incorrect core integrity to score sheet [Happylisk]
* FIX: Typo in random Zion dialogue [Happylisk]
* FIX: Parts list autosorting converted reference letters to lower case in some fonts
* FIX: With square map dimensions in 4:3 mode, manually hacking a robot to far west via Remote Datajack causes partially offscreen text box
* FIX: Score sheet never fully tallied Traps Triggered
* FIX: Scan window still showed utility effect data for common parts lost from the database
* FIX: In rare cases multiple Workers actively pushing disabled robots might get stuck in a traffic jam in a narrow corridor
* FIX: Typo in score sheet for "Fabrication Network Shutdowns," name also too wide for column
(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 10 introduces less new lore than the previous two releases, though what lore has been added is incredibly crucial to tying the story together, and is also very secret and difficult to access
. And to help organize it all there's the whole new meta interface for lore collection, described below.Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 10, see the preview gifs and images posted recently.
New Maps
Anyone rampaging (or zipping) through the upper parts of the complex has probably at one point or another come across an entrance to the Armory. You can now opt to go in that entrance and find out what that place is all about. As one might expect, it's probably quite dangerous if you're not heavily armed, but... you could get lucky!
There is another new map.
It's entrance is not easily found.
And even once you get in...
That is all that will be said about that map
Lore
The lore collection UI, accessed through the game menu as button #9 and demonstrated in the first gif among the preview images, is a new way to automatically record and review how much of the lore you've explored. It remembers all terminal-hacked lore-related entries as well as most dialogue across all runs.
Half of the lore is found in dialogue, so for that you'll have to seek out and talk to the NPCs, not all of which are in every run, so it could take some time to meet them all. And to help determine which terminal lore you haven't yet hacked, the subject name is followed by a '!' indicator right in the machine interface. (If you don't care about lore and the exclamation points really bother you, you can also turn that feature off by changing the markUndiscoveredLore value in /user/cogmind.cfg file.)
When examining lore in the new interface, note that you can skip straight to a given topic simply pressing the key for the first letter of its subject, rather than scrolling there. (Of course all the usual buttons work for interfacing with it as well--arrows, numpad, mouse wheel, home/end, and more.)
The system is fully backwards compatible, meaning when you update to future versions, even when new lore has been added, it will continue to store all your old discovered lore, but don't forget to migrate your /user/ directory if you aren't doing that already! (If you want an easier time piecing the story together, that is.) So feel free to start collecting away with Alpha 10! Also remember that "lore" doesn't just include story bits; there are a lot of tips and strategy, and some opaque mechanics, explained therein.
Note: Anyone looking to add something to the wiki, know that the dialogue reference numbers are assigned dynamically, and will change when other topics are added to the same category, so those numbers don't really have any long-term/permanent meaning.
QoL
- Gallery Indicator. In addition to the lore, the art gallery collection process has now been made easier with a new option available from the options menu: Label Supporter Items. This was in the cfg file earlier, but now has elevated status to the proper options menu and a secondary function. It still shows at the bottom of the item info which early supporter was chosen to own that "randomly assigned personal item," but next to that it now also tells whether you've attached that item before, and includes an indicator in the item label popup itself, too (as a '!'). Note that this is off by default, so be sure to activate it if you're trying to fill your gallery (like the lore, that is also backwards compatible).
- Hacking Code Recall. As shown a couple days ago, unique (randomized) hacking codes, the ones that start with "\\", are now automatically remembered for you. No more jotting them down on paper or scrolling back through the log to find one! When you start to manually hack a machine or robot, a list containing the relevant type of code will open automatically. Mouse users can just click on the one they want, while keyboard players can type \\ to put the list in focus and hit a corresponding letter. Note that only four-character codes are stored, so it excludes the (currently one) longer code which remains static through every run anyway. You know what I'm talking about if you've found it before
- Fabricators Again. Fabricators have gotten even friendlier since they'll remember the last schematic you hacked in, even after disconnecting. In fact, when you first find them they may even already have a schematic there that isn't yours, but you can use it to initiate a build all the same!
Evasion Window
The main UI's volley window, which wasn't super useful unless in combat anyway, has been replaced with the brand new evasion window (as long as not in combat). It contains a summary of all defensive modifiers to the chance to be hit by an incoming projectile.
The evasion window assumes the standard base hit chance of 60%, and cannot take into account the many attacker-sourced and situational factors, thus it is not generally an accurate representation of the actual chance to be hit, instead serving to demonstrate the relative defensive value of certain circumstances and part configurations. Hovering the cursor over the window (or holding '/') opens the full details, which lists each component by name and will also indicate why a given value is grayed out (i.e. inapplicable).
I imagine this window will be more useful for non-combat builds, where projectile avoidance is key (well, without it you kinda become a smoldering wreck
), but for all new players it will also help learn a lot of the defensive-related mechanics without reading the manual, like being hot makes you easier to hit, no flight dodging bonus while in stasis or overweight, etc.Difficulty
Surprise! The mid/late-game just got slightly more challenging. There are several factors at play here.
Firstly, alert level used to drop by a static percent simply based on whether you were entering a main complex map or a branch map. This worked okay early on when the world layout was relatively simple, but now we have so many different pathways and destinations, as well as a better understanding of how challenging various parts of the game are, so it's about time to begin fine tuning that difficulty by more specific amounts depending on what maps are being exited and entered. As part of that process I've adjusted the alert level reduction percents, generally in a downward direction, not by much at all in the early game, but especially closer to the surface you'll notice that if you've caused a higher alert level it won't drop quite so easily just by heading to a new area.
Also as part of those changes, entering Waste doesn't have quite the same special impact on alert that it used to.
Combat heat mechanics are another factor. A number of the most dangerous robots were overheating too easily due to an oversight in my robot testing suite where I can analyze their overall effectiveness (it wasn't merging regular utility-based heat generation with volley-produced heat during simulated attacks). All those problems are solved and some of the mid/late-game nasties are going to be that much nastier since they no longer overheat and have to pause firing so frequently.
Don't let the difficulty changes discourage you, because there are an increasing number of methods and strategies for dealing with the late game, so it will balance out in the end. Hacking to purge threat records from the system will also likely become somewhat more important now, like it used to be before the game's difficulty gradually came down over the past year.
The full Alpha 10 (0.10.160809) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Armory"
* NEW: Branch map "[redacted]"
* NEW: 2 new alien artifacts
* NEW: 9 new special items
* NEW: 1 more plot-related NPC encounter
* NEW: Two dozen more location-specific lore records
* NEW: Twice as many Assembled variants
* NEW: Assembled announce their entry with a new sound effect
* NEW: Completely new mechanic which can change the way the end game is played (any more info would spoil it)
* NEW: Unique type of interactive terminal (secret)
* NEW: Evasion status summary, replaces volley window except in firing mode (hover or press '/' for full details)
* NEW: Lore-related terminal records and dialogue remembered between runs
* NEW: Lore review interface for exploring previously discovered information (game menu 9)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes seventh mode: "relative matter consumption" (toggle via info 'q' command/button)
* NEW: Discovered manual (randomized) hacking codes shown in new selection menu along with source and target when hacking machines/robots
* NEW: Force-trigger chute traps by using them as you would stairs
* NEW: Fabricators may have a random schematic preloaded
* NEW: Reconnecting to a Fabricator with a previous build in progress still shows name of object being fabricated
* NEW: All direct hacks that don't make sense to repeat are grayed out after successfully hacking them and reconnecting to same machine
* NEW: Several additional useful message types accompany Warlord-related plot events
* NEW: Option to invert map panning (available in options menu)
* NEW: Option to mark previously undiscovered lore directly in terminals, active by default (cogmind.cfg only: see markUndiscoveredLore)
* NEW: Part info visualization data preceded with a '+' when you have a schematic for that attached/inventory part
* NEW: Parts list autosorting further orders multiple same-type items by integrity, high to low
* NEW: Several more score sheet entries
* NEW: Score sheet inventory lists both for final parts and peak state are sorted by item type
* NEW: Hack-linking a target with a datajack reduces their accuracy by 15% on top of the existing benefits
* NEW: Hack-linked victims display glowing "(linked)" indicator in their info window, include a "(+)" in their label and scan window
* NEW: Advanced commands list explicitly specifies keys for setting guided weapon waypoints, also adding KP5 to that list
* NEW: Label Supporter Items option also indicates whether you've collected the item for your art gallery yet (see description)
* NEW: Most key commands also listed in the text manual itself, rather than only in game
* NEW: Several more tutorial messages
* NEW: Art gallery may also be scrolled via numpad
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 9 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* MOD: Updated robot variants with poor heat management, including Behemoths, Programmers and others, to reduce excessive overheating
* MOD: Waste somewhat less likely to contain prototypes (parts still generally out of depth, though)
* MOD: Hub_04(d) may now contain prototypes and matter among random items (originally was common items only)
* MOD: Infested traps, garrisons, etc. closer to surface include more deadly Assembled variants
* MOD: Remote Datajacks have built-in targeting assistance
* MOD: Rescaled/boosted bonus points for fast wins
* MOD: Traveling through Waste no longer has quite as significant an impact on alert level
* MOD: Tweaked alert level changes on moving to a new map; more variable and closely tied to the specific areas both exited and entered
* MOD: Item/robot schematics loaded into Fabricators remain until overwritten, allowing repeat builds without a new load hack
* MOD: Chute-chaining/farming no longer possible in Factory (only the first time each depth is visited will that area have access to Waste)
* MOD: Force of two "explosive plot events" reduced by 25% due to explosion overlap fix in Alpha 7
* MOD: Hyphen inserted into terminal-reported alert level designation to avoid misinterpretation of letters in some fonts
* MOD: Score component "Alien Tech Identified" changed to "Alien Tech Recovered" (must attach rather than simply identify)
* MOD: LMB on a hard target (robot/machine/door/wall) fires a guided weapon rather than setting another waypoint
* MOD: Refined parts list utilities auto-sorting order to better group parts with related functionality
* MOD: Manual hacking code entry can no longer be exited by clicking outside the window
* MOD: labelSupporterItems value originally in cfg file now accessible via options menu
* MOD: Part mass visualization colors switched from purple scheme to brown and yellow
* MOD: Brightened console border color effects for overheating and low core integrity
* MOD: Updated explosion damage context help to include more info from manual regarding damage spread via chunks
* MOD: Removed map dimension selection from in-game options menu (still accessible via cogmind.cfg)
* MOD: In-game supporters list change from menu 9 to 0
* FIX: Traveling through Proximity Caves recorded incorrect core integrity to score sheet [Happylisk]
* FIX: Typo in random Zion dialogue [Happylisk]
* FIX: Parts list autosorting converted reference letters to lower case in some fonts
* FIX: With square map dimensions in 4:3 mode, manually hacking a robot to far west via Remote Datajack causes partially offscreen text box
* FIX: Score sheet never fully tallied Traps Triggered
* FIX: Scan window still showed utility effect data for common parts lost from the database
* FIX: In rare cases multiple Workers actively pushing disabled robots might get stuck in a traffic jam in a narrow corridor
* FIX: Typo in score sheet for "Fabrication Network Shutdowns," name also too wide for column
(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.)
