Small patch! Overall, I'm personally really happy with where Blackbeak is. So, I want to clarify: 1) Feel free to ping me at any time for questions, feedback, or really anything Blackbeak. I won't always respond in a timely way, but I'll try and respond. Don't feel bad- I've disabled Discord notifications. I'll see it when I see it! 2) I want Blackbeak to be fun (and to a lesser degree fair) to fight against. I just haven't had the time nor the opportunity to fight against my own monster yet. If anybody has experience with this, I'd love to see it. 3) I do not have plans for a Final Smash. I do plan on finishing the final four additions to Rivals, but it's not a priority, and I want to do it with a level of quality. Please only ask about this topic if you have a suggestion or a fresh idea. Luckily, nobody's been annoying about this. Thank you for being understanding! 4) I do not have plans for Runes. I might sneak a few experiments in there, but they aren't a priority or a concern. Okay, here are the changes: - Touched up some of the menu art. It looks a little cleaner. - Fixed a small issue where Blackbeak couldn't move while perching. // If Blackbeak had no hsp, you couldn't move on the perch. // This was stupid, was inconsistent, and felt bad. // Removing jank one thing at a time, I guess! DSPECIAL: It's all about the backfire and when it triggers. - The backfire now triggers if Blackbeak gets hit with a full charge // This is the state when you can fire the shotgun but it isn't 'loaded'; // Because you can fire the shotgun, it's only fair you become vulnerable. // It's when Blackbeak has a white outline. - The backfire now triggers if Blackbeak gets hit during the startup // This wouldn't trigger the backfire before because the variable was // set once the attack was entered. // Between this and the change before, the shotgun can now backfire // from the moment Blackbeak charges the gun to the moment it fires. // This is more in line with what players are expecting when they throw // out a move. - Bug fix: Made the backfire trigger more consistently. // There were times where hitting Blackbeak while the shotgun is loaded // wouldn't trigger the backfire. I couldn't replicate it in training // mode, but it happened, and I changed the code, and now it doesn't // appear to happen from what I've been testing. USPECIAL: - Further decreased anchor velocity (45 -> 40) // This is another effective range decrease. // Blackbeak should have to get closer to use the anchor. His recovery // is still hard to edgeguard if you can't get on top of him while he's // spinning the anchor itself. // I want Blackbeak to have a difficult time in disadvantage, as // perching does a LOT for neutral and advantage. (This is also // why perches break if you try to grab them while in hitstun or while // airdodging.) Making the recovery more punishable is a sure-fire way // to make disadvantage more punishing. // I'll work on a way to make the anchor's trajectory and range more obvious // in-game. Being able to see exactly how far it's going to go would // really help recovery, edgeguarding, and rebalancing. I'll just have to // break out good old calculus. - Added a small vfx for hooking onto anything // More visual feedback for an action which was otherwise mostly // communicated with an audio cue. You could use the motion of the anchor, // but adding a distinct flair helps readability.

