Greetings, all! I hope everyone is well, and their mops freshly dipped.

Feels like forever since the last update, so I thought I'd take some time to get everyone up to speed on what we've been up to since last year.

There have been some exciting developments and additions for our eventual VCD 2 showcase.
We don't want to reveal too much(as that's half the fun!), but even so there will be lots of juicy images and things here that you might like to rather experience for yourselves in time.
So, if you're keen to avoid spoilers, then proceed mindfully.

Some of you may have already seen a degree of what I have to show off, but rest assured, those areas will see updates in the future, and there are plenty of new things.

First things first.


The desert planet, yet to be given a title, is coming together very nicely.
While vaguely similar in appearance to Unearthly Excavation, it's quite a different beast. Thusly, the focus of its gameplay is something new to VCD, and we're continuing to find ways to extend it in support of its core idea.


With all that sand, it breeds a familiar threat; our friend the Sand-Trap (colloquially called the Saarlac pit among many for its similarities) makes a return, now improved. They like desert planets, and as such are sure to be a bloody nuisance to you and anyone else who sets boot to sand.



Automated Tracks
You may notice the many railway tracks as well. These play an important role in a comprehensive system we put together for automating the movement of objects, akin to trains and carts.



It's capable of moving objects along splines and track paths, handling interchanges, waiting, offloading, pick up, drop, slowing or speeding up due to gravity, etc.
It has made heavy use of UE5's blueprints system, allowing it to be pretty modular, and can now be used for any kind of automated movement and signaling of objects in our levels, both for gameplay and environmental aesthetics. It's hard to overstate how much work has gone into this thing; its always more complicated than you first think, and the images don't really show that.

Regardless, we hope to make use of it in more places, even if just for decorative things.


What will become your Office has seen significant work, and we now have the basic architecture and layout complete. Some of it is subject to change, and we still have to actually pour lots of content into the individual rooms to fill them out and make them unique, but it's going very well none the less.



The focus here is on making each room unique in some way, and facilitating greater customization than in the original. For this we have lots of ideas but still have much work to go before any of it is implemented. Some ideas are more ambitious than others.

The office(although several times larger than in the original) is still no palace, but you can spruce it up quite a bit. We're still working out the full plan here.


New Objects

There are many of these, but here are a couple. Some of you have no doubt spotted these barrels before.

We're still considering a number of different features for certain types of barrels, so work continues.

There is also a plethora of new trash items, many more than you see here.
Many are finished, but others still need some final artwork.

You may finally be able to get your greedy gloved hands on a sandwich!
(only slightly spoiled...)


Familiar Faces

The Big Banger and J-HARM return to service, waiting to pounce!


While they may look like a simple copy-paste job, they are actually much more work than they appear. All of their features had to be remade in UE5; the User Interface, the ability for hands to interact with in-world interfaces, the way the lift technically works, and the radio's movement. All new.

However, this does mean some improvements could be made. For example, the lift now has better physics, and can be knocked over more convincingly. It also doesn't jam in exactly the same way as before.

The Big Banger likewise has new features(which you'll see in due time) and the little dancing physics that make it so iconic are now calculated in real-time from spectral analysis. This is a fancy way of saying we(as developers and modders) don't need to individually map the movements of the radio for each song, it can now figure it out automatically.
Low Frequency notes give more 'kick' and higher frequencies cause more vibration, etc.

However, I went the extra mile and added the system from the original VCD and layered it on top, just so that the radio still moves in the unique way that the original songs did. It's the little things that sell it.

It also now has a seek bar and a cycle mode selection button(Shuffle, Sequential, Repeat), as well as a few other interesting features we'll keep secret for now.

Lighting has also improved, with the Lanterns and Work-lights from before making a return with better lighting.
There will also be some new ones in time.

At the moment, we have all of the main player tools from the original, with a few tweaks here and there. Hands, Mop, Sniffer, Welder, Broom, Shovel

The welder for example has a right-click function this time. We'll reveal more about this in time, as it's still in the early stages.

The notepad is not in yet, but we have some new ideas for that too.
Beyond those original tools, we have some new ones.

New Tools

As of now, there are 2 new tools, mostly done.
We'll reveal these in greater detail in future updates, but you can see a sneak peak here.



One serves an entirely new purpose, but will also represents a shift in how you aggressively access things common employees cannot.

The other both expands existing interactions with the various decals you are familiar with(like blood and scorch marks) and adds a new modular system for dealing with all sorts of additional tasks you might have in other levels.

In general, we're designing the tools to have either multiple uses, or lots of use cases, so they're not limited to just one level.


