Developer Update 09.23.2015

Hello Xsyon Citizens! I don't have any especially important or interesting to report at the moment, but I'd like to keep you all updated on what's going on behind the scenes. I'm still focused on the major revision to creatures and combat as detailed in last month's update. Things are coming along, but slowly. I've further revised and optimized some components that I had considered 'done' last month and I've updated the code so that I can switch between the current live server systems and the updated systems. This will allow me to patch out other fixes and improvements while I continue progress on creature AI. This is a major update which is going to encompass many improvements. - Heavily optimized server side creature update functions to allow for more frequent position and state updates per creatures and allow the game world to sustain an increased number of creatures. (Done and in daily testing) - Revised creature health regeneration. (Done) - Optimized and cleaned up creature AI system. (Done) - Revised movement including the affect of slopes on creatures' speed. (Done) - Revised server and client position update system to better synchronize positions between the server and all clients. (Done, needs testing) - Revised creature aggro and target selection system. (Done) - Revised basic path-finding 'blocking map' creation. (Done) - Revised path-finding to allow for proper paths through buildings and around obstacles. (In progress - we will be trying various solutions for this) - Mounts (bear and deer) (Coding done, animation and interface work needed) - Pets (Coding done, interface work needed) - Animal Taming - Fully revised creature variables including ranges, hit boxes and health. - Combat revisions (Will depend on synchronization tests) - Ranged combat To give an idea of the magnitude of this task, the systems being revised and replaced were originally coded (primarily) by four other programmers. This included a complete overhaul by two programmers to the AI, positioning and combat system several years ago. The current code consisted of over 10,000 which I've thoroughly reviewed, commented and separated for what is useful and what is trash. By the time I'm finished with this update, most of the original code will be scrapped or replaced. The remaining useful code will be entirely cleaned up and optimized. It's getting there! Some of you have probably noticed the Test Server up and open to the public. Primarily I have been running stress tests to compare the current live server AI and the updated AI. The new AI is greatly optimized and will allow for more updates per second on the server itself and between the servers and clients. I will open the Test Server this weekend and request feedback on some of the changes in progress and will have more frequent updates here from now on as I start to wrap up and release these major changes!