Version 0.3.10 is out!
And with it, it brings quite a few major changes. This version was a long time in the making so lets us go back to the beginning to see how we got to this point.
The release of version 0.3.7
Version 0.3.7 brought on the world map, and the first beginnings of the campaign mode. here is the video if you haven't seen it before.
As the campaign mode started coming together it was becoming incredibly apparent to me that the default way of setting up different levels in Unity was NOT going to work well with the current game design. On top of that, each new level that was added started to drastically bloat the size of the game AND the amount of memory the game needs when running. This would be detrimental to having multiple servers running on a single computer, so I needed a solution to handle it.
Big changes for 0.3.8
There is a phrase that is common where I grew up, Go big or go home. So, I did the natural thing and completely wrote my own level system. This allowed me to have 100% full control over how everything was assembled and saved and lead to DRASTIC reductions in the amount of space and memory required for each level. It also enabled me to implement the persistent features of the campaign mode, so when you blow up a building, it stays blown up.
The aftermath
Well, having you own level system created from scratch is awesome, until you boat up the game, remember EVERYTHING you had created before that was dependent on the old Unity system and now the game doesn't work at all. Bummer. So Campaign mode was working but now Arena mode and Siege mode where completely broken.
Progress with 0.3.9
Release 0.3.9 focused on bringing the functionality back to the broken game modes, mainly focusing on the simpler arena mode. This required a complete re-design and re-write of how the game play systems worked, as it could no longer rely on predefined values in the levels. Arena mode provided a great launch bed for getting the basic game play systems converted over and porting a simple set of game rules on top of it all.
Multiplayer with 0.3.10
Version 0.3.10 builds on the work of the 0.3.9 release and extends it into a MUCH more complicated rules set, and enables it all for multiplayer gaming. Siege mode is now fully working inside the new dynamic level system with full multiplayer functionality (including the dedicated server). This required a near FULL re-write of the game networking code I had done previously, but it's was a must for the game to properly hit the design I have.
Summed all Up
In a nutshell here is the list of changes:
- Inventory System working in campaign mode
- Persistent level change tracking
- World files for multiple save games / campaign worlds
- Full level system conversion
- Full game play systems conversion
- Full networking system conversion
- Multiple levels supported in Siege mode
- Lots of bug fixes
Into the Future
Going forward, I will be picking back up my release schedule of an updated build every week. I will be focusing on adding multiplayer to the Arena and Campaign game modes as well as bug fixing any issues that come up.
There will also be a heavier focus on polishing things in the game to a 'final' state. You can expect to see a bigger focus on visuals and graphics and establishing a bit of back story and atmosphere in the game. If you have any ideas you want to see in the game, please let me know either in the comments or at the Official Message Board.
[M.A.V. is currently in Alpha funding. You can participate in the Alpha builds by registering a username at Bombdogstudios.com and purchasing a membership for $10. The Alpha membership guarantees you access to all future updates, including the final release of the game, for free.]
What are the system requirements? Sry, I couldnt find them... anyway looks so cool! Will it be / is it playable with a GeForce 8800GT?
Right now the system requirements are pretty low, a GeForce 8800GT should be fine.