Mechajammer - Patch 1.01

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Whalenought Studios and Modern Wolf released the promised patch for Mechajammer on Steam & GOG.

Mechajammer | V1.01 Patch Notes

Bug fixes, balance updates, and other improvements in the new 1.01 Update.

Hot on the heels of Friday's hotfix (and a look at the Road Ahead in terms of upcoming updates), today we're rolling out V1.01 of Mechajammer, bringing with it a big ol' list of fixes and improvements to the game.

Many of these issues have been surfaced (and subsequently fixed!) off the back of your reports and suggestions, so a hefty thank you to those of you taking the time share feedback. Below the patch notes, you'll see names from key members of the community who have helped us with this endeavour. We hope you enjoy basking in the limelight of the Patch Notes as a reward.

Ok! Here's what you can expect from 1.01:

[...]

For bug reporting and other Mechajammer-flavoured discussion, please head to the official Discord server.

Once again, huge thanks to everybody who has picked up the game and shared feedback. We're very grateful to the Mechajammer community, and will have more in the way of updates for you very soon...

- Whalenought Studios & Modern Wolf
More information.
 
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The details below
Design fix:
  • Give every background the option of having no flaws (flawless options does not include studies bonuses)
  • Remove being injured from failing rolls that had zero dice (for example when opening/breaking boxes)

Graphics fix:
  • Scale-up ground items and outline added, so that they can be interacted with more easily

Bug fixes:
  • Hard-lock bug when using quick save feature fix
  • Constant flee with PTSD disadvantage
  • Music track switching fix (usually appeared during save)
  • Prevented instances of player falling through floors in cars
  • Police called even when not seen by MFI scanners
  • Bag doesn't open immediately when talking to companions
  • Issues with selling items merchants
  • You can move items around in merchant bags to make more space
  • Merchants refresh their stock every time you talk to them
  • Labels should now show on map
  • Player starts with a chained weapon if it's their highest dice pool
  • Merchants stand in the light
  • PTSD proc-ing after every action instead of after failed roll and also adjusted disadvantage outcome - player doesn't flee, just freezes in place for 10 turns

UI fix:
  • Menus updated with option to return to main menu

Balance Fix:
  • Improved balancing of Disadvantages
  • Made Head Injury penalty is now 2 turns instead of 3
  • Decreased roll odds for Exhaustion and Two Left Feet (rolls every hour)
  • Adjusted damage for range weapons to balance non-melee builds
  • Tweaked balancing of early enemies with respect to difficulty

Map fix:
  • Instances of missing textures fixed

Feature:
  • Merchants now have new items

Skill:
  • Added more chemical pools in order to make Chemistry a more useful Skill

Other:
  • The Mechajammer OST is now live on Steam!
 
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I could go on with describing Mechajammer's flaws and failures for far, far longer than I could stand playing it any more. The sheer relief at exorcising my complaints are the closest I've come to enjoying it since my brief excitement at the promise of its character creation screen.

Ouch... that's brutal.
 
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I've got about eight hours into it so far and all I can say at this point is they don't hold your hand by any stretch of the imagination. Combat is brutal hard as well as trying to figure out where the hell you are in the game but once you played it awhile you kind of figure things out.

In a lot of ways it's like their first game Serpents in the Stag Lands that one was brutal hard as well and not particularly forgiving either, so far I haven't run into a lot of bugs although I did have a couple of lockups.
One thing I didn't do right off the start was play the tutorial then I went back and tried it by playing the tutorial and it cleared up a lot of stuff that I didn't understand when I just jumped in cold so I think some of the frustration that people might be seeing is if they don't play the tutorial they don't necessarily understand how all the systems work and after I played it the tutorial that is I found it much easier to progress in the game.
It's pretty old school though you have to take notes and the mapping can be a bit frustrating until you work out where you are but I think nowadays everybody wants everything handed to them easy peasy and this isn't that kind of game.
.

.
 
