[p][/p][p][/p][p]Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.52 is now available! This update adds a few extra bells and whistles to help polish up the game for the upcoming 1.0 release.[/p][p]Firstly, I have made another pass at the game's mappings for controllers. Most notably, the Left Trigger is now the crouch button, taking the place of sprinting which is now set to tap mode by default. For more information, check the in-game options menu. There are three different alternate control schemes you can choose from. I've also taken the opportunity to improve the player's physics all around.[/p][p]Additionally, I've added several new options to the extras menu. Among them include the following: A filter that can emulate the look of a CRT television; several new skins that Droplet and Molly-QL can change into; and an option to enable infinite lives which serves to alleviate the difficulty if you find the game too challenging. There's plenty more extras and other bonuses you can unlock if you manage to complete the hard versions of the time trials.[/p][p]Alongside these changes, I've added a number of quality of life features and bug fixes. One that particularly stands out is an update to the pink crystal challenges in Xenon Lagoon and Krypton Estate. The state of the levers is now preserved, even if you exit the level or quit the game. Now, there is far less pressure to solve what may be a complicated puzzle in one go. Of course, this only applies to these two areas because they are hub worlds. In main levels, buttons and levers will still reset when you leave the area.[/p][p]In other news, I've added some friendly NPC's to the Galactic Science Festival. I thought it would be important narratively to depict the very people that you are trying to save from the forces of Lord Krypton. Not to mention, it would be only right if there was an audience for the professor to give his presentation to. You will also see them during the game's title sequence, watching Droplet and Molly-QL perform.[/p][p]That's all for now, and with that, thank for you following the development of Droplet: States of Matter.[/p][p][/p]
Patch Notes
Gameplay
[p]General improvements to player physics and collision, particularly with swimming.[/p]
[p]Holding crouch while in midair and then landing on the ground will now automatically make you crouch.[/p]
[p]Remapped controller controls so that sprint and crouch are swapped.[/p]
[p]Changed some of the mappings of the Type A control scheme for controllers. [/p]
[p]The switches you activate in hub worlds are now saved, even if you leave the area. This should make solving the puzzles in Xenon Lagoon and Krypton Estate more fair.[/p]
[p]Updated camera collision for a few objects.[/p]
[p]Enemies will no longer chase you during cutscenes.[/p]
[p]Fixed edge case of the wrong animation playing under certain circumstances after being hit with an explosion.[/p]
[p]Fixed an edge case where the green crystal obtained from defeating a boss would not spawn correctly.[/p]
[p]Enemy collision now gets turned off when you defeat one.[/p]
[p]Added Cumulus next to every superluminal scanner.[/p]
[p]Hardlight switches now slowly blink when they are idle.[/p]
[p]Minor changes to Galactic Science Festival to help players if they get lost.[/p]
[p]Autosave now triggers when changing levels, not just when exiting to the hub world.[/p]
Graphics
[p]Droplet and Molly-QL show their custom skins throughout the game, including on checkpoints and in cutscenes. (Does not apply to Reshape Mode.)[/p]
[p]Splash effect added when making contact with water.[/p]
[p]New eye textures for Droplet and Molly-QL.[/p]
[p]Subtle changes to Droplet’s face.[/p]
[p]Various tweaks to player animation logic.[/p]
[p]Backend changes to player character material slots.[/p]
[p]Minor visual bugs fixed with Lord Krypton’s boss fight intro cutscene.[/p]
[p]Textures added to napkins in Macro Kitchen.[/p]
[p]Fixed a few bugs with cutscene logic.[/p]
Audio
[p]Sound added for attempting to do an invalid action (i.e. selecting an unavailable option or pressing the state cancel button when there’s no state to change to.)[/p]
[p]New sound for beating a record in a time trial.[/p]
[p]Sound added for hitting your head on a ceiling.[/p]
[p]New sound for bombs thrown by pirates.[/p]
[p]New sound for activating a battery.[/p]
[p]The reset camera sound now only plays if the camera is sufficiently far away from its reset rotation.[/p]
[p]Fixed a bug where the music in the Galactic Science Festival may stop playing if skipping a cutscene.[/p]
