Hello everyone!

A new update is now available!
This update is the most important in terms of content and size, since the release of the early access of Reliefs.

The first goal of this update in the first time, was to increase the game performance because when there was a lot of objects on the screen in some area in the world of the game, the FPS (Frame per seconds) could fall below the 40 FPS with a 1080 GTX (Graphics card).

This update fixes this problem, and increase the number of details in the world on the screen.
For a good development of the next updates of the game, it is very important to have constantly in the game 60 FPS.

This biomes update increase the game performance, but it's not all. A lot of functions of the game have been updated, deleting or adding.
You are ready to read ?

If you have a bug or a problem in the game, do not hesitate to contact me.
If you have any idea or suggestion, do not hesitate to post on the forum.





- The game engine :
The most important point of this new content, is the updating of the game engine. Reliefs work with the BlenderGameEngine (BGE). It's a free and open source game engine available with Blender. It is a free software to 3D modelization, texturing, animation, video, game creation (before the 2.80 version) and many others!

He blends many functionalities in only one software. More information about Blender available here : https://www.blender.org

The last versions of Reliefs work with the BGE 2.77 version, now with this update, he works with the version 2.79. This new version is more powerful than the last, add many new functionalities and corrects some problems of the game engine. This is a big step for the future of the game.

- The biomes :
An another big point of this update, is the biomes. New trees and roots have been created to increase the diversity of the universe of the game. In the past only three biomes were available (shores, cliffs and plain). Now you have seven biomes!

• - Shore : Mediterranean sea, sand and small grasses.
  
• - Cliff : Rocks, grasses and some trees.
  
• - Scrubland : Grasses and some large size hedges.
  
• - Low forest : Cypress with a lot of hedges and grasses.
  
• - Mediterranean : Cypress, with a lot of hedges, grasses and many parasol pines and simple pines.
  
• - Mediterranean forest : A lot of parasol pines with cypress and simple pine, big hedges and many grasses.
  
• - Lake border : More simple pines and parasol pines with a lot of hedges.

- Real time world loader updated :
This script allow of the game to load all objects around the player in real time. Now with this update, this script is more powerful and allow the game to load much more objects very quickly without latency.

- More objects :
Before this release, the every area of the game (15 at this moment) they had 5 000 at 10 000 objects per regions. With this update, the number of the objects (human structures,grasses, trees, rocks, ....) as increase dramatically!
Now you have 15 000 at 30 000 objects per regions. They allow of the game to have very much more detail in the environments.

- New vegetation :
All vegetation of the 15 area of the game actually available are remakes!
New biomes, more vegetations but only the human structures are not modified.

- Cleaning the objects :
Many old objects have been deleted and a lot of was remodeled in order to increase the game performance of the game.

- New very far LOD :
This is a new function in the game. The very far LOD (level of detail) allow of the game to display at a very far view distant all objects like human structures and trees. Finish the structure or tree that appears instantly in front of you, now all objects are loaded smoothly to not disturb the player.
This function adds a very more details at the game without loss of performance.

- Wild system :
The animations of butterflies, mosquito, dragonflies are updated, their movement are more realistic. New realtime particles with the fallen leaves of the trees.
The script that adds these insects, particles or birds have been updated. Now they are more numerous in the world without loss of game performance.

- Ropes in the wind :
The ropes now interact with the wind if the node effect is activated in the options of the game.

- Recoverable objects :
These objects are now optimised. Better LOD system, new textures or 3D optimisation to increase the performance in the game.

- New videos :
All video formats of the game like the introduction, videos of Reliefs or just logo have been changed. With the updating, the old format that i use for the old videos is not now supported by the new version of the game engine. The global quality of these video not change, but the size of these last are split by 3, so their loading is more quicker now!

- Environment lighting :
More realistic light on the objects.

- Shadows qualities :
The distance of the view of the shadows as has been decreasing because useless.
But the qualities of the shadows are increasing because they are of the same quality than before but in the smallest area.

- Depth of field :
The DOF effect or Depth of Field is temporarily deactivated because this effect decrease the game quality of the textures and game performance.

- Ambient occlusion :
The SSAO effect or the Screen Space Ambient Occlusion was dramatically changed ! More larger, more intense at a far view distance and more optimised in order to use more less game performance.

- High Dynamic Range :
High Dynamic Range or HDR was changed too. Like the SSAO this effect is now more intense and larger to increase the game experience and quality.

