In this update we have specifically focussed on feedback we've received around finding matches as well as the desire to setup you're own private matches outside of matchmaking.
Private Matches
[List]<*>Private Matches can now be created through the Friends menu. Steam Friends of anyone in the session can join this via the Friends menu, but it will not be open to public matchmaking. Achievements and XP are not awarded in a Private Match.
<*>The 'waiting for players' state in private sessions is set to 10 minutes
<*>Indication that the player is in a Private Match is displayed on the map loading screen, and in the Pause menu.[/List]
:ChatYes:Click to view a full sized guide to creating/joining a private match.
[H1]Additional Improvements
[List]<*>Map Playlists have been updated to give more variety.
<*>The minimum number of players required to start a full session has been reduced to 2.
As always we'd love to hear your feedback on the forums!
If you've missed our previous updates, check out our Update Video to see the highlights of the content we've added in our free updates since launch:
https://youtu.be/cdt3ue2P88s
Today's update sees the addition of another two arena variants to the game as well as some general improvements to key areas of the game.
ASCENT
Introduces multiple elevated areas to the arena providing players with a variety of vantage points. Use the diverse terrain to both get the lay of the land and pick strategic targets.
‘A golden seat of power where the dominant ascend’
LIMBO
Introduces passageways that lead into a central fight pit, plunging players into intense brawling battles within this foggy high mass area.
‘A Ghostly underworld interpreting humanity’s primordial fears’
Improvements
Matchmaking improvements
Improved match selection
Prevent an issue where you might keep joining one of two matches
Additional connectivity and stability improvements
Less stuttering when leaving matches
Improved waiting for players state
When a player joins, the timer gets boasted up to 2 minutes if there’s less than 2 minutes remaining
When a player begins joining, a “new player is synchronising” message is shown in the chat feed
Improvements on the end of round scoreboard
Access the full character customisation screen from the end-of-round screen
Improved score summary
Consecutive Round Bonus – earn more XP for playing multiple rounds in a row
New Steam achievements
Improved gameplay balancing of hacks and teleport locations
New arena playlists – with the addition of 4 arena variants. One of four playlists we've created will be chosen at random.
Skippable intro cutscenes
Various bug fixes
Check out our Update Video to see the highlights of the content we've added in our free updates since launch:
https://youtu.be/cdt3ue2P88s
No better time to jump into the arena and experience the new variety this update brings to gameplay!
Since the game’s launch, we have been keeping a close eye on all your feedback and comments and our small team have been working hard to fulfil some of your requests! Therefore, the focus of this update is the addition of new content and improvements to the overall gameplay experience.
Arena Variants
Introducing two new arena variants, which aim to provide different types of gameplay focus as well as some brand new aesthetics.
TEMPLE introduces crumbling arena ruins in the sky with falling Mass and close combat on multiple levels inside the central building.
VOID introduces a big risk/reward factor with narrow pathways, light bridges and floating pillars surrounding the central Mass island.
Note: The original arena is now named NOVA
Nemesis Feature
Is that one opponent ruining your day? Dominated players can now identify their main opponent who will be flagged as their nemesis.
The on screen marker will help you identify your Nemesis at all times, so it's up to you if you chase them down and attempt to take revenge or if you decide it's best to simply avoid them.
Of course if you do manage to exact your revenge, then the marker will clear and you will be rewarded with some extra points and the satisfaction of your success being announced to all players.
Check out the Codex in game to read the full details.
Misc. Fixes & Improvements
<*>A playlist system cycling through the different arenas, loading from one arena to the next
<*>New Quick Chat lines
<*>New Steam achievements
<*>Gameplay tips added to the main menu and loading screens
<*>Small improvements on the in-game scoreboard, such as showing which player Overcharged.
<*>Small improvements on the end of round scoreboard, such as explaining the Descriptor titles.
<*>Support for Steam’s “recently played with” feature, the recent players will be accessible via the Steam overlay
<*>Various bug fixes
Keep up the feedback on the forums and follow us on our social pages for further updates!
In this developer spotlight, our level designer, Justin Lim walks you through the unique challenges of creating a play-space for drastically varied sizes in ATOMEGA:
Back in 2016, I was prototyping some gameplay ideas, and the concept of having scalable characters seemed intriguing; whilst it might not be the most innovative idea, it was something I hadn't seen done at such a granular level in an FPS game before. The mechanics were pretty basic, but after our first split screen playtest of collecting boxes and having a lot of fun growing and towering over one another, we knew we were onto something special.
