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[Kyzrati]

Improving the Hacking Experience
[Cross-posted from the devblog here--follow link for better formatting and light-on-dark style.]

The terrible curse of gamedev is that it's really hard to finish a game when there's always something that could be better. The great thing about gamedev is that there's always something that could be better, meaning room for more new features and content to make players happy :D

The previous round of major UI enhancements (in the form of extra optional features) was centered around inventory management, which lies at the very core of Cogmind's gameplay. And now more recently the less central but still oft-used manual hacking system has undergone a similar treatment, getting its own set of UI add-ons that players appreciate.

In Cogmind hacking is most easily performed directly, via the available list of valid machine commands marked by letters and with percentages reflecting their chance of success, but sometimes players want to carry out more difficult "indirect hacks" of unlisted targets by keying them in manually.

Manually hacking a terminal, including use of unlisted targets.

Forcing the player to remember the information required to take advantage of this strategy, and type it repeatedly, may seem like unnecessary requirements. We have computers to do that sort of thing for us, while we apply our brain's processing power instead to problem solving--what exactly to do when. That's the more enjoyable part of games for most players. (Note that it is, however, quite in theme to be typing hacking commands without any form of assistance, and at least one player specifically requested that none of these features be available, so it is possible to turn them off.)

Repetition was initially addressed in part by the "hacking buffer," allowing players to automatically cycle back through previous hacks (including those during previous runs), or even modify the buffer directly as an external text file.

Cycling through the manual hacking buffer to repeat previous commands.

But the buffer is more suited to recent hacks, since it's cumbersome to cycle back through dozens of entries to find a particular one, in which time you may as well have just typed the command out again . There are buffer features like automatic removal of duplicates and non-existent commands, but they only go so far.

Thus we have several more features to aid the hack-minded Cogmind...


Unique Codes
Any part of the game that causes extra non-fun work for the player is a candidate for streamlining, and when the story portion of the game exploded in Alphas 8 and 9, unique codes for manual hacking became just that.

Obtained by talking to NPCs or accessing certain terminal records, these codes could then be entered while hacking other machines or robots elsewhere in the world for some kind of effect. The problem: using them meant having to know them, which meant having to write them down, or even worse, scrolling way back through the message log to find where they were last referenced. I made the codes short (only four letters) to facilitate this, and at first there were only a couple anyway so it wasn't much of an issue, but with more plot comes more codes, and neither of the old approaches were satisfactory--scroll searching was a slow process, and writing them down would often be wasteful since they might never be used. (Note that these codes are randomly generated, so they change every run.)

The UI does all this automatically now. Mouse players can simply click on the code they want to input, while keyboard players first type the normal code hack prefix ("\\") to switch focus to the code list where they only need to press the corresponding letter key. The list even conveniently includes who gave it to you and where.

Interacting with the terminal code assist feature.

And the same feature is available for manual hacks targeting robots, not just machines:

Code assist feature activation while manually datajacking a Sentry.

No more writing down codes :D


Autocompletion
Us coders have autocomplete for our source hacking, so why not give it to players, too?

There are currently 82 machine commands in Cogmind, and while I've attempted to use relatively systematic naming conventions, it's still a lot to remember, especially those which aren't used so often. And even when players do remember exactly how to hack their target, the occasional typo is also annoying.

The solution is to take whatever the player has typed, even as little as one letter, and start narrowing down the possibilities, compiling a list of all matching commands and displaying the first as grayed out text, possibly followed by a number indicator if there is more than one match available. All the player has to do is press spacebar to accept the gray text rather than typing it out in full, or keep typing to narrow down the possibilities, or press up/down to cycle through the other matches!

Manual hacking gets autocomplete!

From the outset all common commands are considered for the autocompletion list, while unauthorized hacks learned while playing are considered only after discovering them, information that is carried from game to game. This is to avoid spoiling secrets that are intended to be learned through regular play (NPCs and terminal records provide this info), though players who for some reason don't have their user data from previous games (or those who look up spoilers) can type the commands out manually and they'll be permanently considered "learned" as well.