Drop Pod

The drop pod is still not quite finished, but it features so many different things.
Given that it's your go-to destination for both entering and exiting the map, as well as respawning and accessing your tool selection and common vendables, it has a lot of moving parts. We're continuing to look for ways to give it more character, so it's likely to see a number of small changes going forward.



The less said about the nightmare of its collision the better...nasty business getting that right.

It has lots of features inside and various things to discover, as well as a rather amusing answer to the question of "Where do replacement Janitors come from?".



Vending Machines

Need I say more? Snacks and drinks for the hungry worker.
Of course, they're probably loaded with unhealthy preservatives, but who cares? Certainly not the company making them!

These are still in a rough state art-wise, but they functionally work.

Cables and Hoses

Physics-based cables and hoses with optional connections on either end.
These were rather difficult to put together, and at this point we're still not sure how reliable these are going to be in Multiplayer, so time will tell.



For now, we've found a number of places to uses them, and it's an entirely new way of linking mechanics or machines, so we'll probably use these in more places.

Combined Functionality

Previously, certain types of actors were limited to only one or two mechanics. For example, you could pick up a light-bulb and mount it in an incubator but that incubator couldn't move.

Now, with the way we've been designing things, it's possible to combine multiple functionalities together with relative ease. Want to slot a physics object into another physics object and move them around together? No problem! Want to add interactive levers to it too? Why not!
Want it to catch fire and spread fires around? Ok, you're a bit crazy, but sure!
Want it to be partially weldable and have cables on it, ooh and why not also make it able to be pinned to walls! Woah woah, steady on there cowboy. But yes, you can do it. God help us.

You get the idea. With the new approach, it's easier to combine mechanics and allow interactions that would normally be locked away in one actor or another and you've have to choose.
This will largely affect modding; something we have not yet implemented, but are keeping support for in mind as we build mechanics.


It's been a long process, and even though we still have far to go, we're really getting into the meat of things now. The important thing is that every time we make something, we don't have to repeat it, so we can build and build and build upon each new creation, making the next leg of the journey faster.

The code-base for example is now mature enough that we can layer new things on top existing mechanics and it ("just works"™), not to mention the advantage of copy-and paste!
As a result, the areas that are slowing us down now are the new features, the uncharted territories like hose physics and new tool mechanics.

It's been very difficult to form a projected time-frame at the moment for when it'll all be ready for you guys to get your hands on, so we'll just have to continue on with making progress, and once it's all together we can give a reliable date for some kind of early public release.

So stay tuned and we'll have more in the future.
For now, that's it everyone! Work continues and we make steady progress.
As we complete the current major milestones, we'll be able to work on other things, like weaving in the story, office customization, a nice UI, colorful notes, and so on.

Keep your mops wet, and your trunks full!

Greetings, noble mop-brigade!

Another year draws to a close, like the airlock doors on your fellow janitors; with much kicking and screaming.
And we're one step closer to a getting something juicy into your eagerly waiting gloved hands.

Before we take a much needed break, we'd just like to say thank you to you all, and wish you an amazing Christmas and holidays*!
*Aerospace Sanitation does not condone the rampant exploitation of holidays for personal gain; work is worth, work is life**, work is you.
**Aerospace Executives are exempt from mandatory work orders under section 7:A of the company executives contract; attendance of the 48h long office party on Elysium Station is however, respectfully requested.

While we're taking a bit of time off from work this year, we've already got some plans for the next steps come next year.

To that end, here's a short run-down of where we stand, and what's next.

---

While we had hoped to finish the first major level as part of a showcase, we didn't quite make it.
Although, that being said we did make significant progress on it. Most of the mechanics we had in mind are in or nearing completion, and we introduced lots of brand-new high-quality content, so the level is looking really nice as it comes together.

See for yourself. Still a work in progress of course, so bear that in mind.

We even begun some work on the janitor Office, which will be an ongoing area of experimentation and design moving forward.

We redesigned the drop-pod, and gave it a shiny new look with lots of functional elements.
As you can see.


For a comparison, here is a screenshot of the same area from February.


We got to grips with some challenging new features in UE5, and are now much better positioned to simply add whatever we wish with less hurdles to implementation. This has been a big thing slowing stuff down, the sheer scale of things to learn when it comes to UE5's toolset.

We also improved a lot of other things just to make the development itself easier, editor tools and the like. These things you won't notice, but we will.

---

So, what's next?
Well, firstly we need to finish the level we have coming together, and this means not only the last remaining mechanics, but also the artwork, particle FX, sounds, music, and possibly some reworking if we're not happy with the first draft's gameplay experience.

Secondly, the janitor office. Lots to figure out here! It needs some basics of course, and then lots of new things we've not worked out yet, and a ton of detailing. It'll be an ongoing thing, so we'll focus on an initial draft version of it first.

