Terrordrome: Reign Of The Legends - Development Update: July 2023
Updates for the Month of July!
A lot of technical work is being done for Reign Of The Legends at this time. There are a few things we need to work out for the next update. Let's jump in!
Coding
Netcode Adjustments
In the last few weeks, a lot of effort has been put into Netcode improvements for Reign of The Legends. A large bulk of the coding work the whole month of June has gone towards this mission specifically. We are still testing out changes in the netcode at the time of writing.
Steam Deck compatibility and debugging
We have received numerous reports of Reign of The Legends not functioning properly on the Steam Deck. In these past few weeks, we have started looking into potential fixes. We do not have much to share on the matter currently, but we are definitely planning to continue looking into this issue in the future.
Spring Heeled Jack
Spring Heeled Jack is practically complete. There are still some small adjustments to be made for the character. Mostly, we are still making sure the character functions properly and is balanced. Sounds have been completely implemented and all moves are in the game. We are excited to have this character in your hands!
Bug Fixes
As always, the team is hunting down any bugs in the game and eliminating them as best we can. Please continue to report anything found to the team either via Discord or on the Steam Discussions page.
Animations
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man's animations are all complete! The character has all attacks, reactions, specials, and unleashed attacks ready. This character has also received his alternate color schemes. We have not started implementing this character into the game yet, as doing so would result in further delays for Spring Heeled Jack. The character is ready to be coded into the game, however it will be a little wait.
Bonus Fighters
In the mean time, due to The Invisible Man's animations being complete, we have actually began working on our three bonus fighters' animations! We do plan to reveal these fighters later in the year. For the time being, know that they are still planned for release before the game is completed. We still would like to clarify that these characters are a large part of the Reign of The Legends story, and are treated as Bonus fighters.
Other News
New Announcer
The team has been looking into changing the announcer's voice for Reign of The Legends. We are looking for a different feel than the current announcer. We are also looking for a new announcer due to having to record additional lines now with the inclusion of the Bonus Fighters. Additionally, the team has decided to rename The White Lady. The team has been set on a simple change, "The Lady In White."
The Erase Warehouse and Frankenstein's Sanctuary
As we prepare for the next major update, The Erase Warehouse and Frankenstein's Sanctuary will receive their final adjustments. We are planning to add the final polish to these stages and ensure their total functionality. The plan is still set to have these stages release with Spring Heeled Jack.
EVO 2023
Once again, EVO approaches! The team has begun work on a new trailer for 2023! We plan to showcase the game once again, perhaps a bit more in depth, with hopes of attracting new players. We are also looking to show off a bit more of Spring Heeled Jack! We're looking forward to participating once again in the Indie Fighting Game Showcase!
It has been a busy month for the team, and there is still plenty of work to be done. We'll continue to update you when we can, and we are hoping to have the next major update done as soon as possible. There is a lot more to it than just Jack's implementation. We appreciate your patience and support! As always, thank you!
- The TerrorTeam
Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends Development Vlog #6 - Development News
Check out our latest development vlog below! This will take the place of our usual monthly blog post.
We hope you enjoy!
- The TerrorTeam
Terrordrome: Reign Of The Legends - Development Update: May 2023
Springing Into the Month of May
We've got quite a bit to show off this month! A lot of work has gone into our next character, as well as fixes to the current public build. Let's get into it!
Coding
Netcode Adjustments
We've taken some time to adjust the online experience this past month. We understand that there are still issues with matchmaking and connections. This is top priority for us at this time while Spring Heeled Jack's animations are in progress. We are also looking to add spectators to online matches, however progress in this area of development has been tough. We'll update more on this feature in the future.
Epic Online Services Integration
Another important feature we are working on is getting Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends on The Epic Games Store. You may have noticed that we are using Epic Online Services in order to feature crossplay. This is a free service provided by Epic. We would like to clarify that you do not need an Epic Games account to play online, however you currently do not have access to Private Matches without linking an Epic Account. This is due to Epic Online Services Social Hub being used. This is changing in our next update as we have found a way to allow all players to have access to Private Matches regardless of linking an Epic Account or not.