The automated recording of secrets learned via lore is itself helpful for hack discovery, in case a player didn't notice or forgot what some NPC told them (and doesn't want to search through their lore collection UI for it ), since simply typing "Trojan" at the command prompt (or really even just "tro"!) will list all known Trojans for that machine. ("t" and "tr" work, too, but there will also be non-Trojan matches due to trap-related commands.)


Indirect Queries
Querying terminal records often returns results that themselves contain further topics to query, forming a web of potential lore. Mouse users can simply click on these other topics to attempt to hack them indirectly, but keyboard users have always had to type out the Query(Topic) command manually.

Until now.

When keyboard mode is active, reference numbers appear next to each available topic and simply pressing the corresponding number key will attempt to hack it.

Hacking a chain of lore-related terminal records purely via keyboard, using reference numbers.

The system only supports the ten most recent topic references (because number keys), but that's plenty enough to have full access to several consecutive hacking results. After the tenth topic, the numbers will wrap back around to 1 again.

To reiterate, mouse users will not see the numbers, and I don't think keyboard users will be impacted too much in terms of readability, since the numbers are grayed out and one can learn to ignore/read past them until they're needed. The affect on readability was, however, one of the main reasons I repeatedly postponed implementing this feature. In the end I've decided that convenient functionality is more important, and actually kinda think they make the entry text look cool, anyway

Another query-related bonus feature for both mouse and keyboard users is that these topic references themselves now also include a '!' prefix to indicate that a particular record has not been read/discovered before, to facilitate lore collection.

'!' marking lore records that haven't been hacked yet.

This is the same indicator that appears in the machine target list for direct queries.


Addendum
None of the features mentioned in this post are necessary, but they sure are convenient! Why weren't they just implemented to begin with?

The most obvious answer is time. A lot of work goes into the base features and UI itself, and by the time each is complete and able to get the job done, all the test have been run, the kinks worked out, the bugs fixed... it's really draining and often feels about time to move on to the next thing . Besides, there are always other pressing features that need attention, too! Thus many ways to further improve an experience often end up filed under "Maybe later?" This is fine because it feeds into the second reason:

Sometimes rushing to add "improvements" turns out to be a bad idea. With a working foundation in place, time permitting it's always better to watch how players use a given feature, listen to how players talk about it, and use it yourself. With more use case data, over time even better solutions might become apparent. Development that moves too fast in one direction without waiting for intermediate results is more likely to waste time, as efforts might clash (either code-wise or UX-wise) with another feature which isn't as mature.

So in my case I keep a list of features like these and revisit them occasionally to look at them from a new perspective, maybe add some more notes, and when a particular feature hits critical mass (sometimes pushed over the edge by player requests or what I hear players talking about :D), it becomes the next implementation target and will find its way into a near-term update.

[Kyzrati]

Rushing to cram features in for Alpha 12 next week...

Obstacles to line of fire are highlighted much more brightly, with a glow effect:


AI update: Allies always prioritize reaching your position if you're at an exit, and here they are rallying to defend the stairs while more allies catch up:


Alt-free modal inventory management for pure keyboard players is now a thing (mode indicator at top of parts list):


Scan Processors were removed from the game, and full robot info is available for all robots just by examining them:

The information used to be gated, but I've been thinking about changing that for a while, and having a number of DCSS devs start to play Cogmind has led to a couple changes like this

Visualization modes and inventory sorting are now labeled right there when switching modes:

(specially with regard to the visualizations, this aids player discover of what each mode is for without having to consult the help page or manual)

The eighth and final part data visualization mode: vulnerability:

It shows [coverage/integrity], suggesting which parts will be the first to be lost when under attack. Comparison with some other modes:


I'm currently in the process of overhauling thermal warfare--yes, another major feature update just days before release xD

Analyzing/balancing robot heat values in debug mode:


The last release was the largest ever in terms of new content, but the changelog on this one is leaving every release I've ever done (of anything) in the dust...

Note: Since making Cogmind VAT-free to see how that might affect sales in the EU, during the past few days at least EU sales are more than double the average.

[Kyzrati]

Can't... stop... the features...

