v2.13 End of Summer!

Hello!  Summer ’11 is coming to an end.  Some progress has been made and we’d like to share the new version with anyone who wants to try it out.  Much of it is partway through development though, so expect some weirdnesses.  Here is a link to download the new version.  Here are all the changes:

Framework and Menus

•  The framework for multiple levels has been implemented, with a game’s host able to switch between maps.  The version-1 map is now called Gauntlet and Gorge is now available.  Gorge is a test map, so it’s a bit ugly and the racetrack doesn’t have a collision track.
• There’s a new, hopefully easier-to-use menu system.
• Dynamic lighting.  There are now lights that will grow or shrink depending on the score, similarly to how the hue of the world light shifts.  This is currently only in Gorge.
• The game host no longer has to start a server before other players load the game.  Having the host list automatically refresh is still being worked on, but the Refresh button will always work.
• Version numbers are now being tracked.  The version you are using will be displayed in the main menu and only games on the same version will appear in your host list.
• A framework for tutorials has been added.  The tutorials themselves aren’t up yet, so unless you really want a lesson in how to exist in a white room and then be forced to restart the game, I wouldn’t worry too much about this.

Soldier

•  The jump pads now have a particle effect showing the direction of the jump.
• Generators now have colliders, so you can’t walk or shoot through them.
• Speed boosts now stack properly.
• Damage boosts now stack properly (activating a new item extends the duration).
• Trigger platforms.  There are now platforms that when stood on will move objects in the level.  This is currently only seen in Gorge, where this is a bridge over the water and barriers on the race track that are controlled by Soldier triggers.
• You can no longer bunny-hop up steep slopes.
• There is now a Sniper Rifle.  This weapon has high-zoom, low ammo, slow rate of fire, and lots of damage.
• Zoom!  Speaking of the sniper rifle, there is now zoom functionality on all Soldier weapons except the pistol.  Right-click to turn zoom on and off.  Mouse sensitivity changes when zoomed.
• Weapons now switch when you run out of ammo, as opposed to when you try to fire an empty weapon.

Pilot

•  The Pilot driving system has been changed extensively from a car model to a hovercraft model.  The vehicle cannot tilt and never touches the groud.  What this means for the driver is that you won’t notice small variations in the ground, turns are more predictable, and you’ll never flip or get snagged on ledges.  In our opinion, this makes the Pilot experience feel much smoother.
• Speed boosts (both items and boost pads) now stack properly.
• Shield items now stack properly (activating a second shield extends the duration).
• Gates and obstacles.  On Gorge, there is a part of the racetrack that can only be accessed once a barrier is lowered, which currently must be done by a soldier standing on a nearby trigger.  Eventually, Pilots and Hackers will have ways to do this as well.

Hacker

• New Hacker Lockout system.  In version 1.0 Hackers could always log out without penalty, which created balance issues.  As games went on, Hackers would consistently have higher levels than other modes because it was so hard to strip them of levels without sneaking up with a rocket launcher.  Now, when a Hacker is attacker, the Logout Button shifts to ‘Locked’ and you can’t log out of the node, making you vulnerable to Booting.  At the same time, one piece on the board games a blinking indicator.  If you break that specific piece then you are released from the Locked state and won’t be able to be forced back into it for several seconds.