It's been a busy few weeks since the game launched in Early Access. We've been listening to everyone's feedback, so thank you to everyone who reported a bug, requested a change, or provided us with any feedback. The game has improved because of you!
With that said, we're also working on new content, and we are excited to show our first preview of the next class to be added to Soul Survivors: The Ranger. She's had an updated design since what has originally been shown of her:
She is the fastest character in the game, with a high fire rate and a unique playstyle. Below is a video we put together to show off some of what you can expect.
Though she's not a summoner, like the Necromancer, she does have a couple companions. Here's a preview (WIP):
We're still a couple weeks out from adding her to the game. We are wrapping up her final abilities and talents and then we need to spend a lot of time optimizing and balancing the class. As she plays nothing like the other 2 existing characters, balancing take some time. We've spent a lot of time developing this class and we are trying to step up our game in regards to skills, talents,, synergies, build types etc.
We're also planning to upload a few more builds pertaining to existing content. Stay posted for news on this.
As for what to expect following the addition of the Ranger: we are also designing a merchant/item system, which will make all that gold you're stacking become very valuable and important, especially if you try out our new Hard Mode, which we are planning to implement in a later update too. More on this later.
Once again, I would like to thank everyone for their feedback and support. It truly does mean a lot, and we look forward to adding the Ranger to the game in the coming weeks.
Stingbot
Build 0.4.22 is Live! New Curses, Modified Skills and more!
Hi Everyone,
We have a fun update today! We added a couple of new Curses to the game and added dozens of improvements/fixes. We have a big announcement coming soon, so stay posted on that too!
Here's what's new in the latest build:
- New Curse Added to Linden Forest: Grainloch's Minions
- New Curse Added to Usvit Depths: Bilee's Revenge
- Removed the Traitors Curse. Will likely revamp and return at some point
- Removed Bogatyr's passive ability: Hardy. Replaced it with a new ability called Guardian's Fury. Increases DMG of shield attacks by 15% per rank + adds 10HP to base health
- Modified the save system to avoid potential simultaneous async calls
- Usvit Depths: Shield masters' shield colliders will no longer remain active when enemy dies. Caused unwanted invisible collisions
- When cycling between characters on the Talents menu, the correct talents will now display for each character in their Trees
- Necromancer's Auto Flail has been modified to have a slightly longer rotation before it deactivates
- A few minor performance optimizations for the Necromancer's Auto Flail
- Increased Gold Drop rate in Usvit Depths
- Scaled gold amounts to drop with player level, so the higher the player level the higher chance of larger quantities of gold will now drop
- Bug Fix: Damage bonus is now working correct for Passives: By the Sword, Earthen Might, Defiled Bones, Vital Force
- Fixed a collision bug with Bilee's blood circles
- Fixed a bug related to speed overrides w/ powerups and curses
- Fixed a crash in curse mode related to the curse count not matching the available count
- Reduced collider size of boulders for Catapult Curse
- Fixed the enemy worm sorting layer
- Bug Fix: rare issue where the level up panel would not load into place on level up
- Fixed an issue with collecting Boss Souls resulting in 2 collisions and 2 level ups
- Balancing
- Code refactoring
As always, feel free to share any feedback or suggestions. We welcome everything and will strive to constantly improve the game. Thank you for your support!
Stingbot
Build 0.4.20 is Live >> READ BEFORE UPDATING
We are updating our save system to the game, and if you want to preserve your save file then please make sure you have the latest version of the save file stored on your computer. If you play on multiple devices, just make sure you pull in the latest save from the Cloud onto whatever device you will be updating the game to. The game will automatically copy and merge your data into a new file with whatever it detects. If no file exists, then the new system will automatically create a save file for you in the new format and there is nothing to worry about in this case.
If, for whatever reason you can't retrieve your existing data or the game simply makes a new file and you want to go back and get your old data, we can discuss ways to do this. Save data files are located in the Local Low directory in Windows under Stingbot Games/Soul Survivors. The old files are called "Data" and "Achievements." We can always grab those files from you and modify them for the new format. The new files will be called "Data.Save" and "Achievement.Save" These will play much nicer with Steam Auto cloud in the future. and will allow us to easily work with multiple platforms going forward.
If your data is lost, for any reason whatsoever, do not worry. We can easily make a save file, send it to you and, within 30 seconds you can drop it into the directory and start up the game and all will work as you expected. We can go so far as to define the exact amount of gold per character you want in your file. Simply get in touch with us in your preferred way of contact, however Discord or email: support@stingbotgames.com will be the fastest way to get a hold of us.
In most cases, the save files will migrate without issue and you will be up and running again without a hitch. However, in the case you are not, do not worry. Just reach out to us and we'll get you sorted.