New Heat Transfer stat. Gonna melt some bots.


Overheating bots also glow red for a bit, indicating they're ripe for melting.




The Scan window also includes a new heat level indicator when in tactical HUD mode.


Subtly different death animation for critical meltdowns.


While I'm at it, also some add-on animation for system corruption kills, but this one's even harder to spot


Auto-highlighting of FOV-external areas while panning the map.


The day is still young!

[Kyzrati]

Alpha 12 preview images are up. Now to write those release notes which are just get longer and longer with each new update xD

If everything goes smoothly, will be pushing this build tomorrow.

[Kyzrati]

Alpha 12 is here! This update is much broader in scope than what we've seen before, hence the ridiculously long changelog. As usual there's new content, but alongside it we have a lot of new UI features, a range of balance tweaks, and a rather large number of new mechanics for so late in alpha (it feels like I could develop Cogmind forever, but did I mention we are now in "late alpha"? ).

Thermal heat transfer, trap installation, damage overflow, melee sneak attacks, and more...

For the full release notes with extra detail and an introduction to what this release is all about, see here.

The full Alpha 12 (0.10.161122) changelog:

* NEW: Branch map "Command"
* NEW: 2 more plot-related NPC encounters
* NEW: 1 major new NPC (unique robot class)
* NEW: 1 new prototype robot variant
* NEW: 1 new common robot class (3 variants)
* NEW: 37 new items (total = 768)
* NEW: Several more machines
* NEW: 1 more cave encounter
* NEW: 25 more score sheet entries (total = 492)
* NEW: Borderless fullscreen mode (see options menu)
* NEW: Option to automatically deactivate all other weapons when attaching/swapping in a launcher (cogmind.cfg only: see autoReadyLauncher)
* NEW: Core Heat Shields raise threshold at which overheat effects occur
* NEW: HUD temperature readout shows modified overheating threshold if currently above regular threshold with an active Core Heat Shield
* NEW: Recalibrator effect replaced with new ability to restore functionality to broken parts, including prototypes
* NEW: Manual hacking now includes autocompletion feature (press Spacebar or Tab to accept current match, or up/down to cycle through all matches)
* NEW: Indirect hacking of lore topics through references now possible via number keys (keyboard mode only)
* NEW: Previously undiscovered lore topics marked in query results using '!' (as also seen in hacking target list)
* NEW: Score sheet records borderless fullscreen setting in meta data ("2")
* NEW: Damage overflow mechanic (see manual)
* NEW: Expanded manual intro with "Using this Manual" section
* NEW: Manual explicitly states that successful hacks can increase alert level
* NEW: Trap extraction and reuse mechanic
* NEW: Use '>' on top of a trap to force it to trigger (LMB for mouse users)
* NEW: Some power sources can be overloaded to double their energy output (and heat)
* NEW: Less common combat-oriented hover propulsion ("Cmb.") with higher integrity and support, but slower
* NEW: Super fast experimental flight propulsion with relatively low support (rare)
* NEW: Non-scanalyzable parts can still be inserted into scanalyzer to identify them (anything!), with specific messages for why schematic impossible
* NEW: Manual part/robot Schematic()/Analysis() hacks report required depth and security level if target unavailable at current terminal
* NEW: Evolution interface accepts numpad Enter for confirmation as well
* NEW: More possible side effects of system corruption: Matter Fused, Heat Flow Error, Energy Discharge
* NEW: Allied followers prioritize gathering around an exit if Cogmind is adjacent to one, even if under attack
* NEW: Option to block propulsion auto-activation if already have different form active (cogmind.cfg only: see disableSecondPropulsionAutoactivate)
* NEW: Wait commands blocked for 1 second on spotting a new enemy (can safely hold/repeat wait) (adjust duration in cfg: pauseWaitDurationForEnemies)
* NEW: System Backup Modules and related utilities report to the message log on taking effect
