Good day fellow Meeps!

After spending loads of time on the recent UI update, I've started working on new gameplay features again. First off, I'm adding the functionality to allow manual control over certain individual Meeps. These Meeps will be required to perform special tasks required to keep the realm ticking over efficiently.

Icons will appear at special locations around the map for some tasks, while others will be highlighted around the current location of the mouse cursor.



Some of the tasks currently envisioned / implemented, are:

• Completing Apprenticeships at Woodcutters, Stonemasons, Builders, Wanderers, etc. to allow the Meep to perform the tasks associated with those Meeps' skills, to assist in time of need.
  
• Fast-tracking construction.
  
• Fertilizing fields used to cultivate crops, so nutrients do not get depleted.
  
• Gathering wood, stone or shards.
  
• Surveying important points on the map.
  
• Keeping the realm's campfire burning and stocking up on firewood for it.
  
• Helicopter-based tasks!

Many of the building blocks required to implement this functionality already exist, but all the new possibilities need to be properly blended into the existing gameplay without causing clashes or bugs.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1512050/World_Turtles/

Thanks for your support in 2023 and see you next year!
May you be happy and content in 2024...
De Chelonian Mobile

Hello Everyone! Filip, a Paragrowth developer here.
Here's another report on the latest developments in the game.

Last month I started moving to the new home, which is taking a lot of time, so I moved report of some jobs done in november, to be included in this dev log.
I also prepared a short summary of 2023 on the bottom of this dev log, so don't miss it!



Over the last two months, I've focused on planning and creating game template.
This template sets the direction for implementing various mechanics in the game.
It offers a clear understanding/debugging/controlling of what is happening with characters in game, simplifies testing new features, and makes debugging more straightforward.



Until now, I was preparing different mechanics in somewhat isolated environment, which posed challenges in integrating these elements with other game components. The new template has made this process much more manageable and has helped maintain organization within the project.

I've drawn inspiration from Unreal Engine's design pattern for categorizing different game elements, each with strictly specific objectives. These objectives are managed by components like Pawns, Character Controllers, Game Modes, etc. but a bit different than it's done in Unreal. I did many changes, which will work better with my projects, like Paragrowth.

(This scheme shows just small part of the core for the game. It's not including things like world generating, environment control etc.)


A significant addition to the core of this template is a range of helper features. For instance, I can now easily group required game scenes and define their workflow. This will be very beneficial when focusing on specific aspects, like night survival gameplay/combat mechanics/interactions with npc. I can set up a test environment, load necessary features, prepare a test character, and start working on the new subject, with just a few clicks.


This flexibility also means that whenever a new idea strikes, I can quickly shift from working on one feature to another, like night survival events, and test it efficiently. It's really nice quality of life improvement.

Next thing... In November, I encountered sad news: one of the technologies I was using for spawning forest got deprecated and it will be no longer supported. I tried finding similar one, but there wasn't anything which would give enough features.
So I've made my own solution for placing trees, bushes, grass, rocks and other forest elements on the map.



It's not fully complete yet but is tailored to my project's needs and offers greater control, which also will solve few issues there was in the previously used technology.

When working on the forest spawning feature, I needed to find solution for fast searching world areas for certain objects and I learnt to use so called "Octrees". It's universal algorithm, and right now it's used by finding trees to remove by the masks you see in the gif above + it will be used for world eco-system for animals, for 3d models generating utilities and others.

That's all for November/December game development report.


As mentioned lately, I completed my work studio, which gives me better space for focus, sound production, and planning new ideas. Here how it finally looks like (though it's still awaiting some furniture):



Now let's do a small summary.
Year 2023 was fully focusing just on fundamentals, on tools and building up / upgrading systems, for later use in gameplay mechanics.

Key Achievements of 2023:
-Completed custom Physical Movement system (still will be developed)
-Upgraded FPS interactions system
-Polishing RealWaves audio system for immersive audio simulation (still will be developed)
-Made input prioritizing system
-Completed procedural legs animation tool (Legs Animator)
-Upgraded world map generating system (still will be developed)
-Get used with URP render system (better game performance)
-Reworked inventory system for gameplay use and added few upgrades
-Made Character equipment system for changing weapons/clothes (visually on game model)
-New helpful features for my Animation Editing Tool (Animation Designer)
-Created animations for test creatures
-Created new animations for character combat/traversals
-Implemented character traversal actions (climbing, vaults etc.)
-Made texture tools for faster materials creation and optimization
-Added many new features for procedural architecture generator tool (PGG)
-Created early version of FGame Template
-Rewrite for Combat system (now awaits for being implemented in the FGame Template)
-Anim-Actions API (extended control for combat animations/traversal animations)
-Rewrite for Anim-Setup API (animation priorities, to avoid using animation graphs)
-FAnimate system, for clear control over all character animation related things
-Added better characters ragdoll physics (still will be developed)
-Few upgrades for weather and time of the day system
-Created shaders for creating more randomized look of destroyed buildings
-Created APIs to ease up creating mesh generating algorithms
-Made root walls and roots enviro generating algorithms
-Made procedural mesh generators for roots, mosses, rails, roads
-Made procedurally generated scheme for electricity poles and similar structures
-Made components to easily generate holes in walls for destroyed buildings
-Made few locations using the mesh generating tools
-Prepared models for crafting table
-Made custom trees/bushes/grass/details spawning system for terrains
-Thanks to Stuku we have Distillery Station model and Grain Creature model

There might be a few things I've missed, and also some of these achievements weren't mentioned in previous logs as they're hard to showcase visually. But rest assured, you'll see the fruits of these elements soon!