Now, onto the other big ticket item in this build: - We added a secondary control scheme for the Necromancer's Flail attack. You can choose between Classic (physics based movement) or Auto (simplified auto attack on a timer) when you select the Necro. We had a lot of requests for something more simple/automated, so here it is. We are an open book, so if you think it can be improved and you envision something different for the Auto Flail just reach out to us with your thoughts and ideas. This is Early Access after all, and we implemented this because of requests, so our idea for the auto version may not be the best it can be, but we do believe it's a good start.
Some other things in this build: - Fixed the order of events after Autlaic is killed in the depths if you collected an amulet piece for Bilee - Bloodsap will no longer take damage from an Effigy - Fixed some collision issues when collecting boss souls - Modified souls and flesh pile colliders/animators to boost performance - Slight collision performance improvements - Code refactoring - Various Bug Fixes
As always, please reach out with any ideas, bugs discovered, feedback etc. We read everything and will do our best to respond to everyone. Thank you for your support.
Stingbot
Build 0.4.16 is Live
Hi Everyone,
Quick update on a new patch build that just went live. Lots of QoL improvements, some balancing, performance stuff and tons of requests from the community have been added in. Let's start with what's new and then dive in to what's to come in the next couple of builds. Here's what's new:
- Modified the Burn effect from the chili firebreath powerup. It will now create a burn type of effect with low dmg but fast ticks while the flames damage the enemy. Adjusted hitbox as well
- Modified poison powerup and Necromancer Spell: Miasma - Reduced dmg output but the effect now ticks faster and more often
- Necromancer Skeleton Pets will not disappear when loading into a boss fight. They will now load in with you
- Modified Bogatyr's Passive Ability: By the Sword. Damage boost has been increased from 5 to 15% and the passive also affects Tempest and Retaliation now as well
- Modified Bogatyr's Passive Ability: Earthen Might. Damage boost has been increased from 5 to 15%
- Necromancer's Effigy Skill now also inflicts minor damage to enemies that attack it
- Fixed both Bogatyr and Necromancer max talent achievements. They should properly update now
- Bogatyr's Tempest blades will now be able to strike the same enemy more than once before they fade away
- Modified stunning blow hitbox and performance optimzations
- Boss Souls from Autlaic and Velya will no longer spawn directly on top of the player
- Chests and Mimics should no longer spawn during Bloodsap, Autlaic and Velya boss fights
- Stone Guardians should no longer launch from across the screen to the player's position in Usvit Depths
- Fixed/Improved enemy knockback logic
- Nibbler (Giant Rat) will no longer spawn during boss fights in Usvit Depths
- When enemies are feared off screen in Autlaic's fight, they will now immediately die
- Bloodsap's Roots will now only affect you within the boundaries of his arena
- Stunned enemies in swarms/clusters will now properly be stunned
- Improved the AI and enemy targeting for the Summoned Ally in Linden Forest
- Optimized several hitboxes for player attacks
- Improved enemy spawning code with slight performance boost
- Adjusted UI to scale text better for longer descriptions on level up menu
- Fixed collisions occuring more than once
- Code refactoring
We still have a huge list of feedback and requests, so more is coming.
In the next build we will be adding a new Flail mechanic for the Necromancer. This will be an alternative to the existing mechanic for those players that prefer something auto. When selecting the Necro you will be presented with an option for Classic or Auto control scheme. We've taken a lot of feedback into account and we have a plan that still adds a small element of skill (more timing based than anything) w/ the use of the Auto Flail. Expect this build sometime around the end of this week/weekend. There will be additional features/improvements added to the next build as well.
Next week we're planning to give a small preview of the Ranger Class. As with the other 2 classes, she plays entirely different than them, with her own suite of abilities and mechanics to set her apart. There's some really fun stuff coming with her and we're super excited to show her off.
If anyone has feedback bugs or suggestions with this build or anything in general, you can always reach out to us. We listen to everything and do our best to integrate what we can.
Thanks for your support.
Stingbot
Hot Fix: Tile Spawning (v0.4.14)
Just a small patch to address an immediate issue which was created from last night's patch.
- Fixed an issue related to deserialization and references resulting in the Tile Spawning system to not shift tiles properly. Our game worlds are randomly generated and then the tiles shift around at runtime. In the last patch we introduced an error due to the game's save system which resulted in a rare bug that could break the system from working properly. Should be working properly now.
Also spent a little time to address these things:
- Lowered physics time step for smoother movement - Code refactoring
Patch v0.4.13 Live
Hi everyone,
Just pushed another patch live. Here's what's new:
- Re-worked save data async calls to ensure proper data loading order. This will help with potential variations in deserialization time. Further improvements will be added in future patches as well, including a check for corrupted save data, in which case the user will be presented with various options in the event their data is corrupted. Stay posted for more on this.
