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Stargrid: Asynchronous PvP & Persistent Progress Update

A topic by 1ButtonWonder created 44 days ago Views: 248 Replies: 13
Viewing posts 1 to 14
(3 edits)

https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

DISCORD: https://discord.gg/QRj9gjhj

TRAILER: (OLD Footage)

LIVESTEAM: (Current footage)

Hello Everyone!

I’m excited to share some big updates that have been three weeks in the making! I’ve implemented asynchronous PvP, a persistent inventory and save system, and several other major features that will take your gameplay to the next level. Here’s everything you need to know:

🚀 New Mechanics

  1. Asynchronous PvP
    • You now have five slots to save your fleets of ships. When you queue for battle, one of these fleets will be loaded as your opponent, even if that player isn’t online. The AI will control both your ship and your opponent’s, making battles more accessible.
    • After each match, your fleet’s ranking will be updated using a basic ELO system. You can track your win/loss ratio and see your rank on the new global leaderboards.
  2. Persistent Inventory & Upgrades
    • Your resources and inventory items are now stored securely using Unity Cloud Save, meaning your progress will be preserved between sessions.
    • To make things more balanced, resources are slightly harder to come by. However, rest assured that your items will always be waiting for you.
    • Tech Points: You can now craft Tech Points (replacing circuits from leveling up) to unlock and upgrade blocks and weapons. They’re expensive, but upgrades are persistent and independent of fleet save slots.
  3. Leaderboards & Bots
    • Competing in asynchronous multiplayer will list your fleet on the global leaderboard, with ranks determined by your ELO score.
    • To seed the initial ship pool, I’ve added four AI-controlled bot players (names beginning with “BOT_”), but I hope players will soon fill these slots!

🎨 Visual Enhancements

  • Enhanced bloom effects and more vibrant colors. Feedback is welcome—I'm not an artist, and your input will help!
  • Redesigned lighting and shadows for a more realistic and subtle effect, reducing overly bright areas.
  • Applied bump mapping to most blocks and weapons for added texture detail.
  • Improved resolution of all parallax backgrounds and added a subtle vignette for visual depth.

🖥️ User Interface Upgrades

  • Fixed numerous bugs with overlapping UI elements, ensuring better responsiveness.
  • Refined the color scheme with softer tones and added partial transparency for a cleaner look.
  • Updated and polished icon art for a more cohesive design.

🛠️ Bug Fixes

  • Mauler: Fixed the bug where bullets would be absorbed incorrectly.
  • Laser & Nano Laser: No longer hit invisible blocks.
  • Removed a recursive function that caused slow ship generation and destruction—performance is now significantly improved.
  • Fixed issues with the inventory being inaccessible when creating a new account.
  • Numerous performance optimizations for a smoother experience.

⚖️ Balance Changes

  • Machine Gun:
    • Range reduced from 150 to 100.
    • Damage reduced from 8 to 6.
  • Rocket Launcher: Damage increased from 3 to 4.
  • Missile Launcher: Damage per missile increased from 2 to 3.
  • Nano Laser: Healing increased from 2/sec to 4/sec.

🔍 Known Bugs & Unexpected Behaviors

  • Editing a ship will highlight your save slots with a yellow outline, indicating the active ship being modified. These changes are saved instantly to the cloud, so double-check that you're editing the correct slot!

💬 Community & Feedback

I’ve been a solo developer on this project for nearly four years, and your feedback is invaluable. Please report any bugs or lost items on the Stargrid Community Forums. Join us to show off your fleets, share strategies, or discuss game balance.

Be among the first to share your ideas, and who knows—they might become part of the game!

Happy fleet building and battling! Thanks for your support and for being part of the Stargrid universe.


 

(2 edits)



Patch Notes

New Features and Improvements

  • Unlock System Update: It's now clearer which blocks aren't unlocked during crafting, and blocks can no longer be crafted until they are properly unlocked. A notification will inform you if you attempt to craft a block you haven't unlocked yet.
  • Tech Point Cost Reduction: All tech point costs have been halved, making progression faster and more accessible.
  • Resource Balancing: Base resources for crafting blocks have been streamlined. Quartz and gold have been made less rare to improve resource availability.
  • Ship Maneuverability: Ships can now turn more easily, enhancing overall responsiveness and control.
  • More Bots Added: Additional bots have been introduced to increase the variety of encounters.

