Dev-Com.
Hello, world! Penkura is now patched to version 0.1.3.
This patch besides hundreds of micro-changes, new sound system, experimental mesh polygon adjustments, and storyline elements, was mostly dedicated to one of the key elements of Penkura, artificial intelligence. We were able to add new enemies, completely new behavior system, spawn system and many more gameplay elements needed for the introduction of gameplay features that will be introduced in the big release of patch 0.2.0
New AI system added to Penkura was created based on (currently) 92 micro behavior systems with their own dozens of settings. This means that AI can be swiftly changed/adjusted/improved based on player experience. Over the course of future patches, we will be adjusting this artificial intelligence with not only new micro behavior systems but adjusting already implemented one. We want to make sure that with each patch AIs behaviors will be more and more believable, pathfinding more complex and optimized for bigger locations and complex players bases, this will come with time but from now on we will be adjusting those systems with every new content added to the game to make sure players will notice a constant improvement to AI.
Patch 0.1.3 is our last big patch before the major release of update 0.2.0, we will still update Penkura with few small patches adjusting the entire project before the major patch 0.2.0. Most of the adjustments will be focused on the first and second zone of the game by implementing better transitions between the storyline elements, gameplay elements, tutorials focused on adjusting players with the game, and on finishing Karenos Sector - 4 first episode of the storyline.
Patch 0.2.0 that we are already working on for the last three months will introduce new gameplay elements, assets, sounds, story elements, and massive playable zone.
And as always, for more information regarding the latest technical support, patches, and updates please join our Discord Community.
LINK ----> https://discord.gg/2ukYHQm
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Patch 0.1.3
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BUG/ERROR FIXES:
- FIX --- Wrist Bio Meter takes a long time to activate after player death.
- FIX --- There a chance for footsteps to be mute after a dialog.
- FIX --- Door when walked through didn't provide correct footstep sound effect.
- FIX --- Sound effect of footsteps didn't change when spriting or walking.
- FIX --- Major light bleed through some of the buildings.
- FIX --- AI stops moving around the map on load.
- FIX --- Ore Extractor sound didn't trigger if there were too many sounds playing around it.
- FIX --- If a player dies by an AI, that AI won't be able to detect revived player as his corpse is still the target even after body decomposition.
- FIX --- Refraction visual error in Temple below Gemini Base.
- FIX --- Temple Activation mutes itself after 7 seconds of playing if the player stands to close to sound trigger.
- FIX --- Memory leak protection system creates a small hitch.
- FIX --- Usable items won't trigger if clicked very fast.
- FIX --- No visual effect of a silent alarm in Epsilon base.
- FIX --- Pottery is affected by sunlight even in dark places,
- FIX --- One of the tree model types break dematerialization material when constructing over it.
- FIX --- Power Storage ambient sound randomly stops playing when near other objects with their own ambient sounds.
- FIX --- On game load, there was a chance that on weaker PC's game could duplicate some of the post-processing materials providing too strong of an effect.
- FIX --- Metos Bug Swarm sound effect cuts out randomly.
- FIX --- Cave ambient cuts off if player swiftly runs inside than out and back in.
- FIX --- Custom camera effects didn't work on some of the levels.
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IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES/ADDITIONS:
- Added two new enemies to the game project.
- Added new experimental nav mesh generation system. (the system is still in its early phase but it removes hitches players notice when moving around AI).
- Added two organic spawners to the game.
- Added new consumable.
- Added new craftable blueprint.
- Added improved navigation system to the game, fixing problems detected while reloading maps with an already saved navigation map.
- Added new points of interests in Karenos Sector - 4.
- Added new foliage to the game.
- AI now share data between them selfs when detecting similar nav mesh loaded around them saving on performance.
- Models used by the AI are now affected by the collision of other AI models.
- AI now respect each other collision and mesh space by calculating the average bounding box of the model, preventing them from merging with each other.
- AI won't lose player sighs if moving between trees. (player is still able to lose AI sight if moved swiftly and be able to hide for longer than a couple of seconds).