Menus
[p]Added more skins to the Extras menu. Some of these skins are now available at the start of the game.[/p]
[p]Added an optional CRT filter.[/p]
[p]Added option to enable infinite lives. This is intended to more or less be a beginner mode should a less experienced player find the lives system frustrating.[/p]
[p]Added options to enable infinite health and ammo. This requires completing all Kray Times. (Dev note: They will not be available during time trials.)[/p]
[p]Fixed a bug where the Extras menu was not saving correctly.[/p]
[p]Unpausing then pausing will now take you back to the menu you were just at.[/p]
[p]A message now appears for when you discover secret levels.[/p]
[p]Pause Menu now slowly flashes red while hardcore mode is active.[/p]
[p]Tap to sprint is now the default.[/p]
Steam Deck Compatibility Details
[p]Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here. This post will detail what sort of experience to expect from playing Droplet: States of Matter on Steam Deck.[/p][p]One of the primary features is cloud saving. Provided you have the feature enabled in your Steam profile, you will now be able to seamlessly transfer your save files between Steam Deck and PC. Whatever you have configured in the options menu, however, will remain local to your machine.[/p][p]For a more tailored, optimized experience, some menu options have been made exclusive to the PC version. Therefore, while on Steam Deck, the game will be locked to the following settings:[/p]
[p]Resolution to 1280 x 800.[/p]
[p]Button display to show Steam controller buttons.[/p]
[p]Graphics quality to Medium.[/p]
[p]Hope you enjoy playing Droplet: States of Matter on the go![/p]
Achievements, Cloud Saving + Steam Deck Support
[p][/p][p]Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.51 is now available! This update adds support for Steam achievements and Steam Deck playability.[/p][p]As you play through the main game, you will start obtaining achievements depending on certain milestones. This could be anything from visiting new areas for the first time to completing specific challenges. Some of them are hidden, since I intend for them to be discovered accidentally as you play the game. While you'll be able to earn achievements on an existing save file prior to this update, it is still recommended to start from the beginning for the best experience.[/p][p]Additionally, cloud saving is now available. Your progress will transfer between devices if you have the setting enabled in your Steam profile. Whatever you have configured in the options menu, however, will remain local to your machine. This way, you can change your settings as needed should your devices differ in graphical capability.[/p][p]I have also made some backend changes to better support playing on the Steam Deck. Not only have there been UI and resolution changes, but tailored button prompts should now automatically display upon starting the game on a Steam Deck. I've also overhauled the game's default settings and controller bindings, so I would take another look at the options menu for the newly available control schemes. You can expect a separate announcement when the game has been officially verified as Steam Deck compatible.[/p][p]In other news, I've added several small touchups to character interactions. NPC's and other creatures now have the ability to blink, and some will turn to look at you as you pass by them. This is to help make the game feel a bit more alive and expressive.[/p][p]Now that all planned major features are implemented, I am expecting for the game's 1.0 release to come out within the next few months. Keep a look out for an official release date announcement and a new trailer. In the meantime, while I continue adding further refinements and polish, you can wishlist the game on its store page. Or, if you have already played it, consider leaving a review of your experience. Either one of these actions will be greatly appreciated.[/p][p]That's all for now, and with that, thank for you following the development of Droplet: States of Matter.[/p][p][/p]
Patch Notes
Gameplay
[p]Steam achievements added. You can obtain them on existing save files prior to this update, but it is recommended to start a new game for the best experience.[/p]
[p]Support for cloud saving added. Your save files will now transfer between devices but your configuration settings will remain local.[/p]
[p]Remapped the controls for game controllers and Steam Deck. (Dev note: Due to a large number of backend changes, it is highly recommended to reset your options to their defaults on any device you previously launched the game on.)[/p]