Quality of Life Improvements

  • Simplified Loading: The loading button in the save slot window has been removed. Ships will now load automatically when a save slot is clicked.
  • Fullscreen Mode: The fullscreen button has been re-added for a more immersive experience.

Bug Fixes

  • Crafting Exploit: Fixed an issue where players could rotate and delete blocks in battle, which was unintended behavior.
  • Save Slot Bug: Fixed a bug that allowed for free copying of ships.

Removed Features

  • Building Mode: The building mode has been removed to streamline gameplay and focus on core mechanics.

Enjoy the new improvements, and happy crafting!

(1 edit) (+1)

New Login Options I’ve added more ways for you to jump into the game with minimal fuss! You can now log in with:

  • Unity ID: Use your Unity account for quick access.
  • Google & Apple: Sign in with your Google or Apple accounts in seconds.
  • Anonymous Play: No account? No problem! Start playing instantly and link your account later if you want to save your progress.

I want to make it as easy as possible for you to try out the game—thanks for being here and giving it a go!

Welcome to the second multiplayer test update! I've added exciting new features, streamlined the gameplay experience, and implemented various bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. Please read through the changes below.

🔹 New Features & Additions

  • Tooltips Overhaul Tooltips for blocks and weapons have been significantly improved. They now appear reliably whenever you hover over them, providing clear and concise information.
  • Observer Mode Experience battles from a whole new perspective! Observer Mode allows the camera to automatically follow the action for you, keeping you close to the excitement.
  • Time Acceleration Skip past lengthy battles with new time acceleration options. You can now speed up the gameplay to 2x or 4x, making those drawn-out engagements much faster.
  • Crafting Resource Exchange You can now trade 5 of any resource to obtain another resource in the crafting menu. Resource management has never been easier!
  • Tier System for Blocks & Weapons Introducing five unique tiers, each offering progressively stronger blocks and weapons:
    • Tier 1: Standard
    • Tier 2: Advanced
    • Tier 3: Experimental
    • Tier 4: Exotic
    • Tier 5: Quantum Each tier after Standard provides a 25% hitpoint bonus to that block or weapon.
  • New Combining Mechanic Upgrading is more intuitive! You can now obtain a higher-tier block by dropping 4 blocks of the same lower tier onto it in the crafting interface.
  • Inventory System Revamp Inventories are now bound to your player account rather than individual save slots. This provides a more consistent and unified inventory experience across sessions.
  • Hotbar for Building The old block interface for building has been replaced by a new hotbar system. You can equip blocks in the hotbar from the inventory window, making construction faster and more accessible.
  • Laser Particles on Hit Added laser impact particles for a more visually immersive combat experience.

🛠️ Bug Fixes

  • UI Text Clarity Various UI elements have been reworded for better clarity, helping players understand options and instructions more easily.
  • Block Removal Bug Fix Fixed an issue preventing players from removing blocks at the edge of the ship's maximum build dimensions.
  • Tutorial Launch Bug Resolved a bug where the tutorial would start regardless of the player's choice to skip it.

⚙️ Gameplay & Balance Changes

  • Tech Point System Overhaul
    • Each tier of upgrades now requires an additional tech point, increasing the strategic planning required for upgrades.
    • Tech points have doubled in cost, making them more valuable for long-term progression.
  • Database Reset For this second multiplayer test, all player data has been reset. Please create a new account to participate in the updated multiplayer environment.
  • Updated Tutorial The tutorial has been revised to reflect recent gameplay changes, helping new players understand the updated mechanics.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback! Dive in, explore the new features, and enjoy the refined gameplay experience in this version

Hello Everyone,

I made a new weapon today, The Gauss Rifle!

It is superior in long range combat and can pierce enemy blocks and armor.


Go unlock and craft them now!

https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Hello Everyone,

I’ve rolled out a small update aimed at improving the new player experience. Here’s what’s new:

Dynamic Tooltips

  • The lengthy 16-step tutorial is gone!
  • Tooltips now appear only when relevant, making the introduction smoother and less overwhelming.
  • Don’t need tooltips? You can disable them or re-enable them anytime by pressing F1.

