Hello everyone! Since Z.’s launch in February of 2017, Devin (the programmer) and I have worked hard on numerous bug fixes and new features/enhancements. You can see those past updates here.
Along the way, I designed what I consider “v2.0” of this game--which includes some requested features, things I’d personally like to see in the game, and some overall improvements to just about everything--and we’ve been working towards that ever since. I want to be very transparent that this is a lengthy undertaking so please set your expectations accordingly in terms of timing, but we are already underway on many of them and plan to roll things out as soon as it makes sense to do so. I'm also funding this out of my own meager pocket, with no expectation that Z. will ever turn a profit. Sometimes that means things go a little more slowly than I'd like.
Currently, the timing of v2.0 will align with the long-awaited release of the tabletop version of Z. (also funded in the same Kickstarter that made the digital version possible). The exact dates are to be determined, but it’s coming. I’ve been working on this game one way or another for over six years now, so please don’t worry that it’ll be abandoned.
All that said, here’s a look at some of the upcoming features for v2.0. Please note that some of these may change between now and the release of v2.0, but this is the current plan:
Revised Tutorial System
New Cards
Improved AI
Enhanced Audio/Visuals
Completely Overhauled Variant System
Localization (French & Spanish volunteers so far)
Overhauled Rewards/Progression
Steam Achievements & Trading Cards
Leaderboards for Survival Mode
Supply Run v2.0 (including a new Leader!)
Remaining Kickstarter Rewards
Digital Artbook & Soundtrack
FAQ: When is [feature/port] coming?
As soon as there are specific details to share about anything not covered here, you’ll all be the first to know!
***IMPORTANT: I try not to mention anything that isn’t already a concrete plan, but please keep in mind any dates/estimates/additions are targeted goals and MAY CHANGE!***
So that’s that. While the digital card space is way more crowded now than when I first envisioned Z. (way back in 2011, before Hearthstone was even announced), I still want to ensure this game ends up in a place where everyone--myself included--is happy with it. I’ve learned so much over the past several years about game design, community, and business, and hope that will show in the coming months and eventually on future projects.
Thank you all for your continued support!
--Sebastian
Creative Director
Update Notes: v1.4.3 [beta]
Hello everyone! v1.4.3 just dropped on the beta branch!
How to access Beta builds on Steam:
1. Right-click Z. Year One in your Steam Library
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Betas tab
4. Enable the "beta - Update beta branch" option from the drop-down menu
Updated Card Frames
The “card frames” have been updated for all cards. Aside from some slight font changes, the Card Name font color has been color-coded to the Card Type (Survivors = Blue, Fallen = Red, Equipment = White, and Location = Orange/Brown).
Additionally, you can fully customize this two-tone font color by clicking the new option we’ve added to the main menu. This (along with unit twitching settings) will be moved to a different area of the Config menu once the overall menu system is updated.
The default colors are decent, but please report if you’re having trouble reading any of the cards now. Please keep in mind that the minimum recommended resolution for playing Z. is 1080p.
General
Updated tooltip for Stealth II ability (Whitney)
Updated card art: “Is That You?” (Fallen Trap)
Updated card art: Police Officer (Survivor Unit)
Onslaught (Fallen Instinct) cost increased from 2 to 3
Refactored Stealth Attack (Survivor Tactic) and updated card text
Barricades will no longer come into play concealed when found by searching
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Horde wasn’t triggering properly
Fixed a bug related to unit twitching/concealment
Fixed a bug where Ranged Weapon costs would skyrocket infinitely
Fixed a bug where inspecting non-stashed cards in the Inventory Deck would show their cost as 0
Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
What’s Next?
I wanted to get this update out quickly as the next update may be a while. We’re tearing apart some stuff under the hood, so much so that you may not even recognize the game the next time we update. Stay tuned! :KittenCannon:
v1.4.2 is now live! This is the first non-beta game update in a while, so I’ve added a summary of everything that’s changed since v1.3.1 down below. The beta option for builds has been temporarily disabled but will be re-enabled likely with v1.4.3 as we continue to work towards the big changes coming with v2.0.
IMPORTANT! If you have time, please give the new Starter Decks a whirl. I’m in the final weeks (hopefully!) of wrapping up the tabletop version, and I want to make sure everyone feels these are strong decks for new players. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Improved Starter Decks
The Firepower Starter Deck has been reworked to include improved survivability. This deck is intended to be all about guns blazing with little regard for safety or noise, but some players felt it left them a little too exposed--especially for a “Starter” Deck, which shouldn’t have new players feeling overwhelmed (or underwhelmed, depending on your viewpoint). By hiding behind some 1-cost Protectors, or utilizing Medics, your heavy hitters should be a bit safer as they lay waste to the enemy. Just remember that using Ranged Weapons can create a lot of quick resources for the Fallen.
