-This update needs to reset your loadout. -WIRE TORP and micro breach modded BLAST PACK now kill silently. -Some other gear rebalanced. -Enemies use active sonar more proactively now. -Guards that spot multiple downed ships now take evasive action and report a potential attack. -Improved Z-layering of guard ships that jump. -Slight changes to music layer manager. -Fixed some problems with gadget AoE calculations. -Fixed some problems with tripwire gadget triggering. -Fixed tripwires not attaching correctly to movable objects. -Fixed some weapon's SUPF not resetting correctly when unequipping mods. -Fixed weapon distance fuse not taking effect. -Fixed some quadrant based objectives showing as location unknown after completion. -Fixed a problem with ammo modifying gadget mods. -Fixed mod unlock requirements not taking effect. -Fixed melee attacks adding too much EMP time to already disabled ships. -Fixed some problems with enemy sonar obstacle detection. -Fixed sonar support not triggering against certain investigations if they are resolved too quickly.

1.210 -Slightly increased overall PS gains on lvl2+ missions. -Slightly increased conversion rate for prisoner skill to tech lvl. -Gear mods become available earlier now (10 tech levels above base gear, was 30). -Cascade damage cap increased (30-->50). -Some items rebalanced. -Fixed drill projectile property not resetting correctly on weapon change. -Fixed capture net not spawning sound on correct position when hitting capture targets. -Fixed music volume not taking effect correctly when exiting deafen/reflex state (?).

Changes/Balancing -Added a system that makes certain late game content appear less randomly. -Adjusted one box refinery sprite to better fit collider shape. -Lidar and weapon aim now slightly angle corrects towards center cursor when aiming far enough aways from your ship. -SRM dropped from guard deaths now decays faster. -Increased hitbox size for all wildlife. -Mines now spawn with slightly increased separation. -Hacking a mine that has already triggered now causes it to selfdestruct. -Certain long range weapons now have a slight delay to weapon sounds that makes it less likely that guards turn before shots reach them. -CMD-TKN can now order guards to occupied guard posts, forcing the current guard to change to a nearby patrol. -REPAIR BOTS gadget now makes it a bit more clear that it needs to be channeled to use. -TAG TOR ammo increased. -Mine gadgets ammo increased. -Some other items rebalanced. Fixes -Fixed wrench refinery sabotage sound counting against no contact bonus. -Fixed photonized player shots not piercing deflector shields. -Fixed some help comms not triggering correctly. -Fixed some comms prefixes not adding spaces. -Fixed some comms sounds not obeying sfx volume. -Fixed problems with deactivating AoE damage mod on RIV-REV. -Fixed CROWD-SOURCED UPGRADES being part o the regular loot pool. -Fixed a problem where AVENGER RAINBOW loadout would overwrite current run loot pool (?). -Fixed problem causing CSO to sometimes announce specialist deployment that isn't actually happening. -Fixed double entry for blind duration in item stat sheets. -Fixed player being able to die in VR when playing ships with 0 base hp. -Fixed placed gadgets in current zone not being affected by stealth detection when picking up backscatter profiler. -Fixed some typos.

The second major content update for Swirl Watch is live, just in time for the endless replayability sale. 1.2 Precision Gear adds a much requested loadout system, allowing you to more easily manage your ship equipment. And you can fill those loadout slots with new 9 new items too, including many fresh gadgets that allow for new tactics, interactions and synergies. Teleport yourself or other objects across the map with the displacer pad, open new paths by consuming structures with the recycler torpedo or use some of the titular precision gear to take out CorPo ships with a single hit.
The new sync-shot gadget drone always aims true and copies your own attack, enabling simultaneous takedowns of multiple guards if you are using high powered weapons. The bridge bore heavy weapon even homes in on enemy bridge section for big critical damage. And on top of that, the Rhizome Blue ship got new mods and base stats that benefit long-range precision builds. Other existing gear like recyclers and copy-goo got major reworks as well and a bunch of items got some new mods to give them new functionalities.
Also newly added: A wildlife capture system that gives you access to certain unlocks, as well as new bestiary entries for Cloud 2s distracting critters. But in order to go on animal rescue runs you will need to unlock the net launcher first. This new gadget can be used to capture ships too, at range and even when they havent been incapacitated.
Most of the new gear becomes available in the mid and late game. Loadout slots also require wins on various difficulties. So if you are already progressed well into the high level missions you will have many new options available immediately, otherwise the game will ease you into these new systems, as it does with the original content. Some of the new items got their own training sims and some more demanding simulations scenarios have also been added, allowing you to stress test your builds in more complex and dangerous scenarios.
And of course the update also includes a bunch of small changes and fixes (full changlog here). As with all my updates, 1.2 is now part of the game for free. I hope you get something out of it. Up next I'll be focusing on finishing the next entry of the Hyperspace Anthology: Hyperspace Deck Command. It has a demo available if you want to check it out. There are still some minor additions to Swirl Watch I want to implement, but that will probably only happen after HDC is out. Until then, a thousand limbs uplift you! Stefan Sleeper Games

New Stuff -Added loadout slot system that allows to save and re-equip custom loadouts. -9 new items added. -New mods added to some existing items. -Reworked Rhizome Blue to allow turning it into a long range focused attack ship. -Added wildlife capture system with new bestiary entries and some wildlife related unlock conditions. -Rearranged title area so that simulations are easier to access after loadout changes. Changes/Balancing -When launched for the first time, this update needs to reset your loadout and mod selection. -Some items now require wildlife capture. If you already spent PS to unlock the item it will still be unlocked once you capture the required creature. -Ammo crates found in vaults now only contain a single random pickup (ammo, supf or capture balloons). -Shot cursor homing now only takes affect for as long as you are aiming. -AoE damage now factors less into how weapon max ammo is calculated. -Player shutdown time from EMP explosions is now based on EMP damage taken (capped at 4s, previously fixed 2s). -Cursor homing and fragmentation shots now only apply to weapons that fire physical projectiles. -Weapon mods that increase damage are now generally cheaper, due to how they also affect max ammo. -Recycling now takes time, makes noise and can be applied to living ships through certain means (acting as an armor strip DoT). -TAG TOR is now more focused on being an AoE tag tool, with a new gadget filling the role of continuous AoE detection. -WIRE TOR is now undetectable to CorPo APS and can not be intercepted. -NANO WIRE upgrade no longer has any damage falloff, but also deals reduced damage (20-->10). -UNIVERSAL COPY GOO has been converted into a gadget that can be used on a single unequipped upgrade. -PRINTER now drops printed upgrades instead of auto-equipping. -Several other items rebalanced. Fixes -Fixed a problem with capture witnessed comms. -Fixed Cargo Friend bestiary entry never unlocking. -Fixed cascade weapon mods not applying their effect. -Fixed a problem with one mod for a late game weapon. -Fixed some SLDG PMP mods having their effects mixed up. -Fixed WRNCH ARM not being able to sabotage industrial accelerators. -Fixed player being able to jumpstart disabled and dying ships into a weird temporary zombi state. -Fixed a problem with CHARGE SPUR emp damage calculations. -Fixed a potential situation that would enable ship capture without having vac balloon ammo available. -Fixed a problem preventing individual laser fence posts from being EMPed multiple times in a row. -Fixed wreckage being spottable if they spawned after alert wears off but their source died during combat. -Fixed opening gear menus requiring too much time during reflex mode. -Fixed bridge lock indicator remaining displayed if switching target to an non-critable object while aiming. Swirl Watch Version 1.201 (Precision Gear) -Fixed NET LNCHR not deploying balloons correctly. -Fixed TRACKER cone limit not taking effect. -Fixed a problem with ADV-NAILR supf mod. -Fixed RECYC TORP tutorial simulation range exit check triggering even when near structures. -Fixed problems caused by simulation O3 erroneously having two unlocks tied to it. -Fixed a problem where lasing a LoS blocking object as it is removed would also remove player lidar beam and ability to detect. -Fixed some problems arising from loadout saves initiating at incorrect circumstances. -Fixed a very cool bug causing loadout slots to apply all their passive preview items to the player whenever they update their preview items.

