Project Genesis News

Project Genesis - Pegasus Milestone Update

Today we’ve officially released the Project Genesis Pegasus milestone which focuses on tightening up the gameplay with new weapons, improving the punching power of the battle craft engagements and making abilities vastly more powerful and effective. We’ve also added some additional emblems and kill card backgrounds to provide you more options in your personal expression. In addition to these core features we’ve also added thousands of new quality of life fixes (which you can check out in the section at the very end).

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[h2]NEW COMBAT WEAPONS[/h2]


You need some new weapons? Good news! We’ve got two pistols and two shotguns coming your way (with some animation impulse sizzle to sell the impacts demonstrated above - send your adversaries FLYING).

Check out these new mayhem makers and add them to your loadout arsenals:




[h2]NEW ABILITIES PLAYBALANCE[/h2]
Abilities and throwables in the FPS theater have been overhauled to be more powerful and effective. We’ve increased the damage for many of the throwables, both in the area of effect and the damage enemies sustain.





[h2]RANKS, EMBLEMS & CUSTOMIZATION[/h2]
Looking for additional ways to show off your style? We’ve added new emblems and kill card backgrounds to let you better express your personality and make a statement.

If you've not had a chance to participate in our Dev Sessions in Discord, jump on in at 4PM PST on Wednesdays. We take lots of playbalance input, but we also get to hear what types of customization options you like so that we can consider incorporating them into our milestone releases. Jump in here to say hi: https://discord.gg/8circuitstudios






[h2]BATTLE CRAFT BUFFS[/h2]
Discarding longer battle craft engagement times for a return to the lethal and fast paced combat model you originally experienced, you should now see a marked difference in the space theater engagements. Time-to-kill more closely matches that of the FPS theater and we’ve made adjustments to how the battle craft feels as it moves in space.

Jack into your favorite battle craft and check out how they handle (the ADU 135 is particularly fun to take for a spin).





[h2]BUG FIXES & CHANGE LOG[/h2]
And of course, we've got hundreds if not thousands of bug fixes to remove the suck for you (many thanks to our killer Test Pilots!). If you like geeking out on details, we have included a limited but lengthy list of some of the most meaningful implementations and fixes here: [expand]

[h2]GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS[/h2]

• Battlecraft Models Converted to Skeletal Mesh: Introduces New Animations, Locomotion, and Movement.
  
• New Hacker Avatar Model
  
• New FPS Weapons & Models
  
• New Burst Shotgun
  
• New Sawed Shotty
  
• Hollywood Model Updated
  
• Weapons Display Ammo Count
  
• New Radial Ping System
  
• New Avatar Death Animations
  
• New Directional Grenade Threat Indicator
  
• New Interaction System
  
• Battlecraft Weapons Rebalanced
  
• Avatar Abilities Rebalanced
  
• FPS Weapons Rebalanced
  
• Avatar Weapon Handling Animation Updates
  
• Main Menu Alignments & Cleanup
  
• Jam Scrambler Fixed!! (Orion players know)
  
• Cancel Cooked Grenades
  
• Actor Name Plate Refactor (performance)
  
• New Emblems & Banners
  
• Engine Upgrade
  

[h3]PVE HIGHLIGHTS[/h3]
- RNG Maps & Modes Expanded
- New Skyboxes
- Minimaps Updated
- Starmap Refreshes Missions
- Dynamic Spawning Mission Resources & Mining
- Economy Store Terminal (Sector Hub)
- Loadout Terminal (Sector Hub)
- PVE Now Fully On P2P Listen Servers
- New Optimized Drone AI Flight
- New Seismic Thumper Model with Animations
- Player details tags updated for messaging, now with depleting healthbar animations
- New directional damage received screen messaging
- Mission & Ability VO
- Dynamic Action Music
- PvE Party Sizes updated to cap at 5 per squad
- Gates & Keys System Progress (under hood)
- Updated AAR Visuals & Information
- AI Group Behavior. Added help request for PvE Bosses and MiniBosses
- AI Optimization
- AI Spider Turret Distance Behaviors
- AI Weapons Systems Updated
- AI Avatar Bots Throw Grenades
- AI Movement Behaviors & Pathing Cleanup

