Hello everyone! It's been 2 YEARS since the last update, and I'm sure you might be wondering why the random patch. Well basically, I played my own game recently for posterity's sake and I felt like I could improve a few things.

ARCADE MODE

• TRIMMED DOWN ROUNDS - I've reduced the 25 rounds to 20 rounds. 25 felt too long and got very tedious with repetitive enemies.
• ROUND 10 MINI-BOSS - Will keep this a small surprise.
• ENEMY TWEAKS - Enemy behaviour has been slightly tweaked, you won't notice much during gameplay. But the backend of things has been changed slightly to make them better to play against. Cloak-generator Tank is no longer in the game as well.
• NEW UPGRADED ENEMY TYPES - You'll encounter beefed-up versions of the Railgun Tank and Clustershot Tank in later rounds just to keep things a little spicier.
• MAP CHANGES - Small tweaks to map design and a lot of backend fixes to improve gameplay. Again, you probably won't notice much. Moving walls have been removed from the Arcade Mode since all it does is mess up with the enemy AI movement.
• BETTER BOSS FIGHTS - Not a huge improvement in terms of gameplay. But the boss levels should be "easier" because of the open map you'll face them in. They won't be in some random map with tight walls to maneuver around.

OTHER CHANGES

• SUDDEN DEATH - is significantly toned down in versus mode. It will appear 5 minutes into a single round, where last time it appeared only after 1 minute.
• POWERSWITCH - similar to sudden death, removed that annoying bullet-hell round that didn't work anyway.
• CONTROLLER FIX - This is a bug that just doesn't want to be fixed. I did my best to fix a bug that disables the use of the controller during the Pause and Continue menu. It's still not perfect, but it should work better now.

All that being said, the game is still not completely bug-free. As hard as I try, I won't be able to squash all bugs since this game was built when I first started learning game development, and a lot of mistakes were written into the code which is hard to find and fix at this point. The only thing to might be to actually make Ballistic Tanks 2 and make sure it's polished from the start. But this is no way confirming that I am working on part 2 just yet. Currently, I am working on a new game which might get released in the next 6 months, who knows. I will do my best do fix some minor bugs as they come up. But this will be THE FINAL update of this game. It's been a fun ride everyone! Thank you all for giving Ballistic Tanks a shot! This won't be the end for these tanks though, keep an eye out in the future, maybe you'll see them again. Follow me on Twitter for updates. See you there! Cheers!

[ 2019-08-30 14:55:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Can you believe it? It's been a year since the release of Ballistic Tanks and I am very excited. VERY, VERY EXCITED!! I still couldn't believe that I was able to release a game on Steam, let alone, keep it alive for a year as a first time solo developer. SO THANK YOU ALL! I am really thankful to everyone who has supported Ballistic Tanks. Thank you for being patient by putting up with all the game breaking bugs. Thank you for providing helpful feedback. And most importantly, thank you so much for simply enjoying the game.

ARCADE MODE

• LONGER ARCADE MODE - The original 15 rounds of endless destruction wasn't enough right? That's why I'm adding 10 more brutal rounds that test your skill and your tolerance for screenshake.
• 6 NEW ENEMY TYPES - This more than doubles the number of enemy types that are currently in the game and adds a lot more variety in the combat.
  • Minelayer - Moves really fast around the map dropping deadly mines. Be extra careful when you destroy it though, it'll explode after a short delay and release a cluster of bullets that fire in all directions.
  • Trishot - An upgraded version of the basic tank. Though don't let your guard down, it'll be trickier to dodge their shots. You'll have to learn to use your own shots to try and deflect theirs.
  • V4 Rocket - These are one of the most destructive enemies in the game, it's range rivals that of the railgun. One big difference it that it'll target a huge area of the map near you and you'll have to avoid it at all costs else you get caught in the huge explosion.
  • Hovertank - The fastest enemy in the game with slow moving burst fire shots, you'll have to be cautious or else it'll overwhelm you if you don't take them out quick.
  • Cloak Generator - One of the more surprising enemies in the game. All other tanks that are within it's cloaking field will be nearly invisible. If you aren't paying close attention, you'll probably miss the 3 enemies that are closing in.
  • Chopper - The only fliers in the game and they'll constantly harass you from above. They travel really fast in your direction while dropping bombs, you're going to have to move out of the way fast, or take it down before it reaches you.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

• 4 NEW TANK UNLOCKS - These new tanks will be the hardest to unlock, only because they are so unique.
• MAP CHANGES - The map has been optimized with more destructible walls. With the more chaotic arcade mode, you're going to need to clear the map a bit more for that extra room.
• DESTRUCTION PARTICLES - There are a ton more particles that will be flying around in screen. If this causes some issues with your machine, you are able to turn this off in the settings menu.

