Rockets, KOs, Public Lobbies - Devlog 17/01

Yep, I'm still alive. I apologise for the shocking amount of time since the last dev update, for most of the end of last year I was head-down getting the last bits of multiplayer finished, and following the playtest I suddenly had a bunch more multiplayer stuff to fix. But the game seems to be in a better state now, so I've been working on some more exciting things which are worthy of an update. 

Rockets

The remote piston has been a staple of the game for some time now, and seems to be a well-loved piece of gear. It's also not really used in the way it was "intended" (I didn't have much of an intention when implementing it, to be fair). People use the fact that the piston recoil pushes it backwards to slowly scoot heavy stealables along the floor towards the van. It's not very effective.

Seeing this, I figured it was time to give players what they really want - a way to push heavy stuff around. So I have added this mini rocket booster.

The booster is activated through a detonator, just like the piston. But it will give you a few seconds of high-power thrust, instead of a meagre nudge. It's strong enough to move heavy objects like cars, trucks, and even the police van, but it will make a hell of a sound. You'll need to make sure you're far from any residents, or have a way to deal with them should they wander over to investigate...

Knockouts

...and what better way to deal with a pesky inquisitive resident than a swift blow to the head? Yes, I finally got around to adding resident knockouts. The resident's head is now a breakable, just like a TV or a window. Do enough damage to it, and you'll knock them out temporarily. A hit with a hammer or heavy object is enough to instantly knock them out, so pick your tools wisely.

The unlucky resident will ragdoll while knocked out, and is draggable. That means if you catch them right before they get away, you can drag them back into the house to buy yourself extra time. Be careful though, because once they get up they'll be running away for sure. And each subsequent knockout will last a shorter amount of time.

You can also combine knockouts with rockets to make breakdancing. Which is fun

Public Lobbies

Perhaps less exciting, but an important feature. I have gotten public lobbies working again with the new multiplayer system. It took a lot more effort this time around, because the new system doesn't give me much to work with on this front, but it's more customisable too. If all goes well in testing, the next playtest should have public lobbies enabled again.