Ancient Warfare 3 News

The those of you who prefer videos, the 5 minute one below contains all you need to know about this update:
https://youtu.be/mbW7WVN-6_E
There is also a new map competition coming up towards the end of this week, so keep and eye out for that.

[h2]New Content From AW2[/h2]

Those of you who played the previous part Ancient Warfare 2 on itch.io know that there is some content which didnt make it into AW3.
But this update features some remastered content from AW2:

• Camels are similar to horses, but larger and slower. You can now create custom ranged or melee units on camels.
  
• Armored horses not only look better, they are also more likely to survive a battle
  
• Catapults are now available in two new variants: fire and poison
• And siege weapons now have shoot sounds

[h2]New image effects[/h2]

There are new scripting image effects that work similar to the Vignette and ColorOverlay scripting nodes, but allow you to heavily modify how the game looks and opens up many possibilities for new effects. All these effects are represented in the update video.
The new effects/nodes are:

• Nightvision can be used to simulate NVGs with a custom color and intensity. The effect features noise and while bright areas become white, darker areas can be seen better.
  
• The Glitch effect enables screen shaking and distortions
  
• The CRT/VHS effect makes the game look like it's running on an old tv with bleeding, fringing, scanlines and a fisheye effect
  
• The Posterize effect reduces the colors per channel to simulate retro rendering like 8-bit colors
  
• The Noise effect can be used to overlay noise with custom intensity and scale
  
• The Invert Color effect can invert any color channel
  
• Grayscale can be used to modify the saturation of the game
  
• The Pixelation effect makes the game look pixelated and allows you to choose how many pixels to render to make it look more or less pixelated
  

If you want to try them out in game, I prepared this map with some examples
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2926010928

[h2]Custom ranged weapon damage modifications[/h2]
The damage of ranged weapons in AW3 depends entirely on the projectile/caliber of the weapon. But now you can choose to modify the caliber for your custom weapons to modify stats like Damage, Armor Pen, Armor Dmg, Projectile Amount and Fire Probability to adjust the projectile stats when used with this weapon.

[h2]Custom Physics Objects[/h2]

Custom physics objects are a new type of custom object. They are somewhat experimental and should be used with caution to avoid performance problems, but they also allow a lot of new stuff to be created.

• Physical parameters like mass, drag, angular drag, friction and bounciness can be adjusted, to select how your object reacts to the physics simulation
  
• Depending on the settings, these objects can be picked up and/or thrown by the player
  
• There are various settings to select how the object is thrown like throw force modes, strength and whether you want to see a throw preview or not
  
• Thrown or falling/moving objects can also cause damage to units or buildings
  
• Resting physics objects can also block units from walking somewhere if set up correctly
  
• Full scripting support for physics objects allow you to
  
  • Spawn/delete objects
    
  • Modify physical parameters
    
  • Apply force to objects
    
  • Freeze/Unfreeze objects
    
  • Force the player to pick up/drop objects or react to events when the player interacts with these objects
    
  • React to collision events to create custom behaviour
    
  • And more...
    

[h2]Ragdoll improvements[/h2]
There are various improvements to ragdolls in terms of performance and functionality.

• Ragdolls now react to the force of the kill shot or melee impact to make them more realistic
  
• Ragdoll simulation quality is dynamically adjusted based on the amount of active ragdolls and units in an area to help with performance in dense melee battles
  
• Inactive ragdolls are now frozen in place (this is experimental and might be changed or adjusted in the future)
  

[h2]Other improvements[/h2]

• Increased material limits of most custom object types
  
  • Weapons, shields, grenades, armor, clothing, environment, consumables, modulars, background from 8 to 16
  • Attachments from 6 to 12
• Objects are now much easier to interact with by not having to hit it directly. This makes clicking buttons or picking up weapons much less annoying
  
• Aim sway was reduced when using scopes. The higher the zoom of the scope, the less aim sway can be noticed
  
• Crouching now reduces aim sway by 50%
  
• The background grid in the scripting view can now be toggled on and off
  
• Hovering over node connections now also highlights the connected in- and output to help while editing large scripts with many overlapping connections
  
• The vehicle spawn nodes now output a reference to the spawned vehicle object
  
• Added a SetRotation node to quickly set the rotation of a unit without having to calculate delta angles
  
• Added button input node and BindPress event node
  
• When dragging into an empty area, the available scripting nodes now show more possible options like custom events and variables
  

[h2]Bug fixes[/h2]

• Fixed that custom objects with "delete object" destruction mode are indestructible
  
• Fixed that anti air rockets are blocked by triggers
  
• Fixed that pausing/unpausing causes ragdolls to fly around
  
• Fixed that the tank mgs on the WW1 tanks would shoot itself by targeting targets on the opposite side
  
• Fixed that editing a unit in the embedded unit editor would result in all guard mode poses to be reset
  
• Fixed that face shields would become invisible on corpses
  
• Adjusted most L and U stair models to connect to the floors
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed invalid placement outside of the allowed area
  
• Fixed that newly infected zombies could not infect other units
  
• Fixed that hiding scripting objects would result in them not being saved
  
• Attachment settings on 3rd and 4th weapons now work correctly
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed invalid battles (with multiple players or other problems) to be uploaded to the workshop
  
• Fixed that passing no input to a custom event with a value type would output 'null' on the event output
  
• Fixed that despawned units were still visible on the conquest respawn map overview
  
• Fixed the environment/equipment bookmark filter
  

The map Competition is over. Thanks to everyone who participated.

