Macabre News

This week in macabre

This week, progress was made on setting up animations and behaviours for the crawler enemy, integrating pick-up components and seeker C into the demo, and fixing build and compile issues for non-editor builds. Additionally, various demo sublevels were worked on, and packaging settings were configured for playtesting.

Features

• Added Animation Cue for Crawler vocalisation
  
• Added Animation Cues for Crawler footsteps
  
• Added Crawler animation notifiers
  
• Demo Lodge sequence runtime sublevels
  
• Integrated Pick up components and seeker C into the demo
  
• Added out-of-bounds spline actor
  
• Added Player Bounds Spline
  
• Added Sensors to Demo Ecolodge sublevel
  
• Added Sublevel stream Demo Interaction Whitebox
  
• Temp AI controller changes.
  
• Deployed map bounds into demo subclass PlayerState so ability sets can be added to specific classes (either player or AI)
  
• Set up ability blocking tags for ability tag volumes
  
• Set up crawler behaviours to work with animation
  
• Split up default player state into base class AbilityState and player
  
• Set up packaging settings
  

Bugs

• Disabled TSR and reverted to DX11
  
• Fixed build on Unreal Engine 5.1.1
  
• Fixed compile issues for non-editor builds
  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaXFFfhuGEA

This week in macabre

We've added new features, such as throw animations, crafting, and new monster animations, as well as fixed bugs and updated the Steam page and artwork for Macabre.

Features

• Added preliminary throw animation
  
• Added additional tag volumes for throw
  
• Added basic crafting systems
  
• Added preliminary crafting framework
  
• Added crafting demo to prototype level
  
• Added new monster attack animations - SwipeLeftToRight, SwipeRightToLeft
  
• Added new monster emotes - Laugh, intimidate, smile, Roar, Dizzy, Stunned, Scream
  
• Added new collision shapes to monster character
  
• Added new animations to monster locomotion system
  
• Added player-controllable monster
  
• Added sound cues for player footsteps
  
• Added sound cues for monster footsteps
  
• Added basic behavioural tree to AI
  

Bugs

• Made simulated objects not collide with pawn
  
• Fixed throw trajectory
  
• Fixed loading crash in demo
  

Other

• Created gameplay Teaser 01
  
• Revised Steam page
  
• Revised game Artwork
  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaXFFfhuGEA

This week in macabre

Features:

• Added cancellable abilities
  
• Added scan VFX to seeker C
  
• Added random spawner component for artifact spawning
  
• Added stages with different scan speeds and materials to Seeker C
  
• Added throw visualisation
  
• Added torch toggle and overdrive
  
• Allow pickup definitions to be dragged directly into the level
  
• Created a new animation instance hierarchy, ready for monster animations
  
• Edit seeker target tag on instanced actors
  
• Enabled null online subsystem for debugging
  
• Equipment is now always viewed (instead of bound to a key)
  
• Made radial scan RPCs reliable
  
• More flexible equipment viewing system
  
• Nativised radial scan for modifications
  
• Refactored stamina regen to health set tick
  
• Seeker C now only displays artifact location when scan hits the artifact
  
• Seeker C now scans in correct direction after drop and pickup
  
• Seeker C VFX now on click, not automatic
  
• Tickable equipment instances (default not ticking)
  
• 
  

Bugs:

• Fix unequip not being called on client
  
• Fixed blipper crash on endplay
  
• Fixed character network prediction error
  
• Fixed client initial rotation bug
  
• Fixed crash related to initial inventory
  
• Fixed interaction line trace
  
• Fixed item pickup on client
  
• Fixed rift placeholder load error
  
• Fixed scan VFX not running initially
  
• Fixed torch action replication
  

Hello all. We are making fantastic strides towards our first playable, which will eventually become our demo. This will be a single-player experience that establishes the world of Macabre and its lead protagonist Banjo. You will embark on your first quest for Banjo to help him acquire alien fragments for his research. Even though the demo will be single-player, we guarantee you won't be alone. Overall the Macabre demo will give players a taste of the story, atmosphere, mechanics and spookiness we're working towards.