230
Announcements / Upcoming Features (Alpha 10)
« on: August 06, 2016, 02:46:24 AM »
Alpha 10 will be here soon! [Update: Released! Changelog and notes here.]
Though map-wise we're getting into development of endgame branches, there are also features which impact the entire experience one way or another. And as usual here are some of those I can more easily share in images:
A brand new central UI to browse collected lore for reference and to see how many pieces of the puzzle (or tips!) you might still be missing.
Remote Datajacks now come with built-in targeting assistance.
Volley window replaced by Evasion window (except in targeting mode), where you can see a breakdown of defensive modifiers and their combined effect on the chance of being hit.
Repeat a build command on reconnection without reloading the schematic--Fabricators remember what was last loaded.
Part info visualization data preceded with a '+' when you already have a schematic for that part.
Seventh part data visualization mode, Matter, for graphing relative matter consumption of weapons.
Gallery status indicators controlled from options menu, and uncollected items shown directly in labels while option active.
Fabricators may be preloaded with schematics that you can build instantly, even without having the schematic yourself.
Hack-linking a target robot now displays that stasus in three redundant locations: their info window, the scan window, and in the robot label itself as "(+)".
This new artifact will become one of the most coveted items in the game. But what is it?
While I won't spoil the new maps, for those of you who've been exploring the end game areas this exit/entrance is now open for business
Lots more info to come with the release notes!
Though map-wise we're getting into development of endgame branches, there are also features which impact the entire experience one way or another. And as usual here are some of those I can more easily share in images:
A brand new central UI to browse collected lore for reference and to see how many pieces of the puzzle (or tips!) you might still be missing.
Remote Datajacks now come with built-in targeting assistance.
Volley window replaced by Evasion window (except in targeting mode), where you can see a breakdown of defensive modifiers and their combined effect on the chance of being hit.
Repeat a build command on reconnection without reloading the schematic--Fabricators remember what was last loaded.
Part info visualization data preceded with a '+' when you already have a schematic for that part.
Seventh part data visualization mode, Matter, for graphing relative matter consumption of weapons.
Gallery status indicators controlled from options menu, and uncollected items shown directly in labels while option active.
Fabricators may be preloaded with schematics that you can build instantly, even without having the schematic yourself.
Hack-linking a target robot now displays that stasus in three redundant locations: their info window, the scan window, and in the robot label itself as "(+)".
This new artifact will become one of the most coveted items in the game. But what is it?
While I won't spoil the new maps, for those of you who've been exploring the end game areas this exit/entrance is now open for business
Lots more info to come with the release notes!
231
Announcements / Progress Update: July 28th, 2016
« on: July 28, 2016, 01:01:47 AM »
Good news! I'm ahead of schedule for Alpha 10 so instead of adding one new map (already done) I'll be adding a second as well (currently in progress, to be finished this week). Unless something unexpected happens (like, say, I fly off my bike and break more bones again...) next week should be the last full week of work needed before bringing you Alpha 10.
This week on the dev blog I also posted an introduction to some of the features that help ease new players in the game, including a breakdown of the tutorial.
I've been happy to see that even players new to the genre are having an easy time picking up Cogmind, so I can worry less about that and more about, you know, actually finishing all these extra maps and plot elements
This week on the dev blog I also posted an introduction to some of the features that help ease new players in the game, including a breakdown of the tutorial.
I've been happy to see that even players new to the genre are having an easy time picking up Cogmind, so I can worry less about that and more about, you know, actually finishing all these extra maps and plot elements
232
Announcements / Progress Update: July 21st, 2016
« on: July 20, 2016, 08:54:59 PM »
Development is once again proceeding full speed ahead. Oh man being away from Cogmind for that trip resulted in way too much pent up dev energy!
It also took a little bit to get back into the swing of things, and as a mini-project to start off with, I implemented the lore reference UI, a completely new feature you can see here filled with junk data to avoid spoilers
Overall it's a pretty neat system that even supports search-by-letter. I'll talk more about it for the release notes.
Going forward it'll take about a week to add the next new area to the world, and another after that for lots of little additional features, so we're looking at at least two more weeks before Alpha 10. I'd prefer to spend longer on this release, but because it's been a while since Alpha 9, it's whatever I can get done in the time I'm allotting myself!
In related (Alpha 10?) news, I'm thinking of adding a new window to the HUD and posted some information on the forum, so maybe check that out!
It also took a little bit to get back into the swing of things, and as a mini-project to start off with, I implemented the lore reference UI, a completely new feature you can see here filled with junk data to avoid spoilers
Overall it's a pretty neat system that even supports search-by-letter
. I'll talk more about it for the release notes.Going forward it'll take about a week to add the next new area to the world, and another after that for lots of little additional features, so we're looking at at least two more weeks before Alpha 10. I'd prefer to spend longer on this release, but because it's been a while since Alpha 9, it's whatever I can get done in the time I'm allotting myself!
In related (Alpha 10?) news, I'm thinking of adding a new window to the HUD and posted some information on the forum, so maybe check that out!
233
Ideas / Projectile avoidance modifiers, a reference window
« on: July 20, 2016, 08:41:09 PM »
One of the main remaining types of non-obvious stats in the game is Cogmind's defensive combat factors that contribute to evasion, i.e. avoiding being struck by incoming projectiles in the first place. Defensively you already have access to coverage and integrity data, but those only play a role once you're hit--all factors considered, how likely is it you'll be hit? Obviously the value will vary by enemy because they have their own numerous combat and situational modifiers, but it'd be nice to have an at-a-glance way to know your general "evasion rating."
Knowledge gained from reading the manual combined with individual item stats/effect descriptions do provide a complete picture, but they're not all in one place, take some getting used to, and some even require calculations (like heat level). For a while I've wanted to make these available in the HUD, but it's kinda full at the moment, so I've come up with a possible approach that I'd like to share here for feedback.
First I took a look at all the defensive factors contributing to evasion, and there are only five:
Then the most unused part of the UI I found was the Volley window, which isn't exactly unused, but is only really needed in targeting mode, which is key here because we only really need evasion data when moving around and/or not in targeting mode.
I propose giving that part of the UI double duty, making the Volley window appear only while in firing/targeting mode, and at all other times that space would be occupied by a new "Evasion" window which displays your base avoidance value and all its components. Something like this mockup:
(the mockup also shows a value grayed out due to special circumstances you'll see below)
Then the window can also be expanded by hovering over it with the cursor as well as via some key, in order to see a more explicit breakdown with any additional status information, e.g.
(no the totals don't add up--this is just a mockup with typed in info for demonstration purposes!)
This feature should help provide a clearer picture of the consequences of certain decisions and situations, and also help intermediate players improve their skills.
What do you think?
Edit: It's now been implemented, to be available in Alpha 10. I posted a demo later in this thread.
Knowledge gained from reading the manual combined with individual item stats/effect descriptions do provide a complete picture, but they're not all in one place, take some getting used to, and some even require calculations (like heat level). For a while I've wanted to make these available in the HUD, but it's kinda full at the moment, so I've come up with a possible approach that I'd like to share here for feedback.
First I took a look at all the defensive factors contributing to evasion, and there are only five:
- Flight/Hover bonus
- Heat level
- Movement speed (and whether recently moved)
- Evasion modifiers from utilities (e.g. Maneuvering Thrusters)
- Cloaking modifiers from utilities (e.g. Cloaking Devices)
Then the most unused part of the UI I found was the Volley window, which isn't exactly unused, but is only really needed in targeting mode, which is key here because we only really need evasion data when moving around and/or not in targeting mode.
I propose giving that part of the UI double duty, making the Volley window appear only while in firing/targeting mode, and at all other times that space would be occupied by a new "Evasion" window which displays your base avoidance value and all its components. Something like this mockup:
(the mockup also shows a value grayed out due to special circumstances you'll see below)
Then the window can also be expanded by hovering over it with the cursor as well as via some key, in order to see a more explicit breakdown with any additional status information, e.g.
(no the totals don't add up--this is just a mockup with typed in info for demonstration purposes!)
