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[Kyzrati]

Development recently passed the 9,500-hour mark, and is set to hit 10k by the end of the year!



The monthly hours graph is decent, if not nearly as stable or high as before my concussion last year (arrow).



This has been slowing down Beta 7 a bit, but at least I'm staying ahead of the head issues which is good for the long term!

On that note, with robot hacking complete there's just the usual fixes and little features to do before preparing to release it into the wild. I have a massive list of other things I wanted to do with Beta 7, but as usual aside from fixes (which always get top priority) I'll just have to pick and choose some of the other items and push everything else into future releases. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you build a literally endless TODO list, one that gets longer rather than shorter as you work on a game xD

[JobLeonard]

Well, 10k hours is the rule of thumb for mastery right?

[Kyzrati]

Yup, Master of Cogmind, I will finally be.

[Kyzrati]

SITREP Saturday #35: map.png

Beta 7 is around the corner! We're heading into the final phases of development for this cycle, and with all the major features done, as usual I spent a good hour organizing and prioritizing a list of what else I'd like to pack in. Looks like it'll be ready within two weeks.

Probably the coolest feature to show for the week is map exporting. With a single command you'll be able to output a full-sized PNG of the current map as you've explored it.



Images are placed in a new /screenshots-maps/ directory and named with the map's name, depth, and the number of turns spent on that particular map when the export was made. This process may take a few seconds because it needs to sequentially render numerous frames across the entire map, compiling them together into a single huge PNG.

Being a collage of screenshots, image exports use whatever font and size you've currently set. The example above shows an export using size 20 tiles, and here's the same map instead using size 12 ASCII:



This was originally a debug-only feature I added years ago specifically for creating images for game media (desktop wallpapers, image backgrounds, etc), though now everyone will have access to it and I'm sure it'll come in handy.

I'm interested to see what people do with it, and I imagine it'll be useful for things like certain types of guides, creative endeavors, and strategy research.

FIXed

The top priority for late-cycle dev is to clear out Beta 6 bugs, and this time around we have more than usual since it's been a while since the last release--more obscure things to report!

I noticed on a recent playthrough that Waste and Garrison markers couldn't both appear on the same floor on the world map, and also that it was no longer showing the Garrison marker if currently inside one. Fixed that:



Also I finally addressed the fact that two labels for the same exit can appear when it's right off the edge of the map. I've known about this for years but that section of code is really complicated and doing anything about it was problematic (not to mention that behavior did have its advantages sometimes) so I mainly ignored it, but recently got two reports about this... May as well do something about it to save everyone some time. Here's a before and after comparison:



Although most of this week was spent resolving bugs, before release I'll also be spending some time slipping in smaller new features and QoL stuff.

I got a request from someone with vision issues to make it possible to play without automatically scrolling the map as you move, so that's a new advanced option. Here's a comparison of that and normal behavior:



This mode would basically require manual scrolling, or using the recenter command manually.

Like map exports this was something I could already do on my side, originally added specifically for convenience when recording certain types of demo GIFs.

Quick Analysis

Speedrunner zxc has put together a new spreadsheet analyzing the top runs among those participating in the weekly races.



That and more resources are collected in the new repository thread on the forums.

All Penguins on Deck

In case you haven't heard, Valve has launched a new opt-in beta program that allows Linux players to install and play Windows games via a built-in version of Wine.

Cogmind in particular has undergone extensive playtesting under Wine (including fixes for all known issues) and the experience is on par with the Windows version, so if there are any issues it'll be on Valve's side, but even though it just launched it already seems to be working more or less okay.

For now Valve is manually whitelisting games and only has a few, but you can get around that restriction by changing this setting:

Steam -> Settings -> Steam Play -> Enable Steam Play for all titles

For reference there's a huge community-organized chart of games and their compatibility under the new system, where players can contribute their experiences with different games.

