Jun 22, 2023

Project Zomboid - nasKo

Haylo, here’s another dev-log sent down from the mothership.

Few different things form different areas this time around, starting off with an example system update from one of the four main pillars of Build 42 – which are the crafting improvements, and the sorts of places they could take the game to.

CRAFTY BUSINESS

For the past few weeks Turbo’s focus has been on making the new machine scripting system more versatile and easy to use.

As well as creating the crafting stations and machines required for the crafting tree we’re working on (potters wheels, anvils, woodwork benches and such) our ultimate goal is to allow all machines and appliances on the map utilize this system to unify how machines work within the game.

This overall goal won’t be present in its entirety for a first release of B42, but the framework will have been installed that allows for them not only to share the same UI systems to keep them consistent, but also allow for them to be connected together, and allow them to have more complexity of interior parts that could be salvaged and co-opted for other uses. From fire alarms, to clocks, to ovens, to microwaves.

The ramifications of this system will be huge both for the game and for modders, allowing for the machine UI and functionality to be both scriptable with lua and with the object scripting. It will then provide powerful and easy-to-use tools for devs and modders to create interesting machines quickly, cater for slots to place items, and allow for items to interact with these machines in a diverse way with a consistent UI.

Instead of needing to build a bespoke scripted UI, and the complex interactions between the player, machines will be able to be added with minimal code for functionality, and provide higher level details on what goes into them and what comes out. Likewise there’ll be stardardised knobs and buttons that this backend will allow to be attached for player interaction.

In order to test the versatility of how this system could be applied to vanilla objects within the game (and how far we could push it) we wanted to apply it all to a system that wasn’t strictly a crafting station like the more standard one we showed off a month or so ago with some post-apocalyptic pottery.

As such, Turbo put together a test case that could have some fun utilization within a multiplayer settlement in the post-apocalypse – and indeed is pretty cool on your general solo survival adventure too.

There will probably be those out there looking at this at face value, perhaps even getting annoyed and asking ‘nggggh, why vending machines?’. (Hello, to those out there!)

However, the important aspect to take away from this video are the many unique interactions, systems and features that have been built into the vending machine using this same framework.

What we see here allows for a unique key to unlock the machine, allows it to be stocked with different items (which could be very useful for players on a multiplayer server wanting to run a shop, for example), allows it to take in money and deposit an item from its internal inventory, allows for buttons on the machine to pick particular products, and finally allows for a custom user interface for a particular machine that’s FAR easier to create than it is with B41’s currently somewhat unwieldly UI system.

That the new crafting / machine framework is flexible enough to be able to accurately create a vending machine is a huge deal to us, and in time to modders and the overall good health of the game as we continue to grow and expand.

Ultimately this framework will be expanded across all machines across the PZ map, as well as those that are craftable through the crafting tree. In turn, this will allow us to open up a ton of interesting crafting and engineering opportunities, as well as open up more and more of the existing machines and gadgets strewn around the PZ map.

As said before though, this is probably a longer term goal, and our focus right now is squarely on the new post-apoc crafting tech tree. This is all, however, our first (big) step towards the longer term goal of unifying how these things work across the entirety of Project Zomboid.

This will then free ourselves, and modders, to have as many possibilities as possible for machinery, and ensure a consistent framework to allow anything created in the game to interoperate with each other, power, liquids and item input/output. Beyond this it will minimize mod conflicts, and overall allow PZ to become a powerful framework for modders to add in all sorts of crazy fun stuff in future.

SOWING DISCORD

Fenris has been working on updating and improving Discord integration, which will allow for powerful features to help roleplay servers and servers running gameplay events, as well as general integration features.

Currently, chat within Discord rooms should be transmittable into the game chat and vice versa – but the code used is somewhat outdated and it doesn’t work brilliantly. Some may say: not at all. Server owners choose not to use it. With 42, however, everything will be polished and sparkly new.

What’s more server operators will be able to allow discord commands to trigger lua code on the server, for example to begin a timed event and trigger changes in gameplay. Likewise this will also allow for custom lua to trigger messages sent to different discord channels on the discord server.

Another feature we intend to include will allow for admin controlled radio / tv scripts to be executable from multi-line text from the discord server, to avoid admins having to quickly type out multiple pre-written text lines manually in the heat of gameplay.

This is all very limited and walled off, and the game side lua will require custom code to allow for these Discord interactions, so there won’t be any security risks associated with this discord interoperability.

For planned roleplay events or custom server game mode events, though, this should provide many cool tools for server operators to play with.

ELSEWHERE

Other mentionable work on the mighty PZ that’s happened this week has been:

Aiteron has been making improvements to our sandbox menu, mod menu general mod settings. Our sandbox settings panels had become so vast and unwieldy that they needed a redesign – now with an added search function, simplification in some areas to make things less impenetrable to noobs, and some ‘advanced settings’ for the long-term survivors amongst us. We will also be improving the server settings interface, simplifying the addition of mods, unifying settings, making it easier to add modded sandbox settings etc.
Blair reports in for the blog with the ‘unsexy’ work of remaking farming interactions and its associated UI. He’s currently working out what information you receive, and where, and also at which farming skill level. He’s also sorting out some of the wonkiness you saw in the animations you saw in the last Thursdoid we did.
We’re approaching a new merge from the map team into the internal testing build, probably taking place tomorrow, so our testers can gambol through even more new buildings and locations. Here’s a quick video of some of the existing fun places they’ve come across.

