In this update4
Full notes
Full AXIOM SOCCER update
Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.
What changed
- Gameplay
- Store
- Balance
AXIOM SOCCER changes
Welcome to 2020! Oh, wait...
So it's nearly 2021 and quite frankly most of us will be glad to see the back of 2020. But in amongst the doom and gloom we have some good news to share, and that is we're back!
"Oh, you were gone?"
Ah, well, yes. Quite. We ran out of money. Like, over a year ago.... But good news everyone! We have some more! And we're going to spend it on hats Axiom Soccer!
So what are you waiting for?! Download Axiom Soccer, check out what's changed below then let us know what you think over on our Steam Community Hub!
We'll be doing regular releases throughout each month so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks!
Malcolm - Producer CEO, Earthbound Games
https://store.steampowered.com/app/903730/AXIOM_SOCCER
Ball & Projectile Physics
Physics Engine - Our physics engine now uses a deterministic physics simulation (read predictable) rather than the non-deterministic physics simulation (read unpredictable) that it used previously. This allows us to have greater control over what the ball does when it’s hit, and allows players to more accurately predict where the ball is going to go.
Projectile Firing System - Projectiles now use a ‘bullet-based’ system to aim and fire rather than a physics-based arcing ballistic projectile. This ensures that where you aim is where you hit.
Projectile Parameters - Projectile speed, size & power parameters have been updated. We’re going to be continually tweaking these parameters to find a better balance of shot accuracy and ball control.
Projectile Power Decay - To reduce the ‘chaos’ element of player’s being able to hit the ball from anywhere on the pitch, we’re experimenting with a decay to the projectile’s power over distance. So the further you are from the ball, the less impact your shot will have when it connects.
Ball Physics Parameters - Again we’re going to continue tweaking these parameters to find a better balance of shot accuracy and ball control.
Weapons
We’re simplifying the weapons while we focus on improving the core gameplay experience.
Multiple Weapons - We've disabled the Shotgun, Machine Gun, Grenades and Deactivator - While the idea behind multiple secondary weapons was good, the shotgun was probably the only useful one, but even then it’s lack of a visible projectile paired with magnus ball curve made it difficult to predict where the ball would go.
Primary & Secondary Fire - We've replaced the weapons with a single shot, fire-on-click, primary and secondary cannon. The primary cannon (LMB) acts as a light shot for controlling the ball, while the secondary cannon (RMB) acts as a hard shot for shooting and passing. The secondary is probably a bit OP at the moment, but we have more tweaks to come...
Shot Cooldown - In a moment of madness we removed the cooldown between shots fired. This was to allow the player greater control of the ball as the quicker a player can fire at a moving target, the more accurate they will be and the more control they will have. But the down side is the player can obviously now spam fire, which isn't great. We're going to be experimenting with some alternative solutions to find the right balance between ball control and self control.
Gameplay Mechanics
Along with the weapons, we’ve disabled some of the game’s mechanics while we focus on improving the core gameplay experience. The following have been disabled...
Boost - While this was one of the only features implemented based on player feedback, we think that we need to reimagine the drone’s movement and control before determining whether a boost is still needed, and in what form.
Bollards - We’re focusing first on ensuring the player can defend using their drone before looking at what arena-based mechanisms we need.
Ammo - Resupplying ammo isn’t inherently a bad idea, but constantly returning to your goal pulled you out of the action at the worst possible moments. We’ve disabled this for now and will determine if it’s necessary later on.
Front End
Let’s face it, the front end is in need of a complete overhaul, but it’s lower on our priority list at the moment. In the meantime, we’ve disabled a number of screens and menus to streamline and simplify the user flow including the Garage, Player Profile, Local Play and some of the placeholder game options.
Source
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