Anecdotally it would seem that so far Cogmind works normally with Valve's version, except there have been two cases where users with PulseAudio didn't have any sound (restarting seems like a way to get that problem to correct itself). In any case, if there are any other issues Valve will probably fix them down the line, and Cogmind's system requirements are quite simple so in general once they come out of beta Cogmind will be as smooth for everyone as it is using external Wine solutions. Valve's new thing seems to already work fine for most players though, so that's nice

[Kyzrati]

SITREP Saturday #36: The Gunslingers

Less than a week until the giant collection of robot hacks will be at your metallic fingertips :)

I've played the first few real runs to ever actually use the system and it's been a lot of fun, can't wait to share it with everyone! Here's the very first run of a hacker-to-be after having raided the first garrison you can find (-8):



The Beta 7 release date should be about 9/4-ish.

This week in particular I worked on a variety of little last-minute features and fixes...

You Die, Now Also You and You

"Gunslinging" is now guaranteed. It's the ability to attack multiple targets in succession if using a gun-only volley (and the first target is destroy), and it used to only happen 50% of the time, further modified by utilities.



Guaranteeing this effect was already possible later in a run with some targeting computers, but now it'll be a reliable tactic even early on, and make a difference for builds that start out by adding extra weapon slots. In the background I've always been working on plans to increase the value of non-utility slots, especially weapons, so this is one way to achieve that (although it took a player request to point this one out, thanks Jivya :D). This change also has the nice advantage of simplifying the whole secondary targeting thing.

For consistency (and because giving melee builds extra situational buffs is a long-term trend :P), multiwielding melee builds are also guaranteed to switch to additional targets after taking out the first, assuming there are follow-up attacks.



On the topic of melee combat, it turns out that some knockback code I added earlier made it possible to push robots back multiple spaces while multiwielding impact weapons, which doesn't make much sense so I had to do something about that xD. It was pretty funny, and suddenly "safer" to knock targets back into explosive machines.



One Key to Rule Them All

While technically I think the 'a' key rules them all since it handles lots of part management automatically, you can never have too many optional ways to manage your inventory! Some players would prefer a fully modal approach to item interaction like that found in other roguelikes, rather than requiring the use of Ctrl/Shift/Alt key modifiers. (Yes we're talking keyboard play here--mouse users who can do everything with the almighty cursor you can skip to the next section :P)

The new 'p' key is the answer. It opens a menu that gives access to any part-related action, so [p] -> [action] -> [letter or number of part]. Here's the reminder that appears on entering the mode:



Along with this update, the menu and other modal state identifiers that have always appeared across the top of the map view now displace the temporarily interface message if there is one, like so:



Earlier any message would temporarily overlap with the mode name, making it harder to tell which mode was active, or if one was active at all. It didn't seem to bother anyone, but then once familiar with the functions you won't be in any given mode for long at all anyway (plus there are sound cues). Still worth polishing up, though.

Autobots, Roll Out!

With everything pretty much in order, this week it was also time for automated testing. This is where bugs (especially weird emergent stuff) can be caught simply by having a large volume of random actions play out, more specifically in this case by pitting random robot factions against one another.



You can divide bugs into two main categories: Those caused by player interaction with the world which can be identified by observation upon doing XYZ, and those caused by some unknown source who-knows-where on the map. Automated testing can catch some of the former, but most important to catch before release are the latter type because inexplicable crashes might result in a lot of misdirection when it comes to players trying to report bugs without having anything to go on (as long as it's a crash the logs will include a trace to shed some light on the issue, but that might not always be enough).

Of course, that's not to mention if something can be caught right here and now via automation it's way better to let the computer do the work than bugging players! (and later me with reports that distract from progress elsewhere xD)

With so many bots and systems out there on any given Cogmind map there are tons of things going on behind the scenes, so the chance for hidden emergent bugs is high. I used to always find lots of stuff via automated testing before each update, although with Beta 7 this is the first time ever that autotesting turned up zero issues. That was nice :). It's likely because a huge chunk of the upcoming release is player-initiated hacks rather than automated systems, and thus outside the scope of autotests. Myself and others have tested all the hacks and resolved any known issues, but there's probably still room for emergent craziness to show itself. If we really need it I'll be releasing a 7.1 to correct anything serious.

