The map competition is over. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Some really nice maps have emerged from this competition and there is a new quick play bundle available in the main menu, where you can play 7 maps that I think are worth playing. Just a discplaimer: If your map isn't mentioned in this post or the quick play bundle, that doesn't mean it is not worth playing. The winners will be notified via steam dms or discord, so keep an eye out for that!
Winner
On this map the player explores what really happened on the moon. After completing some challenging puzzles to figure out keycodes in the first part, the player has to fight for survival in the second part... The best map of the competition https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2991984058
2nd place
This well designed and detailed map sends the player into a space station or ship from where we have to escape. While shooting all the enemies can be challenging due to custom damage effects, the map is well balanced and features some nice shooter gameplay! The best shooter map https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2988689813
3rd place
This map features a battle where the player tries to advance through the enemy lines with the help of allied AI units. There are some nice scripting features like recruting units and zones to capture to gain more strength. The best open battle map https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2989393977
4th place
This is one of the less complex maps, showing that you dont have to reinvent the wheel to create a good map. The map uses only vanilla items and still looks and plays really good! The player is introduced to the task via unit messages and dialogues. Gear can be bought at a trader and the gameplay is really simple but fun! The best vanilla map https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2983108099
Starting today and running until June 20, there will be an official map competition! You can create a map based on a certain topic and the top 3 map creators receive cash prizes which are sponsored by Daley from Youtube. You can find all you need to know below.
Start: Now End: June 20 2023, 18:00 UTC
Rules
Breaking the rules will result in an exclusion from the ratings
Each participant can only submit one map
The map is created by yourself
(no collaborations in any way!)*
The map has to feature a player controlled unit
(static/spectate only maps are not allowed)*
Old maps are not allowed, you have to start creating the map after the competition started (the game keeps track of when a map was created, so you have to start with a new map)
The map has to be submitted before the competition is over, updates to the map are not allowed after the competition is completed
The scripting system, custom equipment/items/objects, custom units/prefabs can be used in any way
This includes public workshop items of other players and content that you created in the past
However, if you use content created by other players, you have to clearly state which parts of you map/content were not created by yourself
Theme: Space Wars
Enter an intergalactic adventure and create a space wars battle/map! Craft epic spaceships, planetary conquests or daring missions across the stars. Unleash your creativity and bring to life the battles of a futuristic era. Will you defend a space station, ship or outpost against relentless enemies or explore uncharted alien planets with interesting characters and storylines? The choice is yours!
Reward
Daley is providing a $100 prize pool, so thanks to him and make sure to check out his channels if you have some time! The prize money will only be paid out via PayPal and is split between the top 3 creators:
1st place: $60
2nd place: $30
3rd place: $10
In addition, the top 6-9 maps (depending on the quality of the entries) will be featured as a quickplay bundle which usually results in these workshop items getting a lot of subscriptions!
How to submit a map
Submitting a map is very easy, but make sure your map doesnt break any of the rules or it will not be considered for the competition! (Make sure you have the latest update installed) 1) Upload your map to the workshop 2) The is a banner on the right side in the main menu where you can select one of your workshop maps to submit it
Rating
Each map will receive a score which depends on these categories: (modified based on Desert-Mammoth's original map competition)
Appearance (0-3) Appearance is how the map looks from an aesthetics point of view - that is to say, how easy it is on the eyes
Technical Design (0-5) Technical design covers how well a map is put together; that is to say, how well it runs, the efficiency of object and unit usage, and the complexity of the map in general.
Balance (0-2) How balanced is a map, when the theme is taken into account? Is it too easy or too hard? Is one team steam rolling the other when it shouldn't be? Is the player waltzing all over the competition without breaking a sweat? Or is the player dying the moment they leave the starting area?
Originality (0-3) Has it been done before? Has it been over done? Does it use original prefabs or does it borrow from the workshop? Is there something about the map that makes it stand out from the rest?
Units (0-3) Is your map using custom units? Are they a designer brand fit for the catwalk or are they as bland as shredded wheat? Are they balanced, and do they fit the map?
