- bug fix

On Monday, July 10, S304-S306 will clean up inactive accounts from time to time, each cleaning lasts for 10-20 minutes. Inactive accounts refer to: 1. Land above level 10 has not been occupied. 2. It has not been online for three consecutive days. 3. No top-up. At the same time, the above three points are inactive accounts, which will be cleaned up.
On Thursday, July 13, the whole server will be maintained from 10:00 to 12 o'clock. After maintenance, S304-S306 will enter the second season. For the specific content of the season, please refer to the season description in the world.
The new server S309 will be opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 8.
On July 13, the return of old players began.
The return of old players begins:
Activity time: 00:00 on July 13th to 23:59 p.m. on July 19.
Return to player definition: Calculated from the first login at the beginning of the activity, players who have not logged in for 7 consecutive days will be judged as returning players after logging in for the first time during the activity time, and the status will not be modified after that.
Returning players can bind a non-return player in the same server.
Non-return player definition: Players who do not meet the definition of return players will be judged as non-return players when logging in for the first time during the activity time. The middle state will not be modified. New characters created during the event are also non-return players.
Non-return players can be bound by 3 return players in the same server.
During the activity: Returning players will issue corresponding resources and ingot rewards according to the lost time when logging in for the first time.
All players can receive daily login rewards every day during the activity.
During the activity, returning players and non-returned players can receive corresponding rewards after recharging the corresponding amount.
Issuance of additional rewards:
When receiving single and continuous recharge benefits from the return activity, players who are bound to it will also receive corresponding rewards by email.
If you want to receive multiple rewards, go to your former comrades-in-arms and let them return to fight together.
Remember to let them bind you after logging in to the game!

• Added player hit sound and death animation: We added a sound when hit and also a death animation.
  
• Introducing crystal enemies: We introduced crystal enemies that have a low chance of dropping valuable crystals.
  
• Rebalanced prices in the shop: We've adjusted the prices of various items in the shop.
  
• Discover mysterious ruins on the map: Explore the depths of the game world as random ruins emerge in unexpected locations. Unlocking relics within these ruins will require tenacity and skill!
  
• New Challenges: certain situations will demand you to face enemies head-on instead of retreating!
  
• Enhanced notifications: Keep your eyes open! You'll now receive notifications when crystals or ruins appear on the map, ensuring that no valuable opportunities slip through your fingers.

We hope these changes improve your gaming experience and make it even more enjoyable. Join our Discord server to connect with fellow players and actively participate in shaping the game's development.

Stay tuned for more updates, exciting features, and improvements to come!

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well😄
I recently posted this update on Kickstarter; since it's public, I thought of sharing it on Steam as well!

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The Summer Solstice passed by in a flash, and sweltering July arrived in a blaze.

In their starlit chambers, astronomers study the sky to announce the exact date of the aphelion—the point of our planet's orbit that is farthest away from the Sun. Rumor has it that on that day, the influence of the Triune Goddess wanes; the nobility revels in luxury without putting on a pious façade, leaving the Citadel for the shade of the Forester's Hide.

Stretching between the river Valse and the city, the Forester's Hide is a vast woodland dotted with natural springs and pools. Its canopies give shelter to the rowdy boar, the laughing fox and the nocturnal dormouse—beasts to the peasant, but quarries to the nobles. The Hide is where they compete to prove their hunting prowess, returning with trophies to be devoured over a glass of wine or mounted on the wall.

Those that turn their eyes away from the hunt prefer to dance instead, with flowers in their hair and fur trimmed fineries; some chase love, others chase powerful alliances and political marriage.

What might bring the protagonist into this verdant realm of scheming and diplomacy?

The reeds that surround the creek shield you from sight with their gentle dance.

If you have romanced Alpheon in Shadow Bonds you might find the illustration above familiar, but there are some differences in the angle of his head and in the hand that cups his face, which brings me to...

After a short break, character art and illustrations have picked up the pace again! Alongside new art, updates are being made to old pieces to have them fit the full game, like in the example above.

Most of the OST is done, with only some arrangements left, and the majority of the background art pieces have been completed as well. Woot woot 🎉

When it comes to writing, this "Forester's Hide chapter" is a massive, branching monster of choices, consequences and some points of no return. I'm having a lot of fun working on it! The challenge is to keep the scope of this asset-heavy portion manageable (she says, already resigned to the fact that several characters will need a costume change).