Just letting you know that I started work on a second small content update for the game, mainly focused on adding a much requested quality-of-life feature: A loadout system that allows you to more easily manage your gear set-ups once youve got many unlocks available. Youll be able to store up to 5 loadouts in different slots and easily reequip them later from the title screen. Your mod slection will also be saved as part of your loadouts.
Alongside that the update will also add a bunch of new items, mostly implementing some gadget ideas I have been considering for a while now. Recycler nanites will get a bit of a rework and Rhizome Blue will become more of a long range attack ship through base changes and new mods. There will be a bunch of new mods for other things as well.
1.2 Precision gear will launch within the next weeks, but I cant say when for certain yet. See you then. A thousand limbs uplift you!

-Altered threshold of what is considers low range combat for adaptive difficulty scaling. -Lethal combat kills now increase both long and short range threat profiling (was just short range before). -Enemy mines now stay revealed after being fully identified. -Changed mine detection UI to better contrasting color in zone 5. -Increased rate at which ship resource manager calls in escorts. -Some item and mod costs rebalanced. -Flare Printer mod: increased max ammo (1-->4) and lowered regen delay (20s-->12s). -Longnailer supf mod nerfed (20-->15 shots suppressed) -Increased artillery gadget base damage (80-->100). -Small objects (ships, floating chunks, wildlife) no longer block sight-line for artillery targeting. -Increased Charge Spur emp multiplier (40%-->120%). -Nerfed recycler wreckage disassembly SRM gain (3-->2). -Fixed recycler not using up charges when disassembling wreckage. -Fixed recycler targeting sometimes not obeying range restrictions. -Fixed certain enemy sonar emitters not reacting to damage. -Fixed ships/wrecks becoming hidden while held if they are disabled/created within concealing circular hazards. -Fixed a collision issue on a structure in [redacted]. -Fixed a situation in which multiple non-NPC objects could be tagged/affected by a single shot. -Fixed player exiting deafened state not resetting certain sfx volumes correctly. -Fixed bad damage calculation on Charge Spur collisions. -Fixed a potential zone softlock that can happen if a comms encryption key satellite is destroyed after objective completion. -Fixed guards reporting volunteer ships as hostile in distress after they have been disabled and dropped by the player (?) -Fixed being player being able board-grab ships through walls with high enough melee range. -Corrected some tooltips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBZprZeheIE Hi there Sleeper Games crowd. To be a part of Steams ongoing Deckbuilder Fest I put together an early experimental demo for Hyperspace Deck Command, my upcoming sci-fi deckbuilding roguelite that will also be the third entry in the Hyperspace Anthology. You can try it right now here on Steam. The game has only been in development for 5 months now, so this is still just a small part of what is yet to come. In the demo you can fight your way through 5 different simulation encounters using a randomized starter deck, culminating in an super long final battle hat requires a powerful fleet and proper mastery of the games fresh dual-use status effect system. A lot of main features (starting deck selection, card upgrades, stores) are still missing though, but I hope you get a few hours of fun out of it regardless. I'm sure it makes up for the lack of content with an abundant supply of bugs, so feel free to contact me on discord with reports (link in the pause menu). I'm looking forward to your general feedback too! Please wishlist the game on Steam if you want to support its development. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2711190/Hyperspace_Deck_Command/ Cheers! Stefan Sleeper Games

-WRNCH ARM should now be able to sabotage any sabotage targets. -Strange matter spills can no longer hide ships. -Added a safeguard to prevent an unclear scenario in which H-WAVE RADAR would stop working after zone transition. -Fixed a issues when boss enemies try to personally call off alerts. -Fixed enemy placed gadgets not being tagged on hack. -Fixed disguise tutorial becoming available too early. -Fixed resupply marker desc showing resupply cost even when having free resupplies available. -Fixed boss intel not always tagging all bosses. -Fixed weapons with adaptive spread receiving their max accuracy when quick selected. -Fixed various issues with several specific gear mods. -Fixed issues when reaching negative max health (?). -Fixed a problem with hiding ships when multiple circular hazard are in range. -Fixed EVOLVING VERMIN not affecting hack-modded tripwire. -Fixed LIGHT ABSORBING HULL not taking effect. -Fixed hazard spawners not creating sound on death. -Fixed missing disguise anim for corpo square. -Fixed bad fence generation on a late game map. -Fixed some object placement issues. -Fixed some issues with text formating. -Fixed some incorrect tooltips. -Fixed some typos.

-Enemy mag mines now cause occasional cam glitches when they are nearby. -Enemy mag mine explosions now have minor damage drop off. -Reduced adaptive difficulty minefield scaling. -Fixed a problem with evacing from lvl 5 missions phase 3. -Fixes melee locked state when minor object are destroyed while in a certain part of the boarding process. -Fixed dealing EW damage to units hidden in circular hazard creating repeated "Hidden!" text. -Fixed some issues with hiding things in circular hazards. -Fixed some issues with item stacking. -Fixed some instances of repeated report attempts during comms blackout. -Fixed enemy DIR MINE not triggering sound response on detonation.

New Stuff -Help comms for items and mods now have TacHI telling you the items description/tooltip. This works even for items you haven't unlocked or printed. -Once friendly ships come back online you can now tell them to move towards your ship using the comms input. Changes/Balancing -Spot indicators for spotting ships that are very far away no longer completely fade out. -Computronium can no longer hide objects. -Attached BLAST PACK now detonates if the object they it is attached to dies. -Phase torpedos and displacer artillery now deals much reduced damage VS structure. -ENTANGLE ammo reduced (20-->16) -STAGED DISPENSERS and ESCAPE TWEAKS for CHAFF TORP are now mutually exclusive, but work with all other mods. -HULL EATER MANDIBLES consume health gain threshold increased (5-->10) -Presidential Rail-Yacht spot rate and vision range increased. -Informer Class AM-Micro damage, redundant system and detection increased. -Blinking while disguised is now considered sus. -Final zone objective now calls more reinforcements. -The increased melee cooldown on misses no longer triggers during reflex mode. -You can now melee attack while boosting forward. -Simulations that allow to use your loadout can no longer be launched while you are over budget. -Whether your melee jumpstarts is now determined when you initiate a melee combo, eliminating situations in which ships getting disabled before finisher would result in unintended jumpstarts of just disabled ships. -Enemy patch preview is updated more consistently now. Fixes -Fixed a problem preventing specialist spawns in certain zones. -Fixed HEX-9 supf mod providing too large bonus. -Fixed HULL EATER MANDIBLES tooltip not loading. -Fixed inconsistent fixed objective reveal when using SAT SCAN. -Fixed TAG BOW dealing minor hack damage when impacting structures. -Fixed some unintended ship types being able to lead 3-ship squadrons. -Fixed some problems related to carried crates still being regarded as vault content. -Fixed some bad interactions when ships with attached BLAST PACKS perform jumps or retreats. -Fixed CSO soft-alert idle comms sometimes ordering unintended specialist units to patrol. -Fixed some instances of weapon SUPF text not updating. -Fixed death zones obscuring credits text. -Fixed minefields not spawning maybe? -Fixed guards that enter assist state being able to assist hidden guards if they are in range with visible guards. -Fixed some issues with Ambiphone and sound range. -Fixed consecutive torpedo launches interfering with range of previous ones. -Fixed situations in which too many run bonuses would lead to text overlap on score screen. -Fixed EMPed structures become immune to destruction. -Fixed missing equip sound on some ships. -Fixed EMP collisions not being affected by object EW defense. -Fixed a problem with executive skiff EW armor calculation. -Fixed a situation in which the final mission would spawn without comms stations. -Fixed music on alert not obeying volume option for a few seconds. -Fixed locked items not updating their SRM cost listing after gaining PS from simulations. -Fixed some instances of weapon inventory box being to small to list all mod text. -Fixed a bad interaction with Diver Violet and melee range upgrades. -Fixed guards jumping out of boarding state remaining partially in boarding state (?). -Fixed some typos.

