Cepheus Protocol News

So… Let’s get right into it. In the interest of transparency:

On November 2nd we stated that we needed some time to do a vast project cleanup.
https://steamcommunity.com/games/979640/announcements/detail/4483989494757851395

[h3]Development Workflow Update[/h3]

Based on feedback and internal assessments, we've prioritized auditing our development tools and refining our workflow to maximize efficiency. Today, we'll provide an update on our progress, share what remains to be done, and highlight the efforts of other artists on the team.

[h3]Progress Update[/h3]
While we've made significant strides, we estimate that this initiative will extend into next week. Our goal is to tackle as much as possible before returning to work on Doctrines and polishing the Driving AI. Several tasks remain, some of which will be completed by the end of this week, while others will follow after Doctrines are finalized and we transition into DNA Research.

[h3]New Ability System[/h3]
One major achievement is the development of a brand-new ability system, inspired by Fortnite's Gameplay Ability System. We've created a streamlined, lightweight version designed specifically for an RTS game. This new system will enable rapid implementation of current and future abilities within the Doctrine tree, significantly improving development efficiency.

[h3]Current Focus[/h3]
We are now polishing this ability system while addressing issues from the Unreal Engine 5.5 update and tackling ongoing code cleanup tasks. Our team is committed to ensuring everything is in excellent shape before moving forward.

[h3]Looking Ahead[/h3]
We appreciate your patience during this time of refinement. While delays can be frustrating, we’re confident these changes will result in a more robust, efficient workflow and pave the way for exciting new features.



Unreal Engine 5.5 came out a few weeks ago and we've been implementing Nanite Skeletal meshes amongst a few other features. Basically would make rendering high detail characters very cheap so we can easily push triple A quality levels of characters in terms of mesh quality.

• Nanite Skeletal meshes
  
• Chaos Physics improvements (Driving/ General Physics)
  
• Megalights
  
• Niagara Improvements(Better Birds/VFX overall)
  
• RHI/Render improvements
  
• A brand new Day/Night system implemented at the Engine Level
  
• Mutable Customizable Characters and Meshes
  
• Overall Stability/Performance improvements
  

https://youtu.be/cfoh5FHS5RA



Over the past month, we've been prototyping and revamping data loading from a level design perspective while working on a new map, 'Bay Area,' to replace the current one. Progress has been slow as we await fixes from Epic Games for a few issues related to HLOD generation in Unreal Engine 5.5.

https://youtu.be/wma6nrORqzo
https://youtu.be/2sE9MW26mDU
https://youtu.be/T0QUqORdgic
https://youtu.be/9a2imirPssU



As part of our proposed rework to the Doctrines and addressing community feedback we're going to be finishing up the CERC Doctrines tree over the next week or so. Then move into Vehicle AI driving polish/general bug fixes going into the XMAS sale.

CERC Doctrines Flow chart:



New AJAX variant - it buffs Medics within its radius and provides passive healing in a small area while stationary.
Smoke launchers on vehicles as a defensive item

New Generators:

1. Small: Generates 75 power
   
2. Medium: Generates 150 power
   
3. Large: Generates 300 power
   

Radioman Mesh Update


[h2]Operator Mesh updated[/h2]

As the final character to revamp we updated the "base" Operator pending a total audit of the Operator system around the AI/LT cards with a finalized mesh. Michael is currently out for Thanksgiving visiting his family this week and when hes back he'll get started on doing the final Infected Standard meshes.

Operators will have 2-3 outfits per variant.

Outfit 1

Outfit 2





I've added a new tab to our Roadmap page on Notion, making it the best place to track known bugs and any additional information needed to address them. I'll be logging bug reports from the Steam forums and Discord as they come in, assigning report numbers to each for easy tracking



Preview it here. You'll start seeing it populated in the next few days!



I'm considering adding a community suggestion tab where players can view suggestions made by others, see their status (approved, rejected, or pending), and track an ETA for implementation if approved. It would have a layout similar to the bug reporting section. What do you think of this idea?



We are working on redoing localization for the entire game as well for the next big update going into Experimental heres a first look at simplified Chinese.
https://youtu.be/enBD4phe0mY

We determine which languages to implement by referencing the Steam Hardware & Software Survey.

All of the supported languages will be revised by the XMAS sale.

1. Simplified Chinese
   
2. Korean
   
3. German
   
4. Japanese
   
5. Russian
   
6. Spanish - Spain
   
7. Portuguese - Portugal
   
8. French
   

So… Let’s get right into it. In the interest of transparency:

We need to take the time to polish some legacy systems to properly take the next steps for Coop and roadmap items. This means the “foundation” has been neglected in some areas, and some older backend code needs to be updated/refactored.

To see whats currently on Experimental check out
https://steamcommunity.com/games/979640/announcements/detail/4513262258492539032

[h2]What's Changing (Affects Programmers Only):[/h2]

• New Abilities: Implementing new abilities is a chore and very likely to cause bugs due to its complexity.
  
• Minimap System: Needs optimization and conversion to a more efficient solution.
  
• Legacy References: We still have references in our code to Capture Zones, medical tents, and Ammo tents from the 2020 release. (Check out old footage from that year!)
  
• Command Bar: The bottom-right command bar needs a retooling to improve ability integration.
  
• Systemic Merges: We’re consolidating some disjointed systems that were built separately over time, making bug tracking and fixes quicker and easier in the future.
  
• Civilian/Enemy Group Spawning: Retooling how civilian groups and infected spawn, spacing them out over time instead of spawning in the same frame. This will prevent frame “hitches” and improve FPS significantly.
  
• World Partition Simulation: Adjusting simulations to work more like Kenshi, with areas managed more efficiently outside of CERC influence. This will provide a major performance boost, especially when working with World Partition.
  

