Beta 14 X1 Prelease: *Actual* UFD

The UFD is here! Beta 13 was the original target for adding the UFD (new faction!), but as most of you know we were side tracked with the whole new mega UI update, which as it happens came at just the perfect time. Very glad for that, but also very glad to have finally completed the vast majority of our brand new faction.

This release actually comes over a month later than planned, but I inserted no less than four full weeks of yet more architecture work to help combat slowdown from the huge expansion of content, and just improve loading times overall. Get ready for super fast game starts and map loading.

Beta 14 is focused on the UFD and their home in Scraptown, which you can find somewhere in Recycling, and remember that as of Beta 13 there were already two different ways to reach Recycling.

Even in terms of content there is actually more to Beta 14 than just the UFD/Scraptown, including some features which affect many other maps...

Changelog

But I will not be revealing all those things :)

For the first time I'm releasing a partial changelog! I mean technically Cogmind changelogs don't often go into detail in terms of every interesting new mechanic, especially those related to items or robots, but here I'm redacting a few of the entries I would normally include in a complete changelog, which will be released in full with the public release. I figured some of you might be interested in experiencing some... unexpected surprises as you explore the world anew, with or without the UFD. I'm sure those who don't (and don't avoid spoilers) will hear about some of these things from other players pretty quickly.

Here is part of the changelog:

• NEW: Branch map "Scraptown"

• NEW: 79 new items (most employing new mechanics)

• NEW: 50+ new encounters

• NEW: 11 new Derelict robot classes, many with new AI

• NEW: 15 new robot variants

• NEW: 8 new robot tiles

• NEW: 4 new unique NPCs

• NEW: 4 new unauthorized hacks

• NEW: 11 more unique manual robot hacks

• NEW: 3 new build type descriptors

• NEW: Hundreds more lore entries covering new factions, technology, and history

• NEW: 56 new sound effects (total = 1252)

• NEW: Scrap Engine relocated to its proper new home (rather than freely given at entrance to Recycling), and comes with in-theme instruction manual

• NEW: Rebuilt and expanded Recycling

• NEW: Many new scoresheet history log entries

• NEW: Cryofiber also doubles cooling effect of all active Heat Sinks

• NEW: Attacker accuracy reduced by [system corruption]/3%

• [REDACTED]

• NEW: If no auto-replace target found for attaching ground item ('a'/LMB), repeat command to open manual swap-from-ground menu

• NEW: Left-click on parts list autopair markers to swap back (equivalent to '/'+a~z+y or Ctrl-RMB)

• NEW: LMB on self while standing on item with full inventory capable of autoreplacing worse items, matching 'g' key behavior

• NEW: Attaching a part in a temporary slot requires confirmation

• NEW: Optimized preprocessed data loading allows Cogmind.exe to start almost instantly

• NEW: Deferred audio loading system, allowing faster startup and significantly cutting RAM use (deactivate via advanced.cfg: config.deferredAudioLoading)

• NEW: Multitile robots can push single-tile robots out of the way

• [REDACTED]

• NEW: Multitile followers try to keep their distance to better stay out of the way

• NEW: Multitile controllable allies with a STAY command attempt to move away if approached

• [REDACTED]

• [REDACTED]

• [REDACTED]

• NEW: Added history log messages for a few suitable cave encounters that didn't have one

• NEW: Bonus points for besting VL-GR5 in competition

• NEW: If no RIF or 0b10 Alert Chip, HUD Location also reports high/max security and sterilization status in those cases

• NEW: Holding Ctrl-Alt in keyboard examine/targeting mode highlights path to cursor

• NEW: Gameover screen requires delayed confirmation to Reset or Quit if have a loadable save state in Adventurer/Explorer mode

• NEW: "Swapping" a part into an empty temporary slot via the part-based swap menu now possible

• NEW: Drag-drop attachment of parts into a temporary slot allowed if target slot is empty

• NEW: Tile/ASCII for robots currently affected by ignore_targets darkened, as if disarmed

• NEW: Special ALERT announcement if only one usable Garrison Access point remaining in Access

• NEW: Hacking Drone capable of accessing Cave Seal Controls

• [REDACTED]

• NEW: Melee attacks made with any momentum benefiting from speed bonus while using overloaded propulsion can cause burnout as moving normally

• NEW: Transmission Jammer effect description explicitly indicates ability to indirectly jam via drones, Watcher Feeds, etc

• NEW: Active Sensor Suite effect description explicitly indicates immunity to all scrambling and cloaking effects

• NEW: Core Physics Calibrator more explicitly lists late-game effect restriction

