The first release candidate for version 0.95 of Stomp Arena is upon us! This is a major update that brings about some major changes and improvements:

- Extrapolation

The biggest change in this version is the introduction of extrapolation for netcode. Previously, when handling moving objects online such as moving platforms and stretch blocks, the server would rewind instead of extrapolating. While this technically worked, this technique was extremely computationally expensive on the server and would lead to crashes if too many people played or if a player's ping was excessively high. With this version, the rewinding has been removed, and instead the client extrapolates the position based on previous timesteps. This has the advantage of not destroying the server and is far more accurate, and is exactly what professional video games do when handling moving platforms. In addition, the extrapolation has been applied to projectiles as well, and you can now do things that were previously impossible, such as jump on top of turtle shells in online mode.

- Parallax Backgrounds

In previous versions, all maps had a solid background color. This was rather bland and left much to be desired. To alleviate this, I have implemented parallax scrolling backgrounds to add detail to the game. There are currently three different parallax backgrounds in the new version, and more are planned for subsequent releases. The new backgrounds have made a night-and-day difference for the game. Check out the before and after pictures to see for yourself!


- Menu work
Another graphical area that has needed improvement is the in-game menus. Before, they were bland and emotionless, usually utilizing the default font and colors. This version brings many improvements to the menus, making them look more exciting and professional. The biggest improvement is arguably the main menu. Before, it was a solid background color with generic buttons, but now it has been improved significantly and reflects the retro look of the game. The blue background has been replaced with a video loop showing off the levels in the game, and the buttons have been removed in favor of a retro-style menu similar to the old Super Mario menu for the NES. The menus are still not 100% finished, and more work will be done for RC2.

- Bug fixes galore
While I can't for the life of me remember all the fixes I put into this version, needless to say, there have been at least 50+ bug fixes added. The chances of running into a bug have been minimized significantly. In particular, the dedicated server build has had lots of work done to fix pesky bugs. More fixes are planned for RC2, so stay tuned!
- Server list
The main server list has been fixed. You no longer need to share your IP Address and port with your friends for them to connect to the server. Instead. the server is automatically listed on the main server list, and your friends can connect with the click of a button. More work is planned on the server list for RC2.
- Future plans
This is only the first release candidate for 0.95 and there is lots planned for future release candidates. Here are some of what you can expect for subsequent releases: 

- The character graphics will be replaced with retro pixel art to correspond with the rest of the game.
- The last graphics that are not pixel art (i.e the flag animation) will be replaced with pixel art versions.
- More work will be done on the menus.
- A couple of new items and power-ups will appear in subsequent releases to add variety to the game.
- New item blocks and level elements will appear in subsequent updates.
- More bug fixes.

With all of this said, please join my Discord at https://discord.gg/3AUt5kt6Rw, for future updates. I still need players for this game, and if enough people join, weekly playtests can resume. If you like retro platformer games such as Mario and Sonic, this game will not disappoint, and you do not want to miss out on it! 
~ Madgunner