Prepare For Warp: Unlimited Edition - Beyond Insanji
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.141: Tiny Title To-Do
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
Just a very minor update to make the ship on the title screen and application icon match the improved model.
No new bugs found, which means this will likely head for stable release very soon.
Improvements:
Replaced game logo with version using updated ship model.
Replaced application icon with version using updated ship model.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.140: New Model Year Arrived
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
The new model year for the Whedgee courier ship has arrived! With sleek, more stylish design, improved trim package, and more visible lighting effects, the Mk 3 will get you there and make you look cool doing it!
New Features:
Added ability through config file to override in-game music with arbitrary MP3, OGG or WAV files. (Documentation to come).
Improvements:
The Whedgee player ship model has been substantially improved and has been incremented from "Mk 2" to "Mk 3".
Adjust late-level spawn rates and spawn rate falloff. Spawn rates for enemy obstacles will now increase all the way to 360k distance. Superlaser powerup spawn rate will now peak at 40k distance instead of 45k distance, and Superlaser and Shield Power powerups will now falloff at double the previous rate after 40k of distance (One sector is 15k distance).
Fixes:
Fix issue with "Component Exchange" name being cut off in Hanger.
Fix issue with HUD display of level challenge rank and iteration being off be one.
Fix issue with Mega and Giga variants' larger Explosions not being correctly applied.
Fix issue where mouse interaction with UI was disabled when gamepad was in use.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.139: Righting Wrongly Writing
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
This is a minor update to address a few issues and add another cabinet support feature. The main issue addressed is where a working analysis/report file gets written to the local drive unintentionally.
New Features:
Icons for controls can now be overridden using a config file. This is intended to be used on devices like the I-PAC for arcade cabinets, that map controller inputs to keys (Documentation to come).
Fixes:
Fixed issue where working file for analyzing Innovation Lab word scores was being written out to local drive.
Fixed the icon for the Tutorial mission to use the correct graphic.
Fixed an issue with stat reporting and display for the Qualified Trainee achievement.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.138: Components For Innovation
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
In this version, I introduce a mid-to-late game minigame of sorts to allow indirect exchange of extra Components for Prestige. This is done through the new Innovation Lab and Component Exchange in the Hangar. Once you have unlocked all Ship parts, these two areas will open up to you.
In the Innovation Lab, you can use components for all manner of creation. Your current inspirations will require collecting Components that spell out a particular word. Inspirations come in many sizes, from Insights (three letter words) to Mangum Opuses (ten letter words), and over 800 words are available in total. Once you have collected all required components, you can complete the Inspiration to earn a new currency called Inovitae. Inovitae is automatically exchanged for Prestige during retirement (at a current rate of 7:1 subject to balancing), with any remainder Inovitae transferring to your new pilot.
In the Component Exchange, you can trade for any Component you want, provided you are willing to barter the current market trade. These trades can be very favorable (1:1), or very unfavorable (4:1), but tend toward 2:1 or somewhat less frequently 3:1.
These new features combined together solve the issue of mid-to-late game component glut (Yours truly had over 40 of several flavors of Component before developing this feature!)
A lot of UI cleanup has happened with this update. The HUD has been cleaned up significantly, and the current level added to the HUD display. Many icons have been remastered.
Upgrades will now finally tell you specifically what game number is changing when you purchase that upgrade level. It will list the current value and the proposed new value for the stat.
Paint Jobs for ships have been overhauled significantly. Gone are the endless uninspired variations of "@!%^%# Stripe" paint jobs, so I hope no one is upset that there will no longer be "Aqua Stripe" and "Cyan Stripe" and "Lime Stripe" and "Green Stripe". Instead, we have TWENTY bold BRIGHT color schemes like "Superhero" and "Lumberjacked" and "Retro Wave" that all have a purpose and aren't just a bunch of foot-shufflers in a descriptionless room. Paint Jobs for other entities that share the Ship shader have also received an overhaul.
The Hangar in the new store finally has a paper doll ship model! This model will actually show you what you might be about to unlock. This new feature pairs great with the above Paint Jobs and the recent new Hull additions!
Why did this game not have Camera Shake before! No matter, it does now. Ship collisions and larger explosions will cause Camera Shake.