Balancing and Bug Fixes
Of course, we are always actively looking for any bugs and glitches in the game so that we may fix them. Please report any bugs or glitches you come across to us either here in the game Discussion Forums or on our Discord here: https://discord.gg/sWAmg9SW
Animations
Spring Heeled Jack
Spring Heeled Jack has become our fastest developed character of the roster. Due to his lack of facial animations, he requires less time to animate. He also shares a familiar body type with Helsing, meaning there is no need for complicated adjustments in animations like we had when developing the Wendigo.
Spring Heeled Jack's moveset has been finalized and his animations are nearly complete. All that is left is to animate his Intro and Outro to fights, and undergo some minor animation polishing. We can't wait to show this character off with the vision we have in mind for him. We believe he will be a great new addition to the roster with a lot of fun abilities.
Jack still has a long way to go before he will be playable. We still need to find an appropriate voice actor for the character. It is also going to take some time to implement this character into the game once his animations are complete. We are also planning to begin work on the Invisible Man's animations once Jack's are complete. The plan is to have The Invisible Man's animations be developed as Spring Heeled Jack is being coded into the game.
Other News
Arcade Stories
We have begun working on a demo of the Arcade Stories. The plan is to include a prologue cutscene when starting the arcade ladder as well as an epilogue cutscene after the arcade ladder is complete. The narratives for these have been written and will follow a brief story about the selected character. We would like to specify that these are unrelated to the Story Mode narrative we wish to tell in the future. In a way, we like to consider these alternate timelines. We are hoping to share more with you soon, but until then, here is a brief sneak peak at a shot from Frankenstein’s Arcade Story.
That about sums up what we have to show this month. It's looking like we will have Spring Heeled Jack's animations done soon so we can begin on the Invisible Man shortly after. We're planning to release another vlog in the coming weeks as well for more internal news. We're hoping to release this by the end of the month, however the latest will be sometime in June. Until then, we appreciate our followers as always and we hope to share more with you soon! Thank you!
- The TerrorTeam
Quick Fix - Tutorial Crash Fix
Fixed an issue causing a crash with exiting Tutorial mode then entering a new match in any game mode.
Super Small Change to Visuals
We have added a new toggle within the Visual settings to disable Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) if you had poor performance try disabling this and see if this helps.
This setting was previously available in the last update and was off by default.
HotFix1 for Update 18
New Hotfix for patch 18 has been released, This addresses issues with Epic Account Login, a new Music Boost slider in settings menu and netcode optimizations.
When starting the game you'll once again be asked if you want to login with an Epic games account, this menu has been updated to wait before allowing input due to possible accidental input, PLEASE NOTE you don't need an account to at play online. This is for inviting your friends to play within private matches. In the coming months we'll be adding more integration with Steam, once again we know some users don't like this change and well this is the only FREE option for CrossPlay.
When selecting YES to login with an Epic Games Account without having Epic Online Services installed you'll be directed to a web page to login. You will no longer have endless looping of new tabs opening in your web browser. Please if you do select YES do not go back to the game a new tab will open. If Epic Online Services is installed an in game overlay will be shown to allow you to login, if Steam didn't install this for you can browse local files and find the folder containing the installer.
If NO is selected on the first screen of the game you'll no longer be asked to login to an Epic games account, if you want to login to one of these accounts later a new option is added to the Gameplay tab within the Settings Screen.
Added a new Music Boost Level Slider in the Settings menu, for some the music might have been too low with our hard coded setting. This gives you the control over how loud the music is, if Sound SFX can't be heard you might want to balance audio. We are still looking to sort out issues with audio volume with certain character voice and hit sounds. When first entering the main menu the music may be too loud, you'll need to balance this level in the settings.
Fixed an issue for when entering Training Mode and having Death Sentences enabled that this setting persist outside of training mode.
Potential fix to return to local game state after leaving an online match.
Fixes to an issue causing too many rollback frames while online.
Potential fix to an issue not allowing the pause button to work on Xbox Pads.
Fixed the flames visual effect used within Helsing's Green Sun Death Sentence and Dracula's Blown To Smithereens Death Sentence.
Mapped the buttons for switching tabs when using a Direct Input device, if this is still an issue with this controller types please let us know.
