JB2A - Yeza Release v0.5.5 (Patreon)

"Yeza" is just a way for us to track our release! Module version v0.5.5 for FoundryVTT

Dear patrons!

Before jumping into presenting the new assets in this release, let us welcome all of you, new patrons!
Thank you so much for joining our project, we hope you enjoy our animations.
And of course, a huge thanks to all of you returning patrons and all of you that have been there for so long! 😊

Current plans on splitting the module into smaller packages

Good news!
It turns out the FoundryVTT's version 11 which is being worked on right now (it's in the prototype stage) will most likely help in that regard! 🥳
This new functionality called "persistent storage" will make it possible to keep our Library folder intact (not overwritten every update).
So, in theory, this would mean differential updates could be a thing inside FoundryVTT and should make the install and update of our module much easier!
We'll keep you in the loop on our progress!

Our initial plan will be to create a new branch of our module to make the transition as painless as possible for everyone.
This branch will be an experimental "beta" of sorts that people will be able to test and send feedback on.
Feedback and discussions will be essential for us to tailor things to your preference.
You're as much a part of this project as we are, if not more!

Contents of the release

This release is mostly dedicated to a new version of melee attacks!
The old way of dealing with those was becoming untenable.
Going back and forth between our different options for a couple of months, if not more, we arrived at a conclusion.
We had to make some changes. Namely, separate the trail from the attack animations and regroup "similar" weapons that can share the same trail.
To put it in perspective, this new release with the old method would have created:
13 new weapons * 4 variations * 3 trail variations * 3 colors = 468 assets! (not counting the added webp for thumbs) 😓

Not only does it take more hard disk space than we're comfortable with, it also bloats our After Effects projects to the point where previews take... a frustratingly long time!
If you have ever played around with Essential Graphics in After Effects, you'll know what we're referring to! If the program doesn't crash outright.😑
With the new method, we have 12 new weapons * 4 variations distributed amongst 4 groups so far.
Since, for each group of weapons can be attributed 3 different trails in 3 different colors, the calculation becomes:
13 weapons * 4 variations + 4 groups * 4 trail animations (matching the corresponding melee animation) * 3 trail variations * 3 colors = 196 webm files.

So, as it stands, this new method will require a macro to function properly, as it's a bit too specific for a module like Automated Animations
to implement without creating an exception rule just for these assets.
That's why we have added a macro in our compendium that can be run both from the hotbar or from Automated Animations's Auto-Rec menu.
This macro is called "Melee_Attack_Advanced".
It is heavily commented and explains in details how it works, and of course, we will help as much as we can to implement them in your games from our Discord server.

As always, you can check all the new assets by browsing through our Asset Viewer or read our Patchnotes.

Sneak Peek of next release

We have a lot to cover next month!
Partly because we may have finally found a way to get around the alpha issue we had with Unreal Engine 🤞
There is still a lot of testing to be done before we rejoice but so far, it's looking promising.
We also have a few melee weapons to finalize using our new method and a few more ideas we're excited to finish up!

• The scythe was almost...almost ready but we had to postpone it for next month.
  The trails are a bit trickier to nail for it, and for things like the trident for example.
  The flame shader is getting there, as you can see 😀
  It means the "Sun Sword" is around the corner as well!
  The 3D mesh for the flames is created with Geometry Nodes in Blender.
  Playing around with it, it makes for some cool-looking animations. See the idea for a Vortex seen from above or on the side!
  
  
• The lightning breath/cone has been requested a few times and is getting there.
  It might be a bit ambitious, so no promises, but we'll try our best to rework all cones to have another shape that accounts for other game systems like PF2E.
  You can see the template we've prepared for all sizes and shapes we'd like to create.
  
  

Link to the Master Post

Link to the Token Animator Download Post (Epic and above only !)

Additional links

• Patchnotes
• Website
• Asset Library Preview
• Discord Server
• Map Animator - For Epic tier Patrons and above only
• Hall of Fame
• Youtube Channel
• Music Puzzle - It's a free module but requires assets from the Patreon pack

See you all next month, have fun. And thank you again for the continued support ❤️
Jules&Ben 🖖