- AI damage system is now based on collision hit detection rather than collision space (if AI hits the player with a "knife" that knife is damage dealer, not the AI) preventing an unfair situation where the player is hit by an invisible object.
------ Added localized spawners system to the game:
/// Spawner is able to check player localization and damage player did to the group under spawner control. With the data, spawner is able to determine if more "monsters" are needed for balance.
/// Spawner will create "monsters" based on set rules set by the environment, localization, and stat of the monsters.
/// Spawned monsters have randomized statistic based on minimum and maximum of monsters set stats.
------ Added new logical reaction system to AI:
/// Roam system - AI is now able to calculate its own roaming space in randomly generated space based on the AI terrain protection.
/// Aggression system - AI will change its attack based on its own aggression/fear/desperation.
/// Special attack system - AI is now able to use its own special moves, for example, a chance to poison the player if special conditions will be met.
/// Warning system - AI is able to warn the player if he's on territory that AI protects or getting to close to him rising his Aggression stats.
/// Shouts/Calls system - AI is able to call other AI to help against the player. (if specific conditions are meet and/or other friendly AI are nearby)
/// Alpha Selector - AI will now create dominated AI that will change rest of the group statistic, making them more/less aggressive, more prone to use special attacks and so on.
/// Memory system - AI is able to remember key data on player/environment/global settings and then use it to make simple decisions.
/// Simple Assumption - AI is able to use data in its memory to assume possible future changes (for example it is able to predict the location of the player if AI loses sight of the player while chasing)
- Added Hearing sense to the AI.
- Added Damage senses to the AI.
- AI meshes (such as animation skeletal mesh) is now occluded not only by other objects but also distance. (minor performance boost).
- AI will raise its aggression meter based on player interaction (for example, entering AI territories) when aggression reaches 100 % it will attack the player. AI will calm down by itself after time or by other actions created by other AI and/or player.
- AI with aggression meter below 100 % will now showcase his status to the player as a warning signal by visual animation or/and sound.
- AI will reset its memory and simple logical skills after a set amount of time, that amount of time is depended on the enemy intelligence.
- Pener-07 when shooting now creates very laud trigger sound effect, and when reloading a small trigger sound effect.
- Scanner when activated and/or when switching modes creates a trigger sound effect.
- Visual update to Polan Crystal.
- Player movement now creates a trigger sound effect with its power/range/sound volume depending on speed, from lowest to highest, crouching, walking, running, sprinting.
- Jumping and landing create a trigger sound effect.
- Fallowing new models we improve the UI of all computers to fit the screen.
- Adjustments to camera view distance when using computers.
- Added new story elements.
- Visual update to Xavoc Crystals.
- Visual update to Xavoc and Polan Icons for both inventory and MMC reference.
- Instructions on how to gather minerals create objects and use RTS systems were rewritten and adjusted to new content.
- Added images to instructions for easier understanding of in-game systems.
- Added security system to all storage systems, it will prevent any possible crashes if a class none object is detected. (prevention system)
- Added a new system to game project "Lions_Eye".
- All in-game cameras are now controlled by one system Lions_Eye (performance boost)
- All maps used now and future will be always pointing North UP.
- RTS mode "Overseer", Bots, and Player cameras are now synchronized with each other and are affected by single function with all effects. (performance boost)
- Added new screen effect to bots and Overseer mode to showcase that controlled machines are from a computer screen, not direct possession.
- Added new screen effect on player death.
- Added new screen effect that will simulate pain, the effect is as strong as the damage player is receiving from any source.
- Added new screen effect that will stimulate healing, just like pain it is effected by the strength of the effect.
------- Sound Changes to Footsteps:
/// Added 6 new standard footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 5 new grass footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 7 new metal footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 5 new sand footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 4 new wood footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 6 new plastic footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 5 new water footsteps sound effect.
/// Added 6 new ground footsteps sound effect.
- Added sound effect on jump start and jump end (landing) with material texture detection to control sound volume and type.
- Added sound effect to Pener-07 reload.