For testing I generally just run four instances at a time, one for each physical core on my laptop, but this time I upped the instance count to nine just for fun. That's about 90% CPU usage right there.



I also recently added yet more on-map alerts for Beta 7, so while these tests are going on there sure are a lot of red messages piling up as turns race by.

Stay tuned for the full Beta 7 "Hack the Planet" changelog in a few days :D

[strobosaur]

I soooo d*mn wish i had time to play this  Seems like it could be one of the best games in a very long time tbh.

And i can't thank you enough for the knowledge you've shared on the gridsage site, the level generation stuff has been incredibly useful in my own experiments... But my maps don't ever look half as good as yours. My personal opinion is that you have the best looking caves of any roguelike right now. Aestheticly pleasing and also looks like great layout for gameplay 

This game is in my top 3 "to play" list when i get some spare time Really great work

[Kyzrati]

Aw thanks! I do like how the caves have turned out, though since I focus mostly on playability and tactics I think there are other better-looking examples out there from a purely aesthetic angle. Mine are basically just monochrome floors and walls without much in the way of features, after all

It certainly can be hard to find time to play games these days... At least I must play Cogmind as part of my job, and I created it to be something I'd really enjoy (and just so happens a few others people do, too), so that's nice. Haven't even played much at all myself for the past few months while working on this release, but I'm totally going to get back to streaming in the coming weeks and getting some new runs in!

[Kyzrati]

Fat changelog? CHECK. Lots of new toys to play with? CHECK. It's time to hack the planet!

The all-new robot hacking system creates new ways to play, and is expansive enough to integrate with existing strategies. Plus Beta 7 comes with more combat buffs and a heavy dose of QoL features, requested and otherwise.



For the full release notes and feature demo images, see here. Cogmind is also 10% off for the next week.

Cogmind Beta 7 "Hack the Planet" (0.10.180904) changelog:

