Development update - August 10, 2025

Most grenades cast shadows in Plazma Burst 3 now, which does help with clarity in 3D view mode.

Big part of this month's Plazma Burst 3 updates are for Map/Modules to store global per-Map/Module as well as per-player data which could be anything from story mode progress (for example it makes game be able to remember decisions made in previous levels for example, even if player reloads game) to making custom ranking systems that have their own leaderboards, progressions and even show extra statistics-related fields on user profile pages.

Another big change I started to work on is invite system - I do feel like it being the main source of players could simplify moderation not just for staff team members but for any potential server owners (Match Hosters). So far it will make it possible to share certain amount of Reputation points and/or Plazma Coins(?) with a new players they invite. It does not really mean much as of now but I feel like making support for this for long-term measures can be important to deal with kinds of troublemakers we had to deal in Plazma Burst 2 over the years.

Plazma Burst H5 version now has feature/bug tracker that is also called a Polls section on Plazma Burst 2 official website (it requires Reputation points received in H5 version to be able to access it though, at least for now: https://www.plazmaburst2.com/feature_tracker ). Other changes are related to anti-cheat measures, staff tools and VPN detections for guests. In case you haven't been active in H5 version - I'm adding a screenshot of how it looks like.

Star Defenders 2D gets a few quality of life changes that are mostly allowing a more complex base machinery and automation.

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Plazma Burst 3

Server

- Started reworking user properties (reputation, experience, skill etc) to make it possible for Custom Maps & Game Modes to have their own arbitrary stats associated with each player;

- Reworked chat service communication logic with database to a more flexible and future-proof model;

- Fixed banning not working;

- Reworked authentication acceptance logic;

- Configured access permissions for chat service synchronization scripts;

- Added synchronization of user properties from database to chat service;

- Implemented sync-back to database logic whenever user leaves match or disconnects from chat service;

- Made it so user is not forgotten by chat service until it has successfully finished sync-back;

- Implemented synchronization upon authentication as well as sync-back logic for Creation-specific per-user properties with database;

- Fixed crash on attempt to set game mode property that was changed after it was removed by game mode owner;

- Implemented server-side updating of Creation property management (creation, deletion, renaming, changing values);

- Made it possible to erase per-property per-player stored values associated with edited Creation;

- Added sync of newly assigned UIDs for new properties;

- Added sync of new values stored counts for properties queued for value erasing;

- Made it so persistent storage information is not shown to anyone but Map/Module owner;

- Implemented property permission model and permission caching on server-side;

- Added extra information about last edit time and last change initiator of per-player properties;

- Added last access day for per-player properties to potentially remove outdated data, especially if it will start taking too much space in the future (not a thing so far);

- Made it possible to make Creation-related properties to be readable but not writable;

- Added limit to number of properties of each type that can be assigned to a single Creation;

- Fixed an issue causing Map/Module properties not being configurable after they were made;

- Made it so unrelated Maps/Modules can't just change properties of another Map/Module;

- Made it so unrelated Maps/Modules may still have access to read permission of values of another Map/Module but only as long as both user has access to them and they are marked as public;

- Implemented progressive sync back to database of properties that were changed recently;

- Made it so cached values are reset whenever Map/Module designer updates/resets per-Creation or per-player-property properties;

- Finished support for global player properties such as Experience, Creative Rank, Reputation, Skill etc so they can be potentially accessed by match listing and custom maps in the future;

- Started implementing invite system, updated database to store information about Invite Codes and track invite initiators.

Interfaces

- Fixed lobby chat language not being selected correctly on first launch;

- Made UI for Map/Module storage properties management (related to Creation and related to each player);

- Made property deletion UI, permission management UI and written security notes for permission management;

- Limited page tab widths when editing Creations;

- Added "Details & statistics" tab for Map/Module Creations which lists public properties of Creation as well as shows player properties in form of leaderboards;

- Made it possible to filter players lists by pressing Enter key when search field is active;

- Added audio and visual feedback whenever Enter is pressed during player search;

- Made it so dynamic player listing isn't possible for properties of Creations that aren't accessible to user (via request altering tricks or if leaderboard was loaded before permission was restricted);

- Removed obtain hover/click/release sounds from unobtainable Creations;

- Fixed an obtain button issue causing button to keep unobtainable/free visuals even when cost is assigned during Creation editing;

- Removed obtain button sounds from unobtainable Creations;

- Designed UI for invite code generation (does not work yet).

