Constructive feedback:
- Not really a fan of power-ups being available right as the match starts. Any experienced player will immediately try to drop down on it, which leads to who it's being awarded to being a bit of a coin toss if two players or more aim for the exact same one. There being multiple power-ups around for most arenas doesn't really solve the problem either. It doesn't fit with the game's mechanical precision and it'd be less of a senseless mad scramble if they spawned 10 - 15 seconds (random number) after the round has been initiated.
- Speaking of: I'm not really convinced if keeping them random is a good idea. There have been moments where throughout a round I'd be awarded a lone, particular power-up that's not well-suited to my blob class of choice. Including some freak occurrences where it'd happen as often as three times in a row! This anecdotal example will be up for debate of course, but Magnet on a Striker is nowhere near as valuable as Magnet on the Speedster (with its ammo-hungry shotgun) or the gunner-esque class. A kneejerk compromise could be having players choose a preferred ability on top of a class, or have X power-up be tied to Y class, since those by themselves won't change the underlying area control dynamic.
- I'd also appreciate seeing the power-up icons above the player if they possess one. Not sure if only temporarily so? You can see what it is just fine up-close when it's still up for grabs, but from afar it's indiscernible what someone may have picked up, which as a result makes baiting out the more offensively oriented ones awkward with how the ideal defensive approach effectively becomes a guessing game. IF they're even awarded an attack-based power-up to begin with!
- Not keen on the smallest arenas for full lobbies specifically. For sessions with let's say only 4 players they're entirely fine, but they're too basic in design to support refined teamwork dynamics with bigger groups. It'd be nice if the matchmaking infrastructure decides which map rotates after everyone readies up, since the opposite of the aforementioned holds true as well, but I'm ignorant on whether this'll be practical to pull off. Just a minor 'annoyance,' mind you.
- Maybe give the ammo giblets a more pronounced color or hue? Kind of hard to notice sometimes, such as in the desert arenas.
- Deformers needs a crab! Hippo as well!
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Really fun game though! I was surprised at an appropriate amount of depth existing in how the mechanics and physics flow together, which certainly makes for some skilful-looking antics if you try to outsmart / -play someone who knows what he's doing. Very responsive, ample counter-play, the features for the replays are legitimately cool, hits feel satisfying (basic 'gunfire' not so much outside of the shotgun) and audiovisually clean too. The latter is especially welcome and much needed for a multiplayer title; it's a very readable game once you know what's what and intuitively spotting someone who's low on health from afar thanks to those band-aids (rather than tacky health bars or reticule hit markers) is a nice touch.
5) Push-to-talk
is supported already - we honor whatever key and setting you have made in Steam, as the game uses Steam API as the backend for VOIP. I guess we should mention it somewhere...
I'd rather have the game control this plus default to push-to-talk honestly, for a number of reasons:
A) Unlike the Steam UI to my knowledge, this could allow players to map the function to a controller button.
B) Most players initially weren't even aware of their open microphone or even care to configure their Steam settings differently if they are.
C) It won't make it so that you have to choose between hearing no one at all if voice chat is disabled entirely, or wanting to communicate but still enduring bad apples.
D) Futzing around to mute someone in the middle of a match just takes you out of it anyways with a fast-paced game like this.
Also, in this beta build there was a bug where someone being muted would be undone if that person swapped colors / teams.