Door Kickers 2: Task Force North

[Asid]

Suppressors et al
Fri, 19 November 2021



The "stop bugging us about it" update.

Ok, fine, we've added suppressors, so stop bugging us about them.



As we've said before, suppressors in Door Kickers 2 don't make guns magically silent, unless there's also a subsonic ammo option
that you equip. They do help to create confusion, and they do reduce sound report a bit, Most importantly, they'll help when hiding in the dark - when we implement night missions, that is.



And ... we've also made it that you can click on troopers to HOLD them in place, so stop bugging us about that too!



Click to hold, click again to release. And you can even click on a path to add a simple "hold here until released" waypoint if you don't have time to create a more thorough plan sync.



New edge-of-screen unit markers have been added. Both for friends and enemies, should help with coordination and orientation on larger maps.

And ... <drum-roll> there's a new (and very basic)
option to change your key bindings between two presets. Basically its a choice to Pan the camera with Arrow Keys or WSAD.




Coop improvements
We haven't changed many things for coop lately, so a few improvements were in order.
First of all, when playing full-sync mode, opening the waypoints menu will no longer pause the entire game, allowing you to continue playing immediately after choosing an action, without blocking all the other players as well. You can still pause the entire game though, via the pause button (or Space key).
In the future we'll probably improve upon this again, by only pausing the specific trooper you're right-clicking on, instead of the entire team. As always, let us know what you think about these changes.


We've also done a bunch of work on the stability/performance side of things. The required bandwidth has been decreased a bunch, making the game more reliable on slower connections and no longer requiring to have a very good connection in order to host a 4-player game.
We also fixed some cases where the game would crash when playing over a faulty connection due to some packets being fragmented and/or mangled.


Price increase incoming in January 2022
As stated in the Early Access description, the base price of the game will increase once the game releases (targeting the $25 price point).
We decided to do it gradually, increasing the price in two steps: one price increase starting next year, then another one before the game is fully released. A year has passed since the game was released in Early Access, in which time the game has grown immensely in terms of available content, so we feel a price increase at this point is well deserved.
So this year is your last chance to get the game at the current price point. The game will also be participating in the Steam autumn/winter sales, with 10% off.



Modding support
We're committed on making DK2 more moddable than DK1 ever was, via better/smarter tools and more openness towards sharing source assets and code.
As you know, for the moment we only added support for maps on Steam Workshop, and not other kinds of mods, due to the game engine suffering massive changes while in Early Access.
Full mod support will be added before release, but to prepare things ahead of time, we're starting to release source assets for 3dStudioMax, which you can use as reference to make your own. For this update we've added the source file for our animated human characters, as well as 3dstudiomax integrated exporters for our own file format. The tool we use is not that accessible though, so we're looking to make the transition towards Blender, which is a free-to-use 3D modelling software.
By the way, if you know anyone that can help us with programming a custom Blender exporter for our assets, give us a shout


Replay compatibility
This update invalidates existing replays again, but we're taking measures to avoid breaking replays ever so often.
What we're currently working on is a way to keep old game versions as well (since replays are tied to the data in those versions). To keep the size of those old version very small, we're doing this in a smart way, where we only keep files that are different from the current version.
Therefore, when trying to play an older replay, the game will jump into the required game version and still be able to run the replay. It's not ready yet, but we know how much it sucks to lose those cool plays, so just wanted to let you know we're working on it.



Your Devs @ KHG

(P.S. Just kidding about the "bugging", mates. We love feedback, on forums and via emails or elsewhere. Our ears are always open - bug us as much as you want. And to the "suppressors mafia", thanks for your patience! )
______________
Full changelist v0.22:

- suppressors added as an optional muzzle attachment to select weapons.
- 2 new maps
- added option to 'wait in place' when clicking on troopers/path
- added hotkey templates (you can currently choose from a couple of templates, with dedication to the WASD folks)
- added UI indicators for troops/enemies which are off-screen
- jumping/vaulting speed is now adjusted with the mobility factor
- last selected mission bundle is now remembered between runs
- can now assign gocodes to waypoints without closing the radial menu by using the keyboard shortcuts (and W or ` for WaitForClear)
- new hotkey: delete waypoints with DEL key
- concealed troops no longer stop when they are compromised
- civilians try to pick the shortest route to an escape area, ignoring inaccessible ones
- grenades/launcher actions no longer start when pressing Space (before the user has finished setting up the target)
- updated the team colors to be more colorblind friendly
- this update invalidates existing replays, but took some measures to avoid making replays incompatible with each update, for future versions
- game should run much better on low-spec CPUs
- many other tweaks, fixes and improvements to maps/UI/gameplay
- coop: opening the waypoints menu in coop+sync will not pause the entire game anymore, only when using the Pause function directly
- coop: less bandwidth usage, increased reliability, fixed several bugs