* NEW: While part swap mode active, indicator now shows at top of parts list as well
* NEW: Alt-free modal inventory management! ('d' to enter drop mode, followed by a~z or 1~0; compatible with ',' direct dropping) (keyboard mode only)
* NEW: Temporary descriptive indicator appears when sorting inventory or changing part visualization mode
* NEW: "World map updated" log messages now indicate precisely what was added/learned
* NEW: All robot info always available (Scan Processors removed from game)
* NEW: Part/inventory data visualization now includes eighth mode: "relative vulnerability" (toggle via coverage 'c' command/button)
* NEW: Thermal projectiles/explosions have a "Heat Transfer" stat that determines how much an impact raises target heat (decoupled from damage)
* NEW: AI robots have some unique overheating side effects, and they'll occur more frequently
* NEW: Meltdowns are more easily triggered
* NEW: Combat robots glow red for a moment when seriously overheating (and are therefore prone to meltdowns)
* NEW: Otherwise salvageable parts may melt on robot death due to heat level at the time
* NEW: Unique animations for robot death to meltdowns and system corruption
* NEW: Scan window also shows robot temperature indicator in a separate block below integrity (tactical HUD mode only)
* NEW: Known map outside FOV auto-reveals regular colors when view not centered on Cogmind (e.g. mouse panning or kb-based map shifting)
* NEW: Melee attacks against unaware targets are "sneak attacks," almost certain to hit and inflict 50% more damage
* NEW: All supporter names registered since Alpha 11 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* NEW: All item-attribution names registered since Alpha 11 added to the item collection gallery
* MOD: HUD temperature readout doesn't glow even when hot, if within Core Heat Shielding-modified overheating threshold
* MOD: Most AI robots tweaked to have near optimum heat efficiency, making them easier to forcefully overheat/meltdown
* MOD: Windowed mode blocks fonts that create a game window slightly larger than the screen (for maximum font size use borderless fullscreen instead)
* MOD: Upkeep removed from all Processor-type utilities
* MOD: Exp. Optical Array effect dropped from 8 to 7
* MOD: Component Analysis Suites converted from Processor to Device, have new art, and a mass of 1
* MOD: Repair Stations take longer to repair broken (non-functional) parts
* MOD: Repair Stations can repair broken (non-functional) prototypes
* MOD: Integration Analyzer/Error Protection Suite/Quarantine Testbed removed from game
* MOD: Integration Analyzer effect merged with Integration Mediators (in addition to latter's existing effect)
* MOD: Heat Shielding effect increased from 50% to 75%
* MOD: All Core Heat Shields always prevent power source overheating
* MOD: Increased Core Heat Shield ratings and energy upkeep
* MOD: Recalibrators no longer auto-activate, and require energy upkeep
* MOD: Disposable cooling utilities take effect even if at the overheat threshold, where negative effects are technically still possible
* MOD: All Maneuvering Thrusters' coverage dropped from 80 to 60, integrity approximately doubled
* MOD: All Cloaking Devices' coverage dropped from 100 to 80, integrity slightly increased
* MOD: Updated Integration Analyzer effect description, which still implied removing parts has an associated matter cost
* MOD: Lowered all drone bay mass, to better serve their secondary purpose as armor
* MOD: Increased Mini/Mapping Drone Bay coverage and integrity
* MOD: Removed heat upkeep from all high-tier drone bays
* MOD: Tactical Quantum Warhead damage increased, reduced variability
* MOD: Destructive force of EM-triggered Light/Compact/Mini/Micro power source chain reactions upped to match non-light variants
* MOD: Increased damage and reduced matter cost for Flak Guns/Cannons (projectile count unchanged)
* MOD: Unknown manual hacking commands no longer added to command buffer
* MOD: Manually succeeding at a Query() hack darkens any previous references to that topic in other entries from the same hacking session