[h3]BUGFIX & POLISH[/h3]
- Fix for crash occurring when exiting matches caused by the Notification System trying to build a Widget when the World is being torn down.
- Fixed Field Turret taking damage from friendlies when it shouldn't have
- Fix for Collectible Objectives such as the Repair Part disappearing from the Level when a Player that is holding it decides to Quit the Match.
- Restricted the LoadingScreen system from producing LoadingScreen Locks that are for the same level and same reason. Generating a LoadingScreen Lock that already exists will just return the existing Lock instead of making a new one. This is to help fix an issue where if a Client performs a disconnect at the same time they receive a network error and are removed from the server automatically, a duplicate LoadingScreen Lock would be created.
- Added a delay to when the Party Host sends a Disconnect message to Party Members before performing a local disconnect when using the "Leave Game With Squad" option in the Escape Menu. This is to address an issue where Clients could potentially receive a network error because the Host had left before they got a chance to disconnect before the Session was shut down.
- Significant performance optimization to the Scoreboard and other miscellaneous optimization to other hot paths.
- Fixed an issue where Notifications being added when the PlayerController was being removed would cause a crash.
- Fixed an issue where a System Error was being generated and carried through a session until the Client had returned to the Hangar after joining a Session. Made the session handling of delegates a little more robust. Added a overlay that tells the Player they are Leaving a match so they understand the delay from clicking the Leave Game button in the Escape menu.
- Fixed a crash caused when cooking grenades with no Owner.
- Fixed an issue where the LoadoutCustomizationComponent was not setup appropriately to handle Client requests to change customization options when connected to a Listen Server.
- Added invisible wall to prevent hopping over objective gates
- Introduced a property to the CapturePointComponent to allow it to be permanently captured immediately after it is captured, this ignores the additional property that describes a time to hold before permanent capture. Modified the Domination Point Blueprint to call Objective Complete when its CapturePointComponent is permanently captured. Also added a property that allows us to disable Bots from contributing to capture progress on the CapturePointComponent.
- Additional fix to LoadoutCustomizationComponent that caused it to be unusable in Standalone on the Hangar Customization menu. Also fixed for Listen Server Hosts not being able to make modifications to their loadouts while hosting a session.
- Fixed Tempra mission outs, improved nav mesh at river, set river bed height to prevent crouching under water
- Transitioned whetstone to use dynamic lighting
- Disabled Cloth Simulation for First Person perspective on the Hacker class in order to alleviate issues with the Cape. Updated weighting on Cape to only be influenced by neck and clavicle bone. Spine03 was influencing the cape and causing the owner's cloth to remain visible for First Person viewers. Updated Physics asset to better control where the cape falls on the back of the neck/shoulders.
- Fixed an issue where the Host could perform a Tactical Sprint while remaining in ADS causing them to be out of sync with the ADS state. Also implemented functionality where if a Player was Sprinting and they had the ADS input held, it would return them to ADS for a smoother experience.
- Fixed an issue where the Auto Turret would grant the FieldUpgrade back when being picked up instead of the KillStreak Reward it belonged to.
- Setup functionality for changing the DEATHS label in the scoreboard to DOWNS when in PVE.
- Updated the TeamMate icon to include Health percent and if they have been Downed for better player messaging.
- Fixed an issue with the Occupiable Turret where it would hide the Listen Server Host Avatar on all Clients. Fixed an issue with the Occupiable Turret where it would override the Weapon Switch functionality when the Avatar was put into a Downed state causing them to have their weapons back. Fixed an issue with the Occupiable Turret where the Listen Server Host could not cause any damage. Introduced a parameter to the Suicide function for forcing the Pawn into a Downed state for easier debugging of features affected by that state.
- Setup functionality for checking if 2 Abilities have conflicting mappings. Also setup a function for getting an Abilities AbilitySlotID. Utilized the above functionality to restrict the activation of the PawnTransfer Ability if the TeammateRevive Ability has a keybinding that is the same as PawnTransfer and it is activatable. Essentially giving priority to TeammateRevive over PawnTransfer. PawnTransfer should work normally when TeammateRevive is not activatable.
- Fixed 3P SMGs. Characters now Slide with SMGs and blend in/out properly. Previously they'd go into a crouch state.
- Fixed an issue where the SwitchToDynamicWeapon Ability was not being correctly ended and thus could not be triggered again.
- Disabled friendly fire for EMP, Gas and Stun Grenades. They still apply their effects to their owner, just not friendlies.
- Fixed an issue where a constant error message about not being able to follow the Host into a session would appear for each time a Client tried searching for the Hosts session but it wasn't available yet.
- Added an Award for when you as an Avatar go Down. This is to facilitate the Player Messaging to other teammates that you went down.
- Fixed an issue where a Player dying in PVE instead of going Down, would not correctly trigger a defeat.
- Fixed an issue with Pawn MapMarkers on Listen Servers where they were not correctly reading their OwningPawns TeamID and therefore not displaying correctly.
