3 replies to this topic

[AndY]

Welcome Back!

We are extremely pleased with last week's smooth, issue-free release of Overwatch's first patch (v1.0.1) and as we put the finishing touches on our second update, we'd like to share with you another edition of our Development Report. In it, you'll find a list of improvements we've introduced in the upcoming release as well as a sneak peek of one of the neat new features we've added.



Development Reports: What are they?

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



Development Report II

This Wednesday will mark the release of a beefier second patch (v1.0.2) and a batch of invites will be sent out to new community members. We don't foresee any issues with this release.

On Friday, we'll be talking about the next update (v1.0.3) and finally announcing a date for our public release! Track our profile on ModDB to be alerted immediately when the news is posted.

Before we get started with the report, we've put together a sneak peek video of a new feature we've implemented: the Status/Selection Rings. They make it easier for the Overwatch player to see his units, their status (such as HP) as well as units he is targeting, all at a quick glance. Enjoy!


Note: This video demonstrates features still under development and iterative implementation.
They should be considered a work in progress and may not represent the final design.


And now, the report:

Being Discussed:

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

• Possible lag issues when trying to hit enemy units (NPCs) on a dedicated server;
  
• Audio and visual cues for the GM (units under attack, unit lost, etc..);
  
• Respawning and respawn tickets;
  
• Voice commands and emotes;
  
• Dynamic ammo supply;
  
• Universal Union lingo;
  
• Abilities.

Being Implemented:

• General
  
  • [Improvement] Implementing a new Mortar Strike entity/trap as the default one simply isn't good enough;
    
  • [Improvement] Making objectives cap faster when more than 1 rebel is at the capture area;
    
  • [Improvement] Adding a new win/victory panel to show some information when a round is won/lost;
    
  • [Improvement] Adding sprites (images) to the trap buttons, to better differentiate between them and to be able to determine, at first glance, what each button does.
• Map: ow_breach
  
  • [Improvement] Overhaul of the orb objective in the train station;
    
  • [Improvement] Improvements to the final objective.
• Map: ow_citadel
  
  • [Improvement] Adding 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] Implementing a final objective to add a bit of excitement to the end of a round.

Being Playtested:

• For Release on July 28, 2010 (v1.0.2)
  
  • General
    
    • [Feature] As seen in the sneak peek video above, added new Status/Selection Rings (4 different materials + spinning effect for outer rings);
      
    • [Feature] Rings will now change colour (progressively from green to red) when a unit is losing health (HP);
      
    • [Improvement] Spectator view of a player being revived will now be locked to the player reviving him;
      
    • [Improvement] Added progress bar for the revive feature (both players will see it);
      
    • [Improvement] Increased standard revive time to 12 seconds (was 8) to offset the following improvements and their impact on balance;
      
    • [Improvement] Added Last Man Standing bonus (LMS can now revive a teammate in 8 seconds instead of the standard 12); [ Suggested by Twitwi - Thanks! ]
      
    • [Improvement] Revive progress will now degrade instead of being reset if a revive is interrupted (12 seconds to go from 100% to 0% -- LMS bonus not taken into account);
      
    • [Bug Fix] Fixed issue where round would end in GM victory even if the Resistance still had one player alive. This was caused by a miscount in an entity ignoring the last player to join a full server (player #8);
      
    • [Bug Fix] Temporary workaround to prevent a player from losing his weapon's v_model when someone spectates him in first-person.
  • Map: ow_breach
    
    • [Improvement] Updated overview (minimap) script and material files. Overview now has a transparent background (similar to Citadel's);
      
    • [Improvement] Removed inconsistencies between Destroy Generator-type objectives;
      
    • [Improvement] The tower combine soldier now carries an SMG instead of the AR2 (the AR2 was slightly overpowered and had the potential to frustrate players);
      
    • [Removed] The Mortar Strike has been removed pending a complete overhaul of the entity.
  • Map: ow_citadel
    
    • [Improvement] The energy beams now only inflict 5 (burn) damage per half-second instead of 1000 (making them non-lethal). Changed their brightness from 200 to 120.
• 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] Box selecting and other GM elements moved client-side to prevent lag having an impact on GM functions;
      
    • [Improvement] Added a dynamic mouse cursor icon when moving the GM view by using the edges of the screen.

What else would you like to see in these reports? Post your comments and suggestions now!

[Auxor]

Delicious news is delicious.

[Boxiii]

Can't wait to try out this build, looking forward to the public release too!

[Lyper]

Boxiii, on 28 July 2010 - 06:15 PM, said:

Can't wait to try out this build, looking forward to the public release too!

Me to