Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades News

Howdy Folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPC6j4RUEtY

Hope you’re all doing well! FINALLY the moment has arrived. That’s right, Sosig-AI in Take and Hold. It has taken... far longer to get to this point than I anticipated. Turns out, shooter games typically have AI -teams- for a reason heh.. Heheh… *cries*. ANYWAY they are now moving and fighting and assaulting and defending through the level in a way I find super pleasing. It feels like a night and day change compared to the Mk.2s, and I’m incredibly excited to get this first feedback from you folks on it.

AS for the Alpha, PLEASE remember, this is only a very first functional alpha. There are no options for it yet, no character selection, and no scoring. When you load the scene, it will just drop you directly in with default health, endless mode. What I’m looking for most with this first test is:

- Does it work at all? Are there any GLARING bugs of any kind?

- How’s the difficulty feel? When/if you report back on this, please always include which HMD you’re using, and which locomotion mode (and whether you’re a front-facing user)

ANYWHO, the place to leave comments and bug reports for the mode is here, on the Steam Forum: https://steamcommunity.com/app/450540/discussions/3/
As for the coming Platform/controller input changes, I’ll have even more details over the course of the next two weeks. The goal is for this to be a fairly short Alpha Phase. Probably 3 Alphas total and then a final release.

PLEASE NOTE:
If you were on the Alpha1 Branch, you may need to manually re-add yourself today. Something glitched out on the Steamworks backend and I had to remake the branch from scratch.

Remember, to switch to the Alpha Branch:

- Right Click H3VR in Steam and go to 'Properties'

- Click on the 'Betas' tab

- Click the dropdown and select 'Alpha 1'

- Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Peace,
Anton

Howdy Folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiJUrjlpmR0

I know we’ve already had an update this week, back on the first, but I decided to spend the rest of the week dealing with a bunch of the back log of bugs I’ve accrued the past month or so (especially from down an off-schedule rushed novelty update *cough*). Either way, it feels good to pull this many things off the Todo list, and some of the more complex issues I’m still working on should also be resolved before the next release.

As mentioned in the video, the next month is going to be a slower release cadence, as I shift my energies fully to working on Take & Hold. The next release will also likely begin another Alpha cycle, as I will likely need to make some more changes to the total state permuation space for the Sosigs to get them behaving as I need for Take and Hold.

Anywho, as always, let me know if I broke anything *nervous laugh*, and I hope y’all enjoy the various changes and fixes.

Peace,
Anton

Update 71 Changelog

Additions:
- Added New Firearm: Hecate Anti-Materiel Rifle (.50 BMG)
- Added New Firearm: Triple Regret (.50 BMG)
- Added New Firearm: Whizzbanger Mk. 2 (.50 BMG)

Changes:
- Hecate 2 now has functional bipod
- Player Visibility Calculation Changed.
- Gepard SMG now has Russian style attachment mount on side
- Gepard SMG now has magazine grab trigger on the underside
- Pistol Caliber rounds now generate significantly less suppression per hit
- Whizzbanger hitpoint can now be shot to set it off
- Whizzbanger now has Stock and Suppressor mount *snort*
- [Cappocolloseum] Newer Sosigguns now appear in various modes
- [Cappocolloseum] Sosiggrenades can now spawn in Battle Petite

Fixes:
- MGL now has proper usagle cylinder ejector
- Fixed MGL firing incorrect chamber in cylinder
- Fixed Striker-fired pistols spawned from Vault (including their assembly)
- Backpack Quickbelt slots can now be used when held but holstered
- Classic M4A1 virtual stock point fixed
- Fixed bug with Sosig Weapons and player quickbelt slots
- Fixed geo hole in Mp5-10A5, mp5-40A5, Mp5A5, Mp5SD6
- SRS2 is now the correct size (thanks Stefan!!!)
- All Magazines should be perceptible to Agents when they impact other surfaces/objects now
- Fixed lowest joint break killing Sosigs when it shouldn’t
- Fixed math errors that caused the player to be barely visible in indoor situations. Note this means that stealthiness is a little more difficult now.
- Fixed H51 series not having chamber state saved correctly in Vault
Susat Scope, Stand Foregrip and Uzi Suppressor now have correct item spawner picture
- Simple launchers (like the Flaregun, H69) how flick open/shut correctly when player rig is rotated
- Fixed incorrect Webley revolver picture in Vault
- 1887 model shotguns no longer have their hammer pieces overrotate.
- Fixed a bunch of Vault specific bugs that only occured in the M.E.A.T.S. scene
- Laser mines in T&H containment damage the player again
- Fixed issue where it was possible to grab a harnessed item out of the other hand by grabbing its quickbelt slot
- [MeatGrinder] Laser mines now damage the player again
- [MeatGrinder] HotDog Swarms can be destroyed now
- [MeatGrinder] Spinjack Meat Now no longer auto-explodes
- [MeatGrinder] Tried to physics-laminate floors better to prevent fall-through (other than in boiler)
- [MeatGrinder] Fixed meat piles in starting room auto-exploding

Howdy Folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gswhbu5ZJc

Hope you’re all doing well. I’ve had a bit of a torturous week of bug hunting, but at the very least was able to sneak in some time for implementing new toys. I know it’s taken me a downright silly amount of time to get a classic M4 back in the game, but I finally did (after some delicate model surgery). Hope you enjoy it!

As for the loading bug I discuss in the devlog. If you have it, PLEASE tell me the results of testing the force-load. The more info I have, the better, and I want to make sure this ‘fix’ doesn’t actually make things work, or cause crashes!

Anywho, here’s this week’s changelog!

