Ahoy there! After months of anticipation, season 2 of content is finally here! As well as plenty of new features and layout changes. This is the LARGEST update to Monstrum 2: Early Access that we've had. So, in this changelog we are going to break down everything that is now available to play in M2!
NEW FEATURES
Here is a summary of all the new features that are in the new update. We will break all of them down in more detail throughout this changelog,
Season 2 Cosmetics
Monster Damage Reduction
New stinger system for audio cues and a heartbeat for monster proximity
New XP rewards for both prisoner and monster, Private games now give XP and certain actions have XP caps
Improved Ping Marker system
New player spawning logic
Items now follow the player camera when looking up and down
Sea Fort Layout changes with Escape Routes now detached from the powerplant
Moon Pool Escape Route Overhaul
Helipad Escape Route Overhaul
New Rooftop Content
New mission world marker to help guide players better
New look for the security cameras
New mission and monster HUD/UI
MISC. BUG FIXES
Below are bug fixes that didn't quite fit into any major category listed in the changelog.
Players now highlight when they are in the fog when the highlight players button is pressed
Malacosm Sentinels should highlight from behind the fog
Fixed issue where Item UI would have been shown on the Malacosms screen if an item is picked up during Clairvoyance
Fixed issue where the wrong objects were being highlighted on the Spinning Tank Fuse
Fixed issue where you would take no damage if you had taken Adrenaline. It is now back to the intended 50% protection value
Fixed issue where the Brute would not do damage if Charging up stairs
Monsters will now have their Post Processing Effects active during the tutorials
Fixed Issue where Ability UI would show in the Intro cutscene
Improved Ragdoll
Doors that require a code to open, will now remain open once the code is correctly inputted
Elevator floor display better represents what floor you are on
Mouse sensitivity slider fix
Fixed issue where the Bhagra Ceiling tiles could become blocked above the spawn Module in Aquatics
Fixed issue where Prisoners would be floating above the ground when interacting with a movable cabinet on Infirmary
Fixed issue where Powerplant cables would not turn green when you finish the switches
Moonpool fuse puzzle can no longer lock players inside the "open moon pool doors" room. Can no longer remove the fuse once it is inserted
Fixed issue where the Prisoner Death camera was not correctly following the animation
Fixed issue where a Fuse could not be received from a Fuse Box if the Prisoner had a backpack and the item would have been placed into an additional item slot
Fuse dispensers will now display a full inventory prompt when you try to take a fuse from a Fuse Box with full inventory.
Prisoner tutorial - Removed a section of the jump puzzle platform to force players to jump to solve the puzzle
Removed physics from the crates in the Bhagra tutorial to prevent them from moving and causing issues with the mannequins
Fixed issue where the Store would not update properly after an item was purchased
Fixed issue where the Chat UI would display that someone had been killed multiple times
Blood should render more visibly now when damage happens
Memory leak fixes in various places
Fixed issue where Inverted Controls would not affect controller input
Pinging now working with controllers (right thumb stick)
Optimisation and visual improvements for volumetric lighting
Bhagra Tutorial - Fixed issues where Breakable crates could interfere with the moving targets
KNOWN ISSUES
Of course, we can't address every single issue that we find. But we have a handy list of all issues that we know of going into this build. If you find any more issues that aren't listed below, please report them using this link: https://teamjunkfish.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new
Monsters still missing heads/displaying incorrectly at times in the monster intro-cutscene
Sometimes the audio test for the prisoner voice in the customisation menu can break
Spectate audio can sound far away at times
Sometimes a prisoner will render on-top of geometry to other prisoners
A Prisoner may highlight twice if they are on the edge of the fog
Death Cutscenes that occur in elevators may cause unintended movement if the elevator is moving
Cosmetics unlocked via the progress tracker require a game restart to unlock
Some XP reward popups show their codename rather than their actual name
COSMETICS: SEASON 2
The October Update marks the start of Season 2 of our Progression system. Season 2 will run from October to February. Alongside the new Season Content we have also filled the Store with more new content as well as moving the Season 1 content into the Store
Progress Tracker Season 2 content:
6 new Prisoner Clothing / Accessory items
5 new Monster skins
16 Nameplates
Numerous MC rewards
New Store content:
5 more Prisoner Clothing / Accessory items
5 more new Monster skins
3 more new Nameplates
All season 1 Progress Tracker content has been moved over to the store with a 50% increase in MC cost from the usual baseline
GAMEPLAY UPDATES: MONSTER NON-LETHAL ATTACKS
We have carried out a major change to how all the Monsters attack Prisoners, none of the Monsters can kill a Prisoner at full health in a single hit anymore. The aim of this is to reduce the amount of times Prisoners would suddenly die as well as to prolong the chase for Monsters.