Speaking of explosions, there are now two new flavors of larger explosion, reserved for Mega and Giga obstacle variants.
One side feature that is not "officially" in scope is custom arcade cabinet support. As part of building my own personal arcade cabinet, I am making small enhancements to better support running Prepare For Warp on an arcade cabinet, because it is awesome to run it that way. The first step in this is allowing ship movement to be controlled by mouse, so that the ship can be analog controlled via a trackball or spinner device on an arcade cabinet.
Other minor additions and bug fixes abound, with a full list below.
New Features:
New Hangar Categories "Innovation Lab" and "Component Exchange" that unlock when all other Ship Parts are unlocked.
Innovation Lab allows completion of Inspirations through use of Components and Innovation to earn Inovati.
Innovation Lab component cost is drawn from a dictionary of over 800 words ranging from three to ten letters.
Inovati is exchanged 7:1 for Prestige at Retirement.
Component Exchange provides a fluctuating component barter market
Upgrades now list the game stat that they affect, giving current value and proposed value.
Camera Shake occurs on larger explosions and Player Ship collisions.
New larger flavors of explosion applied to Mega and Giga obstacle variants.
Hangar areas of the Store now shows a paper doll model of the item being considered.
Improvements:
Forty icons have been remastered.
Component icon on Game result panel rotates color hue.
Achievement progress provides alternate numeric formatting for achievements requiring it.
Level number, game mode, and sector information is shown in the in-game HUD.
In-game HUD has been re-arranged to encroach less on gameplay area.
Achievements are now grouped by stat in the Achievement area of the Store.
Player Ship paint jobs have been overhauled.
Bomber, Fighter, Missile, Space Mine, Laser Gate paint jobs have been overhauled.
Component cost is now hidden for unlocked Ship Parts.
Main paper doll ship now has improved rotation.
Added ability to bind mouse delta for steering (arcade cabinet support).
Fixes:
Paging buttons in the Achievement area of the Store now have proper feedback sound.
Fixed multiple play of navigate sound on menus, which was causing audio stutter.
Fixed issue with ability sounds (Superlaser, Standby Shield, etc.) activating when Warp was activated.
Fixed issues with total pending prestige gain in Retirement area not being updated when Prestige gain related items were obtained.
Fixed issue where Achievement toast for achievements on new pilot was being displayed before resetting to Title Screen.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.137: Respec Your Legacy
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
Gameplay-wise, the most significant addition to this build is the ability to respec Legacies. There is a new item for sale in the Prestige panel of the store, "Legacy Respec", with a base cost of 250 Dark Matter. When purchased, this will enable a new option in the Retirement Panel. When this option is enabled during Retirement, all purchased Legacies will be refunded at their original Prestige cost. You can then re-purchase Legacies as desired. Every time a respec is used, though, its cost will double. This cost will then be reduced with each subsequent retirement, with it taking three retirements to remove the cost increase effects of one respec.
All conversion of IMGUI-based code to the more modern Unity UI system is now complete. All UI can now properly benefit from graphics FX.
An exploit has been addressed regarding Ally Ship generosity. Any extra drops provided by Ally Ships due to difficulty completing the highest unlocked level are now limited to Shield Power and SuperLaser.
Graphical feedback for gauges on the HUD has been improved. The quality of the glow effect has been upgraded to new UI standards. In addition, the glow effect now occurs on all gauges.
Many early levels have been renamed, so that they are more in-line with the theming of the other levels.
New Features:
New Prestige Item "Legacy Respec" is available for purchase in the Prestige store.
New respec option available during retirement that will refund all purchased Legacies.
Add 6 new achievements for scores ranging from 500M to 20B.
Add new achievement for destroying 500 bombers in a mission.
Add new achievement for destroying 50K asteroids in a mission.
Improvements:
Migrated Achievement toast popup to new UI standard.
Migrated Post-level result to new UI standard.
Migrated Continue prompt to new UI standard.
Migrated in-game clock to new UI standard.
Migrated frame rate counter to new UI standard.
Migrated in-game version number to new UI standard.
Migrated tutorial to new UI standard.
Migrated splash screen to new UI standard.
Added new feedback sound to in-game abilities when those abilities are not available
Menu navigation now has feedback sound.
Improved feedback glow on HUD gauges.
