### Added - Added back some fireworks to Cody's Fireworks Store. It was taken out due to some technical challenges, which I have later solved, just forgot to put back some fireworks in the store. Be careful though, as the fireworks in there actually work!
### Changed - Updated loading background images and changed the logic of how they are shown. Should give you a bit more to look at while its loading - Updated localizations - Updated the description below the "Mods" list in the Create UI to better describe how mod works in the game - Removed the global reverb in Town, City, Flat and Ranch as it was a bit too much. However there are still reverb zones in the Church and bathrooms etc
### Fixed - Fixed bug that could make the Host crash in some odd cases where the player was in the game but not in the lobby - Fixed the issue where the lighting in a map was odd for the first few seconds - Fixed bug where all players in a game got an item unlocked if just one found it
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
### Added - Added a lot of new built-in characters/avatars to pick from, including some new Christmas themed ones ;) - Added "Clear all fireworks" button to the Host UI. This is first step for adding many more features for hosts to run better game sessions - Added button to the Player list to be able to teleport to other players. This is right now possible for all players, however, in the future this will most likely be something the host can turn on/off for players
### Changed - Changed various settings in relation to ingame voice so it now feels better in different scenarios. Like it's not easier to hear each other when fireworks goes off, but without turning down the firework sounds too much. Also the range have been decreased so you have to be a bit closer to hear each other, feels better - Changed the footstep speed a bit to better match the animation - Increased the force at which players are being pushed by explosions so you now fly a bit longer, its a bit more fun - Decreased the amount at which a player can control their airspeed, meaning you no longer can stop yourself while being thrown away by an explosion - again a bit more fun
### Fixed - Attempt to better handling of "lobbyCode cannot be null" error popup - Fixed scroll speed bug on mod details view in Workshop
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
### Changed - Updated translations from crowdin - Updated bad word filter - Made flashlight beam less visible - Increased the amount of ducking happening to the other sounds when other players talk. This means it lowers the other sounds a bit more so it's easier to hear the other player
### Fixed - Fixed (hopefully, haven't tested with 28 players yet) game freeze when players joins and leaves host - Fixed Core fountain sound in game not looping, it loops again now - Fixed issue where you could not hear others talk if too much firework sounds were playing. Player voice now have higher priority, so should audiable even with a lot of fireworks going off - Fixed issue where voice speaking indicator over player and muffling logic stopped working when a player left the host. Should work rock solid now... famous last word :P - Fixed chat scroll speed issue - Fixed text issue on long text on Game Settings checkboxes - Fixed issue where firecracker that was missing an explosion could end up in a state there they stated ingame, but invisble and no effect. Now they log an error where you can see the name of the firework and then nothing happens when you ignite them. This way its more clear what's not working so it can be reported to the creator of that mod - Fixed issue where maps from Workshop would not always load in the list of selectable maps
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
### Added - Added new temp "What's New" menu button that links to the post on Steam about the release of multiplayer
### Changed - Increased the camera clipping distance so you can see longer, which makes the bigger maps look much better. Its the plan to make this a setting in the future, but for now I have increased in general
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
### Added - Added logic to map selection so it default to preselect the map from the last game you created
### Changed - Changed the yellow highlight outline on selected map to make it even easier to see what is selected - Updated localizations
### Fixed - Fixed bug where not all host settings were synced with clients when changed in-game
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
Multiplayer has been one of the most requested features for the game since its initial launch back in 2020.
Around two years ago I started working on it in a livestream. Pretty fun to look back at. A lot have happened since, some of you have been a part of the beta and some of you are seeing this for the first time now.
This post marks the initial release of the HUGE multiplayer update for Fireworks Mania which will take place on Friday the 29th of November 2024 at 16:00 CET.
This update contains a lot more than "just" multiplayer, so lets go over some of the key changes.
Redesigned UI
The first thing you will notice is the new UI.
I needed a UI that could easier grow and adjust to the increasing need for adding new features etc.
I'm really happy with it so far and think it gives a nice fresh look for the game, without being too much in the way.
Shells and Mortars
Previously Shells and Mortars was only in the game via mods, originally created by Panini.
I have now added native support for shells and mortars in the game and in the Mod Tools.
This means the game now come with a few shells and mortars build-in, but more importantly, modders can create their own, which a few already did, like Amnestey.
The reason I have not added more native shells and mortars to the game, is because I prioritized the modders. Instead of spending the time adding 10 more shells to the game natively, its much better for all spending the same time making it possible for modders to create their own, as that means many many many more shells than I could ever make and the quality is often higher too. Amnestey already added more than 150 shells and a ton of mortars. So there is enough to try out already.
Multiplayer
This one is kind of obvious, of cause there is multiplayer, but lets look at bit more into what that actually means.
Multiplayer sessions are hosted by players using Steams Peer-to-peer Network. You can see a list of public hosts that you can join or you can create your own. A host can be either private or public, which you as a host decides. Often its a good idea to keep the host private if you only want to play with people you know.
To get your friends into the host you are currently on, you can either share the JoinCode (all hosts have a unique JoinCode) or you can invite them via Steams friend list if you have them there. Alternatively, you can invite friends directly from the "Players" tab in-game - they do not even need to have the game running before joining!
Mods
The host decides what mods should be enabled. Talking about enabling mods, the flow to do so have changed a bit. This goes for both Singleplayer and Multiplayer. The flow of what mods are enabled, both in Singleplayer and Multiplayer, have been changed a bit.
