Flashing Lights: Police Fire EMS
We Need Your Support! Nominate Flashing Lights for the Labor of Love Award
As you may know, the yearly Steam Awards are now on, and it’s your chance to nominate your favourite games!
It would mean a lot to us if you could vote for Flashing Lights in the Labor of Love category above!
Since the game’s Early Access launch almost a year and a half ago, I have been constantly updating the game with new content, bug fixes and more. Flashing Lights is a real passion project, and I adore speaking with all of you on Steam and Discord etc.
I can't wait to keep working on Flashing Lights throughout 2020, and being nominated for the Labor of Love award would be the perfect way to end 2019!
Thank you,
Nils Jakrins (600)
Flashing Lights Developer
UPDATE NOW LIVE | Fuel System, SCBA
Hello all,
Flashing Lights' November update is now live! Read on for details.
Flashing Lights is now available at 25% off in the Steam Autumn Sale!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/605740/Flashing_Lights__Police_Firefighting_Emergency_Services_Simulator/
For anyone still waiting to jump in and play Flashing Lights, now is a great time to do so, with brand new content just launched and a 25% discount live now!
Flashing Lights November Update Now Live!
This month's update adds a fuel system for all player vehicles, where you'll have to refuel at gas stations, as well as SCBA equipment for the fire department, allowing you to tackle smoke zones, interior fires. These were both heavily voted for features in the community roadmap poll and we are excited to hear your thoughts!
Please note that if you wish to play without the new fuel system, you can turn it off in the menu.
Watch out for the December update, which will add a player police van, prisoner transport missions and the ability to tackle suspects!
Full Patch Notes
New
- Fuel system added for player vehicles, refill available at any gas station
- You can now set fuel consumption before game session
- The fuel system can be turned off in the settings if you wish to play without the new fuel system
- Option to call NPC tow truck to replenish small amount of fuel in case of depletion (click on your gas tank icon to find this option when outside the vehicle)
- Refill progress now displayed at gas station on the screen and on the vehicle dashboard
- SCBA introduced for firefighters, giving them the ability to walk in smoke zones
- Player characters walking in fire will start to burn and lose health
- Air level now displays next to health bar when using SCBA equipment
- Firefighters can now pick up and carry NPC victims
- Smoke zones and NPC victims added to existing missions (IDs 2; 2003; 2006)
- Hose and extinguisher can now take out multiple fires at the same time
- Rotoray light for ladder truck added
Fixes
- Possible fix for multiplayer door tag bug, where players couldn't open doors
- Minor light illumination setting changes
- You can now continue to steer and use brakes when engine is switched off
- When player is down, they can no longer interact with anything
- Free fly camera does not show interaction tags anymore
- Patient delivery now registers when patient makes contact with the tag, even if the player is not holding the stretcher
- "Register" text changed to "Register Suspect" for police
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team
SCBA Teaser + Small Mac Update Now Live
Hey all,
We've just made live a small Flashing Lights update which fixes a few issues with the Mac version.
- Mac OS Catalina compatibility introduced
- Fix for players teleporting under the map when using the outriggers menu in the Mac version
SCBA Teaser
Later this month, with the November update, we're introducing a fuel system for all departments as well as SCBA equipment for firefighters.
Take a look at the image below for a sneak peak of what's to come!
FLASHING LIGHTS UPDATE NOW LIVE | Night Time Mode - Halloween 2019 Update
Hello all,
Flashing Lights' October 2019 update is here, and it's a spooky one!
A night time mode has now been introduced, accessible via the in-game settings when setting up a game! Additionally, some spooky surprises have been added to celebrate Halloween - try running with a patient on a stretcher and letting go... or perhaps try approaching an NPC with a chainsaw and see what happens...
All new features in this update are here to stay for good, so there's no need to worry about them being removed after Halloween.
For now, you can select night mode as an option in the settings, but we do plan to eventually introduce a dynamic day/night cycle.
Steam Halloween Sale
Flashing Lights is now discounted for a limited time in the Steam Halloween Sale!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/605740/Flashing_Lights__Police_Firefighting_Emergency_Services_Simulator/
Full Patch Notes
New
- Night time option now available in game settings
- Additional lanterns at police, fire and EMS stations added
- Added ability to put suspects in police vehicle trunks
- Stretcher now drops out of ambulance if driven with back doors open (single player only for now!)