The content warnings here and on the Steam page will have to be updated to reflect the previous chapters and the den of debauchery I'm currently writing. Here they are:

• On screen: murder, suicide, blood, consensual discussion of sex, coarse language, legal prostitution, implied nudity, mind control;
  
• Text only: consensual sex, public execution, gore, legal alcohol consumption, stalking, poisoning, torture, infanticide;
  
• Mentioned/implied: kidnapping, domestic abuse, animal cruelty;

The game will not include sexual assault.

I wonder if a list like this would be enough, or perhaps it'd be better to be more detailed while still trying to keep spoilers to a minimum. Let me know if you have a strong preference for either way!

...in the form of a sneak peek~

Alpheon, June's golden child, is featured in two of them this month 😉 I had to share more than one expression, so I turned it into a GIF (which looks better here than on Kickstarter!)

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Thank you for reading thus far! I'm so excited to share more of this world with you 😄

I'll see you in two months with the next public update which will be all about the game's sapphic options—Sylas and Marané!
For now, toodles ✨

It has been over a year since the Early Access launch, and as we approach the final release of Sandrock, we have received valuable feedback regarding performance throughout the year, specifically related to loading times and frame drops within the town. Today, we would like to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the challenges we have encountered in these areas and share the proactive measures we have taken to address them. By reading this, you will gain insight into how design considerations can impact performance and learn about our ongoing efforts towards the 1.0 release version. If you have any further questions after reading, we encourage you to join the discussion in the comments section.

1. Causes and Challenges of Performance Issues in Sandrock
2. Our Solutions
3. New problems and solutions
4. Our goal for the full version

One of the main concerns raised by some Builders revolves around the loading times and laggy/unstable frame rates experienced within the town. Let's address this topic first.
When launching the game from the main menu or loading your saves, various game assets such as scene visuals and code need to be loaded to ensure smooth gameplay. The amount of resources that require loading directly impacts the duration of the loading process. Due to its complexity, we have encountered new challenges that we never encountered in Portia. To put things into perspective, let's compare Sandrock to its predecessor, My Time at Portia. In terms of building assets alone, Sandrock utilizes five times more resources than Portia. As a result, Builders may notice a significant increase in loading times when starting the game.
Similarly, whenever players enter or exit a building or dungeon, the game's backend process involves unloading the outdoor scene and loading the corresponding indoor scene (dungeon scene). Consequently, during the early stages of the Early Access release, some players experienced longer loading times when transitioning between buildings or dungeons.


Firgure 1: A detailed comparison of the material quantity in the start scenes of Sandrock and Portia

Besides, The game design philosophy of the My Time series has always aimed to create an immersive experience, ensuring that Builders never feel lonely in the game world despite in its single-player mode. We strive to make the game world feel vibrant and alive, with NPCs contributing to a sense of liveliness. This approach allows players to look back on their time in the game with fond memories. Therefore, NPCs in the game have their own daily routines and activities. You will observe them going to work, taking breaks, engaging in conversations, and interacting with each other, much like real individuals. Even if players can't currently see these NPCs, the system continuously tracks their positions, determines their routes, and assesses their ongoing actions. Consequently, loading NPC AI also requires a substantial amount of time.

For exmaple, in Sandrock, the median number (middle number in the list of all numbers ) of behavior tree nodes for a single NPC AI reaches approximately 800, which is nearly ten times more than in Portia. The loading process for several dozen NPC AIs naturally incurs a significant amount of time. To mitigate initial loading time, we implemented a strategy of loading only the behavior trajectories initially, without loading the character models. This means that NPCs remain active in the background as soon as the game is launched, and their models are loaded only when they come into the player's field of view within the current frame. This approach effectively reduces the initial loading time. However, it can introduce sudden frame rate drops and stuttering when character models are loaded in that frame.

And frame rate instability can be influenced by various factors. For instance, performance during nighttime scenes is affected due to the addition of dozens of new light sources, each contributing numerous additional shadows, resulting in lower frame rates at night. Furthermore, the absence of a well-planned Level of Detail (LOD) system from the beginning has also contributed to reduced and unstable frame rates in the overall scene. LOD involves utilizing different models for objects based on their distance, displaying low-polygon models for objects in the distance to optimize performance.


