Today at 6pm PT, I'll be streaming Distance on PS5 and talking about the PlayStation development process, as well as the recently released Kinetic Update (v1.5). I hope to see you there!
- Jordan
Distance
Developer Twitch Stream - July 19th at 6pm PT
Today at 6pm PT, I'll be streaming Distance on PS5 and talking about the PlayStation development process, as well as the recently released Kinetic Update (v1.5). I hope to see you there!
- Jordan
Distance Launches on PS4 & PS5 July 19th!
Distance: Console Edition has a release date for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5! You can get it July 19th on the PlayStation Store. Watch the exciting trailer with brand new music here:
If you’ve been following Distance for a while you’re probably aware that the PlayStation version has had a fairly long and tumultuous development. It was our first time developing anything for a console, and it’s been an incredible learning experience throughout.
For more info about this release as well as some behind-the-scenes development details, please check out the blog post below:
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Distance v1.5: The Kinetic Update
Hey everyone! Today we're releasing The Kinetic Update (v1.5) which features 15 incredible new levels from community creators, several improvements to the Steam Deck experience, an update to 64-bit on Windows and Linux, and more! See the trailer above for an overview.
v1.5 Changelog (Build 7049):
- General Improvements:
- Updated Windows and Linux to 64-bit
- Updated the Steam backend to utilize Steamworks' latest version
- Improved Workshop level updating to be more informative during enumeration
- You can now skip Workshop updating while files are enumerating
- Updated Windows and Linux to 64-bit
- New Community Levels:
- Absorption
- Aeris
- Earth
- Floral
- Glide in the Hole
- Homestead
- Macro
- Orthodox
- Pacebreaker
- Sakura Skyway
- Salmon
- Storm 2: Neon Thunder
- Table
- Too Many Dots
- Toy Time
- Absorption
- Level Updates:
- Updated Cosmic Glitch and Sugar Rush with new versions from Pinapl (Michael Ammel)
- Updated Event Horizon with a new version from Plasmawario
- Updated Credits level to update copyright dates and include Susan Lusty (PR) in the special thanks
- Updated Cosmic Glitch and Sugar Rush with new versions from Pinapl (Michael Ammel)
- Steam Deck Improvements
- Added Steam Deck button icons when using the Deck natively or with Proton
- Added on-screen keyboard support for Steam Deck
- Added haptics support for Steam Deck
- Improved default graphics settings for Steam Deck
- Fixed issues with the default Steam Deck controller config
- Added Steam Deck button icons when using the Deck natively or with Proton
- Bugs Fixed
- Fixed bug where highlighting a locked level in the advanced level select could prevent the leaderboards from being accessed in grid view
- Fixed bug where Zenith wouldn't appear in the advanced level select
- Fixed bug where highlighting a locked level in the advanced level select could prevent the leaderboards from being accessed in grid view
Once again, congrats to the creators who were selected for inclusion! We're excited to share each of your incredible creations with everyone. Last year actually marked the 10th anniversary of Distance Advent Calendar and the talent on display was insane. Even after all these years the Distance level creator community shines brighter than ever.
Also a huge thanks to those who gave feedback on our latest experimental build in preparation for this update. Let us know what you think of v1.5 on Discord!
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Sept. 2023 Update, Looking for Community Levels
Hi everyone! If you're wondering what Refract has been up to lately here's a quick update. I talk about the current state of Refract projects, Distance on PS4, and more:
Looking for Community Levels
It’s been a while since our last update but the incredible community-made levels just keep coming (almost 5,000 of them)! I’m looking into doing another small Community Level update to feature some in game, and I could use your help in deciding what should be included. I’ve created a Google survey where you can nominate your favorite levels released over the last couple years. Please check it out here:
- Nominate: https://forms.gle/GtPYBu2AGM8BEBUU9
Steam Cloud Bug Fixed
In other Steam-specific news, I was made aware of an issue with Steam Cloud. Upon reaching Steam's file limit you would see "k_eResultFileNotFound" errors in-game after finishing a map, or when you try to upload or update a workshop map.
To remedy this I'm no longer syncing the "LocalLeaderboards/WorkshopLevels" folder which means Workshop local leaderboards will not be synced with the Cloud (since there could be endless files). I'm also not syncing your Graphics Settings across devices since that could result in resolution mismatches and other issues.
I hope you all are doing well and thanks for reading!