- Fixed an issue where FlashDamage to Bots would cause the screen effects to appear on the Players screen that caused the Flash Damage.
- Fixed an issue where the AutoKick AFK Players would kick the Host of a session if they remained Idle.
- Made further improvements to the Teammate Widget for better Player messaging when Downed and while not spawned.
- Fixed an issue where Clients of a Listen Server could not equip the MiningTool.
- Added a function for checking if a Player is exiting an AssaultPod. Fixed an issue where there is a slight period that a Player exiting an AssaultPod does not count as being "alive" for the auto defeat condition.
- Fixed an issue where the Listen Server Host could see PlaceableGhosts as other Players were placing them.
- Potential fix to a hard to reproduce issue where sometimes a Player being revived would not receive their Weapons back.
- Further fixes to problematic Lambda usage that was likely causing undesired behavior in hard to reproduce edge cases.
- Battlecraft hit marker audio updates
- Avatar health regen rate increased from 20 to 50 (faster)
- Introduced the Interactable interface to the `APGInteractableObjective` in a preliminary effort to convert it over to using the generic approach to Interactions. Setup CoreRedirects for functions that overlap with those in the Interactable interface for the Interactable Objective in order to ensure that Blueprint is consistent. This work is in preparation for having a more flexible Interaction system by which we can choose an appropriate interaction target if multiple targets exist. The `APGInteractableObjective` class has a legacy interaction system all for itself, this is being phased out in favor of the generic approach outlined above. Fixed up any references to old interaction functions from the `APGInteractableObjective` interaction system which was now replaced by the generic approach. Modified the Interaction system for Avatars to now utilize a multi trace instead of single trace to find all Interactables within the intersection. This is so that we can find the best one to consider as the target instead of just assuming the first one. Added a 'GetInteractionPriority' function to the Interactable interface for allowing Interactables to describe how important they are when considering interactions with more than 1 target. Setup functionality that rates interactables with the same priorities based on their distance from the Avatar. It will now select the closest as the best and allow the interaction to be performed on that target. Modified the Trigger collision profile to set Camera channel to overlap instead of Block, this is to ensure that we get all interaction targets instead of just the first blocking one.
- Hangar UI. Persona Items: made item bg transparent once is unlocked.
- Fixed an issue where Boost Sound Effects were not being destroyed when the Ship that created them was destroyed.
- Setup a Glitch Effect Retainer Widget element on both the Ship and Avatar HUD Widgets which is triggered when the Jam Scramblers effects are active on that Player.
- PlayerHub Loading Screen. Make continue button available only for PLAY match state (i.e non-host players) or after the remaining timer out for Host.
- Setup a mechanism for Players to automatically be pulled into a Session their Party Leader has started if they were not ingame at the time.
- Fix for AwardsManager incorrectly allocating AwardXP when locally calculating the received amount post replication.
- Added an Edge Surfing Marker Widget to the Extraction Collectibles so that they are easily located after being dropped.
- Fixed issues with Extraction Collectibles going missing when Players would perform an Interaction such as Reviving. Fixed issues with Extraction Collectibles not finding an appropriate location to be placed after being dropped that would be accessible to other Players. Fixed an issue where the Extraction Collectible Marker Widget would be created multiple times on Clients leading to it not being removed when necessary. Added in Ability System Gameplay Events on Avatars for when they Start, Stop and Complete an Interaction so that gameplay systems have a convenient way to know about that.
- Adjustments to Player Card to improve readability and size of emblems and ranks
- Updating icons for IntelMeshLink, JAMScrambler, FieldInverter
-Updating rewards icons to match the loadout icons CoreBooster, FieldInverter
- Reducing Field Turret interaction speed by 1s to now be 1s (was 2s)
- Updated downed icon to read better
- Fixed an issue where the Avatar Hit Marker sound would play during Ship combat
- Potential fix for an issue where the Host Session Search functionality for Party Members would run into a loop constantly looking for the Host session without finding it.
- Fix for Turret not playing cosmetics on the Host.
- Fix for issue with joining a host into a session
- KillFeed Name tags for AITurrents in PvE.
- Introduced functionality to KillStreak Abilities for being able to re-acquire them after having expended their use within the same life
- Added functionality to the Compass Markers for being permanently visible while under the influence of Intel Mesh Link. They will not appear if the Pawn has the Counters for Intel Mesh Link. Converted the Seismic Detonator KillStreak from being a Trip Mine to a Remote Charge. Fixed issues with picking up Remote Charges not referencing their correct owner when determining intractability.
- Potential fix for an issue where the Placeables Ghost would remain if attempting to initiate a placement multiple times while its still placing.
-Added Cook cancelling functionality to Grenades when switching away from them while a Cook is active and the Grenade hasn't exploded.
-Fixed an issue where the Abilities selection could result in the availability of an already selected ability if the order of selection was made in reverse.