• NEW: 65 new robot hacks
• NEW: Garrisons now contain an RIF Installer (required for most robot hacks)
• NEW: 12 Relay Couplers (available from numerous sources), required to execute better robot hacks
• NEW: 1 more brute force hack (secret)
• NEW: 3 new items (new mechanic)
• NEW: 75 new score sheet entries (total = 772)
• NEW: Added several encounters
• NEW: Info window for part types that cannot be repaired precedes the maximum integrity value with a *
• NEW: Derelict Logs that give an exit location for the current map when Cogmind already knows it explicitly indicate that in the log
• NEW: Blue '@' marker appears to indicate the direction of Cogmind's position when offscreen
• NEW: New kind of squad dispatch under certain conditions
• NEW: Standard robot hacks also accessible via manual entry
• NEW: Manual robot hacking UI includes autocompletion and fully-featured command buffer (data stored in /user/buffer_robot.txt)
• NEW: Option to alphabetize coupler-based robot hacks instead of based on cost (advanced.cfg: alphabetizeCouplerHacks)
• NEW: Option to not have map center on Cogmind with every move, requiring manual panning instead (advanced.cfg: viewFollowsCogmind)
• NEW: Option to disable mouse-based movement in mouse mode (advanced.cfg: disableMouseMovement)
• NEW: Vi-keys (j/k) can be used to change selected entry in item/robot info page
• NEW: Datajacks can be used on any bot
• NEW: parse_system robot hack is an additional way to add items to gallery collection (and won't aggro friendlies)
• NEW: Lower difficulty modes give Relay Couplers more uses
• NEW: Additional lore giving the new robot hacking system a background
• NEW: Shift-Alt-m exports PNG of entire current map, showing explored areas
• NEW: Worker latching onto a disabled bot now has its own sfx and color
• NEW: Assign text tags to inventory items (Shift-Alt-t + inventory item number)
• NEW: Kinetic cannons can cause knockback, where the chance is a function of damage, range, and target size
• NEW: Kinetic and Impact weapon knockback that causes one robot to hit another can damage and displace the second robot
• NEW: Additional Garrison layouts
• NEW: Export robot data with the "-exportRobots" command line argument (massive spoilers!)
• NEW: Explicit log message for failure to rewire disabled bot via Datajack
• NEW: Tutorial message reminding that items held in inventory do not themselves add to total mass
• NEW: Explicit interface message about large part non-swappability when using dedicated swap mode ('/')
• NEW: "Part Auto-Replacement" manual section expanded with an explanation of why the rules list is fairly short
• NEW: "Volley" manual section expanded with description of resource cost timing
• NEW: Non-forced melee attacks while flying require confirmation (toggle in advanced.cfg: ignoreFlyingMeleeConfirmation)
• NEW: Numpad '/' behaves as regular slash, activating part swap mode
• NEW: Heat flow errors due to corruption temporarily block movement (like part rejection)
• NEW: Hit chance modifiers due to attacker/defender recent moves reset on ramming and knockback
• NEW: Deploying ARCs list robots in message log
• NEW: Active ARCs engage emergency deployment system just before destruction (effects vary)
• NEW: Watchers can always jam sensors as long as Cogmind within their sensor range, even if using inferior Sensor Arrays
• NEW: Fully modal part management system (in addition to existing systems), press 'p' to open new menu for part toggle/attach/info/remove/drop
• NEW: Z-terminal access has limitations on each map
• NEW: All 0b10 bot calls for reinforcements that didn't already have one now display that notification as an on-map ALERT message
• NEW: Garrisons activated in response to calls for backup also display that notification as an on-map ALERT message
• NEW: All Alpha supporter names registered since Beta 6 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
• MOD: Destroying Garrison Relays has a different effect
• MOD: Hacking Suites no longer apply to robot hacking; chance-based robot hacking system removed
• MOD: No longer any benefits from hitting target with multiple Datajacks
• MOD: Target corruption no longer a factor when hacking a robot
• MOD: Programmers no longer assimilate other Programmers
• MOD: Less garbled text results from brute force hacks, just enough to more or less fill the window
• MOD: PARSE/LINK/REBOOT/OVERLOAD/ASSIMILATE robot hacks removed
• MOD: Rewrote Hacking Robots section of manual
• MOD: Engineers far less likely to get stuck in groups when many of them try to to repair the same area
• MOD: Disarmed Researchers won't trigger an attack warning
• MOD: Machine hacking uses a new kind of RNG
• MOD: Borebot weapon once again a prototype (since it can be discovered via parse_system)
• MOD: Datajack hits against any robot are not considered an attack
• MOD: For now the "Factory Defaults," "Error 47," and "Assimilation Complete" achievements refer to the hacks reboot_system, overload_power, and formatsys_
• MOD: Robots assimilated by Programmers no longer immediately activate, require some reboot time
• MOD: Updated offensive and defensive hackware effect descriptions to reflect changes in mechanics
• MOD: All Datajacks always have a 100% to achieve system access (i.e. penetration mechanic removed)
• MOD: All melee Datajacks' attack speed increased by at least 50%
• MOD: All Remote Datajacks' stats adjusted, including significant reduction in matter cost and an increase in speed
• MOD: Dirty Datajacks don't deteriorate as quickly
• MOD: Remote Datajacks work like guided weapons in that they must be fired solo
• MOD: RIF Installer incompatible with Super Gauntlet challenge
• MOD: Removed some pieces of lore related to obsolete hacking mechanics
• MOD: Robot info window no longer also displays speed as a percent in Tactical HUD mode
• MOD: Robot hacking UI no longer closed by RMB
• MOD: Shift-cursor method of panning map now ignored while robot hacking UI open
• MOD: Robots with temporarily disabled weapons more readily return to fight once weapons reactivated
• MOD: Executioner loadout improved
• MOD: Desublimator now a prototype
• MOD: Inventory scrolling keyboard commands under advanced help displayed as "]/[" instead of "[/]"
• MOD: No turn progression or input allowed during special CRM and conduit interface animations
• MOD: itemLabelRelativeRatingCutoff option no longer applies to any items that aren't placed randomly (always labeled)
• MOD: Zhirov profile reduced from 7x7 to 5x5
• MOD: Dedicated mapshift mode (`) no longer automatically recenters on completion (Enter is another option)
• MOD: Mouse-based movement and other map commands disabled while cursor hidden in keyboard mode
• MOD: Devolution challenge scoring formula now purely depth-based rather than slot-based
