Park Studio Beta 1.0 Development Update #1

[p]Hello dear enthusiasts![/p][p]I'm Azael, the developer of Park Studio.[/p][p][/p][p]Today, I would like to share with you all everything I've been working on the past few months for the upcoming Beta update.[/p][p][/p][h3]What is Beta 1.0?[/h3][p][/p][p]Early this year, I announced that the next update would be Beta 1.0, but I didn't really explain what its goal was or what would be in it.[/p][p][/p][p]So, Beta 1.0 will be a complete rewrite of the game from the ground up, this was done in order to be more performant, and ensure quality and stability.[/p][p]The update will bring back all Alpha features, this includes the building features, coaster features, landscape features, as well as some previously removed features such as Undo & Redo.[/p][p]On top of that, Beta 1.0 will also introduce new features, more content and some great improvements to existing features. I won't share everything today, but look forward to more coaster types, new special tracks like switch tracks and turn tables and some major improvements to the coaster features.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Let's now take a look at everything I've been working on, everything that you'll see below is still work in progress and subject to change.[/p][p][/p][h2]Main Menu Redesign[/h2][p][/p][h3]Design & Navigation[/h3][p][/p][p]The main menu was redesigned, it is now back to the left side similarly to Alpha 0.1. The new design is more visually pleasing and easier to navigate.[/p][p][/p][p]New Main Menu UI and background.[/p][p][/p][p]The background has also been reworked (WIP), and it will be updated as the game gets new features. The background will also have seasonal additions based on upcoming events or seasons like Halloween.[/p][p][/p][p]Main Menu navigation, easier than ever.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Settings[/h3][p][/p][p]New settings were added, especially new graphics settings, these new settings were added to support a wider range of hardware with more fine-tuning to get the best looking game while keeping framerate high.[/p][p][/p][p]New graphics settings.[/p][p][/p][h2]Graphics Update[/h2][p][/p][p]Speaking of graphics, the entire game's lighting and post processing has been redone to follow a Physically Based Lighting approach, which means Park Studio aims to simulate photo-realism.[/p][p][/p][p]The recent graphics improvements (WIP) were showcased in a recent video, you can watch it on the YouTube channel.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]Performance Upgrade[/h3][p][/p][p]Beta 1.0 will be far more optimized than the Alpha, ensuring a smooth 60 fps on the High settings, no matter the size or amount of content in your park, with minimal quality losses.[/p][p][/p][p]The update will also boost the Epic settings for image quality and stability, so it will be recommended to use Frame Generation, as the game only targets 45 fps on the Epic settings.[/p][p][/p][h2]In-Game UI Redesign[/h2][p][/p][p]Similarly to the Main Menu redesign, the in-game UI has also been refreshed, following the same consistent design and ease of navigation.[/p][p][/p][p]In-Game UI on a flat map.[/p][p][/p][p]The redesign uses a similar layout and philosophy to Alpha 0.2. The goal is to have a maximum of free space in your view, so that the UI doesn't get in your way.[/p][p][/p][p]You might notice some pretty interesting changes to the UI, starting at the top left, there are two new buttons compared to the Alpha, these are the Photo Mode tool and Camera Modes.[/p][p][/p][p]The Photo Mode won't be part of the initial Beta 1.0 release, but it will come soon after, while the Camera Modes button will allow you to switch between the camera modes, these include: Drone, Walk and a brand new camera mode: Orbit.[/p][p]The Orbit camera was a very requested feature, and I'm happy to announce that it will be added to Beta 1.0.[/p][p][/p][p]Then, at the top of the screen, there is a brand new UI element that I called the "Controls Bar"[/p][p][/p][p]The "Controls Bar" is a dynamic UI element that will show you a list of controls that you can use, it will update as you navigate different menus or do different actions to show you exactly what shortcuts are available to you.[/p][p]The "Controls Bar" can be disabled in the settings, if you don't want to see it.[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, at the bottom of the screen are your classic park controls and building buttons.[/p][p][/p][h3]Park Management[/h3][p][/p][p]WIP Park Management Menu.[/p][p][/p][p]Park Management will be a feature available in the future, this is just an early design iteration for that menu, nothing here is functional except changing the name of your park.[/p][p][/p][h3]Time & Weather[/h3][p][/p][p]WIP Time & Weather Menu.[/p][p][/p][p]A brand new Time and Weather Menu was added, in order to give you control over the time of day, the weather and simulation speed all in one place.