Server Browser, Gameplay Trailer, Testing Environment, Performance Optimizations and more! - This is a smaller update than usual, but it's to prepare the game for early access release which is coming up in a few weeks (hopefully). However, a few interesting things have been added and fixed.
A server browser was added to the multi-player menu. If you host a server, it will now be visible on the server browser which other players can click on to join your game. I haven't had a lot of time to fully polish out the recent changes (such as enabling or disabling automatic play mode) in the multi-player environment for one, so there may still be bugs. But this is a start, and over time I'll polish things up to work as flawlessly in multi-player as it does in the single-player modes.
A gameplay trailer was also added to the store page. It's a very basic video that highlights building, exploring, fighting, etc and in time I'll replace it, but for now at least it showcases some of the things you can currently do in the game. That and it's a requirement to launch the game, so it had to be done in order to get early access started.
A testing environment was also added. I'll be making a habit of updating the testing environment version before the live version, likely a week in advance so that there's a decent amount of time to identify and fix any game-breaking bugs before I force them on everyone. But if you want to experience new content as it comes out and don't mind potential issues however, perhaps give it a try.
I've also identified a ton of inefficiencies in the way the AI and drawing of the screen works, and corrected them. I'm still not 100% convinced that everything is fixed, although I haven't noticed any issues since and have put in dozens of testing hours. Eventually I plan to completely smooth out everything and make all code as efficient as possible, but everything will come in due time.
Additions
- Added the server browser. Currently if you host a server, it will get listed on the server browser. From the server browser, other players can click on your server to join your game.
- Added a basic gameplay trailer to the store page.
- Added hosting a game. I still need to add the menu where you can change game settings before the game starts, but at least now you can host a new game and others can join via the connect menu in multiplayer. Keep in mind that multiplayer hasn't yet been updated with recent changes, so it might be buggy.
- Added attack animations.
- Added a testing environment. You can now access a more frequently updated version of the game under the game properties in Steam. This version may be buggy and isn't recommended, but will contain the most recent changes.
- Added sound effect for dropping certain items on a wooden floor.
- Added sound effect for moving rubble around.
- Added sound effect for dropping and stacking sticks.
- Added sound effect for picking up cut tall grass.
- Added a button that toggles full screen on and off to the left panel (Shortcuts Ctrl + F or F11).
- Added a button that toggles the screen size to the left panel (shortcut F10).
- Added a button to the interface that toggles sound (shortcut Ctrl + S).
- Added a button to the interface that toggles music (shortcut Ctrl + M).
- Added AI blueberry collecting. Villagers will now automatically collect nearby blueberries and store them.
- Added soil stacking to 100, previously 15.
- Added tall grass seed stacking to 55, previously 18.
- Added a stamina bar to the left panel.
- Added character name and profession to the left panel.
- Added the ability to use Ctrl + Left Click on a villager to give up control of your current character and take command of the selected character.
Fixes
- Fixed performance related bugs.
- Fixed a bug where AI villagers would immediately pick up an item you drop if they're assigned to do so. Now dropping an item makes that your work spot until you drop something else to replace it or switch to AI mode.
- Fixed the shift-hover text for soil x4 & tall grass seed/plant.
- Fixed chopping a tree with hatchet sound effect to be realistic.
- Fixed a bug where the save game screen would sometimes lag.
- Fixed a few visual bugs when using full screen.
- Fixed pregnancy so that smaller villages will get pregnant more often than larger ones, giving them a faster chance to grow while keeping large villages from booming.
- Fixed a bug where the AI would sometimes allow the campfire to burn out.
- Fixed a bug where the darkness of night and the whiteness of death would overlap the left panel.
- Fixed the helpful tips pages to be more up to date.