Alpha 8 got off to a slow start due to an unforeseen issue that came up during our pre-flight checks. The Level Generation Team is in the middle of converting every asset in the game to a Nested Prefab, which made things a bit awkward when it came time to bake and ship maps. Since walls sections are now nested, every wall section inadvertently had the same network ID. With every wall being treated the same by the server, this meant that when wall charges were placed, they would attach to a random wall in the level! Any plan involving an interior breach was risky since you never knew if you were going to win network-ID-roulette. Fixing this issue was simple, but required us to recompile and re-upload to Steam, which didn't finish until almost 9 pm Pacific.

Having missed peak hours on Friday, testers played 215 rounds on Saturday and Sunday. With 125 wins, Defenders came out on top, which has been a continuing trend since the start of Alpha. Weapon adjustments has been one of our stronger tools for helping even out team balance, so Vince took it upon himself to remove both KR82 Assault Rifles from the Defender Weapon Wall. This weapon had no downsides and was good at, well, everything! It may come back one day but would return under different circumstances.

Gif City

Watch They forgot about this door GIF by Vheela (@vheela) on Gfycat. Discover more Due Process, Gaming, Mailstorm GIFs on Gfycat

Mailstorm catches ARGUS with their backs turned

Watch Tense 1v1 GIF by Vheela (@vheela) on Gfycat. Discover more Due Process, Gaming, RedCommissar GIFs on Gfycat

RedCommisar makes an explosive entrance into a tense situation.

Watch Montawk's Killhouse Ace GIF by Vheela (@vheela) on Gfycat. Discover more Ace, Due Process, Gaming, Montawk GIFs on Gfycat

Montawk gets two kills with each weapon.

Watch Running a Marathon for a 3k GIF by Vheela (@vheela) on Gfycat. Discover more Due Process, Gaming, RedCommisar GIFs on Gfycat

Running a marathon to get the 3k

Watch Fastest Gat in the West GIF on Gfycat. Discover more Due Process, FoxintheBox, Gaming GIFs on Gfycat

FoxintheBox proves the GAT-9 is more than just a backup weapon

Adjust to Changing Conditions

Missing peak hours was unacceptable, so we’re shifting our internal deadlines around. Maps are now generated earlier in the week so that these issues can be caught and fixed on time. Shifting content into Nested Prefabs should be done by Friday, which will make this deadline more easily obtainable.

Meanwhile, the Art Team is nearing the end of a project that has been in the works for months. We’re excited to share what they’ve been cooking up, but it will require time to merge into the game properly. Once everything is working correctly, expect a full report in blog post form. Another 100 keys should be going out on Friday, so keep an eye on those inboxes!