Figure 2: Night light sources dramatically increased the Shadows amount

Now that we have identified the causes and challenges of the performance issues, the next step is to find ways to resolve them.
Optimization of Loading time
Regarding the issue of loading times, our solution involves caching the main scene resources in the computer's memory, eliminating the need to unload and reload them every time a player enters or exits a door, as was done previously. Since implementing this approach in the 'Logan Strikes Back!' update last year, the loading times for entering and exiting doors have significantly decreased for the majority of Builders. However, it doesn't work well for players with lower memory capacities, such as 8GB, may still experience suboptimal loading times as certain resources need to be unloaded. We highly recommend using 16GB of memory for an improved gaming experience.
However, it's important to understand that this method doesn't solve everything. Some Players may still encounter longer loading times when entering and exiting mining and combat dungeons. These dungeons contain a substantial amount of resources, comparable to those in the main scene. For instance, the Northern Spaceship dungeon features a similar number of models as the main scene. Moreover, mining dungeons utilize Voxels (description), resulting in significantly larger data volumes. As a result, when entering mining dungeons, the system needs to unload a portion of the main scene resources from memory to ensure the stability and smoothness of the dungeon experience.
Furthermore, we have introduced a different approach to loading NPC AI behavior trees. Previously, all NPC AI behavior trees were combined into a single tree. However, we have now divided each NPC's behavior tree into separate trees based on their usage environment, such as the main scene, rooms, dungeons, and quest scenarios. This simplifies the individual behavior trees and reduces loading time.

Figure 3: Here is a part of Arvio's behavior tree nodes (This reflects the current version, and we will continue to further optimize the behavior trees of NPCs in the future.)

To address the issue of frequent frame drops caused by loading NPC models, we have implemented optimizations to improve the loading process. Previously, all NPC models were loaded within a single frame. However, we have now adopted a different approach by dividing NPCs into multiple components and loading them gradually over the course of 3-4 frames. This loading process takes place in the background, ensuring that players won't notice any visual differences in the appearance of the NPCs themselves. However, from a gameplay perspective, this approach significantly reduces the occurrence of frame drops. The image below provides a visual representation of this distributed loading concept.


Figure 4: Backend Loading (This diagram serves as an illustrative representation of the loading process.)

In addition, we have also implemented more detailed plans for Level of Detail (LOD). As mentioned earlier, Sandrock boasts a rich variety of scene resources, including numerous visually stunning buildings in the town, each consisting of a significant number of vertices and polys. When players are in close proximity to these buildings, they appear highly detailed and visually impressive.
However, as players move further away from the buildings while still being able to see them, the game continues to render the buildings with the same level of detail as when they were up close. This means that the system is still processing and rendering a large number of vertices and polygons, even though the buildings appear smaller and less detailed in the distance. LOD addresses this issue by dynamically adjusting the LOD based on the player's distance from the objects.
By utilising LOD, we lowered the polygon models for distant objects which dynamically reduce the computational burden on the system, improving performance and optimizing resource utilization. Our team is actively working on further refining this aspect to achieve a better state for the final release version.

New problems and solutions
Many Builders may have a question: After experiencing noticeable improvements in loading times and frame rates following the optimizations implemented in the 'Logan Strikes Back!' update last year, why does it seem that the performance has went worse with subsequent updates?
To address this concern, we need to consider the new changes that have been introduced to the town in these updates. Firstly, in our efforts to present a more visually appealing Sandrock and reflect the evolving atmosphere of the storyline, we have added additional small details throughout the town. These include small pottery jars near Amirah's Shop, an upgraded Catori's Game Center, and a telescope on top of the Research Center, among others. Individually, these small decorations may not consume significant resources. However, when combined, they contribute to an accumulated performance overhead.





Figure 5: Recent updates have added many details to the Sandrock world

The images from figure 5 depict a comparison of the town scene details before and after the updates. Can you spot the differences?
Furthermore, as the storyline progresses, rain begins to fall in Sandrock. Optimizing the particle effects and physical collisions of raindrops (to prevent rain from passing through buildings) has presented significant challenges. Currently, we are working on reducing the particle effects of rain in the distance to alleviate some of the performance impact.
In the design of Sandrock, our goal is to allow players to see as many detailed models as possible at a glance. For instance, when standing at a high point in the town, you can observe distant areas with intricate visuals, and many of these areas are exploitable. Unlike other game designs that employ simplified models to occlude most scenes, this approach inherently incurs more performance demands for the town scenes in Sandrock. As you can see, with each version update, Sandrock becomes more vibrant and visually appealing, but it also places increased demands on performance. Our focus remains on optimizing performance while ensuring an enjoyable gaming experience.


