PPO EA Build 3: In-game CHAT, Performance, Discord
It's been really cool seeing people have so much fun with the various game modes since launch - and it's a blast to be joining you from time to time too!
PERFORMANCE
We have also been working hard on nailing the biggest issues people have been having with Planetoid Pioneers Online, and this update addresses the performance one in two big ways:
First, multi-threading of the physics is working again - now alongside our perfectly deterministic networking system! That was not easy to track down.
Second, we have improved the way objects on the ground are being cleaned up during long or intense gameplay sessions.
Both these optimizations together have a huge impact on helping people with slow computers not also slow down the simulation for everyone else in any particular game. Read more about that here.
IN-GAME CHAT
The really neat thing coming out today though: The coolest in-game chat you've ever seen! Comic-book style speech bubbles over your Pioneer's head... cooperate, coordinate, and taunt - but try to keep it civil, please. We're working on a muting feature, so if what you're saying isn't appreciated, other players can just muzzle you.
DISCORD
We have opened up our community Discord server to everyone, and made all previous Contributor Edition owners special members there. Come join us to coordinate games with people, edit game modes, and talk shop: https://discord.gg/0uOKhubnen2sJ6bl
In-game chat using comic-book style speech bubbles! Just press [T]
Improved performance with parallel physics solver
Improved performance with better scene clean up script
New Menu!
Better waves in Wave Defense mode, getting much harder!
FULL CHANGELOG:
ADDITONS
Added ServerMan
Added active games count
Added discord buttons
Added and bound c2d:SetMainWindowTitle()
Added and bound GetAimPointRel
Added effect to saw if thrown while activated
UPDATES
Prepared hosting and downloading workshop scenes
Implementing chat to network and server, wip
Input updates for game chat
Game chat, wip
Updated PP build number
Changed bubble font for more readability in chinese locale
Updates for chinese font to be more readable
Showing other lobbies count wehn in lobby
Using aimPointRel() in pioneer
Set outline color in old write to screen functions back to black
Updated build number for the coming perf update!
Enabled play while waiting, returning player to lobby if someone joined
Finished new scene:Write and WriteUpdate functions
Trap death effect
Stricter clean up including old tools and other assembled stuff, tweaked some blueprints to die for clean up
Removed out announcements from bomb ball since they dont count as typical outs anyways
Respawn protection effect also in pioneers tools
FIXES
Added server and lobby count to play while waiting, fixed some errors and warnings
Fixed Write javascript error
Fixed parallel physics solver for determinism
Fix:ignoring hologram MOs in auto-mounting joints
Fixed disconnect reason was nulled in discovery state, added kicked from lobby/game
Fixed blueprint category sorting when translation is missing
Fixed camo engine not dying when removed from body
Base def: improved performance, fixed negative wave counter
Fixed ppo settings in pp
Fixed pioneer jumping in opposite direction if cursor behind sometimes
Room rush: fixed now showing "final arena"
Last Chance: Planetoid Pioneers Online for 50% OFF!
A heads up that the launch discount for Planetoid Pioneers Online expires in only a few hours, so if you had fun playing it for free last weekend, you might want to jump on it now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1013040/Planetoid_Pioneers_Online/ Especially since our server stats show that most of you didn't even get to some of the deeper but most fun game modes, like Base Battle:
https://youtu.be/M35d_-3uZ1o
It's one that most reminds us of classic Cortex Command action: back-and-forth struggle to smash the sensitive core barricaded inside each teams' base bunker!!
Cortex Command is going OPEN SOURCE - and gets LAN multiplayer in B33
(image by Arne and community member MaximDude)
It's a monumental day for Data Realms..
Not only are we launching our first online multiplayer game today:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1013040/Planetoid_Pioneers_Online/ But we are also letting our first baby out into the world! Cortex Command was something that started as a passion project in high school, and ended as a title with such an unexpected long-lasting community and staying power that we're very proud of.
