Here's a smaller update that follows up to yesterday's introduction of the points system. Lets just get right to it!

Changes, Fixes, and Additions:

• Added a small notification during gameplay when you die or get a kill. It displays info on whether your got a kill or died (duh) and how many points were gained or lost. Without any indication, the points system could have been a little confusing at first, but this new feature should mitigate that effect
  
• Updated the Scattergun sound to be less repetitive by adding random, slight changes to the pitch of every shot
  
• After popular request, random respawns have been added! This is another change that I should have done a long time ago but never got around to

This update completely overhauls the way a match of Misfire is played. The "last-man-standing" game mode has been replaced with a new and much better points-based system (detailed below). These changes reinforce the casual and friendly nature of the game by allowing players to participate in the entire match thanks to the removal of limited lives. This is an overdue change that goes a long way in improving Misfire's level of polish and cohesiveness.

The Points System:

• Your placing (ie. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place) is now determined by points
  
• You start with 0 points
  
• A kill rewards 2 points, while a death subtracts 1
  
• Your minimum score is 0, so dying with 0 points won't subtract any more
  
• The player with the most points at the end of 5 minutes wins
  
• If two or more players have the same amount of points, they will be tied
  
• Last man standing and limited lives are gone! You can now die and respawn throughout the entire duration of the match

Full List of Changes and Improvements:

• Overhauled Misfire's game rules with the new Points System
  
• Gave the Perpendivolver a slight damage buff from 15 to 18 damage per shot
  
• The text beside the health bar now displays your health percentage instead of a life counter
  
• Added lighter gray tones to the empty parts of the health, fuel, and item bars for enhanced readability
  
• The match timer is now in the top right, is much bigger, and has a new descriptive icon
  
• Fixed some replication bugs

Along with the more bugfixes, this patch makes some tweaks to how matchmaking works to better suit the game's intent to be played with friends.

Changes and fixes:

• Hid the Quickplay menu. With the low volume of players that Misfire receives, this feature just makes no sense and doesn't really help you get into a match with your friends. Sometimes less is more, considering the server browser tells you all you need to know anyways.
  
• Removed the "Support on Patreon" message appearing upon the first launch of the game. It doesn't feel classy to ask for support the second you open the game; that support should be earned.
  
• Added a new menu for the first time you access the play menu. Now you'll be prompted to enter a practice session first, which helps to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of the game. The practice mode is very helpful for new players but could previously be easily overlooked. This won't affect returning players.
  
• The Win Percentage Stat now displays properly

Two hotfixes in one day! This one takes a bit of the work out of finding a good match. Since Misfire runs on a player-hosted system the quality of a match is entirely dependent on the connection quality of the player who is hosting the server, and their relative geographical distance to you. This comes with many limitations but it is the only option a solo dev such as myself has. So with this update I've tried to make the quickplay system look for matches that are more likely to be closer to you, and thus provide a better game experience. Here's the full list of gameplay improvements and bugfixes for this hotfix:

• Fixed the stats screen incorrectly displaying wins and losses
  
• Tweaked the quickplay system to only search for matches set to your region preference. This will give you a higher quality match most of the time, and is the most user friendly. You can still join matches set to other regions through the server browser or by direct invite
  
• Added a region display on the in-game menus for better clarity of where your current lobby is located
  
• Added a highlight when hovering over a player's picture in the in-game menus

Squishing bugs like I promised:

• Fixed several bugs where more players could join than the server's maximum should allow
  
• Disabled joining in progress. Now you can only join a match that is in the pre-game phase
  
• Fixed the server browser not properly displaying the amount of players in a match

The first fix was a behemoth of a bug, requiring me to dive right down the rabbit hole of UE4 weirdness. After 5+ hours of trying to fix it, lets hope it's gone for good.

Now that there's a larger volume of players some bugs are starting to present themselves that I never caught in play testing, and as such I've been busy fixing and improving the game! If you find a bug, let me know at noodlekingdesigns@gmail.com.

Fixes, Improvements, and Tweaks:

• Fixed the Support on Patreon message popping up more than once
  
• Reduced the Scattergun's damage from 10% to 6% per hit
  
• Fixed the user's specified audio settings not applying in-game
  
• Changed the loading screen to have an animation reminiscent of old DVD screensavers
  
• (Maybe) Fixed a rare and weird bug where you suddenly lose all input ability while on the main menu
  
• Fixed some bugs involving achievements

That's right, Misfire can now be downloaded and played entirely for free! Along with going free, the game is also leaving Early Access and has been fully released. I plan on continuing to support and expand Misfire to be as great as possible. Since the game is free, I've opened up a Patreon[www.patreon.com] if you feel like offering additional support. Thanks for sticking with Misfire and helping me make something awesome!

This update makes some changes to the game to accommodate the new free model, and adds the game-changing recoil mechanic!

New Additions and Changes:

• Added the new recoil mechanic that will affect your movement when shooting weapons. Different weapons have different levels of recoil. This feature may still need some tweaking, but for now it adds a vital layer of depth to the gameplay!
  
• Slightly buffed the scattergun to compensate for the recoil change. It now does slightly increased damage and has a smaller bullet spread angle
  
• Added a new link to Patreon

This update is mainly focused on preparing Misfire for going free to play, but also fixes a few bugs here and there. For everyone who has bought the game in Early Access, you can now redeem your unique golden paint job! This reward can only be redeemed by starting the game. You will be greeted by a screen prompting you to redeem your reward, continue, and voila! You can then go to the character customization screen and find the new golden paint job mixed with the other colors. It is important that you redeem this reward BEFORE Misfire goes free to play (In mid October) as it won't be available after the transition. so hop on as soon as you can!

List of Changes:

• Added the unique golden paint job for Early Access Supporters only
  
• Added social media buttons on the main menu
  
• Fixed quite a few smaller bugs