• MOD: "Executioner" achievement description reworded for clarity
• MOD: Updated "Turtlemind" achievement icon
• MOD: "Hit/Miss Streak" score sheet entries changed to "Robot Hit/Miss Streak," and only shots targeting robots count towards them
• MOD: "Crack Shot" and "Storm Trooper" achievements only count shots targeting robots, and exclude melee attacks
• MOD: "Adventurous" achievement renamed to "Ooh, Shiny!"
• MOD: Mines cave-in event can no longer kill low-integrity Cogmind
• MOD: Melee follow-up attacks incur no additional time cost aside from the weapon's halved time delay
• MOD: Exit labels for offscreen exits not shown if any part of the primary label for that exit is showing
• MOD: Message on inapplicable use of '>' command refers to traps and drone bays as well, rather than just stairs
• MOD: Secondary targeting (gunslinging) by guns is now guaranteed wherever applicable (100% chance)
• MOD: Follow-up attacks when multiwielding melee weapons will always automatically switch to the next available target if any in range (100% chance)
• MOD: Materials Terminals no longer list direct hacks for robot or item schematics
• MOD: Field Recycling Units operate on purely turn-based checks rather than an action- or wait-based counter, so take effect faster if moving more slowly
• MOD: S7 guaranteed to contain 1x TR
• MOD: Core Expanders more rare
• MOD: Part Auto-Activation feature active by default on a fresh install (still available in options menu)
• MOD: Part Auto-Activation hotkey switched to F10
• MOD: Tutorial messages involving part activation updated
• MOD: While a modal input label is visible across top of map simultaneously with an interface message, the latter is pushed down to avoid overlap
• MOD: Alert level decay from passing turns has diminishing returns over time (except in easier difficulty modes)
• MOD: Revision 17 never spawns in Scrapyard if using the quickStart option
• MOD: "SW" no longer much more likely to die from impact damage
• MOD: Super Gauntlet challenge Garrison Access cannot have traps next to their interactive section
• FIX: Under default config settings, faulty/broken unidentified prototypes excluded from mass labeling, revealing their state [zxc]
• FIX: Attached faulty power sources still contributed to energy storage capacity [zxc]
• FIX: Guided weapon waypoints were retained between maps [zxc]
• FIX: Crash on destroying a machine as first action on entering a new map before machine-relevant Derelict Log data displayed [zxc]
• FIX: "Spaces Moved" entry in score sheet didn't account for robot jumping by flight propulsion [zxc]
• FIX: "Average Speed (%)" entry in score sheet included stasis escape attempts [zxc]
• FIX: Derelict intel could ID the L exit [zxc]
• FIX: Opening world map in keyboard mode unable to select a map if just left Waste or Garrison and previously visited another on the same route [Joshua]
• FIX: "Watch This!" achievement couldn't be earned [Joshua]
• FIX: "Oh No You Don't!" achievement could be earned if Cogmind last damaged Saboteur later destroyed by another non-specific attacker [Joshua]
• FIX: "No Explosion For You" achievement also earned when your missiles shot down as well, not just those fired by hostiles [Joshua]
• FIX: "Just Shoot The Terminal" achievement awarded if a hostile bot achieved the same effect via misfire [lsend]
• FIX: "Fragile Parts" challenge was only applying rules to subsequent runs after game start, not the first [lsend]
• FIX: Adjustments required to accommodate a certain possibility during special Z+M@C event [lsend]
• FIX: Scrolling map view away from certain NPCs prior to dialogue skipped their dialogue, affecting the results [lsend]
• FIX: Sticky Parts challenge also blocked inventory parts from dropping [Raine]
• FIX: Sticky Parts challenge increased inventory contents beyond capacity if using get-attach shortcut on an already full inventory [Raine]
• FIX: "Executioner" achievement wasn't obtainable by way of normal evolution [Raine]
• FIX: Several typos in various messages and context help [Mhorre, Tzan, Rumbl3, Raine]
• FIX: "Collateral Damage" achievement couldn't be earned [Mojo]
• FIX: Certain late-game special event message might be shown globally even though it should require line-of-sight [Mojo]
• FIX: As of Beta 6, prototypes in gallery info didn't show their full name at the bottom [Mojo]
• FIX: Particular garrison layout could spawn any random disabled drone type, should be N-00 Fly [Mojo, GJ]
• FIX: Ally distance warning before level exit may report incorrect number for some at edge of radius [Valguris]
• FIX: Hacking bonus from allied Operators counted first Operator against the total, starting it at +5% instead of +10% [Valguris]
• FIX: Central database lockouts in Recycling would still cause investigation dispatch [Valguris]
• FIX: Full-sized evasion readout still listed Cloaking as a bonus, renamed to Phasing to match new corresponding utility name [PhenomPhear]
• FIX: Unique swords weren't playing any hit sfx [PhenomPhear]
• FIX: "Cya!" achievement was earned by flying over only two bots [PhenomPhear]
• FIX: Tutorial messages about gallery and lore collection still mentioned old key commands [b_sen]
• FIX: Drag-swapping parts with between 19 and 30 energy would only complete the first half of the action instead of giving the low-energy warning [b_sen]
• FIX: Simultaneously using any Thermal Generator and Cryofiber Web dropped energy reserves, allowing them to even go negative [IrishDemon]
• FIX: In rare cases an unknown open cell within ally transfer range may be highlighted while leading allies and standing adjacent to exit [DDarkRay]
• FIX: Quickly pressing an up/down arrow key after closing a robot's part info window in keyboard mode would place the cursor incorrectly [Jivya]
• FIX: RMB on hidden doors wouldn't enter targeting mode, revealing their presence [Malthusis]
• FIX: Fleeing Workers continue pushing previously disabled bot even if bot rewired while fleeing [Laida]
• FIX: Reaction Control Systems dodging a trap could jump Cogmind into a neighboring phase wall [Pimski]
• FIX: Individual Researchers normally only call reinforcements once, but after a run save/load could call again immediately
• FIX: <x2> consecutive message counters would not appear if not enough room remaining in the previous message log line
• FIX: "Missiles Intercepted" score sheet entry tallied all instances rather than only Cogmind's
• FIX: "Batter Up" achievement could be earned if an enemy Brawler knocked any bot into an exploding machine
• FIX: Due to earlier changes, world map unable to display both a Waste and Garrison visit from the same map, or current Garrison marker
• FIX: Multiwielding impact melee weapons allowed attacks to continue even after target already knocked away