Thirdly, new tools. We've got lots of ideas here, one of which is essential to add at this point. The others will follow in the future as needed. Part of their design is to be useable in lots of places, but that may change.

Fourthly, the User Interface. It's bare-bones and ugly. It needs a touch of artwork.

Fifthly, refinement. Just about everything needs refinement, from the movement and camera, to the basic tools, and the blood decals(which themselves have to be reworked to work with UE5).

Sixthly(is that a word? It feels illegal...), janitor's personal items. Music and the Big Banger, the janitor Trunk, trophies, customization, interactive items, etc.

Seventhly, the game's story, underlying plot, corporate advertising, progression, scoring system, consequences and beyond! Much of this will likely only be introduced later on.

---

Well, we're pretty deep into it at this point, but you can see things are coming together. All we can do is keep at it. For now, we'll take a break and return to it somewhat refreshed.
If you wish to stay slightly more informed, be sure to check out the Viscera Cleanup Detail 2 - Development Log page for somewhat more regular updates.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a great holiday, and we'll see you in the next year.
Oh, and do be sure to pay Santa's workshop a visit, I hear it is in a terrible state. Those poor elves...
Merry Christmas, everyone!

Greetings, all! ːvcdmopː

With the new year already well underway, we wanted to share with you a little bit more of what we're up to and give you an early look at some of the design changes and vision we're going for in VCD 2 ahead of the showcase.

We're confident that we have more than enough material for a sequel and lots of interesting improvements to add. While it's going to be a very long road, we are now confident we can achieve it in the more modern Unreal Engine, rather than just a simple port of the original.
A port of the original levels will benefit from its development in one form or another.

With that, we can say that the goal of a Viscera Cleanup Detail 2 is very much within reach.

Just keep in mind that a lot of the developments you're about to see are subject to change.
So without further ado, let's get into some of those developments shall we?


As of right now, the project has been upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.
There are a couple reasons for that.

1. It contains a richer feature set that, in some areas may prove beneficial.
   
2. Unreal Engine 4 is gradually going to be phased out and see less support.
   
3. Upgrading now saves us a ton of headaches as VCD's code-base grows more complex. Migrating code is never fun...
   
4. It's the natural next step.
   
5. It has 5 in the name, which is a higher number than 4 if you can believe such a thing!

With that being said, we still have some experimenting to do to assess whether or not UE5 is in-fact too advanced for a game like VCD, which needs to run on a variety of systems and not be pointlessly demanding. Fortunately, UE5 is very flexible, so we're confident it'll suit our needs.


With VCD 2 we're aiming for improvement and refinement over radical changes.
We're trying to trim some of the fat and make it more streamlined while keeping the quirkiness and overall insanity of a VCD game. Then just build on that with more quality and new levels.

However, there are a few key alterations.


One thing the original suffered from was an over-reliance on the same mechanics.
Bullet Holes and casings, I'm looking at you!

So, rather than having each level be a reskinning of the same mechanics of body and shell-casing cleanup with just a few minor additions, we've decided to make each new level center around a strong theme and carry that theme into all or most of the mechanics present in that level. More in line with how its DLCs were structured.

This means that if the level is about a mining facility, then you can bet you're going to be having to fix up a lot of mining machinery.

If it's about a medical facility, you're going to have to do a lot of blood cleanup and restoration of medical supplies, etc.

So the focus will be more on making interesting mechanics for a level that won't necessarily appear in other levels, and to make the process and final result of the level's restoration a satisfying and beautiful thing to witness.
To that end, each level will feature a set of thematically relevant mechanics that build toward the ultimate state of cleanup.

In addition, levels will often feature smaller hurdles to overcome and mechanics to exploit to make your job easier as you go. Such as powering on the lights, activating conveyors, restoring lifts instead of taking the stairs, things like that. Not necessarily essential, but a little something extra.

Also, while there may be some familiar themes you know and love, there will most certainly be some vastly different ones for new levels.




The drop-pod is an all-purpose janitor deployment capsule / craft that will both land on planets you are sent to, and dock to stations.

Inside of it you'll find many of the most essential tools you need to perform your duties.
This includes:

• A vending machine for replacement parts and essential items such as med-kits and work lights.
  
• A place for the 'dispensing' of replacement janitors, should one of your number carelessly succumb in the course of fulfilling your duties.
  
• A tool-rack kitted out to provide you with a variety of tools you're likely to need, some of which are familiar, many of which are new. Their numbers are limited, and not every tool is needed to perform your duties in that level, but you'll have access to them regardless; heaven help us!
  