- Fixed WASD bindings. S now navigates down and A navigates Left
- Doubled spawn chance of flesh piles during Autlaic Boss Fight
- Increased soul drop rate during Autlaic Boss Fight
- Added a secondary submit point for the Max Talent Achievements
- Bilee's hit boxes are now properly disabled after attacks and on death
- Modified code and verified corrupted souls curse is working properly
- Improved Meatbomb targeting and fixed a bug not being able to target certain enemies
Will be working on the Ranger all day tomorrow, and taking Sunday off, for the most part. Next week we'll be grinding hard on the Ranger class, and we'll probably push 1-2 more builds live as well, including lots of fixes and improvements many of you have requested. Stay posted for more details, and thanks for your support.
Stingbot
Patch Update v 0.4.12
Hi Everyone,
The past few days I've been incredibly busy working in improvements and feedback requests. Let's start with the big ticket item: performance.
- I spent dozens of hours profiling, testing, writing custom scripts, analyzing everything you could think of to address performance issues, primarily due to the new collision system I put together in the previous patch. Lots of work was done to further improve the new collision detection system yet again, and lots of code was refactored, layers modified and the collision matrix has been further optimized. Also revamped every character in the game and they have an entirely new setup for collisions, which boosted performance greatly! I have yet to drop below 200FPS under the heaviest of loads on an i9 9900K. i5 9500 is running 180FPS and i3 165 FPS (I can't get the exact model right now). All have mid-high range GPUs but GPU is not the issue with performance in this game. It's all CPU, as you might expect. Anyhow, huge boost so I hope it runs well for everyone! The numbers I posted above are the lowest I've seen while testing.
New Feature: Added Boss Souls to the game. Collecting a Boss Soul when a boss is defeated will reward you with an instant level up. We have a lot more planned in the future regarding boss perks, but no time for that yet. It's going to be a much bigger update down the line. But eventually each boss will reward you with 1 of 3 special perks that remains active with you for the remainder of the run. These perks are going to be presented to the player the same way a normal level up would be presented. For now, enjoy the free levels up :)
What else has been updated? Lots, here's a partial list (probably a lot more I'm not thinking of):
- Modified the Necromancer's talent: Invoke Fear. Players no longer have to chase down the souls. When an enemy is marked for death by fear, their soul will be consumed automatically by the Necromaner, eliminating the need to chase down the souls to collect them.
- replaced camera fade logic with new screen overlay logic to avoid issues with alt tabbing
- Fixed a bug with Grave Grip not affecting some enemies
- Grave Grip hands should now layer properly
- Skelewheels should now properly stop movement if they collide with the environment
- Rats and Flies will no longer collide with other enemies or the environment. Instead, they will only have collision with the player
- Level up selection will now properly de-select when the re-roll button is selected
- Corrupted Souls Curse: player's soul range will no longer affect collecting the corrupted (red) souls. range only benefits collecting the good (blue) souls
- Increased the distance between blades in Tempest to improve clarity and effectiveness
- Improved performance issues when collecting gold
- Gold notification should now properly display next to Talents on the main menu if upgrades are available
- Increased default soul pickup range
- Elite souls are now properly affected by soul pickup range
- Edited the Bombie's explosion hit box to match the graphic better
- Reduced the wiggle requirement needed to break free from Vine Traps
- Fixed the hitbox for Bilee's blood pool attacks
- Modified Flesh Pile drop rates
- Achievement to max all Necromancer's Talents is now working
- Changed the achievement to earn 1,000 gold in a run to be 500 gold.
- Add input "Spacebar", F or E as alternatives for the Enter
- You can now inflict damage to bloodsap via his hands, but this is still not the core way to defeat him
- A few flesh piles now spawn in the arena at the start of Bloodsap's fight
- Improved enemy pooling logic
- Adjusted and optimized all enemy hitboxes
- Improved enemy spawn flow logic in Usvit Depths
- Skeleton Pets will now prioritize targeting Chancellor Autlaic during the boss fight
There's lots more to come. We will continue to push fixes, balance the game more, and re-work skills and features. We read all requests and do our best to respond to everyone in a timely manner. If your request has not yet been added, please be patient and understand there is lots more updates to come. The art team continues to push stuff out, but I want to get back to working on the Ranger and hopefully get her in the game in the coming weeks. We know you all have a lot of requests and we're doing our best to meet your expectations.
We are looking at prioritizing an alternative Flail mechanic for the Necromancer. Something more automated, so expect to hear back from us about that soon with our ideas, and then we'll work on integrating it as soon as possible.
Feel free to reach out to us whenever, and Discord will always be the fastest way to get a response, but we do try to respond to all forum posts and emails. Thank you for your support.