Gameplay (0-3) Is the map fun to play? Is there non-stop action, or is it scary/exciting/trilling
Thumbnail (0-1) Does the map have an appealing thumbnail?
Theme (0-3) How well is the theme represented in the map
Other relevant information about the rating:
If you use custom scripting, it can positively influence categories like balancing, gameplay or technical design, but it can also negatively impact the performance! That being said, there is no need to use scripting to score the maximum points in the technical design category
Custom equipment/items/objects are not required to score the maximum points in any of the categories, but it can help. In any case, using a variety of good looking custom units with vanilla equipment is sufficient
0.40.0.1 Bug fixing patch
Fixed some problems when replacing objects and their dependencies after deleting the floor they were placed on
Deleting a modular object will no longer cause unrelated objects to be replaced (in wrong positions)
Fixed that unknown custom items would not be added to the unit editor equipment list while editing units
Fixed a bug that prevented players from updating their own campaigns
Fixed a bug that caused the player animations to break in the editor after editing a custom unit
Fixed clipping issues for egyptian, medieval and future shirts
Adjusted the placement of static ship objects to allow them to be placed in shallow water
Fixed that animation saves could not be organized into folders
Fixed bolt action animation problems when trying to reload while pulling the bolt
Adjusted navigation of the framed stairs to prevent AI navigation problems
Fixed a bug that reopened the unit detail panel after the workshop download completed
Fixed graphical glitches for elephant ragdolls
Fixed incorrect behavior of the DynamicRefCast scripting node
Fixed that all objects could be rotated in the scripting view of the editor which lead to problems
Fixed errors when trying to save battles/prefabs/units/... outside of the default save directory
Fixed that the game allowed empty prefabs to be uploaded
The max hp of units is now adjusted correctly when the game randomizes it when loading a battle
Strategy mode fixes
Fixed that various objects (like scripting triggers) blocked cursor interactions
Fixed the direct attack instruction
Fixed missing health bars for spawned units and after leaving/entering the strategy mode
Technical Update 0.44
Update 0.43 already helped a lot by improving the stability and overall speed and memory efficiency of the game and this update concludes these technical changes by introducing a new save system and format!
Why a new save system was needed
When the game started with small battles and a few custom units, the old system was working fine. However, many new features and complex things like custom sounds, custom models/items have been implemented which caused a lot of new information to be stored in the saves. Some battles or campaigns are sized 100MB or more, so performance and memory efficiency became a growing concern. While loading these large files just took a lot of memory and time on some systems, others just couldn't handle them anymore! In addition, loading/saving a lot of saves caused memory fragmentations and reduced game performance, freezes and crashes!
The new save system
The new save system uses the latest tech to solve all the problems of the old system! You will surely notice the improvements while saving/loading, but I also prepared some example maps which show how the time (not including loading the battle in the editor) and file size changed from the old to the new version:
This new system also requires almost no any additional RAM to store and load the saves (except the resulting battle/unit/.. data of course) and therefore doesnt cause any of the problems like performance degradation and crashes after longer sessions. And thanks to the performance improvements it opens up new possibilities for future updates and features!
What happens to the old saves
If you are wondering what happens to your old saves after this update, dont worry! The game can still load the old format, so you can keep working on all your saved content. However, the next time you save, the new format will be used.
Local Content Auto Updater When browsing your files in the in-game file browser, it recognizes files in the legacy format and offers the option to update them automatically. Before your items are updated, a backup will be created in the "__legacy" folder and you can stop and continue the update at any time. Although it usually takes just a few seconds depending on the amount of saves and save type.
Workshop Content Updater To improve the speed when loading subscribed workshop units, prefabs and items in the main menu, all these workshop items have already been updated to the new format. So when you update the game, all your subscribed items should be up to date as well. And all the existing workshop battles and campaigns will be updated soon, so that players can enjoy the faster loading times in the workshop too.
