Summer is almost here!

Folks,

Happy Friday, all! It’s been another great week here, and as today is a User Stories week, this will be a long update. Bit of advance warning: We’ll have a couple of updates next week (sorry, it’s not the announcement of Beta). I have no doubt that the news we are going to deliver next Friday will bring a big smile to ALL of our Backers (well, at least those who want to see us succeed). 🙂 It’s a really good update, months in the making; and have no worries, we haven’t been:

…bought by any company, entity, or otherworldly person, soulless or otherwise. …secretly working on Camelot Unchained VR. …getting fan mail from some flounder.

It’s a really good update, though, and worth smiling about. As I said above, it has been months in the making.

In terms of progress towards Beta, we’re continuing to unwind the previous ability system and replace it with something a whole lot better. Last week’s update gave you a little insight into just how much code we have already yanked out in order to put something much better in its place. When you are talking about tens of thousands of lines of code, well, it takes time to replace it, no matter who (in our case, three whos) is coding it. The bad news is that the programmers who are working on this are doing it almost full-time, which means that they can’t be doing other things. The good news, though, is that we continue to add a lot of functionality to the system, and are building a system that can do everything we need it to do, not just now but with an eye to the future. Now, this doesn’t mean that nothing else is being done at the studio (as our User Stories show)—quite the contrary! The folks who aren’t working on “re-abilitation” are happily working on other things, some of which you have already seen in the recent videos, such as:

Cube Morph #2 –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OsOA3IS04E

Jon’s work on the heavy sword – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOQP4LYDkpw

As always, our channel is https://www.youtube.com/user/CityStateGames.

These efforts will continue as we move through the rest of Alpha and get everything in place for Beta. Over the next few weeks, you’ll see other things added to the game that weren’t even a part of our Beta 1 list, such as the circular morphing tech for C.U.B.E.

We hope to have another big code push to Camelot Unchained’s IT testing grounds next week as well. We thank you for your patience, and I can assure you that it will be well-rewarded. This was a painful, but necessary, step for our company and our game, and we are even happier now that we chose to make that step, even with the time it is taking. I’ll talk a little bit more about this on Thursday or Friday, in our next update.

In terms of User Stories, today’s count is: 19 old cards with 69 completes, and 1 new card with 40 completes.

Old Cards:

As a Backer, I’d like to see general improvements in C.U.B.E.’s interface and functionality.

Add new materials in next C.U.B.E. push that better show off rendering and lighting improvements. – Complete

Create additional materials for C.U.B.E. – Complete

Add new shapes in next C.U.B.E. push. – Complete

Create backups of old save files before converting current save file to updated version. – Complete

Small bug fixes post version update. – Complete

Improve thumbnail rendering time in UI. – Complete

Small art fixes/improvements to environment and character assets. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to have the tools and knowledge necessary to create terrain Biomes that change with Realm territory control.

Sound can be attached to models and placed in the world. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to play in new biomes that change according to Realm ownership. – Biome 01

Ambient SFX – generic forest ambience, windy. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to play in new biomes that change according to Realm ownership. – Biome 02

Ambient SFX – frogs chirping, solo, group, raining. – Complete

Ambient SFX – crickets. – Complete

Ambient SFX – night bugs with and without frogs. – Complete

Ambient SFX – Skylark bird. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to play in new biomes that change according to Realm ownership. – Biome 04

Concept ambient SFX. – Complete

Neutral – Create ground texture sets. – Complete

Neutral – Create grass and ground cover assets. – Complete

Neutral – Create small to medium assets. (Bushes, rocks, etc.) – Complete

Neutral – Create large assets. (Trees, rocks, etc.) – Complete

Ambient SFX – Generic deciduous fantasy forest. – Complete

Ambient SFX – swaying trinkets in the wind. – Complete

Ambient SFX – Subtle ambient hum – v1 – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to know about smaller changes that don’t have their own user story.

Create whitelist for usable unicode characters to be used in character names. – Complete

Create character name normalizer that will map unicode characters to standard characters for normalization. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like a patcher to not only update my game, but also give me the most important news and updates, get support, chat with the community and look awesome while doing it!

Reduce memory usage on patcher. – Complete

As a Backer and Developer, I’d like some temporary vfx for testing new combat mechanics and tech.

VFX: New ability “Guard” for testing purposes. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to see improvements in the editor to facilitate my work.

Builder output provides more feedback when a build fails. – Complete

Editor now refuses to allow used assets to be deleted. – Complete

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like to play in a Party, or Guild.

Second pass group UI design. – Complete

Prepare CSS styles for implementation. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to have a selection of weapons that visually represent each Realm’s identity. – Arthurians

One-handed axe – v1: Modeling pass. – Complete

First pass concept Art: One-handed maces. – Complete

First pass concept Art: Spears. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” axes. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” spears. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” hammers. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to have a selection of weapons that visually represent each Realm’s identity. – TDD

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” spears. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” axes. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” hammers. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to have a selection of weapons that visually represent each Realm’s identity. – Viking

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” one-handed axes. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: High quality “epic” spears. – Complete

First Pass Concept Art: One-handed high quality “epic” one-handed hammers. – Complete

As a Backer and Developer, I’d like to play a game that looks like it is from 2016 by implementing a new lighting and material system.