• NEW: Adjust the distance of each use of keyboard-based map view shifting (advanced.cfg: mapViewShiftJumpDistance, new default is 15 instead of 10)

• NEW: Added examples to effect descriptions for all utilities based on value ratios

• NEW: Option to always hide part category headers in modal UI layouts, regardless of current slot count (advanced.cfg: alwaysCondenseSlotTypeHeaders)

• NEW: Option to require confirmation when manually dropping inventory item onto another item (advanced.cfg: warnOnInventoryItemDropOnItem)

• NEW: Option to shift hue when visualizing longer paths to reflect the distance (advanced.cfg: dynamicPathDistanceHue)

• NEW: Option to display percent integrity remaining instead of raw values alongside map item labels (advanced.cfg: itemLabelIntegrityPercent)

• NEW: Manual notes about Launchers indicate some portions of AOE damage may be capable of passing through walls under the right conditions

• NEW: Machine hacking tutorial context messages also show in shell console so immediately visible even in modal UI layouts

• NEW: Tutorial message regarding manual ground swap feature when slots full and no auto-replace options

• NEW: Tutorial message regarding meaning and use of markers that appear next to autopaired attached parts in Tactical HUD mode

• NEW: Tutorial message on first using the keyboard mode hotkey (F2) which hides the mouse cursor, primarily meant as a warning

• NEW: All patron supporter names registered since Beta 13 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)

• NEW: All patron item-attribution names registered since Beta 13 added to the item collection gallery

• NEW: All Alpha supporter names registered since Beta 13 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)

• MOD: Dismantling machines via Plasma Cutter increases alert as normal

• MOD: Army Drones no longer capable of being armed with a launcher

• MOD: Engineers no longer "form the Earth" and wait for Tunnelers to clear areas targeted for excavation if already cleared via destructive means

• MOD: Engineers might wait longer to effect some types of repairs

• MOD: Multitile robots can better avoid known hostile traps in certain situations

• MOD: Exiting examine/targeting modes no longer automatically recenters on Cogmind (restore functionality via advanced.cfg: exitTargetingCentersCogmind)

• MOD: Heavy Door and Blast Door melee resistances increased from 34% to 50%

• MOD: Reinforced Barrier resistances increased to match Heavy Doors

• MOD: Attaching parts prioritizes use of permanent slots over temporary slots if both are present, regardless of listed order

• MOD: Active Sensor Suite tile switched from Processor to Device

• MOD: EX-Prototypes Database terminal moved

• MOD: Clippyterm no longer sometimes appears empty

• MOD: Imprinter no longer remains in Zion forever if area comes under attack

• MOD: Zionite Depthwide Sectors intel targets use dynamic naming scheme based on actual depth

• MOD: Removed itemLabelAddUnidentifiedSize advanced option, behavior now automatic in Tactical HUD mode

• MOD: Removed useless swap all autopairs command (Shift-Alt-w)

• MOD: Chain reaction explosion data in power source descriptions toggled in real time alongside Tactical HUD, rather than requiring a restart

• MOD: Explicitly entering keyboard examine mode rather than targeting mode while view following allied drone no longer recenters on Cogmind

• MOD: Updated context help for item Stability/Burnout/Siege stats to explicitly indicate how to apply relevant special modes when applicable

• MOD: Temporary Scrap Engine content list shifted below on-map messages in modal UI layout

• MOD: Temporary Scrap Engine content list hidden while any extended on-map combat logs visible

• MOD: Manual robot hacking input console and any known manual codes always both appear to right of robot hack list

• MOD: "Inspector Gadget" achievement description updated to explicitly indicate disqualification due to gaining non-utility slots via other means

• MOD: Block/half block glyphs in size 14 ASCII map font now touch cell edges

• MOD: Increased minimum resolution from 600px to 720px in system requirements

• FIX: Lightning Scan Cloak level increased from 4 to 5, to match analysis [R-26 Lightspeed]

• FIX: Left-oriented exit label activated by hover at right side of map view could show box at a position further left for a single frame [R-26 Lightspeed]

• FIX: Manually triggered label for previously known item outside FOV with active robot signal on top caused overlapping labels [R-26 Lightspeed]

• FIX: Manually triggered label for single position containing robot and item/trap while surrounded by other objects caused label overlap [R-26 Lightspeed]

• FIX: "Melee Specialist" achievement description too long to fit in-game achievement browser after adding clarification [R-26 Lightspeed]

• FIX: W-44 Eye analysis text outdated [R-26 Lightspeed]

• FIX: New HOSTILES button could contain inaccurate information under some conditions while not moving [lyra]

