GameGuru MAX News

Welcome to the fourth quarterly update of the year!  Here is your round-up of all the fixes and improvements since September 2024. The issues board count remains tolerably in the 20 to 30 range and we have recently introduced two new tags for 'Officially Reproduced' and 'Investigating'.

This update includes numerous bug fixes, feature enhancements and system optimisations for GameGuru MAX. Key graphical improvements include correcting character reflectance values, fixing volumetric lighting decals and resolving video corruption issues for 1080x1920 portrait videos. Notably, the SketchFab feature was removed following its discontinuation, and various fixes addressed rendering, decal memory leaks, and custom animation issues. Additionally, tweaks to standalone exports ensure complete file transfers and improved visual asset management.

Gameplay mechanics saw significant adjustments, such as fixes for Lua scripting issues, entity movement without physics and improved object visibility in standalone games. Enhancements like adding loot drops for all characters, including from animals, enabling particles via "IFUSED" without spawning, and introducing SetEntityViewRange for custom control expand game customization possibilities. A new Area Damage Spell function has been reassigned to the right mouse button, enhancing RPG gameplay functionality.

Several backend improvements were implemented to streamline the development process. These include better logging for debugging weapon additions, new settings for gun specifications such as EmissiveStrength, and tools like PromptLocalDuration for timed events. Various community-driven updates, such as adding tutorials to the development hub and expanding scripting libraries, further support developer creativity. Overall, the update focuses on enhancing performance, fixing long-standing issues, and expanding development capabilities.

Remember, you have full access to the GameGuru MAX source code on our GitHub repository and you are more than welcome to clone a copy and even contribute fixes and features of your own to the product.

For those interested in the blow-by-blow changelog, here it is, fresh from the GitHub repository:

• Fixed issue causing all characters to use reflectance of 1.0, should be 0.04 unless GLASSES detected
  
• Small tweak to remove INCLUDEVRAM until global is revealed (could not find on 01/12/24 commit)
  
• Fix for player_peek script, so you can peek around corners and still shoot
  
• Fix to include .lst file in standalone, to be used for thread loading textures/objects
  
• VRAM usage to see if FPS drops are VRAM swapping related. Use #ifdef INCLUDEVRAM to enable
  
• Removed SketchFab - it does not exist anymore
  
• Support for GGC volumetric lighting decals (BLENDMODE_ADDITIVE)
  
• Fix for CineGuru Standalones - objects remain hidden and full files are copied over
  
• Pre-DEC update tweaks
  
• Bug Fix - Memory leak: new decal particles were not freed - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5826
  
• Bug Fix - Changing hands with custom legacy animations could fail
  
• Bug Fix - Lua MoveForward() - Object that did not use physics did not move
  
• Bug Fix - Memory leak: Lua-loaded images - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5826
  
• Added SetEntityViewRange for Necrym59
  
• Fixed particles were not registered in g_Entity before _main was called the first time
  
• Added loot drops for all characters so animals and mammals can drop loot
  
• Include Particlesbank USER folder for standalone exports
  
• Standalone game reload fix for haunting demo and similar issues
  
• Video corruption fix for when videos of 1080x1920 portrait size are used
  
• When using large animations like 20x20, values need to be between 0-1 and exactly align to Usize_f
  
• Updated HUB to add Community Tutorials Area
  
• Bug fix for - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5738
  
• Bug fix for - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5756
  
• Bug triggered if object fails to spawn at start
  
• TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5753, only for zones
  
• Bug Fix for TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5752
  
• Fixed issue with blood not being customizable in FPE
  
• Bug Fixed - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5769
  
• Bug Fixed - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5742
  
• Bug Fixed - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5657
  
• Bug Fixed - TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5761
  
• Added PromptLocalDuration(e,"5 sec", 5000)
  
• Added EmissiveStrength setting to gunspec.txt and support for it
  
• GetEntityExplodable(e) for Necrym59
  
• Script fixes to misclib and generator
  
• Fix VR (TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo#5747 (comment))
  
• Added more logging info to find out why sometimes weapons are being added to an empty level
  
• Particles are now activatable via IFUSED when not spawned at the start
  
• Changed Area Damage Spell to use the right mouse button for a better RPG Template experience
  

Also, remember our monthly video update is a great resource for catching up on community happenings. We post these on the last Saturday of every month at 7PM GMT on our YouTube channel.

 

The Sounds of Terror is our first Horror inspired Audio Booster pack. The very talented Orpheus returns to bring you this custom made pack of sounds, all GameGuru MAX-ready and perfect for almost any genre where you want to scare or spook your players!



Included in this pack you'll find over 20 NPC Voices, 16 Loopable Ambient Sounds, 19 Creepy Sounds, Sounds for opening and closing doors and drawers, more than 20 sounds for Ghosts, Ghouls and Demons, 36 'Item" sounds, including rattling chains, splatters, creaking floorboards and more. Add to this, a selection of Tannoy announcements, ideal for hospitals, asylums and institutions, plus a collection of useful UI sounds, to add that final element of quality to your games.

Dream it! Build it! Play it!

Grab yourself a copy of this awesome audio pack here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2996440/GameGuru_MAX_Horror_Booster_Pack__The_Sounds_of_Terror/

The Sounds of the Arcane audio booster pack, from talented audio artist 'YcarusRedCore', contains over 140 audio effects with a strong focus on music suited to fantasy and supernatural games. The pack contains numerous musical tracks and audio effects, perfect for creating tension, background effect and adding mood music.



Developed with GameGuru MAX in mind, this excellent audio pack will add that extra dimension to your games!

You can check this great audio booster pack out on Steam here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3054640/GameGuru_MAX_Fantasy_Audio_Booster_Pack__The_Sounds_of_the_Arcane/

Dream it! Build it! Play it!

Welcome to the Old Mines! Coming from talented and well respected artist WizardOfiD, the Old Mines booster pack provides a wide range of tunnels, props, doors and a collection of other assets, ideal for buildings your own abandoned mine, or underground bunker.



Designed with the modern day in mind, the pack is equally useful for post apocalyptic, dystopian, cyberpunk and other genres. The pack also contains assets to link seamlessly to other WizardofID packs, available separately on Steam.

With over 350 individual models, including pipes, rocks, rooms, tunnels and signs, you're sure to find what you need to build your own mine.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3290700/GameGuru_MAX_Modern_Day_Booster_Pack__Old_Mines/
Dream it! Build it! Play it!

Welcome to the Asylum! The Abandoned Asylum is the latest collection of GameGuru MAX assets from amazing artist MonkeyFrog Studio.

If you're planning your own horror game, creepy dystopian world, post apocalyptic nightmare or modern day adventure then this is THE pack for you.



Included in this massive pack of high quality assets you'll find all the parts you need to decorate your own asylum or Victorian hospital, with a comprehensive range of props.

The pack provides beds, curtains, mattresses, medical equipment, office furniture and a lot more. You'll find assets to make bathrooms, a chapel, a morgue, bedrooms, offices, waiting room and a load of signs and props to decorate with.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2873340/GameGuru_MAX_Horror_Booster_Pack__Asylum_Furnishings/

Dream it! Build it! Play it!