Jan 29, 2016
FortressCraft Evolved! - DjArcas
Goodbye, patch 3, hello patch 4. Very excitingly for me, I need to work out how to press the I DONE A PATCH!!!! button on http://www.patreon.com/fortresscraft. For you, dear reader, you're probably more interested about what's coming next.
Patch 4 had a massive focus on multiplayer; my dedicated server is now sitting at 27 days of total uptime, with, honestly, very few issues. The niggling item collection bug got fixes last night, and I think the super-complicated client side missile simulation is now humming nicely. The playthrough on the hardest difficulty has also lead to a huge amount of improved balance changes, new machines, improved power generation, more to do, better loot - all being summed up as 'It's a lot easier to charge your Orbital Energy Transmitter'.
Those of you in Bleeding Edge are aware that I generally put out a snapshot build everyday; quite often 2 or 3 times a day, with a 15 minute turn around on major issues. Sadly, this isn't going to be the case for the next 2-3 weeks.
Whilst FortressCraft's code is generally great, we've been suffering hard from really, REALLY awful disk code. Not ours - Windows. It's awful. Oh-my-god awful. I've had files 200 bytes long being half-written, and I've written files to disk 30 minutes ago, had the computer BSOD, and the file hasn't been written. To this end, we've been implementing a full CRC system, to detect corrupted files and roll back appropriately. This is a risky change, and could easily mean that a bug will roll back to backups when it shouldn't have. As this change is deemed so risky, I decided it'd be best to throw everything at this patch, and step away from the daily patches for a bit. On top of the CRC change, I'm planning on improving the network compression, looking at a CRC-based challenge-and-response system with caching from the client and moving to Unity 5.
OOOOOO, I hear you say, Unity 5! What does that give us?
Right now, it gives very little. Unity has improved stuff across the board, but their general focus has been on static games; first person shooters, platform games, driving games. We'll benefit from their improved CPU/GPU threading setup, but generally, we aren't going to see a massive improvement.
However.
Come March, Unity 5.4 rolls out. For the first time since I started using Unity, they're going to offer GPU Instanced Rendering. This technique has very few uses. The best one is when you need to draw 10,000 of the same, low-poly object.
Sound familiar? I'll be talking more about this as I develop the engine feature.
But... moving to Unity 5 alone is risky-as-hell. So, no more daily Bleeding Edge patches*.
*Ok, I'll totally be doing these, but they will be password protected, and are to be considered guaranteed to wipe your world, format your harddrive and run off with your significant other. If you agree to these terms, then I will be giving out the password, which will probably be IPROMISEIBACKEDUPMYWORLD
I hope the transition period will only be in the region of 2-3 weeks.
But we need something else to go with this tech change - the majority of you won't notice anything other than less corrupted worlds and somewhat improved framerate. There are changes that'll be made to the Mass Storage, and implementation of the first set of T4 machines. The decision hasn't been made to put the T4 machines into Patch 5 or Patch 6 yet, but I'll go over the basic plans and progression that've been written down.
Right now, you can charge your OET off of T3, but let's be honest, it's a bit bloody hard.
As the player hits this part of the progression, I'll begin to give access to the T4 machines. The first of these will be a NEW_CPH. This machine will be another MegaProject like the OET, but probably on a smaller scale. It requires building in a cold area, so the player's surface base will not be in range (helping framerate enormously, of course ;-). Once that machine is built, it'll need a power source.
The first T4 power source is a geothermal energy plant. That will require a LOT of pipes, and should automatically generate a loop of conductive pipe down to the magma layer. It's likely that the player will need to construct the suit cooler, head down to the magma cavern, and attach a pump. Again, we're talking about a megaproject here, requiring potentially thousands of pipes made. I think we've got a note that says 1600 pipes minimum. It's a long way.
The T4 ores (name pending) will be drilled up using a multiblock extractor drill, and smelted using a multiblock, multimachine smelting and casting system.
The current T4 batteries are going to get much more use, with 3x3 power conduits allowing transfer rates in excess of 10,000 power per second. Be warned in advance - standing in these whilst they are firing WILL kill you. Danger. High Voltage.
As the player charges his OET, using a combination of T3 and T4 power, he will of course be fighting off waves of mobs. Once the OET is charged with 100 million glorious power, it will then DIScharge, wiping out one of the 4 spawn locations. Charge it 4 times, and you'll have no more surface attacks.
Of course, wiping out the surface attacks is just going to awaken much deeper, more dangerous enemies, who JUST HAPPEN to drop much better loot.
At this point, we will have the third MegaProject, some sort of UNDERGROUND_POWER_TRANSMITTER, built for GAME_REASON, and requiring at least LOTS_OF_POWER, as well at at least LOTS of the new DIFFICULT_TO_MAKE_ITEM! Then the cycle will repeat, a new base will be established in the Magma caverns, and T5. You might be understanding how game design works, suddenly. After that, we have fluid handling, pipes and pumps, rocket launches to space, repairing the drop ship, the spiderbot upgrades, replacement robots for ARTHER.
Don't worry - all the details will be sorted out as playtesting happens!
Thank you once again to everyone who has bought the game, everyone who has helped out by purchasing the DLC, and ESPECIALLY everyone who has gone massively above and beyond the call of duty and become a patron of my continued development of this game.
