Weekly Update - April 10th, 2020

HighresScreenshot00280.png

Hey, Ghost Hunters!

Thanks for tuning in to our latest weekly update!

As you may know, we just wrapped up our fifth alpha test on Monday.

It was by far our most stable and successful alpha test so far!

I want to thank each and every one of you for testing and giving your feedback and bug reports. With all this data, we will have the chance to meaningfully improve the game and get us closer to a successful launch.

The Mansion’s library hides many secrets…

The Mansion’s library hides many secrets…

We hope to have another test in the next month or two, though we can’t promise anything yet. We do want to avoid the lengthy gap that we had in between the last two tests.

In future tests, you can expect to see more maps, props, skins, and so on. That is something we are focusing on greatly going forward. We want to make sure we launch with more than enough content so there’s a solid amount of replayability.

We will also try to get more network features in, such as some sort of matchmaking and queuing up with your squad. Or at least the ability to invite your friends to your session. Stuff like that.

Some of you may have noticed there were some region-locking issues in certain areas.

In turns out Steamworks lobbies (which we use for our player-hosted matches) appear to be region-locked, even if the game is not. Not every region is locked, but anything outside NA / EU seemed to be. 

We want to make sure this issue doesn’t happen again, and are looking at options on how to achieve this.

That’s it for this week, Ghost Hunters

We plan on spending future weekly updates breaking down some of the most interesting data and analytics we have gathered from this test.

Tune in next week for a breakdown on the Ghost/Hunter win rate balance. What do you expect the numbers to be? Let us know what you think on our socials!

Thanks so much for reading, and we’ll see you on the next hunt.

-Kite

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg

Weekly Update - March 27th, 2020

Hey there, Ghost Hunters!

WeekyUpdate0327_3.png

Thank you all for joining us for another haunting edition of our Weekly Update!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been going over new features and bug fixes you can expect to see in our upcoming alpha test.

This week, we are introducing a new Ghost ability: Miasma!

The word Miasma originates from an obsolete medical theory that believed diseases were caused by bad air. A bit supernatural sounding, right?

We think the name is fitting. Watch for yourself:

Watch and share Project X Overheat GIFs by MIDNIGHT GHOST HUNT on Gfycat

New Ghost Ability: Miasma

  • Releases a dark cloud of ghostly smoke that can allow Ghosts a chance to escape during a chase, or lend assistance to an ally under attack.

  • Miasma is best paired with small props. Ghosts can attempt to hide inside the smoke cloud — or use their ram ability to hurl themselves through the smoke to land a surprise attack.

So, in essence it is a smoke bomb. But in our internal play tests, we’ve seen some pretty clever uses of the ability beyond just escaping. As a Hunter, it can be a bit scary to know there could be a Ghost charging up just beyond the veil.

Miasma will be in the upcoming alpha test, and we can’t wait to see how it turns out!

You’re probably wondering when the alpha test will be, right?

Well, you MIGHT want to keep an eye on the Discord next week… just a hunch! wink

Thanks for tuning in! Have a very safe and pleasant weekend, hunters!

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg

Weekly Update - March 20th, 2020

Hey there, Ghost Hunters!

This week, let's go over more new features you can expect to see in our upcoming alpha test!

Don’t be afraid to fire your Spectral Cannon if you’re suspicious.

Don’t be afraid to fire your Spectral Cannon if you’re suspicious.

Let’s start with the good stuff: more new features!

  • We are hoping to release dedicated server files for this alpha. This is a new experimental feature, so it may not work correctly at first. If this features makes it into the alpha, we will also host a number of official dedicated servers on our end as well.

  • New Ghost ability: Miasma (Check back next week for our detailed breakdown!)

  • New and improved autobalancer and map shuffling configuration settings.

  • Two new Hunter skins!

  • New possessable objects in the new map areas.

  • New notification when you are the last player alive on your team.

  • New ghost chargeup bar visuals.