[h3]HOTFIX 1[/h3]
- Fixed Star Map typo in Proteus mission text
- Updated fuel cell SM + SK, added materials + textures
- Abilities Activation SFX: Caustic Mine, Mitochron, Holotron, Sonic Dampener, Nanoflect, Isotopic Coating
- Updated Drone Projectile flyby and impact sfx
- Added a GetRearmAmmo function to the FPS Weapons class. This function returns the amount of ammo that needs to be given to the Weapon when a Rearm is triggered (via the AmmoCrate). It can be overridden by subclasses to provide different values as per their needs, its default simply returns 2x the MaxAmmo value. Grenades override this to return just 1 and the Sawn Off Shotty returns its Max Reserve Ammo. Modified the AmmoCrate to utilize the above function when rearming Weapons instead of deciding the values itself.
- Added new repair caps resources, updated references, changed repair point to say repair damage instead of repair repair point
- Fixed issues where Actors were using the old ApplyRadialDamage instead of the appropriate` ApplyDamageRadius` function.
- Added functionality to the FPS Weapons base Blueprint class that overrides the existing functionality for the Location to which the Weapon spawns Projectiles in order to get Avatar AI to spawn their Projectiles at the Weapon Muzzle instead of at their face.
- Added Oort cloud to solar system
- Fixed an issue with the Register and Deregister functions in the EpicOnlineServicesSubsystem for Listen Server hosts in the Editor where a Null UniqueId would be present for connecting Clients.
- Damage Impulse updated to all weapons, notably to Shotguns, KG Revolver, and LMG Damage impulse to feel better when OnDied event takes place / death of avatars.
- Added grenade ammo to sector hub + training map
- PVE AI Avatars now carry their own weapon that's less lethal and fires slower moving projectiles
- Bumping GTL back in First Person to match other pistols non ADS relative location.
- Reworked how the Ragdoll and Death sequences are managed for FPS Characters both Players and AI.
- Fixed some collision in proteus expedition that was problematic for mining
- Fixed an issue where the Repair parts on the MiningRig Objective would not follow the Rocket as it took off.
- PvE music adding guitars on Tempra Detonation, Enceladus Plunder and Detonation