Ooops! All nerfs!! (It's actually just *mostly* nerfs..) This update is focused on two main things: 1) Improving Readability // This entails hangtime, visual effects, and slowing things down. 2) Removing the viability of camping and stalling. STATS: - Reduced Perch Exit Speed: 0.7x -> 0.6x; (around 14% reduction) // This is a multiplier on the Velocity when leaving a perch. - Reduced Perch Accel Multiplier: 1.6 -> 1.4 (12.5% reduction) // This is a multiplier on the Acceleration while on a perch // The above two changes are both noticeable but also easy to adjust to. // The rationale is as such: // 1) Slowing down improve sthe readability and reactability of the // movement as a whole. // 2) The best uses of Blackbeak's movement have never been its full // capabilities of speed. Trimming these capabilities only reduces // the bullshit and accidental SD's. // 3) There are still ways to get speed from perches. All of which // require micropositioning and a fuller understanding of how // perches work. // Trimming these stats make it easier to play around for everyone. // However.. I don't really want to go much further than this with these // multipliers. If more needs to be done to improve readability, // I cannot reduce these stats much more without sacrificing what makes // Blackbeak a fun character to use. // To put it bluntly, I'd have to approach it with design and not numbers. - Increased pratfall landing lag: 3 -> 12 // Grappling onto the ground with USPECIAL was basically free. // Pair that with the hitbox and the speed, it was not okay. // This should bring it more in line with other characters' landing lag. + Decreased Waveland Friction: 0.5 -> 0.3 // This lengthens Blackbeak's wavedash into a more standard size. // His wavedash was shorter to make the movement more focused on // perches. This is a response to lowering the perch speeds. + Decreased Ground Friction: 0.5 -> 0.4 // This helps Blackbeak maintain the speed he gets. FSPECIAL: - Decreased Cut Projectile Hitstun Multiplier: 1.0 -> 0.7 // This was intended to be done last patch, I just forgot. // See said patch for the reasoning behind this adjustment. + Increased Melee Knockback Scaling : 0.5 -> 0.55 // This is a small change to make the anchor itself kill better offstage. // FSPECIAL could kill off of its projectile before, so I'm moving a bit // of that into its melee instead. USPECIAL: - Decreased Anchor Velocity: 50 -> 45 // This is effectually a range decrease. // Blackbeak was able to easily grapple the stage from offscreen. // This tones that capability back a small bit. - Added 9 Frames before hooking will send Blackbeak out. // I didn't want to make the main spin of USPECIAL longer. // It freezes his momentum for 9 frames after hooking, and then // continues onward as normal. Because USPECIAL is start-and-stop // already, I think it's an improvement in the feel and readability. // It definitely feels more like a hook-then-pull, which is great. - Added a visual arrow showing where Blackbeak is currently aiming. // This is to improve readability and visual feedback, especially for // the one playing Blackbeak. DSPECIAL: - Made the outermost hitbox of DSPECIAL appear orange in hitbox view. // This hitbox has polite knockback- meaning it functionally deals // 4 damage and and enables someone to parry the move without // being in its kill range. This change makes that distinction // clearer. This move has been reworked on a fundamental level. The shotgun, in its release iteration, incentivised camping and, once loaded, exerted pressure by existing. This rework aims to acheive two goals: 1) make it charging it require setup or resources 2) disincentivise camping and stalling If you've 100% a Metroid game before, this rework is mechanically similar to those games' Shinespark. The move works as follows: - Pressing DSPECIAL will now have Blackbeak hold the shotgun towards the floor. - Charge the shotgun by scraping across the ground while in this state. // You can't move while in the state; use the perches to get some motion! - This state can be JUMPED and DODGED out of. - Once Blackbeak's outline is white, Press ATTACK to fire the gun, or JUMP to load it and move about the stage. // You can also press SHIELD to cancel and lose the charge. - The movement mechanics of the loaded shotgun is identical to before. // This means no dash, djump, airdodge, parry, or roll. - If Blackbeak gets hit at all, or if 5 seconds pass without the shotgun getting fired, its full firepower will backfire on Blackbeak. // You can't stall with this shotgun. Load the gun and use it fast. // You can't tank with this shotgun. Use the gun or get gunned. MISC: - Recolored various Alts. // IMO: // Some of the colors were bad. Now some are better. // Overall, they are less over-saturated and more pleasing. - Some alts now have custom flag colors for the perches. // E.g.: The gold alt replaces all of them with a golden sheen. // I'll get around to giving every alt custom flags when or if I feel like it. // No promises. - Added a directional 'hit effect' for leaving a perch. // This improves readability, especially if Blackbeak is in your periphery. - Added a sparkle 'hit effect' for grabbing a perch. // This was done to improve readability.

NSPECIAL: - Fixed a bug where perched NSPECIAL would not destroy a damaged perch upon use. DSPECIAL: - Added new shotgun animations while loaded // This was in the works for a hot minute // I really like how it turned out- this is much more what I envisioned, visually speaking. // These include an idle, jump, walk, grabbing, and hitstun. - The outline now only flashes once when first getting loaded // The flashing existed because there was otherwise no visual // difference between a Blackbeak with a loaded shotgun // and a Blackbeak without one. Now that there are // special sprites, the flash only exists to make it clearer // that the gun has been successfully loaded.

