Cogmind (now at Beta 14)

[Kyzrati]

Cogmind Beta 2.2 "Shields for All" is out, with revamped treads, wheels, and... shields . Basically they're all more fun and useful. Also 17 new items!

Release notes/images.

Beta 2.2 (0.10.170926) changelog:

* NEW: 17 new items (several with new mechanics)
* NEW: 2 new minor encounters in Mines
* NEW: Many terminals now also contain random item schematics
* NEW: Hack failure output also displays the chance of success, including for indirect hacks
* NEW: "Survival Tips" added to beginning of manual, including in-game reminders to check them out
* NEW: Researchers also react to spotting ramming/kicking/crushing attacks
* NEW: Attempted ramming/kicking/crushing attacks in view of a Researcher displays warning, as with other attacks
* NEW: run.log records the number of loaded rebinds and keyboard layout changes
* NEW: A few straggler Alpha supporter names registered since Beta 2 added to in-game list (see Credits menu)
* MOD: All multislot parts immune to severing
* MOD: Swapped support of Imp. Q-thruster and Cld. Q-thruster
* MOD: Cmb. Antigrav System coverage lowered from 55 to 35
* MOD: Hyp. Gauss Rifle and Hyp. Railgun recoil set to 1
* MOD: Adjustments to lore CSV and HTML output to avoid confusion between two particular categories with the same name
* MOD: Removed all references to "direct fire" weapons from utility effect descriptions to avoid confusion
* MOD: Ramming/kicking/crushing damage is capped at 100, before the damage roll
* MOD: Remote Shield Generators renamed to Remote Shields
* MOD: Remote Shield (and similar utility) effects no longer stack with each other, regular Force Fields, or other shielding effects
* MOD: VFP coverage tripled
* MOD: Art for many shield utilities swapped around to suit new sets
* MOD: Energy Mantle renamed to Remote Force Field
* MOD: Quantum Shroud renamed to Energy Mantle
* MOD: Looping through Access-depth Garrisons no longer advised
* MOD: Network Hub bonus increased, but multiple hubs provide diminishing returns
* MOD: On-map item labels always show rating where applicable, even if Tactical HUD off
* MOD: Robot salvage in caves does not self-destruct in the easiest difficulty mode
* MOD: "Armored" items renamed to use "Arm." new prefix
* MOD: Removed Com. Heavy Treads
* MOD: Dur. Treads and Dur. Medium Treads replaced by Armored variants
* MOD: Spiked and Heavy tread variants now move at same base speed as regular treads
* MOD: Base penalty for overweight treads increased from 20 to 30
* MOD: Heavy tread variants have increased support
* MOD: Many special tread-based robot variants switched to new types of treads
* MOD: Most wheel stats adjusted, particularly even lower overweight penalty and somewhat lower coverage
* MOD: Imp. Spread Laser range increased from 8 to 10
* MOD: Ambush traps no longer appear in Materials
* MOD: Allied drones ordered to return to their bay will always do so even if under fire and otherwise attempting to flee
* MOD: Tutorial message memory no longer completely resets itself when new additions are made (file format changed)
* FIX: Opening a hacking window within 5s of loading a game that logs an internal warning shows a line of garbled characters behind window [DDarkRay]
* FIX: Crash on triggering a trap while sound card disabled [mungomongol8]
* FIX: Crash if Phasing AFG resulted in an item overlapped with a non-cardinally adjacent door attempting to close [GJ]
* FIX: Crash if allied drone parked at edge of map view spotted a self-destructing part just outside view [GJ]
* FIX: Tread crushing effect description did not cap chance value, causing largest tread type in world to display incorrect percentage [GJ]
* FIX: Schematic(Matter) was accessible via indirect hack (albeit meaningless) [GJ]
* FIX: Rewiring of disrupted robots via datajacks was possible even on hack-immune bots [GJ]
* FIX: Relative value coloring of regenerative plating inverted [GJ]
* FIX: Cannibalization Units could in some cases restore parts to greater than max integrity [GJ]
* FIX: Actual botnet effect was lower than advertised in the tooltip [GJ]
* FIX: Newly allowed inventory item ID retention on core reset was also identifying previously unknown prototypes [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: A random dialogue encounter still referenced an old renamed NPC class [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: An earlier adjustment to a Zion encounter could cause certain allies to join before intended contingent on map layout [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Typo in newly added dialogue [Sherlockkat]
* FIX: Typo in lore export category named after a major NPC [lsend]
* FIX: Multiple core resets would erase artifact knowledge without restoring it [lsend]
* FIX: Missing period in Propulsion Shielding description [Amphouse]
* FIX: Prototypes, Schematic(), and Analysis() terminals hacks listed incorrect chance of success (somewhat lower than advertised)

Also hopefully this week there will be more news on the Steam front. (I'm waiting for them to get back to me...)

