We have worked around the clock, grinding through sweat, blood and tears. Drinking rocket fuel instead of coffee to deliver this insanely packed update!
- OPEN WORLD - FLYING - POWER-SLIDE - TOKENS - NEW SOUNDTRACK - NEW SOUNDS - FULL CONTROLLER SUPPORT - OVERALL IMPROVEMENTS
The biggest part of this update is the Rocket Island HUB. What is the Rocket Island? Its like a tropical zen garden where you plant your seed of skill and water it with rocket fuel. Enjoy chilled out onboarding through immersive training sequence, explore the islands, collect tokens, solve puzzles and uncover secrets and hidden bonus levels.
Yes! You can now fly! And man is it fun. We have re-designed a few older levels to accomodate this new mechanic and we as well as our Discord beta besters think its a lot of fun, don't take my word for it, go check it out yourself.
Another huge improvement of the "fun-factor" was adding a power-slide. With a simple press of a button you dash forward with 50% charge getting you that sweet feeling of instant momentum. Something in your way? No worries, during power-slide you are in "crush-mode" and you can easily handle slamming through a few boxes. Couple it with 2 perfect jumps and you are reaching the top speeds!
With the recent update and boost of the project identity we were also fortunate enough to start working with Simone Cicconi who composed a new set of tracks for our project. We love them and Im very confident you will love them too! Original tracks by Vaclav Travnicek will be still part of the game in other hubs / specific levels.
With the soundtrack we though it would be cool to also update some of the old sounds and boy did we nail it with the boostpads. Check level "Rush" or "Heat" to zip around like a super rocket ;)
Well and finally we made all necessary tweaks to claim the "Full controller support". It is definitely a different kind of experience when you want to take it easy and sit back, relax in your sofa and boot up RBM on a huge screen with a gamepad in your hands. We also toned down the default aerial control to make sure the controls feel alright.
If you have played this game before you will see A TON of other smaller or bigger improvements anywhere you look. From the re-design, improved performance, tweaked animations all the way to changes in UI and menu layout.
Don't forget to send your screenshots to #hall-of-fame and MAKE SURE TO POST VIDEOS!!
PS: I have conquered the 5am challenge, pushing strong beyong the magical 66 days now! Feel free to also check out the mighty #5am-club channel on our Discord
Rocket Boots Mania 0.911 Update
Hello Rocket Maniacs! New year is upon us and that means one thing for RBM - even cooler updates!!!
Oh man, re-designing the environments is so much fun because it instantly improves the game feel and this is perhaps my most favorite redesign yet. We are trying to make the environments easily distinguishible and want you to feel not only the visual difference but also the gameplay difference. Mountains now feature the snow canons which lower your visibility and also utilize the new modular tracks system as well as hanging physical platforms. You can find mountains in its own section in the campagin menu.
The first map is called Downhill and is a little bit of twist on the whole game, a kind of experiment to be honest. In most arenas you are trying to get up and in this one, you go down instead, we are curious about your feedback. Stay safe and enjoy the huge cuts :)
The second map - Ice Tower is packed with action, a lot of small platforms hanging from the construction, some possibilities for cutting have already been exposed by the elite beta testing team and we expect more to come as you dive into it.
Basically since the beginning of this whole project we are trying to figure out what is the best solution for the checkpoints, should they be mandatory or voluntary? Obviously we dont want to force people to follow certain path but cutting can turn into reducing the playtime drastically, one of the changes in this build is a new checkpoint prefab with minimal "footprint" which can be placed almost anywhere and is only used as "safe-point" for casual people. On this map it works great because it is so vertical, but wouldnt work on Downhill at all. Let us know what you think
For quite some time we are moving towards the velocity driven movement system and we constantly try to improve the game feel, braking is a relatively new feature and we are still figuring out where exactly this fits in the game. With the latest update if you press back during jump the player will no longer accelerate backward, it will come to a stop until you land. Especially useful for low-end to mid-end players on small platforms (must have on Ice Tower).
Dont forget to send your screenshots to #hall-of-fame and MAKE SURE TO POST VIDEOS!!
If you are on our Discord you know how excited I am about acrobatics. This is the first taste of how AMAZING the feature will be once fully realized. We made a very simple trick and just switched the animation of pack-in for a frontflip, I really love it, what do you think of acrobatics in our game? Is it a good idea? Let us know on our Discord.
You know we are working on the level editor in the background and this is one of the coolest toys you will be able to play with, fully modular tracks which let you create insane tracks. I hope the Xmas 2019 challenge is a good stress test, I had so much fun with it and I cannot wait what you will build!
