This week we updated Boundless for Release 155. This included further tweaks to the grapple, new Hopper features and the release of the Roadrunner.
We have been testing the PS4 version to make sure that it has parity for the PC version of Boundless.
We have continued work on the unified Attributes / Stats / Progression System, the user created Portals and adding support for Location Markers on Planets in the HUD. These are all still in progress and will be available to play with as soon as possible.
The following items are candidates for release next week:
- GUI rendering, update and animation optimisations to increase game performance.
- Tweaks to the Player damage indicator in the HUD.
- Improved Creature AI, including creatures not falling off cliffs, avoiding obstacles and searching for routes to track you.
If you’re experiencing Latency issues with Boundless please try reducing the Chunk Download Limit. If you still experience Latency then share a screenshot with the debugging information displayed (press “.” to access it).
Code
The latest update included the skittish Roadrunner and new physical interactions with the Hopper. Both creatures can be manipulated with the Grapple. We’ve also been working on improving the shared creature navigation so they can get around barriers, such as walls, and they have finally evolved enough self preservation to no longer jump off cliffs! Beware the Spitters will now be hunting you down more ruthlessly, even through simple mazes.
The HUD work continues adding more damage information, both receiving (direction and damage amount) and delivering to creatures. Additional information is being added when the Totem is used to show other locations you already already on a Planet.
The GUI speed improvement are now merged into Boundless for release and have reduced the cost, especially when opening the Inventory and physically animation (wobbling). Work has not commenced on reskinning the GUI with new textures for 1.0 release.
We been adding the unified Attribute System (was previous called Stats System) for more flavour and variation in Progression, Items, Tools, Weapons, Ammo, Brews, Bombs and Creatures.
For PlayStation 4 we’ve been working through some of the Technical Requirements Checklist that are required to pass submission for a release. We are also working on the backend of user management, making it more scalable and adding support for PS4 sign-in. Quite a bit of time was spent on bugs fixing, adding support for VFX and SFX hooks. Otherwise time was spent on more Maya modelling export work.
Design
This week Rob has been working on how players view and interact with Objectives, as well as how the Rewards are presented in the GUI and HUD. He’s also been working on what information is shown on Planets in the Sky and how that information is displayed to players.
The following shows the process of creating a Warp to a new Location Marker.
When holding the Totem the following Locations will be presented on a Planet in the HUD:
- All of your personal Location Markers.
- The locations of your friends Beacons.
- All of your Guilds shared Location Markers.
- The single most prestigious Capital Beacon.
- All the next prestigious City Beacons vying for the rank of Capital.
The idea is to give players guidance on where to Warp to when visiting a new planet. They can pick the Captial or a City, or a location discovered by their Guild, or simply an interesting visual feature.
@olliepurkiss started the week off finalising the balance of Grapples and then moved onto to creating the initial data for the Attribute and Stats System with Andy. The rest of the week was spent designing how the Forge system will work. He also shared an overview design for Guilds in Boundless. Please checkout the design and let us know what you think.
@luke-turbulenz has been compiling a list of Objectives and Tutorials required for the Boundless 1.0, some of which were included in this week’s update. Work has started on design of the Sanctum for Boundless 1.0. The Sanctum needs to be expanded to include account creation, character creation, entering the world for the first time, and reentering the world.
Art
This week the art team has been busy on props, character customisation, creatures and VFX.
@Minyi has been exploring decorative props.
@jesshyland has made an inactive / off state for the pipes and started work on the Portal blocks:
She’s also completed Hunter tier 2 which is now in game, and started work on the Hunter tier 3:
@gerryjacobs has been continuing animation on the Hunter. We’ll soon have a full animation set for this creepy, ethereal creature ready for @AndyD and @dave to integrate.
Dom’s been working on hit impact effects and the poison elemental effect. Here’s a early version of the poison:
That’s all for this week!