• A briefing screen to remind you of the essentials.
  
• An airlock to facilitate the transition to and from hostile environments
  
• A toilet; space janitors are human too...

The pod will be your starting point in each mission, and the point from which you depart after you are done.
It'll serve as your one stop shop, but notably it is by no means there to make your job any easier. Nor does it serve as an adequate source for bins and buckets. For that, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Also, you'll use the drop-pod to bring items back to the office with you, instead of the janitor's trunk.
Although, we may find other reasons to keep that faithful companion alive.


Your office, previously a poky out of the way corner in one of Aerospace Sanitation's facility basements, is now a larger yet still poky janitorial deployment section in one of their facilities.

The key difference is that customization will be much more extensive than before, and tied to things you bring back from other levels in some more tangible ways.

From the office, you'll select your next destination and return to it after you are finished.
There will be small sections of the facility that you can muck about in and experiment with some mechanics and tools. There will be more interaction, and a more lived-in feel.

In addition, the office will aid in teaching you some of the basics.
To that end...

It's no secret that some of VCD's mechanics are very hard to pick up naturally.

How do you know what the sniffer's modes do?
What does that strange welding laser do?

There are two ways to look at this:
1: The game is about discovery and experimenting with things yourself to learn about them, thus feel accomplished.
2: Not knowing what you're doing and being frustrated by hidden yet essential mechanics is a real pain, especially when you're punished for it, and you could really use a tutorial and not have to look up web-pages to play a game.

We're not believers in hand-holding or outright tutorial stages thrust upon you, nor endless pop-ups with advice. So we're going to avoid that, it's really not very VCD-ish.

Instead, we have some much better ideas for teaching players some of the basics.
To that end, the Office Hub(and probably other locations) will feature basic step-by-step guide posters/brochures on the walls for various(less obvious) mechanics to aid your learning.
This is an unobtrusive way to show you something you need to know while still allowing you to discover it for yourself. But it'll be obvious what it is when you see it.


We're still considering some things here, but we're in favor of removing the scoring system as it currently exists. Giving you a number at the end of the day just seems so...reductive.
It's also an endless source of confusion and frustration; "Why was I punished? I wasn't told anything about those damnable nitrogen canisters!"

It's not really about the score at the end of the day, but rather your work ethic and the general consequences of a poor effort. This is in truth, a hard one to solve.

We're all for keeping the interesting newspaper articles, and the general fired / vs good boy dynamic.
However, we don't think a number and precise goals for everything is the way to go.
VCD struggled from trying to incorporate both a number's game AND a vague "do as much as you want" approach. The two can't really exist together without a high degree of frustration and confusion for some people.

So we're looking into solutions, and part of that may be in the form of progression, or a two-sided reward system, where there are consequences and rewards to either path, but no clear "best way" to play.
Don't get me wrong, there should still very much be consequences to doing a lousy job just as before, but they should not be reduced to a simple number's game and single success/failure state.

Stacking is another area in a similar vane. That should be an innately satisfying experience regardless of any bonus to the numbers you receive.


There is a lot of other stuff to discuss and many new additions to run through, much of which we're still working out and considering, but for now that's the big picture.

Please, feel free to give us your thoughts. We're excited to hear feedback, and that will be an essential part of narrowing in on a good design as we move forwards.
To keep up to date and give additional feedback, be sure to follow our Viscera Cleanup Detail 2 thread over in the forums where I hope to post regular progress updates as and when I can, and respond to feedback.
Announcements will be reserved for significant milestones in future, when we have something a bit more polished to show off.

In the meantime, here are some more very much 'work-in-progress' images of what we've made so far. Well, some of it at least.

Greetings hard-working interplanetary sanitizers!

As we bring things to a close this year, we'd just like to take this moment to thank everyone for their continued support, and wish you all an amazing holiday.

When one is stuck in the reeds, it's often difficult to come up for air and post updates.
But one thing that always strikes us is your loyal support(even when we're dreadfully silent), and the great many of you who keep this community strong. Not to mention that one of our favorite activities is to browse your many screenshots, artwork and workshop creations. You guys are great, so here's to you! ːvcdsignː

It has actually been quite a hard year for RuneStorm. We've not made nearly as much progress on our projects as we had hoped, have been facing a number of difficulties, been forced to reevaluate some things, and are horribly burned out at this point. Part of the job, true enough, but it still takes its toll all the same.
In the wise words of Bilbo Baggins, we are like "Butter scraped over too much bread."; stretched.

To that end we're taking some time off, and are looking to pick things up with renewed effort in the new year!