[h3]Aspects Not Affected by this Refactor (Level Design/Modeling/Animation):[/h3]

1. Map Merges: The merge to San Fran North and replacement map development will continue as planned behind the scenes so we can introduce a new open world map that replaces the current with the new areas.
   
2. Character Models: New character models for our exit from EA will be shared on Discord and Steam, including the final CERC and Infected models. They will continue to be worked on and brought into the engine while we do cleanup.
   
   [h2]What came in the last few updates:[/h2]
   
   Visuals for LCAC Garrisoning
   
   New Spec Ops
   
   New Assault
   
   New Winters
   
   New Sniper
   
   New Engineer
   
   
   

[hr][/hr]

[h3]Temporary Changes to Experimental Builds[/h3]
Note: Builds on Experimental will slow down for 1-2 weeks while we clean up and modernize these systems.

We've been developing fast, creating prototypes based on user feedback and our roadmap, and we’re realizing it’s created systemic issues in our pipeline. I want to personally apologize for this oversight in design; as our first “live RTS,” we’re learning as we go and addressing scalability/performance issues that have emerged with the game’s growth and recent engine updates. Things that worked years ago just aren’t holding up with the game’s current scale.

[hr][/hr]

[h2]In Conclusion[/h2]
In conclusion, this 1-2 week focus on legacy system cleanup will provide a stronger, more scalable foundation essential for Coop and future roadmap features. Although Experimental builds will slow temporarily, this will ultimately enable faster, more reliable updates, improve FPS, and allow for better overall performance. This is also done in the goal of allowing easier UGS(Modding) for new maps to streamline the process.

Originally posted by Smith

Project Director

Come join me as I stream the game, showcasing all the new units. I'll be answering questions throughout the stream.

:tv: https://www.twitch.tv/dark583

[h2]New Stuff Gallery:[/h2]


Summary:
We will be discussing the new units and progress we've had on the new CERC redesigns.

[h3]Assault Final[/h3]

[h3]Sniper Final[/h3]

[h3]Winters Final[/h3]

We’re excited to announce a live AMA where we’ll dive deep into the latest progress on vehicles and other exciting changes coming to Cepheus Protocol. Whether you're interested in the new mechanics or want to hear about all the updates, this is your chance to get involved and ask questions.

[h2]📅 Date/Time: Fri, October 18, 2024, 5:00 PM [/h2]

Join us on your preferred platform:

• Discord AMA Channel – Ask your questions and listen in on voice.
  
• YouTube Livestream – Watch the live stream and get insights on the latest updates.

[h3]What We’ll Cover:[/h3]

• New vehicle mechanics and updates
  
• Additional gameplay changes
  
• A sneak peek at development of the next few months going into the New Year

Mark your calendars! In 4 days, we’ll be holding a Development Rollup to catch everyone up on progress. We’ll be answering questions from the community and reviewing overall development since last time we met. The session will be live-streamed on YouTube and will also be available as a VOD for those who can’t make it live.

https://discord.gg/Uztq6kK9?event=1289951409411854387


After years of feedback we've caved and decided to pivot our design of CERC ground units. We are designing a new base "look" and getting rid of the "GI Joe" look. Our goal is for Michael to have the first pass out by Halloween there might be some bleed over. But its his primary goal and he'll be sharing progress on the Discord every few days starting after today in our announcements chat.


We currently are pursuing a more polished "final" look for our EA release next year based on the following ideas.

[h3]Mood board images for all classes redesigns [/h3]


[h2]After this is done if there is still a demand we will consider "camo" reskins for different nations as support packs. Let us know if this is still desired in the comments below[/h2]



More physics and destruction is coming!
https://youtu.be/pCcOG3nEFlg



Only the Bradley/Abrams and basic destruction is live now

The current update we are polishing on Experimental is code named "Escalation". We will not push it to public till the following line items are implemented and ready for general play. But you can jump in and test our progress and leave your feedback at any time by installing experimental. We prefer Discord for feedback so we can jump in voice calls easily but Steam is monitored as well.

We will be discussing the Abrams and Bradley and the MRLS which will be released within the next few days and the remaining challenges and goals going into the Halloween sale and beyond to wrap up the year.

[h2]What's coming in "Escalation"[/h2]

• Localization for all Languages updated
  
• Doctrines shifted/reorganized for longevity (Armored Core, Infantry Core, Airborne Core and Utility)
  
• Sparrow Weapons added
  
• Blackhawk Weapons added
  
• VTOL + Weapons added
  
• New Doctrines implementation that is geared towards longer play taking reference from games like Total War and Sins of a Solar empire.
  
• Mortar weapon Infantry
  
• Passive upgrades and ability tweaks across the board
  
• Abilities polish pass for Infantry to finalize them I.E the Sniper gains a claymore or heavy gains an actually "deployment" system that he setups up a basic defensive fortification.
  
• New Vehicle AI/ Driving still needs some polish
  
• Helicopter AI is reworked
  
• Some performance tweaks
  
• Vehicle Formations /Infantry spots next to vehicles
  
• Infantry/Units moving at the pace of the slowest unit in move order
  
• MLRS implementation with abilities
  
• Bus evacuation(Delayed) Will be coming at the end waiting for a more finalized driving AI
• Destruction (Delayed) Working out some technical issues with save/loading. We might have to forgo full saving as it works right now fully in terms of the destruction aspect. More details on this during the discussion this Friday
• Mine Deploying Atlas (Delayed) Low priority but coming
• Armor kits for the Abrams, Bradley & Striker with defensive items (Active denial for civilian RPG hunter teams)
  
• New and revamped Airstrikes
  
• More to be announced