Greetings Party Animals! Your feedback is super important to us. We'll be regularly picking some of the most common questions and answering them right here on the forums. Hope this helps clear things up and makes your gaming experience even better!
1. "I thought Cabbage Dog would never return? Does this mean other limited items will come back too?"
When we said Cabbage Dog was leaving "for good", it was due to the expiration of the original collaboration period with the IP partner. At the time, we didn’t know if a return would be possible. We used this wording to ensure players wouldn’t miss out if it never came back, but we understand it caused confusion, and we’re sorry for that!
Here’s an important clarification: the return of collaboration-based outfits, like Cabbage Dog, isn’t solely up to us. These decisions involve negotiations with the IP partner regarding whether and how the collaboration can resume. This is different from items like battlepass rewards or other exclusives (for example, Goo Goo!), where we set the rules about availability. We’ve promised that special battlepass outfits and other outfits won’t return, and we stand by that to ensure fairness for players who earned or purchased them during specific periods. At the same time, we are always looking for ways to improve future events when possible to try to reduce the feeling of FOMO in-game!
That said, the overwhelming support for Cabbage Dog’s return led us to reach out to the IP partner, and the outlook is promising. If it returns, both the original and golden variants will be available, and the collaboration will last three months, after which the outfit will leave the store again. A potential return in the future depends on two factors: community interest and the possibility of renewing the collaboration, so there's no guarantee. If there are any other past IP collab outfits you’d love to see return, let us know!
2. "For IP Collab outfits, please keep them on the shelves for a few months, they seem to leave very quickly."
Thanks for the feedback! 😊 IP Collab outfits are in the store for a while but on a rotational basis, so they come and go. Keep an eye on the store!
3. "Do you plan to rework the character selection UI? It's a bit hard to scroll through."
Currently, we’re working on a new feature that will complement the favorite/pin option, randomizing!
With the 'random' option, it will choose a random outfit from your collection, so if you’re looking for something new, it’s got you covered.
For picking something specific you love, the current favorite/pin option should do the trick.
Give it a try when we release it, and let us know what you think!
4. "I'm only level 60, but I keep getting matched with level 100 players."
Matching is based on MMR (Matchmaking Rating) rather than player level, as level doesn’t directly reflect a player’s skill. If you’re frequently matched with high-level players, it could be because you’re quite skilled yourself!
Improving the matchmaking experience is a long-term priority for us, and we’ll continue to optimize it.
5. "The current physics system feels very different. Did you change it entirely?"
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback recently about the physics and gameplay mechanics. We truly appreciate everyone's passion for the game, and I want to take this opportunity to clarify some points about the physics system and address your concerns.
First, let’s address the big question: has the physics changed?
The answer is yes and no.
Earlier this year, we made changes to combat macro abuse. These included but aren't limited to:
- Adding a wind-up and cooldown for heavy punches and jump kicks.
- Disabling macro-only input combinations.
- Adding a very short cooldown for heavy punches, requiring a reset period before the next attack.
- Increasing stamina drain for certain advanced, macro-able moves (not including heavy punches/jump kicks).
Since then, we’ve also introduced changes to improve gameplay and protect newer players, but these changes shouldn’t significantly affect how combat feels:
- Players are immune to being knocked out for a short time after spawning.
- Players have a very brief invincibility window when recovering from being knocked out.
- Optimized wall climbing - wall climbing is now slightly faster compared to the launch version.
- Button mashing can speed up waking up, but inputs are capped to prevent macro abuse for instant wake-ups.
We had no intention of changing the physics system as a whole or making the game feel more random.
After implementing a functional macro detection and reporting system, we reverted changes #1-2. The physics system is now closely aligned with its launch state, and we plan to revert #3 once the macro detection system is further perfected.
Why does the gameplay feel different now?
Despite the physics system being nearly identical to the launch version, several factors may influence how the game feels:
- Player improvement: Early on, many players were still figuring out the controls and mechanics, leading to greater variability in gameplay. For example, many players were standing still, whereas in many of the videos you’ve shared with us, they’re now in motion, performing sprints and rolls. The change in player movement can influence how hits land and how force is applied.
- Personal growth as a player: With more experience, players tend to notice subtleties in the mechanics that might not have been apparent before.
These factors, combined with other factors that influence how the physics system works, might make missed attacks feel like they’re due to changes, even when they’re not. This can lead to some perceived gameplay differences.
What influences physics in the game?
Party Animals is a physics-based game, meaning many variables affect the outcome of attacks and interactions, such as:
- Attack timing: Different phases of your punch or kick will yield varying results.
- Distance and positioning: The range at which you strike affects the force applied.
- Stamina levels: Low stamina can reduce the power of your hits.
- Impact location: Different parts of the opponent’s body take varying amounts of damage and force.
- Relative movement and speed: Momentum from movement can amplify or dampen the effects of your attacks. For example, if a player is running away from you at the same speed and in the same direction as your attack, the attack will be less effective.
What are we doing next?
While the physics system is close to the same as our launch version, we’ve received consistent feedback that it feels inconsistent, random, or different. If this feedback reflects a shared experience across the board, then it’s valid and something we want to evaluate. Here's what we plan to do:
- We’ll continue internal testing to confirm that everything is functioning as intended.
- Reverting the cooldown for heavy punches (#3 above) once the macro detection system is perfected.
- We’ll review the current physics system to explore whether we can make adjustments to make attacks more predictable or intuitive.
This is the first time we’re providing some details about how the physics system works! We hope it offers some clarity about why certain interactions behave the way they do in-game. However, since Party Animals is a physics-driven game, some level of unpredictability is natural and may still occur. We'll continue to improve on the system as well. Thanks everyone for your patience and support so far!
Previous Issues
Party Animals Player Q&A | Issue 4
Party Animals Player Q&A | Issue 3
Party Animals Player Q&A | Issue 2
Party Animals Player Q&A | Issue 1
