#optimizations

The play area is meant to be huge with hundreds of enemies all doing their own thing in whatever location. The game should operate without the player's influence.

So that's hundreds of objects that all check their surroundings, send signals, have collision checks, timers, AI behavior, can shoot bullets, and whatever else.

For the bullets, I've been debating on just pooling them. In my mind, there probably won't be much more than 1000 bullets active at any time. That's not a crazy number, but considering how many objects are already being processed pooling the bullets can at least relieve a little strain.

The asteroids have big numbers too, there's hundreds of them. However, they're super simple in terms of movement and collision mask (They only check for colliding with each other). Many of them will be entirely off-screen so maybe I can find a method to stop an asteroid's processing until they return to camera view. Heck I can do that with off-screen enemies too!

Buuuuuut that would interfere with the idea that the game operates without player influence. An enemy's position should constantly upate , ESPECIALLY the boss. Maybe I can have enemies stop checking their surroundings until they're in view of a camera? (They do occassional query PhysicsState query checks to choose a target).

The game is meant to increase difficulty with the more enemies you defeat so instead of spawning new enemies I could replace off-screen ones with stronger enemies.

....Do I pool enemies? A lot can be defeated at once although not a lot would be spawned at once...probably. Some enemies could spawn other enemies too....

Link

Qwel released a video on the christmas update! Here's the rundown if you prefer reading over the video (it has no captions).

Bobette is getting buffed! Her festive aura ability, specifically, as well as a helpful timer over her box.

Coal got buffed, and Ginger got reworked! I'm sure I'll see more ginger players soon.

Cosmo is also getting buffed! His range is a lot further now!

We're getting a second Christmas map that has a 50/50 chance of spawning every fifth floor! The sprout in the footage kind of looked like he was sliding, so we may be getting a new floor mechanic with the ice!

Here's some new skins for the update! Big fan of Ginger's cotton candy/trans colors. (The trans part was likely unintentional).

A skin collab between BlushCrunch and The Care Bears, coming during the shrimpo update! Which is tomorrow!!!!

She also released a YouTube shorts about it, but didn't link it in discord.

I'll make sure to check the channel more often!

Among all of the changes here, I did notice a couple implications in the changelogs that are making me thing. Now, this is JUST speculation, do NOT take this as fact.

Joey specifying "Ichor machines" has me thinking that new, non ichor machines are soon to come. And "true liquid form" for the ichor physics also feels like some lore implications.