Not long after their 0.34.3 update, Australian developers TurboPixel Studios have pushed out their latest version of icon_rflx Reflex into public hands. The last update brought with it the new knock-back code, and many players complained that the once extremely powerful (and annoying) rocket launcher, had become slightly too ineffective, due to the low splash radius, and in similar, and inverse, trend the shot-gun had become far too effective. The developers have now increased the rocket splash radius from 80, to 96, providing a more responsive rocket launcher, and decreased air knock-back on the shot-gun from 2.0, to 1.2., re-affirming the weapon tiers. In addition to these changes, the Ion Cannon has seen its damage per cell decreased, however, its rate of fire has gone up, making the weapon do less damage but provide greater utility making things like shaft lifting, and generally holding someone in a difficult position easier to accomplish.

As mentioned in the Reflex Roundup, the most significant changes will effect the editor, bringing in a whole slew of new features, finally making it feasable to create the oh-so-important symmetrical maps, foreshadowing what is to come in terms of team-play modes.

With respect to art, Electro has added a whole butt-load of new environment art, including ivy drapes, and pillars, rubble, and bushes.

Full Change-log

Gameplay:
  • Reduced air knockback on shotgun from 2 to 1.25
  • Increased plasma gun splash distance (mostly for plasma climbing)
  • Increased rocket splash radius from 80 to 96
  • Tweaked rocket self knockback to return rocket jumps to previous behaviour
  • Reduced IC damage but increased the rate it fires -- overall damage per second is slightly lower
  • Players now have a 0% chance to respawn nearest to where they died (still needs work)
  • Tweaked the way plasma gun self knockback is applied for much improved plasma climbing.

Engine:
  • Added r_desktop_composition cvar (defaults to 1)
  • Fixed error dialog when direct3d device fails to create
  • Significantly reduced network traffic when editing maps

Editor:
  • Added support for multiple selection (control click)
  • Added support for moving / cloning / texturing / rotating multiple brushes
  • Added me_snapangle.
  • Added me_rotate_dec / me_rotate_inc to allow rotation of selection (numpad +/-)
  • Added support for rotating selections (both brushes and entities)

Meshes:
  • Added ivy
  • Added rubble

Updated Maps:
  • cpm21
  • dp4
  • dp5
  • tephra
  • f14p1


In another piece of "news" recently at the European Speedster Assembly, Quake I speed-runner Elgu was spotted brandishing his Reflex t-shirt, in front of some 10, 000 + twitch viewers. He posted a respectable time in Quake I with some hypnotic strafes, hops, and rocket jumps.


Links: icon_rflx Official Reflex Website, icon_rflx Official Announcement Thread, icon_irc #reflex