After two weeks of testing updates on the beta server, Patch 1.4 is now running nice and smooth with a couple of much needed changes. When the BYOND site redesign hit I was unprepared for the sudden surge in players (perhaps a little warning next time?), because of this I had to quickly release a beta patch of 1.4. Essentially it was just a minor update with a few tweaks and all the server listing stuff stripped out. Well, all that is back in.
This time around one of the major changes to the game deals with projectiles. What initially started as a few optimizations to cut down on CPU cycles, I eventually ended up retooling some of the projectile mechanics. If you've been playing Decadence already you'll probably know exactly what I'm talking about when I say projectiles used to "stick" to players. You'll be trying to snipe someone across the map when your bullet suddenly hits the guy standing in front of him even though he wasn't directly in the path of the projectile.
Back when I first released the game nobody really knew how to play. The idea of accuracy, cover, and elevation was a very foreign idea. Anyone who played the beta many months before the initial release would be able to just run around the map and completely dominate everything. Players needed some help in order to contend with the small group of seasoned veterans. That isn't the case anymore. Players are much better these days, every time I look at the scoreboard I see more and more people nearing the rank cap. Some of the hand-holding mechanics designed to assist players now seem to get in the way, which is why they've been slowly phased out.
There are a bunch of other changes as well. You can check out the full patch notes here or play the game here!
Also, Decadence hit 1500 downloads yesterday and passed NEStalgia in fans (by one!), ehehe.