Golfing In Aether Update Released [Alpha 1.6.0]

Today’s update brings several usability and quality of life improvements to the game, notably additional camera modes (including free camera), the ability to name sessions, and reserve slots for friends.


This camera mode allows you fly around the level to help you check out any extra shortcuts or just how to reach the goal if the opening sequence wasn’t sufficient. You can control this camera with either the mouse, keyboard or gamepad and it is compatible with all game modes.

When playing casual, competitive, or race game preset a timer for how long you can use free camera is enabled per round. This is 1/6th of the overall round timer, which works out to 20 or 30 seconds if 2 or 3 minutes respectively. You can disable this timer for custom games, and practice mode does not have this limit.


With this camera you get a higher angle view to help you see at times when your camera is backed into a tight space or against a wall. A good example of its use is on the level “Hole in Fun” where if you are against the wall just before the flag its pretty hard to take your shot.

Please give feedback if you have any ideas on how this can be improved based on any specific level design you encounter as I will be happy to revise it more over time.


You can now set a session name via the custom session menu. By default, the players platform name will be present so you don’t have to rename the session if you don’t wish to. The name you enter will be saved and recalled for next time.

An extra step has been made to ensure this menu is seamless when you are playing using only a gamepad and thus you can activate an onscreen keyboard just as you would when creating a local profile to name your session.

An additional setting in this menu is the ability to reserve slots on the session to only your friends. As friends join, they automatically take these slots first. Servers will not appear to non-friends when all public slots have been taken in the session browser. A good use-case here is if you are playing a public 16-player game, you can reserve 4-8 slots for your friends and still be playing a public 8-12 player match until your friends join.

Please let me know if you find any issues, however small or minor as these can be hotfixed. If you are enjoying playing the demo then please add the game to your wishlist :)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1914980/Golfing_In_Aether/

[h2]General[/h2]

• Added higher quality version of the no depth ball (the ball you see behind walls). Even though small, there is a performance cost to this as with everything, so it will only be applied when effects are set to highest. The reason for adding this is because without this in especially shaded areas your ball looks a little flat. Only the players ball has this, other players are rendered differently.
  
• Added a triggerable top camera via “B” controller button and “V” key for keyboard (both of which are remappable in settings). This raises the camera up high to help your view clear obstacles. You can also rotate/zoom the camera and make use of the focus flag when in this mode.
  
• Added a triggerable free camera via “C” key or “Left Thumbstick Button” this detaches your camera from your ball and will let you explore the level.
  
• Added option for free camera time restriction to session settings. When enabled this will restrict camera usage to 1/6th of the game time, so for 20 seconds when 2 minutes and 30 seconds for 3 minutes etc. The timer is enabled by default for all game preset types, but not practice mode.
  
• Added additional inner deadzone values in 0.01 increments between 0.15 and 0.2 to the gamepad settings menu and local settings menu.
  
• Added various backend improvements to the gamepad settings menu.
  
• Added ability to name sessions in the custom session’s menu. By default, the text will be filled out with your player’s name as current and when you change it, it will be saved and stored for next time you create a session.
  
• Added gamepad onscreen keyboard to name session with same behaviour as on the create local profile menu.
  
• Added ability to reserve session slots for a chosen number of friends. These slots will get automatically taken once a friend joins. If only friend slots remain the server will not be visible to non-friends in the session list (it will be as if full etc.).
  
• Added session filter option for the free camera timer.
  
• Fixed an issue with finding competitive sessions in the join menu.
  
• Fixed an issue where a remote player disconnecting during hotseat play wouldn’t update the active players list and result in getting stuck in turn for that remote player.
  
• Added rich presence state for “Waiting for Players”.
  
• Fixed focus flag not working in hotseat for local players.

[h2]Customization[/h2]

• Fixed an issue with the faceplate for Melon not showing up on leaderboards.

[h2]Environment[/h2]

• Added improvements to the sloped hole areas so on the non-sloped outskirts the ball will stop quicker (ball will behave as if it was on the ‘flat hole’ parts of the track in these areas).
  
• Added some tweaks to “Crazy Golf” level to decrease the number of orbits leading up to the ‘hole in one’ hole.
  
• Fixed placement of some petals on “Stroke of luck”.

[h2]Interface[/h2]

• Added improvements to hole out animations so they make greater user of the vertical space (noticeable when in vertical split screen).
  
• Added confirmation prompt on the choose profile menu that you wish to return to the previous menu when pressing B on gamepad. A prompt for mouse doesn’t appear as its way easier to knock B button during normal menu usage than it is to specifically click on the back button. This prompt is also skipped for the practice menu.
  
• Added improvements to various back-end button icon behaviour reducing operations when a keymapping is changed.
  
• Added Free Camera movement settings to gamepad and local settings menu.
  
• Added Free Camera and Top Camera Remapping options for both gamepad and keyboard.
  
• Added Focus Flag remapping option for both gamepad and keyboard.
  
• Fixed the session filter game preset not being checked on start-up.
  
• Fixed game settings icon not matching settings menu.
  
• Fixed some incorrect strings on the waiting for players menu.
  
• Fixed some incorrect strings on the session browser menu.
  
• Fixed waiting for players menu sometimes giving the incorrect current player count despite showing the correct number of player widgets.
  
• Fixed inputs to select next or previous player on spectating screen conflicting with quick chat. The input has been moved to bumper buttons, which is consistent with scoreboard.
  

Be sure to check out the official discord server with channels for Golfing In Aether and my other various projects.