Likewise, the Firepower’s Base has been changed from Resource+ to Draw+, so you will now draw an extra card at the start of every turn. This gives you far more options to work with, and you can also salvage the extra cards if you would still prefer that extra resource instead.
While the Last Stand deck has been left alone, the Scavengers Starter Deck has been given one major improvement in the form of a unique new Base: Stealth Assault (which we learned the deck-builder automatically abbreviates as “Stealth Ass”). The Stealth Assault Hideout deals 1 DMG anytime an enemy is Stealth Killed. This will help the trickier Scavengers deck chip away at the Fallen Hive even without attacking it directly. A small but substantial change that should add even more viability to all of the stealth-related units and cards in the game.
For a bit more of a deeper dive on the new Starter Decks, I’ve recorded a video as well:
As mentioned at the top, I’d like to take this opportunity to get feedback on the Starter Decks, since once the tabletop version ships, I won’t be able to edit them freely like I can with the Steam version. Feel free to post in the comments below, in the general discussion forum, or by emailing me: sebastian@downwardviral.com. Thanks!
Other
Fixed a typo in the Flare Gun tooltip
Unit twitching should be a little more stable when set to extreme parameters (still not perfect yet, though!)
Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
None. The game runs 100% perfectly all the time on all computers and there is no chance of any bugs ever happening to anyone, ever....................... :rcry:
***PREVIOUS UPDATES SINCE v1.3.1***
v1.4.1 [beta] Changelog
General
Improved support for non-1080p monitors
Custom Hardcore Decks can now be saved
Adjusted the input options in the game launcher
Improved support for aspect ratios aside from 16:9
Added a debug system that will allow us to track AI issues better
Added the foundation for user-generated localizations (more on this in a future update)
Decreased AI timeout limit to 45 seconds (turn will automatically end if the AI gets frozen)
UI
Increased the size of Fallen slash FX
Traps have been relocated to the corners of the screen
Added Loading Screens when signing in or transitioning from the main menu to a match
Loading screens will be generated with a random image and a random tip. The tips should help remind players of key rules or suggest new cards/strategies, while the images are a nice way to see some of the artwork up close.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug that displayed the incorrect turn number when playing against the Fallen
Fixed a bug that displayed the incorrect cost for the Pepper Spray item
Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
Depending on your Unit Twitching settings, you may experience some visual bugs when units search, attack, or die while twitching. This feature is still experimental and we’re working towards stabilizing it.
I hope to start rolling out updates a little faster than we have over the last several months, so please stay tuned for some cool new stuff soon!
v1.4 [beta] Changelog
Variants 2.0 (WIP)
Variants are no longer consumable
Hardcore-specific decks can now be saved in the Hardcore Deck-builder
Variants max out at 03 in the deck-builder, except for Heroes/Horrors which max out at 01
The first stage of overhauling the Variants system is in place. I haven’t received much feedback about the Variants/Hardcore mode at all, but the little I have heard is that most people don’t seem to like the idea. I think it’s partially my fault for not having a tutorial or way to better explain the reason I designed Variants the way I did, and I think it’s also due somewhat to the current climate of games in general, thanks to players feeling burnt by Battlefront II and a million other games with various questionable approaches to making money or dragging out gameplay, etc. And that’s totally understandable.
Since I don’t want my little experimental mode to hover over this game as a unanimously unenjoyable aspect, or all the work that was put into it to go to waste, Variants are getting remixed considerably, starting with the fact that they are no longer consumable.
This is only the first step of Variants 2.0, though. Variants as they are now are way too OP and every single one of them is getting rebalanced to take into account that they’ll no longer be consumable. This change and more will happen over the next few months leading up the v2.0 launch. Everyone’s Booster Packs / Variants will be getting reset upon launching v2.0 to account for these changes, so don’t worry about losing or wasting anything you’ve already opened/used.
As always, your feedback is welcome!
Capped In-Play Units to Six
In an effort to tighten up the game and keep matches more balanced and intense, the in-play unit cap per player has been reduced from 8 to 6. This is not final, so feel free to sound off on your thoughts after giving it some time, but I do think it tightens the game up considerably. Neither side can drastically outnumber the other side as often, which should especially help the Survivors.
Note that for the longest time, the max unit cap was actually 5, with no Bases. We eventually made it 8 just to see if we could, and that number stuck. This also has the added benefit of allowing us to enlarge the units so the cards and text are featured more prominently.
The way Traps and Bases are displayed has also been changed temporarily to account for the new size/spacing, but will be further adjusted in a future update.