Revamped New Player Experience

  • Players are now thrown into battle within seconds of starting the game, learning the mechanics gradually as they play.
  • This change ensures more players get to experience the core gameplay without being bogged down by an overly long tutorial.

Cleaned-Up UI

  • The GUI and inventory screen have been significantly improved, addressing clutter caused by past updates.

Comprehensive Guide Coming Soon

  • For players who still have questions, I’ll be releasing a detailed guide on the forums shortly. Stay tuned!

Bug Fixes & Known Issues

  • Fixed: Numerous small bugs for a smoother experience.
  • Known Issues:
    • Occasionally, the matchmaking system fails to find an opponent (rare and hard to debug so far).
    • A rare crash during saving has been reported, which can corrupt a player’s ship. While I can’t restore lost ships, I’m actively investigating this.

Thank you for your patience and support! I’m committed to resolving these issues as soon as possible.

Enjoy crafting, building, and battling!

https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Hello Everyone!

This update brings some exciting new features, fixes, and improvements to enhance your experience. Check out the details below:

🚀 New Features

  • New Block: Explosive Charge
    • Attach it to your ship and ram it into enemies to cause explosive destruction!
    • Added a crafting recipe for the explosive charge and integrated it into the tech tree.
  • 16x Speed for Battles
    • Now you can enjoy battles at up to 16x speed! This feature has been improved to handle physics collisions correctly. Focus more on building and enjoy faster battles.
  • Sound Options
    • Added the ability to enable/disable music and/or sound effects from the settings.
  • Ambient Music
    • Experience a more immersive atmosphere with newly added ambient music.

🛠️ Bug Fixes

  • Item Duplication Fix
    • Resolved an issue where different tiers of items could be duplicated.
  • Area of Effect (AoE) Explosion Fix
    • Fixed a bug where AoE weapon explosion effects did not play in the correct location and sometimes appeared offscreen.
  • Inventory "Ghost Items" Issue
    • Corrected a problem caused by changes to the inventory system and hotbar, where unused "ghost" items appeared, preventing proper item placement.
    • To address these issues, the database will be reset. All bots should remain intact.

📝 To-Do List

Here’s what’s on the horizon:

  1. Main Menu and Options Screen
    • Current speed, observer, music, and sound effects buttons will be moved to streamline the interface.
  2. More Blocks and Weapons
    • Exciting additions will come as the build becomes more stable.

Thank you for your feedback and support! Keep playing, and let me know what you think of these changes. 😊

Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Hello Again, Pilots! 🚀

I'm thrilled to share a new update focused on improving the game's graphics and audio experience. Here’s what’s new:

✨ New Features:

  • Engine Ambient Sound: Feel the hum of your ship's power with a new ambient sound effect for the engines. It adds depth and life to your interstellar journey! 🔊
  • Improved Thruster Effects: The old scaled sprite has been replaced with a particle system for thrusters. Expect a more dynamic and visually satisfying propulsion effect as you soar through space. 🔥
  • Basic Shield Shader: I’ve crafted a very simple shader for the shields, bringing a fresh look to your defenses. 🛡️

💡 A Note From the Developer:

Let me know what you think of the new visuals and sounds! I'm not a graphic designer, so all feedback is super valuable to help improve the game further.

Thank you for playing and have fun exploring with these new improvements! 😊

Enjoy the update, and as always, happy gaming! 🎮


Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid


Hello everyone,

I'm excited to share today's update, which introduces the first module and brings a host of fixes and improvements!

New Features

  • Modules:
    • Modules are a new drop-only item with a 5% chance to drop after winning a match.
    • They can be equipped in the ship inventory slots within your inventory.
    • Important: Module effects do not stack.
    • First Module - "Barrier":
      • Automatically places a shield barrier between your ship and the enemy's ship when the cooldown ends.
      • Barriers last for a set duration and cannot be destroyed by projectiles.
      • They are not physical obstacles, so they won't interfere with movement or positioning.

    More modules will be added soon! Stay tuned!

Bug Fixes

  • Improved physics performance at 8x and 16x speed. While progress has been made, there is still room for improvement.
  • Fixed an issue where Tier 5 tech upgrades could be acquired without spending tech points.

