Game Master Engine News

Dear GMs,
We are excited to announce the latest update for Game Master Engine, featuring key performance enhancements and a completely redesigned initiative tracker. This update focuses on improving your experience, from smoother gameplay to better tools for managing encounters. Here’s a closer look at the changes:

[h2]Performance Improvements[/h2]
FPS Enhancements & Model Optimization:
We’ve introduced a variety of general improvements to boost FPS in both standard and complex use cases. Numerous models have been optimized to leverage Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite technology, enabling you to place more objects on screen with greater performance. Whether you’re constructing detailed maps or using complex props, you should experience smoother and more responsive gameplay.

[h3]Optimized Animated Props:[/h3]
We’ve addressed a performance issue affecting certain animated props, particularly animals like goats, which were previously causing performance drops. These animations have been optimized to ensure better performance when using animated elements, making your worlds more efficient and dynamic.

[h2]New Features[/h2]
Revamped Initiative Tracker:
The old initiative tracker has been completely replaced with a new, more efficient system, accessible under the "Combat" tab for GMs. This updated tracker is designed to simplify encounter management while offering greater flexibility.

[h3]Key Features Include:[/h3]

• Mini Dashboard Integration: Easily add minis to the initiative tracker through the "Mini Dashboard", streamlining the setup of encounters.
  

• Round and Turn Tracking: The system automatically tracks rounds and turns, providing an intuitive way to follow combat progression.
  

• Turn Highlighting: Keep track of whose turn it is with turn highlighting, reducing confusion during encounters.
  

• Easy Sorting by Initiative: While participants are not automatically sorted by initiative, a simple "Sort" button allows you to organize participants in order with minimal effort.
  

This is just the first phase of our initiative tracker’s redesign, and we have more improvements on the way, including:

• Multiple Encounters per Map: Manage several encounters on a single map, allowing for more complex combat scenarios.
  

• Status Effects and Concentration Tracking: Easily track active status effects and concentration spells for more strategic combat management.
  

• Multiplayer Integration: In an upcoming update, all players will be able to view the turn order, keeping everyone on the same page during multiplayer sessions.
  

Thank you for your continued support of Game Master Engine. We are dedicated to enhancing your experience and look forward to your feedback as we continue to improve the platform.

Best regards,
The Game Master Engine Team

[h2]Features:[/h2]

This update is more focused on bug fixes, but we’ve added a few neat features to enhance your experience:

Report a Bug Button: A new “Report a Bug” button has been added to the help menu, making it easier to report any issues you encounter.

Request A Feature: You can now access a form in the help menu to request a feature or tutorial in GME. We’re eager to hear your suggestions and improve the platform based on your feedback.

Campaign Map Sorting: Players can once again sort their maps into campaigns, which are now correctly displayed.

Revamped Mini Radial Menu: The Mini radial menu has been replaced with a cleaner and more intuitive interface.

Custom Object Menu: The “Simple Shape” tool is now called “Custom Object” and has received a new, streamlined menu.

Updated Keybinds Section: The keybinds section has been refreshed for easier navigation and customization.

[h2]Major Bugfixes:[/h2]

Shader Model Issue: A bug that prevented many graphics cards from using the correct shader model, resulting in poor performance even on high-end machines, has been fixed. The correct shader models are now in use.

Floor Mat Flickering: A bug causing intense flickering on the floor mat for some systems, particularly those with AMD graphics cards, has been resolved.

Dice Rolling Error: An error in the dice rolling system that resulted in absurdly high numbers due to a conversion issue has been corrected. No more accidental 1d20 minus 700 million rolls!

Ruler Deletion: A bug that prevented rulers from being deleted correctly by players has been fixed. Ruler deletion now works as intended.

Hidden Layers Issue: An issue where hidden layers would not reappear correctly after a map was saved and reloaded has been addressed. Hidden layers now function properly.

Grouping Box Stability: The grouping box is now more stable and able to grab objects as expected after fixing a related bug.

Mini Right Click Menu: Fixed a bug that caused the new right-click menu for minis to become invisible after a map transition.

Quick Access Minis: Fixed a bug that prevented minis added to the world from your saved quick access from being correctly added to the "Mini Dashboard."