1.121 (Resistance Supplies) -Melee now auto-targets disabled ships again if there are only disabled ships in range. -Fixed some instances of objective texts not scaling correctly. -Some title holo text is now affected by UI scale. -Fixed comms speech not being affected by SFX volume option. 1.122 (Resistance Supplies) -Slightly reduced enemy spawns on higher mission lvls. -Prisoner UI should now correctly support up to 5 lines. -Beam-barge attack rate reduced. -WRNCH ARM can no also sabotage pipeline elements. -Fixed a problem with item unlock tracking. -Fixed a problem with vertical pipe generation (?). -Fixed a some situation in which guards would still be able to assist hidden disabled ships. -Fixed guards sometimes attempting to wake up inactive reinforcements when assisting nearby disabled ships. -Fixed some objectives causing other objective to show unintended location tags. -Fixed superfluous brackets on evac objective.

-Added manual entry for CorPo threat profiling. -Changed some wording on threat profiling stats section. -Guard post color pattern is now more distinct from ships. -When multiple melee targets are in range, but none is target locked, your ship will now prioritize attacking non-disabled ships instead of the one closes to your cursor (should counteract unintended jumpstarts.) -UI scale options now affects objective text and number menu tooltip header. -Fixed backscatter profiler not enabling stealth detection. -Fixed mission success comms sometimes playing after return from death. -Fixed a situation in which getting rediscovered while alert end comms have already initialized would still end alert.

1.116 (Resistance Supplies) -Fixed a bad on-board printer interaction. -Fixed a problem with several late game mission help comms. -Fixed some unintended interactions between randomized runs and ship unlocks. -Fixed missing help comms on some objects. -Fixed a destruction scenario where mine trigger ranges would not be cleaned up correctly. -Fixed utility torp range modifier not taking effect after launch. -Fixed selecting Wizzard Bright disabling afterburner on other ships. -Fixed player deflector destabilization also affecting other deflectors. -Fixed a problem with strafe speed calculation. -Fixed some problems with using ROD TUR on the title screen. -Fixed ROD TUR not being valid target for tripwire. -Fixed a problem with ship initialization during final mission. -Fixed some typos. -Clarified some unlock conditions. 1.118 (Resistance Supplies) -Fixed some bad formating on WHISPER CHIP force composition section. -Fixed player LP not updating when consuming ships. -Fixed comms blackout messenger ships not jumping out correctly.

-Skiff HAPS and Skiff RD now look a bit more distinct. -Skiff RD now has a secondary critical hit zone (engine). -Some shield items rebalanced. -Enemy AoE shots are now very safe and can't hurt enemies anymore. -Box interdictors are now hack immune. -Fixed donated item never resetting. -Fixed a problem with AROD TURRET not calculating shot speed correctly. -Fixed a couple circumstance in which depleted gadgets could be removed during simulations, leading to them not being reset correctly if simulations reset. -Fixed some bad fence post positioning in zone 4. -Fixed idle comms not being affected by comms blackout. -Fixed sat-scan investigate comms playing repeatedly (?). -Fixed missing help comms on Floatsam. -Fixed some item texts.

Swirl Watch Version 1.112 -Added random gear donations: Once you got enough unlocks, a random tool, gadget or ship now becomes free to use. The free item changes every time complete a mission. -Prisoner exchange display can now handle more lines. -Extended some holo texts in Tut10. -Added help comms for tutorial objectives. -Tut10 now continuously removes capture ammo to prevent a softlock scenario after resupplying. -Reworked Tut10 into an open area to prevent another softlock scenario. -Reworked GT1 to allow for additional interactions and somewhat easier completion. -Suspicious actions while disguised are now reported to CSO and can not burn your disguise while comms blackout is in effect. -Fixed disguise burnt comms burning fresh disguises if acquired while comms still progress. -Fixed weapon overheat rate increasing with fire rate changes. -Fixed a problem with randomized loadouts. -Fixed regional help comms never displaying. -Fixed some item tag lines. Swirl Watch Version 1.114 -Having a valid melee target selected now forces melee attacks against that target. No closer object will be attacked, even if the selected target is out of range, but closer targets are available. -Tripwires can no longer be deployed in direct contact with something that triggers them. -Fixed missing sound on wildlife movement. -Fixed disabled/inactive ships being movable by collisions. -Fixed a problem with health initialization. -Several other fixes.

-Resupply crates no longer self-destruct when they are stored in vaults. -Fixed looting resupply from vaults sometimes spawning pickups in inaccessible positions. -Fixed yet another problem with sound range. -Fixed No Alert mastery unlock requiring more no alert score than advertised. -Fixed player reflex deplete rate not resetting correctly after triggering reflex within simulations. -Fixed a problem with how adaptive difficulty comms type is determined.

-Danger marks in certain zones now use a different contrast color. -Added a safeguard to prevent certain situations in which player ship might not update animation. -Fixed ship and gadget mods not applying in simulations. -Fixed a bad sim unlock condition. -Fixed some bad texts. -Fixed data intercept markers remaining visible when ships get disabled in certain circumstances. -Fixed a problem with a zone 5 patrol path. -Fixed some issues with interact sound ranges. -Fixed some unclear scenarios in which reinforcements might deploy with shields still up. -Fixed yet another problem preventing minefields from spawning (?).

-Added more squadron callsigns. -Added new idle comms system. -During soft alert, CSO will now periodically tell random non-specialist guards to switch up patrol direction or redeploy to new tasks (guard<->patrol). -Fixed some bad text formating. -Fixed some instances of tutorial not removing objects correctly. -Fixed possible accelerator sabotage locations putting player in collision with other objects. -Fixed some problems with buoy name generation. -Fixed SUPF AMP not reducing attack visibility. -Fixed missing help comms for certain environments. -Fixed typo in one simulation mission title. -Fixed some problems with hiding objects in hazard zones.

-You can no longer place evacuation markers within core fusion death zones. -You can no longer hide objects in structures too close to other hidden objects (box refinery can fit 2 etc). -Reduced SCRW SPNR damage (40-->35) piercing (3-->1) and supf (24-->16). -Weapon fire sound now changes guard awareness to alerted (was cautious). -Firing weapons with SUPF on no longer reduced attack LP. -SUPF AMP now also grants 50% attack visibility reduction when firing weapons with SUPF on. -Weapon fire now draws attention of additional guards. -Fixed a problem preventing weapon fire LP increase from taking effect. -Fixed another problem with stealth mode keybinding. -Fixed storm systems being treated as impassible for pathfinding, leading to guards getting stuck in specific circumstances. -Fixed Midnight Silent unlock tiggering repeatedly. -Fixed TRACKER not activating until re-aimed when switched to while aiming. -Fixed a problem with Radical Yellow and Crasher Orange mastery unlocks. (?) -Fixed some ship mastery unlocks not triggering correctly. -Fixed some problems with boss unlocks. -Fixed missing ship comms for certain boss fight situations.

