Although 2020 has been a rough year for everyone, there were some huge steps for 001 Game Creator. We will take a moment to reflect on some of these advancements now!
At the beginning of the year, things were pretty quiet on the surface. However, each of our team members were tackling various key tasks in the background setting up future releases. We provided various bug fixes and upgraded the font editor, setting up some groundwork for upcoming features.
Later on, we released two of our biggest features that we started since the previous year. We’ve been working on implementing full UNICODE support within the engine. Our effort has finally pulled off, and the implementation can now support languages like Arabian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian. The team had to create entirely new UNICODE-compatible controls and then update each window in the engine to make use of them, which took a tremendous amount of time. Finally our worldwide audience could easily make their games in their own language!
The next huge feature was adding the dark user interface (Dark UI), which has been requested immensely by the community. The Dark UI enables users to work on their projects in the engine in dark mode. If users would like to switch back to light mode, they could by accessing the “Tools” option.
We have upgraded and expanded on the Platformer and Action RPG templates. The overhaul for the Action RPG changes introduced new interfaces and polish, like the Story Message and Picture-In-Picture. The Platformer template received a major update, including new art assets, game mechanics and a full demo. We also released a new resource DLC dedicated to various sound effects you can use in your projects!
In the midst of this year, 001 Game Creator has participated in two Humble Bundle events - one for game creators and the other event for a STEM educational content. The educational content includes two books, numerous worksheets and team/cost spreadsheets for game developers. The books cover the basics of using the engine and resources, in a way focused around STEM fundamentals.
Earlier this year we also setup our official Patreon account. It allows the Patreon community to provide financial support to our upcoming projects and to gain benefits for actively contributing funds. One of those benefits include getting first access to watching a revamped video tutorial series and reading a text tutorial series called 001 Game Recipes. Patreons are responsible for picking which Game Recipes get made next by vote. If you pledge for long enough, you can even snag some exclusive SoftWeir swag! A huge thank you to all of our supporters!
Toward the end of the year, we launched our previous Humble Bundle educational contents in both digital and physical forms! You can pick up either a kindle or physical copy of the STEM courses on Amazon and the game design printable worksheets can be found here: https://www.softweir.ca/shop/. To top the year off, we even hit another mile-stone by welcoming our 1,000th Discord member!
Although we love to deliver new features, we have also spent a huge amount of time resolving major issues reported to us by the community and our team. All throughout the year we have been fixing various issues and stability, as well as improving the codebase to improve performance. A shout out to our awesome community for helping us iron out these issues, and thank you for everyone’s patience!
We still have some new surprises in the pipeline, so always check back often! On behalf of the whole team, we want to wish you a Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see more amazing games from you in 2021!
In this joyous season, we’ve released the first official books about 001 Game Creator on Amazon, 001 Basics and 001 Resources! These wonderful STEM course books educates you on how to use the engine and its basic features. In each section, readers will encounter short quizzes and assignments to test their knowledge. It is a great way to self-learn and use an engine to build a video game without any prior programming knowledge. Gift both 001 Game Creator and book to anyone this holiday season for an awesome last-minute educational gift for all ages!
Since the first release of the 001 Game Recipe, the public has received more recipes, which can be viewed through Steam guides. The newest recipes have covered how one can create a progression gate by ensuring the player defeats all enemies before leaving the area, as well as how to make a title screen/menu within 001 Game Creator. You can always look back at the past recipes and other published guides by visiting the guide section on Steam.
Join our fellow Patreons who now have the capability to choose the next 001 Game Recipe. Besides being the first to access Beta versions and recipes, they can now vote for next 001 Game Recipe through polls. Each poll will have three selections that the team has provided, and each selection was chosen based on the community’s feedback and frequently asked questions. Newcomers will need to be at least a Novice tier (monthly $5 commitment) or a higher tier to cast a vote.
Happy Holidays! Unwrap a great bundle with getting 001 Game Creator at a great price during the Winter Steam Sale event! The engine will be 75% off and the downloadable contents will be 30% off. This event starts today and ends January 5th.
We are thrilled to introduce our first “001 Game Recipe” with the community! Instead of making food, you will be making interesting scenes and features within 001 Game Creator. 001 Game Recipes are mini-tutorials with easy to follow instructions, designed in a simple step-by-step way. These walkthroughs will cover various questions or topics commonly asked by the community. Eventually, we will have more recipes that will cover advanced scripts for experienced users as well!
This first 001 Game Recipe covers creating a flashlight/torch. We’ve been asked many times by newcomers on how to set up this feature. Now, you can read the first recipe through steam guides. You can check it out here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2286298362
Let us know what you think!
This week, our fellow Patreons will also get a first look access to our second 001 Game Recipe before everyone else. Later on, it will be released to the public through steam guides. If you would like to see more special contents in advance for 001 Game Creator, you can sign-up at the Patreon website and support us: https://www.patreon.com/softweir
1,000th Discord Member to Join Us!