Brute’s main attack reduced to only inflict 70 health points instead of 100
Malacosms main attack reduced to only inflict 50 health points instead of 100
Bhagra Ceiling lunge attack reduced to only inflict 80 health points instead of 100
All Monsters now have their Primary Attack Cooldown shown on the HUD alongside their other abilities
The number of Medical Kits available throughout the map has been increased to give Prisoners more opportunity to heal following a non-lethal attack
Made Prisoners getting struck by Monsters louder and more clear to both the attacked Prisoner and the attacking Monster that a hit has connected
Red pain effect on screen for Prisoners increased when struck
Prisoners will receive a speed boost following a non-lethal hit
GAMEPLAY UPDATES: HEARTBEAT SYSTEM
The heart beat system is designed to help give Prisoner players more warning that the Monster is close
Heartbeat audio will increase in intensity when the monster is nearby
Heartbeat audio will lower once the monster sufficiently far away
Entering a chase with the Monster will further increase the intensity of the heartbeat
Exiting a chase will lower the intensity of the heartbeat
GAMEPLAY UPDATES: XP SYSTEM
The XP system has had a lot of changes with several new types of rewards added
Player can now earn XP again in Private Games (Room Codes)
Certain repeatable actions that award XP now have a total XP cap in order to prevent farming, an example of this is the Locker Mini-Game
Several new XP triggers have been added
New XP Triggers for Prisoners
Using adrenaline on yourself
Using adrenaline on a teammate
Activating a glow stick
Using a MedKit on yourself
Using a MedKit on a teammate
Destroying breakable walls and floor with sledgehammers
Taping cameras
Inserting fuses
Survive 30 seconds after being Clairvoyanced by the Malacosm
Avoiding Brute Roar by hiding
Picking up a backpack
Blinding the Monster with the Camera
Escape with one life remaining (Grants less XP than escaping with 2 lives)
New XP Triggers for Monsters
All Monsters: Land basic attack
Brute: Hit a Prisoner with the Charge Ability
Brute: Locate Prisoners via the Roar Ability
Malacosm: Locating a Prisoner via the Sentinels
Malacosm: Killed a Prisoners within 30 seconds of seeing them via Clairvoyance
Malacosm: Killed a Prisoner shortly after teleporting
GAMEPLAY UPDATES: PING MARKER SYSTEM
The Ping Marker system is the ability for Prisoner players to highlight items or interactive elements on the Sea Fort to other Prisoners to see
Ping markers have been updated with new artwork with the style matching the rest of the UI overhaul
A generic ping marker can be placed down on any surface within 10 metres allowing Prisoners to call out locations of interest
Barrels and Chairs are no longer pingable
GAMEPLAY UPDATES: PLAYER SPAWNING SYSTEM
The players spawn logic has had an overhaul in this update
The Prisoners will initially spawn in a small exterior building on one side of the starting platform, the Monster will spawn in a similar building on the opposite side ensuring Monsters and Prisoners now always spawn at least 50 metres apart from each other at the start of the game
Stage 1: Players will only spawn either around the first building or inside it during the Power Switches mission.
Stage 2: Players will only spawn either around the Power Plant or inside it during the Generators mission.
Stage 3: During the ‘Prepare the Escape Vehicles’ Missions players will continue to respawn around the Power Plant area until they enter the Escape Route Area themselves. Once they do they will then respawn either in the Escape Route or in the accessway leading to it
Stage 4: During the final dash towards the Escape Vehicle all players will respawn in the Escape Room in fairly close proximity to the vehicle.
LEVEL UPDATES: SEA FORT LAYOUT
The two escape Routes Helipad and Moon Pool are no longer positioned directly above or below the Power Plant area but instead will load in as freestanding platforms beside the Power Plant. The aim of moving the escape routes is to make navigation around the Sea Fort more straightforward and to allow the development team to more easily swap out different sections of the Sea Fort in the future.
The 2 puzzles that would appear on railing outside around the starting area have been improved with 3 larger puzzles that can modularly slot in place.
Power Cables reworked to incorporate the puzzle switches located on the exterior
With both spawn rooms now positioned outside a small modular security office has been added inside the main Stage 1 building
The yellow industrial freight lift has been removed from the centre of the Power Plant room and replaced with an office / canteen area
The Power Plant now has an interior ceiling when both the Helipad Escape Route or the Moon Pool Escape Route is loaded
Outside the Power Plant the two stairs either going down to the Moon Pool Air Lock doors or up to the Helipad outer doors have all been removed
Instead 1 of 8 possible random set of stairs will appear on one side of the Power Plant exterior platform leading over to the Escape Route
Yellow signs guiding the players towards either Escape Route have been added to the exterior railings around the outside of the Power Plant
LEVEL UPDATES: MOON POOL ESCAPE LAYOUT
A large focus of this update has been to improve the gameplay experience in the escape areas and this has involved some significant layout changes as well
The Moon Pool is now situated to the side of the Power Plant instead of directly below it
New rooms for the upload Moon Pool plans mission
New side corridors
Less tunnels
No freight elevator and rooms that were around it
Fixed weld points lights
Fixed UI markers for all the 4 Moon Pool missions
Got rid of 2 downstairs useless rooms
Added railings around the Moon Pool
Raised up the Moon Pool and made it smaller
Submersible now drops into water
Escape triggers are a lot smaller and closer to the Submersible
The Submersible doesn't roll back anymore if none of the Prisoners are operating the Hoist Stations
LEVEL UPDATES: HELIPAD ESCAPE LAYOUT
Similar to the Moon Pool, the Helipad area has had an extensive overhaul during this update.