Next update(s)
After these two big technical updates, the next updates will be focused on regular improvements and new features. The new save format has been extensively tested, so I don't expect any problems, but if you notice anything please report it on steam or discord and it will be fixed asap! There are also some open bugs which have to be fixed, so expect a bug fixing patch fairly soon.
CQB Speedrun Event Result
The CQB speedrun event is over. 363 players participated! https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/758990/view/3686802262376863565?l=english
Thanks again to KgDaniel for creating the map and Daley from youtube for sponsoring the reward for the winner!
The top 3 will be notified on steam or discord for the rewards!
CQB Speedrun Event
For the next 9 days we have a new in game event made by KgDaniel.
Participate in this intense cqb map by pressing on it in the main menu. By completing the map your time will be submitted to a leaderboard and you can play the map as often as you want! And remember that this competition is all about time, so try to be as quick as possible!
Rewards
The winner receives $50 via Paypal or digital steam gift card. Thanks to Daley from Youtube for sponsoring the reward! In addition 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will each receive one steam key for AW3 to give away to their friends
Duration
Start: Now End: May 10 2023, 22:59 UTC
Thanks to KgDaniel for making this event possible and Daley for having the idea and sponsoring the reward!
Update 0.43.1
While the technical improvements continue in the background, this small update contains some nice features to play around with. The technical improvements should be completed with the next regular update on May 1st to ensure the technical foundation is ready for what's coming next! Now to the patch notes:
Unit Targeting Modifications
Visual scripting can now be used to modify which units target each other. The previous update added nodes to prevent/allow individual units from being targeted and to let units target units of all or specific teams. This update adds a new node 'ExcludeTargetsWithTag' to exclude all units with a certain tag from being targeted by a units. This can be used to create custom teams (more than blue/red)! It's really easy to set up:
Unit Paint
While this was somewhat possible by painting clothing items before, there is now a new equipment slot to allow you to adjust the unit material like for clothing/armor items.
Nested Arrays
Scripting array input nodes (and 2d array nodes) can now reference other array(2d) nodes. There is no limit on how deep the arrays can be nested, but keep in mind that the underlying array types have to be hinted manually using the 'HintArrayType' node.
Small Map Size
Added a small map size based on a suggestion. It has 1/4 of the area of the regular map size and could be used for indoor only maps with high vertically, for example.
Other improvements
The play button in the load/save panel is now only visible when loading battles
Destruction parts of custom objects can now be generated as a single part to just add physics to the one object as destruction effect
Added a scripting node to get all attachments of a weapon
Instance ids are now more reliable. This will prevent scripting references to units from breaking after editing a unit or the player
Improved the performance of unit targeting
Bug fixes
Fixed various problems when using the unit creator from the 'CustomUnit' input node
Fixed various animation problems after editing placed custom units from the battle editor (single frame passive units, guard poses and more...)
Fixed that uploading local custom items in workshop collections would not apply their tags which prevented them from being found individually.
Fixed a rare bug that causes some older custom items to be rendered with missing mesh faces
Fixed inconsistent scripting node output connection order on different computers
Technical Update 0.43
This update is focused around technical improvements. A lot of new features have been added to the game over the last few years, so some game system started to slow down a bit. To reduce lag and stutters while playing the game, various technical improvements have been implemented and I'm sure you will notice the overall speedup while playing!
Memory improvements
The memory management has been improved to reduce RAM usage while playing/editing battle. In addition, some memory leaks have been indentified and fixed to further reduce RAM usage and improve the stability and performance over long play sessions.