Figure 6: Cliff buildings are in progress.

For example, we are currently exploring ways to reduce the number of moving colliders to mitigate the performance impact caused by physics. Specifically, we have disabled unnecessary collisions associated with the rotation of gears on workshop machinery, and we have replaced certain programmatically controlled scene object movements with lower-consumed Tweener animations ( a technique used to create smooth transitions between different keyframes in animations). Although these changes may not be visually apparent, they effectively reduce performance overhead, particularly for lower-end machine configurations.
It is worth mentioning that previously, each character in Sandrock had multiple colliders serving different functions, such as attack detection, hit detection, and interaction with surrounding objects. We have now consolidated these colliders into a single one, further reducing performance demands. These examples only scratch the surface of our ongoing optimization efforts. Game optimization encompasses various aspects, and we are diligently working to address these issues, ensuring that players can experience a well-rounded and optimized final version.

Figure 7: Key optimization tasks assigned in our team

In conclusion, we would like to share our optimization goals for the official release of Sandrock. Our aim is to ensure smooth gameplay performance for Builders with mid to high-end systems, allowing them to enjoy the game at a consistent 50-60 frames per second (FPS). For those with lower-end configurations, we are committed to maintaining a stable frame rate of around 45fps with minimal laggy.

Figure 8: Here are the optimization goals we are currently trying to achieve for the full version

During the Early access of Sandrock, we have introduced multiple updates such as "Logan Strikes Back," "Builder Bonds" "Hey! Old Pal" , "The secret behind the Mask", and the "Knives Out" . These updates have shared the story of the planned ACT 2, and throughout this period, we have never ceased our efforts to optimize the game, aiming to deliver a better gaming experience for every Builder. However, there were something we could done better but didn't. As a result, some builders may still encounter varying degrees of performance issues during their Sandrock journey. But we are trying our best to address issues and continuously optimizing the game to ensure a better and smoother gaming experience for all Builders. These issues are what we plan to address step by step in the full version release and even post release.

Don't forget Sandrock will be out of early access on Sep. 26, available on Steam, Epic, Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox one/Series S/X上. All Sandrock main stories and romanceable NPCs side quests will come to a conclusion at that time! All Early Access player will free update to the 1.0 full release version.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1084600/view/3695813264931598464

P.S. Regarding the PlayStation 4 version, we have encountered technical issues related to the engine, which means it will be released later than other platforms. We will provide updates on its progress, so please stay tuned for further information.
P.P.S. The multiplayer feature will be fully released on PC alongside the full launch, and prior to that, we will conduct an open Beta test where you can participate and your progress will carry over to the full version. However, the release of multiplayer on console platforms may be delayed due to the porting process. We will keep you informed about the timeline for console multiplayer availability.

Catch us for more information:
Subscribe to Youtube
Join our Discord
Sandrock Instagram
Sandrock Twitter
Sandrock Facebook
Sandrock Official Website

For a limited time only you can order the Raptor TABS plushie, it will be available for pre-order until the 29th of July! And then never again. Get the Raptor here.



We have also released a collectors edition physical copy of TABS for Switch including a booklet and trading cards! There are only 4000 copies available! Get your copy here.



If you’re wondering what we’re up to with TABS you can find our roadmap at www.landfall.se/tabs-roadmap

• Summer Daycare Toy Castle Pathfinding Fixed
  
• Summer Daycare Toy Storage Pathfinding & Position Fixed
  
• Hook Animation Bug Fix
  
• LOD Messh Board Fix

All aboard! Head to Australia, a place with lots to explore, up high and down under.
The Kangaroo family can’t wait to show you around the land down under in Peppa Pig: World Adventures 🐷🌏🎮



#PeppaPigWorldAdventures

Hello! Commanders.
Did you enjoy the taste of the card update we shared last time?

We have prepared various updates to complement the lacking cards and to make battles even more enjoyable.
We have diligently incorporated the bug reports and additional balance feedback provided by all of you!

