A big new update to pre-existing content is here today, with what I have dubbed "Realm Refurbishment". Work on brand-new content is still underway and given my current commitments (full-time job), it'll be a little while longer before they arrive.
But, I must confess, Acacia is starting to look pretty good this time of year:
So, what has does this update entail? Let's start with the biggest things first.
1.) Engine Optimization
There's nothing worse than a janky frame-rate. It can put a dampener on almost anything. After much optimization, I've reduced crippling bottlenecks that caused low framerates and uneven frame pacing.
You should see a big improvement in performance, and a lot less "judder". Is it perfect? No, but it's getting there.
2.) New Field of View
This comes from the increased performance of the game. Before, the field of view and placement of the camera was a little too close and a little too narrow, and it made it quite difficult to get your bearings. Now, with the increased performance of the game's engine, I have been able to bring back the camera so you can see more.
But don't worry, you still have full control of the camera just as you previously did. You can still switch between first-person and third-person, and rotate or zoom-in as you please.
Here are two direct comparison of the change:
and
Also, I have fined tuned the default camera settings for each map. For indoor areas, the field of view has been reduced to bring you closer without the hindrance of not being able to see what you might need to:
3.) An Improved Intro
The "eerie cave" at the beginning of the game no longer requires you to use Blaze Grain to light the sconces, so you can rummage through the boxes for a Blaze Keg to remove the pillar that bars passage.
Only pushing the switches are required, so you can be in and out of that place in twenty seconds.
It's also worth noting I have tweaked the treasure placements in the Tanglewood beyond.
4.) Ladders
Before, Eveline would climb down a ladder in reverse, with her sprite facing whichever direction it pleased. The same also applied to the first-person camera, in which it could be facing away from the ladder while you climbed down.
No longer.
I made a gif for this super-duper important correction, so check it out:
5.) Map Retexturing
Many of the older maps still employed assets I made use of during the early days of development. I went around retexturing many of the maps to increase visual fidelity and ensure visual consistency when going from area-to-area.
Unfortunately, I did not produce screenshots for direct comparisons when I set about doing this. So, this very old screenshot will have to suffice:
OLD:
NEW:
I actually did that map in the last update, I believe. But those textures now extend to Port Faria, the Outskirts of Port Faria, the Logging Camp, Rot-Log Keep and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
6.) Bits and Bobs
That concludes most of the big changes included in this update. There are a bunch of other smaller fixes and improvements been made over the past month, but I didn't exactly keep track of what they were.
At least I am being honest!
But now, I look to the future. There is much to come. The story was penned long ago, so the road ahead is well-defined. All it will take is its building, plus, things are a little slower right now with my new job. That being said, I'm getting a grip on managing my time around it, so development will steadily increase in speed.
When the next content update does arrive, it should be primed with a host of new places to explore, story to experience, quests to complete, dungeons to delve, towns to cruise through and much more.
This camera helps so much more.