This feature should help provide a clearer picture of the consequences of certain decisions and situations, and also help intermediate players improve their skills.
What do you think?
Edit: It's now been implemented, to be available in Alpha 10. I posted a demo later in this thread.
234
Announcements / Roguelike Celebration--See you in San Francisco?
« on: July 18, 2016, 06:06:06 PM »
I've always wanted to go to an IRDC (International Roguelike Developers Conference), but they've always been in Europe, not easy for me to reach from way out here in East Asia. More recently IRDC has also made its way into the US, but always out on the East Coast, so still not quite within my means.
Then I noticed a number of other developers signing on to this "Roguelike Celebration" event being hosted by genre enthusiasts Noah, Britta, and Asheesh in San Francisco for a day of activities aimed at both players and developers. My brother happens to live right down the road from the venue, only about 10 hours by plane from me, and I figured this is the best opportunity I could hope for short of hosting an event myself, so San Francisco it is!
I'll not only get to meet some Cogmind players who I already know will be there (maybe you, too?), but also a number of other developers, several of which I've known only online for some time now.
And I'm not just going as a spectator--I'll be giving a talk alongside a great cast of other speakers, including devs from Dwarf Fortress, DCSS, Brogue, Caves of Qud, and... the original Rogue
You can see the complete list of speakers and topics here.
I haven't prepared my own talk yet, but I did settle on a topic, which is kind of a summary of the entirety of Cogmind development: "Taking Traditional Roguelikes Mainstream." So I'll be explaining a wide range of design elements across the interface, presentation, sound design, and more that work to broaden Cogmind's appeal beyond the core roguelike audience.
I hope you're interested, and I hope to see you there! If you can make it, I suggest getting a ticket as soon as possible, because the price will be reportedly be going up after this Wednesday (7/20). (The cost is just to cover event expenses.)
Come celebrate roguelikes with us! (And spread the word!)
Then I noticed a number of other developers signing on to this "Roguelike Celebration" event being hosted by genre enthusiasts Noah, Britta, and Asheesh in San Francisco for a day of activities aimed at both players and developers. My brother happens to live right down the road from the venue, only about 10 hours by plane from me, and I figured this is the best opportunity I could hope for short of hosting an event myself, so San Francisco it is!
I'll not only get to meet some Cogmind players who I already know will be there (maybe you, too?), but also a number of other developers, several of which I've known only online for some time now.
And I'm not just going as a spectator--I'll be giving a talk alongside a great cast of other speakers, including devs from Dwarf Fortress, DCSS, Brogue, Caves of Qud, and... the original Rogue
You can see the complete list of speakers and topics here.
I haven't prepared my own talk yet, but I did settle on a topic, which is kind of a summary of the entirety of Cogmind development: "Taking Traditional Roguelikes Mainstream." So I'll be explaining a wide range of design elements across the interface, presentation, sound design, and more that work to broaden Cogmind's appeal beyond the core roguelike audience.
I hope you're interested, and I hope to see you there! If you can make it, I suggest getting a ticket as soon as possible, because the price will be reportedly be going up after this Wednesday (7/20). (The cost is just to cover event expenses.)
Come celebrate roguelikes with us! (And spread the word!)
235
Announcements / Proximity Alert: Developer Approaching!
« on: July 11, 2016, 07:48:33 PM »
I'm back! (original vacation notice)
Well, sort of.
Physically I've finally returned to my home office, though due to jet lag it'll be a little while before I'm ready to do proper work on Alpha 10. I hadn't slept for 46 hours before last night, when I crashed for 12 hours, so maybe that'll help reset my bioclock. Until then I'll be taking care of other residual effects of being away for a month, i.e. life stuff (including my hopefully final X-ray to confirm my shoulder is now healed).
By the end of the week I hope to have at least one new UI feature ready, but it's best to avoid doing too much work at first because when not at peak efficiency the chance of mistakes is higher, and the effort is often wasted because it introduces problems/bugs I have to spend time fixing later down the line, something I learned the hard way in my early years of programming
While on the road I made this:
"ASCII mode, for when you truly want to Be The Cogmind"
And also posted to the blog a big write-up on Inventory Management. It's mostly a review (and some analysis) of the available UI features that are related to inventory management, though at the end you'll find a quick mockup and discussion of the "full inventory" mode we were talking about on the forums some months ago:
Another thing I kept up was the biweekly FAQ Friday event over on /r/roguelikes, where I talked about Cogmind's Time System and Achievements and Scoring. There you can read about how some other roguelikes handle these things as well.
I have some big news coming up, but have to wait a bit before announcing it. (No it has nothing to do with Steam, just to get that out of the way)
Well, sort of.
Physically I've finally returned to my home office, though due to jet lag it'll be a little while before I'm ready to do proper work on Alpha 10. I hadn't slept for 46 hours before last night, when I crashed for 12 hours, so maybe that'll help reset my bioclock. Until then I'll be taking care of other residual effects of being away for a month, i.e. life stuff (including my hopefully final X-ray to confirm my shoulder is now healed).
By the end of the week I hope to have at least one new UI feature ready, but it's best to avoid doing too much work at first because when not at peak efficiency the chance of mistakes is higher, and the effort is often wasted because it introduces problems/bugs I have to spend time fixing later down the line, something I learned the hard way in my early years of programming
While on the road I made this:
"ASCII mode, for when you truly want to Be The Cogmind"
And also posted to the blog a big write-up on Inventory Management. It's mostly a review (and some analysis) of the available UI features that are related to inventory management, though at the end you'll find a quick mockup and discussion of the "full inventory" mode we were talking about on the forums some months ago:
Another thing I kept up was the biweekly FAQ Friday event over on /r/roguelikes, where I talked about Cogmind's Time System and Achievements and Scoring. There you can read about how some other roguelikes handle these things as well.
I have some big news coming up, but have to wait a bit before announcing it. (No it has nothing to do with Steam, just to get that out of the way
)
236
Everything REXPaint / rex_sprite, Node.js module for loading and rendering .xp files
« on: July 01, 2016, 11:05:31 AM »
This has been around for a couple years, but I recently noticed the original disappeared from GitHub, and the developer hasn't been around for a while in his regular hangouts, so I recovered it via the Internet Archive and threw it up on my own server for safekeeping (and simply access!).
rex_sprite, by chiguireitor, is "a Node.js module for loading and drawing REXPaint sprites."
rex_sprite, by chiguireitor, is "a Node.js module for loading and drawing REXPaint sprites."
237
Announcements / Vacation Notice!
« on: June 14, 2016, 10:22:31 PM »
This dev is going on vacation!
It's been years since I've seen my parents and other family, and everyone is eager to hang out with my son, so from Thursday evening I'll be gone for the next three and a half weeks. It's not an ideal time for me since I'd rather Cogmind hit 1.0 before taking any time off, but my ancient grandparents might not be around much longer, and they'd like to spend time with their great grandson, so it's important to do this now.
During this period there will be very little in the way of active development, though I will still be in contact via the usual methods--email/forums/social media/etc. Responses just might not come at the speeds you're used to from when I'm sitting at my laptop all day working here
Over on the blog I posted a new article on Iterative UI Design, taking the recently added inventory sorting feature as an example:
I will try to use some downtime to write more blog posts, something I've been too busy with dev work to do at the same rate I used to during pre-alpha.
In case you didn't see it, I posted a stat summary from Alpha 8.
Also, in some good news it looks like my shoulder will probably heal on its own. The bone is a little crooked, but is now half-attached ("partial union"), so it's a matter of not disturbing it for another month while it finishes filling in the other half with bone--great, the entirety of this vacation xD. Then on to physical therapy...
I'll start work on Alpha 10 shortly after returning, and as the general dev cycle for a single major release is about four weeks, that on top of the vacation time means the next release won't be for a while. I could try to squeeze it out by around the end of July / very early August, but as usual it will also depend on how much new content needs to go in. It's theoretically possible based on my current plans for Alpha 10, which will include the Armory as one of its primary features.
At least with the new Alpha 9 Cogmind is in a pretty good place right now
It's been years since I've seen my parents and other family, and everyone is eager to hang out with my son, so from Thursday evening I'll be gone for the next three and a half weeks. It's not an ideal time for me since I'd rather Cogmind hit 1.0 before taking any time off, but my ancient grandparents might not be around much longer, and they'd like to spend time with their great grandson, so it's important to do this now.
During this period there will be very little in the way of active development, though I will still be in contact via the usual methods--email/forums/social media/etc. Responses just might not come at the speeds you're used to from when I'm sitting at my laptop all day working here
Over on the blog I posted a new article on Iterative UI Design, taking the recently added inventory sorting feature as an example:
In case you didn't see it, I posted a stat summary from Alpha 8.
Also, in some good news it looks like my shoulder will probably heal on its own. The bone is a little crooked, but is now half-attached ("partial union"), so it's a matter of not disturbing it for another month while it finishes filling in the other half with bone--great, the entirety of this vacation xD. Then on to physical therapy...
I'll start work on Alpha 10 shortly after returning, and as the general dev cycle for a single major release is about four weeks, that on top of the vacation time means the next release won't be for a while. I could try to squeeze it out by around the end of July / very early August, but as usual it will also depend on how much new content needs to go in. It's theoretically possible based on my current plans for Alpha 10, which will include the Armory as one of its primary features.
At least with the new Alpha 9 Cogmind is in a pretty good place right now
238
Announcements / Alpha Tier ($25) Now Permanent
« on: June 13, 2016, 10:07:30 PM »
The lower-priced Alpha Tier, added to the buy page for Cogmind Alpha's 1-Year Anniversary, is now permanently available as a purchase option.