  • Wall mounted props no longer immediately fall when possessed.

  • And more…

In addition we have added more fixes for bugs that were reported during previous tests:

  • Added protections for Ghosts who could get stuck after their possessed item was destroyed

  • Improved hit detection on Doppelgänger clones, and fixed many soft-locks that could occur if the chokeout was interrupted immediately.

  • Poltergeist objects no longer break immediately on impact with something other than Hunter. They are now reusable!

  • Fixed an issue that allowed Hunters to crouch and sprint at the same time.

  • And more…

Just a quick note about dedicated servers and hosting your own server:

Dedicated servers are a brand-new feature that may not make it into this alpha. However, we are working hard to make sure they are stable enough for productive testing.

You’ll be able to configure the server name and password. Map selection not configurable yet, but will be added further along in development.

Thanks for tuning in!

I know you are waiting for alpha news, we don’t yet have a date locked in stone. The team is trying their best to make it within the next 2 weeks. We’ve had some delays due to that thing everyone is talking about.

There’s a good chance it won’t actually be in the month of March. But if it won’t be March, it will be very early April. Stay tuned for a proper announcement soon.

My apologies for this, and thank you so much everyone for your patience. It will be worth it, I promise!

Next week we will be previewing Miasma, the latest Ghost ability to have been acquired by our ghostly friends.

That’s it for this week, Ghost Hunters!

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg

Weekly Update - March 13th, 2020

Happy Friday the 13th, Ghost Hunters!

This week, we're going over some new features and bug fixes that you can expect to see in the upcoming alpha test.

The Spectral Cannon is a Ghost Hunters best friend.

The Spectral Cannon is a Ghost Hunters best friend.

First, let’s go over some of the larger changes.

  • Updated and refined our menu experience

  • Mansion and Asylum have been revamped to be much larger.

  • Added prop layout randomization to Mansion. (Asylum coming soon)

  • Added a functioning voice chat. (Vivox)

  • Voice chat has muting, per user volume controls, input and output device modification.

  • Implemented a ping system with visual cues. (audio cues to come later)

  • Added player report system.

  • New tutorial for both teams. This tutorial is much more concise and only covers the core mechanics. Advanced tutorials are planned in the future for other gadgets and abilities.

  • Added a crash reporter.

  • Server browser now shows the correct ping of all server results.

  • Improved physics for more realistic prop behavior.

  • Introduced networked physics in an optimized way.

  • Improved Ghost collision across the board.

  • General FPS improvements through CPU/GPU optimizations.

  • A ton of balance tweaks on Hunters and Ghosts.

  • And so much more…


We’ve also fixed a number of bugs that were reported in previous tests:

  • Fixed an issue that would cause small hitches or frame drops. These frame drops would often cause your player to suddenly be looking up to the ceiling, or turned around entirely.

  • Fixed an issue that would slow your character if you were looking all the way up or down.

  • Character movement should be much smoother when interacting with objects.

  • Large props such as couches should no longer be able to clip halfway into a wall.

  • Fixed a number of Doppelganger issues that would result in not being able to interact with anything, or the camera being stuck in one direction.

  • Fixed several crashes.

  • And so much more…

Just a quick note about voice:
Since we now have proper voice chat, there will inevitably be some rude people trying to be mean. To that end, make sure you make good use of our new reporting system, and take advantage of our muting features.

While this is not a full list of the changes you can expect, it is hopefully enough to get you excited to play again!

Next week, we’ll cover more changes coming to the test, and maybe even a hint as to when the alpha will be. (To be honest, we haven’t decided yet on the specific dates. But we’ll shout it from the rooftops when we have!)

Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next week!

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg

Weekly Update - March 6th, 2020

Hey there, Ghost Hunters!

We’d like to give a warm welcome to all of our new Discord members that joined during PAX East! Huge shoutout to Discord for hosting us yet again.

We had such a great time meeting and playing with everyone who stopped by.