We have some exciting stuff planned. Most notably, we hope to have a fully fleshed out VCD 2 Showcase ready for your eyes. This(for those of you who are not aware), will serve as a demonstration of where we're wanting to take a sequel. Of course, it will not be a complete picture by any means, but it will feature a number of new concepts and mechanics we think will serve its more refined design.

All that being said, we really want to put our ideas out there and get your feedback, because as much as we have endless ideas(many of which are solid), VCD has always been stronger with the community's valuable input.

When the showcase is ready, we'll also run through all the things we envision for its design, from new concepts, mechanics, themes, emphasis, tools and beyond. That way you'll get a sense of what the game might be like, and have the opportunity to be heard should you find something truly abhorrent.

We're pretty excited to develop some new stuff for VCD, and hopefully not be bogged down by the numerous technical challenges that plague the original.

We're also evaluating the best and most fair way to do justice to the original by means of the aforementioned port being developed alongside. The idea has always been to ensure VCD can live on in as functional a form as possible, and not do so with some nasty cash-grab approach which is all too popular in remakes these days. So that's the goal.

We also have our other more secret project in the works. This one has faced a lot of challenges, but then it never was going to be an easy one...
The new year should bring some developments there.


Until then, I wish you all an amazing holiday, and hope that you're hunkered down with a mop in one hand and a broom in the other, ready to face down any alien(or human) mess that presents itself.
May your stations always be clean, and your janitor trunk filthy! ːvcdbloodː

Greetings, noble janitors! ːvcdjanitorː

With only five days left, my fellow Janitors have asked me(under threat of hazing) to inform you that time is running out to claim their limited edition Bob Plush!

I've been instructed to inform you as well, that anyone seen sporting this fine fellow is sure to be causing some sleepless nights for Aerospace Sanitation!
That in and of itself is a fine bonus if I say so myself!

If you're still not sure if you want to stick it to the higher ups, then take another look at Bob's endearing puppy-dog eyes and tell me that's not the face of a hero worthy of a seat in your home?



Be sure to claim yours while you can! ːvcdsignː
As a reminder, our little friend in the Aerospace Sanitation printing factory needs to hit the 200 mark before he can actually produce anything, otherwise it's all for naught. Something about batch limits, I hear.

We'd best not let him down, else he'll be caught by security for sure.

Greetings all!

As we work our way towards a showcase of what we've been up to with VCD and UE4, we wanted to take the time to give you guys another little bit of physical VCD merch you can decorate your headquarters with!

To that end, we come with some exciting news from the custodial underground.
One of our number has begun producing Limited Edition Bob plushies in clear contradiction of Aerospace Sanitation mandates!

If you wish to show your support for Bob and the 'cause', then be sure to do your part and head on over to Makeship to order yours!

If the campaign is fully funded, you'll then be receiving your very own plush Bob in no time!
It's on sale now for $29.99, and runs until November 9th.

Aerospace Sanitation cannot be allowed to intervene. Let Bob be remembered!

He comes with his very own detachable mop, and a little belt and brush!
Not to mention a whole lot of blood; He's seen some things...


He's sure to cause quite the stir no matter what part of your house he ends up in!
Just, keep an eye on him. We don't know if he can be trusted.



Now, on to some of the questions you guys have regarding VCD's future plans:

• So what happens to the port / newer version?
  
  This is a tricky one. Given the workload required just to get a base version of VCD operating on UE4, making a full sequel instead makes more sense, as then at least we're making something new, which we'd love to do!
  However we also don't like the way the existing VCD is held back by the problems it has, and the aging nature of UE3. We'd hoped to future-proof it on UE4. So at this point the two are progressing side by side, sharing the same improvements, but a 1:1 port seems unlikely, given the mechanics will not be the same between the two.
  
  As I see it, there are 4 options, all of which have their pros and cons.
  
  1. Keep VCD as we know it, it stays on UE3 and we focus on using the UE4 platform solely for a sequel.
     
  2. Integrate the legacy levels into the sequel; easiest and most likely to regularly benefit from updates. But it's hard to avoid the package and pricing issues.
     
  3. Separate out the Legacy content into a branch of the UE4 base and make it a different item on Steam. A bit more work, trickier to maintain, but it's its own thing, clear as day. Also it won't necessarily have all the previous mechanics, or in the same way, as it's using the ever-developing code of the UE4 base, which will be leaner, at least to start with.
     A "VCD - Remastered" if you will...
     
