Weekly update #23

Greetings to our cherished readers! Firstly, our sincere apologies for the hiatus since our last progress update. It seems like the clock has sped up, but rest assured, our silence was filled with intense work, dedication, and development of some remarkable new features.

Before we delve into those, there's an elephant in the room we need to address – the recent upheaval concerning Unity's new pricing model, which has been met with almost universal disdain across the web. We want to clarify a few things for our community. Firstly, this new model won't directly affect us because a game needs to cross specific thresholds in terms of annual revenue and install count for the changes to kick in. While we're currently outside the scope of these changes, we truly empathize with fellow developers who are impacted. Given the widespread disapproval, we anticipate that Unity's leadership might reconsider their stance. However, events like these understandably shake the trust we place in the platforms and tools we rely upon. Going forward, we'll be evaluating our commitments and associations with Unity more cautiously, and we advise other developers to exercise the same prudence.

With that said, we're genuinely thankful for your patience and unwavering support. So, let's not keep you waiting any longer and jump straight into what we've been crafting behind the scenes!

There's an unsettling presence in the dim corridors of maintenance. You pause, recognizing the familiar face of Joe, your coworker. But something's not right about him, is it?

Thanks to the efforts of SerheyKr through our bounty program, a thrilling new antagonist now stalks the halls of Unitystation - the Changeling!

These Changelings are no ordinary beings. They're cunning alien predators with the unique ability to reshape and alter their appearance, perfectly imitating any crewmember unfortunate enough to cross their path. The Syndicate, recognizing their unparalleled talent for stealth and impersonation, often recruits Changelings to pilfer critical items or eliminate significant personnel.

At the heart of Changeling gameplay is the act of extracting DNA from players, enabling them to assume new identities. They can opt for a stealthy DNA extraction sting, leaving their prey alive but compromised, or go all in by absorbing their victim completely, leaving nothing but a lifeless shell behind. Upon collecting a DNA sample, Changelings can effortlessly switch between any of their last seven acquired identities. 

But that's not all – their arsenal includes a suite of impressive abilities.

They can feign death, entering a dormant state and rapidly recover from injuries; regenerate amputated limbs with ease; and enhance their vision, allowing them to pierce the murkiest shadows and even see through walls. Do note, these powers aren't unlimited; they consume chemicals, which they produce over time, so judicious use is advised!

Dive into Unitystation and test out the initial introduction of the Changeling. Your experiences, moments of thrill, and suggestions will be pivotal in refining this exciting addition.

MaxIsJoe has introduced a new dynamic to Unitystation with the implementation of working flashbangs. When detonated, players will experience a screen filled with a gray hue, simulating the temporary blindness caused by the device.

This isn't the only scenario where players need to be cautious. Welding without the appropriate protective gear can produce a similar blinding effect. Constant exposure without safety measures can progressively damage the character's eyes, necessitating medical intervention at the med bay.

The takeaway? Ensure you're equipped with the necessary protective gear when handling or exposed to such devices in-game. Safety first.

Bod9001 has innovatively introduced a feature that displays the current intent on your mouse icon. The main objective behind this improvement is to aid new players in swiftly recognizing their active intent, as it offers a clearer cue compared to the intent square located in the bottom right corner. Additionally, Bod9001 incorporated functionality to showcase specific modifiers. For instance, holding down 'shift' will present the examine icon, 'control' will display the grab icon, and 'alt' will reveal the alt interaction icon. This enhancement aims to provide players with more immediate and intuitive feedback, ensuring clarity in their interactions.

Long-time players might remember the radial selection system from before the initial public release 0.4. It allowed users to effortlessly select an item by simply holding down the mouse button and moving the cursor to the desired section of the screen. Due to a touch of nostalgia and recognizing its utility, Bod9001 has chosen to bring back this intuitive selection system. Now, it's integrated as a part of the right-click options that MaxIsJoe previously introduced. Whether you're an old-timer missing the past or a new player who prefers the old radial for some reaosn, you can find it in your settings.
 

At some point, the formatting for whispering broke and all your secrets were spread to everyone who was present. Well, actually it was just text formatting so they would have heard it anyways but not anymore! MaxIsJoe not only fixed the formatting but also introduced actually functional whispering, so you can only be perfectly heard by people in close proximity!

Ghosting around and looking for interesting things? We've got you covered! Previously, the teleportation list for ghosts was cluttered with numerous uneventful items, including dead bodies. We've streamlined this feature, and the list now primarily displays players, ensuring a more engaging spectating experience. So, float around and enjoy the enhanced view! Thanks, Bod9001!

In light of recent discussions around the Unity engine, we've taken a closer look at how data is handled. We became aware that by default, the game was sending analytics data to Unity's servers and you would have to opt-out of that feature. There is no way for us to know if this is the method Unity intends to use to count installations, but we still set it so it is automatically opted-out.

That brings us to the end of this update. We genuinely hope you found it enlightening and that you're as excited about our developments as we are. Don't forget to participate in our scheduled playtest session every Saturday. It's a fantastic opportunity to experience firsthand what we've been working on, and, importantly, it's the one time in the week you can guarantee a lively player base.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our patrons, developers, and players. Your continuous support is the backbone of this project, and without you, Unitystation would remain just a dream.