[Kyzrati]

SITREP Saturday #37: Statistically Speaking

As usual following a major release, it's again time to review player stats from the previous Beta. The full summary is on the forums here, where you can read a breakdown of the 462 wins in recent months, how players fared with achievements (Beta 6's flagship feature), and check out some of the new stats recorded by score sheets. As usual these include meta stats that might be of interest to other devs, though those values haven't changed much in the four months since I last did this.



Now that there are a number of ways to "change" Cogmind, PlasticHeart has kindly put together an realtime graph showing which approaches players are taking leading up to a win.



I've added links to both that graph and Ape3000's player progression graphs from the bottom of the leaderboards for easier access. (If you recall from earlier updates, the latter graphs are a great way to see how an individual player's runs are changing over time.)

Beta 7 Aftermath

So the leaderboards were reset to go with the new version. New beginnings for all!

As expected, we immediately saw an increase in the number of Garrisons deaths, those being optional areas a majority of players avoided before whereas now at least one visit is now required for those seeking access to the best robot hacking potential.



Later Garrisons are quite challenging, but if you enter one of the lower ones around -8/-7 in good shape and having made preparations like having a full inventory, spare propulsion, and decent weapons (preferably backed by a launcher, too, especially EMPs), they'll fall pretty easily to a systematic attack.

