Evening Update – Friday, February 5th, 2016

Folks,

Another month in our march toward Beta, and we’ve got another update full of even more goodness than usual. Things have been going great here, and as you will see from our update, the engine continues its transition into a game. Our new animation system continues to be refined, bugs squashed, and, for the first time in a long time, new animations are being added to the game. But before we get to that in the user stories, let’s talk about the current state of our testing.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve made a major change to how our game handles threading. For those who are wondering whether this is part of the crafting system, no, it isn’t. 🙂 More information can be found here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threaded_code). It’s a really cool system, but, as one might expect, it comes with the usual issues. It’s something that we really needed to do sooner than this, but frankly, we didn’t have the time. OTOH, it will pay dividends going forward. Tonight, as we were preparing an FNF build, Wyrmling decided to say “No mas” three times in a row. Well, we kicked it around a little bit (like they show in the movies; kick the high-tech instruments, and it’s all good!) and it’s now back up and running. For now, we have opened up the server (Wyrmling) to our Alpha, Beta 1, and IT folks, with the following caveats:

1. Don’t be surprised to see a crash or two this weekend. Yeah, that’s not normally how we roll, but it’s important to see if we can get more data on the crash that just occurred.

2. This new version isn’t quite as performant (mainly on the FPS side), as the old system. OTOH, as you will see from the User Stories that we have posted since the last FNF, we’ve made a lot of changes to the game. We’ve got some FPS-geared improvements going in next week, but we couldn’t get them in the game in time for tonight.

So, enjoy this FNF, and please, please remember the two caveats above.

Now, let’s get to the User Stories. Enjoy your patch notes data mining, and I think you’ll find more than a few interesting nuggets in there. 🙂

23 Old Cards with 65 completes.

2 New Cards with 10 completes.

As a Backer, I’d like to have abilities associated with stances.

Stance Editor:

Make editor work with new well-defined classes using regular databinding. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to play in a procedurally-created environment. – Part Four.

Big code restructure to allow for environment maps for bounce lighting. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to see the world begin to be propped out with generic fantasy items. – Set #3.

Small hay piles for ground clutter. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to see the world begin to be propped out with generic fantasy items. – Set #6.

Generic leafy bushes. – More leaves than their scraggly brethren. – Complete

Generic lush bushes. – Even more leaves! – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to increase physics performance, as well as make changes easier to integrate.

Improve client-side interpolation and prediction when people collide with objects. – Complete

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

Improve equipment-change commands on server to reduce errors. – Complete

Pull together PerfHTML into client-driven panes, not several different independent paths. – Complete

As a player, my character health is allocated to each body part which can take damage from different attacks and suffer wounds separately from blood.

Body Parts: Define enumeration of body parts. – Complete

Body Parts: Apply wound system to each body part. – Complete

Body Parts: Expand wound UI to display all the body parts. – Complete

Body Parts: Damage/healing effects apply to body parts rather than one resource pool. – Complete

Body Parts: Create ability modifiers that target body parts. – 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!

Tech: Channel installation and download functionality. – Complete

Tech: Menu bar for patch notes, news, website, store, chat links. – Complete

Tech: Menu bar for support. – Complete

Chat: UI developed according to design. – Complete

Set up new standalone Web API server. – Complete

As a Backer and Developer, I’d like a system to set sounds to play during specific events.

Audio Support: Add SoundEvent Cog workspace to editor. – Complete

Audio Support: Add SoundEvent Cog to Projectile Effects in editor. – Complete

Audio Support: Read data assigned to Projectile effects on server and send to client with temporary data. – Complete

Audio Support: Create import functions for WWise data. – Complete

Audio Support: Create import editor interface for WWise data (so dB can upload data) – Complete

Audio Support: Create import sound bank and generate sound event cog wizard or procedure in editor. – Complete

Audio Support: Rough in a more permanent “event hook” system on the client so discrete events have an easy place to perform actions. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to create balanced abilities by managing power and cost.

Individual stat types have a defined ratio of power used to magnitude of effect. – Complete

Power affects magnitude of effect when executed. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to experience positional-based audio and music within the world of Camelot Unchained.

Arthurian voices phrases and sustains. – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like to have a strong library of sounds for abilities.