If you encounter and bugs, please let me know by commenting below or starting a discussion in the forum. Thank you all once again.

[ 2017-09-19 01:16:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Can you believe it? It's been a year since the release of Ballistic Tanks and I am very excited. VERY, VERY EXCITED!! I still couldn't believe that I was able to release a game on Steam, let alone, keep it alive for a year as a first time solo developer. SO THANK YOU ALL! I am really thankful to everyone who has supported Ballistic Tanks. Thank you for being patient by putting up with all the game breaking bugs. Thank you for providing helpful feedback. And most importantly, thank you so much for simply enjoying the game.

ARCADE MODE

• LONGER ARCADE MODE - The original 15 rounds of endless destruction wasn't enough right? That's why I'm adding 10 more brutal rounds that test your skill and your tolerance for screenshake.
• 6 NEW ENEMY TYPES - This more than doubles the number of enemy types that are currently in the game and adds a lot more variety in the combat.
  • Minelayer - Moves really fast around the map dropping deadly mines. Be extra careful when you destroy it though, it'll explode after a short delay and release a cluster of bullets that fire in all directions.
  • Trishot - An upgraded version of the basic tank. Though don't let your guard down, it'll be trickier to dodge their shots. You'll have to learn to use your own shots to try and deflect theirs.
  • V4 Rocket - These are one of the most destructive enemies in the game, its range rivals that of the railgun. One big difference it that it'll target a huge area of the map near you and you'll have to avoid it at all costs else you get caught in the huge explosion.
  • Hovertank - The fastest enemy in the game with slow moving burst fire shots, you'll have to be cautious or else it'll overwhelm you if you don't take them out quick.
  • Cloak Generator - One of the more surprising enemies in the game. All other tanks that are within its cloaking field will be nearly invisible. If you aren't paying close attention, you'll probably miss the 3 enemies that are closing in.
  • Chopper - The only fliers in the game and they'll constantly harass you from above. They travel really fast in your direction while dropping bombs, you're going to have to move out of the way fast, or take it down before it reaches you.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

• 4 NEW TANK UNLOCKS - These new tanks will be the hardest to unlock, only because they are so unique.
• MAP CHANGES - The map has been optimized with more destructible walls. With the more chaotic arcade mode, you're going to need to clear the map a bit more for that extra room.
• DESTRUCTION PARTICLES - There are a ton more particles that will be flying around in screen. If this causes some issues with your machine, you are able to turn this off in the settings menu.

If you encounter and bugs, please let me know by commenting below or starting a discussion in the forum. Thank you all once again.

[ 2017-09-18 17:25:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

ARCADE MODE

• Point/Combo system is finally implemented in Arcade Mode. Test to see how good you really are! Be sure to destroy enemies in quick succession to get that really high score.
• The Juggernaut Boss in the last round is now much harder to beat. Requiring you to dodge lasers, EMP fields, and a massive wave of bullets!

PLANES MODE

• You will now die when you fly too low to the ground. You can still hide behind the mountains, but you'll have to be extra careful.
• You will now also take damage when you fly off-screen. Don't stray too far for too long, or you will surely die.

BUG FIXES

• Several bugs with 2-player coop in arcade mode have been fixed.
• Spawning issues in arcade mode have been fixed.

And as always, if there are bugs that you encounter, feel free to leave a comment below. Cheers!

[ 2017-06-16 01:54:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

ARCADE MODE

• Point/Combo system is finally implemented in Arcade Mode. Test to see how good you really are! Be sure to destroy enemies in quick succession to get that really high score.
• The Juggernaut Boss in the last round is now much harder to beat. Requiring you to dodge lasers, EMP fields, and a massive wave of bullets!

PLANES MODE

• You will now die when you fly too low to the ground. You can still hide behind the mountains, but you'll have to be extra careful.
• You will now also take damage when you fly off-screen. Don't stray too far for too long, or you will surely die.

BUG FIXES

• Several bugs with 2-player coop in arcade mode have been fixed.
• Spawning issues in arcade mode have been fixed.

And as always, if there are bugs that you encounter, feel free to leave a comment below. Cheers!

