SLOT MACHINES
Gambling is fun! (or might get you killed)
This version adds a new special item that appears at vendors called Slot Machines. These let you buy powerful but TEMPORARY buffs for cash. Only some vendors sell them, and they sell for random prices too, so shop around and you might find a good deal.
When you buy the Slot Machine, you'll hear a funky slot machine sound and then be given a RANDOM BUFF which lasts for the next 90 SECONDS. These are the possible buffs so far (more to come in the future):
Is this a good deal? That's up to you. The buffs range from $1111 to $7777. It's almost always worth buying it when it's $1111, but thats' rare. Normally it's more like $5555 or $7777, which is a lot of cash, and could instead go towards a PERMANENT upgrade that will last the rest of the game. But if you've farmed well these buffs might just give you the boost you need to win the game.
To be clear, these are a cherry on top. They're not the main thing people will spend money on, cause the buffs are only temporary instead of permanent. And it's very RNG too, leaning into the roguelite nature of the game. But these buffs add a lot of spice, get you to adjust your playstyle and become aggro for the next 90 seconds, and open up some funky new builds!
BETTER RANKING ALGORITHM
Ok, time for some MATHS (skip this if you aren't interested in the ranked grind).
The ranked algorithm has fundamentally changed, allowing players to grind up to their true skill level faster, while also fixing a BIG flaw in the old system (thanks to discord user Geri for point this out).
Basically your old rating was calculated using your AVERAGE trophies each match. The equation was basically something like: LeaderboardRating = 1000*(TotalTrophies + 20)/(TotalMatches + 20). So over time your rating would approach your average trophy rate x 1000.
If you averaged 8 trophies per match, your rating would gradually climb closer and closer to 8000. Seems simple enough.
But the problem with this is that if you had a bad game that earned only 4 trophies, you would permanently suffer from that loss, even if you got back to your old rank. So suppose you're at 7000, then do poorly, go down to 6800, and then do well to go back to 7000. It seems like nothing had changed, but actually something has - you've played 2 extra matches. Which means that every match from now on is going to be slower to grind, because the denominator in the above equation is now 2 bigger.
Basssically, it made losing feel extra bad cause you'd PERMANENTLY lowered your average trophies per match. But now that's fixed. Hooray! The new equation is: LeaderboardRating = OldRating + (1000*TrophiesFromPreviousMatch - OldRating)/50.
Huh?
Basically this new equation also makes your rating approach 1000 x the average trophies you tend to earn. Because if you get 8 trophies in a match, then your rating will go up if you're below 8000, and it will go down if you're above. Thus it moves towards 8000. But the key difference is that if you go from 7000 down to 6800 then back to 7000, you are no longer harmed. The amount of matches you've played so far this month doesn't matter. You haven't permanently lowered your grinding speed.
As a result of all this, losses are mere temporary setbacks, not permanent setbacks (lots of temporary vs permanent stuff in this patch!). Also, it generally means that most people are grinding up much faster than they were before, cause they're not being dragged down by previous games.
I hope this makes sense. Maths can be boring at times, but just trust that these guys care about it.
FIXING HIGHGROUND
It's over Anakin, I have the highground!
Well Obi-wan, that doesn't mean much anymore cause this patch also fixes rooftop camping. One is by making grenades and molotovs more powerful with a much longer range, allowing you to easily throw them UP onto rooftops. But even better...
Showdowns now have helicopters fly around and burst out huge amounts of loot, but it only ever lands down on the ground. Today's patch makes this loot extra juicy by ensuring they always burst out at least 1 random upgrade, which would normally cost $10000+ to buy. The players on the roof miss out, while the people who play risky down low get long term permanent gains.
I even made a youtube video about it:
NEW PEAK: OVER 800 CCU!
Speaking of youtube videos, more and more players are joining the game. Last weekend the video above (and one I'll link below) went viral on youtube, instagram and tiktok, and we spiked to 871 CCU.
This was very exciting for me and many people in the community/discord. The feedback from new players has been super valuable and many of the changes below are polishing the game based on all this fresh feedback. Here's the other video that popped off:
TODAY'S CHANGELOG
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- Skill Slayers now have numbers after them. Skill Slayer 1 starts at 8000. Skill Slayer 2 starts at 9000, Skill Slayer 3 starts at 10000. Skill Slayer 4 starts at 11000, Skill Slayer Elite starts at 12000.
- Your ranked rating is only updated when the match finishes. If you d/c mid game it won't visually change yet, until the match ends.
- Improved the ranked algorithm. It's no longer directly based on your overall average trophies per match. Instead, it moves you towards that average.
- At the start of each month, everyone's rating is now determined by this formula: NewRating = (OldRating + 2000)/2.
- Shooting into low hp enemies with shield will show blue instead of white damage numbers.
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- Added Slot Machines to 15% of vendors. Randomly chosen, but the same for everyone.
- Prices are randomly either $1111, $3333, $5555, $7777. Same for all players.