Many things are being worked on under the hood that can't be conveyed in pretty pictures or videos. So we've decided to include more granular detail in bullet points. Here's what we've been up to:

Development
Overall, a lot of work has been going into building our first playable, but ultimately, these features will end up in the final game.

Features:

• Finalised multiplayer integration using P2P networking
  
• Prototyped Atomic Space Shifter
  
• Prototyped Seeker C
  
• Added scan ability to seeker C
  
• Added indicator fades out when out of scan angle of Seeker C.
  
• Added pickup and drop with physics
  
• Added throw ability with physics
  
• Added equipment cycling
  
• Added footstep cues
  
• Added demo voice lines
  
• Added tutorial widgets
  
• Added interaction widgets
  
• Added lootable items
  
• Added prototype demo menu
  
• Refactored stamina regen
  
• Refactored gameplay tags
  
• Added torch toggle and overdrive effect
  
• Nativised animation code and set up initial monster animation framework
  
• Added monster locomotion animation cycles
  
• Added IK to monsters feet/legs so it can walk over objects
  
• Added advanced camera modes
  

Bugs:

• Fixed issue with default editor module
  
• Fixed scan VFX
  
• Fixed physics simulation
  
• Fixed character null aim offset.
  
• Fixed character camera clipping into player model
  
• Revised camera and cleaned up speed toggling for smoother movement
  
• Various fixes to player movement and clipping
  
• Fixed level streaming bug in the demo level
  
• Various fixes to monster movement and IK
  
• Various other performance improvements
  

Animation
We've continued to work on our main creature animations. Here's what's been completed so far:

Idle:

• 1 Neutral breathing Loop (Idle)
  
• 1 Stalk breathing Loop (Stalk_Idle)
  
• Transition from neutral Idle to Stalk idle (Stalk_Entry)
  
• Transition from Stalk idle to neutral Idle (Stalk_Exit)
  

Walking:

• 1 Walk forward loop (Walk_Fwd)
  
• 1 Neutral idle to walk forward start transition (Walk_Fwd_Start)
  
• 1 Walk forward stop to neutral pose transition (Walk_Fwd_Stop)
  
• 1 Neutral idle to the right start transition (Walk_Right_Start)
  
• Turn in Place Right 90 degrees (Walk_TurnRight_90)Centre Centre
  

Aim Offsets:

• (AO_CC)
  
• Centre Up (AO_CU)
  
• Centre Down (AO_CD)
  
• Left Centre (AO_LC)
  
• Left Up (AO_LU)
  
• Left Down (AO_LD)
  
• Left Backward Centre (AO_LBC)
  
• Left Backward Up (AO_LBU)
  
• Left Backward Down (AO_LBD)
  
• Right Centre (AO_RC)
  
• Right Up (AO_RU)
  
• Right Down (AO_RD)
  
• Right Backward Centre (AO_RBC)
  
• Right Backward Up (AO_RBU)
  
• Right Backward Down (AO_RBD)
  

Stun:

• Stunned from each direction - 1 Cardinal
  

Emotes:

• Smile
  
• Laugh
  
• Intimidate
  
• Roar
  
• Scream (in pain)
  

Game and Level Design
As mentioned, we're deep into our first playable, and a lot of design time has been focused on ensuring this experience is as polished and enjoyable as possible. We'll continue to iterate as we build out all the features.

Concept and Art
Many of our collectables are being modelled in 3D while we've also been concepting our unique tools. Here are a few snippets of our progress.



Cinematics
Mocap was implemented and cleaned up across the majority of shots. Currently finalising camera moves and timings. From there, we'll do a final dressing and lighting pass.



As always, remember to join our Discord and Wishlist Macabre on Steam.

Until next time.

Team Macabre.