- Color Saturation :
The saturation effect allows to increase the color of the game. Too much use in the past, with this update, this effect is less intense to obtain a more realistic color.

• - Bug #1 : When you don't use the the HD objects quality in the options of the game. The harbor that allows you to call your boat not work.
  
• - Bug #2 : The Alpha and Chanvre plant can appear invisible at near distance if you choose a low graphic quality in the options.
  
• - Bug #3 : A grid in front of a door in the puzzle of Pluto doesn't disappear which does not allow you to recover the bas-relief.
  
• - Bug #4 : Some insects, birds or particles can appear in the caves.
  
• - Bug #5 : Beyond more than 64 ropes in the world, the new ropes are not loaded and save in the world.

Hello everyone!

Diary of devs ?
Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

I promise, this is the last "Diary of devs" before the release of this update!
All content of the Biomes update for Reliefs will be available the next week!
The 27 march if I have no late or the 28 / 29 march if I have many problems.
This is the most biggest update of the game since the release of Reliefs.
More information about all new contents of this update, the next week!

Hello everyone!

Diary of devs ?
Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

Not a lot of news for this week, I work just on updating all areas (15) actually available in the game with this biomes update.

This is not simple, I need to make the LOD (Level of detail) of each area. The Trees, textures and human structures. After that, the area can be updated.

Every object, for example the grasses, rocks, trees, .... are all added by me. This is not generated randomly, every each of the more than 12 000 objects by areas are only added by me.
This is a big work an is not easy to make a real and natural world in the limite of our computers.

But one new for this week, the ropes that you can use to climb on the human structures or other are now interacting with the wind in real time!

Hello everyone!

Diary of devs ?
Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

New week and new information about the next update of Reliefs.
Normally, the biomes update will be available the last week of this month.

For this week, the updating of the vegetation advance.
The SSAO (Screen space ambient occlusion) is now more intense.
The HDR (High dynamic range) makes more larger light halo.

Hello everyone!

Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

The biomes update for Reliefs evolve every week to become the most big update of the game.

For this week, the vegetation of the area of Pluto was updated with this biomes update.
Before the updating this area, she counted 8700 objects (grasses, trees, human structures,...). Now with this update, this area count more than 16000 objects!
More realistic, more details and better optimised!

New particle system and new realistic animation for the insects.
The script that appends the insects, birds, fall leaves and sounds has been updated to increase the game performance.
Now more insects, birds or fall leaves can be added in real time without loss of game performance.

And i work to update the game engine. The game engine is the BGE (BlenderGameEngine), it's a free and open source engine.

For more information about Blender3D you can visit the website : https://www.blender.org

Actually Reliefs work on the BGE version 2.77a, and after many tests of the new version of the BGE (version 2.79b), the game engine is more powerful than the actual version.
So that's why i update the game engine, but is not easy and a lot of things need to be changed in scripts or functions of the game to work perfectly with this new version.

No date this week for the release of this biomes update. Is a very huge update and for the moment, I don't know when she will be available.

Hello everyone!

Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

For this new diary of devs of the biomes update of Reliefs, I try a new format, the video. This video shows you the future contents for the next update of Reliefs.

https://youtu.be/YvydxNH_5s0

The release of the biomes update is not for soon.
Many work stay to be done like updating the physic of the player, finish all areas with the new vegetation or rework the "wild system" that allow to add in real time the insects, birds, sounds, ...
This update will not available before the next month.

- New 3D models for many objects to increase the game performance.
- Deleting the not useful objects and a lot of new objects were added.
- New large ways and roads for increase their visibility.
- Improving the SSAO (Screen space ambient occlusion) for a more realistic render.
- The SSAO now change with the weather to increase the climate visual effects.
- Updating the saturate color for a more realistic render.
- All objects appearing with a smooth transition.
- Improvement of the view distance for more visibility of human structures or trees at very far distance.
- New biomes were added to increase the diversity in the areas.

Hello everyone!

Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

The biomes update is the most important update for Reliefs since the release date of the early access the 7th September 2018.
This update, change all vegetation of the game, correct some problems and increase the game performance.
This update will be not available soon because all the vegetation of the game need to be reworked in totalities. Only the human structures cannot be edited.



New ivy, cypress, parasol pine and many roots have been added in order to make the new environments.

Four new biomes are available in the update.

• Shore : Very low vegetation only.
  
• Dry mediterranean : Very low vegetation with some cypress.
  
