October 2019 patch
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The October 2019 Update was an update for Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville released on October 1st, 2019.
Dev Notes
Hello Founding Neighbors! It’s been a fun ride recently with all our Founding Neighbors (those who purchased the Founder’s Edition, that is), and we’re in the fifth week of dropping content during the Founders program -- so don’t forget to keep playing! While the Founder’s Edition is now unavailable for those who haven’t yet picked it up, launch is right around the corner on October 18! Before the wackiest plant-on-zombie conflict blooms everywhere, though, we wanted to take a few moments to say thanks and detail all that we’ve unveiled, tweaked, and twisted with the latest update. And, we want to give a giant thanks to all who took part as a Founding Neighbor – your help and support not only drives us but helps us into making Battle for Neighborville! Now let’s dig into the detail.
Full Patch Notes
Key New Features Turned On – Now Available for Founding Neighbors
- Enabled Town Center Zombie Region.
- Added 4v4 Battle Arena game mode.
- Started the Lawn of Doom Festival and Prize Map.
- Enabled Daily, Weekly, and Character challenges.
Characters
- Added friend or foe outline to better communicate enemies to players – togglable in settings.
- Added Signature Sound to burrowing Chompers to alert nearby zombies to their presence – players will now have a more audible cue for when being chased by a burrowed Chomper.
- Improved Chomper run/landing animation to reduce stretching.
- Added bullet drag to allow faster speeds from projectile launch and slow down projectiles as they get to max range.
- Improved sprinting audio to amplify footsteps.
- Added audio to Sonic Swarm when tracking towards characters.
- Fixed some characters having invisible weapons.
- Fixed missing impact audio sounds for several weapons and abilities.
- Fixed missing hit escalation sounds when shooting with Rose/Space Cadet.
- Fixed double Goatify abilities being present when using Goatify with Rose.
- Created VFX to highlight Sunflower/Peashooter when in more powerful rooted state so they can’t hide in shadows.
- Added setting to tune Cactus/Captain Deadbeard ADS Scope sensitivity.
Character Tuning
Night Cap
Spore Strike
- Added bullet drag to projectile (not true)
- ▲ (unlisted) Increased spread decrease per second from 8 to 11
- ▲ (unlisted) Increased projectile speed from 150 m/s to 225 m/s
Shadow Sneak
- ▼ Increased 0.6 second delay of other abilities when leaving ability
- ▼ Increased cooldown from 12 - 14 seconds
- ▼ Reactivate delay increased 1.5 - 2 seconds
Fung Fu
- Flask VFX added when activating for better visual tell
- ▼ Total damage from 210 - 250
- ▼ Reduce number of times damage is applied 7 crit and 19 regular - 6 crit and 15 regular
- ▼ Final blow damage reduced from 40 - 24
- ▼ Final blow area of effect reduced from 5 - 3m
- ▼ You can no longer jump during the wind up phase
- ▼ Reduced radius
- ▼ Increased delay of other abilities when leaving ability from 0.4 - 1.1s
- ▲ Removed delay after button input
Kernel Corn
Cob Busters
- ▲ Increased Cob Busters damage from 3.4 - 3.86
- ▲ Increased rate of fire from 600 - 650 RPM
- ▲ Increased projectile speed
- (unlisted) Increased projectile speed from 550 m/s to 800 m/s
Butter Beacon
- ▲ Projectile gravity decreased from 25 - 10 m/s
- ▼ Decreased projectile velocity from 40 - 32 m/s (not true, see below)
- Decreased to 35 m/s
Husk Hop
- ▲ Increased distance covered from 11 - 14 m
Shuck Shot
- ▲ Delay removed
- ▲ Fix issue with firing speed penalty lasting longer than intended
Oak and Acorn
Shell Shot
- ▲ Increased damage from 3.89 - 4.8
- ▲ Bullet spread per shot rate decreased 1.8 - 1.65
- ▲ (unlisted) Increased projectile speed from 227.5 m/s to 500 m/s
- ▼ (unlisted) Increased recoil increase per shot while zoomed from 0.04 to 0.1
- ▲ (unlisted) Increased recoil decrease per second while zoomed from 5 to 15