[Kyzrati]

Things are in motion! Cogmind is officially coming to Steam, with a new store page already set up and everything.

The official launch is set for October 16th, 6pm PDT.

Check out the Coming Soon page for more info, and to wishlist it if you'd like to be notified by Steam. (I'll of course be posting my own announcements everywhere.)

As mentioned before, Cogmind is coming to Early Access so it's technically not a "full launch." Cogmind is already a very complete experience--fully playable, balanced, and generally free of bugs, filled with tons of content and even seven endings to discover. So why EA? Basically I have a lot more stuff I'd like to add if possible, including major extra features, and declaring it EA is one way to signal that. (The full EA spiel can be found on the Steam page.)

In the meantime, I'm working on putting together a Steam build, and all the other required announcements, marketing stuff, and whatnot. Let me know if you have any favorite streamers/LPers in mind that would be appropriate to contact about playing Cogmind. I have an old list I'll be referencing, and some have contacted me already, but I'll be on the lookout for more in the days to come.

Thanks everyone for your support so far, and I'm hoping when the time comes you'll review Cogmind on Steam to help convince prospective players that it's a project worth supporting! More support means more features

Spreading the word would be a great help as well!

Here we go!

[Kyzrati]

New Article: Prepping for Steam - An overview of the process behind preparing a game for release on Steam.

[Kyzrati]

Aw yeah, Cogmind happens to get coverage in PC Gamer at just the right time...
These 3 roguelikes are pushing the genre's boundaries while remaining true to its roots

[Kyzrati]

Cogmind Released on Steam
[Cross-posted from the devblog here--follow link for better formatting and light-on-dark style.]

It's finally happened. After over four years and more than 8,000 hours of work, Cogmind has just been released on Steam

"Released" but Early Access. Some say that as soon as you release on Steam, EA or not, that's it--you only really get one launch and the "full release" won't make as big a splash later. That's fine, since Cogmind is a very complete experience and it's time for anyone who's been waiting for this opportunity to jump in.

There are of course a lot of people who don't have much faith in Early Access games, but as long as they're interested in the concept of Cogmind I don't think it'll be too hard to win them over while we spend the coming months adding optional features and content, especially considering the amount of development already allocated to ensuring maximum polish.

Break out the fireworks! (Or missiles, depending on how you look at them )

Thanks to everyone who's helped make this possible! Cogmind has come way beyond what it would have been without as much support as everyone's provided over the years, be it financial, spreading the word, or offering feedback and suggestions. A few months back I shared a lengthy rundown of features that didn't have to happen but have certainly made Cogmind better for it, features that you all made possible.

A logo image recently put together while preparing for Steam.

Cogmind feature highlights, as it launches into the wild on Steam:

• Build and modify a unique robot from nearly 1,000 parts, whether found or salvaged from other bots
• Highly dynamic character development without XP/grinding
  
• Dozens of robot classes, each with unique behavior within the ecosystem
  
• Mechanics and environments that enable one of the most compelling stealth experiences in a roguelike
• Extensive hacking systems--nearly 100 machine hacks so far
  
• Procedurally generated world, including dozens of map types into which hundreds of hand-made areas are mixed
  
• Hundreds of NPC encounters and thousands of lines of dialogue form a rich story
  
• Seven different animated endings to discover
• Fully destructible environment
• Nearly 1,000 pieces of ASCII art
  
• Huge range of particle effects like never seen in a terminal (except my other project )
  
• Everything has sounds--more SFX than any roguelike, ever
  
• Advanced terminal interface, with numerous built-in input options and tons of information at your fingertips
  

Composite demo of various Cogmind features.

Other interesting points regarding design and development:

• Cogmind is all about atmosphere--there isn't even a main menu, the player is dropped right into the game world
• Cogmind was designed entirely in CP437, with aesthetics conforming to limitations imposed by a two-colors-per-cell grid-based display (nothing breaks that rule)
  
• There is a tileset available by default (since approximately 75% of players prefer to use it!), but even that was designed to mimic the ASCII aesthetic so as to not ruin the style
  
• Despite the limitations, Cogmind's UI explores many features never before seen in traditional roguelikes
  
• A niche game like Cogmind managed to raise more than $100,000 from players to fund alpha development, which was how it could keep expanding for over four years :)
  
• To help build Cogmind I created REXPaint, a free editor now in use by a large number of artists and gamedevs
  

Cogmind inventory management demo with bonus ASCII destruction and repair :)

Alpha Supporters
I've sent out emails to alpha supporters who bought back when a Steam key was promised as part of those tiers. So check your inboxes (and spam, just in case) and email me at gridsagegames@gmail.com if you were supposed to receive a key but did not. Note that my response time might be a little slower than usual due to a much higher volume of activity around release time.