We did pass the 100 sales threshold to which it was initially limited, but examining the rate of sales, and taking into consideration other factors described below, it doesn't seem necessary to remove it.
When first opening it up I was worried that the lower price might have the medium-term impact of bringing in too many new players, so I felt the need to announce up front that it would be capped, just in case. Yes, for a game still in development that already gets sufficient feedback, too many new players is actually not a good thing xD (it slows development because I like to be active in the community, so the size of that community is important! Too many disruptions and nothing gets done ).
It turns out that with an Alpha Tier, the influx is just about right! Sales did not increase dramatically, merely recovered the steady pre-anniversary pace that had begun to falter around that point. This is good for the community overall (attracting a small amount of fresh players to account for those who drop out for a while) and also healthy development of Cogmind in the long run, because if revenue were to fall below the monthly minimum where it normally sits I'll be forced to move more quickly to 1.0 (that can mean feature cuts). Also, I'm anticipating the need for a little extra momentum over the next couple months given tomorrow's pending news.
In any case, the same reasons mentioned when first introducing the tier also still stand--it's been a year since Alpha began, so it's about time to have a slightly lower-priced tier, and it also makes sense in the existing hierarchy, with some still supporting at the Prime Tier anyway
Thanks everyone!
We did pass the 100 sales threshold to which it was initially limited, but examining the rate of sales, and taking into consideration other factors described below, it doesn't seem necessary to remove it.
When first opening it up I was worried that the lower price might have the medium-term impact of bringing in too many new players, so I felt the need to announce up front that it would be capped, just in case
. Yes, for a game still in development that already gets sufficient feedback, too many new players is actually not a good thing xD (it slows development because I like to be active in the community, so the size of that community is important! Too many disruptions and nothing gets done ).It turns out that with an Alpha Tier, the influx is just about right! Sales did not increase dramatically, merely recovered the steady pre-anniversary pace that had begun to falter around that point. This is good for the community overall (attracting a small amount of fresh players to account for those who drop out for a while) and also healthy development of Cogmind in the long run, because if revenue were to fall below the monthly minimum where it normally sits I'll be forced to move more quickly to 1.0 (that can mean feature cuts). Also, I'm anticipating the need for a little extra momentum over the next couple months given tomorrow's pending news.
In any case, the same reasons mentioned when first introducing the tier also still stand--it's been a year since Alpha began, so it's about time to have a slightly lower-priced tier, and it also makes sense in the existing hierarchy, with some still supporting at the Prime Tier anyway
Thanks everyone!
239
General Discussion / Alpha 9 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: June 07, 2016, 07:00:12 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 9 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 9 release notes and changelog.
240
General Discussion / Alpha 9 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: June 07, 2016, 07:00:08 PM »
Here's the place for general spoiler-free feedback and discussion about the most recent releases, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
Alpha 9 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 9 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.
241
Announcements / Released: Alpha 9 - "Epic Showdown"
« on: June 07, 2016, 06:33:35 PM »
Alpha 9 is ready! If I was naming our releases, "Epic Showdown" would be a contender for this one
We have quite a bit of new content: Like 8, Alpha 9 is another lore-heavy release, and you'll be able to learn even more about the world and its inhabitants, in many cases straight from those inhabitants themselves. At the same time you'll have the option to be a part of some big events. (Actually, there has been one similarly major event accessible for many versions now, but still no one has discovered it)
While much of the new content is found in a particular part of the game, Alpha 9 includes something for everyone (even those who can't yet find or reach that area ) in the form of yet more UI enhancements, some significant improvements to machine usability, and changes to hover/flight propulsion stats.
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 9, see the preview gifs and images posted yesterday.
New Map
Much of the new content is centered around "Warlord," a new branch map deep in the caves where you can meet, um, yes, that one. Stop by and give my regards.
For those of you who've already done plenty of spelunking:
With this release, all the primary cave content is complete, and going forward development will continue moving upward into the late-game branches.
Machines
Mechanics-wise, the main focus of Alpha 9 is to streamline the use of interactive machines. Aside from the standard Terminal, most machines have only sometimes been useful, generally more trouble than they were worth except under special circumstances. All machines are now better balanced with more desirable and accessible features that will keep you from so readily passing them up
Fabrication is the big one. I wrote a blog post explaining it in detail (no spoilers). In short, you don't need to worry about the matter, all you really need is a schematic and a little bit of time. You'll still have to hack it to start the process, but even with minimal to no hackware it's not that difficult at low-tier Fabricators.
Repair is even faster than it used to be (especially at higher-tier stations), so it's a good idea to take advantage of those when possible.
You can see other machine-related details listed in the changelog. Notice that item ratings no longer determine what can and can't be done with regard to item-related machines, an opaque system that was annoying at best. You'll now be able to scan anything anywhere, repair anything anywhere, build anything anywhere... basically do Anything Anywhere
Propulsion Stats
Flight component stats have changed significantly, with all prototype flight units supporting less mass than they could before, and all flight speed mods dropping from 5 to 3. This means you'll need to stack more flight units to reach the same old speeds, and can no longer rely on early-game prototypes to carry you through the game.
Note that this also means all flying robots in the world are now a bit slower, but not hugely so because they didn't generally have much propulsion to begin with, not like you can (thus the percentage decrease in speed will be less noticeable for them).
To help round out that balance, every single flight component now has the same hit on resources when mobile: 1 energy and 1 heat per move.
We'll see what kind of effect these changes have on speed runs, if any...
Hover has been changed to a lesser extent, getting a little slower (speed mod reduced from 5 to 4) with more advanced units providing somewhat better support to account for the increased heat/energy movement costs. Essentially hover is now a little tankier, so even more worth considering as the basis for a highly mobile combat build.
Miscellaneous Notes
The full Alpha 9 (0.10.160608) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Warlord"
* NEW: 9 special-purpose robot classes (8 with new art)
* NEW: 2 new NPCs (unique robot classes)
* NEW: 2 major plot events
* NEW: A central matter distribution network (allocated per map) supplies matter to Fabricators (no Matter Storage Units required)
* NEW: All Fabricators have a Network(Report) function to hack
* NEW: Disabling matter-related machines (those that spill matter on destruction) reduces local matter stores
* NEW: 3 more Trojan hacks (secret)
* NEW: 8 new non-interactive machines (2 explosive)
* NEW: Fabricators are also used by 0b10 robots for several purposes
* NEW: Fabricators and Repair Stations display on-map timer while processing
* NEW: Score sheet lists everything fabricated, and where
* NEW: Eighth damage type (secret), with new unstable weapon mechanic
* NEW: 10 new items
* NEW: More lore to uncover in dozens of terminal records
* NEW: Hundreds of lines of minor NPC dialogue covering lore, plot, and in-theme tips
* NEW: All unauthorized hacks (Trojans/brute force) can be learned/discovered in game
* NEW: +10% to hit immobile targets (includes disabled robots, as well as stationary non-robot targets)
* NEW: -20% to hit per "dynamic obstruction" (e.g. robot) between self and target
* NEW: Extension transfer network will respond to a persistent threat (e.g. those of you repeatedly intercepting Haulers)
* NEW: Investigation dispatches now reported to the log, as are reinforcements dispatched to aid busy engineers that come under attack
* NEW: Score sheet records exits discovered in each area (those with unknown destination appear in brackets; those approached marked with *)
* NEW: Explosions cause UI instability effect, varying by power and distance (optional, controlled by existing screenshake setting)
* NEW: Autosort parts list by subtype with a single command ( : )
* NEW: Deactivate part-sorting for weapons with new cogmind.cfg entry: partSortIgnoresWeapons
* NEW: Removal/replacement of processors and hackware (destroy-on-remove) parts requires confirmation
* NEW: Self-destruct by keyboard (Alt-F10) requires confirmation
* NEW: Resource (energy/matter) insufficiency messages for any action indicate the required amount
* NEW: Active Order/Intel modes have on-map reminder at top while using keyboard-based interface
* NEW: Inventory contents factor into score sheet "peak state" at a reduced value (10%); are also listed
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 8 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 8 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: Schematics enable construction at any Fabricator, regardless of tier (schematic info window displays time cost for each tier)
* MOD: All fabrication matter/time costs adjusted (Fabricator tier now a factor in the latter)
* MOD: Base chance of successful schematic loading at a Fabricator raised from 70% to 90%
* MOD: Removed Repair Station restrictions on part rating
* MOD: All repair time costs adjusted (repair station tier now a factor)
* MOD: Removed Scanalyzer restrictions on part rating
* MOD: High-tier Scanalyzers less likely to break parts or require repeat scans
* MOD: Reduced chance of investigation squads composed of Hunters, especially in late game
* MOD: Broadcast Trojan only needs to be installed once to take effect on all matching machines across floor
* MOD: Zhirov artifact analysis terminals moved into the rooms for their respective artifacts
* MOD: Manual and terminal record text updated to reflect new systems
* MOD: Robots less likely to immediately finish off disarmed hostiles instead of attacking more dangerous targets
* MOD: Reduced Mni. Drone Bay drone count to 3, changed art
* MOD: Removed matter cost (1) from Impact Mace/Kinetic Spear/Plasma Lance attacks
* MOD: Effect of mass support utilities reduced
* MOD: Stats for all flight and hover propulsion adjusted (see release notes)
* MOD: Doubled effect of Hub Network destruction
* MOD: All Behemoth/Marauder variants immune to critical hits, and the effects of Core Analyzers
* MOD: Neutral robots local to Caves now in various states of disrepair
* MOD: Neutral 0b10 robots more reponsive to being under fire, consider any damage an attack, even if not the intended target
* MOD: All Recycling Unit hacks are easier
* MOD: Renamed "Index(Repair Units)" hack command to "Index(Repair Stations)" for consistency
* MOD: Nearby Compactor attacks cause console window vibrations rather than screenshake
* MOD: ECM effect values in parts list info mode match those used in item description
* MOD: Swapped weapons and utilities inventory type-sorting order for consistency with parts list categories
* MOD: Motion Trail Duration option defaults to 2000ms rather than 0 (off)
* MOD: Better differentiated 'A'/'R' and 'H'/'K' pairs in all 17 variants of Smallcaps typeface
* MOD: Non-flying robots trying to get at player through a door less likely to be able to squeeze/jump past
* MOD: Seeds are no longer case sensitive
* MOD: Reformatted "weaknesses identified" text following analysis appended to robot info
* MOD: Score sheet Inventory list merged with Parts list, includes slot count
* MOD: Score sheet Parts/Inventory lists sorted
* FIX: Crash on accessing a rare category of Zion dialogue (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [Sherlockkat])
* FIX: Continuous UI border effects like glow for critical core could prevent inventory drag-drop interaction [seafrank]
* FIX: Typos in "Epsilon Eridani System" and "Dirty Bomb Trap" terminal records [biomatter]
* FIX: One cave cache not fully embedded into walls [biomatter]
* FIX: Hunter analysis text referred to older variant loadouts [biomatter]
* FIX: EM disruption effect against robot cores (temporary deactivation) lasting far longer than intended
* FIX: Robot analysis hit/evasion bonuses didn't match stated 5% value (were significantly higher)
* FIX: Maneuvering Thruster and Reaction Control System effects not factored into melee defense calculations (regression)
* FIX: Prototype ID hack results not properly limited to standard Complex 0b10 prototypes
* FIX: Self-destructing part sfx could be heard anywhere on the map, regardless of player location
* FIX: Explosions completely out of view could not be heard, even if still within audible range
* FIX: Theoretical crash when displaying multiple simultaneously active Stasis Beam effects (not possible under normal play yet)
* FIX: Theoretical crash when accessing previous manual hacking buffer entry under a specific situation
* FIX: Manually changing .cfg-listed font to a non-existent typeface would reset it to another outdated now-invalid typeface
* FIX: "Power Chain Reactions" weren't tallied for score sheet, despite being listed
(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.)
