Penkura Patch 0.1.9

One of the most complex patches released since the Early Access, patch 0.1.9 introduces bot AI, Octahedral Imposter Sprites, bot command system, and more.

First of all, I want to thank all testers and players that found bugs, errors, and other issues in the project and properly reported them in our Discord and Bug Tracker, thanks to all of you, the project will now look better, and work better.

Patch 0.1.9 introduces Octahedral Imposter Sprites, this system allows us to render a complex 3d sprite of nearly any type of model. Octahedral Imposters not only respect shadow, light but also changes in global color scheme, thanks to that transition between different Level of Details is much less noticeable, and very low requirements made by them allows us to drastically increases player view distance without much impact on the overall performance.

(for the moment this system works on all trees, and few constructions to test out all the features before we will implement it to every construction, item, and foliage in the game).



The second major change to the game is the addition of a global AI system and the Bot Command system. Global AI is very light on the CPU system that will store and transfer data between the AI, level, and player to make sure that each AI in the game knows where to walk, how, and when. (same is with attacking, patrolling, guarding, and so on). Because of the low requirement on the system, we will be able to add more complex "orders" to bots and even allow minor programming features for players to use on bots.

Right now, the player is able to control the bot thanks to Bot Command System, added to their Bio-Ring/Biometers, when rising his hand player is now able to target the bot and activate Bot Command system that will provide a link between him, global AI and targeted bot, allowing him to give bot orders, such as return to base, or take all items from the storage. (In the future player will be able to sequence those orders in the CCC, in the exact same matter, "Take all items > Go to Base > Leave all Items > Return to Me" this will give the player much better control over the bots, and allow them to do some of the players' tasks)



The third major change is in in-game 3d UI, from now on all 3d UI will display much sharper, will provide its own light source to affect models around it (without the addition of performant heavy shadows), and animations to ease in and out some of the 3d UI whenever activated. The camera should focus on the 3d UI much closer while respecting player FOV (Field of View) settings, as we got reports that on massive screens and massive fields of view, the screen can get too small for players to read, additional changes that we will work on in the future patches is ease out 3d UI rendering to remove as much as a possible blur effect on rendered text when scrolling.

While adding those effects we also refresh some of the UI's in the game to make them look a little bit better.



The last major change is the addition of new construction, Oxygen Station, as requested by the community, and model/texture remake of some of the items, structures, interactable, doors, and foliage. Changes should not only look better but are also improved performance-wise, having fewer polygons and much better-optimized textures to lower RAM requirements.

On the last note, from now on, patches such as this will be cut to smaller chunks to speed up development, unfortunately sometimes some of the systems added to the game, globally effect other already implemented requiring adjustments and a massive amount of testing, which slows development. By cutting patches into smaller chunks and testing them separately on different builds we should speed up development and in the future allow most active community members to look behind the curtains and provide us with their opinion on not yet implemented additions.

Future minor patches will focus on animation, more bot control, brain save system for AI (key element for future bot programming), and Polish Translation.

And as always, for more information regarding the latest technical support, patches, and updates please join our Discord Community.

LINK ----> https://discord.gg/2ukYHQm

For more information about the patch please visit our Patch Notes Archive.

LINK ----> http://lionsart.pl/patch-notes/

In case of problems/bugs/glitches appearing in the project feel free to visit our bug report site and inform us about the issue.

LINK ----> http://lionsart.pl/bugs/

Till the next Dev-Com over and out.

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Patch 0.1.9
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/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////////////// BUG|ERROR FIXES ////////////////
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- Player was able to update missions " INTO THE VOID " before talking with Sara.

- Metos Warrior/Drone was able to move through the stairs, unenabled them to enter buildings.

- Bot type Oculus, had problems with reaching some of the interactable items. (increase reach by 30%)

- If base Hydrogel reaches zero, RTS mode didn't reset buildings' hydrogen requirements.

- Command Control Communication station activated self-occlusion on a very high field of view while still in the player view range.


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////// IMPROVEMENTS|CHANGES|ADDITIONS /////////
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

- Added a new structure: Oxygen Station.

- Added advanced bot control system.

- Added bot command option to the bot controller.

/// Pick Up
--- Targeted Objects
--- All objects around (self)
--- All of Specific Objects (scan)
/// Go
--- To Targeted position
--- Back to Base
--- To specific Beacon
/// What's your Status?
/// Cancel Orders
/// Follow
--- Me
--- Target Character
/// Interact with target (allows to use normal and additional interaction if possible)

- Added warning horn and lights to C.A.T if it detects any bot or organic life in the construction zone.