Those of you migrating from DRM-free to Steam can import your settings and metadata as usual. After installing via Steam, open the Steam-installed local files and copy over your old Cogmind /user/ directory into the new one. That's it. It will automatically update from then on for subsequent versions.

A little Beta 3 was put out last week to coincide with this Steam launch, so anyone not on Steam will want to update manually. See the announcement for notes on that.

For those of you who bought ages ago just to support development and are only now being reminded you own the game but never registered your copy, therefore your name doesn't appear in the supporters list (or more importantly the art gallery if you bought that early), go back to your original download email and use the linked form to register. There are still quite a few unclaimed items in the gallery, mostly because a lot of you probably didn't notice the form link (just a couple quick fields to fill out, otherwise I don't know what name you want to use!). After some time on Steam I'm going to have to reallocate remaining unclaimed items to other players!


Purchase Options
Although Cogmind is now available on Steam, it will also always be available for sale from my website as well, and the DRM-free version will continue to receive the same updates (though technically the two versions are slightly different packages).

In the near term, however, as has been indicated on the buy page for a little while now, direct purchases will NOT include a Steam key.

A big part of the reason is to encourage purchases from Steam to help push up the overall review score. Everyone playing Cogmind on Steam please take some time to leave reviews! They're vital for encouraging more sales, and more sales is how we're going to get more features!

Further down the line this key policy could change, but it depends on a lot of factors and we'll have to see how things play out. So if you haven't bought Cogmind yet and are interested in doing so to play on Steam, buy from Steam. For a DRM-free non-Steam version instead buy direct here.

GOG I'm not sure about, because despite proactively expressing interest in Cogmind they haven't responded to my later emails, so for now I've decided to shelve that route.


Coverage
There hasn't yet been a whole lot of advance press coverage about Cogmind's Steam release, partially because I requested that most influencers hold off on their coverage until on or after the actual release date, though I'm still not sure what kind of reception we'll see since Cogmind is pretty niche, after all. Some pre-release happenings:

• Purely coincidentally, leading up to this release PC Gamer published an article full of praise for Cogmind, and despite his short time with it the author did a great job of understanding and conveying the essence of the game.
  
• Well-known roguelike let's player Aavak has started a Cogmind series which has been pretty popular.
  
• Two Credits has a quick summary of the launch news, but otherwise there's not much out there just yet.
  

Gonna have to rely on word of mouth and continued updates to get attention! :D

If you have any favorite LPers/streamers you'd like to see try Cogmind, or a reviewer who's opinion you'd like to read, let them know! I've already written to several, but I can't possibly find them all (and I imagine lots probably won't notice my email anyway, but if some of their fans let them know that can be even more powerful than me self-promoting my way into their inbox).

Cogmind combat demo with particle effects.

[Tzan]

Congrats!
I'll be getting it soon.

[Kyzrati]

Awesome . It's doing pretty well right now apparently. #3 on Indie top sellers list <3

[AgingMinotaur]

Congratulations, and best of luck!

As always,
Minotauros

[Kyzrati]

Thanks AgingMinotaur

It dropped down to the second page before too long, but it even appeared on the front page for a short while, too. And in general it's doing okay. Not bad for "EA"

[Tzan]

Oct 7th 12noon eastern US

Indie
New/Trending #2
Top Sellers #10
Specials #7


Early Access
New/Trending  #1
Top Sellers #1

Strategy
New/Trending #1

[Kyzrati]

Thanks for the info, Tzan! Still doing okay I guess. Whew that was a long day for me yesterday--and now I just got up and inbox is way full xD

[Legend]

Any chance it will be hitting GOG too?

[Kyzrati]

Not anytime soon, no (I mentioned it in the announcement under payment options).

[jim]

Congratulations on the release, Kyzrati - I hope you die rich AF (many years from now).

[Kyzrati]

(many years from now).

hahahaha

Yeah this won't make me rich or anything, but I can definitely get by and keep developing, which was the purpose. I'm familiar with some of the revenue numbers from similar games out there and can confidently say that while this won't bring in a ton of funds, at least I don't have to worry about running out in the near term! Yay more writing and more roguelikes!