- Landscape textures now trigger a correct sound effect when walked over.
- Improvement to all Trees collisions.
- Footsteps trigger detection is now able to check instances of all objects in the level and check what surface material it's using with it adjust proper sound effect.
- Trees provide proper sound effect when walked over.
- Footsteps sound effect adjusted to all buildings in the game.
- Minor player character optimizations, all trigger effects are now more stable and calculation checks go through one source control rather than three. (minor performance boost)
- Fallowing storyline improvements we opened some of the structures.
- Randomly generated loot will now be calculated based on the maximum and the minimum of possible content rather than only on maximum.
- Ore Veins are now generated with its content by maximum and minimum amount rather than maximum only.
- Damage done by creatures is now calculated in a range between minimal and maximum damage.
- Containers with randomly generated loot adjusted to the new-generation system.
- Added Asychronized ID generation system to all objects in the game. (small performance boost on spawning objects in the game)
- Added ID allocation emergency system, to prevent spawning any object in the game with empty ID or wrong ID that may negatively affect save the file.
- Improvements to Wrist Bio Meters status calculation. (calculation performance increase by 330%)
- Wrist Bio Meters activation on game start/load speed up by over 1 second.
- Minor visual improvement to construction holographic correct/incorrect placement indicators.
- Space of standard multi-purposes bot container lowered from 10 to 6.
- Minor adjustments to first-person hands animation "show bio-meter".
- Minor visual improvement to all door controls.
- Minor visual improvement to Neurocore station.
- Added new experimental model optimization system (performance boost)
------- Model and all levels of details optimization/recreation to improve performance (lowering global polygon count between 12 % to 48 % depending on location) :
/// All types of grass
/// All types of tress
/// 39 out of 49 types of rockes/boulders
/// All ice cliffs
/// Gemini Base tunnels
/// Gemini Temple
/// Gemini Registration Office
/// All ancient walls
/// All ancient temple elements
/// All ancient pottery
/// Ancient Pylon
/// All cave systems
/// 3 out of 7 bushes
/// Solar Panels
/// Base Walls
/// 7 out of 19 background mountains
- Player speed calculation is now done per trigger instance rather than per tick, now player will change speed depending on player stance (crouch, walk, run, sprint) and if he is moving forward or backward.
- Disable navigation effect on small objects that are too small than have any effect besides small impact on performance.
- Minor visual changes to a crosshair and crosshair now change it's appearance if we trigger any damage from any source or healing.
- Minor optimization to 31 background animations.
- Minor visual update to Pener-07 bullets.
- Minor improvements to material refraction effect (minor performance boost)
- Added minor save/load security to prevent creatures from spawning off bound.
- Adjusted draw distance to 918 objects in Karenos - Sector 4 (minor performance boost)
- The light intensity of day and night cycle are now controlled by the environmental stats rather than pre-set stats.
- World day and night colors, and light intensity are controlled by fog, environment color, atmospheric color, planets, moons, and clouds rather than a static set.
- Flashlight light intensity rose by 150 %.
- The improved landscape of Karenos - Sector 4.
- M.P.B will now change it's engine sound effect depending on the speed of the bot, to simulate engine power.
- Added crouch to M.P.B (bot is not affected by body limitation which means that bot can move at the same max speed as if he wasn't crouching).
- Drastic improvement to traces signal for objects and foliage (minor performance boost)
- Added layered calculation system to Skybox, fog, night/day calls, and sun angle calculation (minor performance boost)
- Script calling is now reduced to only once per game load, in NPC's, Player and bots. (minor performance boost)
- "Lion's Roar" system now triggers ambient/music change in each construction and environment only once per load and saves that function call to prevent any future calls. (minor performance boost)
- Code optimization to Ore Extractors. (reduction on CPU each time extractor digs up and stores found an object).
- Added Asychronize UI update to all widgets affected by storage/containers. (minor performance boost).
- Adjustment to texture size and memory consumption.
- Adjustments to mesh memory consumption, level of details and their spawn.
- Project update to newest engine version. (Unreal Engine 4.23).
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