Added feedback glow to Speed, Hull, Shield, and SuperLaser gauges.
Game mode selector is not displayed until Normal mode is beaten once.
Moved current inventory item counts for store items to sidebar area of UI.
Current inventory item associated with the currently selected store item will now highlight.
Made asteroid explosions more dynamic.
Renamed early levels (2-4, 6-9) to be more in-line with the theming of later level names.
Current control scheme will be remembered between scenes. The current control scheme will no longer reset back to keyboard with each scene transition.
Current control scheme will no longer be changed back to Keyboard by mouse interaction.
Added control icons to Title Screen.
Expanded several object pools to handle more objects without re-allocations.
Made the Title Screen Tip display a rotating Tip display like the one in the Store.
Added self-repair of level/mode/rank combination on game load.
Fixes:
Fixed issue with replacement pilot names being truncated.
Fixed an exploit where the extra drops that an Ally Ship does when the highest unbeaten level has been failed multiple consecutive times could be farmed for unintended Argen gain.
Fixed issue where pilot recruit Reroll button state was not updating due to changes in Dark Matter balance.
Fixed a runtime error when a store panel has zero items available to display.
Fixed an issue where Challenge Mode Modifier sidebar would continue to display when not intended to.
Fixed an issue where buttons on Title Screen could lose focus.
Fixed issues with display of last achievement page if total number of achievements was not evenly divisible by number of achievements displayed on a page.
Fixed an issue where beating a challenge mode was giving less credit toward challenge mode achievements than it should have.
Fixed an issue where the correct Challenge Mode iteration was not being applied to the game, i.e. Iteration 1 was always being served.
Fixed an issue where Challenge Mode modifiers relating to obstacle generation were not being applied.
Fixed an issue with Mission UI not updating when new Warp License purchased.
Fixed an issue in icon shader causing black borders on some icons.
Fixed an issue with stats verification/self-repair check on game load causing an error on recently retired pilots.
Fixed an issue where retirement was not resetting game mode and mode rank.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.136: It's the End of the Store As We Know It
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
With this build, all functionality has been ported from the old Store UI to the new Store UI. So, the old store has been removed. Good riddance to a rats nest of tangled UI and code!
Achievements and Statistics have been ported to the new store. Challenge mode modifiers now display whenever challenge mode is selected in the Mission panel Display of the current pilot has been added to the Retirement panel, and a few fixes have been made.
New Features:
It is now possible to see current "X of Y" progress on unearned achievements.
Improvements:
Challenge Mode Modifiers are now visible in the Mission panel when Challenge Mode is selected.
Achievements, have been migrated to the new Store UI.
Statistics have been migrated to the new Store UI.
Current Pilot has been migrated to the new Store UI.
Old store and the button to access it has been removed.
Updated "Old Secrets" to account for new changes.
Shortened text of Challenge Mode Modifier descriptions.
Challenge Mode will now generate a maximum of eight distinct disadvantages for a given level. All disadvantages generated after the eighth distinct disadvantage is generated will select an existing disadvantage to stack onto.
Fixes:
Field and background in new Store UI now respond to level changes in the Mission panel.
Fix bugs in Challenge Mode Modifier generation.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.135: Store-y Time
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
This update implements the new mission and store UI that is more consistent with the style of the rest of the game.
All interactable areas of the store should be functional except for achievements and statistics. In order to provide access to that information during the transition, the new store has a temporary button that takes you to the old store. This button will be removed when achievements and statistics are migrated.
In tandem with this, I am pleased to announce the addition of two new unlockable ships! The "Duohawkh X/A" and the "Carabvyce M84" are both available to unlock in the Hangar, for the right components. Both new ship models are created by Arvex, who has a love and talent for space ship model design. Both new models incorporate very nicely the shader effects that I had applied to the original ship. All paint jobs are compatible with all ships (though those uninspired paint jobs are on the radar to be changed soon.)
New Features:
Added "Duohawkh X/A" ship hull, which is unlockable in the Hangar.
Added "Carabvyce M84" ship hull, also unlockable in the Hangar.
Improvements:
Mission, Store, and Hangar UI has been completely overhauled.
New UI is consistent with other recent new UI work.
Overall, UI is less busy and more focused on the task currently at hand.
