What changed
0 fixes4 additions3 changes0 removals
- Maps
- Performance
- UI and audio
- Gameplay
- Server
changedFor starters, the other side of the island is still not near complete. Nor is it near the end of the block out stage. To save the trouble of possibly redoing some things in the future, I will move the focus over from greyboxing to programming the rest of the story events to make sure that it coexists properly with the current layout. Changes will most likely occur.
addedWhen I started development, I had vaguely heard about the term "trimsheet". Back then it seemed intimidating, I admit, but I recently revisited the technique and realized why its so often used in the industry. Not only does it improve performance, it also makes for efficient modeling and texturing of new assets, and it can help provide players with a higher quality visuals without a major performance hit. I can see several cases where I would be able to use it, for instance the wooden building structures. In addition to the performance fixes, the structures will also be adjusted to appear more seamless.
changedThis sounds rather heavy, but I think its also necessary.
addedAs most of you have probably experienced, there have been issues with buggy AI, and still to this day I have seen some reoccuring issues. These issues have appeared due to my inexperience and my own tweaking of the marketplace assets. I have spent a lot of time trying to solve the issues by digging into the asset, (trying to fix the issue and creating two more issues down the road), and I have come to realize that for the next stage of the story, it would be more beneficial if I create the AI system from scratch. Not only that, but it will be less time consuming and will be easier to debug and add new features to the game.
changedAnd while this sounds like it would require a lot of time, I see it differently: a lot of the code that is visible in the game are basic AI functions, and a lot of the self-created code includes work arounds for the marketplace asset so that they can work together without issues. In other words, disconnecting my work from the marketplace asset shouldn't be as problematic as it sounds.
addedAs I'm writing this devlog, I have already converted half of the old system into a new one. There's still a lot of bug testing to do, but also some minor changes that I hope to share with you soon.
Friend or Foe changes
changedFor starters, the other side of the island is still not near complete. Nor is it near the end of the block out stage. To save the trouble of possibly redoing some things in the future, I will move the focus over from greyboxing to programming the rest of the story events to make sure that it coexists properly with the current layout. Changes will most likely occur.
addedWhen I started development, I had vaguely heard about the term "trimsheet". Back then it seemed intimidating, I admit, but I recently revisited the technique and realized why its so often used in the industry. Not only does it improve performance, it also makes for efficient modeling and texturing of new assets, and it can help provide players with a higher quality visuals without a major performance hit. I can see several cases where I would be able to use it, for instance the wooden building structures. In addition to the performance fixes, the structures will also be adjusted to appear more seamless.
changedThis sounds rather heavy, but I think its also necessary.
addedAs most of you have probably experienced, there have been issues with buggy AI, and still to this day I have seen some reoccuring issues. These issues have appeared due to my inexperience and my own tweaking of the marketplace assets. I have spent a lot of time trying to solve the issues by digging into the asset, (trying to fix the issue and creating two more issues down the road), and I have come to realize that for the next stage of the story, it would be more beneficial if I create the AI system from scratch. Not only that, but it will be less time consuming and will be easier to debug and add new features to the game.
changedAnd while this sounds like it would require a lot of time, I see it differently: a lot of the code that is visible in the game are basic AI functions, and a lot of the self-created code includes work arounds for the marketplace asset so that they can work together without issues. In other words, disconnecting my work from the marketplace asset shouldn't be as problematic as it sounds.
Road Ahead
What can you expect to see in the near future?
For starters, the other side of the island is still not near complete. Nor is it near the end of the block out stage. To save the trouble of possibly redoing some things in the future, I will move the focus over from greyboxing to programming the rest of the story events to make sure that it coexists properly with the current layout. Changes will most likely occur.
And while this is going on, I would also like to put some focus into improving current features that is open for all players (including those who do not wish to seek out the other side through cheats). I'm not an experienced developer and I will admit when I make mistakes so that hopefully other aspiring devs out there can learn from my faults:
Retexturing (quality of life addition - not prioritized)
When I started development, I had vaguely heard about the term "trimsheet". Back then it seemed intimidating, I admit, but I recently revisited the technique and realized why its so often used in the industry. Not only does it improve performance, it also makes for efficient modeling and texturing of new assets, and it can help provide players with a higher quality visuals without a major performance hit. I can see several cases where I would be able to use it, for instance the wooden building structures. In addition to the performance fixes, the structures will also be adjusted to appear more seamless.
This won't be a priority, more of a side, quality of life addition.
Redeveloping systems (AI focused - Priority)
This sounds rather heavy, but I think its also necessary.
Because the current AI system is... rough.
Up to this point, I have used assets from the Unreal Engine Marketplace to create the foundation for this game. Two of the biggest ones being the inventory system (which also includes parts of the building system) and the AI system.
I want to make it perfectly clear that the assets I have used, are not being redeveloped because they are bad assets. They are great assets that I would recommend to anyone starting out. I have been able to pick apart the code and use these assets as a training ground. They have been my training wheels, and I think it's time to take them off so that this game can shine in its own way.
As most of you have probably experienced, there have been issues with buggy AI, and still to this day I have seen some reoccuring issues. These issues have appeared due to my inexperience and my own tweaking of the marketplace assets. I have spent a lot of time trying to solve the issues by digging into the asset, (trying to fix the issue and creating two more issues down the road), and I have come to realize that for the next stage of the story, it would be more beneficial if I create the AI system from scratch. Not only that, but it will be less time consuming and will be easier to debug and add new features to the game.
And while this sounds like it would require a lot of time, I see it differently: a lot of the code that is visible in the game are basic AI functions, and a lot of the self-created code includes work arounds for the marketplace asset so that they can work together without issues. In other words, disconnecting my work from the marketplace asset shouldn't be as problematic as it sounds.
As I'm writing this devlog, I have already converted half of the old system into a new one. There's still a lot of bug testing to do, but also some minor changes that I hope to share with you soon.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. If there are any features you are missing, or would like to see improved, don't hesitate to reach out in the forums or via the official discord server. And if there are any AI related features you wish would be improved or added, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Until next devlog!