Loooooooooooooong lasting boost is here, what does it mean? You no longer lose the momentum immediately, you can now cruise at high speed and enjoy the wind in your hair :) The next step from here is velocity driven movement system which (if you are interested) I can describe in detail on Discord ;)
That is it boys and girls, time to crush some snowmen! You can find the Xmas2019 map under EXTRA in Campaign mode.
Dont forget to send your screenshots to #hall-of-fame and MAKE SURE TO POST VIDEOS!!
Hello Rocket Maniacs! Buckle up, grab your cocktail and let's dive into the most epic update yet!
- NEW ENVIRONMENT - ISLANDS - NEW MAP - LEMON - HIDDEN STATUES - JUMP 2.0 - NEW ASSETS - BUG FIXING
Do I even need to write anything here? Just marvel at this glorious picture above for a second. RBM is a great game, we all know that, but one thing that was missing was some really cool environment, well, not anymore, with this update you are about to experience this tropical pleasure!
And which map won the "first-to-be-redesigned" award? Lemon! That's right, one of the most fun and beloved maps had to be the first as it represents the tropical vibe the most. Build up momentum, collect lemons and throw them into the huge mixer, that is the concept in a nutshell. We have added one new cool feature - the conveyor belt. If you figure out how (it is not rocket science) you can turn it on and spawn a few extra lemons!
As if this update wasn't packed enough we included a few hidden statues which you can search for on the Lemon Island. We'd like to expand this concept into something like collectibles on more maps, so we are testing the waters to see how you like it. There are 3 hidden statues in the Lemon level, once you find them take a screenshot and post it to our Discord so people know you are the real deal!
The jump is essential to the game so that is why we decided to give it another pass. You can now brake if you press the oposite direction, the character no longer turns when you brake which makes it easier (especially for casual players) to make tight jumps as it it less confusing. We have also ramped up the visual turning speed mid-air so you no longer feel the character is rotating from a wrong pivot point - this doesnt affect the gameplay at all, but boy can you feel it.
We are constantly improving the game in all aspects and there are always updates down the line which work with these kind of updates, we have more plans for handles and that is why we have improved the looks and feels of handles as well as created some new fancy platform materials - I personally love the sun reflecting on the rubber pads - let me know what you think on our Discord!
Yep, that is about it for this update, we are extremely excited to hear your feedback for the Islands and cannot wait for your screenshots with the hidden statues, now go break some records maniacs!
Hello Rocket Maniacs! We are happy to announce yet another regular update, we are very excited about the new maps and hope to hear your feedback on our Discord. Quick summary:
- NEW MAP - HOLIDAY / ISLANDS - NEW MAP - CRYSTAL STAIRS / WONDERLAND - AERIAL CONTROL - SETTINGS / GAME - PLATFORM UNIFICATION - BUG FIXING
NEW MAPS
I love grinding this level, the meta path is rather mellow getting slightly fast paced near the end, the Discord beta testers found out a great way how to cut the end part completely. Check #videos on our Discord.
Slighly on the hardcore side, we might tone this one down once we get some more feedback from you guys, anyway, some completely new obstacles and a lot of ways how to complete this level for sure, make sure to use the checkpoints, they come in very handy with levels like this :)
PLATFORM UNIFICATION
Finally! My soul is healed (at least partially). Hopefully you have noticed we are re-visiting every part of the game and especially the level design is getting a tone of love, with this update we have unified the platform thickness, which might not sound like a big deal but it does make a big impact on the final look of the game. Presentation is key!
AERIAL CONTROL
Ever since we had a chat with the developer of Cloudbuild / Sky Tracers we kept thinking about how to improve the Aerial Control, we figured since this is an Early Access we can expose the controls for you to tweak and help us find the best default setting. Please let us know what works best for you in #ideas-feedback on our Discord.
That about wraps this update, some cool maps and bunch of quality of life things, the next one is going to be far more sexy you can trust me on that! More info on our Discord, dont forget to join if you havent already!
Because you have asked for it, we had to deliver! We are so happy and humbled that you loved this environment so much that you want it to be back in the game, we think it makes total sense and that is why we are bringing it online today!
Wonderland is a cool place, apart from really pretty surroundings you can look forward to traversing gravity defying obstacles in the very near future! (Stop by our Discord to see it live on stream!)
I have re-designed the design process! This map is build on a new concept which divides the level into "Sections" and I must admit I really like it, as it gives the player immediate orientation and you can track your progress while going through the level. It is medium-long length and I cannot wait to hear your feedback.
We also have some new customization options, thanks to Content Creators Nyks and Blancw we can enjoy the new levels with this sick swag!!
Vasek Travnicek, our music composer, produced another 5 amazing tracks that you can now enjoy while rocket parkouring through the world, make sure to let us know what you think about these new tracks as well as the old ones in #soundtrack on our Discord.