* MOD: Indirect hacking modifiers no longer apply to Trojans/brute force hacks (now much easier to succeed across all machine tiers)
* MOD: Haulers escorted through Materials no longer also capable of calling in reinforcements
* MOD: Operators can no longer be stationed at Recycling access terminal
* MOD: Exiting a research branch garrison always advances to another area rather than having a chance to bring Cogmind back to the same one
* MOD: Hauler Manifests containing matter now list the total amount in addition to the number of stacks
* MOD: Weapon heat context help (and manual) explicitly mentions how heat is averaged over the volley turn duration
* MOD: Lowered coverage of Electron Diverter and Imp. Diametric Drive to match other prototypes, and raised integrity and support of latter
* MOD: Slight increase to mass support of Nuclear Pulse Array and Field Propulsion Array
* MOD: Armored Leg increased to rating 5, support -2, heat +1
* MOD: Increased rarity of all Launcher Guidance Computers
* MOD: "AA AOE weapon" converted from explosive to thermal damage (trying to avoid spoilers here)
* MOD: Shock Trap corruption effect now modified by EM resistance (especially meaningful for NPCs)
* MOD: Blade/Segregator Traps no longer capable of affecting strip-immune victims (e.g. major NPCs)
* MOD: Traps triggered on Complex 0b10 robots no longer affect alert level
* MOD: Ally BUILD order removed
* MOD: Flight-capable builds can jump over large allies, movement which was originally blocked because swapping was impossible
* MOD: "Cooldown Period" stat removed from power sources, now use the same random range across entire item category
* MOD: "Heat Stability" stat removed from power source info
* MOD: Power Sources: Mni./Fusion Reactor -energy; F-Cell Engine -energy, +storage; Imp. Quantum Reactor -heat
* MOD: Message log file output ignores pure fluff messages like Serf cleaning, Engineer building, etc.
* MOD: Numerous hover/flight propulsion names and tiers shuffled to make way for new Cld-prefixed overloadables
* MOD: Active heat upkeep of all Cld-prefixed hover and flight propulsion dropped to 0
* MOD: Diametric Drives (and Imp. version) no longer overloadable, speed increased, support and energy drain reduced
* MOD: Nuclear Pulse Thrusters and Array no longer overloadable
* MOD: Dehyphenated several part name words (Antimatter, Antigrav, Antimissile); switched F-Cell/Q-Thrusters to lower case c/t
* MOD: Force Lance renamed to Force Rifle, actual Force Lance piercing melee weapon added
* MOD: All Demolisher variants switched to combat-type hover propulsion (slower!)
* MOD: Score sheet Most/Average/Final Carried stat records use inventory contents size rather than count
* MOD: Scanalyzer and Recycling Unit selection lists indicate item integrity values to aid differentiation (like Repair Station behavior)
* MOD: Scanalyzers can now operate on broken parts and rating 9/10 prototypes (still excludes unique items found only in certain locations)
* MOD: All part/robot schematics available one floor earlier than before
* MOD: Critical strike damage bonus against armor now 20% (was 25%); Cogmind critical strike part loss threshold down to 33% integrity (from 50%)
* MOD: Obstacles along line of fire in targeting mode have a bright animated glow instead of just highlighted
* MOD: Direct terminal hacks with unchanging permanent mapwide effects (12 in all) are removed from all terminals once successfully hacked once
* MOD: Power generation and energy/matter upkeep drain now occurs before applying any per-turn utility effects
* MOD: Targeting autoselection for large robots prefers the location with open line of fire rather than nearest point with line of sight
* MOD: Removed map data loss side effect of system corruption (AKA "map rot")
* MOD: cogmind.cfg forcePauseForEnemies variable renamed to pauseMoveDurationForEnemies (value reset to default this alpha)
* MOD: Transfer Stations now appear in blue
* MOD: Raised volume of part swap mode activation sfx (and multiconsole switch)
* MOD: Ally AID order can target any other ally, rather than only controllable allies
* MOD: Matter Storage Units renamed to Matter Pods
