Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel News

[p]Alright! Now that the demo build has been updated, I’m free to continue working on finishing the story and questline of Act 1.[/p][p][/p][p]Just as a reminder, the plan is to release Under a Desert Sun into Early Access once Act 1 is fully complete. The good news is that all core systems required for Early Access are already finished and ready.[/p][p][/p][p]This includes:[/p][p]• All planned Early Access classes — Adventurer and Soldier — fully implemented and playable[/p][p]• All core technical systems — menus, skills, map, quest log, and related systems[/p][p]• Full local 4-player co-op[/p][p][/p][p]So from a technical and gameplay systems perspective, the game is already Early Access ready.[/p][p][/p][p]What remains is finishing the content side of Act 1:[/p][p]• Completing the remaining Act 1 story and quests (including writing, functionality, and voice acting)[/p][p]• Building one final open-world section[/p][p]• Creating one remaining dungeon[/p][p]Once those pieces are complete, Act 1 will be fully ready, and with that the game will be ready to launch into Early Access.[/p][p][/p][p]Join the Discord here:
https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df⁠�[/p][p][/p][p]And why not try the demo: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Hey everyone![/p][p]All recent updates — both technology improvements and content additions — have now been pushed to the demo build as well.[/p][p]This means the demo now reflects the current direction of the game much more closely, including the large performance improvements, system rewrites, and gameplay updates that were previously only available in the beta branch.[/p][p]And speaking of the beta branch…[/p][p]We really need more beta testers![/p][p]If you want to see the next chapters of Under a Desert Sun early and help shape the game while it’s still being built, come help test! Feedback at this stage is incredibly valuable.[/p][p]Now, here are the full patch notes for this update.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Expanded Voice Acting[/h2][p]All voice acting currently implemented up until the end of the demo / current beta story progression has now been integrated.[/p][p]This means all currently playable story content now includes its intended voice acting.[/p][p]More voice acting will be added as development of the story continues.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Improved Voice Acting System[/h2][p]The voice acting system has been reworked to support multiple variations of the same dialogue line.[/p][p]Characters can now randomly use different recorded versions of the same line, helping conversations feel more natural and slightly different across playthroughs.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Smarter Voice Playback[/h2][p]The voice system now distinguishes between different types of dialogue:[/p]

• [p]Story-driven dialogue always plays at neutral pitch to preserve tone and performance.[/p]
• [p]Reactive or incidental dialogue can use subtle pitch variation, adding diversity to character reactions.[/p]

[p]This helps keep narrative moments consistent while making incidental dialogue feel more alive.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Quest Marker Improvements[/h2][p]The quest marker system has been reworked to provide:[/p]

• [p]More accurate objective tracking[/p]
• [p]Smoother path visualization[/p]
• [p]Clearer guidance when navigating quests[/p]

[p]This should make following quests through the world easier and more reliable.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Bugfix[/h2][p]Bugfix: Fixed a bug where players could leave the area without picking up the special weapon, potentially breaking the questline.[/p][hr][/hr][p]The demo now also includes the full technology update that was previously introduced in the beta branch.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Major Performance Improvements[/h2][p]Performance optimization has been a big focus recently as development moves toward Early Access.[/p][p]The goal is to ensure the game runs smoothly across a wide range of hardware — especially on lower-end systems such as the Steam Deck, which serves as the baseline test machine.[/p][p]Thanks to several technology upgrades, performance has improved significantly.[/p][p]The game now runs consistently above 40 FPS on Steam Deck without FSR, and in many areas performance reaches above 60 FPS.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Rewritten Culling System[/h2][p]Because the game uses a top-down ARPG camera, traditional view culling does not work as effectively as it does in first-person games.[/p][p]Previously I disabled entire sections of the world based on player position. While effective, this sometimes caused small performance hitches.[/p][p]The system has now been rewritten to:[/p]

• [p]Keep object hierarchies active[/p]
• [p]Disable only renderers and sound emitters when needed[/p]

[p]This results in smoother gameplay while still maintaining strong performance gains.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Smart Light Management[/h2][p]Lighting can be one of the heavier performance costs in scenes with many light sources.[/p][p]A new system now dynamically enables and disables lights based on player vicinity, reducing unnecessary lighting calculations.[/p][p]This improvement played a major role in stabilizing frame rates across the game world.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]FSR 3.1 Support[/h2][p]FSR 3.1 is now fully implemented.[/p][p]Players can enable it to gain additional performance headroom, particularly on lower-end hardware or higher resolutions.[/p][p]To properly support this, the entire UI rendering system was rewritten so the interface remains crisp and readable even when upscaling is active.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Additional Optimizations[/h2][p]Several technical improvements were made across the project:[/p]