-Added disguise training simulation. -ROCK CONT damage increased (15-->25). -Guards that carry torpedoes now have a small damaging death explosions. -Added some custom status text for EBOs. -Added lables for sim launcher groups on title area. -Added a safeguard to prevent unconscious ships from using comms in unclear circumstances. -Added a safeguard to prevent guards from gaining multiple shields for unclear reasons. -Picking up objective target ship upgrades now takes longer. -Picking up items is now considered suspicious while disguised. -Replaced disguise tier system with normalized disguise values based on ship rarity. -Melee attacking a ship is now regarded as threatening while disguised. -Fixed disguised player acting suspicious being noticeable to guards that still have a spot indicator, but do not actively spot the player. -Fixed entering simulations that allow for custom loadouts not resetting disguise states correctly. -Fixed a visual issue when disabling fences with wrench. -Fixed missing help comms for new ship types. -Fixed bad spawn position for entangle effect text. -Fixed starting loadout not being recyclable once on mission. -Fixed a scenario where certain objectives would interfere with exit location pick. -Fixed low-g vines being tripped by stationary guards. -Fixed Avenger Rainbow not randomizing loadout when entering a simulation. -Fixed reset loop in tut 11. -Fixed sabotage accelerator objective not being revealed correctly through comms and interrogate (?)

-Some item deploy cost rebalanced. -Reduced max ammo on some weapons. -EBOs are no longer a valid target for reactor entanglement (no reactor). -Slightly increased PS cost scaling for unlocks. -Fixed a few more items not loading tooltips correctly. -Fixed TRACKER use effect being mixed with another gadget. -WRNCH ARM "loud malfuction" refinery effect now ceases after deafening noise has been amitted 3 times. -WRNCH ARM can now also sabotage fence posts and plasma vents. -Fixed map time not resetting correctly on zone enter, leading to some items not triggering their zone enter effect. -Fixed missing sound on flares. -Fixed "steal ship upgrades" objective softlocking when recycling target upgrades.

-This update needs to do a one time reset of your loadout and mod selection. -Reverted resupply price increase changes. -Fixed NECRO DARKLY sprite misalignment. -Fixed and rephrased ship mastery unlocks. -Fixed AMBIPHONE not loading tooltip data correctly. -Fixed a general issue causing mods being assigned the wrong parent item.

I didn't quite make it for the stealth fest but 1.1 Resistance Supplies is now finally live! You can now cause comms blackouts at any time with the jam pod, blind ships with the new dazzler gadget, silently disable them with EMP effectors or the new Hex-9 hybrid tool, link enemy reactors to eliminate multiple ships simultaneously or straight up blanket an outposts with various types of (expensive) fire support. Passive upgrades also got many new additions, among other things now allowing for high accuracy builds via hard reductions of minimum weapon sway. Sonar can be modified to detect through objects, you can get free disguises each zone, or reactive dazzlers that blind anyone who looks at you too carefully. There are ways to increase your personnel and PS gains from missions now, but you can also spend excess PS on a one time run bonus or go into missions with a completely random loadout, using the new shuttle ship that gets crowd-sourced gear when deploying. Oh and there is a offense-focused salvager that can straight up disassemble wrecked CorPo ships to regain health. If you have some PS banked you can add some of the new gear to your loadout immediately. Other items come with new unlock requirements, many revolving arround mastering the new and old ships. I also added a couple new training simulations to introduce some of the new items as well as previously existing mechnics. And TacHI can now give you random tips on the title screen. Cheers! Full changelog here. As with all my updates, 1.1 is now part of the game for free. I hope you get something out of it. A thousand limbs uplift you!

New Stuff -Added 3 new ships. -Added 9 new weapons. -Added 7 new gadgets. -Added 18 new upgrades. -Added 60+ mods for both old and new gear. -Some of these options allow for randomized loadout runs and one-time run bonuses by expanding excess PS. -There are also ways to accelerate personnel and PS gain now, if you can spare the deploy budget. -Added a couple new training and challenge simulations. -Added TacHI avatar to the title screen that gives random daily tips. Changes/Balancing -Max tech levels increased (120-->180). -Subsistence score (from taking excess SRM into missions) is now scored separately from loot score. -HARP-R and SCRW SPINR now deal EMP damage by default and can be converted back to kinetic with mods. -EMICRO base supf increased (30-->60) -RPAM-7K reserve ammo increased and deploy cost reduced (14-->10). -STAPL-R ammo print mod now works on a per-zone basis. -TRIPWIRE ammo increased (12-->16). -Tripwire can no longer damage shielded ships. -EM TORP buffed (damage: 160-->200, damage fall off: -75% --> -50%, AoE: 2.5-->3, ammo: 4-->8). -Increased EMP duration caused by EMP explosions by 100%. -FLASH TORP now detonates silently. -FLASH TORP ammo increased (8->12). -CMND TKN ammo increased (12->24). -Dazzler explosions no longer require guards to directly laze the dazzler source, instead they blind any guards that are mostly facing towards the flash (215). -When disguised, LP ui now shows your remaining disguise integrity. -MIRROR VARNISh LP penalty reduced (+20%-->+5%) -H-WAVE RADAR range increased. -WHISPER CHIP now also shows CorPo force composition (on inventory tooltip.) -FEED UMBIBLICAL now prevents weapons from ejecting their remaining loaded ammo on reload. -Shield bonuses on multiple items rebalanced. -Using melee on melee immune objects now causes longer melee cooldown. -Reinforcements on high level missions might have their shields plugged into the G-Dock, allowing them to be continuously shielded while stored. -Any guards that heard a threatening sound will now eventually attempt to report, if other guards closer to the sound are prevented from reporting. -Specialist guards are now bold enough to attempt to report when you board them, as long as their ship hasn't been disabled yet. -Specialist guards will now resist interrogation until their ship is disabled. -Starting with zone 4, mission areas are now surrounded by core-fusion dead zones that prevent you from escaping off-grid. -Killing an EBO ironically no longer count against no kills bonus (not sentient enough?). -Bossfights spawn more guards now. -Resupply no longer increases in price per use. -Disabled state now removes blinded/deafened markers form guards. (Superfluous at that point.) Fixes -Fixed dazzler detonations not affecting guards correctly. -Fixed melee sensory stun still affecting melee immune enemies. -Fixed a situation in which player would be able to call evac even though evac is already in progress. -Fixed a problem with triggering placed gadgets via lidar. -Fixed unintentional multi explosions in certain circumstances. -Fixed a problem with how certain passive and ship specific effects are applied. -Fixed mine detection elements not being affected by convection. (?) -Fixed MAG MINE detection ui not being removed correctly on detonation. -Fixed WRNCH ARM not using up ammo when sabotaging comms stations. -Fixed a problem with displaying wildlife help comms. -Fixed vault crates being movable under lockdown. -Fixed a problem with how certain spring sounds are initiated. -Fixed a problem preventing escort ships from getting re-tasked if their lead is taken out. -Fixed some instances of ship struct ejection fallback not taking effect. -Fixed game re-entering fullscreen on return to title (?). -Fixed player exiting deafened state not resetting certain engine sounds correctly. -Fixed some problems with how elevator location text is handled. -Fixed friendly ships using wrong intro TacHI intro text when boarded. -Fixed selecting empty inventories showing previous tooltips. -Fixed Puffstar sliding your an extra mag on deployment, leading to rediculous ammo gain on certain weapons. -Fixed bad unknown value on CorPo Scaffolds. -Fixed some typos.

