Galactic Thunderdome Closed Beta Version 0.6.0

We just dropped Galactic Thunderdome v0.6.0!

We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re excited to introduce a new respawn mechanic to co-op Last Stand! If your friends go down, they can now be revived by defeating a gradually increasing number of enemies. This should address the frustration of players dying early and having to wait for the round to end to jump back in. Keep the great suggestions coming!

We’ve spent a lot of time this patch optimizing critical areas of the game to boost your FPS! Many parts of the code have been fine-tuned to maximize performance.

Optimizations

• Optimized various systems using enum strings for faster processing.

• Improved performance of enum to string conversions.

• Enhanced the input system, particularly during dazed states.

• Optimized in-game menus and HUD to reduce lag.

• Optimized the Item Selector Wheel for smoother interactions.

• Significantly improved rock graphical rendering and level elements.

• Enhanced the assignment of material types to level objects.

• Optimized background parallax for better performance.

• Optimized item factory and pooling system for faster item generation.

• Improved pickupable item collision detection.

• Enhanced player controller for smoother movement and response.

• Various system tool optimizations for overall stability and efficiency.

• Optimized the wind system for better performance.

• Overhauled the motion blur system to boost overall performance.

• Optimized the player unstuck mechanic.

Specific Optimizations

• Tweaked and optimized the protoshape system

• Enhanced system tools to ensure smooth operation across various gameplay elements.

• Distributed Stage Wave enemy spawning across multiple frames to improve performance during intense sequences.

• Optimized horde AI character and item pooling for smoother wave management.

Fixes

• Fixed issues with Steam Cloud saves not syncing correctly.

• Resolved problems with local app data saves.

• Fixed crashes related to image graphics in builds.

• Corrected batch loading and pooling issues with rocks.

• Resolved problems with fire/smoke effects disappearing when the gun is unequipped.

• Fixed material cleanup issues that caused visual inconsistencies.

• Corrected an issue with stain painters on ice surfaces.

• Fixed medals displaying incorrect particle leafs.

• Fixed graphical issues with the repulse gauntlet and its pooling system.

• Adjusted Gauntlet title position to avoid overlapping other UI elements.

• Fixed wind effects to ensure consistency in visual and gameplay experience.

• Fixed an issue where slo motion effects lasted longer than intended.

• Fixed AStar pathfinding issue related to automatic doors.

• Resolved issues with droids not firing at players.

• Fixed a bug where boss AI would drop guns with 0 ammo.

• Fixed the issue of reviving a player shortly after they die (in Last Stand).

• Most special abilities are now refunded if they fail to activate due to interruptions like being stunned.

Additions & Changes

• Added instructions for "invite non-friend" in the troubleshoot menu with a quick access button in the online play section.

• Introduced a "Fix network lag" page in the pause menu to facilitate troubleshooting.

• Replaced the language icon for better clarity.

• Added a new effect to the player aimer that indicates remaining health, featuring both sound and visual cues.

• Removed broken confirmation popups from the host lobby menu.

• Swapped Q & E keybindings (open item selection wheel) to match left & right click (use melee/ranged item).

• Balanced the pickaxe, claymore, gravity hammer, and bone sword to ensure appropriate damage output and weight.

• Balanced various items to correct damage output and weight discrepancies.

• Tweaked troubleshoot text for clarity and better guidance.