Graphics
[p]Various characters and creatures now blink their eyes.[/p]
[p]Added some subtle eye movements during cutscenes.[/p]
[p]Updated model for Krayfishkarl.[/p]
[p]Updated model for Kasa-obake.[/p]
[p]Subtle changes to a few other character models.[/p]
[p]Adjustments to a few player animations.[/p]
[p]Adjusted the animation frame in which the cutscene skip event is called.[/p]
[p]Removed a few background objects in the title screen to improve performance.[/p]
[p]Fixed various minor graphical issues.[/p]
Audio
[p]Sound effect added for resetting the camera.[/p]
[p]Fixes bug where the momentum break sound was playing on the title screen.[/p]
[p]Fixed some audio bugs in a few cutscenes.[/p]
[p]Fixed a few issues with the wrong sounds playing in menus.[/p]
Text
[p]Reworded the help menu text describing the game’s control scheme to be more platform neutral. Rerecorded the accompanying voiceover.[/p]
[p]Added a few more descriptions for various menu options.[/p]
[p]Fixed some missing dialogue in the final boss.[/p]
Menus
[p]Optimizations made for play on Steam Deck. HUD has been realigned and the UI now displays buttons for Steam Deck controls.[/p]
[p]Certain settings in the options menu are now exclusive to PC and will no longer appear on Steam Deck.[/p]
[p]PC Version: Added support for windowed and windowed fullscreen modes[/p]
[p]PC Version: Added support to change the game’s resolution.[/p]
[p]Toned down motion blur.[/p]
[p]Mapping Configuration option now supports different controller bindings.[/p]
[p]Changed several default options menu settings.[/p]
Player Animation Refreshes
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.50 is now available! This update refreshes all the animations for Droplet and Molly-QL.
You may have already noticed that Droplet looks very different. I updated his proportions to make his appearance more consistent with all the other characters in the game. And of course, based on some user feedback I couldn't possibly ignore, I made him more handsome. For those of you who are fans of Molly-QL, don't worry. I updated her model too with very subtle changes. The most outwardly visible of which are her repositioned eyebrows and the updated rigging of her skirt.
Naturally, with all these model updates, I went ahead and lip synced all of their dialogue, reorienting the cutscene camera angles along the way. Combined with updating every single movement animation to fit their new models, this was no easy task. Between the two of them were well over two hundred different animations to go through. Thankfully, the results paid off and are fully representative of my vision for the game. Both Droplet and Molly-QL are now more expressive than ever.
I've also added a short animation for collecting a star chart. I want to make sure the player knows the importance of these items for progression. Now, during the ending cutscenes of boss fights, you will see your character physically receiving the star chart with an accompanying celebratory jingle.
Now that all the cinematic updates are completed, you might be wondering what is left to do before the release of the game. Well, barring any last minute bug fixes and minor polish, the final major update before the game's departure from early access will be the addition of Steam achievements and cloud saving. I also intend to have the game run on Steam Deck so I will be working on getting its compatibility verified. After that, the game will officially enter the release candidate phase.
That's all for now, and with that, thank for you following the development of Droplet: States of Matter.
Patch Notes
Gameplay
The player now always returns to the same location upon defeating a boss.
Slightly moved some checkpoints in boss areas.
Option to change sprint controls now appears in the start-up menu.
Graphics
New model and animations for Droplet.
Tweaked Molly-QL’s model and animations.
Droplet’s and Molly-QL’s dialogue lip synced across the entire game.
Tweaked a few existing dialogue lip sync animations.
New cinematic for obtaining a star chart.
Updated camera angles for cutscenes throughout the game.
Updated animations for the opening credits sequence.
Updated some logic for returning the camera to the player after a cutscene has ended.
Fixed some issues where the player’s body might stretch when shooting projectiles.
Repositioned notification prompt for collecting items.
New splash screen for starting a new game.
Audio
New sound effect for momentum breaking.
