[img=http://d3tagfjj1pibwj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/NEWS_RoboClansAlpha_Tomorrow_Large.jpg] Finally! Coming tomorrow is the much awaited Robocraft clans ALPHA! Tomorrow’s update will introduce loads of great new social and clans functionality which will make the everyday life of each Robocrafter so much smoother, while giving clans an official social base from which to start spreading their name. It’s also an important update as it lays down the groundwork in the form of Chat Mk.1, Friends Mk.1 and Clans Mk.1 upon which future functionality can be built upon. We’re proud to be here after a long time coming, so we invite you to read the patch notes below and look forward to the future of clans with the Freejam team. CHAT MK.1 > Completely new chat and social system with all new functionality! > Custom chat channels focused on specific topics which others can join. Host your own chat channels filled with friends from different clans, other people with similar interests such as artbots or competitive play and anything else! > New ‘forward slash’ commands such as /create and /party (click for full list) let you organize all your social needs without needing a mouse! > Chat now has a scroll bar so you can see previously sent chat messages > Colour coded chats now make it much easier to differentiate between different conversations, social groups and private messages! > Select which chat channel to focus on, or have all chat channels in view at the same time! FRIENDS MK.1 > Completely new friends system with all new functionality! > New friends panel shows online/offline players, their names, their avatars, their clan’s name and their clan’s avatar! > Point-and-click interface allows you to right click a friend and either invite them to your party or remove them from your friend list! > Friends icon lets you see how many friends are online at a glance! CLANS MK.1 > Completely new clans system! > Create your very own clan with it’s own custom avatar, then invite others to fight for your cause! > All clans have a clan chat so there’s constant communication with your comrades! > A linear hierarchy, with Leaders being at the top, Officers beneath them and Members at the bottom allows you to organize the structure of your clan! > Clan avatars are show in loading screens and scoreboards, so players can identify a player as being from a particular clan > Clans icon lets you see how many clan members are online at a glance! Remember that all the above social functionality is still in its Mk.1 phase, and will be worked on more as we reach future updates. For an in-depth look at all the above functionality, check out the dev diary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z92OlGxW5DA CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS > A tickbox-option for “Vertical Strafing Enabled” has been added to the “Camera controls steering” movement setting > “Strafe Left” and “Strafe Right” keybinds have been added to the controls screen > Added a cut-scene to the start of the tutorial > Improved the error message provided by EAC related issues > The “TIGA Finalist” badge on the launcher has been updated to “TIGA Winner” > Audio has been added to the back button > The mothership has arrived at a new location… take a look through the window of edit mode… we’re home :’ ) > Players will now be shown a duration when they’re silenced by a mod > We have implemented additional data points so that we can gather more information on rubber-banding (a symptom of lag) so that we can continue to resolve such issues in the future BUG FIXES > Fixed a bug which caused weapons to shoot far slower than intended while turning > Fixed a bug which caused Nanos to use a far smaller amount of power than they were supposed to > Fixed a visual bug which would occasionally cause unusual behavior in plasma cannon trails > Fixed a bug which would return “Your bay is empty” when attempting to enter a battle from the CRF screen > Fixed a bug which caused the new starter robots to not be centered by default in edit mode > Fixed a bug which forced some players to use the FANTASTIC quality setting > Fixed various issues with the mothership scrollbar below the garage bays > Fixed a bug which could cause the in-battle ping widget to get stuck if used in a way that overlaps with the chat box > Fixed a bug which stopped players from creating their 100th garage bay > Fixed a bug which caused some audio effects to loop infinitely while the game is paused > Fixed a bug which could occasionally cause the game to crash when entering a battle > Fixed a bug which caused a robot’s weapons to vibrate while turning > Removed an animated selection square which was found living in the corner of the edit robot bay, rent free > Fixed a bug which caused the targeting laser of a rail cannon to not be visible, meaning the rail’s target was unaware they were being targeted > Fixed a bug which caused multiples of the same robot to spawn in AI TDM mode