We have quite a bit of new content: Like 8, Alpha 9 is another lore-heavy release, and you'll be able to learn even more about the world and its inhabitants, in many cases straight from those inhabitants themselves. At the same time you'll have the option to be a part of some big events. (Actually, there has been one similarly major event accessible for many versions now, but still no one has discovered it
)While much of the new content is found in a particular part of the game, Alpha 9 includes something for everyone (even those who can't yet find or reach that area
) in the form of yet more UI enhancements, some significant improvements to machine usability, and changes to hover/flight propulsion stats.Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
For a visual sampling of some of what comes with Alpha 9, see the preview gifs and images posted yesterday.
New Map
Much of the new content is centered around "Warlord," a new branch map deep in the caves where you can meet, um, yes, that one. Stop by and give my regards.
For those of you who've already done plenty of spelunking:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
With this release, all the primary cave content is complete, and going forward development will continue moving upward into the late-game branches.
Machines
Mechanics-wise, the main focus of Alpha 9 is to streamline the use of interactive machines. Aside from the standard Terminal, most machines have only sometimes been useful, generally more trouble than they were worth except under special circumstances. All machines are now better balanced with more desirable and accessible features that will keep you from so readily passing them up
Fabrication is the big one. I wrote a blog post explaining it in detail (no spoilers). In short, you don't need to worry about the matter, all you really need is a schematic and a little bit of time. You'll still have to hack it to start the process, but even with minimal to no hackware it's not that difficult at low-tier Fabricators.
Repair is even faster than it used to be (especially at higher-tier stations), so it's a good idea to take advantage of those when possible.
You can see other machine-related details listed in the changelog. Notice that item ratings no longer determine what can and can't be done with regard to item-related machines, an opaque system that was annoying at best. You'll now be able to scan anything anywhere, repair anything anywhere, build anything anywhere... basically do Anything Anywhere
Propulsion Stats
Flight component stats have changed significantly, with all prototype flight units supporting less mass than they could before, and all flight speed mods dropping from 5 to 3. This means you'll need to stack more flight units to reach the same old speeds, and can no longer rely on early-game prototypes to carry you through the game.
Note that this also means all flying robots in the world are now a bit slower, but not hugely so because they didn't generally have much propulsion to begin with, not like you can (thus the percentage decrease in speed will be less noticeable for them).
To help round out that balance, every single flight component now has the same hit on resources when mobile: 1 energy and 1 heat per move.
We'll see what kind of effect these changes have on speed runs, if any...
Hover has been changed to a lesser extent, getting a little slower (speed mod reduced from 5 to 4) with more advanced units providing somewhat better support to account for the increased heat/energy movement costs. Essentially hover is now a little tankier, so even more worth considering as the basis for a highly mobile combat build.
Miscellaneous Notes
- You'll find that neutral robots in the main complex will be more proactive about responding to being under fire. Any damage taken is considered an attack, even if it doesn't specifically target them, so watch the collateral damage. Incidentally, this will make it a lot easier to scare away annoying robots when you need to (you know which ones they are). Even indirect explosions from machines, for example, will spook them.
- Say goodbye to accidental removal/replacement of processors and hackware! Confirmation is now required for any inventory action that will have that result. Internally this was rather complex to figure out given the many different methods one can use to remove an item, but fortunately it turns out I'd written most of the code a couple months ago, it just couldn't yet take into account a couple of edge cases, so I resolved that last night and put it to work for us
The full Alpha 9 (0.10.160608) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Warlord"
* NEW: 9 special-purpose robot classes (8 with new art)
* NEW: 2 new NPCs (unique robot classes)
* NEW: 2 major plot events
* NEW: A central matter distribution network (allocated per map) supplies matter to Fabricators (no Matter Storage Units required)
* NEW: All Fabricators have a Network(Report) function to hack
* NEW: Disabling matter-related machines (those that spill matter on destruction) reduces local matter stores
* NEW: 3 more Trojan hacks (secret)
* NEW: 8 new non-interactive machines (2 explosive)
* NEW: Fabricators are also used by 0b10 robots for several purposes
* NEW: Fabricators and Repair Stations display on-map timer while processing
* NEW: Score sheet lists everything fabricated, and where
* NEW: Eighth damage type (secret), with new unstable weapon mechanic
* NEW: 10 new items
* NEW: More lore to uncover in dozens of terminal records
* NEW: Hundreds of lines of minor NPC dialogue covering lore, plot, and in-theme tips
* NEW: All unauthorized hacks (Trojans/brute force) can be learned/discovered in game
* NEW: +10% to hit immobile targets (includes disabled robots, as well as stationary non-robot targets)
* NEW: -20% to hit per "dynamic obstruction" (e.g. robot) between self and target
* NEW: Extension transfer network will respond to a persistent threat (e.g. those of you repeatedly intercepting Haulers)
* NEW: Investigation dispatches now reported to the log, as are reinforcements dispatched to aid busy engineers that come under attack
* NEW: Score sheet records exits discovered in each area (those with unknown destination appear in brackets; those approached marked with *)
* NEW: Explosions cause UI instability effect, varying by power and distance (optional, controlled by existing screenshake setting)
* NEW: Autosort parts list by subtype with a single command ( : )
* NEW: Deactivate part-sorting for weapons with new cogmind.cfg entry: partSortIgnoresWeapons
* NEW: Removal/replacement of processors and hackware (destroy-on-remove) parts requires confirmation
* NEW: Self-destruct by keyboard (Alt-F10) requires confirmation
* NEW: Resource (energy/matter) insufficiency messages for any action indicate the required amount
* NEW: Active Order/Intel modes have on-map reminder at top while using keyboard-based interface
* NEW: Inventory contents factor into score sheet "peak state" at a reduced value (10%); are also listed
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 8 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 8 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: Schematics enable construction at any Fabricator, regardless of tier (schematic info window displays time cost for each tier)
* MOD: All fabrication matter/time costs adjusted (Fabricator tier now a factor in the latter)
* MOD: Base chance of successful schematic loading at a Fabricator raised from 70% to 90%
* MOD: Removed Repair Station restrictions on part rating
* MOD: All repair time costs adjusted (repair station tier now a factor)
* MOD: Removed Scanalyzer restrictions on part rating
* MOD: High-tier Scanalyzers less likely to break parts or require repeat scans
* MOD: Reduced chance of investigation squads composed of Hunters, especially in late game
* MOD: Broadcast Trojan only needs to be installed once to take effect on all matching machines across floor
* MOD: Zhirov artifact analysis terminals moved into the rooms for their respective artifacts
* MOD: Manual and terminal record text updated to reflect new systems
* MOD: Robots less likely to immediately finish off disarmed hostiles instead of attacking more dangerous targets
* MOD: Reduced Mni. Drone Bay drone count to 3, changed art
* MOD: Removed matter cost (1) from Impact Mace/Kinetic Spear/Plasma Lance attacks
* MOD: Effect of mass support utilities reduced
* MOD: Stats for all flight and hover propulsion adjusted (see release notes)
* MOD: Doubled effect of Hub Network destruction
* MOD: All Behemoth/Marauder variants immune to critical hits, and the effects of Core Analyzers
* MOD: Neutral robots local to Caves now in various states of disrepair
* MOD: Neutral 0b10 robots more reponsive to being under fire, consider any damage an attack, even if not the intended target
* MOD: All Recycling Unit hacks are easier
* MOD: Renamed "Index(Repair Units)" hack command to "Index(Repair Stations)" for consistency
* MOD: Nearby Compactor attacks cause console window vibrations rather than screenshake
* MOD: ECM effect values in parts list info mode match those used in item description
* MOD: Swapped weapons and utilities inventory type-sorting order for consistency with parts list categories
* MOD: Motion Trail Duration option defaults to 2000ms rather than 0 (off)
* MOD: Better differentiated 'A'/'R' and 'H'/'K' pairs in all 17 variants of Smallcaps typeface
* MOD: Non-flying robots trying to get at player through a door less likely to be able to squeeze/jump past
* MOD: Seeds are no longer case sensitive
* MOD: Reformatted "weaknesses identified" text following analysis appended to robot info
* MOD: Score sheet Inventory list merged with Parts list, includes slot count
* MOD: Score sheet Parts/Inventory lists sorted
* FIX: Crash on accessing a rare category of Zion dialogue (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [Sherlockkat])
* FIX: Continuous UI border effects like glow for critical core could prevent inventory drag-drop interaction [seafrank]
* FIX: Typos in "Epsilon Eridani System" and "Dirty Bomb Trap" terminal records [biomatter]
* FIX: One cave cache not fully embedded into walls [biomatter]
* FIX: Hunter analysis text referred to older variant loadouts [biomatter]
* FIX: EM disruption effect against robot cores (temporary deactivation) lasting far longer than intended
* FIX: Robot analysis hit/evasion bonuses didn't match stated 5% value (were significantly higher)
* FIX: Maneuvering Thruster and Reaction Control System effects not factored into melee defense calculations (regression)
* FIX: Prototype ID hack results not properly limited to standard Complex 0b10 prototypes
* FIX: Self-destructing part sfx could be heard anywhere on the map, regardless of player location
* FIX: Explosions completely out of view could not be heard, even if still within audible range
* FIX: Theoretical crash when displaying multiple simultaneously active Stasis Beam effects (not possible under normal play yet)
* FIX: Theoretical crash when accessing previous manual hacking buffer entry under a specific situation
* FIX: Manually changing .cfg-listed font to a non-existent typeface would reset it to another outdated now-invalid typeface
* FIX: "Power Chain Reactions" weren't tallied for score sheet, despite being listed
(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.)
