Commanders,

A major update for Cantata, Orbital Drop 0.5, has just gone live on Steam. With this update, you can experience more stories in the world of Shoal as either Human, Alien, or Machine faction. A major Quality of Life (QoL) function has also been added, per community request. You can now multi-select units and command a group of units all at once! Furthermore, the AI has been improved across all campaign chapters, along with bug fixes and additional QoL improvements.

We hope you enjoy this drop and all the new chapters and features it brings. If you have any feedback, feel free to reach out on our Discord server!

See you in the field!

Major Features

• THREE new campaign chapters:
• Chapter 4 - The Prophet
• Chapter 5 - He Carves the Dream
• Chapter 6 - Vashti
• Significant AI Improvement across all campaign chapters (prepare for a fight)
• Multi-Select function so you can batch command your units*

• Ctrl + dragging allows you to select multiple units in a box.
• Ctrl + clicking a unit adds it to the multiselect.
• Moving the mouse with multi-selected units will preview the possible actions.
• Press Q to switch between move mode and attack mode.
• Clicking will execute the intended command.
• For attacking, the minimum number of attacks required to destroy a target (if the target can be destroyed with the selected units) will be used when multiple units attack the same target. This means that if you have five units that deal 2 damage each and you attack a single unit with 4 health, only two of your selected units will perform the attack action, which saves your attack moves.

Gameplay Bug Fixes and QoL Improvements:

• Fixed an issue where pressure was improperly displayed in the region UI.
• Fixed an issue where the game would break on new maps if autosave was set to 1-turn increments.
• Fixed a bug with spawning tower transport.
• General performance enhancements.
• WIP - Temporary new UI paintover.
• WIP - New skill icons for unit abilities.
• Fixed an issue with save file size bloating.
• Fixed issues with turns progressing even though the game was over.
• More portraits for new campaign maps.
• Attacking invulnerable units no longer levels up a unit.
• Save panel loads much faster.
• Fixed bugs that emerged from units that were previewed to be attacked dying.
• Prevented supply icons in the region UI from moving around while clicking them.
• Fixed a build item tooltip issue where multiple options for the same interactable type were showing the same costs even if they were different.
• Fixed the region storage of three digits from wrapping.
• Unit animations offset at the start to make things not look weirdly in sync.
• Region UI updated to better show pressure situation/control.

Audio:

• Unit attack/damage sounds are now spatialised (more coming!).
• Multiple tweaks and new music for new chapter maps.

Map Editor:

• Added the ability to duplicate objectives.
• Clicking on a selected objective for a trigger action or condition will navigate to that objective.
• Conditionless triggers now attempt to be executed when enabled, on any player turn start, or after any player action.
• Triggers with only variable conditions will now get submitted for possible execution on any player turn start or after any player action.
• Fixed an issue with spawn type in location not working.
• Generating a new map changes the filename on the loaded map to not be the one brought in.
• Added in save confirmation for the map editor.
• Added the ability to easily duplicate stamps.
• Keep the last save of a scenario editor map as .backup if you overwrite it.
• The delete key will delete units.
• Can set starting heading of units.
• Locations and triggers can now be grouped into categories for easy sorting.