Fixed a couple audio issues when skipping cutscenes.
Cutscene Updates Part 2
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.49 is now available! This update adds lip syncing to the professor.
Next to Droplet and Molly-QL, the professor is a character that has some of the greatest number of lines in the game. While this was certainly a daunting task, I was able to narrow down the number of lip synced animations I needed to do as the camera was not always focused on the professor while he was speaking. But nonetheless, he is fully animated in locations where he is fully visible to the player.
Additionally, I thought it would be necessary to give him a graphical update just like I did with Dr. Ruby Dium. Mainly, I updated his face to have a warmer, friendlier look to it. I repositioned the eyes and improved the rigging to make him much more expressive than before. I am intending to give Droplet and Molly-QL a similar sort of treatment, especially Droplet. By saving the main characters for last, I am able to use all of my accumulated experience in 3D modeling to make them look the best they can.
In other news, I've continued to add various quality of life updates. One that is particularly noteworthy is the addition of a Type C Mapping Configuration. With this option, you can bind sprinting to Left Shift or Enter, pausing to Escape or Tab and crouching to Left Control or C.
And lastly, I have added an inventory screen so that you can visually keep track of the star charts and artifacts you have collected. Previously, there were only text pop-ups indicating you obtained a star chart, but having something more concrete should help establish the importance of these objects for progression.
That's all for now, and with that, thank for you following the development of Droplet: States of Matter.
Patch Notes
Gameplay
Added a Type C configuration that sets the Sprint button to Left Shift and Crouch to Left Ctrl.
You can now press C to crouch.
Added an inventory menu where you can easily view what star charts and artifacts you have collected.
Fixed a bug where the Polarize ability could be activated in situations where it was not meant to.
Slightly moved the levers in the Galactic Science Festival.
Idle animation timers now clear properly under a few conditions.
One of the large Kakamoras in Tiki Tectonics will no longer accidentally kill itself by clipping its axe through lava.
In preparation for transitioning the game into its finalized state, debug commands have been disabled. (Dev note: It is recommended that you start a new game if you have a save file that you have used debug commands on.)
Graphics
New model for the professor.
Lip synced the professor.
Updated graphics for the backstage area.
Game Over screen now has a chance of featuring Lord Krypton under certain conditions.
Graphically updated weapons used by the Waterworks moles and the Avogadro gang.
Adjusted cutscene camera angles throughout the game.
Some absolutely essential features added to the Radon Industries bathrooms.
Fixed a bug where crystal pop-ups were overlapping the pause menu.
Audio
Rerecorded one of the Argon Town Guard’s lines to match some lore changes about Duchess Cara Bonnie.
New sounds for picking up lives and artifacts.
Adjusted some audio mixing throughout the game.
Made waterfall sounds louder.
Text
Clarified some text in the tutorial.
Controls are now highlighted within tutorial pop-ups.
Hardcore Mode now makes the life counter more distinct in case you forget you turned it on from a previous play session.
Minor lore changes regarding Duchess Cara Bonnie. She now hails from the Tetrel Kingdom.
Corrected a typo in Lord Krypton’s dialogue in the intro cutscene.
Fixed some help menu options that weren’t appearing in the demo version.
Bug fix where notification for collecting all atoms wasn’t always coming up.
Fixed some bugs where pop-up text animations were disappearing prematurely.
Cutscene Updates Part 1
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.48 is now available! This update includes the first set of changes to the game's cinematics.
The camera movements are now much smoother than they were previously. I upgraded it from an older system that was tied to the game's framerate. You should immediately notice it has a less choppy appearance, especially if the game is running higher than 60 frames per second. As part of my efforts to add lip syncing to all cutscenes, I have graphically updated Dr. Ruby Dium. Just as I did with Lord Krypton, I cleaned up her proportions so that the tinier details can convey her personality better.