Despite oodles of official content, many feel that Cortex Command was never "finished" - and we're actually extra proud of that fact. The game both grew into something far beyond our own hopes, and also remained open-ended and flexible enough to let others pick up and take it even further!
One of those people is Weegee, who joined us from the community, and has in recent years contributed a tremendous amount of work and features to the official codebase that we are releasing to the public today.
Not only did he add a ton of additional interfaces to the scripting and ini files for modders to use when accessing the engine, he has even worked out a functional networked multiplayer mode for Cortex Command! This is an impressive feat, and uses non-traditional techniques - albeit it only works well on local networks (LANs) for now.
Anyway, the codebase today contains all that good stuff, and can be considered as Build 33, with the short form changelog to be found at the end of this post.
Without further ado, here is the now open source'd repository:
https://github.com/DataRealms/CCOSS
We anticipate that releasing this will ensure CC lives on and stays vibrant for even longer than it already has! We wish you luck and hope you have fun digging through the high-school-era code in some of the older parts in there ;)
Major features:
LAN Multiplater
Implemented mass and passengers count constraints for crafts
Dynamic pie menus
Dynamic buy menus
Fixes:
Reworked loading screen to reduce loading time.
Added an option "DisableLoadingScreen" in settings.ini to disable loading screen completely to reduce loading time (Thanks Duh102, CrazyMLC, MaximDude)
Fixed InvincibleCrafts and ToughCrafts global scripts (Thanks 4zK)
Fixed a bug when AEmitter flash was drawn in the wrong position if emitter was not emitting.
Fixed a bug in Siege when incorrect units wear spawned.
Fixed a crash when calling TimerMan.TicksPerSecond in Lua script
Fixed a situation where flipped crafts dropped units in invalid direction.
Added shortcuts and bindings:
Added binding UI for weapon pick, drop, next, prev and reload for "keyboard only" and "keyboard" control schemes.
You can press CTRL + ~ (ConsoleMan.ForceVisibility = true) to toggle console which does not grab input.
F1 - Shortcut help
F2 - Reload all scripts
F3 - Dump console text to file
F4 - Dump console input to file
F5 - Clear console log
New global scripts:
Added Low Gravity and Faster walking global scripts.
Added bulky drop ships global script.
Added global scripts to disable buy menu constraints.
Added Global scripts Better jetpacks, Constant Gold Income and All Units Are Brains
Well folks, it's been a decade-long journey here, but today we launch our first internet-multiplayer game, built with our own Crush2D networked physics game engine:
To celebrate, we are making the game FREE to play this whole weekend - so get your friends in on some of the carnage! We're also giving everyone a 50% off the already low price.
Finally, those who supported us by buying Planetoid Pioneers Contributor Edition, get a free copy of Planetoid Pioneers Online to keep! We love you guys.
Pass around the trailer to get some people interested in joining you for some bashin':
https://youtu.be/yl-rqUCakUI
Presenting Planetoid Pioneers ONLINE - launching THIS WEEK!
This month marks exactly TEN years since we started building the Crush2D game engine, which now finally also supports networking with perfect sync the super detailed game-affecting physics on up to four computers over the internet! We are proud to present Planetoid Pioneers ONLINE:
This technology has allowed us to make some really crazy physics-driven game modes for networked multiplayer, TWELVE of which will ship with even the Early Access launch of Planetoid Pioneers Online THIS WEEK!
Leading up to that big day, we are doing a video series showcase, demonstrating two unique game modes every day until launch. These are the first three days' worth:
PvP back-and-forth battle, room by room
https://youtu.be/E0ul0VbL9hw
Co-op building of structures to reach the highest heights
https://youtu.be/JPqSr3AidtI
Co-op defense of you and your pals' base against AI baddies
https://youtu.be/eZWLowHqj_o
Race customized rovers around entire planetoids; don't die
https://youtu.be/iMLYGaapV0g
PvP battle on tiny sky islands which can be bridged
https://youtu.be/MG0XA5LeIwE
Frantic race with grappling hooks ONLY - concussions guaranteed!
https://youtu.be/AXUPBRVC23E
Stay tuned for the coming modes in the coming days - and the Early Access launch of Planetoid Pioneers Online itself on Thursday!