Battle loading performance
On large maps, the game lagged and freezed for quite some time when switching between playing and editing battles. This lag as almost been completely removed and even the biggest maps unload almost immediately now
The runtime battle loading time has been improved (numbers below)
Visual scripting compilation performance has been greatly improved
Here are some examples for the loading time improvements: [table] [tr] [th]Test[/th] [td]Old Version[/td] [td]New version[/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]Trauma Team Exfil event map runtime loading[/th] [td]29.2s[/td] [td]14.5s[/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]Interloper map runtime loading[/th] [td]37.2s[/td] [td]21.9s[/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]Halls map runtime loading[/th] [td]22.0s[/td] [td]15.7s[/td] [/tr] [/table]
Other technical improvements
The engine has been updated to improve stability, performance and enable new features that will help while developing the game in the future
Removed the exclusive fullscreen option. Borderless is now the default because as it performs much better, while exclusive fullscreen offers worse performance and window management
There are various changes to the audio system to improve the overall performance when many sounds are playing, and sound priorites should now work much better to prevent situations where gun sounds clip and and out
The visual script editor performance has been improved and even very large scripts can now be edited with good fps
Improved AI performance
New features & improvements
Maps can now be started from the loading UI in the battle editor
Added an option to the terrain settings to deactivate coast generation (sand in water regions)
Added scripting nodes to input player equipment, get equipment from a player and to spawn a player with equipment
Added scripting nodes to start trading with units without having to interact with them
Added AllowAsTarget node to allow/prevent certain units from being targeted
Added SetTargetTypes node to select which team each unit will target (blue/red/none or any combination of them)
Added input nodes for door keys and PickupKey nodes
Increased max animation duration for custom gate objects
Added a node to restrict/forbid the 3rd person perspective
Added CameraDirection, CameraPosition, CameraRotation, PointInFrustum, ObjInFrustum, WorldPosToViewport, ViewportToWorldPos nodes to work with camera transformations
Added support for importing wavefront .obj files generated with Open Asset Import Library
Bug fixes
Fixed duplicating ship objects with objects on top
Fixed various problems with units spawned from unit spawners
Fixed selection of objects that were rotated by rotating the object they are placed on
Fixed a bug that caused duplicated script execution at the beginning of a battle in some cases
Fixed a bug that caused anti air rocket launchers to hit scripting walls without projectile collision
Fixed bugs related to picking up thrown melee weapons
Fixed some weapon shadow visual glitches
Fixed that items could be picked up through walls
Fixed that units could not target small players
Fixed ragdoll stretching on big zombies
Fixed item overlapping in long scripting lists with many public parameters
Fixed that pasting node settings could result in linked settings between multiple objects
Castle Map Competition result!
The map Competition is over. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Some really nice maps have emerged from this competition and there is a new quick play bundle available in the main menu, where you can play 9 maps that I think are worth playing. Just a discplaimer: If your map isn't mentioned in this post or the quick play bundle, that doesn't mean it is not worth playing.
Winner
When starting, the player is briefly introduced to the story, systems and target of the map. We start on a fortified wall of a city and have to capture 3 points of interest outside of the wall to collect battery packs to enable our shield generator. This is easier said than done, because there are hordes of enemies approaching which we have to fight in the open. Traps and earth quakes caused by a giant mech make our target even more challenging. But for the size and complexity of the map, it is quite well balanced. Some advancements fail while others are successful and we can extract a battery pack. The only minor drawback is the performance, which is not optimal, but the map is playable, although a good computer is recommended for complex maps like this. The map with the highest overall score in this competition. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935310658
2nd place
A really innovative map with lots of custom gameplay systems and things to explore! The player plays as a thief in a pretty average castle society. There are plenty of peasants walking around as well as some guards. We try to steal some gold from the people without being searched and chased by guards. This map also features various system with custom UI like a inventory and shop system where we can spend our gold. There are multiple areas to explore in the castle and we even have to solve small quests or bribe guards to reach the next area or alternatively, we can try to hire squad mates to fight. The best map in terms of technical design in this competition. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936506185
3rd place
This awesome looking map features a classic castle siege with great looking custom units. In the first part, we advance the castle while under fire from catapults, ballistas and crossbows. The second part is more focused on melee battles inside of the castle walls, where we try to capture the entire castle to win the battle. Some small details like custom damage effects and a victory scene as well as good balancing make this a well rounded battle that is worth playing. The best siege map. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2928810122
4th place
This is one of the less complex maps, showing that you dont have to reinvent the wheel to create a good map. This map features a simple castle that is attacked from all sides and slowly collapsing. Everything feels a bit chaotic, as it should be in a medieval battle! There are many small scripts that add small features like custom damage effects, sounds, additional respawns and great ambience. The map with the best atmosphere https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2928677841
5th place
This map is a recreation of the first epside from the game Wolfenstein 3d. It features custom music and sound effects. Overall, the level design is pretty simple, just like the original game and the player is just trying to shoot their way through the map. At the end, we can choose to fight against a boss. A really nice feature is the difficulty selection at the beginning, which you dont see often in maps! The best casual shooter map https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935087657
Map Competition
Starting today and running until February 20, there will be an official map competition! You can create a map based on a certain topic and the top 3 map creators receive cash prizes which are sponsored by Daley from Youtube. You can find all you need to know below.