- AI is now smart enough to understand the C.A.T warning horn. All bots in the construction range will now find a location away from the danger zone IF the bot is turned on, and is smart enough to make the decision (Metos bugs won't understand what horn means even if they register it).

- Bot Control System will adjust its command systems after the first communication with the bot, changing possible orders. (ex. all orders that depend on hands will disappear from the command list if the bot is not equipt with any hands/interaction systems)

- Adjusted camera position for bots to see the small keypad.

- When loading the game, all AI will now refresh to make sure they are properly activated around the player.

- Player is now unable to pick up or interact with items when using a biometer/bio-ring.

- Player is now able to interact with bots using a bot control system, accessible when using biometer/bio-ring.

- Improved Camera Zoom to in-game screens, from now on it will adjust itself better to the player field of view, in the range of 20% difference rather than 70%.

- Bots are now aware of their body and their abilities:

/// If they have hands or not.
/// If they have storage attached to them.
/// Their health and power level.
/// Their position on the map and world map.
/// Understand that player can be their owner, enemy, ally, or unknown status to them.
/// Understand the time of the day.
///Can scan for objects, buildings, and creatures around them (this system is used with command system by default at the start of each order that uses the information of object surrounding the bot).
/// Understand the process of interaction with objects (for example if they are able to and contain hands they are now able to open doors).
/// Understands its velocity and informs the player if it's stuck or cannot get to the set location (but it will try a few times to make sure)

- Bots now possess basic systems of adjusting commands per event change (for the moment working only with changes made to the doors and environment). Example - Bot will move to the ordered position but will adjust its route if the locked door is in the way. (number of changes is unlimited until the command is completed).

- Added Octahedral Imposter Sprites support.

- Added two new key inputs:
/// Bot Control Accept
/// Bot Control Return

- Minor improvement to key bindings options visibility.

- All trees have now octahedral sprites as the last level of details (performance boost)

- Buildings in stage 0 of their build process have NO collision.

- Activating the RTS system will turn on all construction holograms for buildings that are still on stage 0 of construction.

- Construction skeleton appears on Stage 1 rather than Stage 0.

- Construction holograms are now clickable.

- When attempting to start a conversation or command a bot, a new icon will appear in the UI.

- Changed names of interacted flora items to distinguish them from the one not yet interacted with:

/// "Subincar" to "Subincar Cap"
/// "Gracheri" to "Gracheri Cap"
/// "Golden Malok" to "Golden Malok Fruit"
/// "Camubron" to "Camubron Cap"
/// "Blufloir" to "Blufloir Pistil"
/// "Arachnorex" to "Arachnorex Cap"

- Model and texture updated to:

/// Battery ST-1
/// Solid Construction Component
/// Medium doors
/// Beacons
/// Tirix Fusion Power Plant (Power Cells)

- Removed wall from Tirix Fusion Power Plant to adjust construction to new navigation mesh and future content.

- Lowered system calls from Storage T-1 and Tirix Fusion Power Plant (minor performance boost).

- Doors no longer have to recalculate nav mesh on opening and closing. (minor performance boost).

- When activating Oxygen Replenishers on Oxygen Stations, the hand with bio-ring/biometer will be automatically risen to show oxygen status.

- Improved LOD (Level of Details) visibility switchers in all trees to smooth out transitions.

- Improved Ambient Occlusion to work even in full light.

- Adjustments to global shadowing, shadows from inner objects (inner tunnel armor, boxes in caves, etc. ) will now respect shadow covering from outer objects, removing minor graphical errors. (minor performance boost).

- Removed option to drop items directly from the interacted storage unit.

- All buildings in stage 0 construction will NOT spawn any collision, physics objects, or any other asset that may affect navigation mesh.

- When checking player status (by holding TAB by default), the hand with biometer/bio-ring will now be closer to the camera to make it easier to read.

- Improved Nav mesh regeneration by around 20% depending on the navmesh scale and object density on the navmesh area of effect.

- Ore Extractors animation is now set to 60 FPS.

- Improved UI in Command Center Oxygen Station and increase its refresh rate.

- Oxygen Stations in Command Center now changes light depending on the status of Hydrogel, above 20% Green, below Red.

- Beacon construction requirement changed:
FROM - 10 Liquid Construction Component.
TO - 8 Liquid Construction Component / 5 Solid Construction Component

- Beacon max energy risen from 10 to 200.

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