Treetop Turret
- ▲ Increased damage from 2.04 - 3.25
- ▼ Decreased rate of fire from 1000 - 800 RPM
- ▲ Heat per bullet rate decreased 0.2 - 0.18
Wood Grief
- ▲ Impact damage increased from 8.8 - 16.8
- ▼ Splash damage decreased from 20 - 12
Super Sap Trap
- ▼ Projectile velocity decreased from 45 - 37 m/s
- ▼ Blast radius decreased from 8 - 7m
- Increased fuse time from 0.1 - 0.35
- ▼ Added delay between detonating Super Sap Trap and firing Wood Grief
- ▼ Increased detonation time
Invoke Oak
- ▼ Increased transformation time from 3 - 4s
- ▼ Removed health regeneration while transforming
- ▼ 20s cooldown added after first transformation
Treeject
- ▼ Reduced launch height from 14 - 5.5m
Rose
Goatify
- ▲ Removed 0.2s delay between using ability and firing Magic Thistles
S-Cape Upgrade
- ▲ Fix movement multiplier to be 15% increase in all directions
Arcane Enigma
- ▲ Shorter activation animation
Chomper
Burrow
- ▲ Removed delay after button input
- Improved audio for enemy recognition
Peashooter
Pea Gatling
- ▲ Removed delay when exiting ability
- New VFX to communicate Pea Gatling to enemies
Pea Suped
- ▲ Fix camera not aiming properly when on the ground
Snapdragon
Blue Blazes
- ▲ Increased projectile speed from 18 - 20 m/s
- ▲ Increased max turn angle from 120 - 125
- ▲ Increased damage from 75 - 125
- ▲ Projectile lifetime increased from 8 - 10s
- ▼ Increased cooldown from 10 - 17s
- ▲ Fix projectile not flying straight when it doesn’t have a homing target
Sunflower
Sun Pulse
- ▲ Increased damage from 4.85 - 5.85
Sunny Side Up
- ▲ Increased health gained from individual sundrops from 2 - 2.5
- ▲ Ability now has a healing area of effect
Sunbeam
- New VFX to communicate Sunbeam to enemies
Citron
Juice Cannon
- ▲ Increased damage from 2 - 2.55
Peel Shield
- ▲ Removed 0.2s deploy delay
- ▲ Reactivate deploy time decreased from 0.5 - 0.3
- ▲ Removed back pedal speed modifier
- ▼ Reduced XP rate from 50 XP/25 damage blocked - 10 XP/25 damage blocked
E.M.Peach
- ▲ Increased projectile speed from 18 - 55 m/s
- ▼ Increased projectile gravity
- ▼ Added delay between firing E.M.Peach and firing Juice Cannon
80s Action Hero
Rocket Ride
- ▲ Increased blast radius from 1.6 - 1.8 m
- ▼ Reduced impact damage from 10 - 8
- ▲ Increased splash damage from 10 - 12
- ▲ (unlisted) Increased shockwave damage from 4.5 to 4.75
Leg Day Upgrade
- ▲ Fix camera that was not hooked up properly
Bow Blaster (unlisted)
- ▲ Increased projectile speed of small arrows from 325 m/s to 550 m/s
- ▲ Increased projectile speed of medium arrows from 425 m/s to 550 m/s
- ▲ Increased projectile speed of large arrows from 715 m/s to 850 m/s
Dynamite Dodge (unlisted)
- ▼ Increased weapon switchback delay from 0.2s to 1.1s
Captain Deadbeard
Barrel Blast
- ▲ Removed delay after button input
- ▲ Reduced time between activation and being able to light fuse 2.5 - 1.25s
Foot Soldier
Z-1 Assault Blaster
- ▲ Increased rate of fire from 520 - 550 RPM
- ▲ Increased damage from 3.95 - 4.4
- ▲ Increased projectile speed
- (unlisted) Increased from 715 m/s to 850 m/s
Super Stink Cloud
- ▲ Increased projectile velocity from 22 - 35 m/s
Rocket Jump
- ▲ Improved responsiveness of Rocket Jump
- ▲ Decreased wind up delay from 0.15 - 0.1s
Z-Mech
Robo Laser
- ▲ Fix issue with projectile not maintaining damage at distance
Explosive Escape
- Fix issue with projectile being visible for a few frames
Super Brainz
Alpha Better Shield
- ▲ Removed 0.2s deploy time
- ▲ Reactivate deploy time decreased from 0.5 - 0.3s
Reach Upgrade
- ▼ Increased charge time for max charge fist from 0.6 - 1.5s
All-Star
Football Canon
- ▲ Increased damage from 4.75 - 6.4
- ▲ Increased projectile speed
- (unlisted) Increased projectile speed from 425 m/s to 620 m/s
Imp Punt
- ▲ Reduced fuse time from 0.675 - 0.4s
- ▲ Increased blast radius from 2.75 - 3.2m
Sprint Tackle
- ▲ Football Canon priming time after successful hit reduced from 0.9 - 0.675
Electric Slide
Outta Fight!
