May 9, 2014

Community Announcements - noms || Angry Engineers

Hey guys, it's may and we're all deep into core game development. As I type this, Michael (Cepheus) is shouting instructions to the programmers while BigToe is ripping hair out over something or other - the signs of progress!

So what have we been up to?

2,000 Sales

We're please to announce that we've hit 2,000 early-access sales in our project's lifetime. The revenue from these sales will go a long way towards speeding up and expanding the game from its current state.

With every sale of Centration on our site store or on Steam we get closer to being able to bring staff on full time to work on the progress. At the moment we only have two full time staff working, which will shortly go down to one as other commitments become evident next month - so increasing sales for funding is a priority.

Big Changes

With that in mind, we're planning some big changes in the next month or two. We can't give too much away as I promised the team I wouldn't tell - but let me assure you, you'll be pleasantly surprised. (There are already a few hints scattered around but shh.) The whole team are very excited about what we're bringing you, and we're almost 100% certain you'll love it.

We've prioritised some gameplay content - so at the very least you'll get something fun to do while helping us test and build the game. It involves physical violence, ragdolls and getting sucked out of airlocks and windows so there's that.

Current Unstability

We're planning a hotfix to the current build this week to fix the console to at least bring it back to a working state and after that we won't be pushing any more updates out until this large update is ready to go - which we think should be by the beginning of next month, but it could be earlier or later depending on how well things go.

It was meant to go out last week but we've been focused on our second branch for the large update and it kinda got sidelined as we dynamically prioritised things.

Team Changes & New Procedures

As part of a big change we're making this month, there have been a few team changes.

We unfortunately have had to say goodbye to two of our programmers; CosmicBagel and Mega. They came on board with the best of intentions but unfortunately cannot commit enough time to the project due to outside commitments. We will sorely miss them. We also say goodbye to DrVagax, AngryFrenchKanadian and Mathyson, two community support members and a 3D modeller.

With that in mind, we've brought on an experienced 3D modeller and are currently considering a second. We are also looking to fill the following positions:

Two Programming positions
3D Artist - Animation Specialist
3D Artist - Environment Artist
Texture Artist
Concept Artist
Community Support Officer

More information regarding the above positions is only available under NDA for the moment, for more information please contact me directly on aaron@angry-engineers.com or feel free to jump on Teamspeak (centrationgame.com) and poke me (noms), Cepheus or Bigtoe (for programming) or NWhitaker (for 3D Artist) incessently until we respond. (No, really.)

We're offering a profit-share (minimum 2%) contract to anyone who joins the team, with the chance of that being raised to a share in the company for longevity and commitment - as well as the potential for a full paid contract if we get the funding we want over the next few years.

Settings up accounts / CentNet

In regards to the elongated process of setting your account up - this will change with our next major build. On launching the game, you will automatically be authenticated and a 'ghost' account on our own backend created for you, which you can then log into on the website by either Steam (via OpenID) or a CentNet ID (if you created one previously, or wish to make changes to your profile). This will streamline the process of purchasing and playing the game and ensures that you can purchase, launch, and play the game in one session. We're sorry for the way it si right now, we've prioritized a lot of stuff in the core game code to get things like airflow simulation and computer emulation working; and this our first commercial project as a team so it's a learning experience for us as well.

Lack of Clarity on the Steam Page

We realise that there is not much functionality or gameplay in our current build. Up to now we've mainly focused on background code and simulation - airflow is already fully dynamic and the computer-system is built on UTIL and working in-game. The store page can be a little clearer on what to expect and we thank you for the feedback on this - we will shortly be making changes to the store page to reflect our current state more accurately and let potential gamers know what to expect over the next few months.

Roadmap

We've started work on our community-orientated roadmap. This roadmap will allow the community and players of Centration to have a large part of what we prioritise and even additional ideas to go into certain features and when. To view the plan, feel free to visit our Roadmap page (it will also be available in-game from next month) and take part in the discussion on the link available on the page.

We hope this system will allow our community to be involved and help shape and evolve Centration into the game it has the potential to be.

Community Interaction

We will be starting a blog soon with regular developer updates from each of the developers as they work through various features and tasks. This will hopefully give you more insight as to the process and the progress of development, allowing you to also interact with the dev team and help shape the future of Centration.

Watch this space!

Thank you!

Thank you all for the support you've given us so far, and for your patience as our fledgling new company starts up and turns this amazing idea into a hopefully even better game!

We wouldn't be here without you guys, so thanks, and we hope to see you playing soon!

In the meantime, join our community!

Centration Forums
Twitter @Centration
YouTube - CentrationGame
Facebook - Centration Page
Teamspeak 3 - centrationgame.com
IRC - Freenode Network #centration

See you there!

May 9, 2014

Update #4 - Casual Connect Asia - May 9

Infectonator: Survivors - kerissakti

Hi guys,

Do you know what time it is? It's Update time! Anyway, sorry for not posting an announcement sooner, I fell a sleep last night as it was already past midnight.