Start: Now End: February 20 2023, 23:59 UTC
Rules
Breaking the rules will result in an exclusion from the ratings
Each participant can only submit one map
The map is created by yourself
(no collaborations in any way!)*
The map has to feature a player controlled unit
(static/spectate only maps are not allowed)*
Old maps are not allowed, you have to start creating the map after the competition started (the game keeps track of when a map was created, so you have to start with a new map)
The map has to be submitted before the competition is over, updates to the map are not allowed after the competition is completed
The scripting system, custom equipment/items/objects, custom units/prefabs can be used in any way
This includes public workshop items of other players and content that you created in the past
However, if you use content created by other players, you have to clearly state which parts of you map/content were not created by yourself
Theme: Castle
Create a castle themed battle/map! This topic can be featured in many ways. You could create a classic medieval siege, multiple castles fighting against each other to control land, or maybe you want to try something different like exploring a ruined castle with fantasy themed content or controlling a lord who is trying to build/control a castle while being attacked. Your map can play in any era and we can't wait to see what creative ideas you come up with!
Reward
Daley is providing a $100 prize pool, so thanks to him and make sure to check out his channels if you have some time! The prize money will only be paid out via PayPal and is split between the top 3 creators:
1st place: $60
2nd place: $30
3rd place: $10
In addition, the top 6-9 maps (depending on the quality of the entries) will be featured as a quickplay bundle which usually results in these workshop items getting a lot of subscriptions!
How to submit a map
Submitting a map is very easy, but make sure your map doesnt break any of the rules or it will not be considered for the competition! (Make sure you have the latest update installed) 1) Upload your map to the workshop 2) The is a banner on the left side in the main menu where you can select one of your workshop maps to submit it
Rating
Each map will receive a score which depends on these categories: (modified based on Desert-Mammoth's original map competition)
Appearance (0-3) Appearance is how the map looks from an aesthetics point of view - that is to say, how easy it is on the eyes
Technical Design (0-5) Technical design covers how well a map is put together; that is to say, how well it runs, the efficiency of object and unit usage, and the complexity of the map in general.
Balance (0-2) How balanced is a map, when the theme is taken into account? Is it too easy or too hard? Is one team steam rolling the other when it shouldn't be? Is the player waltzing all over the competition without breaking a sweat? Or is the player dying the moment they leave the starting area?
Originality (0-3) Has it been done before? Has it been over done? Does it use original prefabs or does it borrow from the workshop? Is there something about the map that makes it stand out from the rest?
Units (0-3) Is your map using custom units? Are they a designer brand fit for the catwalk or are they as bland as shredded wheat? Are they balanced, and do they fit the map?
Gameplay (0-3) Is the map fun to play? Is there non-stop action, or is it scary/exciting/trilling
Thumbnail (0-1) Does the map have an appealing thumbnail?
Theme (0-3) How well is the theme represented in the map
Other relevant information about the rating:
If you use custom scripting, it can positively influence categories like balancing, gameplay or technical design, but it can also negatively impact the performance! That being said, there is no need to use scripting to score the maximum points in the technical design category
Custom equipment/items/objects are not required to score the maximum points in any of the categories, but it can help. In any case, using a variety of good looking custom units with vanilla equipment is sufficient