- ▲ Removed delay after button input
Disco Tornado
- Improved detonation audio
Space Cadet
Bullseye upgrade
- Fix Big Bang Beam not refreshing properly
Efficiency Upgrade
- ▲ Increased upgrade effectiveness: Lvl 1: 2.5 - 2.0 reload time Lvl 2: 2.5 - 1.5 reload time Lvl 3: 2.5 - 1.0 reload time
Scientist
Healing Hose
- Improved animation
UI Changes
- Added Character Class info to reward pop up for better context of who reward is for
- Added ability to skip reward presentation for Reward-o-tron-rewards to speed things up
- Added improvements to the Reward Images for customization items
- Fixed issues where incorrect expression was being displayed
- Fixed issue with expressions ellipses appearing over player head and unable to clear it
- Fixed some issues with equipping upgrades
Modes
- Improved audio awareness of when objectives being captured in Gnome Bomb/Suburbination
- Increased Multiplayer Mode Coin Rate to be more in line with Free Roam earn rate
Ops:
- Complete returning of ops waves and pacing
- Shortened time it takes to complete each wave
- Fixed some issues with AI navigation
- Added Elite Boss Waves
Turf Takeover:
- Objective Time Tuning
- Tweaked Spawn Positions
- Minigame tuning
Free Roam Region
- Collected Gnome Race gnomes now show up as ghosted once completed
- Adjusted difficulty in several quests, gnome challenges, and hunts
- Improved compass navigation in a few oddball areas
- Chest reward pop ups now prioritized over reward level up to reduce sight blocking rewards in event player also levels up
- Fixed some exploits in Regions relating to using key items in split screen
- Fixed some issues with medal awarding
- Fixed some NIS issues
- Adjusted XP earn rate in Battle Chest events
- Improved VFX for mouseflies for improved readability
- Tuned down the difficulty on some of the harder Battle Chest Challenges
Stability Improvements
- Made improvements to split screen stability
- Made Netcode improvements – reducing the bandwidth AI was taking in Free roam regions
- Made general improvements to online connectivity
PC
- Added support for toggleable Anti Aliasing in Settings
- Added HDR support, allowing players to enable/disable in Settings
- Added video settings for cloth as well as volumetrics
Other unlisted changes
- ▼ Mindblower's explosion no longer vanquishes enemies with high HP (e.g. Treasure Yeti or Captain Featherbrainz) in one hit. This effectively disables exploits that made unlocking certain medals easier (e.g. Top Dog or For the Birds).
- Fixed a bug where the Spore-ratic upgrade does not affect Night Cap's performance.
- Spore-ratic's description has been changed from increased rate of fire to increased projectile speed.
- Leveling Up upgrade:
- ▲ Reduced cost from 3 to 2.
- ▼ Reduced XP earn increase from 25% to 10%.
- ▼ Removed the ability to bypass/farm Queenigma bounty hunt by pushing her into the lake with Electric Slide's Funky Bouncer ability; doing that after this update will not push her at all.
- The ability icons for Grody Goop and Casting Shadows were changed.