  4. Separate out the Legacy content into a split off version of the UE4 base, and restore all existing content and mechanics. Considerably more work, but you get exactly what you're paying for. VCD as you know it, but on UE4. Its separated nature makes it much harder to maintain, because it's two separate projects being changed in parallel, with different mechanics and code.
  We're leaning toward option 3, as it's the most robust compromise, and most reliable way to get the Legacy levels updated, plus it will benefit from some general improvements to mechanics.
  Also, it allows us to work out better pricing for existing owners of VCD.
  Likewise, it has room for incorporating changes and mechanics the sequel may not use, but gradually and only as needed.
  In this way, it's similar to the old split between core VCD and Santa's Rampage / Shadow Warrior standalones.
  
  
• Will the updated version need to be purchased again? In addition to a sequel?
  
  Yes, because it's an extra investment in time and resources to produce, much like most remasters / ports, and has inherent worth as its own thing.
  However, we do plan to at the very least reduce the price for existing owners.
  
  
• Will the change from UE4 to UE5 be a separate game?
  
  No, it'll likely just be an update. It seems relatively easy to upgrade from UE4 to UE5, so I don't anticipate any huge hurdles. Of course, one never can be too sure...
  For now, we're just trying to get the foundations further developed.
  
  
• Will the new game have improved physics with less freaking out? Especially in multiplayer?
  
  Yes, we're definitely doing what we can to improve this. It's a high priority. That being said, physics system are notoriously hard to stabilize, and we are trying to leave some wierdness and quirks in, so striking a balance will be difficult. We don't want any game-breaking madness though. It's an ongoing focus to improve this.
  
  
• Will picking up bullets one by one be fixed? I hated that....
  
  Actually yes, that's always been a bit awful we felt. We have ideas on addressing this and similarly rote mechanics, without compromising the somewhat relaxing nature of VCD.
  The general thinking is: More clear and concise variety, less leaning on the same generic mechanics.
  
  
• Is there a story progression, similar to games like power wash sim? Are we getting a rpg-like system with upgrades. Etc?
  
  The sequel(as we see it) remains VCD, however there are significant changes that we feel will greatly improve on the weak-points that the original had.
  We plan to give you guys a full run down of our vision once we have the showcase version together.
  it will hopefully demonstrate(at least some) new ideas and serve as a springboard for discussion. We'd like to involve the community in shaping the future of VCD, as we attempt to craft a more well-rounded experience.

And that's it for now, folks.
We'll have more to show as we put all the pieces together in a showcase, but I hope that answers some of your concerns.

Greetings custodial crusaders! ːvcdjanitorː

We thought we'd take some time to give you an exciting update on how things are progressing with VCD's UE4/5 future, lift the curtain of secrecy somewhat, and reveal something new!

Progress has been consistent, but we're still climbing a mountain.
At present we have incorporated most of the fundamental mechanics(and while they are still rough drafts), they are largely just lacking a nice shiny coat of content to dress up their appearance.

This includes:

• Tools (Bins, Buckets, Mop, Broom, Welder, Shovel)
  
• Decals(Blood Splats, bullet holes, etc)
  
• Sounds(So many missing sounds... it's very quiet)
  
• Camera movements
  
• Networking
  
• Physics Objects
  
• Basically everything else...

That process will be relatively quick, so we've not yet given it a huge amount of attention.
One needs a solid skeleton before you can give it flesh.

The latest major change to the fundamentals is that we've tackled one of the biggest hurdles for the User Interface; a generative system for creating Options and Rules menus.
This, while not strictly necessary for the main game, is important in both modding and making it easy for us to add to the growing list of system settings as we go.

It is finally working now and can begin to be used, so the rest of the UI for the game will be much quicker to develop. That being said, it's still basic at this point and needs many things, not least of which is a style change!



It's been months! Surely you've been doing more than that, you lazy bugger.

Funny you should ask, because yes!
As it turns out we have actually been very busy with another side of this project, and that is entirely new stuff. It has taken most of our time, so it's doing well.

We're at present working on something big to showcase to you guys, but like with anything big, it takes time. We need to create quite a few new systems and content.

"But why?" I hear you ask. Well to develop a concise package we can fully capture our intent with.

"What are you on about? That didn't help at all!"
Fair enough. Truth is, we're mashing together a lot of new design ideas, mechanics, content, and plans for a hypothetical VCD Sequel and then using that as a demo that you, our noble janitors can judge.
The purpose of which is to try and capture our vision going forwards, and readjust based on your feedback.

"Wait, does that mean...?"
Yes, it means we're committed to making VCD on UE4/5, and that we're generally testing out the overall shape of what a sequel would look like. We already have a well-developed vision of what that looks like in our own minds, but the final demo will be its proving ground.

"So it's a sequel, right?"
Hush now, young Padawan.

As a taste of what's to come, we can now show you a little of what we've been up to on that front.
This is all of course subject to change, and the content is not final, but it's definitely on its way.