Peace,
Anton

Remember, to switch to the Alpha Branch:
- Right Click H3VR in Steam and go to 'Properties'
- Click on the 'Betas' tab
- Click the dropdown and select 'Alpha 1'
- Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Update 70 - Alpha 4

Additions:
- Added New Firearm: M4 Classic (5.56x45mm)
- Added New Firearm: Phantom 9 (9x19mm, compatible with G17/18/19 magazines)

Changes:
- Changed Model (and physics geo) for Sosig Melee Weapons (Tanto, Tomahawk, Crowbar)
- Changed Mk18 name to ‘Mk 18 Custom’
- Changed Mk18 Trigger group to Safe-Fire-Auto
- Added a ‘force load’ button that appears in the main menu scene when async load hangs on 99% longer than a couple seconds. You can also force a synchronous load using ‘L’ on the keyboard. Note this may kick you out to the compositor briefly.

Fixes:
- Fixed Python revolver doubled cylinder
- Fixed issue where firing Swag-12 shells would alter the volume of pistol shots thereafter
- Fixed Quickbelt Changes not saving in the main menu
- Fixed Infinite Sosig Grenade Pin Issue
- Fixed Some issues related to pathfinding failures (i think)

Howdy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntpbWvIQgz8

Hope you’re all doing well. I juuuuuuuuust managed to get this week’s new systems working well enough for a little Alpha fun today. They’re quite EXPLOSIVE hee hee. Seriously the Sosigs will blow you up with their explosives now. And themselves. A lot. It is hilarious.
The devlog covers most of what’s important this week. As always, if you run into any issues with the Alpha you think should have my attention, make a post in the bug reports section of the forum!

Remember, to switch to the Alpha Branch:
- Right Click H3VR in Steam and go to 'Properties'
- Click on the 'Betas' tab
- Click the dropdown and select 'Alpha 1'
- Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Update 70 - Alpha 3

Additions:
- Added New System: Sosig AI Grenade Handling and Throwing
- Added New Sosig Firearm: M60
- Added New Sosig Firearm: AA12
- Added New Sosig Firearm: Magnum
- Added New Sosig Firearm: Snub Revolver
- Added New Sosig Grenade: Frag
- Added New Sosig Grenade: Incendiary
- Added New Sosig Grenade: Flash
- Added New Sosig Grenade: Smoke

Changes:
- Altered some Sosig Pathing behavior

Fixes:
- Fixed Python revolver doubled cylinder
- Fixed issue where firing Swag-12 shells would alter the volume of pistol shots thereafter

Howdy Folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US7S_H2Hvfo

Hope you're all doing well this week. This week's Alpha was a bit of a photo finish (still fighting little bugs all over the place), but it thankfully staaaaable enoooough? for y'all to play with. This has been the culmination of lots of research, scary math, diagrams in my notebooks, swearing a lot, and generally fighting to become a better programmer.

For those who haven't been following my streams, or seen the other recent video on the Sosig AI upgrades, they are loosely based on the approach of the team behind Killzone 2. The sosigs now pick significantly more intelligent places to move to during firefights, taking into account line of sight, coverage, linear distance, distance along navmesh, distance to assault points, and dominant direction of incoming fire when suppressed.

They're the most sophisticated... anything I've ever made, between their sensory loops, core thinking processes, working memory, body complexity, ability to use objects, and with this Alpha they got smarter, more nuanced, and hopefully, a lot more fun to fight across a variety of contexts.

I hope you all enjoy!

Peace,
Anton

Remember, to switch to the Alpha Branch:
- Right Click H3VR in Steam and go to 'Properties'
- Click on the 'Betas' tab
- Click the dropdown and select 'Alpha 1'
- Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Update 70 Alpha 2 Changelog:

Additions:
- Added New System: AI Tactical Cover Points (used by Sosig-style Agents)
- AI Cover Points System Added To Proving Ground, Breaching Proto, Cappocolosseum

Changes:
- [Player] Made player ‘danger/target priority’ calculation identical to Sosigs
- [AI] - Sosigs can now be suppressed by nearby projectile impacts and explosions. They accrue suppression, which effects stance, combat behavior, accuracy, reaction time, and how they utlize cover points
- [AI] - Sosigs can now hold their weapons in variety of poses to get a viable firing angle
- [AI] - Sosigs now use a variable firearm stability system based on posture and suppression. Stability functions in inverse to felt muzzle rise.
- [AI] - Sosigs can now clutch on their triggers when maximally suppressed as a panic response
- [AI] - Sosigs now have simulated reaction time for aiming at fresh targets. This is influenced by range to target and other factors.
- [AI] - Sosigs that are currently set to ‘guard’, ‘patrol’ or ‘investigate’ are now not ‘alerted’ by default. They accrue alertness from hearing sonic events and witnessing targets (based on range to target and sustained viewing). This change makes various forms of stealth more viable. Note: It is still unknown the full extent of this change on Pacification squads in Rotwieners, so this system will still likely be adjusted in the coming weeks.
- [AI] - Sosig aim is now more realistically imperfect. They still try to fire perfectly but firing stability, reaction time, movement speed and direction and a number of other factors now interfere.
- [AI] - Sosig Melee Pathing system completely rebuilt. It is not terrible now.
- [AI] - Sosig Target prioritization system rebuilt. Significantly more reliable now.
- [AI] - Sosig body poses slightly different now. Prone stance now has upper two links in more upright position for better fighting in this stance.
- [Breaching Proto] Navmesh Rebuilt
- [Proving Ground] Altered Navmesh and AI goal points
- [Proving Ground] Changed Barrier layout and materials

Fixes:
- [Breaching Proto] Fixed Sosig Spawn Points
- [Breaching Proto] Removed Glass bottles that would break half the time on outside box
- [Breaching Proto] Fixed Sosigs Wandering outside after spawning for no reason