The topic 'Containment' was interpreted in many different ways, which is nice to see because many different maps have emerged from it. There is a new quick play bundle available in the main menu, where you can play 9 maps that I think are worth playing.
Just a discplaimer: If your map isn't mentioned in this post or the quick play bundle, that doesn't mean it is not worth playing. It was difficult to choose the 9 maps for the quick play bundle.

[h3]Winner[/h3]
A very nice looking map with many different custom objects which create a believable atmosphere and original concept. The player is introduced to custom gameplay mechanics like abilities and plays a large monster that is trying to escape. The gameplay is different from your usual AW3 battle, you can just run over your enemies and use your abilities to eliminate them. Due to the complexity of the map, it is not easy to run, so having a good computer is recommended.
The best looking map with the highest overall score in this competition.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2908725954

[h3]2nd place[/h3]
A really innovative map exploring topics that have never been explored before in AW3.
Playing in a dream with a slightly unsettling and sterile environment with non-euclidean geometry, you try to escape. While this map is mostly straight forward to play with no real threats or enemies, it is definitely worth playing for the experience!
Definitely the best map in terms of originality and technical design in this competition.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2909075190

[h3]3rd place[/h3]
Just a nice shooter map with decent performance and moderate difficulty. There are a lot of different custom weapons and some nice gameplay modifications with scripting like auto healing and a damage effect that makes it difficult to fight after taking damage.
This is the best map for a more casual shooter gameplay experience in the competition.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2907482599

[h3]4th place[/h3]
This map features a nice scripted intro that can be skipped, because you will play this map many times. With a time limit of 1 minute, it is really short and very difficult to beat. But it's also nice to try again and again.
The most challenging map!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2905159721

[h3]5th place[/h3]
This one is a really ... let's say interesting map. The small player spawns in a dark map and a bunch of zombies are chasing while the creator gives a short voice acted introduction to the map. The goal is to run around for 3 minutes without being caught by zombies while there is a bunch of monkey noises in the background and weapons lying around on the floor.
An interesting map
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2910130971

The Trauma Team Exfil event is now over!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/758990/view/3623739004293453221
Thanks again Earthy for creating this awesome map.

Over 400 individual players attempted to complete the map and nearly 100 players successfully finished the map at least once to have a score on the leaderboard. The ~25% success rate means that the map certainly wasn't easy to beat, but the overall response was pretty good, so we will most likely have an event like this again in the future!

Just a reminder, the top 3 can choose an in game content addition or small feature.
Only reasonable stuff that fits in the game and is technically possible will be added. (also no copyrighted stuff)
The complexity of the stuff you can choose depends on your place on the leaderboard after two weeks.
The winner can choose something which takes up to 5 hours to develop, second place chooses 2 hours and third place 1 hour.
In addition to the content addition, the winner will receive 3 steam keys for AW3 to give away to their friends. 2nd to 5th place will each receive one steam key for AW3.

The top 5 on the leaderboard are:

1. GeOmEtRy (41885 points)
2. Supa Player (41066 points)
3. oklpo908 (40034 points)
4. Chris P. Bacon (38985 points)
5. Count Landshark (38354 points)

If you are one of the top 5, please reach out to me to tell me what addition you would like to pick and to receive your steam key(s). You can reach me by:

• Joining my discord server and ping @JNI#3310
  
• DM me on discord, my tag is JNI#3310
  
• Adding JNI-Games as a steam friend and send a message
  

Starting today and running until the end of the year, there will be an official map competition! You can create a map based on a certain topic and if it wins you can choose the next in-game addition/feature.
You can find all you need to know below.

Start: Now
End: December 31 2022, 23:00 UTC

[h3]Rules[/h3]
Breaking the rules will result in an exclusion from the ratings

• Each participant can only submit one map
  
• The map is created by yourself
• (no collaborations in any way!)*
  
• The map has to feature a player controlled unit
• (static/spectate only maps are not allowed)*
  
• Old maps are not allowed, you have to start creating the map after the competition started
  
• The map has to be submitted before the competition is over, updates to the map are not allowed after the competition is completed
  
• The scripting system, custom equipment/items/objects, custom units/prefabs can be used in any way
  
  
  
  • This includes public workshop items of other players and content that you created in the past
    
  • However, if you use content created by other players, you have to clearly state which parts of you map/content were not created by yourself
    

[h3]Theme: Containment[/h3]
Create a containment-themed battle/map! The topic can be interpreted in many ways. Whether the player is trying to stop zombies, creatures, monsters or infected units from escaping, or is it himself who needs to break out of the containment is up to you. Your map can play in any era and could be full of action, spooky/story based, or a mixture of both.