[h3]HOTFIX 2[/h3]
- Fixed an issue for where the ExtractionPoint had AI Bots contribute to the internal count for how many Players there were inside its area. Also added a Counter to identify how many Players are there and how many are required.
- Replaced all old extraction BPs with current one
- Removed PvE AI Avatar `Unknown Tech` Weapon from being able to be dropped.
- Updating images for IntelMeshLink and Spicy BURRITO
- Found a spot in Proteus where AI can potentially spawn inside a rock - added nav mesh exclusion volume
- Added nav mesh exclusion in Outpost BP to prevent AI spawning underneath

[h3]HOTFIX 3[/h3]
- Fix for missing Region entry in PartyMessage evaluation which resulted in failure to connect Party Members to Servers.
- Located the Plunder game mode that was not the same child as the others and updated AI Avatars to use `Unknown Tech` weapons within the AI Manager.

[h3]HOTFIX 4[/h3]
- PvE: AI Avatars Projectile Speed (50% faster) and Spread adjustment (tighter).
- PvE: AI Spider Turrets projectile spread (tighter) and collision sphere increased to support landing more shots.
[/expand]



If you have any feedback or encounter any issues along the way, you can always find us in our Discord - be sure to let us know!

Project Genesis - Orion Milestone Update

We are very excited to announce the release of our latest Project Genesis pre-alpha milestone, Orion - which is full of improvements, fixes and additions to enhance the experience of players new and old.

From all of us at 8 Circuit Studios - thank you for your continued interest in Project Genesis! Every milestone we launch is a labor of love and wouldn’t be possible without our community of extraordinary players behind us. If you aren’t already in our Discord server, be sure to join us! It’s not not only the best place to stay up-to-date on all things Project Genesis - but a great way to meet fellow players, find out about upcoming streams and events, and of course - interact with us!

For notifications direct to your inbox - sign up for our mailing list and never miss out on the latest news and updates by visiting this link.


[h2]AVATAR ANIMATIONS:[/h2]
The team has been working hard on making improvements to how our Avatars both look and feel, adding a layer of depth and immersion to the gameplay from both a first person and third person perspective.

Movement and how you navigate the world has been a big area of focus, and we are introducing new animations for crouch walking, tactical sprint, ladder traversal and beyond.

We have also added new animations for some abilities such as taking a stim to regain your health and made improvements to how avatars interact with weapons and the environment.





[h2]NEW ABILITIES & REFINEMENTS:[/h2]
Since our last milestone update, we have had the chance to see and experience how our newly implemented abilities played out in real time, and have gathered feedback on not only their performance - but also the preferences of our players. Armed with new information, we have not only made some adjustments to currently usable abilities, but also some new additions for players to explore.

In both FPS Avatar and Battlecraft customization, we have introduced new passive, active use and ultimate abilities that we feel will significantly modify and distinguish gameplay from player to player - allowing for more advanced build-crafting and optimization for unique combat experiences.

[h3]NEW Abilities Overview:[/h3]
Mods:

• Thermal Lensing (Avatar/Battlecraft)
  
• Sensor Insulate (Avatar/Battlecraft)

Grades:

• Sonic Dampener (Avatar)
  
• Nanoflect (Avatar/Battlecraft)
  
• Isotopic Coating (Avatar)

Ultimates:

• Intel Mesh Link (Avatar/Battlecraft)
  
• Jam Scrambler (Avatar/Battlecraft)

We will go into more detail about these abilities in our next Dev Update - but until then, we invite you to get in-game and test them out for yourself!





[h2]RANKS, EMBLEMS & CUSTOMIZATION:[/h2]
Previously, we tackled changing how rank rewards such as ephemera were earned in order to increase and clarify the reward system in place to show off your progression. In Orion, we spent some time improving upon player rank designation as well as emblem offerings for player customization.

Our previous ranking system focused on overall player level, with no clear “tier” system that allowed players to determine how they measured up beyond seeing an increase in the numerical value achieved. Players can look forward to progressing through a new system consisting of 10 new “ranks” which will expand over time, accompanied by visual identifiers.

In the spirit of customization, we have also added new emblems, kill cards and other customization options for players to choose from in the Persona tab - allowing for an increased range of personalization and flair.
We will continue to improve and expand upon our cosmetic and customization offerings as we continue development and look forward to seeing everyone ranked up and decked out!





[h2]TTK, MOVEMENT & WEAPON BALANCE:[/h2]
Delivering a great combat experience has always been and continues to be something that we strive to achieve - and we have been analyzing and experimenting with how combat feels alongside some of our favorite titles.
We have made some adjustments to player health, weapon damage, and movement values in an effort to deliver a more cohesive and engaging combat experience. The changes introduced in the Orion Milestone Update are still a work-in-progress and will be subject to further evaluation as we continue to develop Project Genesis, and as always - we invite you to share your thoughts to help us find the sweet spot.



