Hey Folks,
It’s been just over a month since the May Dev Blog was published, and there is one clear feedback….you want more info!
Last Update:
The May Dev Blog was long overdue, and was the first official studio communication since the launch of Public Update 2 in February. Since then, we have been focused on playing and debugging the game while also reading your feedback, engaging where we needed more info, and generally listening to the take-aways from our community!
Let’s step back quickly though and review what we announced last MAY in more detail before we go forward…
“Transition & pumping integration” - This is NOT the same as Vert, and this will be in V1.
Transition and pumping allow the skater to skate anything on most angled surfaces, up until they are fully vertical (<90°), using player pumping and momentum to navigate and perform tricks. This includes the ability to perform lip tricks while in transition. Think slopes and mini ramps, not Half Pipes with 900s and Mc Twists.
“Session world optimization is in full swing” - PU2 introduced some performance issues on certain systems/configurations, most notably in NYC, leading to choppy or poor framerate. World optimization improves overall game performance and the consistency of the experience. We’re aiming to hit a constant FPS on all systems.
“Game testing has picked up in full …. With the impending V1 deadline, the realities of time, money, and quality have led to some tough conversations in the studio.” I know it all sounds so corporate, but it's true that it's a balance of time, money, and quality. As with all products, there is a life cycle and hitting V1 will not be the end of Session: Skate Sim.
Today:
We have a core team dedicated to getting the cleanest version out the door and aligning great features and content to follow our launch!
We are actively recruiting key roles the project in:
● Animation
● 3D Art
● Sound Design
● Quality Assurance / Control
Interested applicants should send their CV to [email protected] with an appropriate subject line: Session x “your name” - “role”
Finally the Development Updates:
Navigation
○ On board navigation continues to be improved with iterations in transitions and bails.
○ Physics animation is helping improve the flow of skating, making it feel more natural for the majority of cases. However, we still have some bugs we’re working on, aiming to find the balance of flow and quality.
○ Changes to ground detection when in the air have greatly improved the ability to air to fakie in a ramp, and generally stay in transition on minis and slopes, as well as improving air outs and transitions out of banks or angles (<90°).
○ Big drop landing is being revisited in debug to ensure it adds the right type of challenge to the skate experience.
Tricks
○ Trick Detection for Grinds has been overhauled - improving the overall feedback and accuracy of the trick display system. This also includes the ability to stay in a grind and to continue through a curved ledge or rail.
○ Trick detection further improves Mission playthroughs as well as all challenge types. Historical Challenges now require the right trick!
Ragdoll Slams have been integrated and are lots of fun!
○ Adding bail and slam rules allowed us to remove a lot of quality issues we were seeing due to the player not bailing, in all states or transitions.
○ Having clearer guidelines for bails leads to more consistent feedback on what will be achievable on board.
○ A new “Disable Auto Respawn” in bails allows you to capture the lasting effects of your in game mayhem and antics…we’ve been producing pure gold in house!
Powerslides fully transition through stances & allow the player to transfer weight from their nose to tail and everywhere in between
○ Powerslides and reverts are two different skill sets, but are highly interchangeable. Working on each to ensure they account for the other will make the whole experience more consistent and therefore reliable.
○ “Firecrackers” - are one of the happy accidents from this marriage, now the player can shift their weight to their tail in a powerslide leading to some awesome and sometimes unpredictable results!
Transit System rework with updated bus routes & stations updates
○ New MAP visuals with PIP for locations to help navigation.
○ Fully implemented through the apartment and pause menu.
● Localised spawning on game boot
○ You will now load into the last city or spot played, as opposed to always starting in the banks.
July and Beyond:
We will continue to fix bugs and focus on gameplay consistency. What do we mean when we say Consistency? It is the ability to read your likelihood of trick success based on your speed, angle of attack, and the timing of your execution. As it stands in V0.0.0.72 we have too many variables that can not be predictably managed by the player, leading to frustration that is often tied to complexity rather than consistency. The ideal scenario is to have a consistent trick or manoeuvre for a standard controller input, as well as speed, angle of attack, obstacle height, gap size etc. Meaning once you have the recipe on lock it is the specifics of timing and flare that will make the difference and help your content stand out!
Donovan will continue dropping Session wisdom & updates on our social channels, and the July Dev Blog is just around the corner. The team is actively growing and excited for V1 and beyond, so please share with your friends and family if you know anyone who would be ideal to join our team!
CV’s can be sent to [email protected]
Finally - keep your eyes peeled for some new Session: Skate Sim content at the Nacon Connect show on July 7th, 2022.
Peace,
The Crea-ture team!