Dec 20, 2018

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

This update addresses several issues that were reported and added some new features.

Changes

Updated changelog UI to have more character and show hotfixes more easily
Updated remote-controlled sleigh: now you can change passenger modes such as sitting next to the catsack, or allowing for two player passengers to hop on
Added new emote
Redeemable items now can be locked from being used
Improved sleigh controls
Improved sleigh networking (smoothed out the movement for other clients)

Bug Fixes

Improved Workshop item code, now handles duplicate workshop models much better
Workshop item crash fixes
Fixed Workshop physics items not working properly (or networking properly)
Fixed movement stutter with remote-controlled sleighs that occurs when you start and stop
Fixed a server side crash that occurs during minigames such as balloon shoot
Ball Race - Oasis: Fixed palm tree materials due to latest updates
Fixed a bug with the sleigh ghost appearing in the center of the map when there's an invalid sleigh spawn
Fixed a bug with sleigh when using the ferris wheel, rollercoaster, or laser tag
Fixed sleigh in underwater condo always floating up

You can follow our current developments on our Trello:
https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap

You can follow our weekly developer logs here:
http://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/devupdates/weekly-dev-logs

You can report bugs on our forums:
http://forums.pixeltailgames.com/c/bug-report

Or you may also report bugs on our Steam community, but please expect slow response time.

Dec 13, 2018

Winter 2018! (0.6.5.0)

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

Holidays are here!

This year we've added new holiday themed events such as characters (Santa Claws, Marshy, Tree, Cookie King, and Duke of Ettington), 9 new holiday items such as a remote-controlled sleigh, and improved Snowball Battle with a new Blizzard Blaster weapon (and higher payouts).

In this update we also addressed several issues and optimized the game further.

Achievements/Milestones/Badges/EXP/Leaderboards

We've been working hard on our next update, which is due to come out after the XMas holidays. All the new unlockables will be held in the upcoming collection book. Check out our latest weekly log to see exactly what it will entail here: https://forums.pixeltailgames.com/t/weekly-dev-log-for-december-10th-2018/30240.

Changes

Plaza has been updated for the holidays!
New and improved Snowball Battle. Hit enemies with snowballs with the Blizzard Blaster
New holiday items: Cookies and Milk, Snowflake, Stocking, Ice Rink, Hockey Net, Hockey Puck, Canvas Present, Gingerbread Man, Remote-Controlled Sleigh
Presents now arrive on the beach
New holiday themed event characters
Optimized various internal resources to help with load times
Reorganized and added more item tags
Colorable editing now has tabs for each color instead of just a long horizontal list
Day/night condo settings now properly replicate and save per snapshot
Reduced treasure pickup delay time from 10 seconds to 2 seconds
Improved item award UI effects
Disabled jetpack start and stop sounds

Bug Fixes

Fixed canvas wall, glass wall, and frames not having proper rotations internally which caused issues with gizmos and rotation networking
Fixed canvas trust level approval not saving or updating properly
Fixed workshop player models not always assigning to other players (including yourself) when you first join a server
Increased precision with item rotation networking
Fixed physics items not syncing properly when players first join
Fixed another crash due to canvas disk cache
Fixed bucket collision
Fixed picnic table not being a seat
Fixed Pergola model not being aligned properly
Fixed Football Net not scaling properly
Fixed Sliding Door not scaling properly
Suite: Fixed a lighting error with the shelves
Resort: Fixed teleporter causing resetting player scales when used
Resort: Fixed teleporter pillar not being centered properly
Resort: Fixed some suite walls (the upper roof corner ones) not being editable
Resort: Fixed a duplicate light switch in one of the suites
Resort: Fixed some suite lights being mislabeled
Resort: Fixed some roof geometry poking through the casino ceiling
Resort: Fixed missing collision for the atrium maintenance ceiling
Resort: Fixed FPS issues around pool at night time
Resort: Fixed some storefronts not being editable
Resort: Fixed handrails being offset (including the glass) in the shopping area
Resort: Fixed a missing skylight frame
Resort: Fixed a collision issue around the pool area
Resort: Fixed a collision issue with the maintenance walkways

0.6.5.0 Patch (build 3395893)

Changes/Bug Fixes

Added santa hats to the stray and the RC sleigh
Fixed character spawns sometimes colliding with map boards
Fixed damage indicators happening sometimes even when you are not playing a minigame
Fixed ice rink z fighting issue
Fixed additional reported fatal errors
Fixed an issue with canvas walls
Fixed player ghosts showing up in the snowball battle arena
Fixed issue with canvas presents

UPCOMING UPDATES

Nov 19, 2018

The Resort Update (0.6.4.0)

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

New Condo: Resort

Fans of GMod Tower, we're very proud to finally release the HD remake of the original GMod Tower lobby 1 map. This new condo map will be very useful in the upcoming Community Condo update!

