Ancient Warfare 3 News

While the technical improvements continue in the background, this small update contains some nice features to play around with. The technical improvements should be completed with the next regular update on May 1st to ensure the technical foundation is ready for what's coming next!
Now to the patch notes:

[h3]Unit Targeting Modifications[/h3]
Visual scripting can now be used to modify which units target each other. The previous update added nodes to prevent/allow individual units from being targeted and to let units target units of all or specific teams. This update adds a new node 'ExcludeTargetsWithTag' to exclude all units with a certain tag from being targeted by a units. This can be used to create custom teams (more than blue/red)!

It's really easy to set up:


[h3]Unit Paint[/h3]
While this was somewhat possible by painting clothing items before, there is now a new equipment slot to allow you to adjust the unit material like for clothing/armor items.


[h3]Nested Arrays[/h3]
Scripting array input nodes (and 2d array nodes) can now reference other array(2d) nodes. There is no limit on how deep the arrays can be nested, but keep in mind that the underlying array types have to be hinted manually using the 'HintArrayType' node.


[h3]Small Map Size[/h3]
Added a small map size based on a suggestion. It has 1/4 of the area of the regular map size and could be used for indoor only maps with high vertically, for example.

[h3]Other improvements[/h3]

• The play button in the load/save panel is now only visible when loading battles
  
• Destruction parts of custom objects can now be generated as a single part to just add physics to the one object as destruction effect
  
• Added a scripting node to get all attachments of a weapon
  
• Instance ids are now more reliable. This will prevent scripting references to units from breaking after editing a unit or the player
  
• Improved the performance of unit targeting
  

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]

• Fixed various problems when using the unit creator from the 'CustomUnit' input node
  
• Fixed various animation problems after editing placed custom units from the battle editor (single frame passive units, guard poses and more...)
  
• Fixed that uploading local custom items in workshop collections would not apply their tags which prevented them from being found individually.
  
• Fixed a rare bug that causes some older custom items to be rendered with missing mesh faces
  
• Fixed inconsistent scripting node output connection order on different computers
  

This update is focused around technical improvements. A lot of new features have been added to the game over the last few years, so some game system started to slow down a bit. To reduce lag and stutters while playing the game, various technical improvements have been implemented and I'm sure you will notice the overall speedup while playing!

[h3]Memory improvements[/h3]
The memory management has been improved to reduce RAM usage while playing/editing battle. In addition, some memory leaks have been indentified and fixed to further reduce RAM usage and improve the stability and performance over long play sessions.

[h3]Battle loading performance[/h3]

• On large maps, the game lagged and freezed for quite some time when switching between playing and editing battles. This lag as almost been completely removed and even the biggest maps unload almost immediately now
  
• The runtime battle loading time has been improved (numbers below)
  
• Visual scripting compilation performance has been greatly improved
  

Here are some examples for the loading time improvements:


[h3]Other technical improvements[/h3]

• The engine has been updated to improve stability, performance and enable new features that will help while developing the game in the future
  
• Removed the exclusive fullscreen option. Borderless is now the default because as it performs much better, while exclusive fullscreen offers worse performance and window management
  
• There are various changes to the audio system to improve the overall performance when many sounds are playing, and sound priorites should now work much better to prevent situations where gun sounds clip and and out
  
• The visual script editor performance has been improved and even very large scripts can now be edited with good fps
  
• Improved AI performance
  

[h3]New features & improvements[/h3]

• Maps can now be started from the loading UI in the battle editor
  
• Added an option to the terrain settings to deactivate coast generation (sand in water regions)
  
• Added scripting nodes to input player equipment, get equipment from a player and to spawn a player with equipment
  
• Added scripting nodes to start trading with units without having to interact with them
  
• Added AllowAsTarget node to allow/prevent certain units from being targeted
  
• Added SetTargetTypes node to select which team each unit will target (blue/red/none or any combination of them)
  
• Added input nodes for door keys and PickupKey nodes
  
• Increased max animation duration for custom gate objects
  
• Added a node to restrict/forbid the 3rd person perspective
  
• Added CameraDirection, CameraPosition, CameraRotation, PointInFrustum, ObjInFrustum, WorldPosToViewport, ViewportToWorldPos nodes to work with camera transformations
  
• Added support for importing wavefront .obj files generated with Open Asset Import Library
  

[h3]Bug fixes[/h3]