As for the update, unfortunately there are no significant changes in this update, other than some bug fixes. I've been working on some ground works for new gameplay mechanics such as quests, exploration missions, and bandit encounters, it's in the game but at the moment it's still hidden from public access as it's very early wip stuff and can potentially crash the game.

Meanwhile the art team was having fun on adding a new survivor team! They are "The Pies"...well sort of...we thought it would be fun to add Felix "Pewdiepie" Kjellberg & Marzia "Cutiepie" Bisognin (and their two pugs) into the game. Check out the video here

Even so, they will not be in the release version, as it was just us having fun. Unless...we received a permission from Pewds & Marzia.

I'm also busy preparing for Casual Connect Asia 2014 in Singapore, we will have a booth there and I'll be giving a talk about the development process of Infectonator : Survivors in one of the conference sessions. If you live nearby please come visit us! With that said, there will be no update next week as I'll be busy with the event. We'll continue our regular updates in the following week (please don't kill me :P).

Here's a Papercraft Infectonator Zombie to make it up for it.
Download Fullsize Image

Here is the final product, have fun!

Wish list on next update
Will focus on the level environments first, then continue work on the Human Bandits and new mission types. I'm thinking of adding larger mission levels that you can explore.

I'll see you again next week with more updates!

Suggestions & Feedbacks
If you have suggestions and/or feedback on the game, please post on Infectonator : Survivors' Steam Discussions Forum. You can also make a shout out on Toge Productions' Facebook or Twitter

Cheers

May 9, 2014

Update #4 - Casual Connect Asia - May 9

Infectonator: Survivors - kerissakti

Here is the final product, have fun!

May 9, 2014

The "Fart your way across the universe" -- Update

Community Announcements - -TAC^Taurian-

Good God! Crazy 48 hours. Again, thank you to the ones who reached out with the suggestions.

Here's what's new in update 7.6.1

Cut Engines / Drifting

If you were holding down space bar to drift and save fuel, that's funny because it wasn't built in -- but it is now! Only you don't have to hold down spacebar. Just click the ENG switch on the lower left of the Hud. That will cut your engines.

PDA Help Option

New category in the PDA has the official list of controls and a few tips to help you get started. Here's one: Sell your Pioneer Letters, they're worth millions. Check the marketplace for where to go.

Speed Buff

Well it's finally here, the speed buff. The higher your HT Rank, the faster you go. It resets upon death, so be careful.

Topping off fuel

You can now top off you fuel if you have a disposable income...

Improvements to the chat interface

Press T or Enter brings up the chat window.

Update to Galaxy Map

Clicking on a Market listing or Bookmark brings up the Galaxy Map and shows you which direction to take.

1 Million starting credits.

Had to get permission from our Founders, but they all agree that new players could use a stimulus package -- just like they had. Especially since this phase of development is about the economy. All players, new and current should already have the extra credits in their bank account.

Toggle Fullscreen

I highly recommend you don't do this, but if you really need to, the option is available. Just try not to minimize the window. Use the "windowed" argument to get started. (Windows)

Trade Hub now has buy orders for loot. Rotates weekly.

Definitely a no brainer here. The trading post in 0x0 now lists several wanted items. This changes weekly for now.

More missions

The really good "close by" missions ran out pretty fast on launch day, so we've added a few more and beefed up the rate that new ones are created. If you don't see a mission you like, give it time. As more stations are deployed, more trading options become available.

Donating to rename planets etc...

This is a relic from the alpha days to get trial pilots to support the development of the game. It's been fixed and is now working as normal. Just keep in mind that your Steam ID is tied to the object you've named. ( In other words, no ♥♥♥♥ jokes, Brian. )

Server Shutdown Notification

The server shuts down nightly at 12am. I know, I know EvE etc... but frankly having an "infinite universe" eats up memory and a 15 minute reboot is the quickest way to refresh everything for the next day. Complex problem, simple solution.

Epic Space: Insurgence (iOS) - Steam Keys

A lot of keys already went out. If you submitted your screenshot, hang tight. You're next on our list.

Epic Space is Subscription Free - Because of Reviews

That means that every review we get, helps pay for server upkeep and further development. So we never have to worry about Pay Walls, Subscription Fees, or what ever the industry conjures up. We do read the reviews and make it a point to address them all, rather than deleting them. (Yeah, you know who I'm talking about.)

Go here to post one:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/293400

Thanks!

- Taurian

May 9, 2014

Update "0.5.7 RELEASE DAY"

Community Announcements - Will

Yes! It's not your eyes playing tricks on you, it's the brand new update, ready to rock! This is an exciting update that brings a lot of new systems and functionality into the game. New things for the player to experience, such as ammunition being introduced into the game. Door functionality has been introduced as well in the game. You'll notice the ever familiar gunner has a brand new, high-quality look, exhibiting the first of the new armor tier system, known as Tier 0 or "the Zero Suit".