[h2]Minor Bugfixes:[/h2]

Multiplayer Exit: A bug that prevented players from reliably leaving multiplayer games, forcing them to quit the game entirely, has been fixed.

Grid on Invisible Objects: An issue where the grid would appear on invisible or deleted objects has been resolved.

Cone Ruler Direction: Fixed a bug where the cone rulers would face the wrong direction when spawned, causing them to flip around when grabbed.

Line Ruler Text: Fixed a bug where the text for a line ruler would not follow it around and would instead remain floating at its original spawn point.

Ghost Cat On Horse: Fixed a mysterious bug where a cat would randomly spawn with one of the horse models. We're not sure how it got there, but after some gentle persuasion and a bit of ghostbusting, the cat has moved on to greener pastures. Farewell, brave steed rider!

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug that caused objects to scale down when traveling to a new map in multiplayer.
  
• Fixed issues with rulers not functioning correctly in multiplayer.
  
• Fixed autosave not working properly.
  
• Fixed a monitor resolution scaling issue.
  

[h2]Features Coming Back[/h2]

• Key Rebindings: The ability to rebind keys is now available.
  
• Grid Toggle: The option to toggle the grid is back.
  
• Edit Object Toggle: You can now toggle object editing as before.
  
• Hide Meta Objects Toggle: The ability to hide meta objects has returned.
  

[h2]New Feature[/h2]

• Resolution Change Confirmation: A confirmation message has been added before saving a new resolution change. This prevents accidental changes to an unsuitable resolution, avoiding the risk of being stuck with it.
  

[h2]Polish[/h2]

• User Interface Improvements: General polish has been applied to the UI. Pop-out panels now feature images associated with their respective tools and are more readable.
  

These updates bring back key features and improve the overall GME experience. As always, thank you for your continued support!

[h2]Welcome to Game Master Engine v0.8.9![/h2]
We’re excited to introduce a host of new features and improvements to enhance your gameplay experience:

[h3]Transition to Unreal Engine 5:[/h3]
Experience enhanced performance, graphics, and gameplay with our move to Unreal Engine 5.

[h3]Updated UI:[/h3]
Enjoy a completely reworked user interface designed for a more polished and user-friendly experience.

[h3]Layer Manager:[/h3]
Take advantage of our new layer management system to organize your game assets more efficiently.

[h3]Enhanced Prop Management:[/h3]

• Recent: Access the 12 most recently used props quickly.
• Favorites: Mark and retrieve your favorite props across all maps.
• Workspace: Keep props frequently used in the current map or section at your fingertips.

[h3]Improved Mini Dashboard:[/h3]
Our new Mini Dashboard keeps track of all the minis in your world, with more exciting functionality coming soon.

[h3]New Map Conversion Tools:[/h3]
Easily convert your maps from the old Unreal Engine 4 version to the new Unreal Engine 5 version with our new tools.

[h3]Performance Improvements:[/h3]
Enjoy a smoother experience with our overall optimizations and bug fixes.

[h3]Public Branch for Unreal Engine 4 Legacy Version:[/h3]
We’ve maintained a public branch on Steam for the old Unreal Engine 4 version, allowing you to better convert and access your older maps.

Thank you for your continued support, and we hope you enjoy all the new features in GME v0.8.9!

We will be updating to GME version 0.8.9 on Monday, August 5th. This update involves moving from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, which allows for increased performance, graphics, and gameplay.


Before the update, please make sure that you save any maps you'd like to port over to the new version.

This allows the new GME to correctly load maps built in older versions of the program. If you are unable to complete this before Monday, don't worry! A public branch of the old version of GME will be available on Steam, allowing you to save your maps at a later time.




[h2]1. Open your map in GME[/h2]


[h2]2. Click on the "Options" icon[/h2]


[h2]3. Select "Save" as you normally would[/h2]


[h2]4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all maps you wish to port over[/h2]

[h2]5. Save backups of all your maps[/h2]
As an additional safety measure it is recommended to save a copy of all your map FOLDERS to a seperate location on your computer.

The Main Menu of GME has a button to easily take you to your Save Games location.

If you have any issues please feel free to reach out to us on our Discord!
Discord Link

Thank you,
GME Dev Team