v044 - GEXCon 2019

This is without a doubt the biggest update yet! There's a lot of goodness in here. Like, a LOT of goodness.

Next week, June 28th-30th, we'll be showing off Super Hockey Ball at GEXCon 2019! This will be pretty much the same build we're using at the show. This is the best version of SHB yet, and streamlined to make it perfect for a short experience. The next update will feature expanded levels and lots more to do. For now, you'll just have to settle for a TON of new features and improvements!

We added a full tutorial, which should help new players learn to play. You'll also get shooting assistance, which makes it much easier to hit the targets you're shooting at. Bombs have an explosion radius now, so they're the most useful than they've ever been.  Coins are also now in the game, which add to your score. 

Performance has been dramatically improved! Players using minimum spec hardware should reap the most benefits. Fixed Foveated Rendering has been added, which can help improve performance on lower end GPUs. 

Graphics improvements are everywhere. Shadows are better, menus are easier to read, the grass and bushes sway in the breeze, and there are zeppelins now! New sound effects are everywhere, too!

Finally, grip mechanics have been simplified a bit and we've added Swipe-to-Turn for Vive players.

Get in there and start playing hockey! And come out to GEXCon to hang out and get some of our snazzy new buttons!

v044 - DevLog

Gameplay Adjustments
+ Added Shooting Assistance
+ Added Tutorial Hints
+ Added Coins (collect them for points!)
+ Simplified Grip mechanics
+ Bomb explosions now hit nearby Targets
+ Tapping the top of the Ball stops the Ball in place
+ Reduced chance of Cage Ball
+ Removed hills from landscape
+ Menu buttons now trigger on press instead of on release
+ Porches are now walkable surfaces
+ Added automatic Un-Targeting if path to Ball is blocked

Performance
+ Implemented Fixed Foveated Rendering
+ Improved landscape performance significantly
+ Improved Star performance
+ Improved LODs for Balls
+ Added ability to detect system configuration to automatically set Quality settings
+ Added simple loading screens
+ Destroying targets no longer causes stuttering

Graphics
+ Added Zeppelins to display score
+ Menus legibility improved with stereo layers
+ Added Menu animation
+ Improved Main Logo
+ Added intro screen
+ Hand grip animations are now pressure sensitive
+ Added wind blowing the grass, bushes, etc.
+ Added settings for Fixed Foveated Rendering
+ Added player mesh to menu shadows
+ Adjusted mesh LOD scale
+ New grip tape texture
+ Cones swell went hit
+ Adjusted cloud LOD
+ Adjusted fences slightly
+ Improved shadows
+ Added shadows to tree lines
+ Added Coins
+ Change Moon position and Night lighting angle
+ Reduced Mailbox post LODs
+ Added controller meshes for Oculus Touch, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, and Valve Index
+ Simplified grass material
+ Improved Garage Door distance field
+ Added Indicator when the Ball is not targeted
+ Changed Targeting indicator color to magenta for improved distinguishability

Audio
+ Added Swipe-to-Turn sound effect
+ Added Zeppelin sound effect
+ Added Tutorial sound effects
+ Added Obstacle bounce sound effect
+ Improved Footstep sound effects

Bug Fixes
+ Fixed Game Over screen displaying "Next Stage" when losing, which caused the player to get stuck
+ Reduced controller vibration intensity in menus
+ Minor menu fixes
+ Fix for MainMenu hanging on load (rare)
+ Disabled collision on game complete (prevents targets from trigger constantly)
+ Implemented version check to ensure old user settings are compatible with current game version
+ Fixed Targets sometimes not being destroyed (hopefully)
+ Cone hits trigger more accurately
+ Fixed glitch where Stick Length did not always set correctly on level load
+ Fixed cloud shadows not appearing properly
+ Fixed fence shadows not appearing properly
+ Fixed player getting stuck after falling
+ Fixed Windows Mixed Reality buttons triggering too often

Other
+ Added vibration when using Swipe-to-Turn
+ Added vibration when scrolling menus
+ Hid scrollbars when unnecessary
+ Improved support for Valve Index Controllers (Knuckles)
+ Added Spectator Screen options
+ Added click-and-drag to scroll News Panel
+ Removed old/unnecessary assets
+ Added game icon (again?)