• FIX: Fusing of multislot parts did not immediately apply 'f' indicator to all relevant slots [lyra]

• FIX: Megawrench repair of fused multislot part did not remove fused indicator from additional slots [lyra]

• FIX: Force fields, shielding, and other forms of external damage prevention could dampen core damage caused by overheating [lyra, CaptainWinky]

• FIX: Crash during special assimilation win ending animation when using new modal layout with inventory closed [necris81, mrjoebobfred, CaptainWinky]

• FIX: Using muteAudioOnFocusLoss option caused ambient audio to restart immediately on tabbing back in to otherwise silent game menu [Hermelin]

• FIX: Late-game NPC (Zh) inventory had become too small to fit all potential contents, could cause item drops under some circumstances [Hermelin]

• FIX: Specialist achievement requirement descriptions indicated end-of-run checking, but were switched to checks upon each hostile kill [Dosh]

• FIX: SHELL lab Researcher special response stopped triggering after Beta 10 [aoemica]

• FIX: Possible rare unstable state due to AI combat during W assault [MTF, blelm]

• FIX: Quarantine Array reported any individual multitiled allies as multiple systems [lyra, rad_banker]

• FIX: Using new HOSTILES button might crash under certain circumstances [Some Pennies, ()val()]

• FIX: report_schematics could contain "schematic" for Matter [Runia]

• FIX: Treads incapable of crushing targets with exactly 50 core integrity, despite the description threshold [Millea]

• FIX: New automated Chute Trap operation feature did not always finish its job [deepfield]

• FIX: "Assassin" achievement could be earned by sneak attacking inactive hostiles [Darby]

• FIX: Extended game major NPC data core might be created under incorrect conditions after recent change [leiavoia, szymekc]

• FIX: Holding RMB too long to close an info window over map could set a new centerpoint or shift map under certain circumstances [Maiker]

• FIX: "Novice Programmer" and "Prolific Hacker" achievement detection broke [Chickoo]

• FIX: Potential crash on extremely long combat log targeting factor breakdown messages with full detail enabled [Sherlockkat]

• FIX: Autobeam Turret could drive up alert each turn while remaining in its view [CatPlusPlus]

• FIX: Trap Scanners now use <parallel_ok> in effect description instead of <stacks> [rad_banker]

• FIX: Indirect corruption kills via impact damage did not count towards Robots Corrupted tally [Sionnis]

• FIX: Normal temporary input block to avoid accidental skipping of game over stats didn't apply if watched complete or partial win animation sequence

• FIX: Advanced.cfg cursorJumpDistance was not being applied, always used default value

• FIX: Quickly scrolling the extended combat log in a modal UI layout via accelerated mouse wheel could lock the log state

• FIX: Addressed so-called "grunt hopping" AI movement scenarios occurring under some conditions in generally cramped areas and bottlenecks

• FIX: Scoresheet "Corruption Blocked" entry also tallied effect of any Corruption Screens on non-Cogmind robots

So yeah most of the changelog is actually still there :). You'll notice there's a lot of useful QoL and important fixes. Grunt hopping is gone. GONE I tell you. Lotta good stuff in there, including more options, I highly recommend reading through it if you get a chance.

A visual summary of some features listed above...

• Left-click on parts list autopair markers to swap back (equivalent to '/'+a~z+y or Ctrl-RMB)

• If no auto-replace target found for attaching ground item ('a'/LMB), repeat command to open manual swap-from-ground menu

• Option to always hide part category headers in modal UI layouts, regardless of current slot count (advanced.cfg: alwaysCondenseSlotTypeHeaders)

• Temporary Scrap Engine content list shifted below on-map messages in modal UI layout

• Option to shift hue when visualizing longer paths to reflect the distance (advanced.cfg: dynamicPathDistanceHue)

• If no RIF or 0b10 Alert Chip, HUD Location also reports high/max security and sterilization status in those cases

• Gameover screen requires delayed confirmation to Reset or Quit if have a loadable save state in Adventurer/Explorer mode

Beta 14 is also a sizeable lore expansion, increasing Cogmind's lore collection content by 51.3%. So if you're one of the rare folks who are at or near 100% lore as of Beta 13, that will drop to 66%.

For the most part this is not lore which is difficult to obtain, though getting it all will definitely require multiple runs. That figure technically also excludes a good chunk of new dialogue that doesn't fall into the types that are included in lore (many hundreds more lines). Overall there's a lot of new writing, and a lot more to discover about what's going on on Tau Ceti IV.