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Yeah, their CM showed me that, quite a blow to them. :(

It's a botched review, the author rushed it and this game isn't for everyone. Rock Paper Shotgun is one of the few sites I'm avoiding, and not only for their anti-ad blocker. They're either in favour of a game or against it, depends on their daily disposition and the direction of the wind.

That being said, some of the criticism is true, some of the UI is clumsy, but they're working hard to address all those issues. I think Whalenought Studios should have waited longer before releasing it, but with such small teams it's hard to tell the constraints they must have. That's also something the author of this "review" should have taken into consideration. It's a 2-person dev team, FFS.

There's been very little press coverage for this game, it's quite the indie. Mortismal was rather positive about the game.

I'll wait a couple of weeks before completing my first run, this game is a rough gem and it deserves some polishing before making one's mind. :)
 
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One thing I didn't do right off the start was play the tutorial then I went back and tried it by playing the tutorial and it cleared up a lot of stuff that I didn't understand when I just jumped in cold so I think some of the frustration that people might be seeing is if they don't play the tutorial they don't necessarily understand how all the systems work and after I played it the tutorial that is I found it much easier to progress in the game.
I agree, the tutorial is a must, and it doesn't take too much time.
It can't hurt to read the guides either (I linked them here).
 
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Yep it's a shame but it was the same problem with Serpent in the Staglands. I remember mentioning the game was made for a hardcore audience, and not for causal players.
 
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Actually the RPS reviewer for Mechajammer is normally the champion of PC indie developers (and she is an old school pc gamer), and I have enjoyed many of her recommendations in the past. I think that she just described what is going on and she struggled to find something to praise (which may be a true reflection of the current state of the game as many others described, including our hardcore cousins in the Codex).

I backed the game (not received my key yet!) and have yet to play it. Tried the demo or alpha they showed a while ago and all I saw was "brown" and pixels moving in the dark - quite the contrast to the nice and clean original concept.
 
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Actually the RPS reviewer for Mechajammer is normally the champion of PC indie developers (and she is an old school pc gamer), and I have enjoyed many of her recommendations in the past. I think that she just described what is going on and she struggled to find something to praise (which may be a true reflection of the current state of the game as many others described, including our hardcore cousins in the Codex).

I backed the game (not received my key yet!) and have yet to play it. Tried the demo or alpha they showed a while ago and all I saw was "brown" and pixels moving in the dark - quite the contrast to the nice and clean original concept.
For the key, I saw this the other day, that should help. :) (I haven't backed the game)
https://steamcommunity.com/app/485400/discussions/0/3202619099968134216/

It must be a hard decision, having to write a review on a tiny indie game that struggles on its release (that is, if they really had to). That's precisely why I'm more and more cautious about "professional" critics, there is no ethics, no time to assess properly. Only a few hours to quickly publish an article, then go on to the next to stay in the loop.

If that's a small indie, the fear of not getting an reviewer key next time is not there, so it can go South pretty easily if the first impressions aren't good. And if that's a big-budget game from an important company, well... we know how forgiving they can be (up to a point anyway).

I don't know if "fair" enters any consideration in that sort of business. I wouldn't lie to readers and say it's perfect, but why write a review for such a small indie in the press in the first place? If they discovered a rare gem they liked, it would be worth mentioning, but if they found something they didn't like, what's the point?
 
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Well as someone curious about the game but lacking in strong opinions about it, I was happy to see a review for it. I don't care as much about whether the reviewer liked the game or not, I just like reading about it. I'll often read a bad review that makes me want to play the game, or a good review that makes me want to avoid it.
 
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Another review:

Mechajammer Review (PC): We're Jammin'
Another cyberpunk, but in the classical sense as Mechajammer reminds this chap of Syndicate. Is it any good? Find out in this review.

So many games slap cyberpunk on the packaging, but Mechajammer has it on tap: this feels like a bona fide cyberpunk experience that can't be justified in a review as it's a grand experience with so many paths, shortcuts and back alleys to take. Where's the narrative GPS?

If you like squares and Jean Michel Jarre, you'll love the visceral mood this gives. First impressions were: ooh, this is very pixely with some crunchy synths. Neither are ingredients I seek, but combined, they set the scene immediately, and it was one of those rare games of absorption from the get-go.