Twitching/Fidgeting
Units will now twitch (Fallen) and fidget/shiver (Survivors) at random intervals and intensity. This is a small thing I’ve wanted to add for a while, as I feel it makes the units and game feel more alive. When coupled with some of the upcoming audio improvements, the characters should feel a less flat.
This is just one more step towards making Z. feel like a horror movie disguised as a card game! Or is it a card game disguised as a horror movie?!
Note: By pressing Shift+T during a match, you can actually edit various parameters for Survivor and Fallen twitching. Feel free to mess around with it!
Unit Placement
You now have much more control over where your units can be placed. Instead of a single unit placement field, there a six individual unit positions. When playing a unit, you can choose which one you want that unit to be played to.
Enhanced Audio Sliders
Added audio sliders for the following:
Ambiance
Music (none currently implemented)
SFX
UI
Voice (none currently implemented)
Game Launcher Permanently Enabled
We have re-enabled Z.’s launcher and will leave it on permanently, now. This should help players encountering resolution issues when playing on unusual or unsupported resolutions. We’re also aware of several resolution issues and are actively looking to resolve them with the next major build.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Keys would float under a unit’s equipped items
Fixed a bug where Fallen loot was not visible to the Survivor player
Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
Various resolution issues when not playing in 1080p. We are looking into fixes for these, so please report them if you see them
A possible issue with in-play units disappearing but still being active due to the enlarged images; please report any instances of this should you encounter it
Pepper Spray costs 2 but is shown as only costing 1
v1.3.2 [beta] Changelog
New Feature: Magnifier
I’ve seen a handful of people comment that the text is too small in Z. If you’re playing as intended (fullscreen 1080p) this shouldn’t be an issue, but I also realize some players may have Z. windowed while multitasking, or are sitting further away from their display, etc.
To this end, a magnifying glass effect can now be triggered by pressing and holding the right mouse button. A couple of notes:
The magnifier is a rectangle shape to help read tooltips better.
Tooltips will freeze in place when the magnifier is activated.
So you need to hover over the card you want to magnify first, trigger the tooltip, and then magnify it. For example:
I hope this helps anyone who was having text legibility issues.
Card Changes
Added a tooltip to Jordyn’s Drone A
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Supply Run mutators would persist in other modes
Fixed a UI issue when opening the How to Play screen from the Main Menu
Enabled logging in while the game wasn’t the active application
Fixed a bug where Stay Alert IV wouldn’t draw a card
Fixed multiple UI issues in the deck-builder
Fixed a bug where LeeAnna’s Machine Gun showed as Non-Combat
Fixed a bug where shooting a Barricade with a Rocket Launcher would attack the Fallen instead of the Survivors
Fixed a bug where Snipers with Overwatch wouldn’t shoot enemy units discovered by searching/roaming
Fixed a bug with replacing weapons and finding equipment (h/t to Le pompon)
Update Notes: v1.4.1 [beta]
Hello everyone,
v1.4.1 is now live on the beta branch. This update has made some small but important QoL improvements, as well as starting to lay the foundation behind the scenes for some of the bigger v2.0 content coming soon.
How to access Beta builds on Steam:
1. Right-click Z. Year One in your Steam Library
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Betas tab
4. Enable the "beta - Update beta branch" option from the drop-down menu
v1.4.1 [beta] Changelog
General
Improved support for non-1080p monitors
Custom Hardcore Decks can now be saved
Adjusted the input options in the game launcher
Improved support for aspect ratios aside from 16:9
Added a debug system that will allow us to track AI issues better
Added the foundation for user-generated localizations (more on this in a future update)
Decreased AI timeout limit to 45 seconds (turn will automatically end if the AI gets frozen)
UI
Increased the size of Fallen slash FX
Traps have been relocated to the corners of the screen
Added Loading Screens when signing in or transitioning from the main menu to a match
Loading screens will be generated with a random image and a random tip. The tips should help remind players of key rules or suggest new cards/strategies, while the images are a nice way to see some of the artwork up close.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug that displayed the incorrect turn number when playing against the Fallen
Fixed a bug that displayed the incorrect cost for the Pepper Spray item
Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
Depending on your Unit Twitching settings, you may experience some visual bugs when units search, attack, or die while twitching. This feature is still experimental and we’re working towards stabilizing it.
I hope to start rolling out updates a little faster than we have over the last several months, so please stay tuned for some cool new stuff soon!
Update Notes: v1.4 [beta]
Hello everyone!
v1.4 is now live on the beta branch. Lots of new stuff added in this build! Hope you’ll take a look over the holidays and shoot some feedback our way.
Massive shout-out to Devin for working magic on the programming side of things!