GUI Updates

  • Updated many UI elements to match recent scaling changes. Most are now larger for better readability.
  • Completely overhauled block, weapon, and item tooltips:
    • Tooltips now provide much more detailed and useful information.

Ongoing Bugs

We’re actively working on the following issues:

  1. Matchmaking failures: Sometimes matchmaking fails; reloading will fix this.
  2. Crash after a battle: While crashes may still occur, ship save files will no longer be corrupted. Reloading the game will restore functionality.
  3. Visual bugs with lasers/thrusters: Lasers and thrusters may remain visible after battles. This is purely visual and does not impact gameplay.
  4. Placement bug: Occasionally, a block or weapon cannot be placed. Reloading the game resolves this issue temporarily while we investigate.

Thanks and have fun playing! I'm grateful for your continued support and feedback as I work to improve the game. Keep an eye out for future updates! 😊

Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Hello Everyone!

🎉 New Features

  • Module Transmutation:
    • You can now transmute 3 unwanted modules into 1 random new module. Happy experimenting!

⚙️ Balance Changes

  • Upgrade Requirements Adjusted:
    • The number of blocks needed for an upgrade has been reduced from 4 to 3.
  • Rocket Launcher Tweaks:
    • Damage increased from 4 to 6.
    • Rockets now travel significantly faster, improving their effectiveness in combat.

🐞 Bug Fixes

  • Combat Visuals:
    • Resolved an issue where random tractor beams, lasers, and nano lasers displayed incorrectly at the end of a fight.
  • Area of Effect Fixes:
    • Fixed a bug where area of effect (AoE) damage wasn’t being applied properly, impacting AoE weapons negatively.
  • Camera Audio:
    • Fixed a bug that caused a repeated clicking sound when panning the camera in certain situations.
  • Ship Integrity:
    • Fixed an issue causing ship corruption. While the underlying crash still exists, reloading the game will now restore your ship to its correct state.
  • Weapon Handling:
    • Players can now successfully remove the Gauss Rifle from their ships.

🛠️ Known Issues

  • Block and Weapon Placement:
    • There is an ongoing issue preventing block or weapon selection and placement in certain scenarios. We are actively investigating this. Reloading should fix this problem for now.

Have fun playing and keep sending your feedback!

Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Hello Everyone!

As a solo developer, I’ve been hard at work addressing some bugs, refining gameplay mechanics, and making performance improvements based on your feedback. Here's what's new in this update:

Bug Fixes

  • Explosion Effects Animation Reset:
    • Fixed an issue where explosion effects didn’t play because their animations weren’t properly reset when instantiated.
  • WebGL Sound Fixes:
    • Adjusted loud sound effects in the WebGL build to more appropriate levels.
  • Matchmaking for Inactive/New Players:
    • Fixed an issue where matchmaking for inactive or new players got stuck on "finding opponents."
    • Added a requeue system to ensure matches are found even if an error occurs.
      • Note: This doesn’t fully solve the underlying issue but ensures matchmaking progresses, though it might take slightly longer as the queue restarts.

Improvements

  • Object Pooling Enhancements:
    • Improved the object pooling system to release memory more effectively after battles, reducing memory leaks and improving performance.
    • This isn’t fully resolved yet, so if you encounter performance issues after extended play sessions, I recommend reloading the game.
  • Physics Adjustments for Battle Speeds:
    • Improved how the physics engine handles higher battle speeds.
    • Temporarily removed 8x and 16x speeds due to inconsistencies, but I’ll continue working on making these viable in future updates.

Balance Changes

  • Rocket Launcher Projectile Behavior:
    • Initial Speed: Increased from 0.5 to 2.
    • Top Speed: Reduced from 10 to 5.
    • These changes should make rockets more reliable and effective at hitting targets.
  • Bullet Hitbox Updates:
    • Adjusted hitboxes for all bullets to align with the updated physics system for better accuracy and consistency.

Thank you all for your support and feedback—it really helps me as a solo developer to improve the game! I’ll keep working to fix issues and bring new features to life.

Happy gaming!

Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Patch Notes: Matchmaking System Overhaul

Overview

I’ve completely revamped the matchmaking system to address performance, scalability, and usability issues. The new system is faster, more efficient, and ensures a smoother gameplay experience for everyone. Here's what changed:

Key Changes

  1. New Matchmaking System
    • Before: The system would retrieve all players, load their five save slots, check their ELO scores individually, and select one at random within a specific ELO range.
    • Now: A range search on Unity Leaderboards is performed to find a suitable opponent, selecting one at random, and the first ship is automatically used for matchmaking.
    • Result: Significant performance improvements with battles now starting in seconds.
  2. Removal of Save Slots
    • Save slots have been removed as they were deemed unnecessary.
    • Impact: Only ships saved in slot 0 are now loaded for matchmaking. If your ship isn’t saved in slot 0, reach out on the community forum or Discord to have it restored.
  3. Bug Fixes
    • Fixed an issue where new players or those returning after a long break experienced problems with matchmaking.

Improvements

  • Faster and more efficient matchmaking, reducing wait times.
  • Scalable solution designed to handle larger player bases without performance degradation.

A Message from the Team

I'm thrilled with how this update improves your matchmaking experience. Thank you for your feedback and support—keep it coming on our community forum or Discord. Have fun, and see you in battle!

Happy gaming!

Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Battle Arena Update

  • Battle Arena Size Increased: The battle arena has been increased tenfold to provide more space for strategic movement and combat.
  • Camera Update: The camera has been adjusted to properly reflect the larger arena size, giving players a better view of the action.

Module Drop Rate

  • Increased Drop Chance: The chance of module drops has been increased from 5% to 10%, giving players more opportunities to obtain powerful upgrades during battle.

New Block Addition

  • New Block: Toxic Barrel Launcher
    • The Toxic Barrel Launcher has been added to the arsenal.
    • This device launches toxic barrels in a mortar-like fashion towards enemies, bypassing shields and inflicting toxic damage over time in an area of effect.
    • Toxic Effect: The toxic effect does not stack, preventing multiple barrels from amplifying damage.

Bullet Physics Improvements

  • Improved Bullet Physics: Bullet trajectory and hit accuracy have been significantly improved, meaning fewer bullets will miss their intended targets.
    • Further Improvements: There is still room for refinement, and more changes will be made in future updates to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of bullets.

Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid

Hello Stargrid Pilots,

Over the past two days, I’ve been hard at work optimizing the Matchmaking System and Leaderboards to improve your overall experience. Here's a detailed breakdown of what’s new:

🛠️ Matchmaking Improvements

  • Speed Boost:
    • Matchmaking now takes just a few seconds compared to much longer times before.
    • This should result in faster battles and a smoother experience for everyone.
  • Inclusivity for All Players:
    • Fixed an issue where new or inactive players struggled to find opponents in the old system.
    • Everyone can now find matches more easily, regardless of their activity level.

🏆 Leaderboard Updates

  • Full Data Sync for Wins/Losses/ELO:
    • Previously, only the authorized player's win/loss/ELO changes were saved.
    • Now, opponent data (win/loss/ELO) is also saved after a match, ensuring the leaderboard reflects accurate results for both players.
  • ELO Adjustments via Simulated Battles:
    • Introduced a script to run random player battles to improve ELO accuracy.
    • This helps align player rankings with the actual strength of their ships.
    • Over the next few days, I’ll be running this script to refine the leaderboards for all players—whether you’re a veteran or just starting out.

🐞 Bug Fixes & Temporary Issues

  • During testing, some bugs may have affected your score/ELO or even your ship name:
    • Score/ELO: These will naturally adjust over time as you play.
    • Ship Name: You can easily change your ship’s name by clicking the button at the bottom-right of the screen.

🚀 Experimental Period Ahead

  • The next few days will be experimental as I fine-tune these updates.
  • If you encounter any severe bugs or exploits, please reach out:
    • Post on the Community Forums
    • Message me on the Stargrid Discord

❤️ Thank You for Your Support!

I’m excited for this new chapter and hope these updates make the game more enjoyable for everyone. Thank you for your patience and feedback—let’s make Stargrid the best it can be!

Happy gaming!


Play Now! https://1buttonwonder.itch.io/stargrid