Apart from the new stuff, we have also improved a lot of things, we have updated the Unity version for improved inputs and performance as well as introduced a couple of bugs! Haha, yeah, but those are mostly fixed now, so that is great.
another update is here, read more to find out what is waiting for you!
Quick summary
35+ skins
Soundtrack
Challenges are back!
Replay system
2 new maps
Fire Rings
35+ skins
The content creators went in a BERSERK mode and produced insane amount of work.
We now have more than 35 skins + the 2 original skins and the game is much cooler because of that. It was so epic it created a unique problem for us - the build was too awesome and it stopped working - that is the main reason for the dealy of this update, anyway, all is good and you can test the skins and let us know which one is your favorite.
! IMPORTANT ! If you dont see your country represented - please make sure to join our Discord and ask the content creators to do it, they will be more than happy to help.
To mention a few skins which I really like - Ricky Mime is probably my most favorite, followed by Ricky Flame and Zoe Zebra :D :D
Baywatch was originally created as a "Full boost" map, giving the player instant and neverending full boost. With the new "boost" and "fuel" mechanics we decided to switch it up and give the player enough boost to storm through the level if skilled enough, definitely one of my favorite maps to grind (Idk how blancw got his score, lol)
Vortex is a map we created for our friends from Vortex, we are small indie studio and we appreaciate any help we can get and the best way to repay the favor is to highlight their work within our game, btw, there is also a Vortex skins for both Ricky and Zoe, check them out!
Soundtrack
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! We finally do have music in the game! It was composed by Vasek Travnicek and it is kick-ass. Currently we have 5 tracks in the game, but 5 more are coming and who knows where it will stop, please let us know how you like the music!!! And make sure to pop by our Discord to chat with Vasek about upcoming songs ;)
Challenges are back!
Yes, challenges are back online only with 1 small issue - since we switched the time-based leaderboards the challenges are still score-based, this needs to be addressed but you can play the challenge and your score will be stored in the singleplayer campaign leaderboard, we are working on a fix as Im writing this.
Replay system
Yep, once you finish the level you can hit the sweet button and just sit back relax and see all the hard work youve been through, really cool tech to help you improve!
Hello Runners! If you have read the previous update post you know what is coming. We have polished and stabilized the build that was on the beta branch, fixed all bugs and today we release it on the main branch for everyone else to join.
Here is a short summary of what is included in this build:
GHOSTS
NEW PLAYABLE CHARACTER - ZOE
NEW VISUAL STYLE + IMPROVED UI
TIME BASED LEADERBOARDS AND BONUS
ROCKET BOOTS 2.0
MEDAL SYSTEM REWORKED
More information about each of these points is included in the previous update but there are two extra things that were not mentioned before.
The first one are the SKINS!
Our talented crew of Content creators, more specificaly the users KIRONET, NYKS and BLANCW have created already more than 10 skins for both of the characters and you can already test 6 of them out in this very version of the game.
The second surprise is a new set of TRAINING MAPS
These 8 carefully designed arenas are meant to guide the new players and teach them how to be a PRO in no time at all. Each map is very different and offers a lot of freedom for skilled players to simply finish the levels within seconds.
We have received so much positive feedback from the beta testers and are curious what everyone else thinks! We cannot wait to hear you opinion. The best way to let us know your thoughts is through our official Discord. Discord is also a great way to get in touch with Content Creators and let them know how you like their skins and perhaps pitch your ideas for skins in the future!
JOIN DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rbm
Now that this huge update is out of our way we can finaly focus on creating a more steady stream of updates (we are currently planning to release an update every 2 weeks) you can expect new maps, skins, soundtrack and of course what everyone is waiting for - the LEVEL EDITOR, but dont hold your breath just yet, we have a lot of work ahead of us before the last item on our todo list is done.
If you'd like to get the updates before they are available here on Steam, please join our Discord as there is always some playtest running.
Wish you a best of luck to get your name on the leaderboard!!
Take care,
Antonin
Update [0.9.0] coming - READ MORE!
What is up Runners?! There is a huge update coming and you can already test it on our Discord:
JOIN DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rbm
(Discord skin by Kironet)
Here is a short list of all the new cool stuff that is part of the update:
GHOSTS
The first of 3 main milestones for our Early Access is DONE
This technology enables us to capture and replay any run as well as prepare us for the next stage - multiplayer.
Medals now have ghosts which are automatically selected when you play the level and give you motivation to improve.
Gold and Ultima player runs are automatically captured and uploaded to our servers.
You can select other players replay from the leaderboard and compete with them.