Level Editor

- Implemented scripting methods to receive and change Creation-related and player-related properties;

- Fixed an issue that could make it possible to alter scripting logic for maps that would be loaded after some Modules that might try to override existing methods;

- Made it possible to access per-Creation and Creation's per-player properties by their names in addition to accessing them by their UIDs in scripting.

Sounds

- Made a new click sound for free Creations button (1 sound);

- Made a new hover sound for free Creations button (1 sound);

- Updated obtain button release sound of non-free Creations (1 sounds);

- Reworked main menu buttons hover sound (1 sound).

Gameplay

- Made grenades cast fake shadows;

- Made it so some of glowing grenades do not have fake shadow;

- Fixed an issue causing freezing grenades and freezing barrels to have non-volumetric explosion due to previous optimizations related to freezing gun and flamethrower.

Plazma Burst 2 H5

- Finished tracker for PB2-related feature requests and bug fixes;

- Some more anti-cheat measures;

- Improved some of staff tools;

- Guest banning improvements;

- Made it possible to only exclude one 0 reputation user from match instead of excluding everyone;

- Fixed ban command bug;

- Fixed found anti-cheat detection bugs.

Star Defenders 2D

- Fixed an issue causing water to not cool down crystal combiners;

- Added wireless connection nodes;

- Light reworks;

- Soundtrack "AnxLyen - Behold, Death" added;

- Line of sight replaced with dark blocks covering vision in sync with server;

- Asteroids and missiles can now be carried;

- Increased reward for beam projector task;

- Projectiles (mostly grenades) will no longer disappear due to speculatively hitting owner at the moment of firing;

- Some changes to player movement when holding X after crouching;

- More visually correct headshot detection;

- Projectiles now push client-side ragdoll and apply visual temporary weakness of affected parts;

- Conveyor fix;

- Increased reward for council machine task;

- Made it so soul taking crystals checks line of sight of centers of flesh blocks rather than top left corner;

- Drain modes for automatic combiner;

- Carried items no longer prevent position correction of players;

- Carried items now ignore player altogether for short period of time after being thrown away;

- Fixed movement bugs on top of crystals inserted into combiners and amplifiers;

- Face crab now spawns player damage particles where it has latched onto player;

- Increased reward for dealing with criminal star defenders;

- Increased reward for planetary matter drainer;

- Increased reward for alien artifact;

- Increased reward for long range frequency antenna;

- Increased rewards related to mothership matter container;

- Increased reward for closing dimensional tear;

- Made it so roaches are moving more randomly;

- Fixed bug causing objects to be permanently stuck in ceilings;

- Increased reward for solar powered matter distributor;

- Made steering wheel safer for items that are lying on the floor or each other of sky bases;

- Added reward information for few more task types;

- Increased reward for tzyrg absorber/mortar/velox fortifier;

- Increased reward for scanner;

- Made it so pseudo-body spawned due to RTP usage copies state of original ragdoll;

- Fixed an issue causing high grass to never spawn;

- Fixed an issue that was causing infinite number of snow blocks spawn at top left corner of the map;

- Fixed an issue causing items put into and instantly out of crates to be not visible.

- Elevator motor fixes and improvements;

- Rotated antigravity fields;

- New antigravity type;

- Made conveyors controllable via buttons;

- Fixed physics bugs;

- Fixed auto combiner overheating in drain mode;

- Some visual and UI fixes.

Rest changes are done by other contributors ( https://github.com/Eric-Gurt/StarDefenders2D/commits/main/ )