We are planning on having an alpha test in the coming weeks. Make sure you’re in the Discord and await our big announcement ping when we are ready! If you waited in line, make sure you keep your alpha key card. Make sure you follow the instructions on that card if you want the exclusive role and a buddy key.

In the meantime, please enjoy a selection of photos from PAX East!

IMG-0020 (1).JPG
IMG-0001 (1).JPG
IMG-0010 (1).JPG
IMG-0005.JPG
IMG-0012 (1).JPG

Weekly Update - February 21st, 2020

Hey there, Ghost Hunters!

Not much new this week, but we did want to go over some specifics about our upcoming PAX East appearance! (February 27 - March 1 in Boston, MA)

If you’re going to the show, feel free to swing by and play the game! There will be laughs and probably some lamps hitting heads.

If you come by and play Midnight Ghost Hunt, you’ll get an exclusive glow-in-the-dark Discord pin!

Discord_Pin.png

There will also be limited edition Midnight Ghost Hunt shirts available. We’re not sure yet how we will distribute them, but if you are a mega-fan we may give some out!

In addition, players will receive a post card with an alpha key good for an upcoming alpha test.
If you verify you got this post card with the mods, you’ll be granted a spare key for a friend AND an exclusive “PAX East 2020 Participant” Discord role!

Next week we’ll be away, so we’ll be putting a pause on weekly updates until we are back.
When we return, we’ll discuss the upcoming alpha test (date TBA) and what new features we’ve got cooking.

We can’t wait to see some of you in Boston! We will provide some pictures of the booth via our Discord and Twitter. We hope to see you there.

That’s it for this week, Ghost Hunters!

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg

Weekly Update - February 14th, 2020

Hey there Ghost Hunters!

unknown.png

This week we are happy to announce that thanks to our friends at Discord, we will be making a “haunting” appearance at PAX East!

Swing by the Discord booth from February 26th until March 1st to get an early look at Midnight Ghost Hunt! We will have a total of 8 machines so we’ll have a full lobby!

Perfect for you and up to 7 of your best pals to come by for a chance to try out the game.
WARNING: MGH has been known to ruin friendships. Ghosts are scary.👻

We hope you can come by for some good ol’ fashioned ghost hunting. There may even be some swag I’ve heard…

If you’re a content creator, definitely come on by and check it out! Although we are not permitting recording during this showcase, we’d love to connect for future opportunities.

BUT: WHAT ABOUT THE ALPHA TEST?!

We know everyone has been waiting all winter long for news on another alpha test.

It’s taken a little bit longer than anticipated because we want to make sure the test is stable enough to be enjoyable and productive! We appreciate your patience!

That being said… you MIGHT want to keep your eye on the Discord in the coming weeks. No reason in particular. Just a hunch.

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg

Weekly Update - January 31st, 2020

Hey there, Ghost Hunters!

This week, we’ve got a new member of the development team to introduce. We’ve been looking long and hard for an experienced Unreal Engine programmer to help us make our game less haunted!

(With bugs, of course. Ghosts are normal.)

Midnight at the Asylum is a less than friendly place.

Midnight at the Asylum is a less than friendly place.

Here to introduce himself is Michael Brune; take it away!

Hey hey Ghost Hunters! I'm Michael Brune from Underflow Studios. I've joined Midnight Ghost Hunt's team to help ensure the project releases on time and to the highest of quality possible. My previous work includes Squad and The Away Team.

I'm excited to bring my expertise in Unreal Engine 4 multiplayer and C++ to Midnight Ghost Hunt. In addition to MGH, I am also working on Hackpoint, an immersive sim about exploitation, infiltration and exploration. If you'd like to keep up on Hackpoint I recommend following me on Twitter or checking out my blog.

Until we speak again, Brune out.

Feel free to say hey to Brune on Discord, he’s got a fancy new Dev role now.

Server_Social_Media_Topper.jpg