In other news, I did a 100% playthrough of the game without the use of debug commands. I am pretty happy overall with the game's balance and difficulty where it stands now. I also took the opportunity to make various quality of life changes throughout the game along with many bug fixes. See the patch notes for details.
That's all for now, and with that, thank for you following the development of Droplet: States of Matter.
Patch Notes
Gameplay
Sprinting status is no longer reset after falling into a hazard. This should make for smoother controls during speedruns.
Added another weather drone to Waterworks to allow backtracking.
Updated logic for superluminal scanner hints.
Fixed a bug where the camera could get disconnected from your spaceship under a very specific circumstance.
Fixed a bug where Polarize pulse was incorrectly activating on boxes that contained pizza.
Fixed a bug where Salty Peter was still firing cannons after being defeated.
Increased awareness radius for cheese slugs.
Damage radius adjusted on Goats and Triceratops.
Enemies will now properly try to attack you if you are inside an underwater bubble.
Slightly moved some terrain in Macro Kitchen.
Graphics
Reworked the way cutscene cameras worked to make them move more smoothly.
Various adjustments to cinematics to Galactic Science Festival.
Graphical update for Dr. Ruby Dium’s model.
Lip synced Dr. Ruby Dium and Krayfishkarl.
Droplet, Molly-QL and the Professor are now the correct states of matter colors during cutscenes.
Fixed issue with Lord Krypton boss arena TV monitor not showing the correct state of matter at the end of the battle.
Fixed some missing geometry in the final boss sequence.
Smoother transition added between normal play and the Game Over Screen.
Smoother transition added to the credits sequence.
Updated graphics for options menu slider.
Fixed a bug where Molly-QL could clone herself in Oganesson Labs.
Fixed some cutscene bugs in the final boss fight.
Various performance improvements throughout the game.
Audio
New music for some cinematics in Oganesson Labs.
Fixed some audio issues with the Lava Monster boss.
Sound effects added to electric eel death animation.
New sounds for slimes, mines and robots exploding.
Fixed various sound effects that were not playing from the correct channel.
Text
Adjusted the credits sequence to be timed with the music better.
Slightly tweaked some of Ruby’s dialogue.
Lord Krypton boss rework
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.47 is now available! This update reworks the Lord Krypton boss fight.
The last few updates have been mostly kept under the radar due to their spoiler content, but I feel I can show footage for this one in particular. The arena for the Lord Krypton boss fight has been graphically reworked. I wanted to make it feel like a circus performance with all sorts of chaos going on. As scheming and calculated as Lord Krypton is, he likes to put on a good show. Naturally, you won't be the only performer in the arena. You'll have to contend with chattering teeth, dancing fuchsia plants and killer jack-in-the-boxes all while a very judgmental audience watches from afar. While there's a lot going on with this fight, as long as you stay focused, you should be able to make it through. Of course, I would first make sure that you are adequately stocked up on lives as this will be an especially challenging fight.
With the release of this update, I have now completed all planned gameplay and level layout revisions. All BSP brushes have been converted into static meshes. While Droplet: States of Matter can now be considered feature complete, there is still one last major content update planned before the final release. It may be ambitious, but I want to add lip syncing to all the cutscenes. I have already done so with Lord Krypton and the majority of the other bosses, so making everything visually consistent will be the last bit of polish that is needed for the game to truly feel like a finished product.
That's all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Patch Notes
Gameplay
Refreshed the Lord Krypton boss fight with new gameplay. Lord Krypton now has multiple new attacks as well as new enemies that fight alongside him.
Pink crystal in Lord Krypton boss fight has been relocated. The method in which to find it has also been changed.
Extra checks added to ensure NPC’s on top of Oganesson Tower are properly set to visible.
Changed some of the broken arches in Brimstone Temple.
Changed the orientation in which the player faces when respawning at a checkpoint.
Graphics
Graphically updated the Lord Krypton boss arena.
New model for Lord Krypton.
All of Lord Krypton’s dialogue are now lip synced.
Taunt animation length adjusted for genies.