• Fixed duplicating ship objects with objects on top
  
• Fixed various problems with units spawned from unit spawners
  
• Fixed selection of objects that were rotated by rotating the object they are placed on
  
• Fixed a bug that caused duplicated script execution at the beginning of a battle in some cases
  
• Fixed a bug that caused anti air rocket launchers to hit scripting walls without projectile collision
  
• Fixed bugs related to picking up thrown melee weapons
  
• Fixed some weapon shadow visual glitches
  
• Fixed that items could be picked up through walls
  
• Fixed that units could not target small players
  
• Fixed ragdoll stretching on big zombies
  
• Fixed item overlapping in long scripting lists with many public parameters
  
• Fixed that pasting node settings could result in linked settings between multiple objects
  

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

Some really nice maps have emerged from this competition and 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.

[h3]Winner[/h3]
When starting, the player is briefly introduced to the story, systems and target of the map. We start on a fortified wall of a city and have to capture 3 points of interest outside of the wall to collect battery packs to enable our shield generator. This is easier said than done, because there are hordes of enemies approaching which we have to fight in the open. Traps and earth quakes caused by a giant mech make our target even more challenging. But for the size and complexity of the map, it is quite well balanced. Some advancements fail while others are successful and we can extract a battery pack.
The only minor drawback is the performance, which is not optimal, but the map is playable, although a good computer is recommended for complex maps like this.
The map with the highest overall score in this competition.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935310658

[h3]2nd place[/h3]
A really innovative map with lots of custom gameplay systems and things to explore!
The player plays as a thief in a pretty average castle society. There are plenty of peasants walking around as well as some guards. We try to steal some gold from the people without being searched and chased by guards. This map also features various system with custom UI like a inventory and shop system where we can spend our gold. There are multiple areas to explore in the castle and we even have to solve small quests or bribe guards to reach the next area or alternatively, we can try to hire squad mates to fight.
The best map in terms of technical design in this competition.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936506185

[h3]3rd place[/h3]
This awesome looking map features a classic castle siege with great looking custom units. In the first part, we advance the castle while under fire from catapults, ballistas and crossbows. The second part is more focused on melee battles inside of the castle walls, where we try to capture the entire castle to win the battle. Some small details like custom damage effects and a victory scene as well as good balancing make this a well rounded battle that is worth playing.
The best siege map.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2928810122

[h3]4th place[/h3]
This is one of the less complex maps, showing that you dont have to reinvent the wheel to create a good map. This map features a simple castle that is attacked from all sides and slowly collapsing. Everything feels a bit chaotic, as it should be in a medieval battle! There are many small scripts that add small features like custom damage effects, sounds, additional respawns and great ambience.
The map with the best atmosphere
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2928677841

[h3]5th place[/h3]
This map is a recreation of the first epside from the game Wolfenstein 3d. It features custom music and sound effects. Overall, the level design is pretty simple, just like the original game and the player is just trying to shoot their way through the map. At the end, we can choose to fight against a boss. A really nice feature is the difficulty selection at the beginning, which you dont see often in maps!
The best casual shooter map
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935087657

Starting today and running until February 20, there will be an official map competition! You can create a map based on a certain topic and the top 3 map creators receive cash prizes which are sponsored by Daley from Youtube.
You can find all you need to know below.

Start: Now
End: February 20 2023, 22:59 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 game keeps track of when a map was created, so you have to start with a new map)
• 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: Castle[/h3]
Create a castle themed battle/map! This topic can be featured in many ways. You could create a classic medieval siege, multiple castles fighting against each other to control land, or maybe you want to try something different like exploring a ruined castle with fantasy themed content or controlling a lord who is trying to build/control a castle while being attacked.
Your map can play in any era and we can't wait to see what creative ideas you come up with!

[h3]Reward[/h3]
Daley is providing a $100 prize pool, so thanks to him and make sure to check out his channels if you have some time!
The prize money will only be paid out via PayPal and is split between the top 3 creators:

• 1st place: $60
  
• 2nd place: $30
  
• 3rd place: $10
  

In addition, the top 6-9 maps (depending on the quality of the entries) will be featured as a quickplay bundle which usually results in these workshop items getting a lot of subscriptions!

[h3]How to submit a map[/h3]
Submitting a map is very easy, but make sure your map doesnt break any of the rules or it will not be considered for the competition!
(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

[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
  

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