[h2]BUG FIXES & CHANGE LOG:[/h2]
We have been tracking, testing and working on various bug fixes and changes in an effort to improve the player experience across various areas of Project Genesis. In Orion, you will notice fixes in many areas from technical issues, stability and squad issues to overall quality of life changes. We have included a full list of implementations and fixes here: [expand]

[h3]IMPLEMENTATIONS:[/h3]

New Abilities
- Mod: Thermal Lensing
- Mod: Sensor Insulate
- Grade: Sonic Dampener
- Grade: Nanoflect
- Grade: Isotopic Coating
- Ultimate: Intel Mesh Link
- Ultimate: Jam Scrambler Cooking Grenades
New & Updated Unlockable Ranks & Emblems
Footstep Audio Improvements
FPS Weapon Impact Audio Improvements
Full Ambient Audio Pass
Weapons Audio Remixing
Subsonic/Supersonic Ballistic & Energy Flyby Audio
Replaceable Placeables (ie. Pick up and relocate the field turret) Avatar Animation Smoothing Improvements
(Crouch, Crouch Walk, Sprint, Blends, Feet IK, Weapon Hand Drift Prevention, Under the hood work to support future improvements) Avatar Tactical Sprint Animations
Mitochron Stim Animations
Weapons Balance (TTK)
Abilities Cooldown Balance

Furthering PvE Core Development
- New & Updated Environments, New Prototype Modes
- Lighting Scenarios
- AI Spawn Pool Advancements & New Melee AI class
- Mini Maps
- Dynamic Music
- Dynamic Player Spawning
- Enemy Health Bars
- Team Health & Downed Status (HUD)
- Listen Servers Progress
- Star Map & General UI
- Enemy Audio Characterizations
- Enemy Animations

[h3]FIXES[/h3]
*Fixes shown are from pre-existing systems. New systems and mode fixes from HIGHLIGHTS not listed as irrelevant to Neo > Orion update*

Crash Fixes
Network Error Fixes
Smoke Grenade detonate on collide
Fixed an issue where TDM Game Mode was incorrectly assigning the default winning team to team 0 instead of evaluating team scores. Resulting in team 0 always being the winning team.
Fixed an issue where the Party Members list would continuously flash as it refreshed Player details such as their Profile Icons.
Introduced functionality to enable Party Members to make a connection to the parties connected session at arbitrary time after session creation. This is to aim for the ability for Party Members to follow the Host at any time, especially if the Host is already playing in the session and a Party Member joins after the connect message had already been sent.
Setup Asset Preloading for Gameplay Abilities so that we can ensure these are always available for Replication and on all Clients.
Corrected Shotgun reload speed and updated the ability to reload individual shells.
Fixed an issue with Awards when replicating their times received where by it would not correctly account for the new value having a more than 1 difference from its previous value, not calling the notifies for those values in-between.
Fixed an issue with the ItemFactory were there was an edge case that could cause it to process overlaps for the Pawn that its just gave an item to multiple times.
Fixed an issue where WeaponFactories that were spawned dynamically would not be correctly cleaned up on the Server side after their lifetime had expired.
Fixed an issue where a crash could occur on an extreme edge case when a Weapon was trying to deal damage but its owner was destroyed (usually because they had died).
Made modifications to the AlwaysRelevantGameplayTags container on the PlayerState to expose a method for applying an arbitrary duration to how long a given Tag will remain within the container before being automatically removed.
[/expand]



Thank you again for joining us on this journey! If you have any feedback or encounter any issues along the way, you can always find us in our Discord - be sure to let us know!

[h2]We want YOU![/h2]


Join us for our weekly Community PlaySession!

Looking for a fireteam to check out Project Genesis with? Join us for our weekly Wednesday PlaySession!

Join us at 4pm Pacific - Open to all players of any skill level!

Put your skills to the test, meet new pilots and squad up every week in our Discord! > Discord server

Gear up. Squad Up. Join our voice channel and come play with us!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/700240/Project_Genesis/

Welcome, Pilots!

We've enjoyed watching players old and new explore the exciting additions in our Neo update. Now, as spring blooms, our team is hard at work on the next milestone, "Orion" - So do us a favor and enjoy the warm weather and touch some grass for us!

Without further adieu - Welcome to the April 2023 edition of the Project Genesis Developer Update!




Art & Environment:

• Working on new dynamic systems to add depth and variety to biomes
  
• Load-In generation of landmarks, skydomes, times of day, environment FX & structures

Design:

• Reviewing new early high-poly weapon models
  
• Working on making weapons fit better into new animation efforts

Animation:

• Fixing issues with animation meshes and rigs
  
• Updated Movement Systems
  
• Building a new basic control rig for animation retargeting
  
• Crouch walk Re-Work

QA & Bug Fixes:

• Addressed issues in areas of UI, audio, model positions, and general quality of life fixes.
  