Comin' at ya faster than the jaws of a leech, here are the release notes (And they are MASSIVE this time around):

It's a brave new world out there!

Summary of Release 0.5.7

- Very large amount of bugs fixed
- Loot dead creatures and players
- New Movement System
- Physics tumbling for player upon losing traction
- New player health system, body knows the difference between head, torso, arms, and legs being hit
- New Player armor set "The Zero Suit", in near future, additional armor types will to come
- Player customization is in and works, but not yet featured, due to only one armor set being included at this time
- Players can now open and close all doors
- 2 new lights can be crafted and placed
- Breach charge improvements
- Major Voxel Terrain Memory improvements
- Drill sound and effects improvements
- Throwing grenades and glowsticks use new system
- 2 new 3D Tilesets added, Clay and Steel
- Ammunition added, polished front end yet to come

Added and Changed Feature List In 0.5.7

- L1 Armor (Service) (Art Complete)
- Blueprint – Inventory Icon (Art Complete)
- When the player’s head or torso health dips below definable thresholds, a definable post process effect should be applied to the screen
- When the player’s leg health dips below definable thresholds, a definable movement related status effect should be applied to the player
- Wood Crate (Art Complete)
- Iron Container (Art Complete)
- Zip Gun (Art Complete)
- Bed Roll Model (Art Complete)
- Convert the inventory to index via GUID
- Convert the RPCs in the game to use the event system
- In creative mode, the user can remove any number of blocks
- Sleeping people can take damage the same way that active players do
- When the user fires a gun, the ammo in the clip is decremented
- When the player takes damage, the game will differentiate between what location the damage was taken in
- L2 Armor (Spec Op) (Art Complete)
- Implement "forgiving" jumping mechanics
- The player has a separate health value tracked for the head, torso, and legs and the max value can be set by designers
- If the player’s health for their head or torso drop to 0, the player will die
- If the player’s health for their legs drops to 0, the player will become immobile
- The player is able to be affected by a status effect that reduces movement speed
- The payer is able to be affected by a status effect that prevents them from running
- The player is able to be affected by a status effect that forces them to crawl
- When the player is in a resting state, the player will regenerate health at a configurable rate
- When the player regenerates health, the player will gain health in the body part that is the most damaged. In the case of a tie, priority will go to Head, then Torso, Then Legs.
- The player’s health bar is displayed on the HUD and divided up for each body section and update accordingly when the player takes damage.
- User can craft a Wood Block, Fortified Wood Block, Iron Block, and Steel Block
- User can craft Wood Ramps, Fortified Wood Ramps, Iron Ramps, and Steel Ramps
- User can craft Wood Stairs, Fortified Wood Stairs, Iron Stairs, and Steel Stairs
- The player is able to craft Wood, Iron and Steel containers
- Optimization pass on terrain modification storage
- Inventory System Refactor
- When a user tries to harvest a resource their tool is not able to harvest, they will be shown an error message and be given in-game feedback like audio and VFX
- Player is able to harvest by punching objects at a configurable rate
- Player is able to harvest wood from wood structures
- The player is able to craft the Drill, Titanium Drill, Graphene Drill, and Monolithium Drill
- The monolithium drill is able to use the pillar of death
- When a player places a power generator, it will only power items that the player owns
If the player is holding a plasma flare or glow stick when it is consumed, a new one is automatically equipped if available
- When the player drops an object on the ground, it will show up in a small backpack
- Drop backpacks only last in the world for a definable amount of time or until emptied
- The player is able to pick up and move a crate by pressing the 'Q' key
- Fast cube building in creative mode
- Drill Refactoring
- Optimization of Atom Spawning
- The sound the drill makes while digging changes based on what material is being drilled into
- Block placement reticule adjustment
- Player is able to craft Utility Ammo
- Player requires Utility Ammo to use the hacking device
- User is able to move empty containers back into their inventory with the 'Q' key
Research - Explore the possibility of using hit boxes for bullet hit detection
- The player character uses hit boxes to determine damage location
- Player can pick up a configurable number of blocks he previously placed
- When the player interacts with the keypad, the associated door will open
Door Keypad (Art Complete)
- When the player dies, the player will be replaced by a prototype container that contains their entire inventory including equipped items
Player is able to open/close doors by pressing the use button
- The type of damage done by different weapons can be set to either Bullet, Melee, Explosive, Breach or Plasma
- L0 Armor (Zero Suit) (Art Complete)
- As the player, you cannot build within a configurable distance of a door you do not own
- When the user hacks a door, the security level on the door will be reset to the lowest level and the hacker will also be considered an owner for a configurable amount of time
- Breach Charges - Model (Art Complete)

For a full list of Bug Fixes and Features added view - http://starforge.typepad.com/

http://youtu.be/yTqpq22BKk4