- Goodbye "Rad Supporter Hat Pack" - 28 March 2023
I want to start by thanking everyone who bought the hat pack and has supported Soran's development in other ways. You're all awesome, and I'll forever appreciate your help on this project. I recently started a new job in the video game industry, and a part of that commitment is that I have agreed to no longer profit off of this personal passion project. Soran isn't going anywhere, and I intend to continue to invest free time in it's development and play testing it with the community.
- Beta 1.15.54: A Totally Valid Update - 11 March 2023
In this update I've done some long overdue housekeeping. As a solo developer, I've been continuing to learn Unreal Engine over the 4 years I've been making Soran. And because I don't know what I'm doing, I managed to ignore a few thousand null reference errors over the years. They piled up, but generally didn't seem to break the build. Well in this update I managed to reduce that number to 2 pesky errors that I'm still working to fix. I did that by ensuring that every reference my code tries to point to is considered "Valid" before it grabs them. If you're an Unreal developer and haven't heard of validated gets, I highly recommend looking into them. They're great for helping fix a few thousand "accessed none" errors. Also in this update I found a reproduction and fix for the worst and most elusive bug we have. This bug would occasionally cause a player to spawn without any of their weap…
- Beta 1.15.50 - 10 February 2023
In this update I'm trying out some balance changes to address the gameplay goals of "defenestrating players off of the map should be fun" and "the player should never accidentally fall off of the map." Here's what's new... -New Arena "Sym2" added to Custom Matches for Testing -Vertical knockback increased on the Defenestrator -Melee boost slightly increased -Wavedash boost slightly decreased -NLL or "No Lives Lost" mechanic disabled (falling off of the arena will always grant your enemy a point) -Air control increased from 0.1 to 0.2 -Various small bug fixes
- Beta 1.15.32 - 17 July 2022
That's right, I've made 22 iterations since I last wrote any patch notes. Most of the changes have been small fixes and tweaks to help 2v2 and CTF play better. This update, however, has a few pretty significant changes that help me prepare for 1.16 which will include fully operational CTF and 2v2 for customs and matchmaking. Here's what's new in 1.15.32 -Finishing Custom Matches should now return players to the lobby -Finishing Matchmaking Matches should now run a rematch (yup, you'll just indefinitely rematch whoever you find in matchmaking until someone backs out) -CTF is now available for testing in Custom Matches (I actually snuck this in a few updates ago, but it works pretty well now) -Geometry changed on Corporate to make Red Team's spawn safer, and allow for more Sun Beam -Geometry changed on Summit to make Blue Team's spawn safer -Overhauled Hitmarker and Kill System to be more…
- Beta 1.15.10: Introducing the Skill Ceiling - 12 April 2022
https://i.imgur.com/z1OzD6b_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand This update introduces many new elements for testing in anticipation of the 1.16 update which will feature full 4 player matchmaking support. Here's what's new... -New Arena, "The Skill Park" added to Custom Match Options for testing -2v2 support added to Custom Match Options for testing -Friendly Teammate Bot introduced for 2v2 Bot Matches -Phlood, Fire Hose, and Sun Beam ammo increased from 36 to 60 -E.O.D.L.R. ammo decreased from 36 to 12 -E.O.D.L.R. damage increased from 25 to 35 -E.O.D.L.R. knockback multiplier increased by 50% -Bug fixed causing auto weapons to decrement ammo twice per shot -Bug fixed causing client weapon sounds to not replicate to the server -Bug fixed causing client to see server with feet stuck in the floor -Bug fixed causing players to occasionally clip through floor on "Bow" Arena -Bug fixed prev…
- Beta 1.15.6 - 22 March 2022
I didn't do any patch notes for Beta 1.15.3 through 1.15.5 because they were all small bug fixes. But there's some great new stuff in this one that I wanted to announce. -Significant netcode improvement to address input lag and jitter issues -Ammo Pickups now show their respawn timer countdown -4 maps (Symmetrical Arena, Docks, Corporate, and Engine) now all have only 1 of each ammo type to test potential new pacing and balance -First Person animations have been added to wall jumps