Character position is now set to the last position you was when you first started an input recording on playback. An issue was found when switching sides mid recording.
Wendigo Changes/Fixes
Slightly extended the hit box of the second hit of his M M S combo string.
Increased the Hit Stun for EX Cannibal Leap allowing for easier follow ups.
EX Ice Spike is now limited to 2 uses within a combo to be more inline with other characters EX launchers. Just remember these moves don't add to total launcher count allowing for a normal launcher follow up without reducing gravity.
Fixed an issue with EX Wild Charge not allowing for a proper Dash Cancel follow up. You can no longer cancel to a normal attack on hit confirm with this move. The opponent will launch slightly higher and not travel back as far.
Fixed an issue with Wild Charge hit boxes on both versions of this move.
Slight increase in the the damage with Cryogenic Slam (Close Unleashed) when preformed in a combo.
Note On Inputs : When it comes to controllers the main ones that are going to have a default layout are PS4 and Xbox pads. Not all controllers are going to have a default map with that being said we allow the keyboard and the mouse within the main menu in order to set inputs.
Final Note : We have 2 users that have mentioned the game is not optimized, we are looking for your PC Specs, please note this game isn't going to run on low end hardware you must have at least a modern GPU in order to have the best visuals our game can offer. With that said there is a lot of data that has to load within the game. If your PC lacks system memory this will cause a problem. What you can try to do to make your gameplay experience better is by going to the Settings and the Visuals tab to adjust your graphics settings. Use the Show FPS toggle in order to show detailed information of your PC if you don't know and to also see if your able to achieve a stable 60 FPS while playing in a match.
With that said patients is key here I'm just one guy working on bug fixes...
Wendigo Sinks HIs Teeth Into the Terrordrome!! - Terrordrome - ROTL Update 18
HUGE Update to the game! In this update, we have a new playable character, multiple stage overhauls, GGPO ROLLBACK NETCODE, and more!
New Content
New Character Added : Wendigo has been added to the playable roster, here is his bio:
The Spirit of Hunger and Greed has been awakened and is more ravenous than ever. Once an inhabitant of the cold forests in the northern regions of North America, his presence is now often felt near rural towns. Something has triggered his appetite and it’s uncertain what this could be. Although most people don’t believe in him and consider it a mere Native American legend, the Sasquatch people know him well and may know how to stop him. For that to happen, new alliances will need to be forged between humans and the Sasquatch if they can settle their differences.
New Stage Added: The Winter Woods has been added to the game as a selectable stage, this is the home stage of the Wendigo.
New Stage Added: The Realm of Agony has been added to the game as a selectable stage, this is the home stage of The White Lady
New UI Changes We now have a completely reworked menu system, including a new main menu, character selection and more. Issues may still be present within this new UI so please feel free to report any issues to the team dev. We are still looking to improve our menu designs. Our new main menu now allows the usage of the mouse, this will combat issues of unmapped confirm buttons.
Existing Stage Overhauls: All previous stages have changes to lighting and other additions to the background.
GGPO ROLLBACK NETCODE: That's right, we now have rollback netcode using GGPO! In its current state, you can play a 1 v 1 match. We are looking to expand on this in the future to allow for spectators, but as of now, have fun playing online with stable netcode!
Epic Online Services : We now leverage Epic Online Services for Matchmaking and Online P2P connections, this allows cross play with users that have purchased the game on Epic Games Store.
General Changes/Fixes
The Camera FOV has been altered in game to allow for a better view of the stage. The camera no longer follows the players in the corner and is now in a fixed state while in the corner.
Frankenstein has new animations on his Gunshot special move.
Frankenstein has new animation on his forward and backward walk cycles.
Dracula's Helper Isadora's model has been altered.
More possible fixes to the issue of certain Unleashed moves not being able to be performed in certain situations. If you still experience these issues please report them in the bug report thread or the bug reports channel on our Discord link : https://discord.com/invite/WyMcdxQ3mc
Fixed an issue related to EX/Mod button sometimes being stuck in a held state.
Death Sentences now feature new visual effects, darkening the background to highlight the characters. These moves no longer trigger the K.O. announcements.
