Development update - July 28, 2022 (Patreon)

To summarize, more work was put into new boss entity sub-type for potential campaign mode as well as into rewriting message service to be able to handle more online players.

I did rewrite message service into other programming language - in order to optimize its' performance and thus allow more online users at the same time. This service is used for direct message notifications, cooperative level editor data transfer, global match announcement, match browser, match start & assign tasks to server instances, match detail updating, match join request delivery, handles chat messages for multiplayer matches, global lobby chats, in-match channel creation/invitation/subscriptions. In a way, it is similar to PB2's multiplayer servers but can do much more. It does not handle multiplayer data delivery, as instead, players are expected to connect to different kinds of servers that manage whole in-game worlds instead. This service is also expected to apply censorship rules and filtering at later stage.

Another thing is work on boss variant of new entity - it feels like experience with this new enemy can be rich enough as it has 5 actions now (walk, shoot, beam attack, spam shoot attack, stomp, spawn entities of same kind). I haven't yet tested it in real combat but functionally, visually and sound-wise it is getting ready. Still doing spawn action for it. I'm considering it to have at least 2 stages, perhaps. It does feel like boss-like entities aren't fastest to make, but so is any else new entity like vehicle or drone. Level of details is higher than in game like SD2D (1-3 days per new entity), even though I did spent some time in past to optimize new entity creation process for PB2.5/3 (1-3 months). I think most of the time is spent on physically correct navigation in the world, but, then again, it probably should benefit towards more interesting gameplay. But, I kind of feel like bosses aren't that kind of a concept that would benefit from PB2.5/3 physics much. This one entity that I've made will probably work as a boss when it will be met first but later - there could be much more of these - either in official campaign or players could use it in custom maps. Maybe eventually I will even make this boss entity customizable to the point where his actions list could be altered in custom maps, maybe even he could call in-level triggers that would result into even newer attacks. There is also still no sync logic for this boss as well as whole new entity type.

Server

- Rewritten message service;

- Implemented permission delegation for players to be able to download Creations that are referenced in a map/module they are trying to play, assuming map owner has permission to download that Creation. This is done to make non-skin Creations to be obtainable. Can't tell if it will be used for sure yet;

- Implemented access limitations for open-source Creations whenever they are moved to private folders (folders with special permissions);

- Fixed message service issues caused by blocking that can be caused by either message size or command execution complexity flood;

Level Editor

- Fixed issue that was causing caret to be sent to the end of code snippet during Ctrl + S combination;

- Fixed issue because of which Preview button would cause code snippet to be fully selected;

- Fixed numerous issues related to cooperative map editing (connection losses, disabled connection warnings during playtesting);

- Added synchronization of schematic position of player and cursor during cooperative map editing whenever one of level designers is playtesting map;

- Fixed issue causing dashed lines to appear over-detailed when zooming-in;

- Implemented permission delegation for downloaded Creations when cooperative map editing initiator has access to certain Creations;

- Added possibility to cancel cooperative level editing during first synchronization;

- Fixed bug preventing further cooperative level editing initiation once previous one was canceled;

- JPEG decorations support (previously there was only PNG support);

- It is now possible to pick Creations from file browser windows that are related to other users (to make it easier to pick some kind of open source Creation that is meant to be widely available);

- Fixed issue causing poor performance during dragging of skin objects;

UI

- Updated fonts in notification windows;

Gameplay

- New sub-type of new entity, which is a boss version. Done sprites and basic physical walking animation;

- Fixed issues with new boss entity walking on holey ground;

- Fixed issue preventing boss entity from shooting through its' parts;

- Added possibility for new entity (new boss is a subtype of this entity type) to aim at head and legs in case if player is hiding;

- Added 2 regular projectile attack phases for new boss entity;

- Fixed boss entity shaking issues caused by rapid height change;

- Added wider beam attack phase for boss entity;

- Added jump and crush phase for boss entity;

- Completely reworked physical walking animation for boss entity;

- Fixed bug that would result into lack of response fire whenever new entity was attacked by explosion rather than projectile;

- That same new entity no longer receives damage from own explosions;

- Fixed bug that has caused darkening from explosions to be calculated improperly whenever color of entity changes;

- Fixed bug that have caused inconsistent beam opacity for entities that can spawn beams attacks;

- Started implementing new phase for that same boss entity where it would spawn new other entities that are related to its' entity type, with pretty animations;

- Fixed bug that caused heavy railgun trail to not decay for a long time because of earlier done optimizations;

Sounds

- Had conversations with few more people, ended up looking on Fiverr. As a result - we have new Proxy, helmetless Proxy and Silk voice lines redone in PB2 now. I have few more unused lines that could be used during kicking/punching. Same voice lines will remain in PB2.5/3 if these voice actors will be available when I will be ready to request more lines for characters (assuming Silk will have lines in either official part of campaign or community-made in-between-possibly-optional levels of campaign) (28 for Proxy, 17 for Silk);

- Made sound effects for a rather unusual drone (3);

- Boss #1 activation, death, loop, step, 2 new attack sounds (6);

- Edited sound that is played when playtesting or previewing map since original version of it seemed to have tendency to pall after a while (1);