The patch should be live in an hour or two from now - it's time for me to work on the patch notes. It's the rock'n'roll lifestyle of the Indie Dev that really keeps me going ;)
ːpcraceː
Patch 4 had a massive focus on multiplayer; my dedicated server is now sitting at 27 days of total uptime, with, honestly, very few issues. The niggling item collection bug got fixes last night, and I think the super-complicated client side missile simulation is now humming nicely. The playthrough on the hardest difficulty has also lead to a huge amount of improved balance changes, new machines, improved power generation, more to do, better loot - all being summed up as 'It's a lot easier to charge your Orbital Energy Transmitter'.
Those of you in Bleeding Edge are aware that I generally put out a snapshot build everyday; quite often 2 or 3 times a day, with a 15 minute turn around on major issues. Sadly, this isn't going to be the case for the next 2-3 weeks.
Whilst FortressCraft's code is generally great, we've been suffering hard from really, REALLY awful disk code. Not ours - Windows. It's awful. Oh-my-god awful. I've had files 200 bytes long being half-written, and I've written files to disk 30 minutes ago, had the computer BSOD, and the file hasn't been written. To this end, we've been implementing a full CRC system, to detect corrupted files and roll back appropriately. This is a risky change, and could easily mean that a bug will roll back to backups when it shouldn't have. As this change is deemed so risky, I decided it'd be best to throw everything at this patch, and step away from the daily patches for a bit. On top of the CRC change, I'm planning on improving the network compression, looking at a CRC-based challenge-and-response system with caching from the client and moving to Unity 5.
OOOOOO, I hear you say, Unity 5! What does that give us?
Right now, it gives very little. Unity has improved stuff across the board, but their general focus has been on static games; first person shooters, platform games, driving games. We'll benefit from their improved CPU/GPU threading setup, but generally, we aren't going to see a massive improvement.
However.
Come March, Unity 5.4 rolls out. For the first time since I started using Unity, they're going to offer GPU Instanced Rendering. This technique has very few uses. The best one is when you need to draw 10,000 of the same, low-poly object.
Sound familiar? I'll be talking more about this as I develop the engine feature.
But... moving to Unity 5 alone is risky-as-hell. So, no more daily Bleeding Edge patches*.
*Ok, I'll totally be doing these, but they will be password protected, and are to be considered guaranteed to wipe your world, format your harddrive and run off with your significant other. If you agree to these terms, then I will be giving out the password, which will probably be IPROMISEIBACKEDUPMYWORLD
I hope the transition period will only be in the region of 2-3 weeks.
But we need something else to go with this tech change - the majority of you won't notice anything other than less corrupted worlds and somewhat improved framerate. There are changes that'll be made to the Mass Storage, and implementation of the first set of T4 machines. The decision hasn't been made to put the T4 machines into Patch 5 or Patch 6 yet, but I'll go over the basic plans and progression that've been written down.
Right now, you can charge your OET off of T3, but let's be honest, it's a bit bloody hard.
As the player hits this part of the progression, I'll begin to give access to the T4 machines. The first of these will be a NEW_CPH. This machine will be another MegaProject like the OET, but probably on a smaller scale. It requires building in a cold area, so the player's surface base will not be in range (helping framerate enormously, of course ;-). Once that machine is built, it'll need a power source.
The first T4 power source is a geothermal energy plant. That will require a LOT of pipes, and should automatically generate a loop of conductive pipe down to the magma layer. It's likely that the player will need to construct the suit cooler, head down to the magma cavern, and attach a pump. Again, we're talking about a megaproject here, requiring potentially thousands of pipes made. I think we've got a note that says 1600 pipes minimum. It's a long way.
The T4 ores (name pending) will be drilled up using a multiblock extractor drill, and smelted using a multiblock, multimachine smelting and casting system.
The current T4 batteries are going to get much more use, with 3x3 power conduits allowing transfer rates in excess of 10,000 power per second. Be warned in advance - standing in these whilst they are firing WILL kill you. Danger. High Voltage.
As the player charges his OET, using a combination of T3 and T4 power, he will of course be fighting off waves of mobs. Once the OET is charged with 100 million glorious power, it will then DIScharge, wiping out one of the 4 spawn locations. Charge it 4 times, and you'll have no more surface attacks.
Of course, wiping out the surface attacks is just going to awaken much deeper, more dangerous enemies, who JUST HAPPEN to drop much better loot.
At this point, we will have the third MegaProject, some sort of UNDERGROUND_POWER_TRANSMITTER, built for GAME_REASON, and requiring at least LOTS_OF_POWER, as well at at least LOTS of the new DIFFICULT_TO_MAKE_ITEM! Then the cycle will repeat, a new base will be established in the Magma caverns, and T5. You might be understanding how game design works, suddenly. After that, we have fluid handling, pipes and pumps, rocket launches to space, repairing the drop ship, the spiderbot upgrades, replacement robots for ARTHER.
Don't worry - all the details will be sorted out as playtesting happens!
Thank you once again to everyone who has bought the game, everyone who has helped out by purchasing the DLC, and ESPECIALLY everyone who has gone massively above and beyond the call of duty and become a patron of my continued development of this game.
The patch should be live in an hour or two from now - it's time for me to work on the patch notes. It's the rock'n'roll lifestyle of the Indie Dev that really keeps me going ;)
ːpcraceː
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