Perfect has been changed to Perfect K.O. in order to be more inline with modern fighting games.
Music has been slightly lowered in volume.
Several New Sound Effects have replaced previous sounds.
New Hit Spark Effects have been added to various attacks.
New EX effect is now applied to all characters, the old issue of sometimes seeing both characters having this effect applied has been fixed.
Attack information no longer rearranges the order presented when viewing the command list.
Gameplay Changes
You can no longer jump over your opponent if their back is to the corner, so be careful as you might get trapped and need to find a way out.
Fixed an issue not allowing Counter Dodge/Counter Break while fighting an AI opponent.
Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends Development Update: April 2023
New Content on The Horizon
We understand we've been quiet with updates. There has been a lot of work these past few months outside of characters. We're gearing up for our next major update. Here's what we've been up to!
Coding
The Wendigo
The Wendigo is complete, with any adjustments leading up to the update release only being minor. As always with each character release, we will be vigilant with adjusting bug fixes or balancing with the new character. The Wendigo is subject to these instances more so than other characters due to his unique body type and size. Upon release, please report any bugs related to this character.
Rollback Netcode Success
In Last Month's development blog, the team mentioned putting a pause on rollback netcode progress after seemingly stagnating. However, our project lead coder Brad discovered a breakthrough that boosted confidence and motivation to continue this endeavor! We have seen much better results within our engines game state and netcode. We have tested numerous back-to-back online games with rollback successfully. With more fine-tuning, we believe we are able to finally launch this new solution!
As of writing this, the team feels extremely confident in the ability to provide a great online experience. This has been the most engaging area of development this past month. These breakthroughs have been a large milestone for the project!
Animations
Frankenstein
Frankenstein has received a bit of love for the coming update! Frankenstein's walk cycle has been updated to show a more confident combatant. His gunshot animation has also been improved. You can expect some of these additional changes in future updates to other characters we feel need an update.
Spring Heeled Jack
This month, we are entering full-time animation mode for Spring Heeled Jack. Attacks, specials, grabs, and the works will be highlighted this month. When we develop new stages, it unfortunately takes time away from character animations. As you will see below, we have made plenty of progress on stages this past month. Upon release of the next update, Jack's development will be top priority. We have plenty more characters to release this year, so we decided to have these stages knocked out sooner so we could give more attention to the development of the final characters.
Stages
The Helsing Arcade
The Helsing Arcade has seen some renovations to the lighting as well as some additional arcade cabinets and structures. Furniture has been added for those looking to relax, enjoy the music, and look at the new Knight statues.
Room 101
Room 101 has seen a few modifications. It seems whoever was once held in this confined room had something to share with the world. The walls are now littered with the ramblings of mad men who've seen horrifying truths.
Dracula's Suite
Dracula's Suite has seen adjustments to lighting within the stage. We thought it fit to include Dracula himself resting upon his corporate throne. Alongside Dracula are his devilish brides, Isadora and Sybil. The plan includes removing these characters when Dracula is selected on this stage.
The Greenhouse
The Greenhouse has seen some improvements since we last showcased the stage. The Greenhouse now features new lighting and is nearing completion. We are looking to resolve any visual bugs from the stage that may occur from camera angles that are utilized during certain moves.
Erase Warehouse
The Erase Warehouse stage is shaping up to be a unique home for Spring Heeled Jack. We will likely be releasing this stage alongside Spring Heeled Jack when the time comes. This stage is mostly complete with only a few more assets to be added.
Frankenstein's Sanctuary
Frankenstein's Sanctuary has seen some additions as well. New statues and sculptures can be found along the stage. This stage is nearly complete, receiving it's own stage track very soon. We are looking to release this stage along side Spring Heeled Jack's release.
Dr. West's Laboratory
Finally, we would like to welcome back our favorite connoisseur of reanimation! Dr. Herbert West makes an appearance in our latest stage! Dr. West has some immoral projects on hand, at the request of Dracula himself. This stage will be featured in our story mode and will be elaborated on more in the future. It will also be a playable stage in the future once we polish up more additional aspects.