* MOD: Stasis link color changed from purple to yellow to differentiate from forms of protective stasis
* MOD: Robot destruction log message no longer shown after "terminal corruption" or "critical meltdown" effects (redundant)
* MOD: Core Heat Shield renamed Internal Heat Shield
* MOD: -10% to hit when attacker's previous action was a move no longer applies to melee combat
* MOD: Behemoth core switched from kinetic weakness to thermal weakness
* MOD: Removed Grunt core kinetic weakness
* MOD: Kinetic guns tweaked: most now have recoil, most now salvage-neutral, reduced some excessive critical chances
* MOD: Adjusted distribution and rarity of many utilities
* MOD: Microactuators, Quantum Capacitor and low/mid-tier Weapon Cyclers more common
* MOD: Increased resistance effect of all Focal Shields, Thermal Shields, and the EM Shield
* MOD: Lowered impact of certain events on alert level, most notably machine destruction
* MOD: Alert level increase due to allied activity now based on rating--lowered for low/mid-tier variants, raised for high-tier variants
* MOD: Cogmind base energy storage doubled to 100
* FIX: Mouse autopathing was broken by a regression (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [magi163])
* FIX: Screenshot feature was broken by a regression (fixed in earlier stealth update, credited here: [Sherlockkat])
* FIX: Operators that lose a Datajack might be fitted with Backup Lasers by a Mechanic [Kalkkis]
* FIX: Internal slot counts for robots tallied incorrectly (only a minor affect, on repairs) [Decker, Amphouse]
* FIX: Firing overloaded thermal weapons might crash the UI under certain circumstances [Amphouse]
* FIX: Hackware art misalignment in ASCII spritesheet could reveal names of other art (regression in Alpha 11) [Amphouse]
* FIX: Reactive Armor art not centered [Amphouse]
* FIX: Armory dispatches were blocked from entering area [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: scorehistory.txt recorded occupied slots rather than total slots [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Trojan intended to speed up fabrication only applied to a build in progress, rather than including all those afterward as intended [Decker]
* FIX: Data Miner Network Hub terminal info referred to old/incorrect effectiveness modifier [Decker]
* FIX: scorehistory.txt Carried Avg not divided by turn count, resulting in huge incorrect values [zxc]
* FIX: Description of "Seed" variable in options menu didn't fit in allotted area [zxc]
* FIX: External log file output excluded dialogue [zxc]
* FIX: Typo in Containment Facilitator record [zxc]
* FIX: Typo in Zion encounter dialogue text [zxc]
* FIX: Score sheet "Traps Reused" stat tallied incorrectly [zxc]
* FIX: Recall(Extermination) and Recall(Assault) did not actually immediately call off the target squads [zxc]
* FIX: Subatomic Replicator temporarily increased max inventory size if attached directly from the ground with a full inventory [zxc]
* FIX: A pair of very long lore entries were cut short in the lore collection UI [zxc, Amphouse]
* FIX: Part sorting via ':' might not finishing shifting listed items to final position (rare, circumstances unknown) [zxc, Decker]
* FIX: Art gallery excessively incremented collection tallies of matter storage utilities [gressup]
* FIX: Crash on manually entering gibberish for the Fabricator Load() command
* FIX: Using keyboard-based reverse cycling of map robots/items in targeting mode while mouse active would auto-pan the map to center on the target
* FIX: If pure keyboard "DIRECT" drop mode (inventory skipping via ',') left to expire on its own (5s), would take two presses to reinstate it
* FIX: Score sheet "Database Lockouts" stat wasn't being tallied
* FIX: Special NPCs intended to follow more closely would lose that status and revert to loose follow if brought to another floor
* FIX: Shock Trap and EM Surge Trap had their corruption severity swapped with one another (latter intended to be more powerful)
* FIX: Unique hack missing from some Testing terminals
* FIX: Makeshift hackware art background colors incorrect
* FIX: Impact damage description in game manual still referenced pre-Alpha 6 "durability" mechanic

