For the past few months we've been in the process of rebuilding the game's server code. This change has taken a while, but was necessary for the game to move into the next phase.
Server & Networking
For the past few months we've been in the process of rebuilding the game's server code. This change has taken a while, but was necessary for the game to move into the next phase.
Up until now, we used a cloud based networking system, this was an easy and quick way for us to get the game in a playable state. But, had some built in limitations, primarily, the cloud based system was only intended for a small lobby of players. And was not capable of supporting the numbers required for a full fledged MMO.
Next, we had limited control over the "server", so changes were hard to do. This meant that persistence was almost non-existent, even though we did leverage a number of tricks to make it seem like the world was persistent between logging in and out (which caused its own set of issues).
With the new server, all of these issues are taken care of at once. While the server is nowhere near perfect yet, it is finally good enough to replace the previous system.
With this we are back to regular updates, now that the bulk of the networking work is done.
Important Improvements
- Position syncing between clients should be much smoother.
- More users can be online at once.
- Persistent changes can be made to the game world.
Other Updates
- Camera collision is much more responsive, and easier to work with.
- Animations, the player animations have been improved, and should better match the character's movement.
- Support for the latest Oculus Rift. (needs confirmation)
- Tools for GM's. Moderation tools, and in-game level editing tools.
- Scaling, the UI scales to screen resolution.
- Upgrade to Unity5.
- Quick login.
- Login screen displays users online.