Hi again, everyone! We're back again with more work in progress from the last couple of weeks. We've had our schedule full with pitches, presentation and a lot of inside work, but the development of Astride is still going forward.
The first multiplayer test
As multiplayer is one of the most advanced features Astride will have, it was important to have it ready and working from the very start. In the short video above, you can see all of the five developers in one and the same instance playing together. Don't worry about the frame drop or lag in this video, it was an issue that has already been resolved and is currently running very smooth! We can't wait to stress test the multiplayer feature for the first time and seeing just how many it can possibly hold.
The riding hall and stable
There has been a lot of progress regarding the riding hall/arena which is now ready for testing. We are very pleased with how it ended up, and by the feedback we received on both Instagram on Discord, you guys did as well! The stable has been started on and will get some love next. We can't wait to see and feel how this will all be once in the game.
Improving the environment
Since starting the environment from scratch again, we have remained positive that this was the best option. Looking at this versus our previous attempt at environment, this is absolutely a step up and in the right direction. The environment shown in these photos is mainly for the test scene we will be using once we start testing. It won't be there under the first initial test, but we are aiming to have it ready and installed by the second test we will be having with the community.
Further UI work
We also have more examples and tests of UI. Since Astride will have a photo mode, this is what we focused on this time. More UI is to come later, but we are glad that so many responded well to seeing these drafts of the UI and how it may look in game.
Kickstarter tack set ideas
We've also got an idea for the Kickstarter tack set which will serve as a reward to those who pledged the selected tiers!
Icelandic near the finish line
The Icelandic may have been the hardest horse to make, as it was amongst the developers favorite breed. This resulted in a lot of research and wanting to perfect the horse for a good breed representation. Meanwhile working on the Icelandic, we learned a new tool for creating hair textures and putting together more realistic hair than we have had previously. It's been a steep learning curve, but we believe the result was worth the time.
The normal map of the Icelandic is finally finished with all its details. There were some issues with baking which we thankfully resolved this week, and we could put it all together with eyes and mouth for these last photos. The tail is still missing, but will come soon!
Please note that everything shown in these devlogs is mostly just work in progress and is not finished. Changes may happen and the things showcased here will have further work put into them! To see work in progress daily, join our Discord server community here!