Build Notes for v1.08

Brawlers: The Next Evolution

We’re thrilled to unveil our most ambitious update yet, ushering in a new era for Brawlers. This build update marks the beginning of a comprehensive overhaul aimed at streamlining gameplay, enhancing visual clarity, and reinvigorating the overall experience.

The Headlines

Gameplay Acceleration

• Removed manual taunt and attack selection
• Formally introduce automatic, randomized actions based on preset loadouts
• Impact — over 25% reduction in time to complete a match

Visual Overhaul

• Completely redesigned match UI to reduce clutter and improve readability
• Modernized graphics, moving away from the dated Fall ’22 aesthetic
• Enhanced visual cues and calls to action for clearer gameplay progression.

New Player Experience

• Improved prompting and in-game guidance both old and new players
• Clearer indicators for match objectives and hand resolutions

Key Improvements

1. Streamlined HUD for better focus on core gameplay
2. Optimized performance for smoother gameplay across devices

Looking Ahead

This update lays the foundation for future enhancements. Over the coming months, expect:

• Regular balance updates
• Expanded game distribution channels
• Community-driven events and challenges
• Updates to the utility within the client itself to be more a fully featured, turnkey experience
• There will be at least two more major overhauls/updates delivered between now and the end of the year. We thought it best to work on the core game as the first priority.

We’re confident these changes that are live today as well as the ones coming soon, represent a significant leap forward, offering the most polished and enjoyable version of Brawlers to date. Your feedback is crucial as we continue to refine and expand the game. Please share your thoughts with us in the channels you frequent and I promise you we will see them.

Thank you for your continued support, and we can’t wait for you to experience the new Brawlers! Below is a more detailed list of changes. We encourage you to check it out.

No Longer MIA

• Patriot Power Rusty is now in the game and available for Brawlin’

New Venue

• The old crowd has been replaced with a version of the cityscape from the title screen. This was done as a test to understand how quickly we can add more backgrounds to create different venues. We think it looks terrific and opens up a world of possibilities.
• Added a subtle parallaxing skybox effect to the background

New In-game Camera System

• To make the matches feel more like watching a live broadcast we have added 8 new cameras in total that seamlessly blend and cut to different points of view during all parts of the match, intro to ending, to heighten the overall viewing/playing experience.

Global Game Interface Update

• Added a Brawlers themed foam finger as the cursor
• It is currently a one-size fits all model, but this will be scalable in future updates
• If you like the custom cursor we can always add more over time to further personalize the experience on a per play basis

New Bot Opponent Awaits

• We have swapped out base model Barry Greenhorn. Who will show up? There is a good chance it could be a legendary Wuff Blitzer opponent. Which Wuff Blitzer? You will just have to sign your name on the dotted line and show up to the match to see. Unfortunately this Wuff still has Barry’s tiny brain, but we will make him a much smarter and harder to beat opponent in the not-too-distant future. Lots of room for making this a more enjoyable experience on the occasion you cannot find a worthy opponent.

In Game User Interface Updates

• All round/game results text has been switched to the font “Violence”.
• All text in the Violence font has had kerning done to it in order for it to be more readable.
• Added a new Power Meter icon that grows and animates in intensity over 6 unique levels. It starts small and builds to a crescendo maxing out on Power Meter value of 8 and above.
• All status and major UI text has been given a drop shadow and black outline to increase its legibility.
• The round “Winner” and “Damage” text are now the same size, animated in a similar and consistent manner. Each piece of text has a reveal animation.
• The in match PFPs have been removed from the game. This was done to free up valuable screen real estate. This was a case of addition through subtraction.
• The SET UP and SLAM on screen prompts have been changed to FACE UP and FACE DOWN to make it clear to new players how those cards will be viewed by their opponent.
• The ability to select the FACE DOWN card first (formerly known as the SLAM card) has been removed. You must now always choose your FACE UP card first.
• If you select your card FACE UP or FACE DOWN and want to change your mind, clicking that specific card will return it to your hand and the game will reprompt you to select a card intended for that space.
• The white outline border below the ring where the cards used to be played has been removed. This construct will not return at any time.
• The cards are now put directly into play above each player’s fan fold. It used to have a hover state and would not move to its play spot until the player confirmed their selection. This was sub-optimal and as a result has been eliminated.
• The particle effects tied to certain cards being put into play have been removed. This slowed down game play and no longer served our aesthetic goals.
• The center screen above the ring now has a dedicated messaging space that lets players know when the cards are being dealt, when they need to CONFIRM their bet, FOLD , or MATCH their opponent’s bet. It will also prompt players to choose a FACE UP and FACE DOWN card. These prompts all happen with a text animation that serves as a call to action. If the opponent has yet to make a decision this will also inform the player that they are “Waiting for their opponent” to make a decision. This goes a long way in managing expectations for all and has created a greatly improved customer experience.
• All actions during the match that need to be brought to the players attention are displayed in an animating green text.
• Your hand of possible cards now appears in the bottom center of the screen and not in the bottom right corner.
• Your opponent’s hand of possible cards (always shown face down, same as before) has been greatly reduced in size by over 55% and moved further to the left hand side of the screen.
• The Power Meter and HP icon are now slightly stacked on top of each other offset vertically in the left and right margins.
• The ping meter is now in the upper left hand portion of the screen.
• The total cards discarded (0/9 counter) has been moved to the top right portion of the screen to make it more visible. Previously it would get cut off on PCs and Macs unless you were running in full screen mode.
• The cards in the match are slightly staggered when chosen/put into play. The FACE UP card is displayed offset and slightly below the FACE DOWN card. We find this to be the more realistic way players play cards in real life card games.
• The betting HUD now dynamically appears directly above the cards sliding on and off the screen as needed and no longer persists wasting space and serving as a needless distraction when not the focal point of the match.

And if you get geeked out by the numbers and want a numerical accounting of all the changes this one’s for you…

1. Files changed: 838
2. Additions: 73,700
3. Deletions: 12,734

Most of the behind-the-curtain deltas you won’t see, but this helps convey the level of effort the team has put into this version and we look forward to continuing our effort to deliver the best gaming experience we possibly can. Now, LFB.

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