*Note - These changes are only on the Experimental Branch. To access the Experimental Branch, be sure to select it in your Steam Library. If this app does not appear, please check if this app is hidden in your Library. Experimental Branch changes upgrade to the primary branch monthly.
OK, got a lot in this week! We finished restoring Aziel, the seamless space travel, and added in the cloud file system which will take over from the old SQL database structure. We updated the Aziel "giraffe" creature to the new AI and gave it the Herd Behaviors which we migrated over from our Beta Branch tests. We also updated a number of "quality of life" changes, moved the worms to the dunes, toned down the chance of a dust storm, and a bunch of other small items.
Seamless Space Travel
This second version of space travel incorporates asynchronous loading, removing the need of having a loading screen in between planet travelling. This will allow you to travel seamlessly from Proteus 2 to Aziel, including being in Low Orbit and a new zone called Deep Space.
Cloud File System
Version 1 of our file cloud save system deprecates the old SQL system, which was prone to errors due to data parsing over server connections. This new system has numerous benefits, such as automatic back ups of your data, much faster saving and loading (especially in high density worlds with lots of objects), and has an automatic migration feature which will bring over all your data. We took extreme measures to make sure to handle your data with care, and though it was a lot of work, we think it was worth it.
Additionally, the cloud data allows for far more variants in our save game states, which will allow us to explore more ways to customize structures and vehicles, along with being able to add more interesting game play elements. This system essentially frees us up to explore more, while adding stability, redundancy, and speed.
Aziel
The first planet restore since the code rewrite is Aziel, and she's looking better than ever. A full 7K world, Aziel is the largest planet we've made for Osiris: New Dawn. Aziel also sports a fancy new lava illumination shader for the heated areas of the world.
A side note - the worlds will continually be worked on as we go. For instance, this version of Aziel is missing the Tundra around it, and this will get added as we continue.
Herd Behaviors
We previously showed what we can do with stealth gameplay using the hearing and vision senses of the updated AI. Taking the AI further is the Herd system, which just like nature has a leader with the others following in a flocking style movement. Disturb the herd and they will scatter, all while avoiding obstacles, pathfinding, and not taking any hit to the game's performance.
Lots of Minor Fixes
Worms and storms seem to be the most frequent pain points, so we adjusted those this week, along with fixing a handful of other items.
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Added - Seamless Space Travel to all gameplay systems
Added - Cloud Save System
Added - Aziel Planet
Added - Giraffe Idle and Gallop animations.
Added - Giraffe rootmotion walk animation.
Added - Attack, hit, and turn animations for Giraffe
Added - event system for going in and out of orbit
Added - support for planet rendering while in space
Added - Deep Space zone
Added - reertry sounds.
Added - reentry sound when planet travelling
Added - support to test local and multiplayer saving from Quick Level Test
Added - AI systems into restored Aziel scene.
Added - mineral nodes to restored Aziel scene.
Added - creature zones for Giraffe herds in restored Aziel scene.
Added - and improved creature herding systems and associated behavior tasks.
Added - Giraffe creature from beta branch and set up with new herding and fleeing
Fixed - infinite worm spawns when a vehicle is lost to the worm in the Sand dunes
Fixed - interact system crash when interacting with an object without an interact target
Fixed - Compass System for space travel
Fixed - Map System for space travel
Fixed - creature zones not properly detecting player.
Fixed - local planet issue when space travelling.
Changed - Sandworms no longer are triggered when the player is in a spaceship
Changed - minimizing starting health at 5 so the player does not die instantly at spawn
Changed - adjustments to Structure build sounds behavior.
Removed - interactable surface from hallway
With the cloud save system in we hope that data issues become a thing of the past. We're also very excited about the new level loading tech, and that adding planets in is becoming easier and easier. This was a huge week for us, but keep in mind, this is EXPERIMENTAL, meaning this material was not thoroughly tested and will get refined and tested before adding to the main branch.
Over and out,
Brian