- Sprint with the stretcher and then let go to give patients a ride
- NPCs are now injured when attacked with chainsaw and/or axe
- Pedestrians start running if shots fired in area or are being approached with active chainsaw
Fixes
- Fire wind correction
- Fire smoke particle flicker fixed
- Terrain adjustments for locations around the city to prevent driving under the map
- Fixed a game freeze while climbing on ladder truck rear and clicking on ladder control at same time
- Player vehicle emergency light brightness adjustments
- Player vehicle interior static dashboard lights altered
- Police SUV could get stuck in lampposts when hit in high speeds - this is now fixed
- Minor adjustments for ladder control UI
- Chainsaw and axe cut animation no longer appear when used on doors, trunks etc
- Axe is no longer held like a shotgun
- Axe swing animation added
- Spawning or pushing stretcher in water without holding it, could lead to issues with the countdown UI - this is now fixed
There's much more to come in 2019 and beyond - check out the roadmap for more details:
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team
Flashing Lights Full Q4 2019 Roadmap Revealed
Thank you to the more than 1,700 of you who voted in the Flashing Lights November and December roadmap poll via the official Discord! We can now reveal the results of the vote.
- Fuel system - 1712 Votes
- SCBA (Self-contained breathing apparatus) + player health for fire and smoke - 1432 Votes
- Player police van - 1278 Votes
- Ability to tackle suspects as a police officer - 1201 Votes
- Prisoner transport missions - 1110 Votes
- Get in/out vehicle animation - 872 Votes
- Further vehicle interior dashboards - 810 Votes
- Player vehicle sound sync in multiplayer - 685 Votes
Based on your votes, we have finalised the full Q4 2019 Early Access roadmap!
it's been wonderful to get your thoughts on which features are most important to you so that we could prioritise certain features for over the next few months!
If a feature you voted for isn't listed in the roadmap, don't worry! They are all planned features, they just may not arrive in the November and December updates.
Likewise, if your most wanted feature wasn't an option in the poll, that simply means that it wasn't in the scope of the November and December updates. While we can't yet confirm any specifics, we can say that there are lots more updates to come throughout 2020.
October Update Teaser
We wanted to leave you with one more thing today - a little teaser for October's mysterious 'Spooky Seasonal Update'...
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team
November and December Roadmap Community Voting Now Live!
Community voting for the November and December roadmap is now open! Please join our official Discord and head to the #Announcements channel to vote.
Keep in mind that you're voting only on features that are within the scope of the November and December updates - there will be plenty more Flashing Lights updates to come throughout 2020 which we're not ready to speak about yet.
The first ever Flashing Lights community roadmap vote is here! Thank you for participating and having your say.
We have collated feedback from everyone and combined it with our own plans, to create a list of up and coming features. However, it may not be possible to release all these features by the end of the year. So we want your help to decide which features we prioritise - this vote will then inform the November and December roadmap!
It's easy, simply join the Discord, head to #announcements, and vote for the features which are most important to you!
(You can vote for as many pieces of content as you like, but we recommend only voting for the features you really care about, as if everyone votes for everything we are back at square one)
Voting closes: Fri 11 Oct morning (BST time)
Roadmap to be announced: Mon 14 Oct
UPDATE NOW LIVE | Fire Department Ladder Truck + Q4 2019 Roadmap Revealed
Hello all,
We've just launched the September update for Flashing Lights, which introduces a functional fire department ladder truck as well as six new fire department callouts! Manually extend and position the ladder to climb up and fight fire multiple stories high.
Also debuted is a new piece of equipment for the EMS department, which you can use to help treat injured patients: the neck collar.
Read on for full patch notes, but first we have some news for you on what to expect from Flashing Lights over the next three months!
October, November, December 2019 Roadmap
We're excited to reveal that October will see the release of a spooky seasonal update, introducing a bunch of fun and unexpected gameplay additions. Take a look at the screenshot on the roadmap for just a tease of what's to come.
Then, for the November and December updates, we're trying something entirely new for Flashing Lights: opening up the roadmap to community votes! You'll be able to have your say on what you'd most like to see in the November and December updates, selecting from a variety of options.
The voting will be held via the official Flashing Lights Discord, so make sure to join in there if you haven't already! Voting will open in the coming weeks.
September Update - Full Patch Notes
New
- Functional ladder truck with outriggers added
- Ladder truck visuals updated
- Water gun added to top of the ladder
- 6 new fire callouts featuring high rise emergencies
- Additional props added in some areas for new callouts
- Fire hydrant positioned at back of the fire station
- Neck collar, new item in Med Bag, now available
- EMS and Rescue injured inspection now shows status of each body part
Fixes
- Traffic advisor light patterns modified
- Ladder truck texture adjustments
- Chainsaw volume adjusted
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team
Meet Us at EGX 2019! London, UK, 17-20 October
Hello all,
In just four weeks time we will be exhibiting Flashing Lights at EGX 2019! The massive games expo takes place from 17th - 20th October in London, UK, and it's your chance to meet Nils Jakrins, Flashing Lights' dev! You'll also have the chance to meet some of the Excalibur publishing team and pick up a Flashing Light sticker.