However, the level we played in was just a flat ground plane, so I quickly knocked up a whitebox-esque environment that ended up feeling a bit like a maze. It wasn’t the best, but it immediately pointed out issues, like getting stuck whilst growing, not having the right size of cover and outgrowing the environment completely. Nevertheless, these seemed like interesting level design problems to have.
It became clear that we had to design the mechanics of growing alongside setting the rules for the level design. It was cool to see how features within the level would impact gameplay in a way that related to scale, for example, when being chased, a tiny character could dive through a small crack in a wall, whilst bigger characters would have to go around or over the top.
Once we had defined the different sizes of the characters, we created a set of metrics to space out the level, and created a set of modular tile pieces for which the whole arena would be built with.
With these pieces, I began building a level. I started with the Superior sized character, constructing buildings for that size to go in the corners of the arena. Then smaller, Prime-sized buildings were added to the in between spaces, and trenches connecting different areas of the arena to provide some protection for the smallest characters as they travel around.
With each iteration of the arena we were learning what worked well, in addition to testing the gameplay mechanics. The symbiotic relationship between gameplay and level design continued throughout production. Sometimes we devised new gameplay features, such as launch pads and fast tracks, to improve the navigation and flow of the level. And whenever a gameplay mechanic was introduced or changed we had to ensure the level design could accommodate it, which often required layout tweaks.
When considering the possibility of creating additional content, we decided to try manipulating the layout of the existing NOVA arena to quickly produce a wide variety of concepts. This allowed us to really explore the potential for creating different types of gameplay and player experiences in a way that still retained the core style and complexity of the original. We then pared down our concepts to focus on those that we felt had the most potential to create memorable moments through emergent gameplay, such as using the Impact Hack to push an opponent off the tiny floating platform in the centre of the VOID arena, or shooting out the bridges to block their escape.
While we wanted to make sure that each arena variant had a distinctive look and feel of its own, we also wanted to maintain a visual connection to the original via the presence of recognisable shapes and details. Of course, the centrepiece of the original NOVA arena is its huge tower – the first thing players see when they emerge from the tunnel at the start of a Timephase – so we made our most significant changes to this central area for each variant to provide them with a unique silhouette and gameplay focus, while allowing the outer areas of the arenas remain more familiar.
Because the Syntellects base their Exoforms on what they perceive to be important stages in Earth’s evolutionary history, we thought they would probably take the same approach to the design of their arenas. We therefore took inspiration from distinctive historical architecture, such as Mayan pyramids, along with influences from the natural world and from modern visions of the future.
Look out for our new arena variants dropping next week!
Patch Notes/Dev Update
Version: 49346
This week has been about listening to that all important community feedback! We are aware that most of you would like to see more content added to the game and I am happy to say that we've started to work on this. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for updates here & on Twitter.
We thought it would be nice to take the opportunity to introduce you to the dev team, considering you see them posting on the forums + it's always nice to add faces to names. So here they are doing an impression of their favourite EXOFORM, the dino-tastic SAUR!
Today's patch however, focuses on fixes that aim to improve your match finding experience and fixes based on the reports we've received.
Matchmaking flow improvements to help players find matches more easily, reducing the creation of new matches.
Added ability to retry ‘find match’ at the end of Waiting for Players. Other matches may have had slots become available during this time, this will make it easier to potentially join those.
Added new messaging to highlight when a strict NAT is in use. A router with a strict NAT prevents some players from playing together, so giving more visibility to this issue to help players troubleshoot.
Improvements and fixes to text in all languages.
Possible fix for issue players spotted with Omega beam occasionally not collecting mass properly.
Various other bug fixes
Note:
If you see error 4080 when joining a friend, this is a version mismatch and either you or your friend haven't yet updated to the latest patched version of the game. You should both check your version number (should be 49346) in the Play menu or in Settings, and if it isn't correct, just update the game in Steam.
As always, we'd love to hear from you on the forums. Impressions of your favourite EXOFORMs are encouraged, but not compulsory! ;-)
:ExoformAtom:...ATOMEGA Dev Team ...:ExoformCel:
Devs Play - Livestream
Many battles have been fought so far and only the best have risen to become OMEGA. Now it's time for the Dev Team to step into the arena and take on the world (and each other)!