Why yes, there is!
As mentioned previously, we were looking into rolling out a new plushie with the folks over at Makeship.
Soon you'll be able to get your gloved hands on it!


The Administration over at Aerospace Sanitation have already begun using the poor fellow as a dartboard!
For some reason they seem to have a deep hatred toward this one in particular...

We however, are very pleased with how it turned out, so keep your eyes peeled for a couple more announcements coming soon.

And that's it for now, everyone. We're very much looking forward to having a fleshed out package to put into your hands, and to do a full rundown of our plans and design once we have a demo ready!
Until then, keep cleaning and scrubbing, and burning and finding ways to impress/harass your corporate overlords.

A fine day to you all, noble janitors!

Although we've been quiet(a shocker, I know ːsteammockingː), we've also been very busy!

While we were certainly hampered in our work for months on end due to endless rolling blackouts in the country as well as failing backup solutions, we've been getting closer and closer to an end goal. So despite it all, we have made some progress!

Our other secret project is continuing to see revisions and refinements, and is going well, our estimates for when it'll be ready for a public audience have unfortunately all proven to be quite optimistic given the circumstances.
At this point it'll be done when it's done. ːvcdmutantː

As for VCD on Unreal Engine 4; the work is ongoing, and since the last update, a number of things have changed.

We've added:

• Third person spare weapon props (the tools on your back and belt). All of which is also much more modable than previously.
  
• Screens and Punchout Machines(still need to do the UI for them)
  
• Added Blood Masks to tools
  
• Tons of small little improvements throughout the growing code-base.
  
• Sand Traps (colloquially known as "Saarlac Pits")
  
• Shovels
  
• Sand in Bins & Buckets
  
• Sand Mechanics in general
  
• Greater modibility in all features
  
• Much more besides.

We've also been evaluating the port a lot(which is part of its original purpose), and have been testing out some large changes. I can't get into it now until we have something more solid we're confident with, but suffice to say we're doing some experimentation and dabbling in lots of new things along-side getting the entire base foundation of VCD working on UE 4/5.
It's fair to say this has taken a good chunk of the time lately!



To clear up some confusion people have had with regards to what form the port will take and how it will affect the existing VCD, here is our goal and current thinking:

• Existing VCD as it stands will be Unaffected and will remain on Steam as is.
  
• The UE4/5 version will also be on Steam, and won't be subject to any exclusivity arrangements.
  
• It will be built on Unreal Engine 4, and later(during development and long before release) moved over to Unreal Engine 5. That may actually happen quite soon depending on what we need from the engine.
  
• Its code-base is being remade, and some content will be upgraded as a result of the new engine's requirements.
  
• It has some new features and improvements, so it's somewhere between a port and a remake at this point.
  
• The possibility of pivoting it to a full-blown sequel is not off the table, and to that end we've been doing a lot of experimenting, and have no shortage of ideas.
  
• It will not be free, as it represents a massive investment. If it ends up being just a port or remake, we'll do all we can to ensure existing owners of VCD get a reduced price, and possibly also some perks.

We're being very conservative with the project at this point because it's still uncertain, a massive investment(in terms of time and money), and we're spread very thin on man hours.

All that being said, there is much in the melting pot and we are plotting and planning how best to serve you all up something that's not only worth all our effort, but also your time and interest. No sense re-hashing things exactly as they were. If we're going to make VCD again, we're going to make it better! That has always been the aim.
But whether or not we'd be able to do it well has remained the biggest question to answer.
To that I can only say; it looks promising, but we're still climbing the mountain.

So exciting times are ahead!
For now, stay tuned as we start to bring all the pieces together on both our projects, and with any luck we'll have something more concrete to show.

I hope you are all keeping well. Aerospace Sanitation appreciates your compulsory attendance and commitment to all company meetings. Remember, "There's no 'I' in teamwork!"

Side Note: We're looking into rolling out some more plushes for anyone who's interested.
If you'd like to vote on what should be made next, head on over to this thread and pop a few words in to let us know!
Bob is the current front-runner. That handsome devil!

A fine holiday greetings to you all, custodians!
I trust those stations are being kept clean, and that you're all well?

This year seems to have gone-by in a blur, so we thought we'd take a moment to let you all know what's been happening since this same time last year.

Between countless disruptions making any steady work a challenge, we've been making reasonable progress on our two main focuses: VCD in UE4 and the 'Other Project'


We also partnered with Makeship in July to create a limited edition janitor plushie, which was a successful foray into merch, and it was good to have something physical to give our community for a change, so when time allows we'd like to look into another.
A MASSIVE thank you again to everyone for their support! I hope they have found a place of honour to perform their duties in your home.