• Fixed the XP gain issue, allowing you to surpass level 100

Community:

• Affiliate Feature (New!)
• Special Thanks
  
• Super fun [REDACTED]
  

[h3]“The Times They Are a-Changin'”[/h3]
Our Art Director, Mark, has been working on some stunning visual improvements for our biomes. He's experimenting with new looks and atmospheres to make them feel more realistic, focusing on composition and layouts.
We're also working on new dynamic systems that will swap out landmarks, skydomes, time of day, environment FX, and building facades, creating different "scenarios" assigned when you load in. Check out some examples from our new [REDACTED] biome below.




For those of you with a keen eye for architectural design, (or perhaps a background in it like Mark!) you can look forward to seeing more exploration into a monolithic style when it comes to buildings and structures scattered across the landscapes too.

Our goal is to increase not only the wow-factor of our in-game environments - but also increase replayability while getting a sense of how mixing up various superficial environment assets enhances the experience.


[h3]“Weapon Of Choice”[/h3]
We are currently evaluating some Early High-Poly versions of weapons - and wanted to give you a sneak peek inside of our arsenal.
These are the *first* versions and we have several more iterations to go before you’ll see them in game, but I’ve chosen a couple of my personal favorites to share with you!



The final goal is to see if we can make the weapons a touch sleeker, and make some adjustments so they better fit the work we are doing with our characters' animation rigs.

What do you think so far? (Come tell us in our Discord Server!)


[h3]“Bring Me To Life”[/h3]
If you’re in our Discord community already, you’ve probably already had the chance to meet Andy, our new Animation-Guru! Since he’s come on board, Andy has been tackling the challenge of correcting some underlying issues with meshes and animation rigs, implementing changes and preparing for a more scalable future.
Here are some highlights of what’s being done to make our Avatars feel more “alive”:

• Updated Movement System: We've gone from a 4 axis movement system for animation walk/run to an 8 axis system, making characters look and feel better while moving around in the world.
  
• Basic Control Rig: Creating a basic control rig for our Genesis Skeleton that makes animation retargeting from MoCap sources easier.
  

One of the most noticeable changes you’ll be seeing in the next milestone however, is an update to the crouch-walk animation! Goodbye to the awkward squat-walk, and hello to a more realistic way to get around!

Andy will be continuing to build out the animation system under the hood to support adding more animations across all of the incoming weapons and systems that the team has been working on.
We are thrilled to have Andy on the team, and very excited about everything he is working on to make Project Genesis “run smoothly”. (Get it?! HA!)


[h3]“Between Angels and Insects”[/h3]
Our heavenly QA team and Test Pilots have been working hard to identify and exterminate some of the bugs crawling around in Project Genesis. There isn’t too much to share right now, as many of the things being focused on new things you haven’t yet seen - but here’s some highlights of the things from the current version of the game that we have ironed out.

• The “Finding Match” banner no longer overlaps essential information in the main menu
  
• First and Third person perspective weapon audio now sounds more impactful and similar
  
• Throwable icons appear correctly in the game UI
  
• Passive ability descriptions now appear in the flight deck
  
• Bishop weapon model no longer appears at a 90 degree angle
  
• Weapon racks in the firing ranges now replenish themselves faster
  
• Animations for ladder climbing have been added
  
• Spider Turrets have different SFX when being damaged, spawning and walking around.
  

However, we do have one exciting fix to share that will make everyone happy: Players will now be rewarded proper XP gains when near level 100, finally allowing you to continue your grind! (Hooray!)



As always, a huge thank you to all of our amazing Test Pilots for their help in making Project Genesis the very best it can be!


We have been taking some time to find new ways to engage, share with, and collect feedback from our community and I look forward to getting these initiatives in place in the coming weeks. Personally, I’m very excited to have more opportunities to “Get The Party Started” and spend more time hanging out with you all very soon!


[h3]Affiliate Spotlight:[/h3]
Welcome to the brand new affiliate spotlight - where we introduce you to one of our Affiliate friends from the Ambassador, Creator or Test Pilot programs. I’m excited to have the opportunity to showcase some of the truly amazing people who have joined our squad, and allow them to tell you a bit about themselves, and Project Genesis in their own words.

