We're pleased to announce the release of Shoot 'Em Up Kit version 2.0.13.
The change list includes:
- It is now possible to create many more front-end pages.
- The flow of front-end pages can be customised. The next page can be set for input and timeout events.
- Levels can have their own specific front-end pages that can be triggered before and after the level.
- Front-End text and sprites can be set to start the game at a specific level.
- Front-End text and sprites can set the value of a user variable.
- Fixed an issue that could disable NPCs when moving between full-screen and windowed in-game.
- Particle trail time can be less than 1 second.
- New sprites are automatically scaled down to 10% of their size in the level editor. This resizes them to the scale of the 3D environment.
- Corrected some inconsistent naming between windows and tabs.
- Fixed an issue where the 'Looped' checkbox wasn't set consistently across Sprite Frames.
- Particle keyframes can be deleted.
- The rotation speed multiplier now defaults to 1. Previously, the zero value was preventing the AI Entity from rotating.
- Fixed an issue with Actions triggering at the start of the level.
- Generated NPCs can use formations.
- Fixed an issue which prevented the selection of a spline from a formation.
- When two objects collide damage is still applied regardless of the Collision Action setting.
- Improved the use of multiple CPU cores to optimise the Kit and the games it creates.
- Fixed an issue with Action pane not being fully reset when selecting a different action type.
- Fixed an issue where the NPC pane would scroll back to the top when some properties were edited.
- Entities that have been set to Stop on collision will disable any movement AI after a collision occurs.
- Added events for entities being Enabled and Disabled.
- The DestroySelf option on a Trigger will destroy the correct entity.
- Audio tracks can be deleted from the HUD pop-ups.
- The weapon clip can be set to refill when the player loses a life.
- Added an option for continuing a game where the player left off. This resets the player's lives and score.
- Bullets use swept collision detection for improved accuracy at high speed.
- PlayerDef upgrades can be stacked so that the effect of one upgrade can be added to by another.
- Front-End items can be restricted to specific players.
- Fixed a problem with selecting User Variables in the front-end after deleting a User Variable in the Behaviour Editor.
- Fixed a problem where player entities are always enabled at the start of a game.
- Front-End items are navigable using player input controls and Fire 2 to select.
- Dialog windows are resizable. Some other styles of window will be resizable in the next release.
- The Custom 5 collision group now works correctly.
- Added titles to many of the dialog windows to help usability.
- Increased the spacing on lists.
- Added section headers to some lists.
- Added a Help button to open the user guide.
We've got a lot of feedback saying the Shoot 'Em Up Kit needs more tutorials. We've been working on a Wiki, which is still in-progress and will be available soon. Our intention is to build a tutorial tree within the Wiki to guide people through the features. We are also finishing a system to speed-up the creation of video tutorials and allow them to be quickly replaced as the user-interface evolves.
We have started to include some of the suggestions people have kindly made about the user interface, and this is our main focus for the next few weeks. We're including in-editor tutorials; tool-tip help for all parameters; selection dialogs will show video examples; the user guide is being updated; and much more. We know people are waiting for these and so we will release version 2.0.14 as soon as these are ready.
We'd hoped to have the template games ready for this release but we're simplifying map items first. By default they will be clones of the Entity and so entire waves of ships, or sections of map, can be changed quickly and easily. It also simplified the user-interface. We're sorry this feature didn't make it in but it will be coming very soon.
It has been exciting to see some of the community showing off the games they have created at events around the world, and also products appearing on GreenLight and now Early Access. We've also enjoyed taking part in Game Jams using the Shoot 'Em Up Kit. It's a fun and useful way of testing the Kit.
We thank you again for supporting us as we develop the Shoot 'Em Up Kit. As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome; and if you encounter any problems then please let us know and we'll do our best to fix them as quickly as possible.
Thanks again