It happened this video is far overdue due to its planned schedule in late January. Yet for the past few months, the focus was on integrating many UI mechanics and behaviours, with Lua and split screen in mind. As with many other tasks, this was and still is a huge challenge. But at least now, the core UI related workflow is established. Our UMes can mainly focus on testing and fixing UI related mechanics, while adding small left overs.
Video Recording Quality
I have messed up video recording settings this time. Hence there is a lot of blurring during camera movement. I will address that in the future video recording.
Also some audio may be too loud. I forgot to double check that background music will play over the ambient wind sounds. Which may cause difficulty to hear the wind.
UI Update
This one is huge since the November 2025 UI update.
In the last UI related video from November, UMeFate was discussing UI rework and modding aspects, touching, Lua coding for UI behaviours, UI layout, adding UI Icons, etc.
You can read more details in the blog post:
https://antyversum.com/2025/11/16/umefate-pre-alpha-ui-lua-modding-in-dev-technical-54/
Or watch the video:
Until today, the UI modding side has further expanded and improved the organisation of files. UMeFate resolved various issues related to multiple mods and more flexible directories structures.
Testing, technical issues and bugs hunting are the most time consuming aspects of the development. As previously (in older vids) I have pointed out, making splitscreen in UMeFate has quite unique mechanics, in comparison to many other splits screen games, which usually doesn’t require as complex UI. Fortunately, current UI design from technical stand point (as I am happy of), requires relatively very little splitscreen player concern.
Further down, UMeFate have integrated Lua and engine side hooks, to allow better data communication between both. The old UI is mostly obsolete now. There are still a few bits that are left to implement and to improve upon. Two prominent ones are fixes to feedback and bug reports; and players’ shortcuts help info under the cursor, when the player is doing various complex actions, like lets say constructing buildings.
Fun side note: This is 3 progressive improvements and redesign of UI. But the previous steps were also important, to get to the next one. However, early The Sims had apparently up to 13 UI redesigns, before they settled on the one that we know today. 🤪
Lobby Rework
The old lobby now is depreciated, as it was planned and noted before. The primary lobby was designed entirely by my lovely gf and the lobby did play a really important role in exploring gameplay options. While it is much prettier, the target goal is that lobby room(s) are designed using ingame tools. That led to the current lobby looking less pretty. But also the new lobby is more representative to the game. Also, the new lobby meant to be more interactive in a sense, that player actually can walk around and experience the core mechanics straight away. At the same time, the lobby acts as a main menu tutorial by itself. The map is purposely small for that reason. However admittingly, the whole lobby building may be too big for what it is.
I also understand that the lobby should be straight forward and simple to navigate by players. So that is something kept in mind. But I also believe, this is an area of development worth exploring, to provide more gameplay immersion, while still early on.
Old lobby had its own issues, and since it was “detached” from the main game, as a separate scene, it had its own quirks to handle. Hence it was better to move forward with the plan, rather than trying to fix existing issues and postpone implementation.
The new lobby is not final and will evolve over time. Also, it should look better, as new game systems will be added progressively.
Additionally implementing a new lobby, allowed to hunt various issues. And to address aspects that are important for future development direction. Like an interaction with objects, i.e. furniture.
Taking a chance, some refactoring, code and assets streamlining was made too.
Basics Audio
The current audio system is only a quickly cobbled feature, to add just a bit more of an immersion. Current audio can be considered more as a placeholder. And its purpose is more to test, if audio volumes options work.
The target implementation however, is far more complex than that and with different tools, like WWise. In my past experience that I worked with, I have implemented software side integration of audio in Sanctuary: Shattered Sun. I am aware, it isn’t a quick task. Hence this will be rolled into UMeFate in smaller stages once the right time comes. But at least I got the know-how.
Ideally, UMeFate aims for more immersive sounds, not just random sounds occurrences.
While current sounds of wind / UI are acquired assets, sounds of birds and actual snow steps were recorded by myself, during trips with my gf. Then cleaned and postprocessed (the sounds of course 😅).
I am aware of the loudness issue with snow steps at close distance, specially in 1st person. Something to be adjusted.
Roads
UMes autonomous navigation now will prioritise roads, if these are in the area of the pathing.
Previously UMes were ignoring roads.
Camera
Camera movement has received additional treatment. Now it reacts more intentionally to the limited area, where the player has discovered and uncovered the map. There are still some issues with camera behaviour at the border of the permitted area.
Camera permitted height also depends on the discovered area.
Other
To the mentioned above, many other changes and improvements have been executed. Various bugs were fixed, but some are also new, specially related to UI behaviour.
Water
From the last update, UMeFate also has received a new water layer. There was a previous water implementation attempt, but it was causing too many visual issues. Current water has been simplified and holds as a placeholder, for future improvements.
Water atm., is at fixed height of 100m. Default terrain altitude. Water acts for UMes NPCs as a non pathable area. Players can however walk under the water, as if not existing. 🥽
Currently Working On
Focusing on adding all critical UI controls inside the Main Menu Lobby.
Addressing critical bugs. Especially around saving / loading maps with buildings and switching menu modes.
What Next
Finish implementation of core Main Menu Lobby controls.
Finalize feedback system.
Implement player(s) allowed action hotkey helper under the cursor.
Fix UI mode switching and behaviour bugs.
Playtest splitscreen in various game modes.
Finally record splitscreen mode.
That's it for now, and until the next one 🤗