Message To All Swirl Watch Action Elements

Changes/Balancing -Ships in trouble now launch escape pods (purely visual right now). -Guards now report when they are being blinded by certain attacks. -Floating chunks now block line of sight. -Ship wrecks now have shot collision and can be destroyed by attacks, allowing them to block a few projectiles. -Disabled ships can now be spotted almost instantly if another guard is looking at them when being disabled. -Scatter weapons aim cone is now fixed and telegraphs the weapon's projectile cone. -Therefore scatter weapons are no longer effected by accuracy upgrades. Mods that change their fire cone are unchanged. -Added weapon overheat system (currently only used on NAIL STRM). -Recycler Nanites can now also dissemble wreckages, apart from removing the wreckage this also grants SRM. -Chaff clouds now block any sonar waves (including your own). -Chaff clouds now also inflict blinded status on guard ships within them, instead of just blocking their lidar. Like other blind effects this makes them unable to maneuver and clears reflex mode. -Freezer Crystal now also comes with a +15% global cooldown rate bonus by default. -Crasher Orange near-industry LP bonus reduced (30%-->20%) -Midnight Silent dark zone LP bonus increased (15%-->30%) -SRM cost for many gadgets rebalanced. -Increased point requirements for A rank (250-->275 per phase) and S rank (325-->400 per phase) -Slightly reduced skill gain from personal with A rank and above. -Slightly reduced PS gain from liberated personnel and high mission rank multiplier. Fixes -Added fallback system that ejects guards from structures if they clip through. (Still not able to reproduce why and when this happens.) -Fixed guard APS blinking even if APS is currently unable to function (ship disabled/charge depleted). -Fixed some comms texts not working as intended. -Fixed problems with a couple patrol paths in certain zones. -Fixed zone 5 not spawning correct wildlife. -Fixed ships not becoming hidden correctly if eliminated within hazard zones. -Fixed some instances of ships not being able to report consecutive attacks. -Fixed rare bad z-layering when hiding ships in obstacles. -Fixed last known position marker not being removed on alert end. -Fixed single beam attacks being able to damage player two times. -Fixed hidden sniper post having tripwire collision enabled. -Fixed situations in which help comms portrait would be displayed even though no help comms have been triggered. (?) -Fixed very high piercing stat not actually allowing to pierce through multiple ships. -Fixed overwatching enemies not resetting their guard angle correctly when alert ends. -Fixed weapon switching applying remaining fire delay on new weapon.

-Blast packs now explode when shot (instead of getting destroyed.) -Added a safeguard to ensure explosion sources are removed correctly. -Resupply cannisters that are found in vaults no longer detonate after being opened. -Fence posts no longer hide nearby buoys. -Added fallback to assign closest patrol route to stray guards that get initialized in loitering state. -Fixed some situations in which sound would not trigger a reaction if the two closest listeners are immediately destroyed by the sound source. -Fixed CSO soft alert call being interruptible if the previously sending ship is removed. -Fixed interrogating prison ships erroneously completing the objective. -Fixed some bad fence spawns in zone 5.

-Blast packs now explode when shot (instead of getting destroyed.) -Added a safeguard to ensure explosion sources are removed correctly. -Fixed some situations in which sound would not trigger a reaction if the two closest listeners are immediately destroyed by the sound source.

-Cut mechanic: Guards no longer become hyper aware after triggering reflex mode, you can now trigger reflex any amounts of time against the same guard. -NOISE MKR ammo increased (4-->8) and SRM cost reduced (10-->4). -Enter maglevator object now also shows quadrants. -Improved guard interactions after they pop balloons. -Fixed sim load icons showing unintended texts in some circumstances. -Fixed frequency scanner not revealing objects correctly on pickup. -Fixed some problems with item recycling. -Fixed some irregularities with how rod turret shot speed is handled. -Fixed Rod Turret not self-destructing correctly. -Fixed tooltips and function on some item mods.

-Once your remaining reflex time gets very low you can no longer enter reflex mode (TacHI will point that out and your final reflex clear.) -Overhead structures now immediately deny balloon attaching, which no longer costs a balloon. -Guards that pop a balloon will now attempt to aid in restoring nearby disabled ships instead of just reporting the capture attempt. -Attaching a balloon to a ship hidden within a hazard now makes the balloon undetectable. -CSO now reacts differently if multiple alert are caused in the same zone and the first alert now has ships go back to "unaware" state. -Ship to ship collisions are more quiet now. -Fixed missing "objective found" comms on a late game objective. -Fixed empty mission control comms when entering simulations under certain circumstances. -Fixed a problem with comms sometimes displaying ? portrait erroneously. -Fixed forced evac displaying wrong quadrant. -Fixed target lock interfering with prisoner exchange display. -Fixed most comms not being considered interrupted when interrupted on first message segment. -Fixed Puffstar not accelerating during credits sequence (?)

-Time scoring is even more lenient now (<5m/map for max, up to 5m-25m/map for reduced score). -Computronium Substrate is now impervious to any damage. -Run score PS is now saved when your grade is shown, preventing PS loss on rare prisoner exchange crash (crash itself is still under investigation). -Fixed guards sometimes erroneously reporting disabled ships found as wreckage, triggering soft alert. -Fixed a problem with [redacted] objective. -Fixed a problem related to late game run end. -Fixed [redacted] being affected by a late game non lethal torpedo. -Fixed RFLX CHIP reducing emergency reflex time with each use. -Fixed a scenario where alert would fail already completed heist objectives. -Fixed a bad impact sfx on abyssalite asteroids. -Fixed a problem with zone variant selection and displayed zone name. -Fixed an object picking issue that might prevent EMISSION ANALYZER from working. -Fixed some missing text issues.

-Zone SRM drop scaling is now based on mission phase and scales faster. -Later mission phases now have increasing chances to spawn a resupply canister in a vault. -Lost cargo loot score increased (20-->40). -Reduced srm dropped from prisoners. -Time scoring is more lenient now (<5m/map for max, up to 5m-15m/map for reduced score). -Releasing boarded objects is now faster during reflex mode. -Objective target ships are now excluded from being certain specialist versions. -Wildlife gets scared of the player ship at greater distance now. -Structure collision sounds no longer count against no contact bonus. -Fixed a problem preventing minefields from spawning. -Fixed guards that detected player exiting alert phase with 100% spot progress, leading to instant re-detection. -Fixed a problem with a specific laser fence in zone 6. -Fixed a problem with binding sprint key. -Fixed an occasional empty text enty when displayed when completing comms key objective. -Fixed wrecks not getting board-tagged if they are created from an already boarded vessel. -Fixed boarding wreckages triggering boarding intro text. -Fixed early game box refinery objective not awarding objective completion score. -Fixed intel objective not completing on ship extraction. -Fixed relay ship objective marker not changing correctly on alert connection shutdown. -Fixed SRM heist objective not being completable by prying crates under lock-down.

-Adjusted some bad spawn areas in zone 3 and 4. -Fixed BACKSCATTER PROFILER stealth detection bonus not applying. -Fixed board member capture unlock not taking effect. -Fixed no contact mastery unlock having wrong tooltip and being unattainable. -Fixed ship based objectives sometimes picking docked reinforcements as target.

1.033 (Hot Launch) -Gear mods become available earlier now (tech lvl 30+). -New movement tech: Activating stealth mode while or directly after using afterburner now has you drift, retaining more momentum. -Phase torpedoes are now susceptible to hacking. They become cursor guided when hacked and detonate when getting close to revealed enemies. -Firing flares into phase torpedoes now detonates them, unless they are already phasing. -Firing flares directly onto a guard-ship now briefly blinds it, but this is perceived as an attack. -Blinding a ship during reflex mode now clears them as a reflex target. -Blinding ships now also resets their spot progress. -WRNCH can now pry crates to instantly open them. This works even on crates in vaults under lockdown. -Blast Pack can now be attached to any melee target (not just guard ships). -Attached Blast Packs are now dragged behind the attached object, allowing to trigger them with lidar more consistently. -Gadget shots now miraculously launch and fly faster during reflex mode. -Hazards that substantially reduce LP can now also hide disabled ships/wrecks (disabling/destroying ships within hazards instantly hides them). -Ship to ship collisions are slightly more forgiving now, allowing you to graze past ships if you touch them just briefly. -Resistance Supplies now periodically ping themselves if undetected. -Phase Torpedo damage vs structure reduced (100%-->10%). -Removed convection hazard angle-aligned push force. -Riot Control deflector shields now properly deflect gadget shots. -Fixed some issues with enemies using sonar. -Fixed some recent inconsistencies for how sound is suppressed by foam. -Fixed Resistance Beacon not spawning upgrade cache correctly (?). -Fixed SRM counter display issues when SRM Sieves are equipped. -Fixed a problem with friendly ship subject portraits. -Attempted to fix an issue where ships would get initialized multiple times, increasing their tech requirements beyond intended value. 1.034 (Hot Launch) -Adjusted the way in which move forces are condensed down when exiting strafe states. -Timed trigger for gadgets is now set manually by pressing interact while aiming the gadget. -Movement impeding hazards now slow you down on entering, preventing some unintended interaction with drifting. -Fixed a not-so-minor issue with remote triggered blast packs. -Fixed prisoner exchange portraits on title screen sometimes becoming hidden (?) -Fixed zone based hull regeneration not updating health ui. -Fixed a 1.033 issue preventing guard spot progress from decaying. -Fixed releasing a boarded ship not resetting player boost force correctly. -Fixed some gadget cloud effect having unintended guard path avoidance. -Fixed fly nest granting infinite bot flies. -Fixed some problems with revealing squadrons through interrogations (?). -Fixed some issues with guard sensory state icons. -Fixed wrong pickup text on some item mods.