• [p]Reduced unnecessary high texture resolutions[/p]
• [p]Reduced shadow map sizes[/p]
• [p]Improved batching and occlusion data[/p]
• [p]Reduced bone complexity on dead bodies[/p]
• [p]Disabled real-time shadows on small clutter objects[/p]

[p]These changes reduce GPU load and improve frame stability.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Quality of Life Improvements[/h2][p]Several smaller improvements were also added:[/p]

• [p]Improved minimap performance[/p]
• [p]Added visual polish to the Skill Deck panel[/p]
• [p]Characters in the load screen are now sorted by level (highest → lowest)[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Because these improvements directly affect how the game feels and performs, they have now been backported to the demo branch.[/p][p]This ensures the demo reflects the current direction and technical quality of the full game as development continues.[/p][hr][/hr][p]If you want to see the next chapters of the game early, help test new systems, and give feedback during development:[/p][p]Join the Discord here:
[/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p][p]Or try the demo on Steam:
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p]

[h2]🚀 Performance First — Preparing for Early Access[/h2][p]As many of you know, I’ve been focusing heavily on performance improvements before moving further into new story content and major gameplay additions.[/p][p]My approach is simple:
Every time I add significant new content, I follow it up with a dedicated performance optimization pass to make sure the game remains smooth and stable.[/p][p]During the latest dungeon expansion, it became clear that the new content was placing considerable load on both the GPU and CPU. That exposed several areas where deeper optimization was necessary.[/p][p]I’m very glad we addressed this now. These improvements directly benefit the Early Access release, because my goal is simple:[/p][p]👉 I want as many people as possible to be able to play comfortably.[/p][p]My standard lower-end test machine — my beloved Steam Deck — now runs the game extremely well.[/p][p]We are now consistently above 40 FPS everywhere without FSR enabled, and in many areas performance even climbs above 60 FPS.[/p][p]That’s a big step forward.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🔧 Culling System Rewrite[/h2][p]For this round, I rewrote one of the custom open-world culling systems.[/p][p]In a top-down ARPG, traditional view-based culling doesn’t behave as efficiently as it does in an FPS. Most built-in systems assume walls block visibility — but in a top-down game, almost everything is visible most of the time.[/p][p]Previously, I disabled entire world sections based on player position. While effective, fully toggling large object hierarchies in Unity caused noticeable hitching when those sections were reactivated.[/p][h3]What Changed:[/h3][p]The system now:[/p]

• [p]Keeps object hierarchies active[/p]
• [p]Disables only:[/p]
  • [p]Renderers[/p]
  • [p]Audio sources[/p]
  • [p]Sound emitters[/p]

[p]This avoids expensive activation spikes while retaining performance gains.[/p][p]Result:
A much calmer and more stable frame pacing experience.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]💡 Smart Light Structuring System[/h2][p]On top of the culling rewrite, I built additional technology specifically focused on light management.[/p][p]Lighting is one of the heavier costs in a top-down ARPG where many light sources are visible simultaneously.[/p][p]The new system:[/p]

• [p]Dynamically enables and disables lights based on player vicinity[/p]
• [p]Keeps object hierarchies intact[/p]
• [p]Avoids mass activation spikes[/p]
• [p]Reduces unnecessary lighting calculations outside relevant areas[/p]

[p]This yielded very strong results.[/p][p]Combined with the other optimizations, this is what pushed performance to:[/p]

• [p]Always above 40 FPS on Steam Deck (without FSR)[/p]
• [p]Frequently above 60 FPS in many areas[/p]

[p]This is a major technological improvement for the project.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🚀 FSR 3.1 – Fully Implemented[/h2][p]FSR 3.1 is now fully implemented.[/p][p]This is no longer a test phase — it is a core performance option in the beta branch.[/p][p]Because of this change, I also:[/p]

• [p]Rewrote how the UI rendering pipeline works[/p]
• [p]Converted all UI to Screen Space Canvas[/p]
• [p]Moved UI elements to unlit rendering[/p]
• [p]Removed the dedicated UI camera and UI light[/p]
• [p]Ensured the UI remains crisp and sharp while FSR is active[/p]

[p]Scaling often causes UI blurring if not handled properly — this rewrite ensures that doesn’t happen here.[/p][p]FSR now provides additional performance headroom when enabled.
Naturally, it comes at a slight cost to overall image clarity — but it is fully optional.[/p][p]The philosophy remains:[/p][p]Optimize first. Use scaling as support — not as a crutch.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]⚙️ Additional Technical Optimizations[/h2][p]Alongside the culling rewrite and lighting system, several deeper optimizations were implemented:[/p]

• [p]Reduced unnecessarily high texture resolutions[/p]
• [p]Reduced shadow map texture sizes[/p]
• [p]Recomputed batching data[/p]
• [p]Refined occlusion culling grids[/p]
• [p]Reduced bone complexity on dead bodies[/p]
• [p]Disabled real-time shadows on small complex clutter
  (Ambient occlusion now fills visual gaps with minimal GPU cost)[/p]