Highlights:
Variants 2.0 (WIP)
In-Play Unit Cap Changed
Unit Twitching Added
Enhanced Unit Placement
Game Launcher Enabled
Bug Fixes & Known Issues
How to access Beta builds on Steam:
1. Right-click Z. Year One in your Steam Library
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Betas tab
4. Enable the "beta - Update beta branch" option from the drop-down menu
DISCLAIMER: Beta builds may introduce new bugs. Play at your own risk! You can disable beta builds at any time using the same process shown above.
v1.4 [beta] Changelog
Variants 2.0 (WIP)
Variants are no longer consumable
Hardcore-specific decks can now be saved in the Hardcore Deck-builder
Variants max out at 03 in the deck-builder, except for Heroes/Horrors which max out at 01
The first stage of overhauling the Variants system is in place. I haven’t received much feedback about the Variants/Hardcore mode at all, but the little I have heard is that most people don’t seem to like the idea. I think it’s partially my fault for not having a tutorial or way to better explain the reason I designed Variants the way I did, and I think it’s also due somewhat to the current climate of games in general, thanks to players feeling burnt by Battlefront II and a million other games with various questionable approaches to making money or dragging out gameplay, etc. And that’s totally understandable.
Since I don’t want my little experimental mode to hover over this game as a unanimously unenjoyable aspect, or all the work that was put into it to go to waste, Variants are getting remixed considerably, starting with the fact that they are no longer consumable.
This is only the first step of Variants 2.0, though. Variants as they are now are way too OP and every single one of them is getting rebalanced to take into account that they’ll no longer be consumable. This change and more will happen over the next few months leading up the v2.0 launch. Everyone’s Booster Packs / Variants will be getting reset upon launching v2.0 to account for these changes, so don’t worry about losing or wasting anything you’ve already opened/used.
As always, your feedback is welcome!
Capped In-Play Units to Six
In an effort to tighten up the game and keep matches more balanced and intense, the in-play unit cap per player has been reduced from 8 to 6. This is not final, so feel free to sound off on your thoughts after giving it some time, but I do think it tightens the game up considerably. Neither side can drastically outnumber the other side as often, which should especially help the Survivors.
Note that for the longest time, the max unit cap was actually 5, with no Bases. We eventually made it 8 just to see if we could, and that number stuck. This also has the added benefit of allowing us to enlarge the units so the cards and text are featured more prominently.
The way Traps and Bases are displayed has also been changed temporarily to account for the new size/spacing, but will be further adjusted in a future update.
Twitching/Fidgeting
Units will now twitch (Fallen) and fidget/shiver (Survivors) at random intervals and intensity. This is a small thing I’ve wanted to add for a while, as I feel it makes the units and game feel more alive. When coupled with some of the upcoming audio improvements, the characters should feel a less flat.
This is just one more step towards making Z. feel like a horror movie disguised as a card game! Or is it a card game disguised as a horror movie?!
Note: By pressing Shift+T during a match, you can actually edit various parameters for Survivor and Fallen twitching. Feel free to mess around with it!
Unit Placement
You now have much more control over where your units can be placed. Instead of a single unit placement field, there a six individual unit positions. When playing a unit, you can choose which one you want that unit to be played to.
Enhanced Audio Sliders
Added audio sliders for the following:
Ambiance
Music (none currently implemented)
SFX
UI
Voice (none currently implemented)
Game Launcher Permanently Enabled
We have re-enabled Z.’s launcher and will leave it on permanently, now. This should help players encountering resolution issues when playing on unusual or unsupported resolutions. We’re also aware of several resolution issues and are actively looking to resolve them with the next major build.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Keys would float under a unit’s equipped items
Fixed a bug where Fallen loot was not visible to the Survivor player
Various miscellaneous fixes / optimizations
Known Issues
Various resolution issues when not playing in 1080p. We are looking into fixes for these, so please report them if you see them
A possible issue with in-play units disappearing but still being active due to the enlarged images; please report any instances of this should you encounter it
Pepper Spray costs 2 but is shown as only costing 1
That’s all for now, but there’s much, much more to come! I hope you all enjoy the holidays. Cheers!
Update Notes: v1.3.1 + v1.3.2 [beta]
Hello everyone!
v1.3.1 has left beta and should now be the default version for all players. Update notes are below. For players helping to test the beta builds, v1.3.2 is now live on the beta branch.