242
Announcements / Upcoming Features (Alpha 9)
« on: June 06, 2016, 08:52:22 PM »
Alpha 9 is around the corner! No plot spoilers from me, but some epic times are upon us...
[Update: Released! Changelog and notes here.]
Today I'll just be sharing the usual pre-release summary of what features I can screenshot/record for you:
Autosort your entire parts list by subtype at the press of a button.
A new class of special weapons to discover, with a new damage type. Samples:
New fabrication mechanics, with a schematic here showing the new build requirements at the bottom, and an increasing build speed for higher-tier Fabricators. (Also, the required matter comes from the system now, not you.)
Fabricators and Repair Stations display an on-map countdown timer while processing.
Building friends at a Fabricator is much easier.
The "route" section of the score sheet now also records exits discovered in each area. Those that lead to an unknown destination appear in brackets, and those you approached are marked with *
Insufficient resources (matter/energy) for any action will now include exactly how much you need directly in the message itself.
When accessed via keyboard, Intel and Order modes now show they are active with an indicator at the top of the map (otherwise you might've accidentally tapped a z/o key and aren't sure why you can't enter commands elsewhere).
Nearby explosions shake windows individually, with the effect varying by power and distance. (The true appearance I haven't been able to capture in a gif--recording FPS not high enough, so you can see it in game)
Bump into disrupted or rebooting allies to instantly reactivate them.
Lots more info to come with the release notes!
[Update: Released! Changelog and notes here.]
Today I'll just be sharing the usual pre-release summary of what features I can screenshot/record for you:
Autosort your entire parts list by subtype at the press of a button.
A new class of special weapons to discover, with a new damage type. Samples:
New fabrication mechanics, with a schematic here showing the new build requirements at the bottom, and an increasing build speed for higher-tier Fabricators. (Also, the required matter comes from the system now, not you.)
Fabricators and Repair Stations display an on-map countdown timer while processing.
Building friends at a Fabricator is much easier.
The "route" section of the score sheet now also records exits discovered in each area. Those that lead to an unknown destination appear in brackets, and those you approached are marked with *
Insufficient resources (matter/energy) for any action will now include exactly how much you need directly in the message itself.
When accessed via keyboard, Intel and Order modes now show they are active with an indicator at the top of the map (otherwise you might've accidentally tapped a z/o key and aren't sure why you can't enter commands elsewhere).
Nearby explosions shake windows individually, with the effect varying by power and distance. (The true appearance I haven't been able to capture in a gif--recording FPS not high enough, so you can see it in game
)Bump into disrupted or rebooting allies to instantly reactivate them.
Lots more info to come with the release notes!
243
Announcements / Progress Update: May 30th, 2016
« on: May 29, 2016, 09:39:58 PM »
The second major stage of Alpha 9 is progressing nicely. Everything's planned out, and all the individual pieces are built. Time to stitch them all together to create the new map and plot events coming in the next release. You'll get to see what's up with Warlord, up close and personal.
Alpha 9 will be out some time next week, and you can expect the usual feature preview before then, maybe the weekend.
The most recent non-spoiler visual improvement I can share is this, nearby explosions vibrating console windows independently:
The duration of the effect varies based on the strength of the explosive force and the distance between its origin and your position. This isn't the same as screenshake, which is applied uniformly across the entire screen and denotes core damage. Both are controlled by the same options menu setting, and therefore optional--just an immersion feature you can turn off if it bothers you. It doesn't shake the map, just the windows around it. (The gif can't capture it at high enough FPS to show the true effect--it looks better in game, but you get the idea)
If you're a mouse user, I put out a patch for a bug that prevents drag-drop interaction when your core integrity is low. The patch and more information are available here. I still can't believe a bug like that has gone unreported for so long! Many thanks to seafrank for letting me know.
Last week out of the blue an LPer with 300k subs picked up Cogmind to do a quick intro (). Apparently they're interested in doing a full series on it at some point, which would be pretty neat
Alpha 9 will be out some time next week, and you can expect the usual feature preview before then, maybe the weekend.
The most recent non-spoiler visual improvement I can share is this, nearby explosions vibrating console windows independently:
The duration of the effect varies based on the strength of the explosive force and the distance between its origin and your position. This isn't the same as screenshake, which is applied uniformly across the entire screen and denotes core damage. Both are controlled by the same options menu setting, and therefore optional--just an immersion feature you can turn off if it bothers you. It doesn't shake the map, just the windows around it. (The gif can't capture it at high enough FPS to show the true effect--it looks better in game, but you get the idea
)If you're a mouse user, I put out a patch for a bug that prevents drag-drop interaction when your core integrity is low. The patch and more information are available here. I still can't believe a bug like that has gone unreported for so long! Many thanks to seafrank for letting me know.
Last week out of the blue an LPer with 300k subs picked up Cogmind to do a quick intro (). Apparently they're interested in doing a full series on it at some point, which would be pretty neat
244
Announcements / Cogmind Alpha 1-Year Anniversary
« on: May 18, 2016, 06:31:07 PM »
Today marks the end of Cogmind's first year of Alpha Access. And that's pretty much the only thing it's the "end" of since we're still chugging along and releases are continuing all the same.
The past year has been great, and I wrote a summary over on the blog including basic player and revenue data, a breakdown of development time, and a quick look at the rest of 2016.
To celebrate, for now I've added a new $24.99 no-perk tier to the buy page. I'm curious if this will spur any more sales, and as development moves into late-game content, it's about time to occasionally make this offer available.
The website has also just been updated, with lots of adjustments to the text, revamped screenshots, and a completed set of over 100 UI preview images in different fonts and sizes. The website hadn't been updated nearly at all for the past year, so it was about time to do that
Unfortunately the website is mostly screenshot-based, so I won't be including this destructive bad boy I recently put together:
The past year has been great, and I wrote a summary over on the blog including basic player and revenue data, a breakdown of development time, and a quick look at the rest of 2016.
To celebrate, for now I've added a new $24.99 no-perk tier to the buy page. I'm curious if this will spur any more sales, and as development moves into late-game content, it's about time to occasionally make this offer available.
The website has also just been updated, with lots of adjustments to the text, revamped screenshots, and a completed set of over 100 UI preview images in different fonts and sizes. The website hadn't been updated nearly at all for the past year, so it was about time to do that
Unfortunately the website is mostly screenshot-based, so I won't be including this destructive bad boy I recently put together:
245
Announcements / Progress Update: May 11th, 2016
« on: May 10, 2016, 09:50:39 PM »
The first major stage of Alpha 9 development is complete! I've overhauled the fabrication mechanics, along with the other previously untouched machines, and you can read all about it in a new blog post.
In short, fabrication just got a lot easier, and you'll be building replacement parts and friends in no time
In other news, I've been seriously injured in an accident. (There was a little bit of earlier discussion about it here.) The worst of it is a badly sprained ankle and broken clavicle; tomorrow we'll know if any surgery is required... Anyway, obviously I'm still working condition, hence all the work lately, though it sure would be nice if I could swap some parts right about now!
In the end this will cause a slight delay in the Alpha 9 release, but it'll still be out in a reasonable time (actually, my current estimates are based on no surgery, because I'm staying hopeful that's the case). Also pushing this release back a bit is the need for an update to the website, which is now a year old. So while I originally planned to do a release by the end of May, it'll likely be early June-ish instead.