New masks. New hats.

A changelist of all our pre-release and post-release patches since the 41 beta began can be found here. The Block of Italicised Text would like to direct your attention to the PZ Wiki should you feel like editing or amending something, and the PZ Mailing List that can send you update notifications once builds get released. We also live on Twitter right here! Our Discord is open for chat and hijinks too. Experienced games industry gameplay coder and want to join Team Awesome? Jobs page here.

Jun 22, 2023

Lost Paws May Devlog

Lost Paws - Dungeoneering Studios

Hello fellow dog lovers!

New Doggo

We now have added both the system to pick new doggo types and a new Doberman doggo! Before entering the game you can now select the kind of doggo you want to be. The Doberman can do everything the original can. Right now this doesn't have a big stat difference other then a few minor collider changes per dog. We will be adding dog types in the future to have a bigger differentiation for different breeds but for now we are focusing on those similar to our big friend.

Sample of the Doberman and the selection screen:

With the system now in place it will be easier for us to add in more breeds and we hope to get more feedback from everyone before and after release to help us make those decisions!

The Bear

In addition, we added a new spawnable enemy in the game, the Bear. Because he is part of the spawner system the Bear will be randomly spawned in on locations you enter but where he is and goes is different each time. The Bear is relatively docile and usually won't bother you unless you get too close. If you do you'll have to run away or try to out dodge him in a fight. Your doggo will always be sent to the vet or pound depending on how you got unconscious.

Sample of the Bear:

Resolution Support

As per requested in the beta we now will have multi-resolution support and the ability to change resolution in game. We support the aspect ratios 21:9, 16:10, 4:3 and many others including the standard 16:9. We also have added support for an additional Ultra setting to augment the High setting which will provide a small visual boost to the game and give greater options on the game look.

Sample of the current state of graphics setting panel:

Performance Improvements

We also have done additional performance improvements since the beta! The main thing is that we started to tackle physics optimization by controlling its operations at distance with a new system. Basically it does incremental adjustments and turnoffs of physics elements like rigidbodies, colliders and other parts when far away. In addition to some minor scripting improvements, the gains seen were significant in the towns and central city.

We also cleaned up certain models in the game to help with performance. Certain buildings have been improved in polycount and large scale parts of the scene (like the distant forests) have also been tuned. Lastly, some new texturing work was done to reduce VRAM usage. We still are planning on doing even more in the future!

Future Additions

The beta showed us that we needed a big shake up in the game to get to the level of polish we were aiming for. To that end we wanted to revamp the narrative by adding some more cinematic features and weaving a better story at the start and throughout the world. We will talk about this more in the next dev log but just know this new storyline and the elements associated with it will not railroad you to do anything in any particular order. It will be a seamless addition that will fit right in with current exploration and open world mechanics.

Because of the inclusion of this new story the cost to add additional languages will be going up. As a result we have decided to pull back Spanish support for the release so we can support a full suite of languages properly after the features have been added and ironed out. Once the narrative gets fine tuned by all of you we will go full force adding as many languages as we can.

Last but not least, we will also enhance the in-game tutorial. Part of this will be modifying features to make them easier to understand. But the largest part is the changes to the tutorial which will include things like pace control, a clearer presentation, and the ability to decide when to terminate the tutorial entirely at any time. Many more details will be available in our next dev log.

Thanks for reading! If you have any interest in signing up to our closed beta you can still access the sheet on our discord: https://discord.gg/3mQnjNSMcW. If you liked what you saw, please consider wishlisting as it helps out a lot! Thanks again and see you all in the next one!

Jun 22, 2023

The Bali Major Approaches

Dota 2 - ericl_*****

The International is almost upon us, as the top eighteen teams converge in Indonesia for the third and final showdown of The 2023 Dota Pro Circuit: The Bali Major, presented by IO Esports. Catch the action live online from the Group Stage from June 29th to July 3rd, then tune in for the Playoffs on July 5th to July 9th. As always, keep up to date on all the tournament teams and match standings at https://www.dota2.com/esports.

Supporters Club Sale

As the final Major approaches, show your fan pride and unlock custom equippables by purchasing your favorite team's Supporters Club, now 75% off until the end of the Summer Tour. As always, 50% of every Supporters Club sale goes directly to the team.

Fantasy & Player Cards

With the conclusion of the regional leagues and the start of the Bali Major, Fantasy has been adjusted for the different format. As with the previous Majors, Player Card packs now contain only players from Major-qualified teams, and Fantasy will run daily instead of weekly. If you're new to Fantasy or just need a refresher, check out this Fantasy rundown from the start of the Tour.

The International Regional Qualifiers

When The Bali Major concludes, the top 12 teams in the DPC will be directly invited to The International. The remaining teams will be competing in 6 regional qualifiers for the final 8 slots throughout the month of August on the following dates:

North America and China: August 17th-21st (1 slot each)
South America and Eastern Europe: August 22nd-26th (2 slots for South America, 1 slot for Eastern Europe)
Southeast Asia and Western Europe: August 27th-31st (2 slots for Western Europe, 1 slot for Southeast Asia)

Stay tuned for more news about The International Qualifiers and The International 2023 in the upcoming weeks.

Update: The Regional Qualifier regions and dates were initially in the wrong order. They have since been fixed.