How to access Beta builds on Steam:
1. Right-click Z. Year One in your Steam Library
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Betas tab
4. Enable the "beta - Update beta branch" option from the drop-down menu
DISCLAIMER: Beta builds may introduce new bugs. Play at your own risk! You can disable beta builds at any time using the same process shown above.
v1.3.2 [beta] Changelog
New Feature: Magnifier
I’ve seen a handful of people comment that the text is too small in Z. If you’re playing as intended (fullscreen 1080p) this shouldn’t be an issue, but I also realize some players may have Z. windowed while multitasking, or are sitting further away from their display, etc.
To this end, a magnifying glass effect can now be triggered by pressing and holding the right mouse button. A couple of notes:
The magnifier is a rectangle shape to help read tooltips better.
Tooltips will freeze in place when the magnifier is activated.
So you need to hover over the card you want to magnify first, trigger the tooltip, and then magnify it. For example:
I hope this helps anyone who was having text legibility issues.
Card Changes
Added a tooltip to Jordyn’s Drone A
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Supply Run mutators would persist in other modes
Fixed a UI issue when opening the How to Play screen from the Main Menu
Enabled logging in while the game wasn’t the active application
Fixed a bug where Stay Alert IV wouldn’t draw a card
Fixed multiple UI issues in the deck-builder
Fixed a bug where LeeAnna’s Machine Gun showed as Non-Combat
Fixed a bug where shooting a Barricade with a Rocket Launcher would attack the Fallen instead of the Survivors
Fixed a bug where Snipers with Overwatch wouldn’t shoot enemy units discovered by searching/roaming
Fixed a bug with replacing weapons and finding equipment (h/t to Le pompon)
v1.3.1 Changelog
New Feature: Timeout for AI
Some players have reported issues where the AI (the Survivor AI, in particular) basically poops itself and the game soft locks, requiring a reset. Fixing this is our TOP priority by far, but it’s been difficult to test because it doesn’t happen very often, at least not to us (I’ve played v1.0-1.3 for dozens of hours and it’s never happened to me once). And various fixes were deployed in the last couple of builds for this problem, but it seems we may not have zapped every possible instance of it.
In v1.3.1, the AI has been given an invisible timer of 90 seconds. If, for whatever reason, the AI hasn’t finished its turn within that time limit, the turn will automatically be ended. If the AI times out twice in a row, the player will automatically win the match.
While it’s not the greatest way to win, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to lose a match due to a bug and I sincerely apologize to anyone who has encountered this.
The timeout is just a temporary band-aid. We will continue to test for the cause of the AI issues, and some upcoming improvements to the overall AI may hopefully resolve these edge cases.
Please continue to report any issues you have with the AI. Most reports seem to suggest that it may involve the Survivor AI and either locked doors and/or empty locations (so basically, not knowing what to do when they can’t search).
Also, as the timeout feature is untested, it may cause issues of its own. If the AI bugs out, things may not work as they should on the player’s next turn. Again, please let me know what you find.
New Feature: Master Volume Slider
You can now adjust the game’s master volume from the Options (click the gear icon or press TAB at any time).
Additional audio improvements are coming, including remixing the ambient sounds for a better balance.
Card text and tooltip changes for the following cards:
Amie Lynn
Henry
Hope
J-Nugz
Lily
Michele
Pinky
Prof. Imahara
Vegas
Whitney
I’m currently going through each and every card in the game and making text tweaks or improvements. This is mainly to clarify the functionality of certain abilities. If there’s any card that you feel isn’t clear about how it works, please let me know. If there are a lot of these submissions, I may create a single thread to compile all of them into.
While most cards will not be getting re-worked as part of the text updates, a few, such as Lily, will be getting a buff in a future update.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Overwatch would trigger on Fallen Traps
Fixed a bug relating to Star’s signature weapon’s reload cost
Fixed a bug where the spacebar would repeat the “Buy a card” function
Fixed a bug that would not allow Whitney to use the Stealth Attack Tactic
Fixed a bug where the Military Vests would not apply their reload discount perk
Fixed a bug that allowed Hope to use her Pickpocket ability endlessly each turn
Fixed a bug where Jordyn’s Drone B would negate a Fallen Trap on the wrong turn
Fixed a bug where Jeani’s Guardian ability would not trigger when Vampy was in play
Fixed a bug where Roamers generated by Onslaught would not be properly highlighted
Fixed a bug where Hope’s Pickpocket would be erroneously displayed as a Stealth Attack
Fixed a bug where the far left unit’s tooltip and an unbought Location Unit would blend together
Console Errors
The new programmer cleared out a ton of errors left behind by the previous programmer in the Z. engine. While this doesn’t really impact you directly, it does make your output logs less cluttered and easier to parse, which in turn will help us resolve any issues you submit in the future. So, yay!
