Greetings, Hard Chip players!

New update coming in! Iterations number "I-lost-the-count". This update covers versions 0.0.5.6 to 0.0.5.9. Let's see what's new:

A fresh batch of participants who requested access to the Hard Chip Playtest build has now been granted access to test the latest release! Please see if you're one of the lucky individuals selected!

To get into the next stage, now opening the door gets you to an entirely different place from before. The previous place was an ending with a raymarched scifi space station interior. It was cool, but it didn't allow interactions and new puzzles story-wise. Now the opening gets you to a terminal listing the next parts you need to design!

And those next parts are steps to build a 4Bits cpu register (this is still being determined though!)

Challenges SRLatch alternative, MSDLatch, SRBitCell have been removed to simplify things and avoid confusion.

A video will explain it all:

So all interactions and new objectives will come from those terminals. They are meant to be easy and diegetic: get to a machine's terminal, try to make it work, get your next part to build, design this part and then repair the machine through a nice reboot command. The story mode was completely remade to use them.

They could also deliver story bits and tips in the future. They are quite versatile, code-wise.

This is a little, but the metal trace will have less rounded corners to get closer to the actual look of a CPU's circuitry.

For reference concept art here:

This is a big change. Before:

Now:

For a long time, all inputs were stacked on top of each other at the 0,0,0 location. This was ok for 3 or fewer inputs as always 1 and always 0 terminal are always respectively at the 6th and 8th layers leaving layers 0,2 and 4 for those inputs. But more than 3 inputs meant different input positions altogether. Then when you use blueprints with different input positions, it resulted in spaghetti pasta to wire it all. Messy. And in the end, you rework your blueprints to have those inputs a die level anyway.

Now, the rule for challenges will be inputs at the die level on the left, and outputs on the right. Simplifying it all with less friction.

Take note: all your previous savefiles won't work anymore.

If you are using advanced patterns to build up circuits (meaning you don't follow the schematics). Those gates will come in handy! You could have built them before, but now you can validate them automatically! Available in the Bonus Stages section!

1. Escape now unselects/cancels blueprint add/cancels mosfet add, and return to select mode then escape editor;
   
2. Challenge name splashed on start (as they can be interesting context clue);
   
3. Help modals rework after a playtest session: Hint to compact help; Hint about inputs canceling the validation when touched; Help modal same font pass;You can click outside the help modal to turn the page or to close it; Hint to use lines of blocks instead on clicking one block at a time;
   
4. Don't start BlueprintIntro automatically
   
5. Build menu show selected block;
   
6. Showing grades ranking hints with a (?);
   
7. Restart level from scratch button (highly requested);
   
8. Adding help command;
   
9. Campaign scripts tweaked after playtest session;
   
10. Max simulation speed tuned down;
    
11. Camera arrow keys control when in starting area;
    
12. Fix Door in the main Menu bug;
    
13. Fix crash on build up beyond the die limit;
    
14. Fix crash on Select on large maps
    
15. Fix Camera behavior between level;
    
16. Fix Crash fix on no readout in savegame;
    
17. Fix "exit" command line exited the game (lol);

As always, your feedback/suggestions/comments are instrumental in making this game. Join our Discord server!

Thank you for playing Hard Chip, and stay tuned for more updates and new features!

Greetings, Hard Chip players!

We're excited to share some insights into our recent development updates, focusing on enhancing the gameplay experience and integrating new features into our game. Our journey is filled with iterations, learning, and a constant push toward creating a more intuitive, engaging, and cleaner gaming experience. Let's break down the key updates we've made this time around:


A fresh batch of participants who requested access to the Hard Chip Playtest build has now been granted access to test the latest release! Please see if you're one of the lucky individuals selected!



Players now receive grades for all campaign challenges, adding an extra layer of achievement and motivation.

This helps indicate to the player if he is doing great following predetermined solutions. Competing with other players' scores could be intimidating. This allows the player to know if his solution is good enough to advance in the game.

Grades are Functional, Satisfactory, Streamlined, Advanced and Masterpiece. The first 3 grades are predetermined, and the last 2 are based on other players' scores.

Here's a masterpiece grade solution (this grade can only be achieve with equal or better solution to the best known one):
We've reduced the text and unnecessary lore in the campaign for a leaner intro experience. Efforts have been put into dedicated challenges to aid the learning of more game mechanics (namely: PMOS, Schematics, Input interactions, Die size and Optimization):

As you can see, the Challenges map's UI has also been revised, with visible locked sections. Also to preserve progress seamlessly, we've enabled autosave upon challenge success.

And you are not required to see the schematics anymore! If you want to create all the way from scratch all by yourself, it is now possible! The hard way!



Validation Logic Overhaul: Validation readouts are now created once and cleared once per validation step, ensuring a smoother validation process with dedicated 'ReadOnlyOut' for output management. Each 'ReadOnlyOut' shows the current expected output value with a small check if the condition is met!

Enhanced Building Experience: We've refined the upward build process, preventing multiple blocks from being accidentally added at once. At last!

Simulation Starts on Interaction: The simulation springs to life the moment any input is interacted with. More responsive and more intuitive!

Undo/Redo and Simulation Reset: We've made undoing and redoing resets the simulation/validation, offering a fresh start for experimentation.



Many other small modifications were made, but this post is already too long. Here's a dump of oneliner of every other notable changes:

Quality Of Life, Bug, and Crash fixes:

1. Minimal Steamworks integration;
   
2. Tweak challenges' speeds and show save as blueprint;
   
3. Fix EventValidator;
   
4. Remove ShortcutHelper window;
   
5. Build up tuto help revised;
   
6. Filter in all file lists, Library;
   
7. HalfBitAdder challenge terminal placement;
   
8. Thread safe voxel rebuild (tentative fix);
   
9. Allow 3 errors on rebuild voxel loop before crashing;
   
10. Don't show the bottom build bar when no permitted block;
    
11. End game weird camera behavior fix;
    
12. Fix reverted camera, camera handle mouse lock;
    
13. Campaign challenge map no border
    
14. Fix auto simulation start;
    
15. All Intro challenges use a separate help modal window;
    
16. None Input Mode with no cursor rendered in 3d
    
17. Separate bonus progression from the campaign one;
    
18. Starting camera position updated in all tutorial challenges;
    
19. Mos vacant indicator command plugged in fix;
    
20. Fix mos vacant pin indicator shows 0 and 1 according to pmos and nmos;
    
21. Remove not useful anymore states help window;
    
22. Key Binding for select/delete segments;
    
23. Unable to remove readout fix; Quick readout edit;
    
24. No need to reset;
    
25. Disable all Mouse and Keyboard when not focused;
    
26. Fix Alt+Tab resuming a wrong Mouse and Keyboard state;
    
27. Show unlocked schematics in library
    
28. New SRLatch alternative, DLatch and MSDLatch challenge.
    
29. CCMouse handles buttons the same;
    
30. Close the door when campaign not finished on main menu;

As always, your feedback/suggestions/comments are instrumental in making this game. Join our Discord server[discord.gg]!

Thank you for playing Hard Chip, and stay tuned for more updates and new features!