- Beta 1.15.2 - 5 March 2022
Some small but much needed fixes for the latest update. Thanks to everyone who tested and submitted bugs! -Fixed issue preventing mid-air weapon swapping after a flying knee -Fixed issue causing player to remain crouched after sliding on an incline -Fixed issue occasionally causing self Defenestration to fail (firing the Defenestrator at your feet should now always launch you) -Fixed issue occasionally delaying the end of a game to 11 kills -Weapon Slot that is equipped when player health reaches zero now persists into the next life -New sound attached to player spawn -Defenestrator projectile velocity increased -Defenestrator, Phlood, Fire Hose, and Sunbeam ammo lowered from 60 to 36
- Soran Multiplayer Beta 1.15: Upping the Ante - 10 February 2022
Beta 1.15 is yet another game feel update, but it’s without a doubt the biggest one yet. In this update I did a fresh pass on nearly every aspect in the game. My goals were to polish the current mechanics, give the player better feedback, and generally streamline the whole experience in a way that better supports the core loop. I want any given match of Soran to tell a short memorable story, so that you can look back and say stuff like, “remember when I shot the water cooler and it caused you to slip and die in my pile of broken glass?” Updating the game feel will hopefully help create more of those stories. Here’s whats new… https://i.imgur.com/iKAjbv5_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand Weapons -Weapon specific reticules introduced -Updated 3D models for the Rifle, Doob Tube, Bottler, & Sun Beam -Procedural animations added to the Rifle, Sniper, Pistol, Doob Tube, Bottler, Crossbow -Up…
- Beta 1.14.1: Community Testing Nights - 9 January 2022
Our first community testing night starts in a half hour! I fixed a few things to help it go more smoothly. -Various ammo pickup issues fixed -Hiding spot on the top of "Engine" blocked with zero health volume -Fixes to the maps "And" and "Horizon" that cause the sunbeam to not work -Weapon Swap sound changed
- Beta 1.14 New Sights and Sounds and also Community Test Nights - 3 January 2022
https://i.imgur.com/uVxsdK8_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand This update is a pretty big pass at the game feel. With the help of our small community, I've been honing in on the things that make Soran feel fun and unique, and with this update I wanted to make design decisions that emphasized those things. This update features three new maps for matchmaking, custom matches, and bot fights as well as new sounds, refined mechanics, bug fixes, and balance changes. I'm hoping that these new more detailed maps will help create more memorable inner narratives for matches. The Defenestrator is at the core of Soran, yet until these maps there were maybe two windows in the whole multiplayer that you could use to defenestrate other players. I think it will be a lot more fun to literally push your opponent out a window or down an elevator shaft rather than just "off of that one corner on the orang…
- Beta 1.13.5: And Another New Map - 18 December 2021
This update adds a new map, "Summit" to the Custom Match menu so that we can start to test it out. It's the second of three new maps I'm working on for the next big matchmaking update. This map and the other new map, "Corporate" are still works in progress, so feel free to share your thoughts in the feedback section on our discord (https://discord.gg/e7Xq47eaCv). I'll be away from my computer next week, and can't work on or play Soran. But I hope you're able to enjoy these two new maps over the holidays! I'll have a good idea for the third new map by the time I get back home. Thanks for playing! -Pheeno https://i.imgur.com/v3wuKh4_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand
- Beta 1.13.4 - 13 December 2021
We've been testing the new map over the past week and ran into a handful of bugs and things. So here's what's new and what's fixed. -Fixed state created with the EODLR that was occasionally creating a shield around the user -Fixed player occasionally getting stuck in crouch -Cooldown time between wall jumps increased from .2 to .3 seconds -Player can now slide diagonally if moving forward -Updates made to improve gameplay flow for test map, "Corporate"
- Beta 1.13.3 - 8 December 2021