-Comms icon for comms that will trigger soft alert now flash. -Quadrant names no longer get overwriting by !ALERT! text. -Ship and structure explosions sounds range increased (500-->1000) -Ship and structure explosions will now get reported and trigger soft alert. -Getting hit by hostile sonar now reveals the sonar source. -Fixed explosion damage multiplier VS structure not taking effect. -Fixed simulations awarding their PS reward multiple times. -Fixed ship specific objective sometimes not forcing ship type correctly. -Fixed some inconsistencies with how passive sonar range is calculated. -Fixed board decompress buildup sound being played at too low pitch on first instance.

-Many non-lethal gear conversions become available earlier now. -You can now carry floating chunks and send them on alternate trajectories by releasing them. -Increased speed threshold at which noisy-to-traverse hazards are creating sound. -Noisy-to-traverse hazards can no longer trigger when you are in stealth mode, regardless of speed. -Made Low-G Vine target text slightly more clear. -Game now recognizes PovX/PovY axis as valid controller inputs. -Fixed stealth mode key not being bindable. -Fixed inventory UI disappearing when dropping upgrades at base while ship mods are equipped. -Fixed SRM counter not updating until inventory exit when dropping upgrades at base. -Fixed player ship being unable to carry crates due to them resisting melee EMP. -Fixed Cargo Router tool tip. -Fixed some typos.

-Rebalanced some item prices. -BLAST PACK now deals 125 max damage to ships (was 250), but has a +100% damage bonus against structures now. -WRNCH ARM can now silently sabotage comms stations. -Combat Wire melee EMP damage bonus reduced (30-->10) and renamed to photon -Passive sonar now works by increasing guard engine sound range and is expressed as percentage. -Clarified unlock conditions for unlocks that are awarded for zone completion. -Zone completion unlocks now only trigger in their respective zone (not above) and will now trigger when exiting via maglevator as well. -Individual matter condensers only restock 2 times now. -Fully boarding a ship now interrupt most tac-jumps. -NPC ships will now generally attempt to path around high threat hazards. -Increased LP reduction within industrial sludge (25%-->50%). -Decreased LP reduction within nano-wire (50%-->25%). -Gadgets produced on high level mission matter condensers can now have mods. -Fixed loot pool mod lists not generating correctly, leading to weapons not generating with full mod selection. -Fixed Freezer Crystal hitbox causing self damage when downloading comms key (?) -Fixed Pneumo Mount granting perfect aim stability to NAIL-R. -Fixed high level actions requiring one more lower level win to unlock than intended. -Fixed scenarios in which a boarded ship that jumps would remain in boarded state. -Attempted to fix crash occurring when completing decompression on boarded ships. -Fixed certain placed gadgets not self-destructing consistently when approached by guards. -Fixed certain object destruction events not destroying attached tripwires. -Fixed certain melee attack effects applying even when targets resists melee. -Fixed Combat Wire shield piercing not taking effect. -Fixed resupply cannisters being valid shot and melee targets while still being dropped in. -Fixed certain key enemies still being able to retreat due to comms blackout. -Fixed a certain area not generating comms relays.

-NPC ship engines sound circles are placed more accurately now. -You get short lived contact markers for ships who's engine sound reaches you, giving a more direct warning for when unknowns are approaching. -Increased guard engine sound ranged by 20%. -Echo Profiler and Radical Yellow now grant a bonus to passive sonar range, allowing you to detect engines beyond their sound range. -Increased mobility during reflex mode, especially for strafing. -Added some additional vfx for reflex mode. -Triggering reflex mode deliberately via gadget no longer denies no reflex bonus. -Midnight Silent's stealth mode speed bonus is down for maintenance. -Heavy dust clouds are more subtle now. -Fixed incapacitate intro comms also triggering on destroyed ships. -Fixed loadout resetting on game update (should be no longer reset after this update.) -Fixed certain Gadget ammo bonuses not resetting correctly. -Fixed Puffstar sneaking some additional ammo into your reserve when entering a run. -Fixed some problems with how equipment is initialized and equip on launch. -Fixed default loadout initializing C-INJ in a state unelectable by inventory button inputs.

-Reinforcement system is more robust now, allowing reinforcements to deploy towards more objectives and in more varied functions (patrol/guard). -Reinforcements can now also deploy to vaults, condensers and maglevators. -The first soft alert per zone no longer triggers reinforcements. -Added some additional comms for when reinforcements are deployed. -Reduced escort scaling, max escort spawns per run (now 5) and max escort size that can be filled by reinforcements (4-->3). -Ships that are performing escort tasks are more easily distracted now. -Ships that spawn as starting escort for objective targets now always spawn as Skiff RD. -Objective target Longcasters now keep their data stream up unless combat alert is triggered. They also re-establish data stream once combat alert is called of. -Reduced tech level requirements for some items. -Slightly restructured Tut5 to offer fewer hiding spots and guide more towards combat. -Improved guard pathing towards positions close to obstacles. -Fixed some irregularities in pathing behavior during simulation that continuously reveal your position. -Fixed guards being able to path through obstacles in situations where their move target is too close to obstacles. -Fixed reinforcements no-target-fallback system not taking effect. -Fixed inventory pause not pausing zone intro track.

-Weapons without SUPF now show as LOUD! ))) -Added LP text and on-screen warning indicating that stealth mode is ineffective while fully detected. -Rescue SW volunteer objective is more predictable on lower difficulties now (ships take longer to launch escape attempts.) -Randomly spawned friendly ships no longer spawn with a visible detainment zone. -Cut guard scan direction mechanics, guard vision is now fixed to their ship orientation, but slightly lags behind when turning depending on awareness state. -Improved sound handling for player weapon and shot impact sfx. -Made several adjustments to engine sounds to reduce sound popping on tap boosting. -Fixed pausing game for too long preventing drop at mission start LZ (intro tack now pauses as well when pausing, since drop is synced to music). -Fixed a problem with deploying tripwires. -Fixed a problem with certain sounds preventing guards from reporting more threatening sound events.

-Made tutorial holos and dust swirls more subdued. -Slightly restructured Tut1. -Fixed early game friendly ships in custody still spawning with structure overhead. -Fixed opened crates reverting to base color if carried and dropped. -Fixed some newly introduced irregularities with inventory selection. -Fixed some stray code making gear carousel background item icon go invisible when mods for equipped ships are activated. -Fixed floating plasma vents in zone 4 (?). -Fixed title music stopping when unpausing after changing volume option on title screen. -Fixed problems with how [redacted]'s comms portrait is applied.

-When multiple melee targets are in range, the one closest to your cursor instead of to your ship will now be targeted. -CorPo Squares (Sim) are now revealed for way longer when detected. -Loot score bonus from starting SRM now scales with difficulty, leading to more sizable bonuses on high level subsistence runs. -Run PS score can no longer be negative. -Map generation now ensures a more equal distributions of stationary guards and patrols for objective periphery area. -Added a safeguard to allow mission continuation if an objective fails to generate with targets. -Fixed slightly long objective show delay after elevator transit. -Various attempts at fixing late-game objectives becoming invisible and non-completable in the late game. -Fixed theoretical scenario in which objectives might become permanently hidden.