Have you ever played Syndicate? That's how I felt about Mechajammer: a return to the classic sci-fi game, yet a unique take. However… Syndicate was a game I played in the olden days on the Amiga; times have changed, as has tech. Whalenought Studios' game seems to be stuck in the past - both the graphics and UI. If you can get over that, or like that sort of aesthetic, great.

I didn't like the art style at first, but the gameplay made up for that as it encourages exploration and creating your own adventure. Before the base game, I was the responsible type and did the tutorial: highly recommended. Besides learning the moves and mechanics, you'll understand the difference between the stealth and combat method.
[…]

IMO this summarizes it quite well: "Though it's not user-friendly or intuitive, if you have the patience and understand that this isn't a pick-up and play arcade game, it's rewarding and unlike anything else."
 
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Yeah, their CM showed me that, quite a blow to them. :(

It's a botched review, the author rushed it and this game isn't for everyone. Rock Paper Shotgun is one of the few sites I'm avoiding, and not only for their anti-ad blocker. They're either in favour of a game or against it, depends on their daily disposition and the direction of the wind.

That being said, some of the criticism is true, some of the UI is clumsy, but they're working hard to address all those issues. I think Whalenought Studios should have waited longer before releasing it, but with such small teams it's hard to tell the constraints they must have. That's also something the author of this "review" should have taken into consideration. It's a 2-person dev team, FFS.

There's been very little press coverage for this game, it's quite the indie. Mortismal was rather positive about the game.

I'll wait a couple of weeks before completing my first run, this game is a rough gem and it deserves some polishing before making one's mind. :)

I love that if you have ad blocker installed you get a pop up window saying this isn't free....well, that just means I don't come to your website anymore...
 
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I love that if you have ad blocker installed you get a pop up window saying this isn't free….well, that just means I don't come to your website anymore…
Indeed…

A few sites do that now. I could put their website on the whitelist if their ads were not too invasive, but there are multiple ad videos in the middle of all their articles, so they're a big pain to read.

Besides, I don't care much for their articles anymore; this one comforts me in that opinion.
 
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Patch 1.02

It's a little early since last time so I'll just add this here.

Mechajammer | V1.02 Patch Notes

Graphics
  • Fix for screen resolution not matching aspect-ratio issue
  • Fixed various character sprite and portrait anomalies
  • Fix for various walls blocking line of sight
  • Faith temple jar material corrected

Bugs Fixed:
  • Gun doesn't reload/shows fully loaded while empty
  • Animals sniffing
  • Companions multiplying on load
  • Renaming companion groups
  • Companions not coming with you on ferry or elevators
  • Vault doors unlocking with keys dropped by gang bosses
  • Incorrect NPC-typing spawning when player hits spotlights
  • Train ticket code works at Quinton Train station
  • Printouts from Wolffz Bay terminals show up in terminal
  • Quinton estate door pathfinding issue
  • Items that are dropped from bag saving in world
  • Ferry driver joins your party
  • Missing dialogue options with civilians under black market
  • Floating dogs (!) under black market
  • Inconsistent civilians visibility

Map
  • Un-walkable areas over wood bridges fixed in black market area
  • Faith temple puzzle fixed
  • R4T vault locked correctly

UI
  • Trap size in bag
  • Aldo dialogue options
  • Sprites flicker in UI when hover box is over them
  • Pin label field disappearing
  • Dialogue items given to full bag now drop to ground instead of disappearing

Dialogue
  • Various typos
  • Agro-Fax agent dialogue fixed
  • South street dialogue interaction cutting early
Two quick but important additions to the above:
  1. We're aware of issues with Notepad text not saving properly. This is half-fixed, and will only occur if you exit the Notepad with the Escape key. Avoid this, and you should prevent the issue from occurring.
  2. We're also looking into an issue where the game is not booting properly for some people. If you think you're being affected by this problem, please send your Player Logs (file-paths below) to us on Discord.
 
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