Dev diary: March 4th

Hey guys, how are you doing? Some time has passed since the last update, so here is what we’re doing lately:

  • We’ve received some feedback since White Noise Online was updated, and we’re currently working on the first update for the game.
    • We’ve fixed the “black screen” issue, but until the update is released, there’s a workaround posted here
    • Also fixed the crash that can occur when unlocking bonus content codes.
    • Added a how to play section with some tips and skill explanations.
    • We’ve been working on 4 new unlockable (by picking up tapes) characters, with new models (not just reskins). Some of them are “very special” characters, some are more common. There’s still some work left to finish them, I’d say we’re around 60% progress.
    • We’ve also started work on a whole new level for the game. Can’t tell for sure if this scenario will be included in the first update, or if it will be postponed for the next one, since we’ll have to thoroughly test it to make sure it’s balanced, etc.
    • If you have any suggestion to get a better game, don’t hesitate to put them in the comments section! 🙂
  • Last week we submitted the V1.5 update for Avatar Farm Online, and the approval process it’s almost finished! I’ll show the full details once it’s approved, but it adds some bugfixes and gameplay improvements, and a new wonder, the Manor.

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  • Andrew says:

    Maybe you should add a mode to White Noise Online where you can be the monster and teleport wherever you want. But It might not be the best mode :D.

  • Raven says:

    Can you make pls a timer when the game will start? so 3 sek’s before it start will be great 😀

  • WaaghMan says:

    There were a few reasons we decided to not do this for WNO:

    * Not saying it would happen, but what if everyone wants to be the monster? What if everyone quits because they don’t get to be the monster?

    * The monster has very restrictive movement rules to limit its power, to the point it could be boring if it were player controlled.

  • WaaghMan says:

    I don’t really see the point in the 3 seconds before starting… It’s not like the pursuit starts right away or anything.

  • Raven says:

    so i can took the charakter where i want… man i want to supose and help… not more

  • Soy1Bonus says:

    We appreciate that you’re willing to help, but you’re not explaining the difference between showing a countdown at the start of the game or not.

    The monster doesn’t appear at the start of the game, so you have plenty of time to walk wherever you want. There’s no need to hurry 🙂

  • WaaghMan says:

    Mmm, could it be that you’re referring to adding a countdown in the game lobby, and not once you’ve loaded?

    That would make more sense and it’s logical, so you can have some time to select your character.

    Thanks for the suggestion, we’ll see what we can do about it :).

  • Raven says:

    yeah i meant for the lobby 🙂 its often happens that the Host start the Game befor i have took the chara where i wanted.

  • Katsuki Shima says:

    A friend and I had a problem where the monster spawned and started attempting to defeat us before we even got 1 tape. He spawned within the fist 30 seconds of the game. Is this normal behavior? Also we ran past a few small glitches. One where the monster spawned in the air/on a tree, that was a very minor glitch but it sure scared us. Also a few lost soul glitches, 1 where when you are a ghost you can float onto the “hands” on one of the maps. We also really like your game! It’s lots of fun and is pretty scary! Keep up the great work guys!

  • Raven says:

    WNO is place 4 from the Most Popular Indie Games 😀 Congrats ^^

  • corey says:

    i floated and i was’nt a ghost

  • WaaghMan says:

    Thank you! 🙂

  • WaaghMan says:

    Ok, we’ve added the feature and will be available with the next update. Thanks for the suggestion :).

  • WaaghMan says:

    * Monster spawning on the first 30 seconds: This can happen on some situations:
    ** Someone dies after separating from the group
    ** Someone walks near a tape, but doesn’t pick it up and walks away. After some time, the monster will spawn (this is done to avoid players from exploring the map before picking the pages up).

    * Monster spawning on a tree: Supposedly this shouldn’t happen, we’ve got different collision meshes for monster spawning, but maybe we messed some way. Anyway, the monster appearing on strange places adds (a bit) to the terror and scares, so it’s not that bad on a game like this 🙂

    * Walking up the hands in one of the maps: We’ve already fixed this, it will be included with the next update.

  • 3DControlArt says:

    When you die you have a choice to become a monster if your a ghost and get close to one of the spawners.

  • WaaghMan says:

    Then half of the people would suicide to try to become the monster, and quit if they don’t.

  • The7ths says:

    Hey milkstonestudios, i love the game, but you know how you have the option in WNO too play a private match, well perharps because its private much, usually you will more then likely know the people you’d be playing with. So anyway what im getting at, is perhaps you could make a “gametype” similar too Call Of Duty’s “infected”. In WNO, how i believe this could work is;
    – The game will randomly select the “infected” person, and will become the “demon/monster” from WNO. (this will prevent people from raging, as it is a completely random system.)
    – Whoever is the “infected” will try too kill all of the other people, who are playing as “survivors”.
    – If someone dies, they will become the “demon/monster” aswell, and try too kill the other people.
    – This stage will continue until there is one last person alive, and then obviously, the “infected” will have too kill the person who is the last “survivor”.

    I can see that other people have suggested an idea similar too this as well, so consider this!

  • Zodiac5517 says:

    The game looks good, but it needs something to spice it up a bit. I was thinking if it would be possible to add a walk or sprint animation to your game’s antagonist or have a game mode like “time trial” to see which group of players can get the best time for collecting all the tapes.

  • Zodiac5517 says:

    Should of posted my Comment above the others –” but i notice your resources are very limited to some of the games, but is there by any chance if possible for Milkstone Studios to improve White Noise’s Main Antagnoist animation a bit, not like full scale or anything just a little nudge in it here and there to make it move like the humans but with a more Strong yet realistic movement

  • WaaghMan says:

    Sounds like a fun game mode, provided all players work by the rules, it remembers me to the Zombie mod for Counter Strike back in the day. You will have to deal with lots of quitters probably, and increase the player limit to something around 8-12 players, but it could be a good addition.

    Anyway, it’s a better idea than just letting a player control the monster in the current game mode.

    I’ll add it to our wish list, but it won’t be added anytime soon. Maybe in the future.

  • WaaghMan says:

    The problem of Time trial is that you need leaderboards to make it effective (so you can compare your performance to other groups), and leaderboards on Xbox Indie Games can’t be synchronized when playing online.

    They might be added in the future though.

  • The7ths says:

    As i mentioned before though, it could just be a Private Match gaametype, and when you play private matches you generally know who you are playing with. It’d work in hte same concept as Call Of Duty’s “infected”. So i don’t think there would be a quitting issue at all, because you’d be playing with people you know/ trust. 🙂