We've been continuing work on this one to some success.
But in all honesty, it's taking far longer than expected...

The main reason for this(beyond external disruptions), is that we're having to build the code-base from scratch and build it right. Something we didn't have to do with VCD before, because we already had many UDK projects previously made we could simply build upon.
There is as much to learn about UE4's internal workings and limitations as there is actual code to write.

Nonetheless, it is coming along well!
Here is a rough rundown of what has been achieved since last year:

• Saving & Loading has been added.
  
• Editor Tools for placing Splats & Objects has been added.
  
• Broom, MuckGyver and Welder tools have all been added!
  
• Significant improvements to object networking and optimizations.
  
• Bins, Buckets and other containers now work much better in network.
  
• All Third-Person Animations and tools so far have been added and work in network.
  
• More common sounds and object types have been added.
  
• Bloody Footsteps have been added.
  
• Buckets, Mops, Boots and Brooms all now get filthy.
  
• Bullet Holes and Welder damage marks have been added.

A lot of time has gone into the object networking. Because it's such a tricky system, squeezing out any improvement to its behaviour is a fine balance. Especially containers, they have seen significant improvements. It's finally at a point now where I think we can be happy with it, and you should notice significantly less desyncing.
The core philosophy going in to improving the networking for objects was(as it usually is):
"Make it look like nothing is happening."

To that end, we've gotten pretty close and made a much more fluid system that's a bit less aggressive and much smoother.

As well as all the improvements made to the game's systems, I managed to squeeze in our first new addition:


The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that the MuckGyver another player is holding now reports what it's detecting. Not only that, it also beeps for all to hear, allowing a single janitor to act as a team's dedicated "sniffer".

And here are a collection of other images to show some of the progress thus far.

The welder cleaning up and making a mess of things.


Where would you be without teamwork?


A side-by-side comparison of server and client synchronization.


One thing that is definitely lacking at this point is more varied content.

So far, most of the time has been spent on the fundamentals of the game's systems such that we've not yet expanded beyond a single Splatter Station test level. It's also lacking a lot of FX, hence the rather dull welder.

Rest assured, that will soon be getting a face-lift, and we'll be working on the content side of things in greater detail soon. Some of which may need to be redone...

As ever, you can follow more regular updates on its progress here.



And, no update would be complete without mentioning the 'mysterious' other project!
Sadly it is indeed still quite mysterious at this point, but for those who missed it, here's what to expect:

• It's not in the Viscera Cleanup Detail universe.
  
• It's first-person.
  
• It'll be a surprising departure.
  
• It feels very unique, while at the same time familiar enough to be pretty easy to get into.
  
• We're focusing heavily on art-design this time, as well as hand-painted art.
  
• Atmosphere and world design play a large role.
  
• It is heavily built on some pretty complex game design.
  
• Most of all, it runs on our own tech.

Much like VCD in UE4, this one is also taking quite a while, but still sees good progress.
To add to the note on game design, this project has been as much a learning experience as a labour of love. It's very dependent on creating an enjoyable and fluid experience that draws you into its world. And in order to achieve that, we've had to be extremely considered with every aspect of the game's design. That's one of the main reasons it's taking a long time to be ready. We've gotta nail this one right first time out of the gate, because you can't describe how it plays, you have to actually try it and see it in action to know.

If we do our job right, you'll be drawn in and enjoy its world and everything will just flow. If not, it'll be held back by areas that seem like a weak point in your experience.
It's fundamentally different from VCD, which has a much more lenient design and less moving parts.

Once it's ready for public release, then we can further sculpt it based on your valuable feedback!
But you'll need to have a good chunk of a known thing to work with first.

Good news is, once we do release it, it'll be mostly a complete and contained experience, barring feedback. That shouldn't be far off now, if the fates are kind.



Another year, another several steps toward you all actually getting your hands on something!
With any luck, we'll soon have something for you.

For now, I wish you all an amazing holiday! Good time to get cleaning those stations before they are converted into tourist attractions.

Enjoy your Christmas and New Year's everyone, and we shall keep you posted in the new year as we pick the mops up once more!

A fine day to all custodians! ːvcdjanitorː

Aerospace Sanitation would like to inform you that you only have a few days left to claim their limited edition Janitor Plush!

I've been instructed to inform you as well, that workers seen to be showing company spirit around the workplace will be "bumped-down the termination list". I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds nice!

If you're still undecided, then you have just under a week left to pick up your very own soft doppelganger.
Be sure to head over to the Makeship page to claim yours!



If he doesn't "wet your mop", so to speak, then be sure to let management know.
That is to say, let us know in the comments what other plushies you'd like to see, and we can consider running another campaign with the community's top pick in the future!