[ 2017-06-16 01:54:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

MAJOR FIXES

• Player 4 turret rotation bug FINALLY fixed!
• Controller UI support has been polished
• Multikills with power-ups will now properly spawn the End-of-Round drop, allowing you to continue to the next level if you get a double/triple kill on the last remaining tanks.

MINOR FIXES/CHANGES

• Both players will now benefit from all End-of-Round upgrades (shields, extra life)
• Respawning from a Continue give you more breathing room - Tank spawns with a shield power-up, map is cleared of bullets, and enemies won't shoot you for a brief period.
• Coin drops last longer on the map and now give you 50% more value. Should be easier to buy Boosts, or save for a Continue.
• Split shot power-up is no longer available in arcade mode
• Speed boost power-up is no longer available in arcade mode

PS: Thanks to user Bratwurst for a detailed bug report

UPCOMING UPDATE

• A Point/Combo System for arcade mode is in the works. So you can really test out your skill.

And as always, if there are bugs that you encounter, feel free to leave a comment below. If you'd like to leave a very detailed feedback, send it to kirklightgames@gmail.com Cheers!

[ 2017-05-09 02:16:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

MAJOR FIXES

• Player 4 turret rotation bug FINALLY fixed!
• Controller UI support has been polished
• Multikills with power-ups will now properly spawn the End-of-Round drop, allowing you to continue to the next level if you get a double/triple kill on the last remaining tanks.

MINOR FIXES/CHANGES

• Both players will now benefit from all End-of-Round upgrades (shields, extra life)
• Respawning from a Continue give you more breathing room - Tank spawns with a shield power-up, map is cleared of bullets, and enemies won't shoot you for a brief period.
• Coin drops last longer on the map and now give you 50% more value. Should be easier to buy Boosts, or save for a Continue.
• Split shot power-up is no longer available in arcade mode
• Speed boost power-up is no longer available in arcade mode

PS: Thanks to user Bratwurst for a detailed bug report

UPCOMING UPDATE

• A Point/Combo System for arcade mode is in the works. So you can really test out your skill.

And as always, if there are bugs that you encounter, feel free to leave a comment below. If you'd like to leave a very detailed feedback, send it to kirklightgames@gmail.com Cheers!

[ 2017-05-09 02:12:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's a bird... it's a plane... oh yes! It is a plane!! I am excited to announce Ballistic Tanks first major update-- The Airstrike Update!! Take to the skies in a free-for-all with these ballistic birds and compete against friends as you destroy each other in a barrage of missiles and more missiles! - I do hope you enjoy this update. There might be several bugs laying around so please be patient with me, report bugs down below or open up a discussion thread. Looking forward to hearing from you!

[ 2017-04-10 12:17:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's a bird... it's a plane... oh yes! It is a plane!! I am excited to announce Ballistic Tanks first major update-- The Airstrike Update!! Take to the skies in a free-for-all with these ballistic birds and compete against friends as you destroy each other in a barrage of missiles and more missiles! - I do hope you enjoy this update. There might be several bugs laying around so please be patient with me, report bugs down below or open up a discussion thread. Looking forward to hearing from you!

[ 2017-04-10 12:06:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thank you all for your patience on the matter. This issue should be resolved by now. If you still have issues, be sure to let me know.

[ 2017-02-18 05:57:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thank you all for your patience on the matter. This issue should be resolved by now. If you still have issues, be sure to let me know.

[ 2017-02-18 05:56:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Performance stuff

I've changed a few stuff in the backend to hopefully improve the performance of the game. The only big difference you'll notice is that the tanks no longer leave track marks. This was apparently, a huge performance hit, so I was willing to get rid of it to hopefully improve performance. Fullscreen scaling and resolutions have changed as well though visually it'll look the same. Because of this, I have removed the seemingly useless option in the settings menu that allowed you to set the resolution manually, which only worked in windowed mode anyway. If performance hasn't improved, I will explore other options. And maybe reconsider changing the resolution settings again. Please let me know if this patch has done anything for you.

Big Picture Mode and Steam Link fix

Add --single-process to launch options It's more like a workaround really. I tried adding this by default to the game, but it broke the game in some places. But apparently, the workaround for a few folks in the discussion forums.

-

Mac and Linux versions will be ready once I know that I have a stable PC version going.

-

As always, I would like to hear from you. Drop by the discussion forums, leave your complaints, thoughts and even suggestions. Cheers!

[ 2017-02-17 05:58:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Big Picture Mode and Steam Link fix

Add --single-process to launch options Thanks to the players who were patient enough to find the solution and share it with us in the discussion forums. I tried adding this by default to the game, but it caused a lot of issues.

