Let's try this again
An Intel CPU related issue has caused a very noticable chunk of players not being able to run the game, and unfortunately this has impacted initial growth on launch and the player count in total right now. This issue has now been fixed. It may need further feedback in the future, but for now I've established a tiny application that ensures the game runs in an environment that has all the required variables.
If this issue had impacted you and resulted in a refund, or not playing the game, I'd love for you to give it another shot, and the game's been put on the same discount it had at launch.
If you had implimented the manual solution I shared around and the game works, but you had this problem initially, you won't have to do that again and neither will other players.
I've also made the source code for this fix public to allow anyone to verify it's safety and suggest improvements. https://github.com/Protoria-Studios/skyfear-launch-script
What else is new in this update?
- Photosensitivity option added: turn on to reduce some of the game's harsh flashing effects
- Material spawns in Lairworld will now be in groups sometimes, more fun to collect
- Post processing adjustments
- Improvements to avatar camera
- Changes to gameplay camera positioning
- Improved Shroud and Magpoint effects
- Improved debris particles on bolt impacts
- Tweaks to bolt impact decal behavior
- Fixed some out of bounds exploits
- Fixed hitmarker position
- Made adjustments to make FOV shifts more predictable and cleaner looking
- Cleaned up some of the general options
- Move text chat to top right
- Adjusted reticle position/size
See full list of changes on the commit log.
Monthly update format
For the first couple months I was playing it by ear and learning what works. With that experience, I'm now going to make updates follow a process to be more consistent and have a smoother delivery. I'd like to deliver at least 1 update every month, most months. Some updates may be focused on 1-2 major features, a chunk of content, or sometimes more maintenance related. A few months out of a year updates may be skipped in favor of keeping on working, or simply for occasions/holidays/breaks. I've updated the roadmap to reflect this new approach and to show you what's in the pipeline right now. The commit log has an updated format as well.
Low player count & community hangouts
Skyfear has not yet reached a number of players that concurrently are able to fill up games. I'm doing everything I can to improve this, which starts with fixing the Intel issue that caused a lot of players to bounce. If you enjoy playing this game, I strongly encourage you to share it with your friends and your favorite content creators.
Once a month in our Discord server there will be community events where we all go online at the same time and play together, do live streams, and do giveaways. So there's ways to play some multiplayer there, and to get the game for free, or gift it to your friends!
What's next?
Leaderboards are very far along and going to be tested soon. As well as new maps, new cosmetics... And I will confirm since a lot of players have mentioned the stiff animation, the dragon rig and animation will be getting a do-over in the coming months.
Want more updates?
I post most frequently in Discord, where I share more current development notes and some behind the scenes stuff. We also have a cozy and friendly community growing there, so if that interests you, come join!