Hi Everyone,

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas! Today we launched update #89 with a large list of additions, improvements and fixes to many aspects of Cue Club 2. A big thank you to the Steam community for your support this year by sharing valuable ideas and feedback, and we hope you enjoy these latest enhancements to the game. Full details listed below.

CONTROLS

• Improved range of viewing angles when walking around the table, by adding an adjustable centre of rotation for the first person camera. Position the aiming target to the desired 'pivot point' then click the middle mouse button to zoom out. Use the mouse to spin the camera left or right, with the pivot point marked by a small white dot. Roll the mouse wheel to zoom in or out, and press the middle mouse button to return to the cueing position.

• In addition to above, the round aiming target now keeps its position when the middle mouse button is clicked to zoom out from the table and clicked again to return back.

• Added a new menu option to support dual monitor setup which limits the mouse pointer to the edges of the game window. See 'Options > Controls > Advanced Settings'. On page 3 there is a setting labelled 'Mouse Movement' which can be toggled between 'Unrestricted' and 'Restricted to screen'. The default option is unrestricted.

• When using the 'Manual' cue control setting, the default power reading for a break shot is now the same value as set in the options. For 'Automatic' and 'Button' settings, default break shot power is 100% for pool games, and between 45-65% for snooker depending on table size.

• Fixed a controller navigation issue when switching between numbered pages on a menu.

• Fixed a controller issue that allowed the right thumbstick to rotate the horizontal cue camera angle immediately after a shot had been played.

GAMEPLAY

• Added option to set up the table in the opposite direction. See 'Options > Tables & Equipment > Tables > Global Settings > Table Orientation'. Can go left-to-right or right-to-left. Online multiplayer uses L-R setting when playing another human opponent.

• Potential fix for an issue that very occasionally caused breaks to end early in games of pool or snooker.

SNOOKER

• Further improvements made to visibility checks on red balls when determining if a player is snookered following a foul.

• The warning message to a player when two consecutive 'Foul and miss' shots have been made is now only shown if the other player clicks the 'Replace balls' button from the menu.

• A warning triangle now appears when a player has committed 2 consecutive 'Foul and miss' shots with balls replaced, where a 3rd foul would result in losing the frame.

• Default cue power on the the snooker break shot now varies for each table size, increasing in power as the table size increases. After the break shot the default power switches to the value set in preferences. See 'Options > Controls > Advanced Settings > Default Power'.

10-BALL POOL

• In the rule variations menu, rule 3 has been renamed to '10-Ball must be played last'. Please note, this option has been reversed so you may need to edit the setting or click on the 'Reset' button after the update. See 'Options > Rule Variations > 10 Ball Pool'.

• Fixed an issue where the turn ended if the player legally potted the called ball and the 10-ball was potted at the same time.

EURO 8 BALL POOL

• In the rule variations menu, the default setting for 'Nominate pocket for the 8-ball' is now off, in line with WPA and WEPF rules.

POOL (ALL VARIANTS)

• The money ball is now correctly respotted on the foot spot if potted early in the game.

• Added a warning triangle icon next to the player name in 6, 7, 9 and 10 ball pool when 2 consecutive fouls have been made and a 3rd will lead to loss of game.

• Corrected an error when playing with ball-in-hand behind the headstring following a foul by your opponent, where the aiming target did not always turn red when aiming at a ball behind the headstring.

• In SLAM mode, the cue ball is now respotted by the referee if pocketed.

A.I.

• Improved shot selection by computer players, in-particular, when deciding which colour to play next in a game of snooker.

• Potting ability of top level AI players has been improved slightly.

• Fixed an issue where very occasionally AI players would ignore an obvious pot.

• Fixed an issue where sometimes the AI would only move the cue ball a tiny amount when they have ball-in-hand at the start of a game.

GRAPHICS

• Added an option to change the colour of screen transitions (fades) between menus and the game. Can be set to either black or white, with default setting black. See 'Options > Display > Menus > Screen Transitions'.

• Added 4 more cloth colours to the start screen options ('Orange', 'Gold', 'Camel' and 'Chocolate'). See 'Initial Setup > Start Screen > Cloth Colour'.

• Fixed a graphical issue which improves the quality of rendering when running the game in a framed desktop window.

• Fixed an issue during a replay where sometimes the table would disappear in 3D mode when the replay ended or was cancelled.

• Fixed an issue where the ball nomination question mark could remain over the ball after a shot was played.

• Improved rendering of 3D overhead table lights and surrounding light haze.

• Improved rendering of spectators in theatre venues.

• Enhanced 3D rendered scene displayed after completing 'Bar Challenge'.

• In the Basement Bar, the air vents on the end wall have been restored.

• Tweaks to loading screens, logos, menus and character artwork.

MULTIPLAYER

• Fixed a network vulnerability that could cause a crash or disconnection during match setup or mid-game.

AUDIO

• The music player now automatically skips to the next track if the current music file fails to load. This should not happen during normal use, but has been added as a safeguard.

• Introduced softer fades between menu and in-game music where different volumes have been set for each zone.

• When playing in a theatre venue the audience now only applaud during a match with an opponent, and not during solo practice play.

USER INTERFACE

• Solved an issue after loading a saved practice game where the 'Restore' button on the control panel became active after entering then exiting the in-game menu.

• After loading a saved practice game of pool when all the balls are pocketed, the red 'Ball release' button is now selectable.

• Similar to above, the triangular 'Rack balls' icon is now displayed after loading a saved practice game where the balls are unracked but have been released from under the table.

• Pressing ESC or Enter when the in-game menu has been minimised, now maximises the menu.

GENERAL FIXES

• In-game leaderboards for snooker breaks and speed pool times now list records for the current year only.

• When attempting to qualify for the online leaderboards with a high break in snooker or fast speed pool time, secondary aim lines in BOTH 2D and 3D mode must now be turned off, even if you only play using one camera mode.

• Fixed an issue on the 'Player Profile' menu that would hide the text during name entry when using a language other than Global English.

• Closed a loophole where a player could save more than 1 copy of a game, allowing a shot to be 'undone' and replayed in a match.

• Saved replays no longer display the nominated pocket arrow, e.g when potting the black in 8-ball. Does not apply to instant replays where the arrow is still shown.

• Fixed an issue where deleting global game preferences failed to reset all menu options. See 'File Management > Delete Saved Data > Game Settings'.

• Small corrections to localised in-game text.

• Other minor fixes and enhancements.