The Heli escape is now situated on its own platform next to the powerplant standing on four narrower pillars
Heli escape now has 3 floors with the ocean below it
The freight elevator has been removed and replaced with stairs
All walkways, pipes and doorways have been adjusted to fit the new layout
There are 2 new extra towers situated on the Heli escape
A new walkway with Bhagra tiles has been added connected between 2 of the towers
The missile turret will now appear during the ‘Move the Crane’ Mission but its Turret Shell will be closed
There are 2 possible entry connections into the Heli escape now that will randomly be selected when starting a game
All puzzles for each escape option have been updated with new steps added for each one
Red chests are now available around the Heli escape
The escape trigger has reduced in size to match closer to the size of the helicopter
All Bhagra tiles have been updated around the Heli escape
LEVEL UPDATES: NEW ROOFTOPS LAYOUT
We have begun a rollout of more detailed rooftop content throughout the starting stage one buildings. As of the October build 6 of the 13 possible buildings have had this treatment with the rest to follow in future updates.
Barracks:
A seventh puzzle was added to the building on the lower floor near the canteen area in order to bring its puzzle count up to match the other buildings with new rooftops
Examination:
Has a room setup on the rooftop with a new puzzle in it
The Rooftop has four breakable skylights that will let players drop into the upper floor rooms, some Bhagra tiles in the upper floor were adjusted to make room for these skylights
A stairway has been added leading from the upper interior floor to the rooftop
There is a series of ladders and vines have been added around the outside of the rooftop area
Infirmary:
A medical helipad has been added to the rooftop with a new puzzle
There is now a three story elevator in Infirmary connecting all floors and the rooftop together
A staircase also connects the upper interior floor with the new rooftop area
A new surgical room has been added on the upper floor near the pull trolley puzzle
Morgue:
There is a new puzzle on the rooftop
A staircase also connects one of the upper rooms with the new rooftop area
Prison:
Both wings of the Prison halls now have gable ceilings
The guard tower in the middle of the main room has been raised up by 2 metres
A ladder leads up from the upper interior rooms to the rooftop
A breakable skylight has been added above the Prison canteen room
Ladders and monster vines have been added around the rooftop
A new puzzle is located on the rooftop
Vault:
Two new puzzles have been added to the rooftop area
A puzzle in the upper floor of the interior has been removed
The size of the rooftop area has been slightly increased by enlarging one of the rooms on the upper floor
GENERAL UPDATES: USER INTERFACE
Following the major focus on the games UI and front end Menu during the August update we have continued to polish these systems
Junkfish logo video updated
Updated the Health and Safety warning screen
Updated Connection Screen
Revamped splash, server select and respawn screens
New mission and monster HUD/UI matching the updated style
A world marker has been added on screen that will help guide players to the area of the Sea Fort where the current objective is taking place
Updated font colour for the Health display
Updated menu button colouring
Updated font sizes for Customisation item names
Updated locked symbols on Customisation items
Updated price text
Updated HUD for the In-Game Player List
Improved controller support in certain menus
Various fixes for drop-downs/sliders prompts in the options menu
GENERAL UPDATES: ART
The art team have been adding new content and polishing existing assets for this update
New look for the security cameras
Detectors have had a visual update with new and old states
Large alphanumeric stencils have been added to the outside of buildings
Radar Control Units added to the Sub Escape mission
GENERAL UPDATES: MUSIC / SFX
The following improvements have been made to the games audio
Updated stinger system for audio cues
Prisoners will hear a sound effect when the Monster is looking in their direction
A chase stinger will play for both Monster and Prisoner if that Prisoner is seen moving by the Monster and the monster is nearby
The players who were in a chase need to be out of a chase for 3 seconds before the chase trigger is heard again.
Updated Escape Music
Main Menu Audio added
Updated Splash Screen Audio
Metal Detector Alarm changed
Security Camera Alarm changed
Security Cameras have movement audio
Keypad button presses
Lift audio changes
Wood breaking
Various item use audio changes
Updated audio for the Brute’s Tremor ability
MISC. BALANCE CHANGES
Fire extinguishers have had their charges reduced from 3 to 1
Cameras have had their charges reduced from 3 to 1
Refuel the Helicopter mission has been set up to be balanced for the amount of Prisoners remaining. Fewer fuel cans will be required to finish the objective when fewer Prisoners are alive at the start of the mission
Submarine will no longer roll back
Prisoners will no longer be blinded by the Camera item
SERVER UPDATE
We have removed the Asia Server for the time being. Building up the player base is a key objective for us and for the time being we feel having more players on fewer servers will make it easier to find games.
On the backend we have made the game’s server logic more adaptable so servers can be added and removed in the future more quickly with the games Server Select UI automatically updating
We are so proud to have the community we have, so much of our work is influenced from the suggestions in our discord server. Happy Hunting, and Happy Halloween! 🎃
Team Junkfish