So the plan for 2024 is fulfilling lacking features for the systems, creating gameplay mechanics for exploration, combat, character skills development, crafting, and night survival.
It's gonna be much more exciting year than 2023 for sure!

Happy new year 2024 everybody!

Happy New Year! Just a reminder that it's snowing in Trail Out and for a limited time you can pick up a Santa skin for your character.

Thank you for sticking with us. It's been a big year and the biggest updates in the history of the game. We're proud of it.

Next year we only expect a port of the game to consoles and possibly other platforms, but for now it's all in the plans.

Online is unfortunately permanently canceled, as we completely left for a new project with the whole team, ports on consoles proved to be problematic and the time frame stretched for almost 8 months.

- Campaign groups and units balance pass, added two air units from challenge levels.
- Torpedo input buttons are now axis based rather than event, the game engine appears to have some event registration issues with some keyboards.
- Fixed an issue in the loadout screen which skips displaying the already visibly selected item for the first time a slot is accessed.
- Fixed an issue in crew loadout customization when there is an empty crew slot, which causes incorrect visual assignment to the loadouts.
- Fixed role selection UI not being updated properly.
- Fixed FPS limiter setting to either use 60 fps or the monitor refresh limit.
- Fixed 81' prototype bad mortar repair position.
- Fixed player targeted air groups ceasing to spawn since v1.4.2.5 stable, reintroduced them with increased cooldowns.
- Fixed boat name typo "Little Jue"-> "Little Joe"
- More adjustments to pier generation.
- Removed placeholder text for some news event popups.

* hopefully improved terrain performance
* fixed order of monsters on end scene
* replaced placeholder model for RadioImpProjectile
* fixed glitching wind sound when going in a diagonal direction
* Added separate configurations for horizontal and vertical mouse sensitivity
* reduced microjetpack sound

Hi folks, Cris from Lunar Chili here, with a not-so-obscure reference to another 80s rock anthem.

As we all prepare to welcome 2024, we're also excitedly counting down to Jan 15th – the day "Time Survivors" goes live. This game is our small team's labor of love, a blend of inaccurate history and overpowered characters.

Watch Anita Garibaldi in action, bringing her own brand of fireworks to our game's world. A glimpse of what's waiting for you:


From your timeless team, Happy New Year!
- Cris, DDT, Lele (Lunar Chili team) 🌙🌶️


Don't forget to wishlist and follow to be part of our story. Every bit of support means the world to us!

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a good time during the festive season. We’ve been hard at work on the development of Space Station Designer since our last update back in August, and we wanted to end 2023 on a high note by releasing Space Station Designer v. 0.5.15, which features a significant number of additions and improvements. Please read on for the details.

‘Campaign’ mode redesign

One of the main pieces of feedback we received regarding the ‘Campaign’ mode is that it was too open-ended and that newcomers felt that the sheer number of options could be a tad overwhelming. We went back to the (online) drawing board and designed a series of mandatory objectives that will progressively introduce players to the various mechanics available in the game. This includes objectives in areas such as ‘Earth Facilities’, ‘Crew Management’, and ‘Research’, among others.



When you start a new campaign, you’ll notice a button in the top-left corner with a ‘target’ icon:



Clicking on it will reveal the initial set of objectives:



You can take as much time as you need to complete these objectives. During this period, the Government will grant you funding on an annual basis, which you can use to keep the station running.

We have been conducting extensive playtesting in the last few days and it took us nearly six hours to accomplish the final objective (“Acquire the 'Expansion in LEO' research technology.”). Let us know how long it takes you to finish phase 1 in the comments section!

Changes to the existing ‘Sandbox’ mode

We understand that not everyone wants an experience with fixed objectives to follow, especially if they have already completed the game and are conducting a second playthrough to try out a different approach. Thus, the previous ‘Campaign’ mode has been renamed to ‘Sandbox’. The mechanics are still the same: you start with a Core Module, and the Government will grant you a yearly reward based on certain criteria, which can be reviewed via the ‘Government’ button. As an open-ended experience, you can progress through the tech tree as you see fit.



Note that the ‘Sandbox’ mode is temporarily disabled for version 0.5.15. We’ll restore it in an upcoming update.

'New ‘Sandbox’ mode

Wait, didn’t we have a ‘Sandbox’ mode already? Yes, we did! And it has been renamed to ‘Free Builder’ mode.



You can continue using this game mode and enjoy a chilled experience while building large designs without any financial restrictions.





Maintenance-related research technologies and modules

We’ve added three new research technologies to the tech tree: “Maintenance Level I”, “Maintenance Level II”, and “Maintenance Level III”. Each one of these technologies features two modules: an ‘Airlock’ and a ‘Maintenance Workshop’.