Next Update
Just a friendly reminder that there is currently no set schedule for upcoming updates. We’re working every day but taking the time needed to ensure things are getting done right. The new programmer is already getting very familiar with the complex intricacies of the Z. engine (there’s over 200,000 lines of code!), and has found ways to fix or accomplish things that the previous programmer could not.
Whether you get two updates in a week or one in a month, I will keep you all in the loop on how things are progressing without too much time passing in-between.
I apologize again for the lengthy delay between updates. As discussed in my previous post, it’s been a bit of a rough year due to some unexpected issues with a former collaborator. But now, thanks in large part to our new programmer, things are finally getting back on track.
Without further ado, here are the update notes for v1.3.1, which is currently accessible via the Beta option and will be set live to all players upon additional testing:
How to access Beta builds on Steam:
1. Right-click Z. Year One in your Steam Library
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Betas tab
4. Enable the "beta - Update beta branch" option from the drop-down menu
IMPORTANT: Beta builds may have serious bugs and can potentially cause issues with your unlocks/progress. While this is highly unlikely and we do everything we can to ensure that’s not an issue, please only enable beta builds at your own risk. That said, should your account get messed up, in most cases I can manually reset it and grant you whatever XP and booster packs you had previously (but not individual Variants).
New Feature: Timeout for AI
Some players have reported issues where the AI (the Survivor AI, in particular) basically poops itself and the game soft locks, requiring a reset. Fixing this is our TOP priority by far, but it’s been difficult to test because it doesn’t happen very often, at least not to us (I’ve played v1.0-1.3 for dozens of hours and it’s never happened to me once). And various fixes were deployed in the last couple of builds for this problem, but it seems we may not have zapped every possible instance of it.
In v1.3.1, the AI has been given an invisible timer of 90 seconds. If, for whatever reason, the AI hasn’t finished its turn within that time limit, the turn will automatically be ended. If the AI times out twice in a row, the player will automatically win the match.
While it’s not the greatest way to win, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to lose a match due to a bug and I sincerely apologize to anyone who has encountered this.
The timeout is just a temporary band-aid. We will continue to test for the cause of the AI issues, and some upcoming improvements to the overall AI may hopefully resolve these edge cases.
BETA PLAYERS: If you’re interested in helping us test via the v1.3.1 beta, please report any issues you have with the AI on this new build. Most reports seem to suggest that it may involve the Survivor AI and either locked doors and/or empty locations (so basically, not knowing what to do when they can’t search).
Also, as the timeout feature is untested, it may cause issues of its own. If the AI bugs out, things may not work as they should on the player’s next turn. Again, please let us know what you find.
New Feature: Master Volume Slider
You can now adjust the game’s master volume from the Options (click the gear icon or press TAB at any time).
Additional audio improvements are coming, including remixing the ambient sounds for a better balance.
Card text and tooltip changes for the following cards:
Amie Lynn
Henry
Hope
J-Nugz
Lily
Michele
Pinky
Prof. Imahara
Vegas
Whitney
I’m currently going through each and every card in the game and making text tweaks or improvements. This is mainly to clarify the functionality of certain abilities. If there’s any card that you feel isn’t clear about how it works, please let me know. If there are a lot of these submissions, I may create a single thread to compile all of them into.
While most cards will not be getting re-worked as part of the text updates, a few, such as Lily, will be getting a buff in a future update.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where Overwatch would trigger on Fallen Traps
Fixed a bug relating to Star’s signature weapon’s reload cost
Fixed a bug where the spacebar would repeat the “Buy a card” function
Fixed a bug that would not allow Whitney to use the Stealth Attack Tactic
Fixed a bug where the Military Vests would not apply their reload discount perk
Fixed a bug that allowed Hope to use her Pickpocket ability endlessly each turn
Fixed a bug where Jordyn’s Drone B would negate a Fallen Trap on the wrong turn
Fixed a bug where Jeani’s Guardian ability would not trigger when Vampy was in play
Fixed a bug where Roamers generated by Onslaught would not be properly highlighted
Fixed a bug where Hope’s Pickpocket would be erroneously displayed as a Stealth Attack
Fixed a bug where the far left unit’s tooltip and an unbought Location Unit would blend together
Console Errors
The new programmer cleared out a ton of errors left behind by the previous programmer in the Z. engine. While this doesn’t really impact you directly, it does make your output logs less cluttered and easier to parse, which in turn will help us resolve any issues you submit in the future. So, yay!
Next Update
Just a friendly reminder that there is currently no set schedule for upcoming updates. We’re working every day but taking the time needed to ensure things are getting done right. The new programmer is already getting very familiar with the complex intricacies of the Z. engine (there’s over 200,000 lines of code!), and has found ways to fix or accomplish things that the previous programmer could not.