• Mediterranean : Many coniferous like pine and parasol pine and a lot of low vegetation and cypress.
  
• Mediterranean temperate : Forest of pine and parasol pine with a lot of low vegetation, cypress and other small trees.

These biomes changes with the height of the mountains or the microclimat at some area because of very high mountains around this area.

The road and paths with the new vegetation are more larger, more visible in order to help you to explore the environment.

I have clean up the statics folder in order to delete many not useful objects.
And all rocks, roots and cliffs have been edited so that to use less polygons and increase the game performance.

All rocks, cliffs, trees and grass now appearing with a smooth transition. (LOD = Level of detail)

For example, actually when the game load the near area around the player, the objects (trees, rocks, ....) appear instantly without a smooth transition. This is not aesthetic and attract the eyes of the player. With the new smooth system, theses objects appear with a transition which depends on the position of the player.

This transition doesn't affect the game performance, but is only activated when the option "nodes" in the options of the game is active.

A new layer of LOD is available! (LOD = Level of detail)
The human structures are now visible at a very far view distance!

For example, if you have a temple at the top of a mountain. For the moment this temple appears instantly when the position of the temple come into the load area around the player. This is not very beautifull and realistic. Now this temple (very low polygon version of the temple) is load with the the environment like the mountains. The temple is now visible at a huge distance without loos of performance.

Actually, I work to added this system at the trees. But there is more of trees than human structures in the world of Reliefs. And is not good for the game performance.

Less polygons for a lot of objects, new transition system for the vegetation and rocks, the new layer of LOD for the human structures and the smooth transition system to appear the objects.
The view distance to load the objects around the player is now more small, is not necessary to load the objects at very far distance in order to not show the loading of the world.

With these all new function, the game has never been so fast !

Some problems have been corrected with this update.
- In the smaller graphic quality, many objects like the alpha grass or the hemp, becoming invisible at near distance of the player.
- In the smaller graphic quality, when you click on the harbor to appear the boat, but the boat never come.

Hello everyone!
A new update with another "bas relief" on the story of the game is now available !

A new area opens these gates. This new area is an ancient complex of the Neptune god, the sea god. With many new temples in his memory. Old Roman tools and structures will allow you to recover the new "bas relief" available at the highest temple. If you want to go in this new area, this the last land in the East.

If you have a bug or a problem in the game, do not hesitate to contact me.
If you have any idea or suggestion, do not hesitate to post on the forum.

- Neptune area : New area is available of the Neptune god.



- Some double actors appear again. Unfortunately, this problem was not corrected with the lasts updates of the game.
Don't worry, this bug doesn't affect your game session, the puzzles or your progression. You can continue to play if you meet this problem.

- For the update of the next week, I am going to remake the scripts that add the objects (trees, rocks, structures, ...) around the player for added some new layers in order to split the number of objects in real time in the game. These new layers will allow to increase the game performance because, with these news area. The number of objects in real time constantly increases and is not good for the smaller computers. And these layers added can
as well resolve this problem of double actors.

Hello everyone!

Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

For this week, many new screenshots are available to show you the work in progress of this update. Some objects have not been yet modeled in 3D but the new area is finished!
More than 9600 objects (Grasses, trees, rocks, ruins, ...) are added in the world only for this new cell. A lot of work remains to be done, but this new update will be available the next week on Windows, Mac and Linux!




If I count the next update, 15 areas are available at this moment in the game. Which corresponds to 1/6 of the real size of the world when the game will be finished. This huge world will be completely open and free to be explored!

This next map, show you the size of the world available at this moment in grey color. And the rest of the world to make in sepia color.
This is an a good example of the size of the world.

Hello everyone!

Every week without a patch or update for Reliefs.
I would do a small diary to explain the progress of the next update for Reliefs.
In this diary, I show you the last screenshots, objects or just you explain the next patch or update content. I try to involve you in the development of the game, in order to give you the last news of the game development.
Do not hesitate to submit your opinion.

With this update, a new bas-relief of the story of the game can recover!
This new area has many new puzzles to solve based on the water dynamic and logic.
A lot of new temples, structures can explore and many objects can be used to restart these antique machines in order to understand the mysteries of this place.

(Screenshots take in the RWME (Reliefs World Map Editor))


So many works remain to work for done this update. She is not be available this week or the next week I think. But she will be available before the end of this month on Windows, Mac and Linux.