Since the release I've streamed two runs on Twitch, both of which installed a RIF inside the -8/Materials Garrison. The

last week was to get to know the potential of a full-on high-inventory robot hacker build. The

was more of a combat-oriented run with RIF for intel support by hacking non-combat bots (the mid-game relied mostly on allies, and propulsion was all over the place, sometimes using wheels, hover, and later treads). I'm looking forward to doing more streams during Beta 7; one of my plans I've yet to get to is a melee run.

It's been fun seeing players take advantage of other new features, including sharing a lot of neat map exports. Most would be spoilery so I can't share them here, but this one by Mojo in the Factory turned out pretty cool:



Eight'll be Great

I can't get into the details of Beta 8 yet, since there are still a couple of fairly different routes it might take. Although I haven't made a final decision on that, the roadmap which lives on the FAQ is kept up-to-date and does publicly list some hints...

As always there are tons of plans. Yet more robot hacking will be coming eventually--the system is working nicely with its 65 hacks, and it's only going to get better with more options. (First the dust needs to settle on Beta 7, but already there are more plans for RIFfers, even outside pure hacking.) In any case, the next few releases will be working to add content to the first half of the game as well.

I really can't wait to get into working on Beta 8, but there are other plans for the near term. As mentioned before I'll be going to San Francisco for this year's Roguelike Celebration, where you can find me if you want to stop by and say hi :D. I'll also be giving a little talk there, for which I still need to do some preparation. Roguecel is a chance to meet lots of other well-known roguelike devs, too, so if you're in the area it's probably worth coming. I mean, you can actually meet other people who play roguelikes, actual people in the flesh! xD



I'll be pairing that with a trip to see family, so I'm heading out to the US next week and taking a bit of a break from development. That means a hiatus on progress updates for probably a few weeks, until we're on the other side of the Celebration. Then I've gotta deal with mega jet lag while trying to get back into the swing of things, yay my favorite.

[Kyzrati]

I'm back! Had a great time in the US at this year's Roguelike Celebration, and wrote all about it here (includes tons of pictures)

I gave the opening talk, "How to Make a Roguelike," which was an opportunity to share info about a ton of other roguelikes :D


The full talk is here:




(Will be getting back to proper Cogmind work soon.)

[standardcombo]

Oh man, didn't have time to go to Roguecel this year T,T

Sad to have missed this.

[Kyzrati]

Hey Gabriel, yeah I remember we met up at the first one in 2016. It sure was a good year and I imagine you'll have another chance at it in 2019 :D

[Kyzrati]

Wow, as of this week Cogmind's been in Steam EA for a year now! (That's for a total of three and a half years of public releases.) Uncharacteristically there will not be a major post analyzing every detail . I've just been too busy with the Roguelike Celebration stuff.

After realizing this milestone, however, I did look at one stat in particular I was interested in: the change in amount of time spent on non-direct development work. Since Cogmind's Steam release the portion of time spent on the "Community" aspect of gamedev has continued its upward trend, from 42.1% of total work hours over the year prior to Steam, compared to 57.2% this past year! That includes working on progress updates, release notes, marketing, streaming, forums, and all other community interaction.

That is, MORE THAN HALF of my time is spent there these days, which honestly does have benefits for development, but *also* pretty important because it's obvious that when I stop doing this, revenue starts sinking! This past month of no updates/news, while I was on vacation in the US and then at #roguelikecel 2018, is another clear example...

I'm happy to have greatly integrated the community into the development process because my work is better for it, but I also sometimes wonder what I'd have if many of these hours could be reallocated to coding and content, much like the composition of Cogmind's early years, 2013-15!

Anyway, I also realized that part of the problem is my total work hours overall have been forced lower due to my concussion last year (not long before putting Cogmind on Steam), but again I can't simply do less community work--the time is cut almost entirely from the coding/content side. So I'm guessing it'd probably be more like 50-50 if I hadn't been injured.

On Steam I posted a bit more about the remainder of Early Access, which looks like it'll last a while longer

[Kyzrati]

I won't mirror the whole thing in this here, but it's finally complete, the text version of my Roguelike Celebration 2018 talk, How to Make a Roguelike, a comprehensive primer on how to get started with roguelike development, guidance and tips in 5,500 words and 84 images :D

[Devilkay]

I played a game like this on browser (a lot of time ago). It was amazing.
And also yours looks fantastic! Great idea and style!