NEW PLAYABLE CHARACTER - ZOE
We have been testing Zoe on our Discord server for quite some while and she is finally ready to be implemented in the game
We have made adjustments to Zoes model and animations, she is now a bit younger (16-17 year old) and much more dynamic, closer to the feel of Ricky
She feels amazing and you need to try her out!
JOIN DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rbm
NEW VISUAL STYLE + IMPROVED UI
We've finalized the look of the game and are re-designing all Early Access levels
We have started out with the Arenas, other areas will soon follow matching the same style
We have a new map selection screen as well as more polished UI overall
TIME BASED LEADERBOARDS AND BONUS
This was one of the most requested things and since we listen to our community we have switched from score to time and man, does it work much better!
We have also added time bonuses in the levels that stimulate players to be creative and take harder paths.
You can still cut the whole level but if you want to succeed in the leaderboards you might want to search for the best not the shortest path.
JOIN DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rbm
ROCKET BOOTS 2.0
The games indentity is Rocket Boots and it had to be reflected more in the game.
Every time you perform a perfect jump a kickass particle is spawned letting you know this is what the game is about
After a lot of playtesting we have arrived at a 20% charge increase per jump, with no additional charge for camera movement.
With these changes the Rocket Boots feel amazing and we can't wait for you to try for yourself!
Many of the mechanics that were present in the previous version were a bit too hardcore, we introduced new mechanic called "Fuel" which is designed to give the best possible experience to the casual player while not effecting the high end of the gameplay. After collecting fuel (only on some maps) you can use [RMB] to burn it and get speed
We have refined the concept and got rid of the stuff that didnt make any sense (like the pipes and gates)
The levels now start from a runner pose which gives the game a more race like feel.The levels end with a clearly defined Finish.
MEDAL SYSTEM REWORKED
Thanks to the time based system and ghosts Gold is now a real achievment
Ultima is now a true test of skill and the ultimate achievment and sure does feel like it
If you are already on our Discord you know all of this, but the reason we made this post was to let everyone else know what is going on.
In case you werent on our Discord we do realize it might have seem as if we didnt continue the project and we do apologize for that, however the very oposite is true, we have been dedicated to this project and working extremely hard the whole time. Sure, we have taken a few wrong turns, but this is what game development is about and now we are able to stand here with this epic update that is coming your way.
The reason why we are so active on Discord is that it is a great platform for us to interact with you on daily bases, get your immediate feedback as you finish the level and share your thoughts right away. Updating the Steam version with each tiny playtest would be impossible and that is why we highly encourage you to join our Discord server to never miss another update:
JOIN DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rbm
So when is the next Steam update going to be released? You tell us! We do have about 20 re-designed levels with the time based leaderboards and we are wondering whether you'd appreciate having an update that has a fraction of the levels or if you'd like to wait a little longer and have all the levels. For us it doesn't really make that much different because we always release the levels on Discord for you to test them out, so it is up to you to let us know what you think!
! When you join our Discord, please PM me so I can give you the special role, so you have access to all builds !
Again, we cannot stress this enough, please do join our Discord!
Take care,
Antonin
PS: Join Discord <3
RocketBoots Mania PAX Challenge!
HELLO RUNNERS!
Hope you had a great holiday break and you are ready to jump in to improve your records - because we most certainly are!
There is a couple of major updates waiting for you:
IDENTITY UPGRADE
As discussed in the previous updates and on our Discord we have gathered a lot of positive feedback since the Early Access launch, but we also pay close attention to the feedback from the players that decided not to buy our game. The single biggest reason for such a mistake (not buying our game) was the percieved identity mismatch - people either thought this is an endless runner (because of the old name "Ricky Runner" or they thought its an adventure game for kids (because of the cheerful and cute graphics). We are sure that with the new name RocketBoots Mania and the new art direction, no one will be mistaken this is a serious competitive title. Just you wait till you see our new character Zoe in action! Some sneak peak can alrady be seen on our Discord.
PAX CHALLENGE
We are thrilled about your feedback from the Xmas challenge and since we are going to PAX South we wanted to show off and decided to bring you a brand new and even better challenge. This one is actually based off a special Multiplayer preview map called "Shuffle" which is also included in this update and it is accessible through the Dev Area directly from main menu. Let us know how you like both the challenge and the Shuffle - multiplayer preview. Both of these maps feature a new mechanic / feature and that is the Jump pad.
MORE CONTROL
Holding the slide/pack button [SHIFT] before or while wallrunning cancels climb. More detailed info on this one in our recent blog post.
SUMMARY
RocketBoots Mania indentity upgrade
PAX Challenge
Multiplayer preview arena - Shuffle
Holding shift before or while wallrunning cancels climb
New feature: Jump pads
Minor bug fixing
Can't wait for your feedback Runners! Stay strong!