Everything from the original map was faithfully recreated and updated for Tower Unite. You can customize a lot of the condo, including materials, lighting, day/night, and weather. It's a massive condo that features a pool with diving boards, a cozy cabin with a small pond, 12 individual suites, a shopping center, a bar, and more!

VenTUre out and grab yourself that nostalgia at the Condo Realtor store in Sweet Suites.

New item: Customizable NPCs!

Want to create your own characters? Well, now you can! In this update we've added a new item called NPC which allows you to write dialogue for characters in your Condo.

These characters can be customized in various ways and have Workshop support!

Changes

Added new Condo: Resort, a recreation of GMod Tower's original lobby.
Added new item: NPC, a customizable non-playable character that you can write dialogue for

Bug Fixes

Fixed Projector light intensity affecting FPS due to recent changes
Fixed Neon Bar materials due to recent colorable changes
Fixed several materials on items due to recent colorable changes
Reduced texture memory size on several items
Fixed game queue UI element colliding with chat box

Upcoming Updates

Nov 14, 2018

Autumn 2018 Update (0.6.3.0)

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

Autumn Is Here

We've updated the Plaza to fit with the autumn/fall feel. We've also switched up the events a bit. Now Plaza has Target Practice, Balloon Shoot, and Food Frenzy minigames active. We've also turned back on the Metal Detector events which are now clientside so you don't have to worry about other player stealing your treasure.

More Colorable Options

We've made a lot of the current items colorable in this update. Somewhere around 300+ items now can be colored to your heart's content.

Bowling Media Players

Bowling now has media players per lane. This means you can queue up videos or music while you're enjoying a round of Bowling with your friends. The media players do support vote skipping as well and only players who are playing Bowling with you can interact with your lane's media player.

Condo Weather Saving

Weather in Condos now save, allowing you to customize your weather for each Condo snapshot without having to constantly update the settings each time.

Changes

Autumn has come to the Plaza
Weather settings now save in Condos (including snapshots)
Bowling: Added media players per lane
New Autumn minigame in Plaza: Food Frenzy
Lots and lots of items are now colorable
Ferris Wheel now has a few light cycles that animate
Ferris Wheel carriages now can swing with player input
New character dialogue UI
Store pedestal items rotates on mouse move now instead of just automatic rotation
Zombie Massacre: Removed some overpowered camping spots from Trainyard

Bug Fixes

Fixed a crash related to Haunted TV and Crystal Ball
Fixed a crash with canvas disk cache
Fixed a crash with workshop models
Fixed manual inputs not working for rotation gizmos
Fixed a bug where sometimes MFMedia plugin would try to load
Fixed long standing inventory bug where highlighting or tooltips would just not activate sometimes (also improved highlighting logic to avoid issues like these in the future)
Fixed some typos in items and settings
Fixed being able to move theater screens in the theater condo with gizmos
Fixed canvas trusting not always working when you first join a condo
Fixed not being able to sell Splat drink item
Fixed theater media player issues in the theater condo, plaza (beach houses, roof top, and hq)
Fixed long standing bug with colorable items, resulting in parts going white after reloading among other things
Fixed players not showing up sometimes in Zombie Massacre
Fixed players not showing up sometimes in Ball Race
House: Fixed the UVs on the basement stair wall being offset. It is now aligned with the rest of the walls
House: Fixed the ceiling UVs in the basement stair room being warped and distorted. It is now in agreement with the other ceilings
Zombie Massacre: Reduced the chance of Zombies getting into areas they shouldn't on Compound
Zombie Massacre: Fixed collision issue with bridge support in Trainyard

Upcoming Updates

Oct 21, 2018

Hot Fix 0.6.2.1

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

This update addresses several issues that were reported.

We've also reworked the Plaza Minigames to make them a better experience for everyone, improving networking and lag.

We also fixed up some Halloween Plaza issues and optimized more.

Changes

Plaza minigames networking has been drastically reduced (will solve many of the lag issues with them)
Plaza minigame targets and actions are now clientside (other players cannot shoot your targets before you have a chance). Now it's all about getting the highest score
Optimized Halloween Plaza

Bug Fixes

Fixed player models reverting to default feminine model
Fixed appearance body tabs not showing outfits properly
Fixed sound emitters not loading their sounds on condo load sometimes and not saving volume min/max
Fixed sound emitters playing a random sound when you first place it
Fixed teleporter effects not being colored properly
Fixed fog in Plaza theater
Fixed some reported Plaza bugs
Fixed FX and sound emitter icons displaying on for condo guests (should only be for the owner)

Oct 20, 2018

Halloween 2018! (0.6.2.0)

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

Build Your Own Haunted House

This year we've added new Halloween items designed for haunted house creation. Placeable lights, placeable particle FX (more to be added in later updates), and placeable sounds. With these new FX items, you can change the mood of your condo.