[NowSayPillow]

I won't mirror the whole thing in this here, but it's finally complete, the text version of my Roguelike Celebration 2018 talk, How to Make a Roguelike, a comprehensive primer on how to get started with roguelike development, guidance and tips in 5,500 words and 84 images :D

Tagging this for later reading. (Because, damned it, one day I will create a roguelike!)

[Kyzrati]

I played a game like this on browser (a lot of time ago). It was amazing.
And also yours looks fantastic! Great idea and style!

Thanks! Most of the popular ones aren't browser-based, although you'll generally find the latter a bit simpler and easier to get into. Still, roguelikes are good at being really fun even at their simplest.

Tagging this for later reading. (Because, damned it, one day I will create a roguelike!)

Doooo iiiiit! It's a lot of fun... So much so that I had to add the disclaimer that this is a guide for how to start making a roguelike, not stop making that roguelike

[Kyzrati]

Surprise update!

Beta 7.1 makes the Relay Interface Framework and bot-hacking strategies even more interesting by tying the system much closer to Complex 0b10 with new alert management mechanics and Garrison interactions.

(This week I started streaming a new RIF run,



and man does 7.1 open up a lot of new possibilities!)

For the full release notes and feature demo images, see here.

Cogmind Beta 7.1 "RIF+" (0.10.181023) changelog:

• NEW: RIF adds precise real-time alert level readout to HUD
• NEW: RIF automatically detects nearby Garrison Access points
• NEW: Garrison Access automatically open for Cogmind with RIF upon stepping adjacent to door location
• NEW: If RIF installed, alert level no longer increases passively while inside a garrison
• NEW: Garrison exits automatically open if Cogmind has RIF installed
• NEW: Manual indicates BRIGHTNESS renderFilter can be used to increase brightness as well
• NEW: Weapon cycling (' or [CYCLE] button) treats all guided, melee, and datajack weapons as separate options
• MOD: While RIF installed, Unlock Access hack at Garrison Access always has a 100% chance
• MOD: -8/Materials Garrison Access is always lowest security level
• MOD: Relay Coupler [Swarmer] base value increased 40%
• MOD: Operator purge_threat hack cost dropped from 20 to 10
• MOD: A certain 5-letter bot that starts with a G (spoiler) now has the Disruption immunity
• MOD: Non-hostile Researchers are not alerted by distress calls
• MOD: Researchers ignore Datajack attacks against both self and allies
• MOD: Thermal Generator effect description adjusted so it's harder to mistake for a type of heat sink
• MOD: Tactical HUD mode energy readout displays both values separately even when stationary and movement turnwise deltas are identical
• MOD: Non-zero ambient heat display is shown outside Tactical HUD mode as well, if applicable
• FIX: Enumerate(Coupling) terminal hack gave no results [Valguris]
• FIX: Dropped salvage would not remain in map knowledge if Cogmind stepped out of view prior to any FOV update [Valguris]
• FIX: Melee sneak attacks were impossible against Researchers [GJ]
• FIX: Loading a "Fragile Parts" run wouldn't apply the rules in subsequent sessions beyond the first [GJ]
• FIX: -exportRobots command line argument inaccessible in release build [Raine]
• FIX: Tactical HUD mode energy readout failed to show inventory-stored energy when stationary and movement values are identical [Trione]
• FIX: Easiest difficulty mode didn't reduce the number of Garrison Access machines by 1 as intended
• FIX: Drone Bay info in parts list sometimes didn't reflect correct number of remaining drones

[JobLeonard]

By the way, have you looked at Steam Proton to automatically wrap your game into a Valve-based Wine? I mean, the game is already confirmed to work well anyway, so you might as well go for it and lower the barrier to entry for even more players!

https://www.protondb.com/

[Kyzrati]

Steam already does this automatically now (I announced it a couple months back). Linux players can already play Cogmind seamlessly on Steam and it just works