FSPECIAL - Projectile - Raised Angle 30 -> 60 - Decreased Base Knockback 8 -> 6 - Increased Base hitpause 3 -> 6 - Increased Hitpause Scaling .2 -> .5 // The projectile was incredibly powerful for how easy it was to throw out. // This tones it back significantly, and makes the power more in line with the visuals. NAIR: - Added an extra startup frame // this was added to distinguish when the hitbox comes out UAIR: - Reworked hitboxes to better match the smears. // It was a bit confusing when Blackbeak would hit a player with *nothing* - Made the hurtbox continuous // This makes the hurtbox not include parts of UAIR's smear frame. UTILT: - Fixed a strange sprite issue // For some reason, Blackbeak's leg went missing. This has been fixed. - Removed smears from the hurtbox // I'll be going through the various moves and removing smears from hurtboxes as is standard in base cast. USTRONG: - Increased startup : 10 -> 14 - Increased hitpause scaling : 0.01 -> 0.5 // This was done to better reflect the size & power of the move - Descreased active window length : 10 -> 3 - Increased whifflag window length : 10 (15) -> 15 (22) // This fixes the discrepency between the hitbox and the sprite, while also giving more penalty in whifflag DSTRONG: - Increased startup : 8 (5 + 3) -> 11 (6 + 5) - Base Knockback : 4 -> 7 - Knockback Scaling : 1.2 -> 1.1 - Damage : 13 -> 10 - Increased hitpause scaling: 0.1 -> 0.5 // These changes bring DSTRONG more in line with the other strongs in terms of power, timing, and damage. - Both Hitboxes last 5 frames each, for a total of 10 frames of active frames. // This fixes the discrepency between the hitbox and the sprite - Fixed a missing Hurtbox frame // For some reason, the last frame of DSTRONG was completely absent on the hurtbox. This has been fixed. FSTRONG: - Reduced Damage : 16 -> 11 - Increased Hitpause Scaling : 0.1 -> 0.5 // For the range and disjoint, the uncharged damage was a little too good. NSPECIAL: - Added buffers to make the perched variant more consistent. // You can now press NSPECIAL 6 frames before or after perching and still trigger the perched NSPECIAL.

Reworked DTILT - Blackbeak now does a sweep in front of him instead of behind him - Damage reduced; 13 -> 7 - Angle changed: 80 -> 95 - Startup reduced: 8 -> 6 // You had to work to get any benefit from Blackbeak's old DTILT. It was niche, but // probably a little too niche for a tilt. // The angle change is effectually the same as before (pulling towards Blackbeak). // However, despite the angle being technically less aggressive, it's more useful because // the hitbox is in front of the player. // This is a way bigger buff than I'd thought it would be, but I rather like the way it works. // // Cheers!

**** -Removed the sloppy interaction with FSPECIAL when perched; it now only cuts the perch without giving velocity. // Not only was this entirely useless, it also didn't feel natural, intuitive, or intentional. // So I removed this "workshop moment" interaction; In retrospect I don't know why it was there at all. **** - Added two frames to the dash animation // Most base cast characters use 8 frames for a running animation, and the run animation was one of the first I drew. // So, I added a couple frames. I think it looks just a bit better. - Added two frames to the perch idle animation (the sprite shown while idling on a perch now has two extra frames) // This helps ease the difference between the 'still' and 'moving' parts of the idle **** // In the near future, I think I'll ask about feedback for how to help make Blackbeak fun to fight *against*. // Considering that I have only played one match against someone playing my own creation, // I think it's worth asking about. // But I'll wait until I've gotten into the groove of the new semester to do so. // Cheers!

- Fixed an issue where grappling velocity would not get clamped if in hitpause while the grapple ends. // The velocity when coming out of Uspecial is clamped to prevent Blackbeak from flying into the blastzone. If Blackbeak landed the melee hit right as the grapple ends, the velocity would not get clamped, leading to a lovely "workshop moment". - Standardized the shotgun cooldown to 6 seconds. (360 frames) // Previously, firing would lead to 2 seconds (120 frames) and death would lead to 8 seconds (480 frames). It was too easy to exclusively use the shotgun for edgeguards, and the death cooldown felt too harsh. - Added a HUD element which indicates when the shotgun is on cooldown. // This is for clarity on when Blackbeak is able to charge the shotgun. - The projectile from a cut perch now has a small visual aura around it when active. // The cut perch looked identical when cut, which meant that it didn't look dangerous. The aura should help communicate the danger. - Filled in a missing pixel on the crouch animation // I don't know how a hole appeared in the parrot. Maybe he wasn't careful with the shotgun.

- Fixed an issue where the Uspecial hitbox would linger if Blackbeak perched out of Uspecial - Uspecial hitbox now spawns when the anchor hooks onto something, and despawns when the anchor is no longer pulling Blackbeak. In other words, it exists for the entire duration of the pull, but only for the duration of the pull.