[h3]Rating[/h3]
Each map will receive a score which depends on these categories: (modified based on Desert-Mammoth's original map competition)

• Appearance (0-3)
  Appearance is how the map looks from an aesthetics point of view - that is to say, how easy it is on the eyes
  
• Technical Design (0-5)
  Technical design covers how well a map is put together; that is to say, how well it runs, the efficiency of object and unit usage, and the complexity of the map in general.
  
• Balance (0-2)
  How balanced is a map, when the theme is taken into account? Is it too easy or too hard? Is one team steam rolling the other when it shouldn't be? Is the player waltzing all over the competition without breaking a sweat? Or is the player dying the moment they leave the starting area?
  
• Originality (0-3)
  Has it been done before? Has it been over done? Does it use original prefabs or does it borrow from the workshop? Is there something about the map that makes it stand out from the rest?
  
• Units (0-3)
  Is your map using custom units? Are they a designer brand fit for the catwalk or are they as bland as shredded wheat? Are they balanced, and do they fit the map?
  
• Gameplay (0-3)
  Is the map fun to play? Is there non-stop action, or is it scary/exciting/trilling
  
• Thumbnail (0-1)
  Does the map have an appealing thumbnail?
  
• Theme (0-3)
  How well is the theme represented in the map
  

Other relevant information about the rating:

• If you use custom scripting, it can positively influence categories like balancing, gameplay or technical design, but it can also negatively impact the performance! That being said, there is no need to use scripting to score the maximum points in the technical design category
  
• Custom equipment/items/objects are not required to score the maximum points in any of the categories, but it can help. In any case, using a variety of good looking custom units with vanilla equipment is sufficient
  

[h3]Reward[/h3]
1st, 2nd, 3rd place each receive one AW3 steam key
The winner can choose a small content addition or feature similar to the old WMC competition rewards. The addition has to fit into the game, respect the technical limitations/boundaries and take no more than 1-2 hours to develop.

[h3]How to submit a map[/h3]
Submitting a map is very easy, but make sure your map doesnt break any of the rules!
(Make sure you have the latest update installed)
1) Upload your map to the workshop
2) The is a banner on the left side in the main menu where you can select one of your workshop maps to submit it

[h2]In game event[/h2]
Before starting with the patch notes, there is a new in game event map available for the next two weeks. Participate on the leaderboard for a chance to choose the next content or feature!
[Event Information]

[h2]New siege weapons[/h2]
This update includes 3 new static weapons that can be used to fortify and defend locations:

• TOW anti tank missle launcher
  
• M2 .50 cal HMG
  
• Static LMG (5.56mm light machine gun on tripod)
  

[h2]New vehicles[/h2]
There are also 3 new vehicles included in this update:

• M113 troop carrier
  
• M132 'Zippo' flame thrower tank
  
• KV-2 tank
  

[h2]New quick play system[/h2]
The new quick play system features workshop maps that are worth playing to reward uploading high quality maps. It will be updated about every two weeks with new and older maps.


[h2]Gate feature for custom objects[/h2]
Custom objects which act as gates can now be created. They can have a single or double doors which can be rotated, moved or hidden. Gates work similar to doors and can be locked and opened/closed by the player, scripting or units.


[h2]Animated pose changes[/h2]
When switching between guard poses (with scripting), the change is now be animated instead of snapping to the new pose immediately. In addition, there is a new pose to let units sit.


[h2]Other features & improvements[/h2]

• Color categories can now be deleted in the color browser
  
• Searching for workshop items by name works much better now
  
• Added scripting node to get the weapon id from a unit
  
• Added 'origin' output to ProjectileImpact event nodes to get the spawn point of the projectile
  
• Added IsRefType script node to check if a reference is of a type
  
• Added OnInteraction possible event to detect when the player can interact with an object
  
• Added GetRefObjectsOfType node to get all objects of a type
  
• Added IsInVehicle node to test if a player is currently in a vehicle
  

[h2]Bug fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug that caused rendering problems when returning to the battle editor while driving a vehicle in 3rd person
  
• Fixed incorrect bloom values after leaving the scripting editor
  
• Fixed that hovering over node inputs would display the wrong description
  
• Fixed that custom particle effects and items did not load correctly when loading a script from the workshop
  
• Fixed a rare bug that prevented certain maps from being saved
  
• Fixed that the OnShoot event node was triggered incorrectly in burst fire mode
  

[h2]Next update[/h2]
The next regular update will be in January 2023. It will contain some more content and there are also some technical changes planned to make the game work more reliable with complex maps.