# ------ Announcements

## Sprint

1st sprint, of the 4th cycle. Chapter 00/Pass 03.
New cycle!

Play-tests are always welcome open. If you want to help me with your feedback, please contact me :)

Note: I've messed the version numbers from 0.5.1 onwards. They should roughly indicate something like "XXX.Cycle.Chapter.Build" but somehow i messed it up. Also XXX is not very indicative, at the moment i've decided to increase to 1. 1... usually is considered a finished product, but not for me, i want to use it as a "milestone".
At first i considered using the year. But it has been about 2 or 3 years, and it's hard to line up with chapters' end times. I thought about using the Cycle as major, but i feel there should be another metric in between. In terms of cycle it would be at version 4.0 which seems odd. So i'll use the major as a sort of "milestone". After 3 full cycles, and almost 3 years, i think the game deserve to jump to 1.0.
So i will go with 1 for now. If something else major happens, i might increase again.
Keep in mind my versions and numbers are 0 based. So even if the current version uses 0 for the chapter, it refers to the 1st chapter.
Enjoy.

**Explanation and showcase**
https://youtu.be/51pPZkZB7NQ

# ------ Game

## General

NEW:
* Added force feedback!
* Added "ppl"! This is a bit of a stub, and still work in progress.

Improve:
* Several optimizations and refactors.
* * Adjusted scalability for `r.Forward.LightGridPixelSize`, `r.Lumen.DiffuseIndirect.Allow`.
* * Optimized scalability for all niagara systems (including ghosts). With different configurations.
* * Optimized lamps, shadows, lights attenuation, light animation interval and duration, sunlight.
* * Optimized vsm invalidation, clipmap levels, max wpo distance.
* * Optimized materials blending and inheritance.
* * Optimized fog volumes, disable local fog volumes.
* Several fixes.
* * Bra collisions, piano keys, piano mesh, hints, screwdriver, kitchen light, plate fade.
* * Possible crash when reloading the game during a hint or inventory animation.

Known issues:
* The phone on ch0 doesn't activate.
* The ppl don't disappear, and appear too soon.
* Books have disappeared, i'm adding them back one room at a time.
* Flashing during chapter transitions (it's an ue thing).

## Settings

NEW:
* More feature flags. ForceFeedback, Ray traced shadows, Dust.
* Added "Back" button.
* Implemented new key rebind flow and mechanisms. Some rework.
* Added a couple of `SetDefaults` buttons. Quite some work.

Improve:
* Fixed fps limit setting getting reset. Improved how fps is applied. Added option for smooth fps.
* Improved savestate flow. Fixed a few issues (Inventory getting cleared, double loading, ...).
* Improved default key bindings.
* Improved/fixed some ui elements not working well.

## Art

NEW:
* Dust particles.
* Ppl.
* Fire particles on stove.

Improve:
* Reworked flashback material a bit.
* Optimized clouds fb, now supports nanite.
* Improved central target icon.
* Blur target fps.
* Adjusted lights, shadows, auto exposure, distance fields.
* * Some work around distance fields and their shadows.
* Rework card 0 "Range" effect.
* Updated ghost based on fb.
* Updated toy (not yet in game).
* Reworked all materials to improve performance!
* * Improved fading and masking settings.
* Improved character name readability (brightness).
* Fixed streetlamps volumetric shadows.
* Removed "speed" post process.

## Chapters

All:

CH00:
* Keep polishing and extending chapter 0. Dialogs, interactions, etc.
CH01:
CH02:
CH03:
CH04:

# ------- Subsystems and plugins

## All

> Public repos for the plugins are updated on a later date, according to (my) availability.

## Flashbacks

New:

## Dialogs

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Diags

LifeDev:
* Added, fixed, removed a bunch of dialogs.
* Fixed disable inventory during dialogs.

Plugin:
* Improved the code and ui flow.
* Added ability to auto-skip dialogs while holding a button.

## Interactions (and animations)

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Interact

LifeDev:
* Interactable hanger and toy. not yet in game.
* Puzzles:
* * Fixed race conditions.
* * Added `SetStateNow`, force feedback, and others.
* * Fixed word cube's hinting.

Plugin:
* Reworked and improved the flow for interaction hovering detection. (`CInteractor::DoStart`)
* Implemented "Look" action. Added sfx, force feedback, delegates, and stuff.
* Added force feedback for locked, unlock, trigger, and look.
* Improved `SetHidden`.

## Inventory / Flags / Teach

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Inventory

LifeDev:

Teach (NUX):
* Rework to use only one data table.
* Added ability to use actual input names, and other variables.
* Rework the way the current input type is handled, as well as the data types.
* Change the message input automatically when using the `UTPInput`. And re-show on change.
* `ShowNow` was made public.

Plugin:
* Added `UTPInput` Player Input with a delegate for input type change (gamepad, keyboard, etc.).
* Moved inventory select inputs, to the plugin, instead of character.

## JSignificance

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/JSig

* Fixed registering during cooking.
* Added ability to set initial significance, and change it during runtime manually.

## JUtils

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/JUtils

New:
* Ability to change the shader batch mode. Allow for dynamic optimization on loading.
* Added `WorldToScreenUV`, `WindForceFix`, "Interleaved Gradient Noise" (based on Acerola's stuff).
* Added `PlayInEditor`, `GetMutableDefault`.

Improves:
* `CamFade`, `DepthFadeMask`.
* Moved input stuff to new `JUtilsInput`.
* * Added a few things, like `ResetMapsAll`, `ResetMap`, input types.

## Sounds

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Sounds

LifeDev:
* Added a bunch of sounds.
* Fixed heater sound.
* Optimized loading settings for sfx sound class.

Plugin:
* Optimized some components with `AutoManageAttachment`.

## Story

https://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Story

LifeDev:
* Added heartbeat force feedback on ghosts.
* Fixed destroying ghosts after step.

Plugin:
* Improve load wait on bg thread.
* Change shader batch mode on load.
* Added force feedback option on steps. With optional loop flag.
* Avoid double loading steps.

# ------ Links

Play on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/2450230/LifeDev/

Forums https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/solodev-lifedev-my-game-about-overcoming-cptsd/1172122

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jerobarraco

Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@jerobarraco

Support on patreon ("one time" also available) https://www.patreon.com/c/jerobarraco

Support on liberapay https://liberapay.com/nande

Support on Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/jerobarraco