Performance Optimization

I've changed a few stuff in the backend to hopefully improve the performance of the game. The only big difference you'll notice is that the tanks no longer leave track marks. This was apparently, a huge performance hit, so I was willing to get rid of it to hopefully improve performance. Fullscreen scaling and resolutions have changed as well though visually it'll look the same. Because of this, I have removed the seemingly useless option in the settings menu that allowed you to set the resolution manually, which only worked in windowed mode anyway. If performance hasn't improved, I will explore other options. And maybe reconsider changing the resolution settings again. Please let me know if this patch has done anything for you.

-

Mac and Linux versions will be ready once I know that I have a stable PC version going.

-

As always, I would like to hear from you. Drop by the discussion forums or comment here; leave your complaints, thoughts, and suggestions! Cheers!

[ 2017-02-17 05:44:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's been a while since my last patch. Thank you all for your patience.

Bug fixes

• Game ending bug in Arcade Mode that has been reported in several discussions and reviews. I have isolated the cause of the bugs, but haven't tested the fix long enough to guarantee a 100% fix.
• Arcade mode difficulty curve has been fixed. An overlooked bug that caused too many tanks to spawn too early has been fixed. It should be easier in the earlier rounds now, but the game still gets very difficult after a few rounds.

Future updates

• Adjustments to Versus mode, to prevent the games from dragging out too long. Especially with the number of rounds required to win the game.
• Arcade mode boss fight. To those who have reached the boss fight despite the bugs, I applaud you. There will be a balance update to this boss fight so it'll be a more balanced fight.

[ 2017-02-15 05:20:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's been a while since my last patch. Thank you all for your patience.

Bug fixes

• Game ending bug in Arcade Mode that has been reported in several discussions and reviews. I have isolated the cause of the bugs, but haven't tested the fix long enough to guarantee a 100% fix.
• Arcade mode difficulty curve has been fixed. An overlooked bug that caused too many tanks to spawn too early has been fixed. It should be easier in the earlier rounds now, but the game still gets very difficult after a few rounds.

Future updates

• Adjustments to Versus mode, to prevent the games from dragging out too long. Especially with the number of rounds required to win the game.
• Arcade mode boss fight. To those who have reached the boss fight despite the bugs, I applaud you. There will be a balance update to this boss fight so it'll be a more balanced fight.

[ 2017-02-15 05:20:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here we are again, another attempt to fix the game's issue with Steam Link. Please try out the game on Steam Link and let me know if it finally works. If not, then it's back to the dungeon for me.

Bug fixes

• Fixed? - game not showing on STEAM LINK
• Fixed - bug in a certain map where tanks tend to spawn in the wall
• Fixed - bug in Arcade mode where you first spawn without a turret

Future updates

What's in store for the future? Well *fingers-crossed* if the issues above are finally fixed I can get back to polishing the next update for Ballistic Tanks. I promise that it'll be a unique update. Let's just say that, if you are familiar with Atari's Combat, you'll know that this game is heavily inspired by it. TANK ːballisticturretː you all once again! EDIT: Standby for Mac fixes, will be updated in 1-2 hours.

[ 2016-12-06 21:11:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Here we are again, another attempt to fix the game's issue with Steam Link. Please try out the game on Steam Link and let me know if it finally works. If not, then it's back to the dungeon for me.

Bug fixes

• Fixed? - game not showing on STEAM LINK
• Fixed - bug in a certain map where tanks tend to spawn in the wall
• Fixed - bug in Arcade mode where you first spawn without a turret

Future updates

What's in store for the future? Well *fingers-crossed* if the issues above are finally fixed I can get back to polishing the next update for Ballistic Tanks. I promise that it'll be a unique update. Let's just say that, if you are familiar with Atari's Combat, you'll know that this game is heavily inspired by it. TANK :ballisticturret: you all once again! EDIT: Sorry everyone, I had to revert the version where Steam Linked worked. It introduced too many unstable bugs which made the game unplayable. I'll be providing a beta build of the game where the game will work with Steam Link.

[ 2016-12-06 16:24:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Would like to give a big THANKS to everyone for their patience with my game. This is a first for me and I've learned so much, for that I am really grateful. On to the fixes. There have been some fullscreen issues that have been reported and that should be working properly now. Map spawning issues in certain maps have been fixed as well, hopefully there won't be any spawning in walls this time around. The bug regarding no-turret spawning is being looked into at the moment.