Other News
Next Major Update
We apologize for consistently holding back the next update. This update is largely complete, with our focus primarily on the netcode and online experience. As stated above, we believe we are nearly complete with finalizing our rollback integration. The Wendigo is complete. The Winter Woods and Realm of Agony stages are complete. Our next major update will feature the following:
- New Character: The Wendigo. - Two New Stages: The Winter Woods and The Realm of Agony. - New User Interface and sleek menus improvements, featuring new Artwork. - Improved Netcode and Online Multiplayer, featuring GGPO Rollback Netcode. - The launching of Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends on the Epic Games Store featuring Cross-play Integration between Steam and Epic Online Services. - Several Stage Overhauls on existing stages. - Several bug fixes.
More details will be shared within the patch notes of the update. We are hoping to finalize our changes and launch this update possibly this week. We are looking to have the update ready for the Indie Fighting Games Fest! As always, we are forever grateful for your patience, support, and enjoyment in Terrordrome. Thank you all!
- The TerrorTeam
Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends Development Update: March 2023
Testing and Modeling
This past month we have been putting our efforts into more new stages, testing the Wendigo, and testing out rollback netcode progress. Let's give a rundown!
Coding
Rollback Netcode Progress
This past month, we have placed a lot of time and effort into trying to add rollback netcode to the game. We are still testing features and this has become a draining task. We are still far from the desired results, however this is a high priority for the team. For the time being, we would like to place this on hold once again as continuing to work on it would mean even more delays on the next update. We will be coming back to this again in the future, hopefully with better results. We are trying our best to deliver on this feature, we apologize for the inconvenience.
User interface Adjustments
We have heavily advertised a new User Interface to be included in our next update. We feel comfortable with how it currently looks, however we do plan to make some more adjustments in the future. We have included various new menu styles for the Main Menu, Pause Menus, Character Selection, Loading Screens, and Match End Screens.
The Wendigo
The Wendigo is essentially complete with the exception of some minor bugs and audio errors. These are simple fixes to manage and we are looking to have some audio recorded again. We will be prioritizing this character's testing from this point forward as we would like to have a release this month. There are only small additions left before he is ready to be released. We know you will enjoy this beast of a character. Expect a gameplay trailer soon!
Stages
We would like to share some progress on two of the new stages, Frankenstein's Sanctuary and Underground Laboratory. We have begun developing the base of each stage so they will be ready in the future! These stages are very early in production and still have quite a way to go. Once again, we would like to emphasize these stage names are still subject to change.
Frankenstein's Sanctuary
After finding himself at a loss of a mission, Frankenstein's Monster would spend centuries isolated within the arctics. The Monster adopted the name of his father, Frankenstein, and has turned his attention to mimicking humanity. The Monster has sculpted his own architecture, created his own artwork, and has endlessly pondered existence. However, when the Monster's memory comes flooding back, the programming kicks back in, proving this creation's one true purpose: Destroy All Vampires. Frankenstein's Sanctuary will act as Frankenstein's home stage.
Underground Laboratory
Hidden deep underneath Dracula's facilities lie multiple testing grounds in which the most diabolical of experiments are conducted. Inhumane projects are all too common while the public are none the wiser. The facility is heavily guarded as Dracula's top scientists carry out the wishes of their master. What are their goals? Well, perhaps in time it will become more clear. At this time, the Underground Laboratory is not the home stage of any character.
Other News
Since we have merged our planned updates into a larger scale update, we are still looking to fine-tune aspects of the coming update. These include smaller scale items such as bug fixes, UI adjustments, and some stage changes. We are also still producing the music tracks for the Winter Forest and Realm of Agony. Outside of music tracks, these stages are complete. We are looking forward to sharing more with you next month. Apologies that this month has been light with news. We are shooting to release this next update this month. Until then, thank you!
- The TerrorTeam
Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends Development Update: February 2023
What's going on?
