Update 0.5.2

February 24, 2023

By hitscan

Solar Purge Update 0.5.2 features major gameplay updates, fixes, optimizations and much more!

What We Have Been Working On

Upcoming Campaign Levels and Character Skills
- Planet [REDACTED] Part I is moving steadily and will soon be going through dev testing
- Planet Sentinel Part I and III are currently in dev testing and early art passes!
- (Please note that each of these planets will take several months to fully implement, test, and go live, but this last cycle’s progress represents a major milestone for Phase Four!)
- New Character Skills are currently in development and will be ready for the next update!
- Watch the Discord channel to stay informed with the latest screenshots and dev news

Solar Purge Wins First Place!

On January 21st & 22nd Hitscan Games visited the ATG Expo in Waco, TX
There we had the opportunity to meet with both old and new fans and showcase the game
We also won 1st Place in the Indie Game Competition!

Solar Purge Steam Update 0.5.2

Campaign

Tutorial Popups
- Created a new UI element to explain game mechanics to players
- These will mostly appear in Lockjaw and the Training Room but will ultimately be used whenever new elements appear for the first time in-game
- This is still a work-in-progress and the timing of each popup will adjust over time based on play-testing and feedback

Characters

Character Select Skill Descriptions
- Updated language on the short skill description during Character Select to prevent an error with the window resizing:
  - Stryker Barrage updated to say ‘Aerial Rocket Strike’
  - Engineer Healing Drone updated to say ‘Team Health Regen’
  - Assassin Warp Dash updated to say ‘Move Through Foes’
  - Juggernaut Overcharge updated to say ‘Boost Melee & Shields’

General Updates and Fixes

Gameplay
- Fixed several issues preventing co-op players from spawning/de-spawning correctly
- Major under-the-hood updates to NPC dialogue (this will make dialogue changes and (potentially) future localization much easier)
- Disabled Escape input during cutscenes
- New and updated AOE effects for Assassin Slash skill, Stryker Barrage skill, Juggernaut Energy Drain skill, Medastia poison and Kamikaze Bot detonation radius
- Fixed Juggernaut Plasma Shield skill dome deployment animation
- Stryker Barrage skill Updates:
  - Increased Level 1 rockets to 10
  - Increased Level 2 rockets to 15
  - Increased Level 3 rockets to 20

UI
- Fixed an issue causing the HUD to disappear when picking up weapons and there are 4 players available
- Added new keyboard and mouse input icons
- SP skill points now appears on screen when 1 unused point is available
- Adding extra players from the Pause Menu now requires holding the button for 1 second instead of a press
- Player 1 can no longer attempt to drop out
- Updated icon for Juggernaut Overcharge skill
- New Hitscan studio intro splash screen

Training Room
- Added new tutorial popups to explain basic movement, weapon control, and the various practice zones
- Updated the controller and keyboard Instructions in the starting area
- Major overhaul to the Trap Room to include spike traps
- Basic Training modes now cannot begin until the player has started the mission
- Fixed an issue in Live Fire Training where one group of Spyders would not attack the player
- Restored music in the level
- Corrected a long-standing collision error at the back of the Combat Sim Library – players can now move to the edge of the room
- Added new level geometry to the Slayer Mission Training
- Removed the primary ammo kiosks from the Armories

Genesis II Station
- Fixed some minor art errors in the floor of the Command Core
- Corrected several grammatical and spelling errors in NPC dialogue
- Added New Warp gate in view of hangar
- Minor Art updates
- Lighting Optimizations

Lockjaw Mining
- Added tutorial popups throughout the level (this has temporarily affected the comic timing of the Prison Attendant but a future update will both restore this dialogue and better space out the popups)
- Updated the art by the locked door to Mineral Processing to prevent confusion on where to go
- Solved a long-standing bug preventing enemies from moving through the opened gates at the end of the Mining Floor
- Created very short cutscenes to show what has happened after players unlock doors
- Zoomed out the camera slightly while activating the Manipulator Crane in Loading Zone A to better showcase what is happening
- Made art and gameplay updates to the Security Checkpoint area at the end of the Mining Floor – both doors are now useful to check but only one will allow the player to move forward
- Fixed players’ starting weapon names for consistency with dropped weapons
- Adjusted the height of the staircase leading out of the Mining Floor Security Checkpoint to solve a collision issue some players were having at the top of the stairs
- Moved the falling debris at the staircase by the end of the Processing Transfer area so it can no longer catch on the lowest stair and end up floating
- Slight adjustment to the continue point nearby to give players room to respawn
- Added new post processing FX
- Added new elevator introduction sequence
- Art, Visual FX and Lighting optimizations
- Fixed respawn locations for mini boss mech warden fight
- Fixed Skolac dialogue

Lockjaw Cell Blocks
- Updated the Manipulator Crane art for consistency with Mining
- Updated Skorlac dialogue icon
- Art, Visual FX and Lighting updates and optimizations
- Added extra wall lights to guide players
- Fixed several Z-Fighting issues near Cellblock A
- Fixed missing lower cellblock floors
- Fixed overlapping Voice Over dialogue for Prison Attendant

Titus
- Fixed drill startup timing logic

Titus Queen’s Nest
- HUD now appears when the level starts

Oterion Jungle
- Filled in some missing art assets in the cliff face by the edge of the dam
- Solved an issue where some players were getting stuck when trying to move onto and off of the landing pad
- Players can no longer flee from B3-L1-4L during the miniboss battle (this was causing an edge case where it could despawn and prevent player progress)
- Updated Signposts in the Boomtown area to fix icon size errors and missing dialogue
- Restored Nent’s unique dialogue when speaking to Assassin
- Made behind-the-scenes fixes to the Data Module quest and added branching dialogue when interacting with the Decoder Terminals while holding various numbers of modules
- The Entry Key in the Forward Base is now collectible, and must be retrieved from the lockers before the player can proceed with the mission
- Updated art and some dialogue in the Forward Base
- Art, Visual FX and Lighting updates and optimizations

Oterion Lost City
- New Voice Over dialogue for Dr. Hadley (Plays when entering the Grassy Clearing)
- Art, Visual FX, Audio and Lighting updates and optimizations
- New screen FX for rain
- Increased waterfall resolution
- Fixed missing Visual FX details

Oterion Ruined Sanctum
- Added energy waves from the broken Glyph Cube to the water in the second and third Puzzle Path rooms

Oterion Guardian Sanctum
- Cleaned up navigation along the edge of the boss arena and in the Artifact chamber
- Improved the collision in the floor geometry, which should prevent players getting stuck on the seams between stone blocks