[JobLeonard]

Bro, do you even sleep?

[Kyzrati]

Not enough, my friend, not enough!

Yesterday I did promise my wife I'd get on a better schedule after doing yet a second mega release in a row

So much cool stuff to do I couldn't help myself these past few weeks, though it's also because I'm watching the rapidly approaching end of the year, which is when I want all the core stuff finished by.

[Kyzrati]

So we already have a part sorting feature, but you have to trigger it manually with ':'... Today I figured for those who don't ever require their parts to be in some other certain order, why not add an option that automagically keeps them sorted as you lose/remove/attach them?

It follows all the same rules as normal sorting, but constantly updates as your loadout changes.

This week I also added a new feature to the leaderboards that makes scores clickable to see the full stats from a given run, useful for checking out what strategies the player was using, where they visited, etc. (since each file includes hundreds of stats). Note that some of the score sheets (especially those higher up) will contain spoilers, for those players who did special plot-related stuff.


Also today, IndieDB started voting for top indie games of the year. I'd appreciate any votes for Cogmind here! It'd be nice to make the Top 100 (out of many thousands) for a third year in a row . Lots of other cool games/roguelikes over there as well, so support your favorites!

[Kyzrati]

Because all the other indicators are never enough--it's always possible to miss dangerously low resources of some kind--there are going to be optional popups for low and critical integrity/energy/matter, right on the map like this:

[JobLeonard]

I can hear the "AWOOGA! AWOOGA!" with every blink. Will it also have optional alert-noises? It's stressful but that can be part of the immersion.

[Kyzrati]

Hehe, there's always been an alert noise, one that players can toggle on/off and also set its threshold--a separate one for each resource, even! They are all on by default, but not everyone pays attention to them.

I admit they could be even louder and more annoying, but part of the issue there is that some of your resources can fluctuate quite a lot, and frequently, so they'd be going off all the time. I settled for something that could be noticed if you pay some attention to it, but not so annoying when you hear it every minute or two

[Kyzrati]

Alpha 13 production is underway, and this time we'll be focusing on stuff that's not quite so late-game!

In that vein, we have a new mechanic that might help in a pinch when low on parts while spelunking: Scrap! Find matter and (somewhat damaged) components in these treasure chest-like piles sometimes found around the caves and mines. They could save your life!


An example of searching one:


This week I streamed my combat run through the weekly seed, and won. You can read a bit about it here (or, if so inclined, watch a bit of it to learn how to piss off the enemy and survive ).

Also, a reminder to please vote for Cogmind over on IndieDB :D. Thanks!

[Kyzrati]

Woohoo, Cogmind was successfully voted into the Top 100 indie games of 2016, third year in a row :D

Thanks everyone for your votes! This year Cogmind is the only traditional roguelike in the list, where there is now voting for the Top 10 and honorable mentions. But it is a popularity contest, after all, and there's no way as a niche game not on Steam that we can compete against popular titles like... RimWorld, Factorio, SUPERHOT, Stardew Valley, Owlboy, The Witness, Firewatch, Squad, M&B II, Stellaris (<--how is this indie...). It's nice to be on the same list, though

Like I did last year, around the end of the year I'll be doing a retrospective article looking at the highlights of 2016, and talk a bit about what's in store for the future.


In recent progress, I've been working on secret stuff, but this week's non-secret development is... the Triangulator!


Stealth builds are going to love this one. It both displays how many hostiles are currently tracking you and visualizes how close hostile bots in view are to spotting you.

Visualization:


Tracking indicator:

[JobLeonard]

TRIANGULATE THE DOCTOR! TRI-ANG-GU-LATE! TRI-ANG-GU-LATE!

[Kyzrati]

And of course the Triangulator activation should have a unique animation (and sfx):

[JobLeonard]

Obviously. One has a reputation to keep up

Side note: hey look, TIGsource has a Scavenger smiley

[Kyzrati]

Haha, that totally reminds me of the Scavenger sprite!

[Kyzrati]

A new effect for a new feature. It's the tip of the iceberg on what I'm calling a "New Narrative." Naturally spoiler-ridden and you'll get nothing out of me, but it's going to make for a rather interesting Alpha 13

[Kyzrati]

More stealth gear! Cloaking Devices effectively shorten hostile sight range, seen in action below (I have a Triangulator active so you can see their SR as I toggle the cloak):


While a Cloaking Device is active, the brightness of all HUD borders is halved:


I wasn't going to add this now--it was on my list of "maybe post-1.0 fun items," but a component like this would be a perfect fit for one of the new robot types I'm creating for the next release, so I went ahead and added it.

[JobLeonard]

Robot... types?