In short, fabrication just got a lot easier, and you'll be building replacement parts and friends in no time
In other news, I've been seriously injured in an accident. (There was a little bit of earlier discussion about it here.) The worst of it is a badly sprained ankle and broken clavicle; tomorrow we'll know if any surgery is required... Anyway, obviously I'm still working condition, hence all the work lately
, though it sure would be nice if I could swap some parts right about now!In the end this will cause a slight delay in the Alpha 9 release, but it'll still be out in a reasonable time (actually, my current estimates are based on no surgery, because I'm staying hopeful that's the case
). Also pushing this release back a bit is the need for an update to the website, which is now a year old. So while I originally planned to do a release by the end of May, it'll likely be early June-ish instead.
246
Announcements / Released: REXPaint 1.02
« on: May 01, 2016, 10:51:17 PM »
A bunch of other devs have been making cool stuff with REXPaint, so I took a day after releasing the latest Cogmind Alpha to throw in a few of the easier features on the TODO list (sorry, the tough stuff will have to wait until Cogmind is done!).
The full REXPaint 1.02 (160502) changelog:
* NEW: Image shifting with wrapping (Ctrl-Arrow/Numpad or Ctrl-Shift-Arrow/Numpad for single layer)
* NEW: TXT file importing (conversion to .xp format) supported via command line (see manual Appendix F)
* NEW: Partial PNG image importing (conversion to .xp format) supported via command line (see manual Appendix G)
* NEW: Fill tool includes second mode for 8-directional search
* NEW: Unlimited font size regardless of resolution limits--NOT ideal usage, implemented by request (see "unlimitedFontSize" in cfg)
* FIX: One line junction glyph in the 8x8 CP437 font misaligned
Some of the new features in action:
An imported txt file.
Shifting an image, with content wrapping to the other side.
I also included this experimental tool I was playing with earlier this year, though I wonder if anyone else will actually get any use out of it...
Importing a .png screenshot from ADOM into an editable .xp format.
Another from Brogue.
The full REXPaint 1.02 (160502) changelog:
* NEW: Image shifting with wrapping (Ctrl-Arrow/Numpad or Ctrl-Shift-Arrow/Numpad for single layer)
* NEW: TXT file importing (conversion to .xp format) supported via command line (see manual Appendix F)
* NEW: Partial PNG image importing (conversion to .xp format) supported via command line (see manual Appendix G)
* NEW: Fill tool includes second mode for 8-directional search
* NEW: Unlimited font size regardless of resolution limits--NOT ideal usage, implemented by request (see "unlimitedFontSize" in cfg)
* FIX: One line junction glyph in the 8x8 CP437 font misaligned
Some of the new features in action:
An imported txt file.
Shifting an image, with content wrapping to the other side.
I also included this experimental tool I was playing with earlier this year, though I wonder if anyone else will actually get any use out of it
...Importing a .png screenshot from ADOM into an editable .xp format.
Another from Brogue.
247
General Discussion / Alpha 8 Discussions [SPOILER VERSION]
« on: April 26, 2016, 08:50:29 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 8 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 8 release notes and changelog.
248
General Discussion / Alpha 8 Discussion/Feedback (spoiler-free)
« on: April 26, 2016, 08:50:26 PM »
Here's the place for general spoiler-free feedback and discussion about the most recent releases, if you want to talk about something that you don't feel warrants a dedicated thread.
Alpha 8 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 8 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.
249
Announcements / Released: Alpha 8 - "The Plot Thickens"
« on: April 26, 2016, 08:33:47 PM »
The latest and greatest Cogmind is now @ Alpha 8
As usual, for some pretty pictures there's the sampling of preview gifs and images, but those just cover supplementary features rather than the true focus of this release.
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
Alpha 8 is the first very lore-heavy release. There's been plenty of lore available from terminals before, and a few NPC encounters that shed some light on things, but now we have a new pair of maps dedicated to learning more about what has and is happening in the world. Both of them are found in the caves, meaning all but one of the four primary cave branches are now complete (although there will be one or more even deeper caves in the future).
Unlike previous releases, this one includes fewer features or changes that apply across the entire game, instead focusing more specifically on the new maps, so to reach and experience much of the new content you'll want to explore more of the cave systems.
Among that new content is something I've been talking about for a long time: A lot of NPCs that will tell you more about the world, which includes information and tips that might not be so obvious, or that you may not have figured out on your own yet. These tips could give you an edge when tackling other challenges throughout the world.
(And to save you some time, I'll tell you now: Don't bother trying to get into the locked area at the back of Zion. That's for a later release.)
This is also the first release in which you can learn a larger number of unauthorized hacks via in-game methods. (Much of the remainder will be learnable come Alpha 9.)
Ambient Sound
We've always had some machines that produce sound, though only a limited selection for now (the full range will be added later on once most maps are complete). However, Alpha 8 comes with a new sound-related experiment: map-wide background ambiance!
This will only play in the Caves (lower/upper/proximity), and can be controlled via the "locale" volume setting in your options. If you migrate your settings from a previous version, it will still be set off, so change that if you want to hear what it sounds like. (For those who don't migrate user settings, I've now set the default to on.)
It's just a little test, something I threw in there for fun, which will definitely change at some point. We're still far from being settled on how to handle background sound, aside from my plans to eventually have all machines rumbling and beeping and whatever's appropriate.
Miscellaneous Notes
The full Alpha 8 (0.10.160427) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Zion"
* NEW: Branch map "[redacted]"
* NEW: 3 new alien artifacts
* NEW: 4 new major NPCs (unique robot classes)
* NEW: 1 more plot-related NPC encounter
* NEW: 1 unique weapon (completely different mechanics)
* NEW: 28 new items
* NEW: Several new common robot classes
* NEW: More lore to uncover in dozens of terminal records
* NEW: Hundreds of lines of minor NPC dialogue covering lore, plot, and in-theme tips
* NEW: Greater variety of cave encounters
* NEW: Experimental map-wide ambient sound in caves (on by default, deactivate via "locale" audio setting in options)
* NEW: Robot analysis benefits include a -5% hit modifier for those attackers (i.e. easier to dodge them)
* NEW: Robot analysis benefits included among full-detail calculations output
* NEW: Real-time FOV updating as obstructions are destroyed (optional)
* NEW: FOV changes revealed via fade-in (optional)
* NEW: Brighten and color known areas outside FOV by holding '`' (undocumented command)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes relative mass mode (toggle via integrity 'w' command/button)
* NEW: 6 more machine types unique to -1/Access (some of them go BOOM)
* NEW: 5 more Trojan hacks
* NEW: Capable drones share terrain scanning data with Cogmind
* NEW: Robots with unspoken dialogue requiring bump-to-talk marked by blinking '?' (or by unique background color if motion trails inactive)
* NEW: Score sheet records total number of actions taken
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 7 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 7 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: Main Access Shell behavior changed for non-combat approaches
* MOD: Decomposers no longer break down matter, work slower in general, and are confined to smaller areas
* MOD: Derelict workers and recyclers destroyed in caves no longer have self-destruct mechanism on salvageable parts
* MOD: Derelict recyclers no longer collect matter or data logs
* MOD: Fire traps cause a greater heat surge in victim
* MOD: Relative encounter/prefab weights tweaked across all maps
* MOD: -1/Access has fewer empty rooms
* MOD: Operators no longer stationed at terminals that can be hacked to open a door
* MOD: Increased effect of Spotters (e.g. in areas like Recycling)
* MOD: Fabricated robots no longer leave salvageable parts (but still drop matter salvage)
* MOD: Derelict component schematics no longer accessible at 0b10 terminals via manual hacks
* MOD: Hackable (orange) blast doors immune to critical hit instant destruction effect
* MOD: Broadcast Trojan message uses different color and formatting
* MOD: Scan window unspoken dialogue indicator uses '?' rather than '!' (further differentiated from hostile spotted indicator)
* MOD: Context help for critical strike makes explicit mention of effect against props
* MOD: Dialogue triggered by robot entering view happens immediately regardless of player speed
* MOD: Gallery collection percent is now animated
* MOD: Optimized AI initialization to avoid the short pause during first turns in large maps like Factory
* FIX: Crash on opening data for remaining piece of interactive machine after destroying its interactive piece [Enno, Happylisk]
* FIX: Crash on triggering a fire trap with no occupant at that location (e.g. dodged or remote triggered) [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: One of the Extension exits inaccessible via auto-ascend (required manual key/mouse command) [Shobalk]
* FIX: Extra '0' shown at the bottom of score sheet's turn count list [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: In rare cases the only cave exit could be rendered inaccessible by earth collapsing directly on top of it [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Experimental Hacking Suites and System Shields weren't classified as prototypes [Decker]
* FIX: Unique manual hacks used on the wrong target still counted against their usage limit [Decker]
* FIX: Recyclers weren't dropping entire inventory contents when destroyed
* FIX: Mechanic repairs to attached parts didn't update the integrity indicator in Cogmind's part list
* FIX: Fire trap heat transfer mechanic was activating for adjacent positions, but not the origin
* FIX: Derelict-installed traps in caves rigged to trigger on the wrong faction (intended to be friendly)
* FIX: Self-destruct Interrupters (new in Alpha 7) were auto-activating and running out of power (so no one's ever seen one)
* FIX: Log message output for pre-learned machine locations reversed inteactive/non-interactive designations
* FIX: Weapon info projectile count indicator added for Alpha 7 wasn't displaying
(As usual, if you haven't already, 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.)
As usual, for some pretty pictures there's the sampling of preview gifs and images, but those just cover supplementary features rather than the true focus of this release.
