Bot AI Overhaul, Race Ghosts, and Sky Fortress Updates

Hyperwheel Overdrive v0.12.16 is here! We've undergone a major effort in overhauling our bot AI system and turning it into something that works well enough for most situations in most stages. There is no aspect of our bot AI that was untouched during this work, and the result makes for much more dynamic play when playing with bots only. For example, a bot may use a spring to try to jump over you and shoot you from behind!

They will also attempt to collect green rings in collection challenges, can see player positions when their markers are visible (just like human players), and can vary their combat strategies at close range. The risk-based steering system has also had some big upgrades, which means that the bots can often drive around for awhile in Sky Fortress without being fried by the laser grid (we're working on it! =) ). They will also set targets to distant positions that they've detected are clear of obstructions, and bots flying planes will attempt to steer towards stage region center if they haven't seen another player (or bot) in a long time. The shooting system has been improved, so they will more consistently take shots at other players.

It's awesome watching a bunch of bot planes fly around the Vector Sky Course race track as they weave around each other, sometimes miscalculating a bit and sheering wings off in the process! The beautiful randomness that emerges from state machine AI systems can be a lot of fun, and this further improves the nature of Hyperwheel's sandbox fun on offer.

Another feature that has been requested and we've finally got around to implementing is race ghosts. Your best times will now feature an accompanying recorded ghost of your race. Races that are good enough to hit top 8 on the leaderboards will also have their ghost record submitted so that other players can play against your ghosts, which include your car color, decal, & driver suit customization that you were using when you set your record!

Here's a big list of all the changes since v0.12.12 (the last update we made a proper Steam announcement about):

v0.12.16 (Build 751): March 10, 2023

• major bot AI updates:
  • major plane flight improvements
  • bots now collect green rings with efficient target selection in Collection Challenges
  • bots now attempt to avoid water if they do not have a boat kit
  • raycast rates decreased to improve performance
  • improved power-up selection targeting (choosing power-ups in driving path)
  • bots will abort item target acquisition early if the item appears to be inaccessible
  • improved race & drive target steering
  • improved collision risk-factoring target steering algorithm
  • enabled targeting directional boosts during races & other match types
  • major improvements to non-targeted (risk-based) navigation system
  • bots seek out ramp-like surfaces in Free Play & Stunt matches
  • bots are aware of player markers just like players, and may use them to spot players
  • bots may take shots at explosives when players are within blast radius
  • bots with planes will eventually try to come back toward match region center

• optimized wheel raycasting system to significantly reduce raycasts
  
• updated match, health, and speed HUD to display info for player being spectated
  
• increased laser blast distance from 650m to 750m
  
• made laser blast damage fall off in the final 100m of range
  
• updated Sky Fortress geometry
  
• fixed bug where planes would slowly fall during match countdown
  
• made vehicle mod regions give cancelling power-ups for Planes and Boats on respawn
  
• fixed bug where a hand that holding an object could still toggle the menu
  
• improved homing system for Homing Rockets
  
• improved wheel engine audio dynamic volume & pitch adjusting

• optimized wheel raycasting system to significantly reduce raycasts
• improved paddle wheel rendering efficiency and updated paddle models
• water rendering adjustments
• added warning 30 seconds before race automatically ended 3.5 minutes after 1st place finish
• fixed issues with some HyperCorp Complex lightmaps
• bumped default supersampling setting up to 1.1x from 1.0x
• increased world marker size and improved font rendering at distance
• fixed issue with world markers being rendered in front of menu

v0.12.14 (Build 730): January 13, 2023

• improved water graphics
  • restored tessellation & waves system
  • set tiling to decrease as camera moves away from surface

• changed out inactive race checkpoint transparent red material for solid dark red material
  
• additional CPU performance optimizations (shutting down unnecessary processes)
  
• increased range for full polygon terrain & set distant terrain to render more accurately
  
• fixed bug where last launched projectile could be re-grabbed when not in proximity

• added Race Mode field to Match Setup:
  • Time Trial: no boost or vehicle mod power-ups in randoms, eligible for trophies & records
  • Arcade: all power-ups available in random, ineligible for trophies & records

• implemented Ghosts in races:
  • Ghost Mode setting: Off / Session / Local Records / Global Records
  • stores ghost data when records are set
  • uploads ghost data to global record system
  • "Session" mode allows you to race against ghosts with data from current session only

• implemented bHaptics support:
  • TactSuit X16 / X40
  • Tactal
  • Tactosy for Arms

• added haptics for menu sliders that use whole numbers
  
• added haptics and dust effects when tires are skidding
  
• adjusted dust particle effect
  
• fixed race spawn to populate best start positions first
  
• fixed bug with recycled grenades retaining "DANGER!" markers from end of previous life
  
• restored View & Comfort settings menu page headings
  
• implemented "Spectator Turning Mode" setting: Snap Turn / Smooth Turn
  • Snap Turn has "Turn Interval" setting: 30°, 45° (default), 60°, 90°, 120°, 180°
  • Smooth Turn has "Turn Speed" setting

• smoothed UI pointer position & rotation updates
  
• fixed UI button selection bugs (inactive buttons incorrectly being selectable)
  
• improved loading speed of Match and Match Setup menu pages
  
• set match HUD to be disappear when menu is open
  
• decreased grenade / rocket explosion volume
  
• changed grenade explosion sound
  
• decreased vehicle / grenade / rocket splash & shot splash volume
  
• changed power-up item creation sound
  
• added sound for grabbing / ungrabbing rifle
  
• added sound for launcher cover sliding open / closed
  
• added sound for match end
  
• delayed end-of-race functions to be closer to ghost recording end
  
• disabled forced respawn in races and increased race respawn time from 2 to 2.5 seconds
  
• increased laser blast distance from 550m to 650m
  
• restored driver suit reflections
  
• adjusted Rocky Ruins Raceway terrain