- fixed sus-areas going through closed doors
- fixed increased game loading time when having a shitton of workshop maps
- fixed several crashes
- fixed mission list forgetting scroll position when deleting replays/missions
- fixed customization list up/down buttons not working
- fixed shadows sometimes breaking when tilting camera
- fixed 'reset progress' option not working sometimes because Steam Cloud would put back the missing files
- fixed a bug where you were able to get stuck in objects
- fixed some weapons dropping incorrect mags when reloading

- editor: fixed lights with flicker anim being broken for the first few frames
- editor: lights now animate even when game is paused
- editor: added 'random start time' lights param
- editor: added a new tutorial link to the help section (thanks to DHR_000x)
- editor: fixed a bug with scaling a group not working properly sometimes
- editor: increased max zoomout because ash_kay said so
- editor: human FOV cones are now visible when you select someone, because Ganjirah said so
- modding: moved gameplay_settings.xml to a separate folder and split content into separate files because panguino said so
- modding: added 3dsmax source file to server as reference for human models and animations
- modding: added khm exporter for all 3dsmax versions

PS: this is what's called a Friday YOLO update. What could go wrong?

[Asid]

Arise, Nowherakis! SWAT joins the fight!
Mon, 18 April 2022



Bring your rifle, shield and all your neighbors that have guns.



The Nowheraki Insurgency is heating up!
Fanatical Foreigners have entered the country and take part in the fight against the US-led coalition, but the primary victims of their attacks are the locals.

It is only fitting that local law enforcement and ordinary people take up arms to fight the outsiders. Enter the Nowheraki SWAT
- a mix of Police Officers, Army Reservists and Citizen Militia, all united by their hatred of Crazed Jihadis and trust in the AK platform.



SWAT may sound like police, but these boys are ruthless warriors adapted to the realities of Middle East Urban Warfare. They bring light machineguns and grenade launchers to the table - and even Sappers! Only these handle explosives, but they might do it better than the Rangers did.

Oh, and did anyone mention Shields?



Shields can help with specific situation and they do block some incoming fire, but never consider them a panacea for poor tactics and weak coordination. They're a tool in the toolbox.

No Urban fight to the death would be complete without Molotov cocktails, so the SWAT people pack those too. Grilling bad guys can be fun, but beware of friendly ... fire.



Game and Tactics Improvements
go further than a new unit. Mission Designers can now place restricted Deploy Slots in their levels - allowing only High Mobility or High Concealment
units to access those spaces.



On the tactics front, Actions and waypoints that are tied to the same Go Code will automatically sync
properly. So, troopers will wait for the flashbang thrown by their buddy to detonate, even if no door is involved. Synchronization just got easier!




Full Changelist below. Enjoy your new Unit and Maps, and let us know what you think!

Oh, there's also a new Workshop Collection
for your enjoyment:
KillHouse Games Top Picks (Vol 3)
By: KillHouse Games
More cool, handpicked, maps from the Workshop. Great stuff to play!


-------------------
Your Devs @ KHG


(CHANGELIST v0.30)

features:
- new unit: Nowheraki SWAT
- 3 new maps - check the new SWAT themed chapter!
- new equipment: ballistic shields
- new equipment: molotov cocktails, just to warm stuff up a little bit
- deploy slots changes: nowheraki militia only takes up half deploy supply, slots with mobility constraint, slots with concealment constraint
- better synchronization for GoCodes
- new enemy: Foreign Advisor Fanatic. Will blow himself up rather than be taken alive.

- new enemy: Suicide Executioner. Blows himself up on top of hostages.