What you'll find within isn't the end for the UFD. There's still Beta 15, some of which I've already worked on, which adds another new map, new NPCs and events, and the new ending. For Beta 14 I picked a decent cutoff point to ensure the content is a little more self-contained and doesn't feel like it leaves a lot hanging.

Sharing and Wizardry

This being a new release, and an especially big one filled with lots of new encounters as well as secrets, a little reminder that if you hang out on the Discord, for more spoilery or unexpected things either use spoilers tags in #patron or discuss openly in the #patron-redacted channel (ask for access if you need it). In general we want to give people some time to explore on their own.

On that note, remember this is a prerelease so please try to keep discussion out of the main Cogmind channels where possible. I know it's exciting and there's a lot to talk about, but it's not yet a public release and not everyone there is able to play prereleases!

Now obviously some of you will end up streaming Beta 14, which is fine, and in fact I look forward to watching that myself. There'll no doubt be non-patrons about as well, also fine, just saying try to limit going into deep Beta 14 text discussions in the regular channels until it's publicly released. It's hard to completely avoid any discussion given the streaming aspect, as non-patrons will want to ask a lot of questions and contribute to speculation, but remember that we're also trying to avoid spoiling Beta 14 prerelease content for those who don't want to be spoiled, including current patrons. On the other side, anyone here who is super spoiler averse might want to consider staying away from the server, or sticking to just #patron until you play a bit yourself.

For now, the latest X1 does not support wizard mode , robot data exports, or LuigiAI. Those will likely be enabled in the next release, which aside from fixes may in fact be the public release because Beta 14 is pretty much done. Just need to put in some proper playtesting time and it'll go public. (Wizard mode and LuigiAI features can as usual continue to be used with the public Beta 13.)

Bugs

Beta 13 was a fairly buggy release by Cogmind standards, much of which was corrected by subsequent hotfixes, but a few remaining issues were left for Beta 14 and have since been taken care of (a few minor but complex things I haven't around gotten to yet). I bring this up here because similar to how Beta 13 made massive changes to the UI architecture, Beta 14 comes with massive content architecture updates, on top of a significant expansion of said content, so I expect there will be some new issues to uncover, including even possibly among old/pre-existing content.

As usual, individual features have undergone extensive testing in isolation, though how all this stuff behaves when played out across real runs is a different story, so we'll see what pops up. Expect hotfixes.

Under the hood Beta 14 is by far the most complex release to date, on many levels, and I imagine you'll notice some of this complexity while playing with many segments of new content.

Get Beta 14 X1

On Steam, Beta 14 X1 is located on the new beta branch "beta_14_x1" accessible with the code "FederationRising", or if you don't have Steam and bought through FastSpring and would like to try the DRM-free version, send me an email at gridsagegames@gmail.com to be added to the Beta 14 cycle notification list. (This is a new list being created from scratch since Beta 13 development ended.)

Saves are not compatible with previous releases.

Additional hotfixes may come for this release, unannounced except to append a notice here and via an announcement in the #patron Discord channel. It's not uncommon due to the experimental nature of these releases, and if saves are compatible then the same branch is simply updated, otherwise a new branch is created and listed here.

Update 20715b

As expected, first patch is in! Overall not too bad though, just a few smaller issues aside from the new mapgen bug affecting some extra "ghost" prefab exits. Relatively little so far compared to the volume of new features:

• NEW: Added confirmation requirement for accessing Scrap Engine

• MOD: Easier to bring allies into Scraplab

• MOD: advanced.cfg quickStart feature currently does nothing (was crashing on restart due to new b14 features, will have to do something about this later)

• FIX: Direct inventory autoreplacement from ground with full inventory and in full room picked up item without corresponding drop [aoemica, CatPlusPlus]

• FIX: Removed a certain new scanner's ability to identify items in robot inventories (unintended)

• FIX: Fixed the extra unnecesary prefab exits of various types appearing in some maps (an unexpected side effect of the new mapgen architecture)

• FIX: Fixed new issue regarding what item IDs could be lost to corruption (a new system governing that was completely broken due to some typos)

• FIX: Botcubes were unable to use Core Analyzers

• FIX: Destroying Triborg within about 100 turns of aggroing Scraptown would crash once that time limit hit

• FIX: Scraptown QUICKSCAN^tm reported wrong log printing count

• FIX: Scraptown QUICKSCAN^tm Scientist did not flash green if you had met him on a previous run

• FIX: Scrap Suit malfunction prevention did not work while inactive (updated description as well)

• FIX: Scraplab no longer responds to you moving empty SUBCON Basins

Saves are compatible with the original X1 release.