-Stingbot
Patch: Collision Part 2 - Build 0.4.9
Yesterday's patch resulted in a drop of performance for most players. The new collision system was a lot of work, and I learned my lesson not to push a build live after working for 20 hours straight, despite the fact I thought it was ready (I was more than half asleep). I apologize. I just wanted to get the build out for everyone as fast as I could as I know the collision detection was a popular request. This patch has been much more heavily tested, and I fixed a lot of the performance issues. There's still some issues on more low end devices and/or the Steam Deck that I will continue to look into. Thanks for your patience, but as a benchmark: I am testing on an i9 9900K 3080 TI Rig and the lowest FPS I encountered in this build (0.4.9), under the heaviest of loads w/ massive amounts of mobs on screen was 128 FPS. I realize this can still be better. Ideally, on an rig like mine I don't ever wanna go below 200 FPS. Bear with me as I made a lot of changes to the game recently, but I will continue to work hard to improve performance. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Lots more to come. Thanks for your support.
Huge Patch Update - Version 0.4.6
Hi everyone. It's been a very busy few days and we did a major overhaul to the collision detection/hitbox system, among many other things. Here's what's new:
1. We placed the majority of hitboxes near the feet of the character sprites to match perspective better and we re-sized them appropriately. It may not be perfect, but it's much more accurate for the perspective now. 2. We improved collision detection code and separated hit boxes from damage boxes. There is now 2 different collision boxes on each enemy sprite in the game. The damage receiving boxes are separate triggers attached to the object that receives the damage on the enemy. These are larger than life to increase hit detection from player attacks. This benefits the player and makes it more accurate. These boxes are not used to inflict damage on the player. The other hitboxes are located at the base of the enemy sprite and are much smaller and will inflict damage to the player if/when the player collides. the player's own hitbox/collision area is also at the base of his feet. The player has a trigger box covering the majority of his body now to take incoming projectile damage.
We improved physics detection and wrote a new avoidance system so the player will no longer get "stuck" on enemies. In fact, you can now push your way through enemies. While there is still some friction, it's much less than before and you have more than a fighting chance of escaping hordes.
When enemies collide with the player they now also have a 1 second delay before resuming to seek the player, allowing a little extra time for the player to get away.
Besides the collision system improvements we did tons of other things, so let's start with the Bogatyr: We updated Bogatyr's passive ability: Recklessness. We scrapped the old ability and made a brand new one, which we think is more exciting. The payoff for taking this ability is much greater than before. It's a trade off of lowering defense but getting a boost to your ability cooldowns. The way it scales is greater for each rank, and if you go for a cooldown build you can now get a max CDR of 45% as opposed to 25% max CDR before this passive. IT's quite fun if you go that route too, especially when you get a haste powerup.
This is the first of many updates we will be working on to strenghten the classes. Stay posted for more.
Other things we did: - Reduced HP of the Mushroom Elite in the Forest - Revised the treasure snail so he's a little less sporadic in movement - Bug Fix: game will no longer get stuck when alt tabbing out of the items menu before the UI animation is complete - Greatly reduced the upgrade costs of the final 2 talents in the talents tree - Fixed the mimic sorting layer so it layers properly in the game world - Increased drop rate of flesh piles during velya boss fight - Spawn a small amount of flesh piles in Velya's lair when you first enter - Loads of Code refactoring
If you brought something up or requested something and we haven't gotten to it yet, please understand we have a very long list of feedback we're working through. The collision system alone took over 20 hours of re-work and testing. We only just entered Early Access, so bear with us. Doing all we can :)
We are excited to be working with everyone on these updates and we look forward to more. We'll continue to push out updates, but as of next week we're going to try and spend a mix of our time focusing on the Ranger class.
Let us know what you think of the new systems. We think it's definitely a step in the right direction. Thanks for your support.
Day 2 Patch
Another patch update today. We have logged every single bug, request, or suggestion. We spent half the day working on the ranger class and half the day fixing bugs and optimizing. This tile shifting bug took several hours so couldn't get as much as we wanted, but tomorrow we're going to re-work a lot of the passives for Bogatyr and fix more bugs/balancing. In the meantime, here's what fixed/changed:
- Fixed a bug where the Necromancer did not properly revive on death and instead was instanly killed even with revive talent activated - Fixed a bug where the tile system was not shifting properly resulting in empty black space - Adjusted the invader's attack logic to have a windup and be easier to evade - Increased Necromancer's base run speed by 5% - Boosted the Skeletal Shield Master's move Speed by 10% - Add gold counter to game HUD - Increased cooldown of spike trap in the depths by 8 seconds, resulting in much fewer repetitive trap procs - Bug Fix: Spike traps no longer can inflict damage to the player once the player is dead - Reduced animation speed of the blue bombies in the depths - Fixed some wonky physics with the Necromancer's Fulmination ability