Whether you get two updates in a week or one in a month, I will keep you all in the loop on how things are progressing without too much time passing in-between.
Anyway, it’s 3am and the night’s still young so I’m getting back to work! See you next time!
--Sebastian
Project Update & "v2.0" Roadmap!
Hello everyone,
I’ve been waiting to post a BIG video update but it’ll have to be some other time as I’m currently recovering from oral surgery and talking too much makes my mouth numb (I had four wisdom teeth extracted and two root canals all on the same day!). So, here’s a giant wall of text instead! :squirtyay:
I’m WAY overdue for a Steam progress report, and I apologize it’s been so slow-going the last few months. The intent was never to take so long between updates, but unfortunately some complications arose while transitioning from the previous programmer to the new programming team, which now includes myself and Devin, our new lead coder. Devin and I have already made progress on some good stuff (see roadmap below for more details). The reason there haven’t been any updates yet is because we need to close out a bunch of bug fixes first; we want to build new features and improvements on as solid of a foundation as possible. Those fixes are/were contractually the responsibility of someone else, hence the delay. Even the build that was being tested had critical errors in it, so we're tossing it out and Devin and I are starting fresh from v1.3 on.
I know this all sounds somewhat cryptic, but I’ve been working hard since launch in February to resolve the matter and start moving past this roadblock. It’s been very difficult and frustrating on my end as well, so I deeply appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.
While I do like the ambient soundtrack we’re using now (which is also getting re-mixed to sound better), there’s room for traditional music as well. More details and track previews in the future!
Steam Forum Overhaul!
I’ve reorganized the Steam forums a bit. There’s now a landing hub with vital information, and then several sub-forums, including General Discussions, Technical Issues, Tabletop Version, and Suggestions & Ideas. I may further rearrange this as things progress. For instance, different languages and new player help/guides will either be put in the hub or get their own sub-forum. TBD.
Promotion & Community
Due to the initial launch feedback and complications with the previous programmer I still haven’t promoted the game in any meaningful way (any streamer, reviewer, or YouTuber who has played the game thus far bought it with their own money!), and I’ve asked all the contributors (cosplayers, etc.) to also hold off until the new tutorial is up and running. Hopefully when the time comes and everything you see below is complete, we’ll get a nice influx of new community members.
v2.0 ROADMAP
Once the biggest pre-existing bugs have been ironed out, there are some major improvements/additions I’ll be adding to Z. over the coming year. I want to be VERY transparent that these will not be accomplished overnight so please set your expectations accordingly in terms of timing, but we are already underway on many of them and plan to roll things out as soon as it makes sense to do so.
Continuous Gameplay Tweaks & Bug Fixes
It seems the Survivor AI are still being problematic in certain scenarios (primarily when Locked Doors are involved), so that’s a top priority for the new programmer. Likewise, all of the bugs that you have reported since launch have been logged away and tested for, and will be fixed in future updates, along with other quality of life tweaks and improvements.
Revised Tutorial System
Obviously, the most-requested feature has been an improved tutorial system. During development, it ultimately came down to doing a traditional tutorial, or having more game content such as modes, cards, and locations. I opted for the latter, expecting that the tabletop rulebook-style How to Play would suffice for a tabletop-style game and players. While that’s been true for many players, it also, understandably, hasn’t for many others. Now with a little time I’ve devised a better new player experience that will not only help teach the mechanics of the game, but also help draw players’ attention to things that I think aren’t as apparent right now, such as the “hidden” decks in the Trait system, Bases, and Hardcore Mode/Variants.
There is currently no ETA for all of this, but it’s coming.
Translations
More and more volunteers have offered to create translated versions of the rules for different languages. Those will get rolled out officially alongside the new tutorial system, to ensure all information is 100% accurate and up-to-date.
Thank you so much to everyone who has offered to lend their time and effort to help Z. reach as many people as possible.
And to all of our new French community members, bonjour! As a thanks for all of the kind words and enthusiasm, a genuine Frenchman (or woman) will be added to the Survivors in a future update. Likewise for the Spanish rules as well--there’s someone special I’ve wanted to add to the game for a LONG time!
Zoom Effect for Cards
Several people have requested a zoom effect to help read the cards better. First, I’m going to look into a font size/card text overhaul and see if improvements there solve the issue.
However, for anyone requesting the zoom or having issue reading cards, is this even when “examining” them (putting your mouse over them so they get larger, then the text tooltip with their flavor/function text appears in a box next to them)?
Please reply to this post to let me know, and if you are still having a legibility issue, what resolution are you playing at? Thanks!