Just a quick patch to fix some issues that popped up in 1.13 -Fixed Defenestrator bug causing the game to crash -Grapple changed to fire a projectile hook -Lower level AI are now less likely to try to recover from Defenestration
- Beta 1.13.2 The Pheenix Assault Weapons Corporate Headquarters - 5 December 2021
https://i.imgur.com/1CSrUCc_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand Here's another 1.13 patch with some fixes and a new map for testing! The new map, "Corporate" is only available for Bot fights and Custom Matches for now. The goal is to test and refine it for the bigger 1.14 update. Here's the change list. -New Arena, "Corporate" added to Custom Match Menu -Damage numbers removed from hitmarkers -Weapon Info bug on My Player menu fixed -Various UI updates to better communicate states to the player
- Beta 1.13.1: The Patch where I fix broken glass - 30 November 2021
After switching the bullet weapons (Rifle, Sniper, Pistol) from projectiles to hitscan, the networking for glass objects in the game (windows, bottles, lights) pretty much fell apart. So this patch is mostly to address those issues. Here's what's new... -Updated netcode for breakable glass objects -Updated PVP arenas with more breakable glass objects -Updated UI for the "Weapon Slot" system
- Beta 1.13: The Free to Play Update - 18 November 2021
Starting tomorrow, November 19th, Soran Multiplayer Beta becomes free to play! This update is a refined version of 1.12 with mostly quality of life changes. The Bots behavior is significantly improved. Hitscan bullets have been tested and polished. I added an in game tutorial mission. There's updated textures and geometry on all maps. And most importantly, the Defenestrator's design has been significantly improved. If you want to play before Steam's support team changes the price to free, reach out to [email protected] and I'll send you a key. -Joseph
- An Experimental Patch for 1.12 - 8 November 2021
Hey there! This supposed to be is a low key and (maybe) temporary patch that is meant to experiment with some key parts of the gameplay loop. The main two changes are: -Bullet Weapons (Sniper, Rifle, and Pistol) have been changed from projectiles to hitscan --This will hopefully create a smoother more balanced online experience between server and client, and will create more crossover skill between Soran and other FPS's -The Defenestrator has been changed to fire a growing "Sound Projectile" --It essentially moves in the same way but the hit box for applying knockback is much bigger --This will hopefully make the Defenestrator's intended uses easier, and create better counter opportunities against the now Hitscan weapons These changes may or may not stick around depending on testing, feedback, and reception. I'm stoked to try them out with you. Until next time. -Pheeno
- 1.12 Fixes and Patches #1 - 3 November 2021
-Introduced Bot Skill Level Option -Fixes to Ready Up feature -Hitmarkers are now called from broken glass traps on the floor -Small fixes for new UI
- Beta 1.12 - 31 October 2021
This update is a big step for me in honing in on the gameplay and artistic vision for Soran. Thanks to your help, the game is functioning fairly smoothly these days. So I've turned my attention more towards balance, art, game feel, and overall design goals. I am still working on optimizing the netcode too, but 1.12 in particular is a big feel, art, and UI update. I'm stoked to start playing it with you! https://i.imgur.com/bncLqHB_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand https://i.imgur.com/F2rKalc_d.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand Patch Notes: -Updated lighting and shadows -Updated feedback systems for most mechanics --Screen shake introduced --Explosion timer sound added to the Doob Tube --HUD ammo numbers now change colors relative to remaining Ammo --Ammo Pick Ups are now illuminated and rotating --Respawn screen updated with new sound -Updated UI --Font changes --Letter outlines replace…
- Beta 1.11: The Sun Beam Update - 8 October 2021
-New weapon: The "Sun Beam" uses a magnifying glass to burn enemies with the sun. It's damage scales exponentially with each consecutive hit -Key Bindings added to the 5 weapon equip inputs -"2V2" Cheat code added if you're interested in trying to test some early custom 2s -Significant Enemy Bot Behavior Updates -De-Scope on damage removed -Fixed Bug causing doob to not explode occasionally -Earning a kill will now reset the player's face to smiling -Various other small bug and UI fixes https://imgur.com/gallery/cn2RhSs