Airlocks have been revamped and they now have an attribute associated to them called ‘maintenance area of influence’.



From now on, if a module experiences a failure, it can only be repaired if it’s within the ‘maintenance area of influence’ provided by an Airlock-type of module, which represents the area where astronauts can efficiently (and safely) work outside the station. If the module happens to be outside this area of influence, it will have to be replaced altogether.



We’ve also added a ‘maintenance boost’ attribute to the ‘Maintenance Workshop’ modules. If a module experiences a failure, and assuming it’s within the ‘maintenance area of influence’ provided by an Airlock, you’ll receive a small repair boost if they also happen to be close to a ‘Maintenance Workshop’.



Please note that the ‘boost’ calculation hasn’t been implemented yet. We’ll add this to one of the upcoming updates.

Changes to the Earth Facilities

In a previous update, we had moved the ‘Earth Facilities’ research technology further down the tech tree and into Phase II. We realized that this was limiting the gameplay too much, so we brought the ‘Earth Facilities’ back to Phase I.



In addition to this, we’ve tweaked the mechanics so that only certain buildings are available by default. The rest of them will have dependencies on more advanced technologies from the tech tree, which are communicated via a tooltip.



Addition of design constraints

Another large piece of feedback we got is that, despite the impressive amount of space station module types available, we aren’t placing enough design constraints that force players to think more carefully about their designs. We’re making steps towards resolving this problem as part of this update. For example, adding a module to a production line can only be done if said module is within a maximum distance from existing modules within the production line.



We’ve never met anyone who enjoys a long commute to work. Astronauts are no exception, so from this update onwards, research modules will receive a proximity bonus if they are closely located to a crew quarters module.



Similarly, we’ve placed a constraint on the maximum distance that a module can be located away from electricity/cooling modules. As of this update, the game only detects if a module is violating this constraint, but doesn’t apply any penalties. These penalties will be included in a future update.



We’ve also added more filters to the orbital outpost screen to quickly visualize which modules are outside of the maintenance area of influence, far from an electricity module, etc.



This screen can be accessed by using the ‘Looking Glass’ buttons located in the top-right corner of the screen.



Game balancing

As mentioned earlier in this post, we can confirm that Phase I is fully playable and that it took us approximately six hours to complete. We have performed extensive balancing to our “Master Spreadsheet” to ensure an enjoyable experience, but let us know in the forums if you find that certain modules are too powerful or not powerful enough, so that we can revise them accordingly.



Upcoming changes

Expect more interesting mechanics in our upcoming updates, including deeper mechanics around propulsion modules and the station’s center of mass. These mechanics will make use of the ‘Propulsion Pod’ modules, which we’ve recently added to the game.



Closing thoughts

We hope you enjoy this updated version of 'Space Station Designer', and don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts in the forums. Happy New Year!

--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)

[ENGLISH]

[GAMEPLAY]

• New cacti in the scene
  
• Two new cars: 500 and 190E
  
• Interface overhaul
  
• Desert mountains altered

[MISC]

• Some textures remade
  
• Improved global illumination
  
• Fixed photo mode bugs
  
• "Victor" vehicle wheels fixed
  
• New font on the speedometer
  
• Major scenery optimization
  
• Improved car collision (wasn't accurate)

🌠 Ready to summon in this extraordinary pool and secure your Legendary Hero? Get a blessing to increase the probability of summoning the corresponding Legendary Hero!

⏰From: 1/1 to 1/10

🚀 Brand-New Season! Span-New Game!

🔥 Download Dragonheir NOW: {LINK REMOVED}https://bit.ly/dragonheir-downloadnow

What's New:

Idle Laying Animation:
Implemented a new idle laying animation to enhance character realism and immersion.

Recovery Position Animation:
Added a recovery position animation for improved in-game emergency scenarios.


Head Tilt:
Introduced head tilt functionality, allowing characters to express subtle emotions and movements.
Jaw Thrust:
Implemented jaw thrust, providing more dynamic facial animations for realistic character interactions.

Basic Animations:
Incorporated foundational basic animations to enhance overall character movement and responsiveness.

Stretcher and Patient Interaction:
Enabled interactions with stretchers and patients, contributing to a more comprehensive medical gameplay experience.


Ability to Interact Inside the Ambulance:
Players can now engage with various elements inside the ambulance, adding depth to in-game emergency situations.

Basic Questions:
Introduced a basic question system, allowing characters to engage in simple dialogues for improved role-playing scenarios and doing anamnesis.


Clothing System:
Implemented a clothing system, providing players with the ability to customize their characters' attire.


Zoom Option:
Added a zoom feature for enhanced player control over the in-game camera, offering better visibility and exploration.

Chest and Abdomen Morphs:
Included morphs for chest and abdomen regions, adding more detail and realism to character models.

Face Expressions:
Expanded facial expressions to further enrich character interactions and emotional portrayal.


Bug Fixes and Improvements:
Addressed minor bugs and optimized performance for a smoother gaming experience.
Skip intro option
Changed lighting in day night system