[p]These changes significantly reduce GPU load and improve frame stability.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🗺️ UI & Quality of Life Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Further refined minimap performance[/p]
• [p]Added new visual flourishes to the Skill Deck panel[/p]
• [p]Characters in the load screen are now sorted by level (highest → lowest)[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🎯 Where We Stand[/h2][p]We are now in a very healthy performance state:[/p]

• [p]Always above 40 FPS on Steam Deck natively[/p]
• [p]Frequently above 60 FPS in many areas[/p]
• [p]FSR 3.1 available for even higher performance[/p]
• [p]UI remains crisp and unaffected by scaling[/p]

[p]This represents a substantial technological upgrade of the project.[/p][p]I’m genuinely proud of how far the underlying systems have come.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🔁 Demo Consistency Update[/h2][p]Since these improvements are fundamental technology changes that directly impact how the game feels and performs, I will be backporting these systems to the demo branch as well.[/p][p]Performance, UI clarity, FSR integration, and lighting changes define the core experience of the game.[/p][p]Keeping the demo consistent with the main branch is important to me, so players testing the demo experience the true direction and quality of the full game.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Performance work will continue alongside content development as we move toward Early Access.[/p][p]More updates soon. 🚀[/p]

[p]Quick note before the details:
As you may have noticed, I’m now fully focusing on beta branch updates.[/p][p]The demo will remain available and stable, but from this point onward it will only receive major bug fixes. All new content, systems, story beats, and technology will land on the beta branch first.[/p][p]This update marks the first major beta-only release and significantly advances the story, gameplay, and underlying technology of Under a Desert Sun.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🏛️ New Dungeon Content[/h2]

• [p]Added a brand-new two-layer dungeon, introducing a larger and more varied dungeon structure.[/p]
• [p]Implemented the end boss of the new dungeon.[/p]
• [p]Added extensive story elements and environmental set dressing throughout the dungeon to strengthen narrative context and atmosphere.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🛡️ New Combat Technology[/h2]

• [p]Introduced shield technology for enemies and bosses.[/p]
• [p]Certain enemies can now be shielded, preventing damage until the shield is broken, enabling more layered and tactical combat encounters.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🗡️ Unique Loot[/h2]

• [p]Added a new Unique item drop.[/p]
• [p]There are now two Unique items available to discover in the current beta.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]📜 Quests & World Content[/h2]

• [p]Added a new small side quest in the open world, expanding optional content and exploration.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where acquiring the special weapon would sometimes not activate correctly.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]⚙️ Performance & Technical Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Completed a performance optimization pass across all assets, improving memory usage and runtime efficiency.[/p]
• [p]Improved BodyPoser technology, allowing scenes to be dressed with more dead bodies while maintaining performance — ideal for storytelling and atmosphere.[/p]
• [p]Retouched and polished several world areas for improved visual consistency and flow.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🖥️ UI & Display Changes[/h2]

• [p]Temporarily removed support for obscure ultra-wide resolutions.[/p]
• [p]The current UI does not fully support these formats yet; support will return once the UI has been adapted.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]This update marks a clear shift from building core systems toward finishing content and story for Act One.[/p][p]More beta updates are coming soon — thank you all for testing, feedback, and support as we push toward Early Access.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey everyone,[/p][p]Quick heads-up about how builds will be handled going forward for Under a Desert Sun.[/p][p]I’m moving toward a clear separation between the public Demo and the active Beta / Early Access builds.[/p][p]Right now, the demo classes aren’t entirely complete anymore, but unfinished content can’t be reached during normal play. As development ramps up, maintaining both a special demo build and a fast-moving beta build is becoming increasingly difficult.[/p][p]What’s going to change:[/p]

• [p]The public demo will receive one final cleanup and polish pass, then be locked as a stable demo build.[/p]
• [p]The demo will return to normal progression rules — meaning you won’t be able to access all class cards or most skills anymore like during Next Fest.[/p]
• [p]The Beta / Early Access builds will continue independently, with ongoing changes, new content, balance tweaks, and unfinished systems.[/p]

[p]For Next Fest, it made sense to let players reach most skills quickly. For a long-term public demo, however, that approach no longer represents the intended experience.[/p][p]The goal is simple:[/p]

• [p]The demo becomes a polished, representative slice of the game.[/p]
• [p]Early Access is where active development, iteration, and experimentation happen.[/p]

[p]Once the final demo build is live, it will be clearly separated from the beta/EA branch so expectations are transparent.[/p][p]As always, thanks a lot for playing, testing, and sharing feedback — it genuinely helps shape the game.[/p][p]If you want to follow development or give feedback:[/p]

• [p]Steam page: [/p]

[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

• [p][/p]
• [p]Discord: [/p]

[p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p]

• [p][/p]