- can pre-plan multiple grenades through the same door (all trajectories are now shown)

fixes:
- equipped weapon is dropped when killed, allowing enemies to pick it up
- improved AI positioning when they can't shoot while moving
- fixed projectiles sometimes going through doors
- fixed grenades sometimes hitting doors/walls instead of pre-planned trajectory
- mapgen: fixed map size setting not choosing the right maps
- mapgen: fixed replays not always working correctly
- fixed performance issues with very large plans (related to grenade previews)
- fixed bug where it was possible to get stuck in a window while jumping
- fixed sometimes not being able to draw paths anymore
- fixed bug where the head and torso would want to walk the opposite way from the legs
- fixed troopers being able to melee enemies behind them
- fixed lasers going through breached walls previews
- coop: fixed issue with look-at actions not working properly in laggy conditions
- fixed Mp5SD too noisy with 108gr High Performance ammo.

modding:
- modding: added blender importer/exporter to tools (WIP)
- modding: added a new mod template (for adding new unit types)
- modding: multiple changes to xml file format, meant to increase inter-operability between mods, by allowing more changes without editing stock files
- modding: can add new units without modifying stock game files (see template mod in game/tools/)
- modding: changed the way equipment is bound to classes/units
- modding: changed the way entities specify what equipment can be used on them
- editor: various improvements and fixes
- health is capped to the max specified in template, if doing negative damage (which increases health)

[Asid]

Last discount before price increase, QOL update, Steam Deck improvements
Mon, 9 May 2022



It's (small) patch day, and start of a week-long 10% discount. This will be the last discount before the game price is permanently increased, as announced in the Early Access manifesto - so it's probably your last chance to get it for this price for quite some time. Previous owners of DK1 will always have a 10% discount, via the 'War on Doors' bundle.

We still have a lot of content to add and improve until the game is fully released, but we feel that in 1.5 years of Early Access the game has progressed immensely and it now deserves a higher price point than DK1.

This update brings a ton of quality-of-life improvements and many needed fixes, while also improving the compatibility with the Steam Deck. There are still improvements to come on that front, not the least of course proper touch-based interface for those inclined to play that way.

Patch out!

Your Devs @ KHG

changelist v0.32
- hostages auto-run to rescue zones when close enough
- suicide bombs detonate when owner is killed by explosives.
- rebindable keys (wip)
- fixed not being able to re-conceal after escorting a hostage to the rescue zone
- fixed civilians hiding in forbidden areas
- fixed enemies going to take cover in fires
- surrendering enemies now crouch
- enemy SR3M is now (properly) AP vs level III protection
- enemy FALs have increased crit but no longer shoot AP ammo
- nerfed sapper armor slightly
- buffed 7.62x39 weapons slightly
- tweaks, improvements and fixes for several missions
- reduced stutters when playing back replays
- tweaks to foreign advisors, Emir and suicide bombers
- tweaks to SWAT Leader M4/M203 - and added Suppressed option
- the SWAT Leader AK47M SF Carbine now has a proper 3d model
- fixed accuracy issues with projectile launchers (was different from preview)
- fixed crash that would happen when loading maps on some hardware configurations
- fixed several other rare crashes
- fixed coop replays not being recorded properly in some situations
- fixed a few animation glitches when arresting enemies
- fixed enemies reacting to non-deployed troopers
- fixed issue with some optics not being placed properly on the firearm
- fixed a bug with order of execution of waypoints
- fixed a bug where multiple humans waiting for a door+grenade (without gocodes) would not wait properly
- fixed savegame files sometimes becoming read-only and no longer being able to save
- fixed a bug where trooper won't advance after placing a wall charge
- fixed some cases where enemies fail to pick up weapons or act stupid around them
- fixed hostages being stuck inside of collisions
- fixed lightning no longer working as intended
- fixed dropped weapon physics acting crazy
- replay cinematic mode: no longer rendering red ghosts and sniper target
- modding: updated blender exporter
- steam deck: added custom controller configuration
- steam deck: fixed touch input not working properly
- steam deck: fixed virtual keyboard not showing up
- steam deck: allowing a larger zoom-in

[Asid]

QRF Duty and More
Mon, 4 July 2022



Hot Summer, scorching heat here as in Nowheraki, what better time to pull Quick-Reaction-Force duty and respond to unforeseen situations! Friendly drone down in enemy territory? Drop in and blow it up. Allied Operators in danger of being overrun? Move to link-up with them and bring them out safely.



There's two new missions to showcase these situations, but mission builders can actually create 3 similar situations on the QRF pattern:
- rescue survivors
- blow up sensitive equipment
- rescue survivors AND blow up sensitive equipment, the full plate

To make mission building easier you can now setup VIP and allied characters as directly in control or needing rescue, straight from the mission editor.