Vertical scrolling lists are gone, replaced with horizontal item navigation.
UI is fully controller navigable, with the same three axes of control as the Options UI.
Some elements remain to be ported, to access these, a temporary button linking to the old store UI is provided.
Achievements list has not yet been migrated.
Stats have not been migrated.
Challenge mode modifier display has not yet been migrated.
Fixes:
Fixed percentage display calculations for several challenge mode modifiers that were reductions. In-game effect applied was as intended, however, the display misrepresented and overstated the percentage reduction.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.132: Challenge Presented
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
This update introduces a new play mode called "Challenge Mode" that unlocks once any level 11 or higher is cleared. Challenge mode introduces adverse effects into the level, but offers a higher point reward if the level is cleared.
Challenge mode is progressive in two ways:
Beating Challenge mode unlocks a second rank of Challenge mode, where another adverse effect is added. Beating that second rank may unlock a third rank, and so on. To start, the Challenge Mode Rank is limited to the level number divided by 4.
Clearing a Challenge Mode Rank advances its Iteration counter, which procedurally generates a new set of adverse effects for that Challenge Mode Rank, keeping gameplay fresh while you work toward that next pilot license or upgrade.
When stacking adverse effects, the challenge generator gives preference to effects that synergize with each other, amplifying the danger of higher-rank Challenge Modes further.
There are a total of 25 different adverse effects defined so far.
A new Prestige Upgrade, "Challenger", has been added, which increases the maximum Challenge Mode Rank for all levels by +2 per level purchased in it.
Challenge mode is, for the moment, accessible from the Store UI when an eligible level has been cleared and is selected. Please pardon the shanty UI for this feature while the Store UI undergoes a deeper overhaul that will, among other things, incorporate different game modes more elegantly.
Six new achievements have been added relating to Challenge Modes.
There is a LOT of balancing yet to be done on challenge modes - more updates to come.
New Features:
Challenge Mode gameplay has been added.
Store UI has been modified to allow selection of Challenge Mode when a level is eligible and cleared.
Store UI has been modified to allow display of Challenge Mode modifiers when an information button is clicked.
Additions:
6 new achievements related to Challenge Mode
High score, number of wins, and best time for each level/mode/rank combination are now tracked.
Fixes:
Bonus points for clearing level are now properly awarded upon warping instead of being awarded when level goal was reached and prior to warping.
Ally will stop dropping pickups when player warps.
Humanitarian Relief in Ukraine
Smiling Cat stands firmly with the Proud and Epic people of the Ukraine during this unjustifiable invasion that is being visited upon them.
For the entire month of March, all proceeds of my game sales after storefront cuts will be donated toward humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
BleedingEdge: Version 2.0.6.131: Settling Scores
Note: This is an EXPERIMENTAL update available in the "bleedingedge" beta. It may contain instabilities beyond the base version currently available.
This update introduces significant changes to scoring. The scoring that was in place had not really been touched since 1.0 and was well overdue. The scores resulting from the old scoring system were not dynamic, were not very influenced by skill, and had components that could not be represented real-time during a mission. That has all been addressed.
Speed, collision avoidance, and destroying hazards are the ways to earn points. Warp energy and pickups collected supply a multiplier to the score.
Collisions now have 25% more negative impact on speed. To mitigate, the spawn rate of Speed Up pickups has been doubled.
Balancing:
Collisions have 25% more impact on speed.
Spawn rate of Speed Up pickups has been doubled.
Improvements:
Scoring formula has been reworked:
Score = (HazardScore + SpeedScore + SafetyScore)
WarpEnergyFactor
PickupFactor
GoalFactor
HazardScore = Sum of scores of all hazards destroyed
SpeedScore = Accumulates each frame that speed is above a certain threshold. Accumulated amount increases exponentially with faster speeds.
SafetyScore = Accumulates each frame based on the amount of time since last collision.
WarpEnergyFactor = Warp energy / 1000, minimum of 1.
PickupFactor = Starts at 1 and increases by a slight fraction with each pickup collected, except for Dark Matter, Debit Cards, and Components
Current score, and the various components of it, are displayed during the misision.
End of level UI panel has been adjusted to display new score information.
End of level UI panel now reports Argen collected from Debit Cards.