Improved Halloween Events

In the 2017 Halloween events, everyone had to fight over the remains that spawned. This year we reworked the system so that everyone has a fair chance. When the events begin, the remains will be pre-assigned and hidden for everyone but you. That way no one can just sneak by and take your ghastly remains.

We're also including the 2017 items in this event, so you get another chance at them.

With that said - we hope you have a spook-filled Halloween!

Hey Custom Indiegogo Backers!

Your statues are ready to view in the Art Gallery! We're still working on the remaining furniture backer items, but we are very close to being done with them.

Changes

Added new exclusive Halloween event items for 2018: Crystal Ball, Ethereal Pumpkin, Haunted TV, and Hell Portal
Added Spooky Sound Emitter, Flies FX, Moths FX, Floor Fog FX to Celebrations (also available in Halloween events)
Added Placeable Light, Placeable Spot Light, Emergency Light to Electronics (also available in Halloween events)
Added Whiskey, Port, Tall Wine Bottle, Moonshine, Sake Bottle, Sake Cup, Vodka, Water Bottle, Mason Jar, Shot Glass, and Splat Soda to the Bar and Vending machines
Improved stability for minigames
Backer statues are now available in the Art Gallery
Tool weapons no longer can interact with locked items
Added feedback for when you are out of items to duplicate with Copycat
Created a new item type for placing down FX particles in the Condo
Added light function support to all lamp items
Added tiling support to condo surfaces
Added placeable lights and spot lights
Added placeable sound emitters
Copycat now works on Condo lights
Treasure events (metal detector, forgotten remains, etc.) are now pre-assigned to each player that is connected to the server when the event begins. This change means no other player can see your treasures or take them from you. Since treasures are now pre-assigned, the amount of treasure has been increased. This gives players a fair chance at collecting treasures equally

Bug Fixes

Fixed living lobby players not showing up
Fixed/optimized light editing in Condos
Fixed tool weapon prompts displaying when you cannot use them (scale tool and stasher)
Fixed copycat creating a duplication ghost when you are out of items to duplicate
Fixed chat rules typo
Fixed condo surface coloring not working if you have a canvas set

Oct 12, 2018

Hot Fix 0.6.1.1

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

Another quick hot fix, but we've also added a couple new features.

0.6.1.1 Addendum Fixes 10/15/2018

Locked items no longer can be edited, stashed, or sold until they are unlocked
Added a lock icon on item tool tip next to items that are locked
Gizmo input: uniform scale button is easier to click on
Gizmo input: spin and stretch buttons were switched
Increased lighting in Suite
Disabled dynamic shadows in Studio
Added chat rules/agreement popup
Fixed laser pointer not working Lobby
Fixed a bug with Minigolf
Fixed parental control warning not always applying properly
Fixed player metadata applying too late when a player respawns (caused respawn issues in Ball Race)

Canvas Disk Cache System

This system will automatically download trusted canvases (by default only your friends) and store them on the disk.

You can disable this, but we recommend it for Condos you enter often as it speeds up load times dramatically. In our tests, Condos with canvases went from 80 seconds load times to half a second.

Any blocked canvas players will automatically be cleared out from your disk cache, as well.

We've also added options to clear out your canvas cache. The canvas cache data is stored in a Cache folder in your Tower Unite folder.

Changes

Added translation planes to gizmos which allow you to move items on set xyz planes
Added uniform scaler to scale gizmo
Workshop Editor: Added ability to use emissive value on translucent materials
Workshop Editor: Added ability to inverse shoulder width
Added canvas disk cache which dramatically improves load-ins for condos you have visited already. This can be turned off and blocked players/URLs will automatically be removed from the disk cache. There will also be a mode to enable it only for Condos that you are friends with
Added descriptions to parental control settings

Bug Fixes

Fixed workshop player models being larger than they should
Fixed piano and typing animations making players lift up in their seats
Fixed crouch animations clipping through floor in Lobby
Fixed workshop favorites icons being stretched
Workshop Editor: Fixed shoulder width not being previewable with animations
Workshop Editor: Fixed My Uploads not showing all your uploads if you had more than 50 uploads
Fixed Ball Race and Bowling not using shoulder width/placement for workshop models properly
Fixed parental controls warning that you haven't done anything due to global chat bug (server steam id lookup failure)
Fixed canvas parental control settings not working when you join a server through global chat (server steam id lookup failure)
Fixed some weapons not working in Condos

Oct 10, 2018

Gizmos Update (0.6.1.0)

Tower Unite - MacDGuy

Gizmos Are Here!