If you're there on Sunday 20th October you'll also have the chance to hear Nils speak about how he broke into the industry and voice any advice he has for aspiring game developers. The panel will be livestreamed on the EGX Twitch channel and available to watch as a VOD on YouTube after the event for those of you who can't make it.
Sunday 20 October 2019: 14:00-14:40 BST
First Games Industry Jobs – Indie development
Four panellists, all with their first games supported by Excalibur Games, speak about how they broke into the industry, their experiences so far, their current projects and what advice they would give to aspiring developers and others looking to get into the industry. Panel: Yen Ooi (Road to Guandong), Nils Jakrins (Flashing Lights), Arvydas Žemaitis (Shoppe Keep) and Tom Malinowski (Tracks – The Train Set Game).
Before this month is out we will of course be releasing the September update, featuring the functional fire ladder truck, new fire callouts and further EMS improvements. Keep an eye out!
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team
UPDATE NOW LIVE - Controller Support, Traffic Advisory Light Bars, New Traffic Ticket Options
Hello all,
Flashing Lights' August update is now live! This content update introduces proper controller support, with a pre-set default controller layout. This means you can now plug in your controller of choice and you're good to go!
We've also added traffic advisory light bars for all vehicles, as well as further traffic ticket options. Read on for the full patch notes.
Flashing Lights is Now Available at 25% Off
https://store.steampowered.com/app/605740/Flashing_Lights__Police_Firefighting_Emergency_Services_Simulator/
See What's to Come Next Month
Don't forget to join the official Flashing Lights Discord for update sneak peaks!
August 2019 Update Full Patch Notes
New Content
- Controller support with default layouts for handheld controllers and steering wheels added (with this update all controls will reset once to the new default layout)
- Mouse cursor system updated to support movement by controller
- Traffic advisory light bars for all department vehicles added. By default, use buttons 3; 4; 5
- Additional options for traffic tickets - Driving License None/Expired, Registration Suspended and Insurance Expired
- Ability to autofill person name or number plate details in police computer database search and traffic tickets
Fixes
- Controller sensitivity issues for camera movement and steering
- Vehicle steering adjustments
- Camera will auto-follow vehicle quicker if mouse/controller look around input active
- Input for callouts Accept/Skip was not registering mapping changes
- Police computer Scan Vehicle in Front stopped working occassionally - this has been fixed
- Police computer was disabled until game restart, if opened in first person mode and then changed vehicles. This is now fixed.
- Police computer screen in vehicle now will stay on when player gets out without turning it off
- Police computer cursor fixed
- Respawned NPC data now correctly displays on police computer
- Police computer showed double screens (3d and 2d) in first person mode. This has been fixed.
- Police computer showed 2d screen when turning it off in first person mode
- Police computer in first person mode zoomed out camera when clicking back to Homescreen - this has been fixed.
- Tow truck NPC no longer can be interacted with in multiplayer
- Missing healing scenarios for Unconscious person call now added.
- Traffic stop on foot compliance time shortened
- Translation fixes following community feedback
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team
UPDATE NOW LIVE - Police Computer and Database Search
Hello all,
A much requested feature has arrived in Flashing Lights! You are now able to use the in-car police computer in order to scan car licence plates. With information on whether or not the driver has any traffic violations, parking tickets, an arrest history or warrant, you can make informed decisions on your course of action.
Also included is details on the car's insurance, and registration. Scan the licence plate of a stolen vehicle and the driver may even evade traffic stops and flee.
26 July 2019 Full Patch Notes
New
- Police vehicle computer system reworked(English only for now)
- Database search for pedestrians and drivers
- Use Left Shift to turn on computer, on/off interaction cursor and lock controls/camera movements
- Use scroll wheel for computer screen size or camera zoom for first person view
- More details on NPC profiles added - birth date, driving license status, warrant, wanted or not wanted, citation history, arrest history
- You can now use police computer in both front seats in vehicle
- Computer now turns towards the seat the player is sitting in
- Computer screen is now synced in multiplayer
- Vehicle license plate database system added
- Vehicle license plate scanner added
- Computer outline added to indicate when cursor mode is active
Fixes
- Camera zoom reset after using in first person mode fixed
- NPCs now run when they get out if vehicle is stolen
- Fixed an issue where revive menu did not open/close while using chat
- Missing NPC vehicle fleeing message when chase starts fixed
There's lots more to come soon, with controller support scheduled for August and a fire update in September! Of course, we'll also be tackling further bugs and issues each month too.
Thanks,
The Flashing Lights Team