Development update - March 11, 2025

Been working on new version of C-Entity for Plazma Burst 3 - should bring variety to gameplay yet it seemed to not take too long time to make since it reuses big part of movement logic that already existed for other C-Entity. Besides that - UI, Level Editor fixes and more TGS Mobile progress, such as caption flip when facing left direction and wheel lightmap no longer includes local shadows.

Plazma Burst 2 H5 update came with bug fixes, desync fixes, some changes to skill system. It also brings loading screen and main menu visuals closer to what they were in Flash version. Also, I've gone through some of common maps that weren't working correctly in H5 version.

Star Defenders 2D got a few quality of life updates.

No video this time since there isn't really much that I can show (new C-Entity variant is a spoiler thing). Plazma Burst 2 H5 port update as well as Star Defenders 2D update are already live and you can try them out:

https://www.plazmaburst2.com/h5/versions/v1740152415/

https://www.gevanni.com/star-defenders

Plazma Burst 3

Gameplay

- Designed new version of C-Entity (works differently, but inherits some of movement logic);

- Made bone structure for new version of C-Entity;

- Added support for inverse order of bone point definition for entities;

- Added idle state for C-Entities;

- Fixed an issue causing some parts of new C-Entity variant to be improperly sorted;

- Adjusted hitpoints, materials, mass and added some of sounds for new variant of C-Entity;

- Made it so new variant of destroyed C-Entities enter sleep state properly;

- Added destruction sequence to new variant of C-Entity;

- Made projectiles for new C-Entity variant (sounds, sprites, effects);

- Fixed damage reaction timescale inconsistencies for new C-Entity variant;

- Fixed flip logic part misplacement for C-Entities;

- Added attack and look logic for new C-Entity variant, altered behavior and fixed over the top movements that would happen under some conditions;

- Made better alternate fire aiming for new C-Entity variant;

- Added ability to fight back and attack hostile entities for new C-Entity variant;

- Fixed a bug that was causing particles to be occasionally pushed into wall rather than outside of it whenever projectiles would impact with a sliding wall;

- Fixed crash on death of previously made C-Entity variant;

- Readjusted explosion damage scale for C-Entities;

- Readjusted per-limb hitpoints for C-Entities for them to be more fragile while alive and even more post-destruction;

- Readjusted impact damage tolerance for C-Entities;

- Fixed an issue causing new C-Entity variant to get stuck in attack sequence if limb used for attack gets broken mid-attack;

- Reworked the way movement sound is played for C-Entities;

- Made it so C-Entities would not reset their damage sound every time they take smallest damage;

- Made it so new C-Entity variant can attack hostile entities;

- Made it so C-Entities can enter physical idling state properly;

- Made it so C-Entities do not look straight up in some cases when idling;

- Made wheel lightmaps for C9 TGS Mobile to be rotation independent;

- Made wheel lightmaps for CS TGS Mobile to be rotation independent;

- Made mirrored caption versions of textures for CS and C9 TGS Mobiles for cases when they are facing left direction.

Multiplayer

- Fixed a client-side crash that would happen if light was attached to destroyed crate;

- Fixed a client-side bug causing all existing UI cursors to be shown while in replay mode;

- Made it so unneeded data isn't synced for new variant of C-Entity;

- Fixed a bug that would cause active vehicle health information to be not sent to client if vehicle is neutral and has no overhead.

Level Editor

- Fixed cursor change inconsistencies and stucking in Level Editor;

- Fixed incorrect structure view item references to in-game objects that were broken after support for object disabling was added;

- Made it so Level Editor objects that have position or size as expressions can still be drawn correctly by assuming that undeclared variables have zero values;

- Fixed entity bounds detection bug;

- Fixed Level Editor error message whenever objects were given new IDs in preview mode;

- Fixed Level Editor error message whenever object without ID was assigned as property for other object in preview mode.

Sounds

- Made sound effects for new version of C-Entity (16);

- Changed C-01s fire sound again.

Plazma Burst 2

- Fixed ledge grabbing desync bug;

- Implemented hopefully better skill steal/emission model;

- Fixed a bug causing adjusted volume sounds to lose stereo effect;

- Fixed a bug causing alien sniper rifles to kill player that uses them;

- Fixed a bug with rotated decorations that consists of multiple layers;

- Fixed a bug causing reputation relations to be not cancelable by pressing X button;

- Fixed an issue causing decorations that were moved twice within single frame to be interpolated incorrectly;

- Added support for maps with inverted walls;

- Fixed idle AI firing trigger actions;

- Fixed a bug causing COOP matches without rotation to break at 15 rounds;

- Adjusted weapon volumes;

- Updated match sorting so inaccessible and password-protected matches aren't shown at the top;

- Fixed trigger actions that were changing cursor opacity;

- Added extra test to hopefully prevent random COOP restarts on player joining;

- Fixed decoration text recoloring not working;

- Added download retrying for library bitmaps;

- Added loading screen;

- Added copyright and version info to main menu instead of it being only on loading screen;

- Added blurred background to credits screen;

- Added ships and welcome message to main menu;

- Added hue adjustment to main menu;

- Adjusted ships start to be relative to music start;

- Made it so main menu dates are automatically updated whenever project is compiled;

- Adjusted loading screen to look good on custom resolution devices (tablets, mobile);

- Implemented hopefully a better handling of trigger recursion errors - these should not crash browsers now;

