Development Report IV

So Close!

For starters, we are pleased to announce that the headcrabs have been eradicated! We are now back in control of our bodies (and whatever's left of our minds).

Following four very successful closed releases over the last month, our developers have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on our public release (when they weren't busy fending off headcrab invasions). v1.1.0 is ready to be shipped and, as promised, a select group of community members will have access to the first RC (Release Candidate) in the next few hours, to help us track down any issues that may have slipped into the build. If you would like to be a part of that group, join us on IRC.

This update features three big additions to the game that we are sure you will love!

• Minimap Overhaul: Both the Overwatch and the Resistance can now make use of an updated overview panel.
  
  
• Auto-GM Selection: Players will now "opt-in" to play as the GM (Overwatch), and the game will choose one based on their position in the queue. In short, if you've just finished playing a round as the Overwatch, you'll be at the bottom of the list for the next round, giving others a chance to play.
  
  
• Automated Updates: Releasing frequent updates is great; having to download a new installer every two weeks isn't. We've put together a powerful yet lightweight updater utility that will inform you when an update is ready and do all the hard work of downloading and patching for you.

Development Reports: What are they? (+ Improvements!)

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. We have since made a few improvements to the overall structure of these reports and the original guide will be updated soon to reflect these changes.

Improvements:

• Reports will now be posted on Wednesdays preceding Overwatch releases that are due out on Fridays (small bug patches don't count). They will be made available a few hours before access to the Release Candidate is granted.
  
  
• The sections in the report have been reversed. You can now see the changelog of the upcoming release candidate at the top, instead of the bottom.
  
  
• Some of the sections have been renamed. They are now: Pending Release, Being Implemented and In Discussions.
  
  
• The changelog contained in the report is subject to change, and only reflects what is included in the Release Candidate. The complete changelog for public releases will be posted on Fridays (alongside the actual release).

Development Report IV

v1.1.0 is set for release this Friday, August 20th, 2010. It is Overwatch's first public release, and the first time the game makes use of the new updater utility. We've set aside some time this week and next to respond quickly should any issues arise.

This Friday's news post will contain detailed information about the release and the updater utility, as well as a few awesome new pieces of promotional artwork.


The following report applies to the 1.1.0 Release Candidate.

Pending Release:

• Game (Client/Server)
  
  • General
    
    • [Feature] Implemented a new GM interface (HUD):
      
      • [LEFT] GM can now see his units, enemies and neutral NPCs as dots on the new overview map (minimap). Clicking on the minimap will move the GM's camera to that location. GM can also issue orders directly on the minimap;
        
      • [MID] Tooltips that were displayed when hovering over a button (unit spawn, trap) are now shown in a fixed location at the bottom of the screen;
        
      • [RIGHT] Added buttons to a new order panel. GM can issue stop, move, move-attack and attack orders. A new dynamic cursor will appear when using these commands.
    • [Feature] Implemented a similar overview map for players (simplified version).
      
    • [Feature] GM can now target individual players when ordering units to attack and attack-move.
      
    • [Feature] GM can now center his view over an NPC group by double-tapping that group's assigned number.
      
    • [Feature] Replaced 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).
      
    • [Feature] Resistance players can only be revived a certain amount of times (defaults to 3), after which they are well and truly dead.
      
    • [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.
      
    • [Improvement] Players will now face the direction they died in rather than the direction of the person they are spectating when they get revived.
      
    • [Improvement] Team panels on the HUD have been removed (Team Overwatch/Team Resistance).
      
    • [Improvement] Added a "Toggle developer console" option to the Keyboard Options panel for non-US keyboard users to set a new bind.
      
    • [Improvement] Updated SMG, Shotgun, Metropolice, Repelling Unit Spawn and Explosion button images.
      
    • [Improvement] Updated the ow.tga icon (used in the Steam library) to a newer, cleaner version.
      
    • [Improvement] To prevent PCs from exploding, players can now only have a maximum of 100 active units (NPCs) in a map.
      
    • [Bug Fix] Fixed certain console commands that could potentially cause servers to crash.
      
    • [Bug Fix] Fixed tooltips randomly appearing when the cursor is not over any buttons.
      
    • [Bug Fix] Revive panel will no longer get stuck on screen when a round ends.
      
    • [Bug Fix] The GM can no longer commit suicide with the "kill" command.
      
    • [Bug Fix] Revive markers will no longer fall through displacements (fixed regression).
      
    • [Bug Fix] SLAMs can no longer be spawned or equipped (this is only temporary and SLAMs will be readded in a future release).
  • Map: ow_breach
    
    • [Feature] Added a new ambient music track which is unique to Breach.
      
    • [Improvement] Updated the overview material.
  • Map: ow_citadel
    
    • [Feature] Added a new ambient music track which is unique to Citadel.
      
    • [Improvement] Updated the overview material.
• Updater Utility
  
  • General
    
    • [Feature] Added a new Updater utility which works inside the game, allowing you to check for updates and download them from within the game (more info soon).

Being Implemented:

• General
  
  • [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).
    
  • [Bug Fix] Certain sounds should no longer loop from the previous round, such as the Breach win music and Health dispenser sounds.
• 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] Spawns will no longer deactivate after the Resistance move up through the level, allowing the GM to create units behind the players.
    
  • [Improvement] Improvements to the final objective.
    
  • [Improvement] Complete overhaul of the entity work and all I/O logic.
• 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.

In Discussions:

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

• Fog of war
  
• Being revived with less than 100% HP
  
• Ability for rebels to see allies through walls
  
• 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 IV