We're excited to bring you editor gizmos for Condos!

You can also get really precise with the gizmo properties panel, shown below.

We hope you enjoy more creative freedom and an easier building experience in your condos!
Also, you can now lock items in place (so you don't accidentally move them) by right clicking and hitting the lock button.

Workshop Changes

Creators, we've added a couple more options for your player models! In this update, you can now adjust shoulder width, shoulder placement, and floating pet offsets.

Shoulder width is very useful to fix models whose arms are resting inside of bodies. Oh yeah, also, workshop player models with small scales no longer move slowly.

We've also added some material settings! We've added emissive, toon shader, and transparency support. When editing your item's metadata, you'll now see a material tab where you can adjust these settings per material.

For translucency support, simply check on translucency on the material you want to be translucent and it'll use the alpha channel of your albedo texture (you must use TGA).

We'll be continuing to add more material settings soon. We'll be updating the SDK page for more details soon.

More Emotes!

In this update, we've added 4 more emotes, including agree and disagree. Our animators will continue to create even more emotes.

More Ways To Vote On Your Favorite Workshop Items

Support workshop creators in more ways. We've added vote, favorite, and block buttons to various places where workshop items come into play, such as editing workshop items, appearance menu, and action menu.

Also, you can now see your favorited player models in the appearance editor.

Changes

Added gizmos for item manipulation. With these you can move, squash, and rotate items with ease
Added a couple more emotes: agree, disagree, and some others
You can now open the emote panel or inventory while doing an emote
Added unfocused volume setting that allows you to set the volume of the game when the window is unfocused, minimized, or in the background
Added Condo settings to disable use of Laser Pointers, Magic Trampolines, Jetpacks, Speed modifier items (speed shoes), and/or Potions
Removed item inspect. For hosts, the button is now lock and prevents the item from being moved while locked. For players (if the item is workshop), the button pops open workshop item details (which allows you to block the workshop item, favorite or what not)
Added workshop model information on inventory tool tips
Global chat sent by players who are in the same server as you will now show up in local chat (with a setting to disable this)
Renamed Sound settings to Audio

Workshop Changes

Workshop player models with smaller heights will no longer walk slower
Added option to disable workshop player models (but keep workshop items)
Blocking items will now remove them from the cache
Added a clear cache button that removes the entire workshop cache to the workshop settings
Added translucent material support (both player models and items). You'll need to set an alpha mask and use TGA or PNG
Added emissive material support (both player models and items)
Added toon shader material support (both player models and items)
Metadata on items/player models get searched for before the model loads in, instead of after. Should help with models being really large then shrinking down a frame after
Added workshop player model name on the tooltip when hovering over workshop player model avatars
Added favorited workshop player models in appearance editor
Added vote up and favorite buttons to the C menu and appearance editor for the workshop player model you are wearing
Added workshop details to the condo item finder
Added ability to vote, favorite, and block workshop items directly in the workshop item edit UI
Workshop Browser: Browser will now show how many blocked items were not displayed
Workshop Browser: Added block button on addons while searching in the browser
Workshop Editor: Added errors for when player models go over the bone limit (and which bones should be removed)
Workshop Editor: Added the ability to adjust shoulder width on player models
Workshop Editor: Added floating pet offsets
Workshop Editor: Added retry button if the upload failed
Workshop Editor: Set the max scale for offsets from 4 to 8
Workshop Editor: Added the ability to copy metadata
Workshop Editor: When updating items, the cached version of the model will be removed so creators can see the latest item

Bug Fixes

Fixed player models with smaller scales being large in seats
Ball Race: Fixed melon pickups not using the correct shader
Highrise Condo: Fixed workshop physics items not working
Minigolf: Kingdom - Fixed the broken bridge on hole 17
Zombie Massacre: Fixed workshop player models becoming large on second round (or any time the players respawn)
Fixed player blocking not saving properly
Fixed jetpack not using back offset for workshop models properly
Fixed workshop item drag ghosts not working if a workshop model is not set
Fixed workshop items having massive collisions while loading in a new model
Fixed server sorting not working for Condo server browser
Workshop Browser: Fixed a bug when switching tags or searching not returning to page 1 automatically
Workshop Browser: Fixed a bug where clicking on the creator profile, the profile will popup under the browser
Fixed chat box closing in main menu if you press escape
Fixed a bug where if you had chat disabled, chat sounds would still play
Fixed a bug where you could click on workshop items that aren't set while editing a workshop item
Fixed item finder not snapping view to workshop items correctly
Fixed canvas walls texture tiling being really small for clients when they load into condos the first time