- Made clients self-rate limits data size sent so they do not trigger server kicks as easily;

- Added profile link to Multiplayer lobby;

- Fixed authentication errors in custom maps;

- Made it so high shadowmap pixel sizes are hiding shadowmaps completely in maps;

- Fixed game freezing when COOP match with active shield grenade resets;

- Made it so multiplayer maps can't change player nicknames;

- Better recognition of unique players for reputation and skill systems;

- Fixed an issue that was causing backgrounds have random offsets in maps that had screen-aligned background wall offsets;

- Re-implemented screen-aligned backgrounds, made them more reliable and work with custom screen resolutions;

- Made screen-aligned backgrounds work with non-default zoom;

- Made screen-aligned backgrounds match screen resolution so higher quality backgrounds can be used;

- Made guns assigned on DM respawns given to player directly rather than game relying on player picking them up (which would not always be the case if player respawns on top of unreloaded guns that were just casually lying around on the map);

- Fixed a bug making players send positions of other player's projectiles which could occasionally make projectiles such as grenades appear in wrong positions visually;

- Made it so achievement increments aren't causing mid-game saving which apparently often caused frame drops;

- Removed final assault button from credits screen whenever credits screen isn't shown from beating Level 41;

- Made drone controller held guns visible;

- Implemented fallback mode for huge bitmaps rendering (such as cached background walls in a large maps);

- Made it so Proxy doesn't fall/die in Level 39 due to lack of velocity reset;

- Added faster slow-motion option to Marine's equipment screen;

- Fixed doors recoloring;

- Made it so laser weapons are not considered slow rate of fire weapons during synchronization;

- Fixed a bug causing AI characters keeping weapons after COOP round restart;

- Added log info for AI state sync events;

- Switched some unneeded debug features off as they might be affecting performance;

- Made it so projectiles going through barrel parts aren't losing damage potential;

- Re-implemented barrel damage sync;

- Added reconnection on match list update when connection in lobby was lost;

- Implemented multiplayer match creation presets;

- Fixed initial focusing on custom map text field;

- Re-implemented drop-down quick pick lists for recent Map IDs;

- Fixed inconsistencies for mouse events when multiple elements were under the cursor.

Star Defenders 2D

- Fixes;

- New UI;

- Smaller blood particles;

- Matter (not capacity) and title comparing sensors;

- Portable turret;

- Cube shotgun v2 rework;

- Cube shard pick up sfx;

- Context menu scroll;

- Music adjustments;

- Wanderer animation fixes and optimizations;

- More UI info while in-game;

- Flesh asteroid is now delayed but is also much more dangerous for protected bases;

- Removed flesh as event;

- Allied bad dogs are now stronger and their turrets are deadlier;

- Small memory leak fixes;

- Biter has less health now and is not longer framerate dependant;

- Corruption has no extra health anymore;

- Cable visual fixes and also made it so deep sleep doesn't separate cables apart from entities they are connected to;

- Drone skins are moved to sdCharacter file;

- Implemented carrying of crystals and small storages by players with hands and E key;

- Rescaled task rewards claims to 1 being one claim instead of there being multiple multipliers;

- Task reward rebalances;

- Unstable/prone characters can now move faster;

- Singleplayer fixes;

- Sword throwing speed now scales with throw strength upgrade;

- Access management node now remembers names of all subscribers as well as hides their list for players who aren't close enough;

- Added E key hints for vehicle;

- Moved tasks to sdWeather file from sdCommandCenter file for now;

- Tasks can be no longer requested from CCs;

- Tasks can now use speciality tiers of crystals to require crystals of specific speciality;

- Drop pod talks to players more rarely;

- Particles should no longer collide with anything but walls and doors;

- Collision system rework so biter laying on top of Hover can't completely stop it;

- Face crabs are even more weak now;

- Grubs are weaker;

- Fixed a bug causing score shards to stop following players after merge;

- Guns now have recoil and push-back with target push-back to be separately adjustable;

- Upgrades can cancel matter subtraction now;

- Overlord blaster rework and it is unlockable now;

- Small enough junk can be carried with hands too now;

- Matter containers can now be adjusted to either collect matter or release it;

- Overlords are less accurate;

- Preset crash fixes for singleplayer;

- Quadro optimizations;

- Quickies getting health nerf;

- Sensor areas now require debug mode enabled in order to be seen by admins;

- Shurg converter code duplication decrease;

- Shurg excavators are now quieter;

- Shurg turrets have less health now;

- Crash fixes for strange crashes whenever steering wheel was moving at high velocity;

- Fixed a bug causing steering wheels to stuck in deep sleep areas (aka other bases) when moving towards them;

- Some steering wheel optimizations;

- Storages now hide their contents for players that are too far from them;

- One of door raiding with a bug;

- Task value is now shown;

- Players can cancel all of their tasks now;

- Viruses have less health and regeneration from attacks now;

- Fixes for workbench overriding upgrade titles in singleplayer;

- Removed events from being considered SD Events;

- Fixes for switching between singleplayer and multiplayer modes;

- Admins can enter debug mode which isn't doing much for now;

- New screens (main menu, credits, servers list, chat, settings);

- Music volume is lower now;

- 3rd camera setting to follow only the player but not the cursor;

- Piano tune gone;

- Players are now able to hide their online activity in-game;

- Disabled overlap patch.