[/p][p][/p][p]You might notice a couple of new features, such as temperature, the calendar, seasons and the weather forecast.[/p][p]All of these features are still work in progress and will be discussed in future devlogs, but for now I can reveal some information.[/p][p]The temperature will affect your visitors and the ability for your rides to operate, the weather forecast will give you tips to ensure your visitor's happiness in all kinds of weather and the calendar will allow you to setup custom events such as celebrations, seasonal events or sales.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Example of weather forecast tips.[/p][p][/p][h2]Building Features Improvements[/h2][p][/p][p]The Building features of Park Studio were massively improved, starting with the core: Selecting pieces.[/p][p][/p][p]Improved way to select pieces in Beta 1.0.[/p][p][/p][p]As you can see on the gif above, selecting pieces is now very different compared to what it was in Alpha 0.2. Where Park Studio previously followed the common trend of the game genre, it now innovates with a more efficient and user-friendly way of selecting pieces and materials.[/p][p][/p][p]In Beta 1.0, some of the pieces will have families, and once you click on a "parent" of that family, it will open all of the pieces from that family, avoiding an unending list of pieces in a cluttered menu.[/p][p][/p][p]Materials were separated from the pieces entirely, where before you had 21 times every piece, you now only have one family of blank pieces, on which you can apply any material you want in one click.[/p][p][/p][p]Another major change is that the Scenery and Building pieces will now be merged in one single menu, with new filters and tags to search exactly the piece you want very quickly and easily.[/p][p][/p][h3]Improved Building Controls[/h3][p][/p][p]The controls were improved, where before you had to use your mouse wheel to move pieces up and down or rotate them, you will now be able to move your mouse on the screen in the direction you want the piece to go or rotate.[/p][p][/p][p]More improvements to the controls are coming as well as some new features to make building easier![/p][p][/p][h2]Introducing: the Spline Tools[/h2][p][/p][p]The first brand new tool to join the Beta 1.0 toolset: the Spline Tools![/p][p][/p][p]The spline tools are coming as a replacement and extension to the Path Tool. With the Spline Tools, you will be able to draw fences, paths, curbs, coaster supports and more.[/p][p][/p][p]This tool is still heavily work in progress, but here is a first look at how you'll be able to draw a fence that sticks to the terrain with ease.[/p][p][/p][p]Spline Tools in action, drawing a fence on uneven terrain in a few clicks.[/p][p][/p][h2]Major Terrain Improvements[/h2][p][/p][p]The Terrain features of Park Studio were drastically improved, with improved visuals, faster sculpting and material painting and new features.[/p][p][/p][p]Improved terrain visuals with better transitions between grass and rock.[/p][p][/p][p]New: displacement on terrain, adding real 3D detail to the surfaces.[/p][p][/p][h3]Introducing: Terrain Stamps[/h3][p][/p][p]Another brand new tool unique to Park Studio: Terrain Stamps![/p][p][/p][p]Terrain Stamps work similar to pieces, but for your terrain! You might notice on the screenshot above that the terrain has very fine shapes, these were made with Terrain Stamps, combined with sculpting.[/p][p][/p][p]Terrain Stamps in action, placing shapes in one click.[/p][p][/p][p]Moving stamps even after they are placed.[/p][p][/p][p]Terrain Stamps can be sculpted and painted over, making them your best friends for all your landscaping needs![/p][p][/p][h3]New Painting Features[/h3][p][/p][p]Beta 1.0 will introduce three new painting features on top of simply painting materials: Painting Puddles, Wetness and Color![/p][p][/p][p]Painting materials.[/p][p][/p][p]Painting colors, puddles and wetness.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Future[/h2][p][/p][p]This concludes everything I've been working on the last few months! While it is a lot of work and improvements, this merely scratches the surface of what I plan to release in Beta 1.0, as a little gift, let me share with you the first part of the brand new timeline![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I still have a lot of work to do, the next steps are the new coaster builder, with improved features and new coaster types, and adding building and scenery pieces.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you so much for reading, I truly hope this extensive development update satisfies you all![/p][p][/p][p]A quick reminder that if you'd like to support the project, there is a Patreon available, it doesn't offer anything just yet but after Beta 1.0, you will get access to early builds and exclusive looks at upcoming features! The Patreon is the best way to support me and the project.[/p][p][/p][p]Stay tuned as more will be revealed in the near future, as I keep making progress developing Park Studio's biggest update yet![/p]