-Reworked how mission names are generated. -Crates are now tagged when you open them. -Certain mobile objectives are now limited to one per patrol route. -Slightly lowered minimum guard pathfinding resolution to counteract situation in which guards might path through small object (please report in case this had noticeable performance impact.) -Tutorial holograms are now more subdued. -Reduced maximum escort size for objectives that can generate with escort. -Fixed collisions and other events that inflict engine stun not re-igniting boost until input is released and pressed again. -Fixed stealth mode input not taking effect when held too long. -Fixed a problem with matter-condenser items not initializing correctly, leading to 0 SRM cost. -Fixed a problem causing the elite squadron objective to create one massive squad. -Fixed Midnight Silent's stealth speed bonus actually being a penalty. -Fixed ships being able to use APS while disabled. -Fixed ships being able to activate riot shields while disabled. -Fixed bad z-layering on pipeline elements. -Fixed a problem with CSO interrupt alert comms. -Fixed markers for fixed objectives giving directions. -Attempted various fixes towards a problem with objectives not completing correctly when mobile objective targets are captured.

-Gear now shows its pickup quote even when still PS locked, giving some indication of what the item will do. -Gear carousel is spaced out a bit wider and turns faster now. -Clicking on the tech category icons below the gear carousel now rapidly rotates the carousel to that category. -Loot score bonus from unspent SRM is now only awarded when successfully completing an action. -When getting rolled the eliminate squadron objective, the text now makes it more clear that these are separate squadrons and not one giant death-stack. -Midnight silent now also has a bonus to stealth-mode top speed. -Fixed some problems with Midnight Silent's stealth mode sound modifier. -Fixed a general problem with showing objective directions when multiple objectives are revealed. -Fixed T9: Reflex Mode not resetting in failing reflex challenge. -Fixed a problem with calling evac to off grid quadrants. -Fixed compounding problems with how mobile objectives are tracked and revealed. -Fixed some other minor issues. -Fixed some typos.

-Extended mission name generation. -Counteracted a situation that would allow ships to path out of bounds during simulations. -Changed the way move forces are consolidate when releasing a boost/strafe input to counteract unintended speed gain. -Fixed Chuffstar getting lost in an endless wide circle holding pattern after returning to base. -Fixed more objective direction issues. -Fixed some problems with the wildlife hiding behavior. -Fixed rainboid clumping behavior. -Fixed player being able to aim gear after droping it. -Fixed player being able to aim and deploy during death animation. -Fixed false contacts from chaff being created at wrong positions.

-Reinforcements now get a response from CSO when ready to reinforce (also points to comms blackout if applicable.) -Evac arriving now shows LZ quadrant until Puffstar actually arrives there. -Ship beam APS now periodically emits a flash that is visible regardless of ship detection state, as long as the ship has APS charges remaining. -Beam APS no longer recharges over time and remains depleted once a ship has used up all charges. -Sonar enemies now emit sonar idle sounds that gives away their presence and position. -Hits taken run score penalty has been replaced with heart damage taken (-10 per heart lost) -Missions now always get 3 objective spawns, regardless of zone type and map progress (was slightly inconsistent before.) -Fixed guards in reinforce ready state being constantly called by CSO even when no connection is possible during comms blackout. -Fixed a problem preventing any interaction whenever balloon ammo is depleted. -Fixed puffstars no longer being trackable when showing objectives. -Fixed bad scaling of objective background on objective spawn. -Fixed late game G-Docks creating reinforcement ships with bad id. -Fixed bad target marker scaling on some objects. -Fixed some CSO comms using wrong text color. -Fixed some typos.

[previewyoutube=BZCXX7_GOro;full][/previewyoutube] After the a wild 13 month ride, Swirl Watch is now on Steam. I managed to get everything done I wanted in for the 1.0 release, but a whole bunch of balancing changes and bug fixed are bound to happen throughout the coming weeks. If you discover strange happening on Cloud 2 then please use the discord link in the pause menu to report bugs. There are already plans for future content updates, but I will let you explore Swirl W@tch 1.0 for a bit first. If you got yourself a copy then please consider leaving a review as well, reaching at least 10 reviews is crucial for the game right now. A thousand limbs uplift you! Stefan Sleeper Games

You know the situation is dire when the first patch notes are dropped before the actual launch announcement. Thanks to everyone for putting up with this. More fixes seems to be inevitable and will happen throughout the week. A thousand limbs uplift you. Swirl W@tch Version 1.001 (Cold Launch) -Autopause now takes effect during fullscreen. -Fixed simulation T7 objective text specifying the wrong quadrant. -Fixed Puffstar messing up your load limits and giving you incorrect amounts of ammo on departure from base. -Fixed boarding and interact intputs being accepted when in inventory or pause. -Fixed player being forced out of boarding state if existing ships have been incapacitated (?). -Fixed a visual/engine sound bug from holding stealth input. -Fixed a problem with how simulation missions are being defined as complete. -Fixed comms functions not taking effect (alert lifted etc, prisoner transponder etc.) -Fixed puffstar dropping you off in wrong position after returning from action. -Fixed old lidar amp binding still appearing in controller options. -Fixed some typos. Swirl W@tch Version 1.002 (Cold Launch) -Movement control will now call you about resupply if you are starting to run low. -Puffstar will now get real worried if you drop to 0 health and remind you of how to call evac. -Resupply cannister now also drops a heart. -Capture missions are now phrased as "extract" to make their intended action more clear. -Extract volunteer objectives no longer spawn overhead structures on lower difficulties. -Max alert time is now 45 seconds and alert time does no longer increase with multiple alerts. -Industry structure bottom text now makes it more clear that it can hide disabled ships specifically. -Simulation T2 no longer contains distracting buoys. -Simulation T2/3 now have a reminder on sonar. -T8 now allows enemy comms and subsequently alerts being lifted. -Fixed Action Yellow challenge mods being available way too early. -Fixed ships hidden in structures regaining their sensing when staying hidden to the point when their stun would wear off. -Fixed reload being enabled on pause and inventory. -Fixed missing win condition in Simulation 02 -Fixed a potential crash resulting from playing decompression warning sfx at extreme pitches. -Fixed several return from title situations using wrong position. -Fixed bad callsign on comms from cargo friends. -Fixed capture ammo depleted not actually preventing using more balloon in some circumstances. -Fixed objective targets being tagged or otherwise revealed not actually showing their direction when showing objectives. -Fixed junk stuff on the title screen. -Fixed some typos.

Here is what Ive been up to during the last months: Environmental variety was a big focus in mid-development. You missions will now take place across regions, ranging from desolate ice fields, across the overgrown orbital jungle deep into the heavy industry at the planets core.
Aside from enemy presence and layouts, these zones are also distinguished by custom hazards. The industrialized core features plasma vents and sound-masking accelerators for example.
Many new objective and enemy types have been implemented to populate these zones.
(some of these have gone through multiple redesigns by now) Late-game zones feature more confined spaces amid massive structures.
A whole bunch of new gear has been added. My favorite right now is the tripwire that can be set up between objects to create non-leathal traps, but will also trigger any other gadget it is connected to.
This also includes some heavy weapon option for when you need to go loud:
Unlockable player ships have been added and offer yet another way to change your loadout. Most provide stealth bonuses in certain environments, but some offer whole new mechanics like this holo-projector craft that can disguise itself as other ships:
Loadout selection has been streamlined into one place and now happens on this new gear carousel:
Tutorial has been reworked and now takes place in a simulation environment. This will also offer optional sim-missions, letting you get getting acquainted with late-game mechanics or face off against specific enemy types in a training environment.
If this looks interesting to you, please consider wishlisting Swirl W@tch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2081970/Swirl_Wtch/ Cheers! Stefan Sleeper Games

