And here we are again, with yet another progress update! Its slightly unusual to make it to 3 updates, but it looks like the next release is going to be a pretty big one

If you havent seen the previous two progress updates, you can read them here and here - to summarise, they cover the upcoming Equipment Counter and the new graphical updates to the UI, shadows and cup rendering.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43059602/5a9a8501accb90e01281972d30964a299b09ad1f.png"][/img]

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43059602/45f564be99aec4354558c30821fcaf3250bdf259.gif"][/img]

Further to those Ive been working on some new ways to play Super Video golf. The first one is the new Team play option in Freeplay. Teams mode allows you to buddy up in pairs, and take turns sharing the same ball. Teams can be applied to the standard game rules: Stroke play and the Stableford variants, as well as Multitarget. Multitarget mode can be particularly fun to play with a partner

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43059602/8b0cf4d50c5efdbfa9d7df1dbaea3a14f67760c9.png"][/img]

There are also some experimental game modifiers (which may remain so for now) in the works: Snek and Big Balls. As these are modifiers they can be active during any Freeplay round, regardless of the current rule set. When Snek is active any player who takes more than one putt to sink the ball is handed the Snek. The player left holding the Snek at the end of the round is subject to finger-pointing and ridicule (or something more appropriate )

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43059602/4e08ee31f34a0a9fb4d120133662ae7eb44ff646.png"][/img]

Big Balls is inspired by the Big Head mode of Unreal Tournament in days of old. As the round progresses player balls grow or shrink, depending on whether they are over or under par. Beyond that it has little effect on the game - its merely a cosmetic gimmick.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43059602/f05f452253f795ac2b8bfa22c4eb996f3cefacad.png"][/img]

If youd like to try these game modifiers, the host can use the console commands

sv_snek_enable 1

or

sv_bigballs_enable 1

when in a game lobby. Setting either to 0 will turn them off again.

Meanwhile, in the Clubhouse

Ive also been working on a new arcade game for the clubhouse named Sports Ball

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/43059602/c03c0a2da6490c86dc0043685eb3e5375329a1d3.gif"][/img]

You may possibly recognise it as being a take on a certain fruit game - if not then the idea here is simple: match the balls in pairs, and when you do they grow. Match as many as you can before the box fills up! As with the existing arcade games there are online leaderboards to top (assuming youre playing on Steam) so you can compete with other players of Sports Ball.

Finally

Ive also updated the websocket data to include the new packet types introduced by the game modes above. If youre using the websocket interface for modding, or youre a webdev interested in finding out more, you can find the repository here.

\[hr]\[/hr]

These are going to be the last few features added to version 1.21, which is now in its final round of beta testing where I aim to polish as much as possible and iron out any bugs that may have snuck in. The beta is public so, as always, please do give it a go if youre curious. I love to know what you all think, and of course it helps shape the game into something that everyone can enjoy. The beta can be found by right clicking on the game in your Steam library and choosing Betas.

Thanks to everyone who has taken part already (corgi1 & the denizens of SVS!) - your feedback has been invaluable. Also a big hello to all the new players whove joined over the last couple of weeks, from both the indiedb giveaway and Summer Sales. Hello! Please do feel free to join the community, either on Discord or the Steam group chat, everyone is welcome

Thats all for now though - with any luck the next post will be announcing the release of Super Video Golf 1.21!

See you on the green,

Happy Golfing!