Development Report III

Hello!

Another week has gone by, marked by the release of our second patch (v1.0.2) and the announcement of our public release date. This Wednesday, we'll be giving you one final update (v1.0.3) before skipping a week to prepare for v1.1.0. In addition, we won't be posting a Development Report next week. Instead, our fourth edition will be posted on Monday, August 16th.



Development Reports: What are they?

If this is your first time reading our development reports, you should read our first Blog entry which explains what these reports contain and how they are organized.

As of this report, the order of the three sections has been reversed. You can now see the changelog of the upcoming release at the top, instead of the bottom.



Development Report III

v1.0.3 is set for release this Wednesday alongside a final batch of invites to be sent out to new community members. We don't foresee any issues with this release.

This Friday's news post will feature a recap of the four releases we've had over the past month, as well as a new piece of delightful music composed for Overwatch.


Report:

Being Playtested:

• For Release on August 04, 2010 (v1.0.3)
  
  • General
    
    • [Improvement] Objectives now cap faster when more than 1 rebel is at the capture area;
      
    • [Improvement] Added sprites (images) to the unit spawn and trap buttons, to better differentiate between them and to be able to determine, at first glance, what each button does (first version);
      
    • [Improvement] Box selecting and other GM elements moved client-side to prevent lag having an impact on GM functions.
  • Map: ow_breach
    
    • [Improvement] Players can now join a game that is in-progress until the first objective is captured. After that, they will need to spectate until a new round begins;
      
    • [Improvement] Improved some of the underlying entity work for the Orb objective at the train station to iron out some lingering issues;
      
    • [Improvement] Improved the floating/flying behaviour of Manhacks in the level;
      
    • [Bug Fix] Removed strange collisions next to the Orb objective and first train station console.
  • Map: ow_citadel
    
    • [Improvement] Players can now join a game that is in-progress for the first 60 seconds of the game. After that, they will need to spectate until a new round begins;
      
    • [Improvement] Added an info_player_start so that players joining the map can see a bird's-eye view of the level instead of the insides of a wall;
      
    • [Improvement] Replaced the Nova Prospekt shotgun-wielding Combine unit skin with the standard (red) skin.
• For Subsequent Releases
  
  • General
    
    • [Feature] Implemented a new GM interface (HUD);
      
    • [Feature] Implemented a new overview map (minimap): GM can now see his units (dots), enemies and neutral NPCs and click on the minimap to move his camera to that location. GM can also issue orders (move to, attack) directly from the minimap;
      
    • [Feature] Implemented a similar overview map for players (simplified version);
      
    • [Feature] GM can now target individual players and order units to attack and attack-move (in addition to the current move and stop commands). A new dynamic cursor will appear when using these commands;
      
    • [Feature] GM can now center his view over an NPC group by double-tapping that group's assigned number;
      
    • [Improvement] When the GM highlights/targets an enemy, a red ring will now appear (and spin);
      
    • [Improvement] Added an improved method for the GM targeting. The targetable area for each unit is now slightly larger and allows for a certain margin of error;
      
    • [Improvement] Added a dynamic mouse cursor icon when moving the GM view by using the edges of the screen;
      
    • [Bug Fix] Certain sounds should no longer loop from the previous round, such as the Breach win music and Health dispenser sounds.

Being Implemented:

• General
  
  • [Feature] Replacing the team selection menu with a system to randomly select a GM every round (with the option to opt in/out of playing as GM);
    
  • [Improvement] Implementing a new Mortar Strike entity/trap as the default one simply isn't good enough;
    
  • [Improvement] Adding a new win/victory panel to show some information when a round is won/lost;
    
  • [Bug Fix] Fixing issue where fellow players that are out of view don't show up on the minimap;
    
  • [Bug Fix] Fixing selection box getting stuck if you release the mouse button outside of the game's window (when in windowed mode).
• Map: ow_breach
  
  • [Improvement] Optimizing the level, which should also prevent strange issues such as objects appearing in the void (black areas outside of the map);
    
  • [Improvement] Improvements to the final objective.
• Map: ow_citadel
  
  • [Improvement] Implementing a final objective to add a bit of excitement to the end of a round.
• Map: ow_coast
  
  • [Feature] Preparing Coast for a first release;
    
  • [Feature] This level features GM abilities such as launching Headcrab canisters, calling in dropships carrying troop reinforcements, and deploying gunships for air support;
    
  • [Feature] Zombies and Headcrabs are considered a common enemy, they will attack both sides.

Being Discussed:

See the Ideas & Suggestions forum for more ongoing discussions..

• Hit detection issues when shooting at NPCs;
  
• Breach finale and general feedback;
  
• Roles/Classes;
  
• Sprays in Overwatch;
  
• Audio and visual cues for the GM (units under attack, unit lost, etc..);
  
• Respawning and respawn tickets;
  
• Voice commands and emotes;
  
• Abilities.

What feature, improvement or bug fix are you looking forward to seeing in-game? Let us know!

Source: Development Report III