- Buying the Slot Machine gives you a RANDOM TEMPORARY BUFF that lasts for 90 seconds.
- Possible buffs are: +50% ROF, +20 hp/s regen, infinite shifting, global vision, or spawning constant explosion on yourself.
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- Made the helicopter loot bursts in overtime always drop at least 1 random upgrade, 2 damage boosts, and 2 max health boosts.
- Players by default get 4 instead of 3 shift charges.
- Knife and explosives now benefit from the purple +2% weapon damage loot pickups.
- More raw loot crates spawn in the map in general (+20% or so).
- Rare loot boxes now always drop an extra +5 max hp kit, and have a 10% instead of 5% chance to drop a random upgrade (Xray mutation buff!).
- Level ups now give +1 score instead of +3 score (capped at 10 instead of 30). Everyone capped out at level 10 by the end of the match anyway, so this puts more focus on overtime kills mid game, to better predict the final scoreboard state.
- Knife rate of fire is now 80 instead of 70.
- The game now warns you 30s before the final hearts land.
- More Double Damage drops will now spawn as loot randomly out in the open in the map.
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- Grenades, flashes and molotovs have further range, allowing them to easily get thrown UP onto roofs (and also just further in general).
- Grenades now have slightly larger explosion radius.
- Molotov duration is now 3s instead of 4s (Flame DPS remains at 20 hp/s).
- Blast Cannon does slightly more rate of fire (90 instead of 80)
- SPAS has slightly less damage (65 instead of 70 per shot), but more clip size (8 instead of 6).
- Tasers now has 8 instead of 10 clip size, but bullets travel further after bouncing.
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- Slightly buffed Heavy's XP Pool passive perk regen speed (+30% faster).
- Fixed a bug where Heavy's high damage bullets had a bigger hitbox than they should. So this is a nerf.
- Criminal's gang members are more accurate.
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- Proximity Rounds has a slightly larger radius for both its mutation and base effect.
- Gunslinger's mutation and grenade lob-speed property have swapped places.
- Gunslinger's ability to spam throw nades is returned but based on the lob speed instead of reload speed (milder).
- Blade Fury's burst attack can only hit the same enemy 2x instead of 3x.
- Vampirism's base healing is 50% stronger than before, but the mutation is a bit weaker (60% instead of 80%).
- Smoke Bomb fades to invis faster, in 0.3 instead of 0.5s.
- Teleportation cooldown is 2s faster.
- Toxic Blood radius is 15% larger.
- Toxic blood's mutation now properly heals allies (it was bugged).
- Hypnotic Army description now mentions that your gang can only reduce enemies to 1hp, not fully kill players.
- Hypnotic Army gang members are more accurate.
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- Battle Mage gives 30 instead of 20hp per active skill.
- Carnage is 100% instead of 80% size car explode size.
- Catalyst restores chem charges +100% faster instead of +50%.
- Close Combat circle is even smaller.
- Healing Pools restores at 80hp/s instead of 50 hp/s.
- Impact Zone is +40% instead of +35% explosion size.
- Low Gravity jump height is 3 instead of 2.5m.
- Mega Missions give 5x instead of 3x rewards.
- Rapid Fire gives +30% instead of +20% rate if fire.
- Shell Shot gives shotguns +150% instead of +100% range.
- Steady Aim gives guns +30% instead of +20% range.
- Air Supplies drops +50% more loot.
- Blood Money is 2x stronger. You lose 15 max hp for $10000.
- Cluster Cars fire 6 instead of 4 bazookas.
- Erratic Circle moves more... erratically.
- Healing Wind restores 40 instead of 20 hp/s in the air.
- King of the Pool generates xp +80% instead of +50% faster.
- Rest & Reload reloads +150% instead of +100% faster.
- Road Rage gives $5000 instead of $3000 for a roadkill.
- Alchemy pays you for up to 20 instead of 10 chemicals.
- Augmentation gives guns +5% instead of +4% weapon damage per upgrade purchased.
- Bomb Rush speed boost now lasts 30s instead of 15s.
- Damage Drops makes DD last an extra 6s instead of 4s.
- Diverse damage buffs non-bullet damage by 35% instead of 30%.
- Health Drops now restore 30% instead of 20% of your missing health.
- Lifeguard gangsters spawn more often next to XP Pools.
- Spellnado moves you 30% instead of 20% faster for each skill on cooldown.
- 360 No Scopes now gives +30 instead of +20 damage.
- Autoloaders refills guns at 35% instead of 20% per second.
- Critical Shot now triggers 2x damage 20% instead of 15% of the time.
- Hide & Heal invis duration is now 6s instead of 4s.
- Sonic Boom now applies to your next 3 shifts, not just 1.
- Terminal Ammo buffs the final 40% of your clip, not 33%.
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- Fixed a bug with Mirror Image getting stuck with your knife and unable to attack
- Fixed a bug where people could get more skill points than they should
- Fixed a bug with spectators not getting score in squads mode (for REAL this time)