Mosquitoes and other flying enemies now face the direction they are going.
Updated background graphics for the Game Over screen.
Updated the way damage flash effects on enemies work.
Updated the scaling effect on exploding slimes and robots.
Updated slime monster animations.
Updated graphics for steam vent clouds.
Audio
New sounds for Lord Krypton boss battle.
New music for Lord Krypton boss cinematics.
Updated thump sound when enemies fall over.
Updated one of the idle animation sounds with Droplet and Molly-QL.
Fixed some audio mixing issues that may occur during cutscenes.
Gizmo Shop and 100% Bonus Level
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.46 is now available! This update contains several graphical reworks and other features that were in the backlog.
First up, I've graphically updated the Gizmo Shop. As one of the earliest locations in the game, the Gizmo Shop was deserving of a fresh coat of paint in order to make it more closely resemble a spaceship hangar. I've added new textures and props to give it a much more industrial look to it.
Next, I've graphically updated the final bonus area, converting it from BSP brushes into static meshes. I won't be showing it off here as I want to keep it a surprise, given that it's the level you unlock when you complete the game to 100%. If you're up for the challenge, I encourage you to seek it out!
And lastly, I updated the atom placements of Sandswept City, slightly changing some of the locations of the enemies and collectibles. With that task complete, all atoms are now in their expected locations for the game's final release. I only anticipate further atom reshufflings in direct response to player feedback.
Outside of additional polish to the cutscenes, only one more major content update remains: the Lord Krypton boss fight rework. Stay tuned just a little while longer. This seven year journey is slowly winding down to its end.
That's all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Gameplay
Rearranged some of the atoms in Sandswept City. Adjusted time trial.
Fixed a bug where the Lava Monster boss wasn’t rising out of the lava correctly.
Goats will now stop when they hit you.
Scorpions now look directly at the player when they spot you.
Enemy thrown weapons move slightly faster.
Refactored the way whirlwinds move to improve performance.
Moved one of the platforms in Arctic Rig.
Catfish will now only chase the player if they’re within a line of sight.
Graphics
Graphically updated the Gizmo Shop.
Graphically updated the 100% completion bonus level.
Graphically updated the sun launchers.
Graphically updated hardlight switches.
Graphically updated Superluminal Scanner.
Text
Adjusted some of the Superluminal Scanner hints.
Updated some incorrect/outdated text on the Help Menu. New voice takes for all help menu audio.
Final Boss Rework
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.45 is now available! This update reworks the final boss encounter against Dr. Ruby Dium so that the visuals and gameplay better match the narrative rework from 2023.
While I'd love to give a thorough breakdown of all the changes included in this update, this time around, I want to keep it a surprise. I want to give you guys the chance to experience the encounter firsthand as it covers what I consider to be story spoilers for the end of the game. What I can say about it is that it is by far one of the most ambitious gameplay sequences I have ever put together. The encounter is split into three phases with real-time cutscenes separating them. Unless you are already intimiately familiar with the game's mechanics, this fight will more than likely burn through your stockpile of lives so make sure you are prepared! Unlocking upgrades from the Gizmo Shop will ease the difficulty, but it's entirely up to you. The fight is perfectly doable without the upgrades though it will certainly be a lot harder.
You will find the portal entrance to the final boss fight in Oganesson Labs. To be able to face Dr. Ruby Dium, you need at least 70 total crystals, and you will need to have obtained the green crystals from Radiant Reactor, Particle Accelerator and the Weather Machine Test Site. I don't want to give away too much more, so the only thing I have left to say is: good luck!
That's all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Patch Notes
Gameplay
Reworked the final boss fight with new mechanics. The visuals and gameplay now match what is meant to be going in the narrative updates from 2023.
Fixed collision issue with cement pit in Galactic Science Festival.
Graphics
Final boss arena graphically updated.
Fixed some misplaced faces on the Yuki-onna model.
Weather Machine Tower interior graphics updated.