Introducing *drumroll* Rogue Rolen! Shauna: So Rogue, tell us a little about yourself?
Rogue Rolen: Well, I'm Rolen, I have been streaming Project Genesis for about 6 months now and have been on Twitch for close to a year. So I am a wee baby in the streaming industry! I work full time in the medical field, I'm a devoted father and husband. I am a total geek, and volunteer at one of the biggest gaming conventions in my general area with my family every year, and have a variety of other hobbies as well!
[expand]
S: How did you hear about Project Genesis?
R: My Brother was watching one of my streams, where i was playing some open beta and said that he knew of a tight knit community that was pre-alpha testing a futuristic FPS game and that i could meet them through his "connections" AKA You!

S: You're both a Creator and a Test Pilot - What made you want to join the programs, and can you tell everyone a little about what you do?
R: So after I learned of Project Genesis, Played a little, and joined the discord. I saw the applications to be an affiliate. seeing how much I was enjoying the game, i made the decision to make Project Genesis my primary full time streaming game. I applied to be a streamer, as well as I sent my application to be a test pilot in on a whim. Low and behold, I was introduced to the community as both roles, so I stream the test sessions, where we get together, and break anything and everything about the game! Aaannndd then document it, because the only real difference between goofing around and science is that science is documented. but in all reality we play a metaphorical whack-a-mole where when one bug is squished, another lurks around the corner to surprise you.

S: From your experience with Project Genesis, can you tell everyone a bit about the game in your own words and why you think they should check it out?
R: Simply put, if Call of Duty, Halo, and the 2007 Star Wars Battlefront II had a child.... you would get this lovely child. If you like fast paced arena gameplay, sprinkled with some PVE action, you'll fall in love with the game.... and if you are interested in the community? It is one of the least toxic communities I have interacted with by a long stretch!

S: At the time of this post, you're currently #2 on the leaderboards for Overall Score so you obviously know your stuff - can you tell us what your favorite Avatar/Ship and weapon loadout is, and why?
R: *laughs* That's due to the friendly rivalry between ItanoCircus and myself that pushed me to the number 2 spot on the leaderboard. But I digress, my current loadout is either the Autotac 7 with the R1 secondary, which i use primarily for close quarters gameplay with occasional medium distance engagements, or the Mirage with the GTL for those juicy headshots from a distance and the occasional need of a fast firing close quarters secondary.

S: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me, and for everything you do for the game and the community. You're the first Affiliate Feature - So you have the stage. Anything else you'd like to tell the fine folks of the internet?
R: *Waves awkwardly* Hi Rasha! *laughs* just kidding! In all seriousness, whether you are a keyboard warrior, or a joystick junky - you have a place here in the community. So come and hang out sometime! [/expand]
You can find out more and meet Rogue Rolen for yourself on Twitch, YouTube and TikTok!


[h3]“In The End"[/h3]
To close out this DevUpdate - We want to give a shout out to the creators who featured Project Genesis on their channels to celebrate our Neo Milestone Update in March. We had a great time watching and meeting your communities and appreciate all of your time and feedback!
BurtsBeat Sgtsmithgaming Stinkyfeet_gaming Krumz Northbrennan officialcushgaming RakkMark Asesinoarmygaming LexisCloset DeziSkylark TheSinisterAbyss KairiJaye ActuallyASpud OldFartsGamingTTV Buckeyeboxing69 DullahanHel C8YHD Rogue_Rolen KaptainKoolWhip

If you’re interested in getting a promo copy of Project Genesis to check it out on your channel, please join our discord and get in touch with me (Cherrry) and we can make it happen!

That does it for this month’s edition of the Project Genesis Developer Update - Thank you so much for not only taking the time to keep updated on all things PG, but indulging my bad-jokes. Before I sign off, you may have noticed a little recurring theme throughout this issue - and I have a Steam gift card for one lucky person who caught on! For a chance to win - Join our Discord server and check out the #contests-and-giveaways channel for info on how to submit your guess!

Until next time, Pilots!

-Shauna (Cherrry)

[h2]We want YOU![/h2]



You're invited to our monthly Developer Session!

Want to give feedback on the game? Are you interested in Game Development and have some questions? Do you simply want to be able to say you took down the Community Manager?!

Put your skills to the test, against and alongside our devs and fellow players Wednesday at 4pm Pacific during our Monthly DevSession!

Whether you want to flex your in-game muscles, ask some questions or just meet a great group of folks to game with, our Discord server is the place-to-be > Discord server

Gear up. Squad Up. Join our voice channel and come play with us!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/700240/Project_Genesis/