Hi everyone!

A new big update is now available!

In this update, you’ll have access to a brand new playable character: Liff, and the Gameball matches are coming back.

We took your feedbacks into account and we modified the game to be more understandable (especially for newcomers) thanks to a new controls scheme and a more intuitive interface.

In the process of making the game more understandable, we simplified the mission editor andthe multiplayer network code has been redone from scratch.

Also, each missions of the game has been revamped and new missions have been added.

The NPCs that are participating to the missions are now driven by a new AI system instead of pre-recorded path.

More details below…

Liff and Gameball Matches

Liff is the local Gameball champion, the favorite sport of Gamers, similar to our Basketball. Professional and fair-play player, but also naturally gifted thanks to his strength, he is spending all his time playing Gameball.

He sometimes tends to forget what it’s like to be a beginner, and so he might be clumsy the first times you speak with him. Before you can confront Liff, his rival Captain Krumball, will teach you how to play with a team.

Win all his missions to unlock him as a playable character!

AI

We finally had time to code an AI for Hover, and it was not simple at all considering all the movements possibilities! We were able to replace all pre-recorded NPC pathes by AI drivens characters.

We were also able to reintegrate Gameball Matches, now also playable alone. The AI will be improved during development.

Intuitive Controls and UI

Observations from playtests, and especially new players, made us understand that the game was not very intuitive in terms of controls and UI.

So we modified some things including the following items:

– Controls are now displayed on screen when an action is required (speaking to an NPC, accepting a mission, activating a switch, spraying graffiti…)

– New control scheme to charge and spray a Graffiti, more intuitive and easier to use.

– After scanning a switch or after some mission dialogs, the camera now shows the objective.

– After a successful mission, the next is now pointed out on the UI.

-Bumpers were added at the bottom of District A (on the Garbage Village Zone) to help players get back to the city in a funnier and quicker way.

– Each information frames were fixed. The color code has been made clearer with more adapted distance.

– New aim assistance when throwing a ball: a line showing the exact path of the ball is now displayed.

– Players aren’t forced to stare precisely at an item to scan it.

– Grinding was also tweaked for better comfort.

– Spydrones now have their remaining energy shown on their information frame.

– You can now charge up your energy level by repeatedly pressing the crouch key.

Netcode

The old Network Code was a big work in progress for too long with its own list of bugs to fix. We finally had time to work on this big part of the development!

Old players surely had noticed issues online because of the multiplayer network code: some things were malfunctioning or not functioning at all, like online missions with multiple players as well as players that weren’t able to see each other even if they were both connected.

This, along with some other issues, has been fixed with the NetCode rework.

The actual network multiplayer code is obviously not in its final version, it will keep being improved during the development.

Missions

Otello reappears in the city with sabotage missions: Spray graffitis on propaganda antennasto disable them.

The infiltration sequence (main mission) of the prison is now split in a series of 3 objectives(computers to find), without the need to launch a mission and being blocked by the time.

Also, other missions have been modified and created.

Other Things

Many other changes and new features are present on this update, like the addition of a new citizen: Momo, and a new car in the skies of Hover City,

The tutorial and prison areas have been optimized, new areas inside the prison have been added, as well as the background outside of the city with other ECPs and their sea of cloud.

The ability to add your own personal graffiti (not synchronized online), etc…

We hope to see you online soon!

For more precisions and the complete feature list, check the changelog:

Changelog

Coming Soon

The next update will open the access to the sewers, a new special stage in which you’ll be able to take part to Race and Gameball Tournaments and find the hidden mysterious HQ of the Gamers…