STEAM LINK BIG PICTURE MODE

This is not a guaranteed fix for everyone, but this is what my settings are which allowed me to play through Steam Link. Steam Big Picture>Settings>In-Home Streaming>Advanced Host Options>☑ Enable hardware encoding


Make sure you check Enable hardware encoding. Take note that this may or may not require a bit more processing power. Please let me know if this helps. Keep an eye out in the upcoming weeks, might have something else in store for everyone. Once again, TANK ːballisticturretː you all for your support!

[ 2016-11-30 12:17:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Would like to give a big THANKS to everyone for their patience with my game. This is a first for me and I've learned so much, for that I am really grateful. On to the fixes. There have been some fullscreen issues that have been reported and that should be working properly now. Map spawning issues in certain maps have been fixed as well, hopefully there won't be any spawning in walls this time around. The bug regarding no-turret spawning is being looked into at the moment.

STEAM LINK BIG PICTURE MODE

This is not a guaranteed fix for everyone, but this is my personal setting on Steam Link that worked for me. Steam Big Picture>Settings>In-Home Streaming>Advanced Host Options> Enable hardware encoding


Make sure you check Enable hardware encoding. Take note that this may or may not require a bit more processing power. Please let me know if this helps. Keep an eye out in the upcoming weeks, might have something else in store for everyone. Once again, TANK :ballisticturret: you all for your support!

[ 2016-11-30 12:16:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

This might be the last from a string of daily updates for the game. I'll be honest and say that this is the version of the game that should've shipped last week at launch. Thank you all for your patience. Now the maps are much more varied in terms of gameplay. There are now moving walls and floors. It may not seem like a lot but it actually makes the maps look, and feel very different. Hope you all like this update. There will still be updates though so don't worry. Maybe in a few weeks, I'll have a nice surprise for you all. If there more bugs please let me know. :ballisticturret: TANK you all

[ 2016-09-28 01:59:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

This might be the last from a string of daily updates for the game. I'll be honest and say that this is the version of the game that should've shipped last week at launch. Thank you all for your patience. Now the maps are much more varied in terms of gameplay. There are now moving walls and floors. It may not seem like a lot but it actually makes the maps look really different and feel different in gameplay. Hope you all like this update. If there more bugs please let me know. TANK you all ːballisticturretː

[ 2016-09-28 01:59:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

After a lot of hotfixes over the past week, I think we've reached a point where there are very few game-breaking bugs. Now I can start adding more polish to the game, and some of my planned updates.

• ADDED: You can set the number of bots/players
• ADDED: Arcade mode statistics: attempts, total kills, total deaths
• ADDED: 'Fancy' pictures in Versus mode
• CHANGE: Last hit on the Juggernaut wins the round. Previously when the Juggernaut died, the game would revert back in a Deathmatch.
• POLISH: Improved the algorithm in Powershift so it's a better random
• BUG FIX: Game over text not disappearing, causing you to get stuck

The first 'big' update would be overall improvements to the maps. More variety will be added, I will be adding more to each individual map than actually adding more maps.

[ 2016-09-26 21:47:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

- More fixes to enemies spawn and death behavior in Arcade mode. - Polished UI interactions Please let me know if there are still more bugs by commenting here or opening up a discussion board.

[ 2016-09-25 03:56:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thanks for the patience everyone. - Fixes with spawning issues in Arcade mode - Arcade mode now has powerup drops I am still continually monitoring the bug reports, and will do my best to iron them out as fast as I can. Mac version update parity will come at a later date while I polish the Windows version.

[ 2016-09-24 19:30:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

UI code is different now so it should behave differently, and should be better. Though there might still be issues, please don't hesitate to let me know if you encounter more bugs. Upcoming updates: - Big Picture Mode fix - Power-ups in arcade mode Mac and Linux update parity will come at a later date while I polish the Windows version. I thank you all for you patience.

[ 2016-09-24 06:56:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

- fixed issue with player 2 not spawning with controllers - fixed issue with in-game pause (quick fix, might overhaul UI later)

[ 2016-09-23 13:06:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

TANKS for your patience everyone :) - Fixed issues with Player 2 not spawning in arcade mode - Removed friendly fire in arcade mode - Fixed collisions when game is unpaused

[ 2016-09-22 01:57:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Patched in several bugs that have been reported. - MacOS executable is now working - Arcade mode starting in Round 15 has been fixed to start in Round 1 - Several background changes to improve spawn locations If there are more bugs, please don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks for purchasing the game, it means a lot.

[ 2016-09-21 12:00:37 CET ] [ Original post ]