Scroll down for the full changelog, or read on for the release notes.
Alpha 8 is the first very lore-heavy release. There's been plenty of lore available from terminals before, and a few NPC encounters that shed some light on things, but now we have a new pair of maps dedicated to learning more about what has and is happening in the world. Both of them are found in the caves, meaning all but one of the four primary cave branches are now complete (although there will be one or more even deeper caves in the future).
Unlike previous releases, this one includes fewer features or changes that apply across the entire game, instead focusing more specifically on the new maps, so to reach and experience much of the new content you'll want to explore more of the cave systems.
Among that new content is something I've been talking about for a long time: A lot of NPCs that will tell you more about the world, which includes information and tips that might not be so obvious, or that you may not have figured out on your own yet. These tips could give you an edge when tackling other challenges throughout the world.
(And to save you some time, I'll tell you now: Don't bother trying to get into the locked area at the back of Zion. That's for a later release.)
This is also the first release in which you can learn a larger number of unauthorized hacks via in-game methods. (Much of the remainder will be learnable come Alpha 9.)
Ambient Sound
We've always had some machines that produce sound, though only a limited selection for now (the full range will be added later on once most maps are complete). However, Alpha 8 comes with a new sound-related experiment: map-wide background ambiance!
This will only play in the Caves (lower/upper/proximity), and can be controlled via the "locale" volume setting in your options. If you migrate your settings from a previous version, it will still be set off, so change that if you want to hear what it sounds like. (For those who don't migrate user settings, I've now set the default to on.)
It's just a little test, something I threw in there for fun, which will definitely change at some point. We're still far from being settled on how to handle background sound, aside from my plans to eventually have all machines rumbling and beeping and whatever's appropriate.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The FOV setting will default to real-time updating with fade-in, and you can now change that behavior in the options menu.
- Having the analysis data for a given robot is even better now, since it also helps you dodge attacks from that variant.
- For the longest time Recyclers apparently had an obscure bug in their inventory drop code that was sometimes causing them to skip dropping one or more of the items they'd collected. I always thought that was weird, but imagined I must've coded it that way as part of the salvage process, there being a chance of losing some of the inventory randomly due to collateral damage. On closer inspection for some of the more recent inventory-important encounters, I discovered it was a mistake, and I do believe you should be able to retrieve everything stolen by Recyclers, so that's now possible
- Some of you will be very happy to know that Operators can no longer screw you over at the Recycling entrance, or the Access lift terminal, etc. While I don't think it was necessarily too mean before because--I don't think anyone was aware of this, but--you could theoretically critical your way through those doors even without unlocking them. But now that that particular approach has been removed, it would be too mean. (There are still at least three different non-hacking methods of getting through such doors, though!)
The full Alpha 8 (0.10.160427) changelog:
* NEW: Branch map "Zion"
* NEW: Branch map "[redacted]"
* NEW: 3 new alien artifacts
* NEW: 4 new major NPCs (unique robot classes)
* NEW: 1 more plot-related NPC encounter
* NEW: 1 unique weapon (completely different mechanics)
* NEW: 28 new items
* NEW: Several new common robot classes
* NEW: More lore to uncover in dozens of terminal records
* NEW: Hundreds of lines of minor NPC dialogue covering lore, plot, and in-theme tips
* NEW: Greater variety of cave encounters
* NEW: Experimental map-wide ambient sound in caves (on by default, deactivate via "locale" audio setting in options)
* NEW: Robot analysis benefits include a -5% hit modifier for those attackers (i.e. easier to dodge them)
* NEW: Robot analysis benefits included among full-detail calculations output
* NEW: Real-time FOV updating as obstructions are destroyed (optional)
* NEW: FOV changes revealed via fade-in (optional)
* NEW: Brighten and color known areas outside FOV by holding '`' (undocumented command)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes relative mass mode (toggle via integrity 'w' command/button)
* NEW: 6 more machine types unique to -1/Access (some of them go BOOM)
* NEW: 5 more Trojan hacks
* NEW: Capable drones share terrain scanning data with Cogmind
* NEW: Robots with unspoken dialogue requiring bump-to-talk marked by blinking '?' (or by unique background color if motion trails inactive)
* NEW: Score sheet records total number of actions taken
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 7 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 7 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: Main Access Shell behavior changed for non-combat approaches
* MOD: Decomposers no longer break down matter, work slower in general, and are confined to smaller areas
* MOD: Derelict workers and recyclers destroyed in caves no longer have self-destruct mechanism on salvageable parts
* MOD: Derelict recyclers no longer collect matter or data logs
* MOD: Fire traps cause a greater heat surge in victim
* MOD: Relative encounter/prefab weights tweaked across all maps
* MOD: -1/Access has fewer empty rooms
* MOD: Operators no longer stationed at terminals that can be hacked to open a door
* MOD: Increased effect of Spotters (e.g. in areas like Recycling)
* MOD: Fabricated robots no longer leave salvageable parts (but still drop matter salvage)
* MOD: Derelict component schematics no longer accessible at 0b10 terminals via manual hacks
* MOD: Hackable (orange) blast doors immune to critical hit instant destruction effect
* MOD: Broadcast Trojan message uses different color and formatting
* MOD: Scan window unspoken dialogue indicator uses '?' rather than '!' (further differentiated from hostile spotted indicator)
* MOD: Context help for critical strike makes explicit mention of effect against props
* MOD: Dialogue triggered by robot entering view happens immediately regardless of player speed
* MOD: Gallery collection percent is now animated
* MOD: Optimized AI initialization to avoid the short pause during first turns in large maps like Factory
* FIX: Crash on opening data for remaining piece of interactive machine after destroying its interactive piece [Enno, Happylisk]
* FIX: Crash on triggering a fire trap with no occupant at that location (e.g. dodged or remote triggered) [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: One of the Extension exits inaccessible via auto-ascend (required manual key/mouse command) [Shobalk]
* FIX: Extra '0' shown at the bottom of score sheet's turn count list [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: In rare cases the only cave exit could be rendered inaccessible by earth collapsing directly on top of it [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Experimental Hacking Suites and System Shields weren't classified as prototypes [Decker]
* FIX: Unique manual hacks used on the wrong target still counted against their usage limit [Decker]
* FIX: Recyclers weren't dropping entire inventory contents when destroyed
* FIX: Mechanic repairs to attached parts didn't update the integrity indicator in Cogmind's part list
* FIX: Fire trap heat transfer mechanic was activating for adjacent positions, but not the origin
* FIX: Derelict-installed traps in caves rigged to trigger on the wrong faction (intended to be friendly)
* FIX: Self-destruct Interrupters (new in Alpha 7) were auto-activating and running out of power (so no one's ever seen one
)* FIX: Log message output for pre-learned machine locations reversed inteactive/non-interactive designations
* FIX: Weapon info projectile count indicator added for Alpha 7 wasn't displaying
(As usual, if you haven't already, 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.)
250
Announcements / Upcoming Features (Alpha 8)
« on: April 24, 2016, 08:26:00 PM »
The caves are about to get a lot more interesting.
But, well, I'm not showing any of that...
One of these days I need to spoil stuff, because honestly it's sometimes tough pulling together enough to advertise a new major release without spoiling anything xD
So as usual, here's a peek at what's coming in Alpha 8, which I'm planning to release soon. "Soon" as in this week soon.
Real-time FOV updating as obstructions are destroyed (optional).
FOV reveals support fade-in (also optional).
Hold the ` key to brighten and color known areas outside FOV.
Part/inventory data visualization includes a relative mass mode (for a total of six optional info modes).
-1/Access has been barren too long, so now there are more machines to entertain you.
If you can find drones equipped with terrain scanning gear, they'll share that intel with you, too.
Some NPCs require bump-to-talk, and if they have unspoken dialogue when you see them they'll be marked with a blinking '?' (in addition to the regular indicators--a '?' in the scan window, and a glowing "(transmission)" in their info window).
A couple dozen new parts, the art for which you can see a few samples of here.
Gallery item collection percent is now animated.
AI initialization is now optimized to avoid the short pause during the first turns in large maps like Factory. Here you can see the AIs gradually waking up over the first few turns on the map, beginning with those closest to your starting position.
Okay I guess there was some stuff worth showing after all
For the best you'll just have to play, although I'll give some more direction in the proper release notes, including coverage of the many non-visual features.
But, well, I'm not showing any of that...
One of these days I need to spoil stuff, because honestly it's sometimes tough pulling together enough to advertise a new major release without spoiling anything xD
So as usual, here's a peek at what's coming in Alpha 8, which I'm planning to release soon. "Soon" as in this week soon.
Real-time FOV updating as obstructions are destroyed (optional).
FOV reveals support fade-in (also optional).
Hold the ` key to brighten and color known areas outside FOV.
Part/inventory data visualization includes a relative mass mode (for a total of six optional info modes).
-1/Access has been barren too long, so now there are more machines to entertain you.
If you can find drones equipped with terrain scanning gear, they'll share that intel with you, too.
Some NPCs require bump-to-talk, and if they have unspoken dialogue when you see them they'll be marked with a blinking '?' (in addition to the regular indicators--a '?' in the scan window, and a glowing "(transmission)" in their info window).
A couple dozen new parts, the art for which you can see a few samples of here.
Gallery item collection percent is now animated.
AI initialization is now optimized to avoid the short pause during the first turns in large maps like Factory. Here you can see the AIs gradually waking up over the first few turns on the map, beginning with those closest to your starting position.
Okay I guess there was some stuff worth showing after all
For the best you'll just have to play, although I'll give some more direction in the proper release notes, including coverage of the many non-visual features.