You still go into the Workshop to subscribe (which will download and install) the mods. However, you have to specifically select what mods you want in a particular game, as part of the creation of that game. It might take a little getting use to, but really, it's more intuitive to having to pick the mods as part of the creation of a game.
When you join a host, the game figures out what mods needs to be downloading/updated and enabled. No need to manually align anything with the host, just join and wait.
Characters
As part of adding multiplayer I also added characters. There are some native characters/avatars in the game, but mod creators can also add their own, meaning you find even more characters in the Workshop.
These are some of the current characters in the game - I plan to add more soon.
Proximity voice chat
To make the game more social and fun I have added proximity voice chat to the game. So hold 'C' or turn off Push-to-talk in Settings for open mic and start talk to your fellow players. Be aware, it's proximity chat, so you need to be close to hear each other. Further more, I made it so the voice gets muffled if you talk with someone behind a wall or other obstacle.
Dedicated server - in the works
A lot have asked for dedicated server support and I have been working a bit on it. However, it was more important to me to get the game working good with player hosted sessions, as that was the original idea. However, I do see the need for dedicated server, just haven't spend enough time on it yet to make it good enough for release. So it will come later.
Still Growing Workshop
The in-game Workshop is nothing new and it is still growing. It is becoming an more and more crucial part of the game. So if you have not yet checked out mods from the Workshop I highly recommend you do so - else you are missing out 🕺
So with all these new things in this update, is the game now done, is development stopped, what will happen?
Don't worry 🤓
No, the game is not done. Actually the version you are getting now is just the first version. There are so any things I still want to add and I plan to keep working on the game, exactly as I have been doing for the past 5+ years. So you will see updates already during December for sure :)
### Fixed - Fixed bug where host settings was reset at game start
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
### Added - Added first draft of an "Host" UI in the Inventory in-game. Only hosts can see this for now, but can change various host settings via the UI instead of via console. Not all are there, but I will update it overtime. So its a bit easier to manage being a host now
### Changed - Changed the map list so it now, at all times, have one map selected. It will default to the first map in the list, which is Town - Changed the look of an selected map to make it easier to see which one is selected - Adjusted the colliders of the fire escape stairs in City so you can now actually walk up and down. Also added a metal footstep sound - Changed the MainMenu background video and background image - Updated localizations from Crowdin - Turned down the volume on some footsteps, just a bit, as it felt a little to high sometimes - Changed the placement of the various buttons in the MainMenu so they are now at the top instead of the bottom. Some players had a hard time finding the buttons at the bottom, so I moved them to the top, lets see if its better
### Fixed - Fixed scroll speed bug after later Unity and Input system update. Dunno what Unity did, but the scroll speed on ScrollViews got crazy, so I adjusted some values now to it feels more normal again - Fixed bug where you could join an host with a different game version if you joined via joincode or Steam friend list. Now you cannot and will get an error popup if you try. The reason its important not to be able to do this, is that the game will not work properly is host and clients are not on the exact same version of the game - Fixed build-in StrobeRockets which have been not working properly since beginning of multiplayer - but they work now :)
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
### Changed - Upgraded to Unity 2022.3.53 - Removed the Disable/Enable all mod buttons in the Workshop as these are not really needed anymore - Changed a lot of the loading texts and notifications to be localized (if anybody translate them of cause https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania)
### Fixed - Fixed issue where in some cases the game would not download or update all mods from the host you where joining. This should now work and it is even faster, however, the downside right now is that you cannot see exactly what mod its currently working one, just that it's mass update and downloading
There are still a lot of languages that have not fully been translated, if you wanna help out you can do so here: https://crowdin.com/project/fireworks-mania
Its been another month and time for an update from the developer - aka me 🤓
Multiplayer Release Date
First things first, the big multiplayer update will be released: 29th of November 2024!
I don't know the exact time, but my guess would be around 16-17'ish CET.
On that date I will change the "default" version of the game to be the version that we currently have on the multiplayer-public beta.
Very excited to see what people think about it :)
I will do a post on the date explaining more about the changes etc.
New way to select mods
I have changed the way you decide what mods is loaded into a game. For some it might take a little to get use to, but generally I think this approach is much more intuitive to use.
The change is really simple, you no longer enable/disable mods in the Workshop, you do it as part of creating a new game.
So when you are creating a host the list of mods you are subscribed to is listed and you check of the ones you want in this game. What you select are saved when you create the game, so you don't have to pick them all again next time. I think its more intuitive as the decision about the mods is now something you decide right when you create the game.
Another benefit of doing it this way is that you no longer have to wait for the game to look for updates for all enabled mods before you can get to create a game. It now checks for updates as part of loading the game, meaning it only check for updates for the specific mods you are about to use. This goes for both when hosting and joining a game.
Please test this out and let me know if you find any bugs or issues 🤓
Bindings in settings
I have added the list of bindings to the Settings menu under Controls. They are still not rebindable, will hopefully come in the future at some point, but at least you can see what buttons do what.
Community Shout Out
The Shout Out this month goes to Keltusar and to something that is not released yet, but more a tech demo that he is playing around with.
Work in progress: Host UI
I am currently working on UI to make it easier for Hosts to change some settings via UI while in game so you do not need to use console commands. Further more I want to make some of the settings visible for clients too, so clients can see amount of fireworks they can spawn etc.
As of writing this, its currently not ready, but I hope to have some version of it ready before release.
Change log
I have pushed the following updates since last Developer News. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1079260/view/4488494366900355179 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1079260/view/4476108833152827949 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1079260/view/4480611795034178016
This is all for now - need to get back and work on the next update and prepare for release :)