Overhauled Reward/Progress System
This is a big one! There is so much to unlock in Z. (including a few upcoming additions!), but the current system is kind of meh. So instead of just leveling up to unlock everything, there will be specific goals or milestones tied to certain unlocks. It will make the game overall much more rewarding and interesting, IMO.
Player levels will likely be reset, but any boosters/Variants unlocked will remain (and you can, of course, earn even more by leveling up after the reset).
The store page has been updated to let potential new players know about this upcoming change, along with the game’s current difficulty curve and pending tutorial improvements.
Steam Achievements & Trading Cards
I’m really looking forward to getting these in. I love achievements, and trading cards, obviously! The achievements will be largely tied to the new progression system, so expect all of this to follow that update.
Leaderboards for Survival Mode
Along with the overhauled progression and tutorial systems, I’m looking into adding leaderboards for Survival Mode. I think it will greatly augment that mode’s purposefulness, and also give the community something to share and compete over.
Revised Supply Run
There will be various improvements made to Supply Run. The one most people have requested is allowing progress to be saved, so if it’s possible within the system we’ve created I will definitely prioritize it.
From a design standpoint, Supply Run is meant to be an all-or-nothing deal in many ways, but I understand that not having save points may turn off players with limited time and they’d be missing out on a big part of this game, so that’s obviously undesirable.
Improved Audio/Visuals
Now that I’ve had time to let v1.0 of the game sit for a while, there are a lot of places that stick out to me as needing some spit and polish. I’ll continue to tweak things as development on the other additions proceeds. There’s still a few cool things we can add in.
Audio Slider
I’ve had a few requests to improve the audio controls, so a new slider will be added. This feature is actually already complete and waiting for the pre-existing bug fixes to be done before we enable it.
Semi-related: Yes, the crickets will be getting re-balanced, along with all other audio. ;)
Remaining Kickstarter Rewards
Certain Kickstarter rewards (the game itself and booster packs) have already been fulfilled, obviously, but there are still several that are yet to be rolled out. This is partially because they require the BackerKit to open, and the BackerKit requires the tabletop version to begin production in order to open. But just know they’re are coming, and include things like having your name appear on randomly spawned units and a handful of new cards, including a ninja!
Digital Artbook & Soundtrack
Two of the remaining Kickstarter rewards include a digital artbook and soundtrack. These will also be made available to non-backers, but the details on that are yet to be decided.
And last but not least....
A New Leader!
Ask and ye shall receive (sometimes....maybe)!
The reception to Jordyn has been overwhelmingly positive, so she’ll soon be joined by an additional leader for you to customize and take on your Supply Runs!
That’s all I can say for now. Don’t want to ruin the surprise!
FAQ: When is [feature/port] coming?
As soon as there are specific details to share about anything not covered here, you’ll all be the first to know!
***IMPORTANT: I try not to mention anything that isn’t already a concrete plan, but please keep in mind any dates/estimates/additions are targeted goals and MAY CHANGE!***
So that’s that. While the digital card space is too competitive to expect Z. to make a splash at this point, I still want to ensure this game ends up in a place where everyone--myself included--is happy with it. I’ve learned so much over the past few years about game design, community, and business, and hope that will show in the coming months and eventually on future projects.
Thank you all for your support!
--Sebastian
Creative Director
Important Survey!
Hello everyone! I apologize for the lengthy process of getting the next update out. I'll explain why it's taken a bit along with some other stuff in a proper update ASAP, but for now I wanted to ask you two quick questions that will help me greatly:
1. Have any of you recently experienced issues with the AI freezing mid-match?
This pertains especially to the Survivor AI when playing as the Fallen.
I haven't been able to reproduce this at all since v1.3 as we spent a lot of effort really trying to dig deep for all the possible causes, so please let me know if this is still an issue. Any additional information you can provide (where it froze, screenshots or videos, etc.) would be much appreciated!
2. Have any of you tried Hardcore difficulty and the Variant system? What were your thoughts?
Once we've completed the next major bug fix build it'll be time to start implementing some changes, such as the long-awaited tutorial system, as well as some things that I think will help structure the game out better, including a revamped reward system and Steam Achievements!
Details on that and more in the larger update!
Thanks in advance for responding to these questions, and for your patience and support as we work to continuously improve the game based on your feedback!
FYI: Next update is currently undergoing internal testing
Hello all. Since things have been a little quiet I wanted to post a pre-update update and let you know we're still cooking behind the scenes. In fact, the next update is being tested now. It will mostly focus on some pressing bugs that have been reported since v1.3.
No ETA just yet but I am cranking away on it as fast as possible.
I'll have a much more in-depth update for you once the build goes live, not just about what it fixes but also about future updates and plans and "stuff." Hope that's vague enough for you. :)