So we understand that it's been a while since we've had a new update. The UI update is still being tested as we prepare to launch on the Epic Games Store. There are other aspects outside of the menus that we are paying close attention to such as balancing, bug fixes, new camera FOV, and netcode. As it has taken such time, we are merging the new UI update with the Wendigo Release. This past January, we've been working on some new content that will find it's way into the game. If you missed it, you should check out our new vlog that we uploaded just last week. It contains even more information on the topics you'll see here! Check it out if you haven't seen it already!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikThG15WG7w
Characters
Three New Fighters
In our recent vlog, we confirmed that the final roster will now include 15 playable fighter. To clarify, these characters have already been decided. These fighters are also unrelated to the proposed DLC roster image that has been floating within our community. We would also like to state that these fighters are original characters that are directly involved with the game's story mode.
It has come to our attention that we have not been clear in regards to the games “planned” DLC that we made a few years back. We want to make it clear that the proposed DLC characters have never been guaranteed, both in proposed characters or if DLC will be made. The characters listed were initially a representation of what could make it to the game. These proposed characters were brought up during our Kickstarter campaign prior to 2018. In essence, if we were to produce DLC fighters, it has never been set in stone who could appear in game. Currently, our main goal is the completion of Terrordrome: Reign of The Legends on PC and to produce console ports. We do plan to continue to support the game with DLC fighters should the game's potential success warrant such support. Until then, we do not have any planned fighters for DLC. Apologies for any confusion and if we have disheartened you.
Wendigo
As of now, the Wendigo has gone through quite a few changes. Some aspects of his attacks, animations, and features had to be adjusted to better suit the game. He is a rather difficult character to integrate. This has slowed us down a bit with his development. The Wendigo is currently available to try on the Patreon release of the game. We truly believe he has been worth the wait. We are excited to reveal what this character is capable of in game upon completion. He has some unique properties to him aside from just his size. Currently we are balancing his move set, adjusting hit boxes, and adding sounds.
For a teaser of this fighter, you can view our recent Vlog #5 video.
Stages
These past few months, we have shown off two of our new stages in development, the Winter Forest and The Realm of Agony. These stages are complete and are in a polishing phase. We are also still waiting for music tracks for these stages that we will share when available. Of course as we've mentioned before, these stages are planned to release along side the Wendigo.
We have also began work on two new stages that we would like to share with you now! These stages have also been revealed in our vlog, but here are some extra details and updated screenshots.
The Greenhouse
Some might say that Dracula's Greenhouse is by far the most calming of locations within his estate. Though when seeking solitude inside, others say they can't shake the feeling they're not alone. Almost as if someone is watching them. There's definitely a certain aura that cannot be shaken when in the Greenhouse. The feeling that you're totally surrounded, and completely outnumbered. What horrors lie just beyond the surface can only be seen to believe. The Greenhouse will act as the home stage of the Invisible Man.
The Warehouse
It's no secret that the Vampires have significant control of the Earth. With such power and influence, what's stopping them from indulging on their greed and desires. Priceless riches from all across the globe, ancient artifacts from the most remote of locations, lost treasures from Atlantis to Camelot. With such wealth, it can be considered a goldmine for a potential thief. Internal reports indicate a prowler may be responsible for the misplacement of several prized possessions. The Warehouse will act as Spring Heeled Jack's home stage.
The team would like to clarify that these stage names are still placeholder until we have decided on proper names. We are also looking to release these 2 stages when they are completed. They may also release along side Spring Heeled Jack.
Other News
Camera FOV changes
In our latest engine tests on the game, we have decided to increase the games camera FOV. We felt that this would improve the visual depth on stages and provide a more visually appealing landscape in game. This does directly affect gameplay as well. You will notice that moving into corners of the stages no longer completely follow the characters and will instead go static.
Music Tracks
We have recently commissioned 5 additional stage tracks for upcoming stages. Once all our stages are completed, we hope to release them along side character releases. Having the tracks made sooner rather than later helps with boosting production.
Update Merging
We have decided that it is best to merge the User Interface update with the Wendigo Update. We know that we have been taking a lot more time than we would like to produce these updates, so it made sense to start integrating the Wendigo into an existing update rather than wait until later. There are still a lot of things we need to work on before we can publish this build to the public, so please bear with us.
This year, we are looking to add a lot of content to the game. We've got a lot to work on so you can expect quite a few updates these coming monthly blogs. We are working hard to improve our existing content as well. Thanks for sticking with us through this journey, we'll have more to share next month!