And since we hear night missions are pretty popular, there's also a fresh new NVG-enabling map:



The update also brings a ton of quality improvements and, more importantly, new editor features, which enable really interesting possibilities for the future.

As usual, we went through the workshop maps and hand-picked some very creative and well-built maps, made by established creators as well as new blood:

KillHouse Games Top Picks (Vol 4)

By: KillHouse Games
We handpicked a fresh new collection of well made and creative maps (and sometimes underrated!), definitely give them a try! They're made by established creators as well as new blood.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2826761943


Patch out!

Your Devs @ KHG

full (or rather, cherry-picked) changelist v0.33
- 4 new maps
- new mission type: Quick Reaction Force
- redesigned in-game tooltips
- improved Random Mission Generator (more variety, less bugs, faster)
- added 'Detailed Mission Results' screen
- improved visuals for UI and fonts when running the game in lower resolutions
- camera will now focus on mission-ending events
- improved enemy ambush and look positions (should no longer shoot at walls when suppressive firing)
- added option to always show sussy areas when playing concealed
- decreased the path collision radius of humans
- audio will now auto-switch to the current output device, without the need of restarting the game
- when dead people drop firearms, they will be dropped with all attachments (used to be only base weapon)
- when humans pick up dropped firearms, they will be picked up with all attachments (used to be only base weapon)
- sorry Santa, your hat got nerfed
- sped up trooper pointing anim
- coop: rescued troops/VIPs will be allowed control to the one that saved them (instead of server-only as before)
- coop: fixed being able to trigger other players' GoCodes
- coop: fixed a crash
- coop: less bandwidth usage
- added put_out_fire animation
- no longer unpausing when pressing the stop suppression button
- HVTs can escape through pre-placed escape zones
- removed the "save plans" option (it's always on now)
- fixed friendly troops sometimes lowering their weapon with no valid reason to do so
- fixed TAB not always toggling correctly between visible paths
- fixed incorrect/different order of actions on saved plans (on doors etc.), especially in coop
- fixed still showing Danger Areas if no concealed troops were deployed
- fixed Sprint auto-stopping when running into VIPs
- fixed savegames becoming corrupted in certain situations
- fixed VIP rescue missions failing when troopers are killed but the ambassador is still controllable
- fixed enemies not picking up dropped weapons once they surrendered
- fixed bug where santa hats would jump over things too fast
- fixed doors icorrectly showing as closed when they were actually opened in some situations
- fixed camera movement speed being fps-dependent
- fixed saved plan allowing you to interact with objects that would spawn in a different place than initially planned for
- fixed a case where you could get stuck on Jump actions
- fixed bug where you could go inside a window
- fixed not being able to set look-at actions (anywhere on the path) when human was jumping
- fixed clothelines blocking FOV
- fixed bug where untoggling Sprint command would not work properly
- fixed crash when AIArea was defined outside of map bounds
- editor: new entity - sfx_custom - can pick any sound to play (from the in-game library) as well as edit any available sound param
- editor: new entity - Spawner - can spawn any entity when triggered. Also added helper tool for groups (can create Spawners for current selection)
- editor: new entity - DamageArea - now the preffered way to destroy/damage things (destroying via Triggers is deprecated)
- editor: new entity - CameraFocusPoint - will zoom/focus on the specified point when triggered
- editor: added new selection mode (can switch between Box(old method) and Center (new method) in Menu->View->Selection mode)
- editor: added option to save a large (clean) image of the entire map
- editor: added option for font size
- editor: added 'deploy mode' option to humans. Can now force-deploy troops as allies on the map (can also change their names and whether they need rescuing or not)
- editor: now able to edit all sound parameters (many of them were previously xml-only)
- editor: can also zoom via Q/E
- editor: spawners/altspawns will have their names changed depending on what they represent, for easier identification while in editor
- editor: added "remove from group" button for a single entity within a group
- editor: tooltip can be changed/added for any entity. For editor-only entities they will be shown while editing, whereas for game objects they will be shown when hovering the object
- editor: added "Invisible Wall Destructible" and "FOV Blocker Destructible" entities
- editor: font file can be changed from fonts.xml (for localization purposes)
- editor: many other various improvements (better performance, added explanatory tooltips, can name triggers and such via tooltips etc)
- modding: new Blender exporter version (make sure you have version 3.1 or above)
- modding: fixed terrain materials/brushes not being moddable
- modding: fixed a bug where localized texts would look broken