Audio
Adjusted audio balancing in Kalofrioh boss fight.
Oganesson Labs, Hardcore Mode and More!
Hey guys! Krayfishkarl here and welcome to another Droplet: States of Matter update! Early Access 1.44 is now available! This update reworks the layout of Oganesson Labs among other things.
Oganesson Labs has been redesigned from the ground up to better hone in the "finale" feel to it. The backstory of this area was that one hundred years ago, a secret research facility on dark matter was abandoned due to a solar flare. All these years later, Dr. Ruby Dium rediscovered the facility to make it her new base of operations. As such, I aimed to make the area feel very ominous, as if some forbidden technology once laid to rest had been reawkened due to a disturbance. Additionally, partway through the level is a holographic bridge that requires you to collect all the green crystals in the area to unlock.
I decided to add these new requirements as I felt that without them, the player could reach the end of the game without having experienced most of the levels. So now, in all the other hub worlds, in order to face the boss, you must have at least two green crystals from that hub world. This is to make sure that the player is adequately taught all the necessary mechanics to be able to not only defeat the boss but to properly get an idea of the key features the game has to offer.
In other news, I've gone through the entire game and graphically updated a lot of old models. You'll find plenty of enemies sporting a new look with some even having new behaviors. There are far too many to list, but one of the new enemies of note can be found in Misty Canopies. It is a Toadstool that releases a cloud of spores that will temporarily reverse the controls. This effect only lasts a few seconds, but can make or break a time trial if you're not careful.
Additionally, you'll now find the title screen has new music. While it still has the same lyrics and melody, it features completely new instrumentation. This is in preparation for a planned update to the title screen animations. One of these newer animations is already in the game, so you might notice something a little different partway through the sequence.
And lastly, the new reward for completing all the Kray Times - the hard versions of the time trials - is access to an Extras Menu. Among various cosmetics like big head mode, there's also a hardcore mode that wipes your save file if you lose a life. I'll more than likely add a few more of these bonuses in future updates, so I'll keep the details a surprise for the time being!
That's all for now! And with that, thank you for following the development of Droplet: States of Matter!
Patch Notes
Gameplay
New criteria for proceeding to the next Noble Gas province added. You must have at least two green crystals in a star system before you can face the boss of the area. The only exception is Oganesson Labs in which you need three green crystals.
Reshuffled some atoms in Misty Canopies.
New enemy in Misty Canopies - Toadstools which can release spores. If you get caught in them, the controls become temporarily reversed. They replace the previous hopping mushroom enemies.
Reduced damage radius of zombie ants.
Misty Canopies Ents attack slightly faster.
Time trial adjustments for Misty Canopies.
Number of atoms needed before obtaining an extra life increased from 250 to 1000.
Clams are now more aggressive.
Enemies have a slightly wider line of sight.
Fixed a bug with incorrect animations during the Sobek fight.
Updated some mechanics of the second phase of the final boss fight.
Added superluminal scanner to Argon Town.
New button to center camera behind you. Press LB on Xbox controller or F on keyboard.
Updated physics for icicles.
Removed Argon Town and the Science Museum from the demo version. This is to streamline the demo experience a bit more.
Graphics
Title sequence has received some updates.
Graphical updates to various enemies throughout the game.
Volcano eruption effect updated.
Shrunk the size of a few campfires.
Graphical update to a mysterious benefactor.
Fixes some missing faces on Sill E. Con’s model.
Audio
New title screen music.
New music for the endgame bonus area.
New music for second phase of final boss fight.
New music for Sandswept City.
Added a few new menu SFX.
New sounds for various enemies throughout the game.
New music for the appearance of a mysterious benefactor.
Improved audio mixing in the credits theme.
Text
Adjusted some of the professor’s voice lines and dialogue.
Hints about museum artifacts now show up much further into the game to give more time for you to figure them out on your own.
There is now a message about controlling your spaceship on the map screen when you enter it for the first time.