We’re happy to share that we now have 1,000 members in our Discord channel! It’s exciting for us to see many new faces joining our community and the creative projects that each new member brings. As we continue to grow together, we hope to continue to provide the best support by answering questions, resolving bug issues, and delivering new features within 001 Game Creator. Let’s rejoice in this wonderful moment and welcome our 5,000th member when the time comes!
With temperatures dropping, we are bringing-up the heat with the Black Friday Sale! From today to December 1st, enjoy 001 Game Creator with 60% off and the downloadable contents (DLCs) with 30% off! Make sure to grab the Sound Effects DLC, which was recently released.
We’re thrilled to announce that 001 Game Creator will be participating in Humble Bundle with our first ever Game Dev STEM Humble Bundle! This whole bundle includes some amazing assets and tools (worth $344) by pledging at $25 tier for the top tier. Your $25 purchase will support charities and organizations like AbleGamers and Movember. These two entities are helping folks who deal with various impairments. We appreciate AbleGamers and Movember’s efforts because we have team members who personally deal with various impairments or know folks who deal with impairments. We hope our educational package will help you learn more about game development and the donation to help many people around the world.
The Game Dev STEM Humble Bundle contains our newly revamped educational content to aid in building your dream creation. These materials can be used by young children and adults alike. We've been working on these step-by-step instructional books and educational workbooks in a manner suited for academic use, to provide in-depth understanding of how 001 Game Creator and its tools function. Alongside our STEM books, this bundle also comes with our first release of worksheets, dedicated to assist new or existing game developers plan their games. We hope this release will unleash more creativity by the community during these unpredictable times.
Patreon Highlights - 2nd Part of Video Tutorial Series!
Take advantage of this time to also check-out the newest software version (v2020.010.001), along with some of the other recent releases like the 2nd part of the video tutorial series. This video continues to cover the basics of 001 Game Creator, but it goes further in-depth into maps. From watching how to use the Map Editor, to painting tiles on a map, our Patreon community received first-looks at the newest footage and the beta version as well.
We have turned-up the volume with the release of a new downloadable content (DLC) for sound effects (SFX), and we have released a new version of 001 Game Creator! This v2020.010.000 comes with a bunch of new changes and bug fixes toward text fields and scripting issues, revolving the downloadable contents (DLCs) and pre-existing templates. Two of the major highlights in this release include the fix for the Enhanced RPG DLC and incorporating new new features under the sprite resource. We’re glad to finally release the new SFX DLC and the corrections in this update!
Sound Effects Pack Volume 1 - DLC Released!
These new profound sounds will elevate the quality of your creation to a higher level. From the menu screen’s monotonous noise to spontaneous explosions of spells in combat, you can set a tone that is perfect for any atmosphere. You could even include a specific roar when a monster becomes alert or charges in an attack. Keep getting good sounds, so your creation stays in tune.
Enhanced RPG DLC - Random Battle Resolved
Thanks to our community, we were able to review and fix an issue occurring with random battles in the Enhanced RPG DLC from submitted reports. This version will now resolve that technical error.
Billboard Map Graphic and Interface Graphic
To simplify the common sprite creation, we've made two new features under the sprite resource templates. We have added "Billboard Map Graphic" and "Interface Graphic".
Apart from the major highlights, here are some of the other significant highlights found in this release:
-Fixed debugger screenshot (Ctrl+P) from rendering shadows incorrectly. -Fixed text width field use value from returning incorrect values on mobile/web. -Greatly improved performance of deleting sprite resources. -Fixed interfaces from using Scripting ID instead of Display Name when showing statistics. -Fixed defeated player actors from being able to change direction or jump. -Fixed the visual issues when climbing fences in the Platformer template. -Fixed not being able to change pages in the MMORPG shop when buying items. -Fixed displaying the incorrect number of walls (wall height) in map editor. -Fixed pick sprite template window from not creating the correct sprite type. -Updated Android API target version to 29 to support latest Google Play store requirements.
With the new season bringing-in cooler changes, we’re warming up with a sneak-peek on the newest development for mobile devices, recent releases and an autumn sale too!
On-Screen Control Interface for Mobile Devices
Behind the curtains, we’ve been working on a way for users to have more control, and that control will be an on-screen control interface that’s setup for mobile devices! To be the first to preview this development is our wonderful Patreons when it is released as beta! You could also be the first to preview our newest features and receive other rewarding benefits by supporting us through our Patreon account!
Patreon Highlights - New Video Tutorial Series
Since our latest update with 001 Game Creator, we’ve also shared the first video of our refurbished video tutorial series with the public. We recommend watching this video, as it provides a complete overview on the basic usage of the tools and features of 001 Game Creator but also how to create your first video game with NPCs and quests!
Thanks to our patrons, we will be able to provide more video tutorials and a separate video series in the coming months, which many users have frequently requested!