Add material support to toggle HBAO+ rendering. – Complete

Improve rendering of characters rough and spec values to be consistent with the rest of the world. – Complete

Add height map based fogging to water. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to improve integration of plots into existing building code to improve performance, reduce development time, and reduce bugs.

Changes to shape and substance integrated into C.U.B.E. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like the Camelot Unchained ability system to fully support the design scope of the game for B1.

Data-driven abilities loaded and assigned to users. – Complete

Prototype per ability cooldowns. – Complete

Create new ability type that transfers damage – “Guard.” – Complete

Add ability to modify stats – ex: snare and sprint – Complete

Add ability to damage buildings. – Complete

Prototype projectiles. – Complete

Ability Delivery:

Bring old system back from the dead. – Complete

Get skills within the new system passing down to the client. – Complete

Have each skill have its own unique effects. – Complete

Active effects work within the new system. – Complete

Bugs related to the first ability rehab push fixed. – Complete

Editor:

Ability spec editor, first pass – Retrieve data from database and convert to data on server in order to send it to the client. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to build with curved surfaces in C.U.B.E. and Camelot Unchained.

Blocks place according to grid lines. – Complete

Fix GhostRenderer – Ghost blocks will warp around the circle based upon your selection in Cylinder Morph. – Complete

Update other locations where morph should be applied. – Complete

Merge main into branch. – Complete

Improve grid line visuals. – Complete

Fix deleting existing blocks. – Complete

Figure out why raycast fails sometimes. – Complete

Code cleanup/preparation for collapse into main. – Complete

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like to be able to play and build on a home island of each Realm, as well as a main contested island.

Contested V1:

First pass layout: rough pass procedural mods. – Complete

Second pass layout: large terrain landmarks. (Mountains, ridges, lakes, etc.) – Complete

Contested V2:

First pass layout: rough pass procedural mods. – Complete

New Cards:

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like the new classes, weapons, and abilities to be supported by their animations.

Combat Locomotion:

Right hand weapon with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand focus. – Complete

Right hand spear with left hand empty. – Complete

Right hand spear with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand spear with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand spear with left hand focus. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand empty. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand focus. – Complete

Right and left hand holding two-handed longsword. – Complete

Right and left hand holding two-handed spear/polearm/staff. – Complete

Swim Primary:

Treading water idle. – Complete

Swim Forward. – Complete

Falling/sinking (with transitions) death. – Complete

Combat Flinch:

Right hand weapon with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand dagger. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand focus. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand empty. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand dagger. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand focus. – Complete

Left hand weapons with right hand spear. – Complete

Left hand weapons with right hand focus. – Complete

Right and left hand on two-handed sword. – Complete

Unequipped.

Combat Death:

Right hand weapon with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand dagger. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand weapon with left hand focus. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand empty. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand weapon. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand dagger. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand shield. – Complete

Right hand focus with left hand focus. – Complete

Left hand weapons with right hand spear. – Complete

Left hand weapons with right hand focus. – Complete

Right and left hand on two-handed sword. – Complete

As you can see from the above, it has been a very productive couple of weeks, and I expect the next two weeks to be even more productive!

For today’s arts and crafts, let’s start with some work from our relatively new environmental (and more) artist, Dionne. There are four different shots here (all of this is in-game of course) of some Tuatha Dé Danann-influenced landscapes.

The fourth shot is the “money” shot, isn’t it?

Next up, here is a side-by-side look at work-in-progress models of Tuatha Dé Danann and Viking axes.

And now for some new concept art for the TDD and Arthurians.

I’m really looking forward to seeing these on the battlefields! And, how about some fun spears? No, not the singer, but in this case slingers (did you really think I’d do a Friday update without at least one groaner?) for the TDD.

And, because it is Friday, as much as I wanted to end the art portion of this update with the fourth environmental screenshot, I can’t. I have to end this with: “It’s hammer time!”

Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. 🙂

In closing, next week will be chock-full of updates, with a very important one for all our Backers. For the last week, I’ve been teasing that the number 4 is very important to us and them. While there has been a lot of conjecture on the Forums (and one right guess, though I won’t say which one), I think the reveal will be well worth the wait. As I said on the Forums, I know that all of our Backers who want Camelot Unchained to succeed will be very happy with the update.

Enjoy your weekend, all!

-Mark

P.S. If you didn’t get the “fan mail from some flounder” joke, thought it was a typo, or worse yet, thought I was poking fun at our Founders (who are always referred to as Founders with a capital “F”), I refer you to one of the greatest cartoons of my youth, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2c9-LDP0t0