Hi Everyone Swirl W@tch is now feature complete and you can play a new demo build here on Steam, just in time for the October Steam Next Fest. If you want to support the game please consider wishlisting it. With the game nearing completion I thought I give you a retrospective of the so far. (Some of the features mentioned here concern the late game and are not present in the demo.) Development Retrospective Swirl Watch started out as a prototype made in 48 hours for Global Game Jam 2021. The theme was lost and found, which inspired a top down game where both you and opponents can constantly loose track of each other. I wanted this to be more sci-fi than submarine stuff, the gas giant setting emerged as a kind of amalgamation of these setting tendencies. So everything in Swirl Watch swims/floats in some thick, vaguely defined medium with strong currents and you cant be sure where anything is unless it is constantly broadcasts its position or you hammer it with sonar. The game was and is largely unconcerned with how actual gas giants work, it only tries to achieve a vague semblance of plausibility.
The games art style was also a result of this setting. Vaguely inspired by Duskers I wanted objects to look like a constantly fluctuating mass of updating data points. These ships dont look like glittery gridwork in the actual games reality, but you only every see them as your ship computer represents them. Swirl W@tch was originally prototyped half a year before Red Tether and the art-style bled over to that.
The game came together very organically, but ultimately was more action oriented than I had intended. The original prototype is now called Swirl W@tch: Perimeter and you can still find it on the interweb if you go looking.
For the Steam release I wanted to turn this prototype into a full fledged stealth game that uses a lot of genre conventions, while still retaining the original setting and detection mechanics. The first central change to accommodate this was switching the games goals from defense and interception to active infiltration. So instead of protecting a friendly station you now sneak into massive industrial installations and complete various objectives within them, making combat optional and stealth more viable.
For the later I also needed guards to be less trigger happy and have actual detection progression and sight-lines instead of instant detection. The original prototype had ships detected you by sound only, which was now replaced by them using lidar as their main method of detection. This also allowed to diagetically display enemy view cones (by showing the actual laser beams sweeping) and spot progression (its plausible that your ship can detect when you are being lased, even when you havent detected the ship that sweeps for you.)
Guards also needed actual AI and a lot of my time with the game so far was in fact spent on giving them a properly complex behavior tree. I started out with patrol behavior and soon realized that the setting would provide very little indication for where guards might move around. Gas clouds dont have roads. Since patrols already used a hidden way point system I opted for making these visible in the form of patrol buoys. Almost every level chunk generates with strings of patrol buoys that might or might not have guards moving along them, hopefully creating a lot of interesting ambush opportunities for the player. With similar intent I also made guard posts visible as a different kind of buoy.
You might see a pattern here. The games setting is nicely distinct in my opinion, but also requires extra effort to re-establish genre conventions and show them to the player. Mainly cause by default it lacks easily comprehensible geography. In a conventionally stealth game that features man with gun you can rely on some basic preconceptions. Everyone knows that people move on footpaths and you cant easily clime a cliff. So you play around these things and ideally use them to advantage. Path means patrols, wall means I cant go there. Swirl Watch takes place in the clouds of an impossible environment and has to create these geographies from scratch.
Free floating structures and asteroids where also added early on to provide a varied physical space to sneak through. Everything in the game is hand placed, but with an X-com like lot system that randomly combines pre-made level chunks, hopefully in a manner that doesnt show too much repetition.
Later in development I also added in level specific hazards and additional structures that provide more geography to move through.
With the setting and opposition established I moved on to giving the player tools to accomplish the job. Aside from a whole bunch of weapons, gadgets and passive ship upgrades I also added fall-back systems you can use independently of your gear, allowing to play runs subsistence style or with no gear at all. Boarding is your main way of engaging ships on such run. Not only allows it to interrogate flesh and machine for mission intel, a boarded ship is also completely at your mercy and can be disabled or destroyed at will.
Disabled ships can also be captured in classic balloon-strapping fashion. This will lead to a prisoner exchange after the mission, swapping ship commanders for their indentured subjects and unlocking new gear over time.
That gear then appears on the title screen which is unlock index, loadout menu and training area all in one. You can go into a mission with any gear you have unlocked as long as you dont exceed your deployment budget, which resets for every mission. Any funds you dont spend are taken into the mission and can be used to print random gear in the field for cheap.
Mission objectives are as varied as you gear and most can be completed in multiple ways. If you need to get data from a relay ship you can accomplish this by trailing it and intercepting its transmissions, but you could also disable it from afar or directly board it (after separating it form potential escort ships or eliminating them.) Industrial sabotage can done by manually docking with it (noisy), by using torpedoes/planting explosives (even louder) or by expanding precious ammo of your silenced EMP weapons.
Getting intel to locate objectives is a big part of the game. There is no minimap and the game will only ever point you to objectives directly if you get transponder codes for ships. Most other objectives are revealed by telling you their quadrant, allowing you to navigate there via the quadrant naming system. (alphabetical left to right, numerically top to bottom)
All the way through I tried to make the games systems as transparent as possible to prevent situations in which you feel slighted by the game. Both sound propagation and lidar spotting is telegraphed in ways that should make it clear when a guard ships will hear or see you. Overall the game is a giant amalgamation of systems from various stealth games, with MGS V remaining the most prominent influence. The sound circles are very obviously inspired by Mark of the Ninja. Sniper Elite also made it into the mix: certain loud sounds can deafen guards temporarily, allowing you to use the environment or certain gadgets to hide your own noise.
Guards behaviors, objectives and gadgets eventually started to create some emergent gameplay I hadnt even anticipated myself. My favorite example: Reinforcement ships are docked in a disabled state not unlike the one you can inflict with EMP or hacking. You can jump-start disabled ships and as long as they dont immediately spot you they will d interpret this as being activated by command. The ship then asks for a reinforcement task and moves out to guard or escort an objective. This gives you a lot of options: Trailing the ship to the objective, taking it out after noting the direction it moves, strapping it with remote explosives to blow up whatever it is guarding etc.
Altogether I hope the game will provide an interesting experience. There is still some more content I want to add and for the next months Ill be focusing on additional gear, enemy variety, zone variants and beta testing. Swirl W@tch is currently planned to release in early December, but I cant guarantee a release date yet. If you want to support the game please consider wishlisting it. Stefan Sleeper Games

Hi Everyone It has been six month since the release of ---Red---Tether--> and my next game is now well underway. Im happy to officially announce Swirl Watch, a stealth-action roguelike that takes place in the dense atmosphere of an over-exploited gas giant. [previewyoutube=2nFGIEiEVBY;full][/previewyoutube] After the modest success of Red Tether I want to again explore top down action in a similar artstyle, but with radically different gameplay. Swirl W@tch revolves around ship-based stealth infiltration in a setting that blends space-shooter with arcady submarine-sim. You will sneak your ship into massive industrial zones, use sonar and laser light to detect guard ships, then avoid, distract or ambush them with the help of various gadgets and items. All in an attempt to sabotage the exploitive industry that is rapidly destroying the ecosphere of your world.
Along the way you will grow the Swirl W@tch movement by capturing security ship, using them as bargaining chips to free your kin from indentured servitude. The public support youll build will get you access to new gear, providing more options for avoiding, distracting or eliminating guards.
Those guards can execute complex behaviors and the game puts special emphasis on clearly telegraphing what they are doing, both to make it clear if and how you are detected and to allow you to more easily manipulate your opponents. Through UI and intercepted communications youll always know what is going on and what caused it.
All of this will be wrapped in a roguelite gameplay loop of randomized mission that take place all across the planet. Youll be able to go in with custom loadouts that can consist of any items you have unlocked, as long as you stay within budget. Or take your resources into a mission and hope to find decent gear for cheap as you progress.
Support the Swirl W@tch by wishlisting on Steam. Stay tuned for the release later this year.