Earlier today, we rolled out a private build to our Patreon supporters, allowing patrons to test co-op and ensure the stability of our gameplay mechanics, specifically our inventory system! We heard you all after our last patch, and decided to funnel all coding resources into the top requested feature of the game, as well as fixing the largest issue. Note: [i] The environments, User Interface, and artistic choices are temporary and were designed for prototype purposes for the test build. [/i] We thank you for your invaluable feedback, bug reports, and we invite you to join us on Patreon if trying out the private playtest is something that interests you! [h1]Co-op[/h1] For co-op, we are using a listen server architecture and the steamworks subsystem. The lobby host acts as the server while all other players are clients. In other words, everyone in the lobby connects to the lobby host, rather than a dedicated server. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43394331/09faade2433dc8a413818f6797d1c40a60f39a4b.gif[/img] [h3] Lobby [/h3] The lobby is where you can meet your team, see the kind of gear your team-mates are bringing in, give you some time to draft plans, and initiate the level. The maximum group size is four players. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43394331/38defd98b7dad896ae6cb26591d1822db90adfcc.png[/img] [h3] Parties [/h3] Parties can be created via the laptop. Here you can invite friends via the steam overlay. Deploying without being part of a party is also available for solo players. Additionally, you may queue and eventually connect to a public lobby (matchmaking). [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43394331/b3ffa1dcaaa95fe6023dc2345c588c7942a0cd5f.gif[/img] [h3] Spectator [/h3] Upon death, you will enter a spectating system. A simple over-the-shoulder, 3rd person camera angle that allows you to watch your teammates play till victory, or death. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//43394331/67405fc6dc8669ab51a9a0acc04a0be19a0cbc2b.gif[/img] As always, the [url=https://discord.gg/85wr66fqQq]discord[/url] is open to bug submissions regarding this build, and we invite you to showcase the gameplay to anyone you would like to. Changes to Patreon: On Sunday 9/17/2023 at 9:00 AM CST, changes will come to Patreon. We will be giving Patreon a bit of a facelift, and reworking perks. All patrons prior to these changes will retain access to the development builds. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns via Patreon or our discord lounge.