Newer Version From Late August
While we work to bring new improvements to 001 Game Creator, we have also fixed some major bugs and issues reported by our users through our newest update (version2020.008.000) in late August.
Major highlights include an improved map performances (specifically for larger maps) in 2D and 3D projects; Actor AI being stuck in water, ramps, walls or other actors; Tile-Set Extractor, Use Value ToolTips/ Fonts; and graphical glitches from the particle effects on HTML5 and mobile devices. Specific details can be found in our changelog! With the newest version released, you should take advantage of our fresh autumn sale!
Fresh Autumn Discount Sale
From today until August 10th (Thursday), enjoy 001 Game Creator with 60% off and the downloadable contents (DLCs) with 30% off!
The latest version of 001 Game Creator is now available, with a bunch of fixes and improvements based on reports/feedback we received from Humble Bundle users! Plus, a new video tutorial series is in the works - the first of which is now publicly available after having been exclusively available to our Patrons for the past fortnight!
v2020.008.000
We've updated 001 Game Creator to v2020.008.000 and with it comes a bunch of fixes and improvements based on the reports and feedback we received primarily from Humble Bundle users! As always, you can view the full changelog on our website but we've also highlighted a few of the changes below:
Improved Map Performance (Large Maps)
We've improved the rendering of Maps to yield better performance, particularly with larger maps! This applies to both 2D and 3D projects. Several users who've had access to our beta version (you can support our Patreon to to gain access to these) have already noticed improvements with their projects; Averaging 5-10fps gains on larger maps.
Actor AI Fixes (Water/Ramps/Walls)
We've fixed Actor AI so that it now performs as expected when Actors are submerged in water or on ramps. We've also fixed issues with Actors getting stuck in water, walls or other Actors.
Fixed Tile-Set Extractor
The Tile-Set Extractor was causing issues for some users, and with this update we've been able to resolve them! Specifically, we've fixed an issue regarding multi-selection of tiles as well as performance issues when using the Tile Size option.
Fixed Text Scripter
A rare crash was discovered regarding our Text Scripter that has now been resolved, as well as an issue that prevented users from pressing up/down keys while editing a text script.
Fixed Use Value Tooltips / Fonts
A bug that prevented Use Value tooltips from showing up has also been fixed, along with a fix for Fonts that were incorrectly rendering high-order UNICODE characters in-game.
Graphical Glitch Fixes for Particle Effects (HTML5/Mobile)
Lastly, we've fixed a graphical glitch that only appeared with HTML5/Mobile games that resulted in particle effects from showing incorrectly.
NEW Video Tutorials
In addition to updating 001 Game Creator, we're also pleased to announce that we've started a brand new video tutorial series which is designed to go over the basics of using 001 Game Creator; from providing a complete overview of all of the tools and features, to learning how to create your very first game with NPCs and quests! The first video in this new series has been available to our Patrons for the past fortnight but it's now publicly available for everyone else!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wtNVGNYNWw As you've probably guessed, this new series will replace some of our older video tutorials that covered similar topics (but didn't go into nearly as much detail). We've also got another video tutorial series planned (once this current one is finished) that will look specifically at resources.
Video tutorials are frequently requested by our users and, thanks in part to our new Patrons, we'll finally be able to start producing these on a regular basis. So, you can look forward to seeing many more video tutorials in the coming months!
Today is the start of a new chapter for 001 Game Creator, as we’ve launched a Patreon page to help fund future development! With your support, we can grow our team and add more content to 001 – while also developing new, bigger projects that we know you’ll enjoy!
By supporting our Patreon page you’ll gain access to unique perks including early previews, feature requests, beta versions, merchandise and even your name featured in the engine - plus, so much more!
For more details, including why this has become necessary for us, please check out and support our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/SoftWeir
We’re thrilled to announce that 001 Game Creator is a part of the Humble Game Creator Bundle! Grab yourself a ton of cool assets and tools (worth $769) for just $30! Plus, your purchase will support Extra Life, Child’s Play, and JDRF!
We've updated 001 Game Creator to v2020.007.001 to address a few immediate issues that were brought to our attention since the last major update last week.
Namely, this version addresses a bug with the Interface Editor which would lock out the toolbar after undoing. You can see the full list of changes below:
Fixed disabled toolbar in interface editor after undoing.
Fixed typo in Action-RPG demo.
Updated example projects to use updated music to improve compatibility with mobile and web.
Improved some of the example projects.
Fixed Action-RPG/Enhanced-RPG/MMORPG "Hat" sprite and "Staff" item from not layering properly.
Fixed Action-RPG/Enhanced-RPG/MMORPG "Male" and "Female" sprites from having incorrect holding points.
Fixed sprite connections for Action-RPG, Enhanced RPG and MMORPG templates.
Fixed sprite export accessories listing and auto-checked relevant sprites.