We always value your feedback and would love to have discussions about the game.
Let's meet on our Discord. Discord Link

1. Transition to Continuous Combat in All Stages
   We believe that continuous combat is a truly exciting stage experience.
   Therefore, we have changed all stages to continuous combat.
   The build-up cards, status effects, buffs, hands, drawn cards, and discarded cards from the previous wave will be retained as you progress to the next wave.
   
2. UI Overhaul, Including Card Interface
   With the updates to various effects, including Exhumation, we discovered that it became more difficult to check the information on cards.
   From now on, all card information will be displayed prominently, and the field of view will expand when hovering over cards, making it easier to understand the overall situation.
   
   
3. Notification for Soldier Deaths/Dangers
   We understand that it can be challenging to keep track of the health of soldiers in chaotic situations.
   To address this, we now provide notifications for when soldiers are in danger, including alerts for their health and additional notifications upon their demise.
   
   

1. Enhanced Self-Destruction Visuals
   Losing the game due to unexpected self-destruction can be frustrating.
   We have improved the visibility of self-destruction risks.
   
   
2. Improved Card Text Visibility
   The text displayed on cards had the same color, making it less noticeable.
   We have made improvements to enhance visibility.

• Enhanced Barricade Durability
  To ensure the survival of barricades in continuous combat, we have made improvements.
  Makeshift Barricade: 500 → 1500
  Barricade: 1500 → 3500
  Zeronium Barricade: 4000 → 6000
  
• Wave HP Recovery Amount Change
  To have a greater impact from the previous wave on the next wave, we have adjusted the HP recovery amount.
  Maximum HP: 20% → Recover 30% of lost HP
  
• Decreased Energy Recovery Speed
  1-cost cards were disappearing too quickly.
  Energy recovery speed decreased by 15%

• Relief Changes
  SP Max: 60 → 80
  SP Skill Recovery: 250+1.0pow → 200+0.7pow
  
• Fuse Changes
  SP Max: 60 → 80
  SP Skill Damage: 315+0.8pow → 270+0.8pow
  
• Purple Changes
  To avoid space cannon violations, the amount of gunpowder for Purple has been slightly reduced.
  SP Skill Damage: 150+1.4atk → 170+1.0atk
  SP Skill Target Change: Furthest target → Furthest target within range
  Purple'd Stat Increase: Attack Power +30 → +15
  Purpled* Stat Increase: Attack Power +40 → +20
  Additional Shot Damage: 144+0.6atk
  Additional Shot* Damage: 216+0.7atk
  
• Boom Changes
  Changed default card set → Grenade x2 + Good Guy x1
  
• AJ Changes
  Base Defense: 60 → 55
  Strategist Card: Added annihilate effect
  Support Fire Card: Cost: 1 → 3, added annihilate effect

• Ultra Vibration Armor
  (New) Additional Defense Power +30
  (Bug fix) Currently, the slowing effect is not applied after 2 seconds → Now, the slowing effect is applied
  
• Lv.3 Helmet
  Additional Defense Power +45 → Removed
  Gain Defense Power per attacking enemy: +15 → +10
  
• Carbon Armor
  (New) Maximum effect stack limit: 20
  
• Adaptive Armor
  Additional HP: +750 → +300
  HP increase per 1 stage cleared → HP increase per 1 wave cleared
  Additional HP: +10 → +20
  
• Titanium Armor
  Additional HP: +300 → +450

• Makeshift Armor
  Increase in Defense Power: +35/+55/+75 → +20/+35/+55
  
• Medkit
  Healing Amount: 35%/50%/75% → 15%/30%/50%

v0.5.6.26014

• Nukes now break truce with all factions, damage all factions (even allies) and their outer area now damages buildings
  
• Added feedback when automatic buy or sell are used in CHOAM menu
  
• Conquest map now takes into account the graphic option of terrain quality
  
• Increased bonus icon size of mission-rewards
  
• AI can no longer start trades if trading is disabled
  
• Fixed Sietches alliances not removed on faction defeat
  
• Fixed achievements (Landsraad’s Favorite & Disobeying the Form)
  
• Fixed conquest battle where player was alone
  
• Fixed raids bad behaviors when cease fire was used
  
• Fixed main bases that could be unreachable in some conquest battles
  
• Fixed several crashes