March 2024 Dev Update!
Hey everyone, we’re back with another Dev Update!
We’re here to talk about what’s been going on behind the scenes in the time since the last dev update.
4.22 Engine Upgrade
We’ve been working hard to upgrade Tower Unite to Unreal Engine version 4.22! It’s our top priority right now and will be a big part of the next update.
Upgrading the engine is a lot of work, but it will have a great payoff! We’re currently in the testing phase as we resolve a bunch of major bugs that affect lighting and gameplay.
Some notable improvements Unreal Engine version 4.22 will make:
- the rendering pipeline will be optimized, which will allow meshes to render more efficiently (Improving framerate)
- it fixes the issues with canvases not loading, no longer requiring a workaround
- LODs on rockwork will now switch properly at the correct distances (So, improved visuals)
- Improved build times (This will help when we’re testing and getting updates out!)
- Network replication in sequencer (Will help with keeping animations in sync)
- Skeletal Mesh LOD Reduction (Greatly streamlines LOD creation, saving a lot of time)
- Visual Studio 2019 Support (For better programming tools!)
- And more! (If you’re curious, Unreal has a page explaining version 4.22 here.)
While it’s a tedious process that has its risks for development time, it’s essential to get this Engine Upgrade done so that we can have access to more features and fixes that will help with optimizations, fixing long-standing issues, and more! We want to catch up as much as we can with Unreal Versions as each one adds something important that will help us with development.
Here are some fun pictures of weird stuff we’ve encountered along the way:
Don’t worry, this’ll all be fixed when you guys get it!
Condo I/O & Workshop SDK Features
While the engine upgrade has been going on, a lot of progress has been made on new Workshop Game World Map SDK development as well as additions for Condos. For a general look at the Workshop Map Editor progress, check out the Trello page here. Below are some of the highlights!
I/O Connections
Improvements have been made to Condo I/O connections! These include:
New Inputs
- Eject (Seats)
- SetAnimation (NPCs)
- On / Off (Particle Effects)
- “Goto” button - takes you to an item’s connections
- “No Repeats” option for Random Module
- Player Event Module (events for when a player spawns, dies, joins, and leaves)
- Building Improvements (For Condos / SDK Maps)
- “Delete” Key Support Added (Can delete items with the “delete” key)
- VCR and Bru-Ray Player items now function as media players
Mover Tool
A very exciting new tool is on the way! The mover tool will allow players to create pathways for items and players to move on! With it, players can create things like roller coasters, trains, slides, and other moving objects!
There’s a bunch of videos and explanations on how it will work in these posts: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3!
Minigolf SDK
We’ve been making progress on the Minigolf Editor for Workshop Game World Maps!
This editor has tons of course-creating options such as versatile tools for making adjustable corners, straight paths, curved paths, s-bend paths, ramps, intersections, blocks, and more!
There is a lot of customizability that will lead to more awesome Workshop creations! The modular pieces will also help us with our own Minigolf map development.
You can get a look at some of these features here!
NPC Interactivity
We’ve been working on some fun stuff for NPCs as well! You’ll be able to set animations on NPCs with Condo I/O. We’re also in the beginning stages of an NPC item that can walk around on its own, have dynamics with other NPCs (such as friend or enemy), and interact with buttons!
You can get a look at this development here!
Particle Effects
We’ve added a Particle FX item with hundreds of particle effects, and there are now inputs for playing and stopping particle effects!
Miscellaneous Fixes / Improvements
There have been a ton of bug fixes along with other changes!
- Fixed Condo bugs and issues (such as Day/Night Cycle issues, Theater door volume issue, made Screens in Theater/Resort editable, added “Media Admin Only” option, made networking adjustments, fixed ladder collision, and a whole lot more!)
- Fixed Condo I/O bugs (several input and output issues)
- Optimized & Updated Art on Fishing Shop (was very unoptimized, will now render more efficiently)
- Updated Art On Poseidon
- Libretro Updates (save states, support for new cores)
New In-Game Events
We’re wrapping up work on everything that’s needed for more varied weekend events. We have a lot of fun events that we’re implementing in the calendar now! This month, we have events for Minigolf, Laser Tag, Trivia, Fishing, Arcade, Bowling, and the Casino!
Let us know what kind of events you want to see in the future and at what times of the week you want them to happen!
Dedicated Condos
We’re still making progress on Dedicated Condos! They’re currently operational in read-only mode (not editable) and there are some issues with Workshop model collisions. Development on Dedicated Condos will get into full swing again once we’re done with the Engine Upgrade.
Bumper Cars / Boardwalk
As mentioned above, there were some optimizations and art updates for the Boardwalk, such as improved art for the fishing store and Poseidon! We’ve also made more progress on some new Boardwalk stalls.
Along with Dedicated Condos progress, Bumper Cars development is next up on our development path after the Engine Update!
Moderation Tools Discussion
We had a discussion about some tools we feel are lacking for moderation both in the game and externally.
This was stuff like: 2-way blocking, more accessible information about safety/reporting in the Plaza (like we have in the Condo Hub), and a more streamlined ban appeal / out-of-game report tool, among other things. We plan to implement these features in the future!
Supporter/Patron Rewards
In the last Dev Update, we talked about supporter / Patron rewards. We’re still figuring out the Patron reward due to the technical difficulties, but the Supporter reward should be out with the next update!
Makeship Collabs
We also wanted to update you on our Makeship collaborations! They’ve been moving along, and we’ll soon have a release date for the Cornelius and Birb plush campaign. We just got the protoype of it, and it looks awesome! We also have been in the design stage of making an enamel pin set with Cosmic Catsack, Kalleira, and the TU Logo! Keep an eye out for more info!
That’s all for this Dev Update! Thank you for reading, and we’ll catch up with you again next month.
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https://trello.com/b/6BwRMiPw/tower-unite-roadmap
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