Planetoid Pioneers is LAUNCHED, and 25% OFF
Ladies and gentlemen, this craft taking off today has been over eight years in the making...
Powered by a world-class 2D physics engine, a unique and modular game design on top, massive and varied content built with fully integrated editors (all included!), and extreme integration with the Steam Workshop for endless expansion, we at Data Realms are incredibly proud to present:
Speaking of Cortex Command, as a thank you to all owners of this previous game of ours, we are offering a 25% Loyalty Discount to you on top of the 25% Launch Discount for the special Contributor Edition of Planetoid Pioneers! This means, as an owner of Cortex Command, you end up paying 25% less than the base price for Planetoid Pioneers, and also get bonus access to the official Contributor Community Discord server, where you can easily share your content with other creatively-minded people and chat directly with the core development team.
We hope you enjoy exploring the current crop of wildly different worlds that ship today in the Asteroid Belt of Planetoid Pioneers, and look forward to seeing many more automatically pop up on that map from the Steam Workshop as the community grows and continues to create!
Cortex Command FREE + get 25% OFF our NEW game Planetoid Pioneers, launching on Thursday!
Folks, it's an exciting time over here at Data Realms. Next week we are launching our NEW game,
Planetoid Pioneers - which is actually a prequel to Cortex Command!
In celebration of that, we are making Cortex Command FREE for an entire weekend! Yes, you get to keep it forever after, too. (edit: yes, really you get to keep the full thing, never have to pay)
AND, if you own Cortex Command by the time Planetoid Pioneers launches on Thursday next week (Feb 8), you also get an 25% OFF it! Just add PP to your wishlist to be reminded.
So, just press that button to get all these free goodies - and stay tuned for more exciting Cortex Command developments this year!
Cortex Command Build 32, the Performance Update is HERE
Your wait is over: both for this fresh build of your old faithful game, and also for the next frames in the heat of the fiercest battle! Don't wait to get a copy for yourself or a friend, since the massive 85% OFF sale will only last for a few more days...
Here's what's fresh, thanks to Evgeniy "Weegee” Vigovskiy, Jesús “GranPC” Higueras Pica, and Chris “Montdidier” Kruger:
Performance
Gameplay
Content
Bugfixes
CC Build 32 COMING THIS WEEKEND - and only $2.99 NOW
Once again, just as you thought we'd given up on Cortex Command, Evgeniy “Weegee” Vigovskiy, Jesús “GranPC” Higueras Pica, and Chris "Montdidier" Kruger bring you a juicy update for the holidays! This time it's mostly focused around massive performance enhancements. With the new build coming out in a couple of days, you can have hordes of little guys going at it, without much slo-mo action kicking in.
So keep an an out for it dropping this weekend, right before the year ends!
Speaking of which, Cortex Command can be bought for LESS THAN THREE DOLLARS on Steam right now during the Winter Sale. Only until the 2nd of January, though... so this is a good time to spread the carnage; buy a copy for a friend!
Cortex Command Build 31 released: NO MORE OBJECT LIMITS
Evgeniy “Weegee” Vigovskiy Stefan “Abdul” Winberg Ken “CaveCricket48″ Vu Do &
Jesús “GranPC” Higueras Pica
bring you a MASSIVE update (on Steam right now, Humble shortly):
Major features:
Content updates:
Other improvements and fixes:
New ini-properties:
Lua changes:
Build 31 is out for Windows and Mac OS X right now! The Linux version is being worked on and should be released shortly.
Also, sign up for the Pioneer Program and be part of what’s next from Data Realms, already 5+ years in the making:
