Attention Jumpers!

We’re receiving a large data-burst from J.U.M.P. Corps Headquarters! The war effort is progressing swiftly, and there’s a lot of recent developments to cover. In this update:

• Mac and Linux versions coming to Steam Early Access!
• Ambush Encounters Added!
• Progress update on the Online Multiplayer feature!
• Hive Queen W.I.P. Story NPCs (Part 1)
• Darkest Dungeon’s Grave Robber in Hive Jump!
• Weekly Twitch Stream and Discord!

There are a lot of irons in the fire currently, but we’re thrilled to be making a final push on content for the game! This kind of large content push means that the next few builds might have fewer new content additions, and more minor bug fixes and improvements. With a small team, this is how it has to work to get these large content pieces like Queen / Campaign / Story done! Thanks for bearing with us!

New Mac and Linux recruits inbound! (10/12)

We’re excited to be bringing the Early Access version of Hive Jump to our Mac and Linux backers! Initially we weren’t sure what platform-specific issues would arise and how long they would take to fix, however Unity3d has proven to have excellent cross-platform capabilities. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the porting capabilities of the engine.
Get ready to jump on 10/12/2016 on Mac and Linux! After conducting internal testing on Mac and Linux (Ubuntu) devices, we’re ready to release these versions into the wild. We’ll be counting on our backers and early access users to continue playtesting and reporting any issues they find with these specific platforms using the in-game “F1” reporter system.

They’re coming outta the walls!

Disturbing reports have reached J.U.M.P. Corps Headquarters! It appears as though the bugs are learning! They are setting ambushes within their hives, enclosing our fire-teams in small rooms and swarming them!
Endure and survive! Jumpers who have survived such ambushes have reported that the only path to victory is to assume a defensive position and hold out until an escape route opens up! J.U.M.P. Corps HQ recommends the use of smart turrets and healing fields to increase your odds of survival!

Squad goals: Online Multiplayer improvements!

Online Multiplayer is in the game in a beta form. Creating an initial implementation of the feature was a lot of work, and perfecting it and removing all the bugs will continue to require a lot of testing, tweaking, and programming! As it currently stands, 2 players can play reliably, but adding a 3rd or 4th increases the chances of a desync occurring (essentially ending the run). We’re continuing to release patches with tweaks to the multiplayer system to remove these desyncs and hope to have fully stable online multiplayer soon. A big thank you to our Community QA group that is helping us nail down this slippery feature! If you are interested in helping too, join our Discord community and ask about CQA!

Big momma bug: Hive Queen W.I.P.

Accurate reports of Hive Queen activity are still few and far between. However, progress on uncovering the hiding places and secrets of these queen bugs is rapid. Soon we will know more about our ultimate enemies, and we will be able to send these bugs back to the dark corners of the galaxy that they came from!
Unity editor capture of the Queen's opening roar! Progress on the Queen boss fight is going well! We hope you’re ready for one epic fight! For reference, her head is the size of the Caretaker's body. Hoo-boy!

Meet the crew: Story NPCs (Part 1)

We’re excited to begin introducing you all to the characters who will be leading the counter-offensive against the Ordovician alien menace! In Hive Jump’s Campaign mode, you will be assuming the role of a J.U.M.P. Corps commander and working with these characters to rid planets of alien infestations and make the galaxy safe for humanity again. Part one of this series teases three of our six main characters.
(Left to right, Delphi, Col. Keller, Cpt. Hirose) Col. Keller is a highly decorated member of the J.U.M.P. Corps who is currently in charge of coordinating the training of new recruits. The Ordovician War has resulted in a large human death toll, but Keller remains unfazed and insists that, “I’ve fought Xanaduvian Sabrecats with ten times the ferocity of these little buggers.” You can read her full biography in the Codex screen in the Steam Early Access build now! Cpt. Hirose rose quickly through the ranks of the H.S.A. Navy as an exceptional fighter pilot and squadron leader. After attending officer’s school and serving as first mate aboard other H.S.A. vessels, Hirose was made Captain of the H.S.S. Dauntless. Hirose and her crew are regularly sent to the most pivotal battlegrounds in order to turn the tide in humanity’s favor. Col. Keller and the other main characters are stationed aboard the H.S.S. Dauntless with Hirose, carrying out high-profile missions for the H.S.A. Delphi is a member of the H.S.A.’s PsyOps division, and humanity’s secret weapon in the Ordovician War. Created in a test-tube using a genetic engineering process that simulates generations upon generations of human evolution, Delphi possesses far stronger psychic potential than other humans in the 24th century. In order to prevent these genetic traits from being passed to the general human population, Delphi was grown without a reproductive system. Delphi’s psychic abilities will prove essential in locating and destroying Ordovician Queens, but are so dangerous that Delphi is considered a living weapon and is constantly under H.S.A. supervision. Delphi often wonders what future awaits them if humanity survives the Ordovician War… That’s all for now! Stay tuned for Part 2 of our story character introductions! A little taste of what’s to come… a nearly-omniscient Oracular AI, a brilliant scientist and archaeologist with a flair for the eccentric, and a loyal and valorous Runabout (robotic) construct.

Darkest Dungeon’s Grave Robber in Hive Jump!

We’re thrilled to announce that Darkest Dungeon’s Grave Robber will be making an appearance in Hive Jump!
Take a knee and listen to my tale... The Grave Robber will be a discoverable NPC within hive missions, and is actually our ONE HUNDREDTH NPC! Discover her, and many other interesting characters while jumping hives… will you find all 100?

Weekly Twitch Streams and Discord!

For a few weeks now, we’ve been doing short streams and giving away copies of Hive Jump to active community members! We’re enjoying this so much, that we want to make it a regular thing.
Join us every Wednesday night at 7PM CST on twitch.tv/hivejump. Get to know your other jumpers better, do Q&A with dev team members like @mattdonatelli, and maybe even win an extra game key for a friend! When we’re not streaming, we’re working hard on the game and keeping an eye on our Hive Jump Discord channel. Join us there using this invite! https://discord.gg/0brjQ73VCJD2iATW

Would you like to know more?

As always, we're happy to answer any questions or comments below! Thanks for jumping with us!

[ 2016-10-11 17:11:51 CET ] [ Original post ]