Part of our 10+ year journey as game developers has been constantly working to improve every aspect of our games with each new release. If youve been with us for a while, youve seen, and heard, this evolution in each game. For soundtracks, our studio has progressed from buying non-exclusive tracks from online markets to hiring our own team and lovingly composing original soundtracks from scratch. Today, were taking an exciting new step forward for both our studio and Cyber Knights: Flashpoint with the release of Reactive Music: dynamic, engine-controlled music layering that reacts to your gameplay, building tension when youre close to being discovered or amping up the excitement as your shoot-out intensifies. [previewyoutube=lZjO8WKQEuI;full][/previewyoutube] ^^^ Not trying to play well here at all, just trying to illicit big changes from the reactive music's tension system

A major tech upgrade made possible by our Kickstarter backers

Because of the success of our Kickstarter, we were able to upgrade Cyber Knights audio engine early on to use Wwise, a much more feature-rich interactive audio solution for games, made by Audiokinetic. Its made it easy for us to integrate SFX across Cyber Knights tactical encounters with all of your squads abilities and interactions. Now, working with our composers and sound designers at Studio Viking, weve rigged up the games soundtrack with dynamics unparalleled in any previous Trese Brothers release. Were no longer just looping songs from a static soundtrack - by using Wwise with Unity, the games audio engine can process and mix individual instruments, movements and tempos rather than just starting and stopping static tracks.

A better heartbeat (and melody) for the game experience

This means the music will now match itself to game events as theyre happening real-time in your heist. As the gameplay tension rises, guards start to become suspicious, a body is found or the first shots are fired - the game feeds this into the music engine as a tension rating and musical mode that cues the reactive music component on how to mutate, change tempo, add and remove musical instruments and intensify the mix to match your gameplay moment. As the tension increases and wanes within a level - as more reinforcements arrive, or as Head Hunters kick down the door, or you kill the last guard who knows youre in the building - the music can dramatically shift to follow the rise or drop in threat.

Roadmap milestone + more audio polish

This is a huge step up for the games sound experience. This not only completes the Reactive Music major milestone on our roadmap, but adds all of the other tracks (and their component elements for Reactive Music to use) from the games soundtrack that werent yet included in the game, increasing the variety of in-game music by more than tenfold. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2645330/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint_Soundtrack/ We have also received a lot of feedback about the sound effects and the music in Cyber Knights: Flashpoint. This patch addresses some of them and we are working to incorporate more of that feedback into upcoming patches. Weve adjusted several audio effects, mixes and made platform improvements that should help resolve several of the higher priority issues.

Added 5 new Matrix Hosts

We've improved the catalog of matrix templates again for solo hacker missions as well as matrix hosts used in across the proc-gen missions with SCU and APU available. Every push to increase these helps us strive for a point where every proc-gen map, objective, matrix host combination is reaching a tipping point of uniqueness as these catalogs continue to grow.

Talent Rebalance: Coordinate Charge & Deflection Shield

With this update, we've completed some needed rebalance for Soldier's Coordinated Charge and Cybersword's Deflection Field. First, we've reduced power on Coordinated Charge, removing the ability to get a second max charge. With the recharge rate, ability to extend duration, this Talent can already be almost omnipresent so this helps bring it back into a fairer spot within the meta. In addition, the final upgrade that gives +1 MP no longer adds +5% Move Speed, leaving the total achievable Move Speed at +25%. Cybersword's Deflection Shield has received a 6th upgrade node which can enable you to drop the shield for 0 AP and only an IO-Batt charge from your blade. This can be really helpful in those clutch situations where the AP are just too tight, so consider this new upgrade!

Decoy Upgrades

The Decoy II and III programs' have both received an improvement, a minor buff to their armor and a reduction in program rating so they are viable on more decks. Decoy II is up to +4 Armor (which matters all the more now that Hacker's brains are bleeding more!) and has had a Program Rating reduction and Decoy III is at +6 Armor with an even bigger Program Rating reduction. Enjoy making those IC and the Q-Sec Escalation miss!

Better Power Level 2 Prices

Thanks to all the players sharing feedback and chatting with us in Discord. With your help, we've improved the pricing matrix for low level armor and weapons you can get at the beginning of the game. All of the prices have come down a bit, so remember to go shopping when you've got some U-Dahs after your latest heist.

Story Repercussions

We've improved the story events if you ignore the starting Vanguard's Cube Run mission. Don't do it - it is not exciting, and the Vanguard just gets mad. But before we had missed the consequence here and nothing was said and no one cared. That said - go on the mission! z

v1.8.39 - 8/2/2024

- Added reactive music system - game music now responds to rising stealth and combat tension, varies music intensity - Major increase in variety of music in missions - Added 5 new matrix hosts maps to hack-only and proc-gen missions - Down-balanced Soldier's Coordinated Charge - removed option to get +1 max charge, total move speed bonus is +25% - Improved Decoy II and III with more Deck Armor, reduced Program Ratings - Added 6th upgrade option for Cybersword's Deflection Field to reduce cost to -1 AP - Fixed issue with Chameleon Sheathe implant blocking Stealth Armor from being equipped - Minor price reduction for Power Level 2 weapons and Power Level 2 an 3 Armors - Improved starting Vanguard's reaction to ignoring Cube Run mission - Tightened up timeline on all proc-gen missions, reduced by 1-2 days