First Pass: Cloth armor melee penetration for certain damage types. – Complete

First Pass: Cloth armor melee impacts for all damage types. – Complete

First Pass: Leather armor melee penetration for certain damage types. – Complete

First Pass: Leather armor melee impacts for all damage types. – Complete

First Pass: Metal armor melee impacts for all damage types. – Complete

First Pass: Metal armor melee penetration for certain damage types. – Complete

First Pass: Arrow impacts and penetration cloth and leather. – Complete

First Pass: Arrow impacts metal armor blocks. – Complete

As a Developer, I would like more insight into the state of the server.

Add specific action metrics. – Complete

Add slash command metrics. – Complete

Set up automated triggering of certain metrics so we can solve problems before they happen. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like to see improvements in server stability, speed, and robustness.

Simplify communication between Game Server and User Proxys, which allows for faster iteration. – Complete

Restructure server DLLs to load correctly. – Complete

Fix broken loading/setup of control points so server doesn’t crash. – Complete

As a Developer and Backer, I’d like to see improvements in memory usage and threading.

Re-thread scene updates using ParLL. – Complete

Re-prioritize terrain generation and mesh simplification to run in the background, using multiple frames. – Complete

Make renderable/animation updates run in parallel. – Complete

As a Developer and Backer, I’d like to see improvements in lighting and rendering.

Refactor mesh renderables to reduce render cost of non-player objects such as trees. – Complete

Realign world to remove z-fighting and precision artifacts. (Fixes obvious geo flickering on player characters.). – Complete

As a Developer, I’d like the Camelot Unchained website to convey its main features in a more concise and visually impressive manner.

Update homepage imagery with updated race models. – Complete

Second pass tertiary race imagery edits. – Complete

Second pass mobile responsiveness. – Complete

Update mobile view to include option to play background vid. – Complete

Make new site live. – Complete

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

VFX: Health regeneration per body part. – Complete

VFX: Generic electricity effects. – Complete

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

Editor will refuse imports of incorrect file types. – Complete

As a Backer, I’d like a more efficient and optimized animation system that provides more focused support for the specific needs of Camelot Unchained.

Update player movement animation blending code for smoother transitions. – Complete

Improve blending to reduce character feet sliding. – Complete

Improve speed of animation skinning. – Complete

Andrew pass on refactor! – Improve character scalability. – Complete

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like to have a sampling of Arthurian light, medium, and heavy armor to wear in game.

Update work sheets to reflect silhouette and low poly improvements. – Complete

Light Armor:

Light Armor – B1 version of mats created. – Complete

Medium Armor:

Medium Armor – High and low poly sculpt complete. – Complete

Heavy Armor:

Heavy Armor – Weight and integrate assets into editor. – Complete

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like to be able to choose from a list of classes to play.

First Pass Class abilities listed based on dependencies. – Complete

As a Developer in Beta 1, I’d like to see improvements in the ability system’s stability and robustness, as well as make it easier for developers to work with.

Create new generator for updaters, which provide the new API and the old API. – Complete

New Cards:

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like to have a selection of character emotes to use.

Non gender/race specific – Yes – Animation complete, awaiting interface

Non gender/race specific – No – Animation complete, awaiting interface

Non gender/race specific – Point – Animation complete, awaiting interface

Non gender/race specific – Bow – Animation complete, awaiting interface

Non gender/race specific – Fist shake – Animation complete, awaiting interface

Non gender/race specific – Basic taunt – Animation complete, awaiting interface

Non gender/race specific – Idle 1 – look about – Animation complete, awaiting interface

As a Backer in Beta 1, I’d like to be able to pick an item up off the ground, put it in my inventory, and if applicable, equip it.

Weapons:

Expose/write function to combine component stats into existing ability. – Complete

Add weapon types and let that be a field set by the primary component. – Complete

When CraftedAbility is triggered, see if we need to combine a weapon into the ability before executing. – Complete

Whew. Big list.

And for the first of today’s art reveals, here’s something completely different. Can you guess what it is?

Okay, it’s not something from any of my favorite lion-themed movies or cartoons. It’s actually a shot of a set of knee pads. 🙂

For a much more conventional piece, here’s what the well-dressed, Arthurian heavy tanks will be wearing this spring.

Speaking of spring, here’s some concept art for how pine forests may look for each of our three Realms, and the usual research pieces that went into the concept pieces.

Well, that’s all the art reveals for now. BTW, as we are now 75% to our next Stretch Goal, just wanted you folks to know that we are still looking for more programmers, and have engaged the same recruiter we did last time (who connected us with the wonderful George and Marc). We’re keeping our fingers, toes, and tails crossed that we can get some additional talent into the studio before too long.

Again, as per above, enjoy the FNF, and keep your fingers crossed!

As always, we thank you for your support!

-Mark