- Jordan
Steam Cloud, DAC 2020 Submissions
Your personal leaderboards, medal progress, editor levels, etc. will now be backed up after closing the game. Since it's a change in Steam's backend there is no new build to download, and it works cross-platform with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Thanks for your patience while sorting this one out!
DAC 2020 Submissions
With December right around the corner that means Distance Advent Calendar (DAC) is starting up soon! If you're into level making it's an excellent opportunity to get your own creations in front of players. To quote Californ1a from our mod team on Discord:
It's that time of year again, DAC 2020 is open for submissions!
Hit that follow button and turn on notifications for this channel to be notified when DAC maps start releasing in December!
If you're new around here, DAC is the Distance Advent Calendar.
Every year a whole bunch of map authors get together to release (at least) one new map each day of December leading up to the 25th.
Occasionally we also have additional submissions alongside the maps like videos, wallpapers, and more.
Anyone is free to join in and make a map regardless of your editor skills - There are plenty of people around to help out if you want to try your hand at learning the editor!
Let us know if there is a map you want to release during December so we can get you added to the calendar.
Join our Discord community to get in on the action: http://discord.gg/distance
Other Refract Stuff
For those out of the loop with Refract this year I posted a devlog a little while back:
It's obviously been a very strange year but plenty is happening behind the scenes. We're not quite ready to discuss what's coming next from Refract but we hope to have news soon. Until then I hope you and your families are staying safe and doing well this year!
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Distance Advent Calendar, macOS Catalina, Dev Stream
The sixth annual Distance Advent Calendar (DAC) has started! For those new to Distance this year, DAC is a community-run event where each day in December leading up to the 25th level creators coordinate to release Workshop levels!
Follow DAC level releases by joining the Distance Discord and checking out the #dac channel. Discuss each day's level with other players, and see early previews of upcoming levels!
Distance on macOS Catalina
Today we're also releasing a 64-bit version of Distance on macOS to support Catalina. It's basically the exact build as before except it's now 64-bit instead of 32-bit. Right now we only plan to support 64-bit on macOS but if that changes I'll post about it here.
DAC Dev Stream
We'll be doing another dev stream this week to play and discuss the latest additions to Distance. We hope to see you live on Twitch tomorrow at 1pm PT!
- Where: http://twitch.tv/refractstudios
- When: Thursday December 19th, 1pm PT
As some have noticed I did clearly fail to post a devlog or do a dev stream since my last Steam announcement. Between normal Refract distractions and some personal health issues my hands have been painfully full over the past few months. Sorry for the delay, and hopefully the dev stream will tide you over until I have a chance to finish up the devlog.
Hope you're having a great holiday season!
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Fall Music Mix, Quick Update
Hey all! This is a bit different from my usual posts but I want to share a fun bonus thing with you:
STATIC MIX // Fall 2019:
https://soundcloud.com/torcht/sets/static-mix
While working on Distance I frequently listen to instrumental music via mixes and live sets, so I thought it would be fun to give back by creating one of my own. It's filled with artists who have inspired me over the past few years, so I figured fans of Distance's soundtrack would enjoy it. Also, many of the tracks work well with Boombox mode IMO (tracklist is in the description). Hope you enjoy!
Other Stuff Coming Soon
While I'm at it, thought I could give a brief update on other stuff in the works. Unfortunately I've been a bit under the weather since my last post but I'm still working on that longer devlog talking about Refract's future in general. Hope to have that up soon.
We're also planning to do another dev stream in October so stay tuned for the day/time. We'll be playing a ton of community levels so if you have a level you want to see us play let us know via Twitter or in the comments below. Bonus points if it's extra spooky. Hope to see you there!
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Soundtrack Updated! Now Streaming
Hey all! Today the official soundtrack is getting a long overdue update to include remastered music from the Nexus update! If you already own the Soundtrack & Art Book DLC it'll update automatically via Steam. The OST now includes these extended / remastered tracks:
- Observatory
- Mobilization
- Resonance
- Deterrence
- Terminus
- Collapse
Now Streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and More!
Due to popular demand we've also made the soundtrack available for streaming!
Over the next few weeks the soundtrack will also be available via Google Play, Pandora, Tidal, ClaroMusica, Saavn, Anghami, KKBox, MediaNet, Instagram/Facebook, and TikTok. Be sure to follow Jordan Hemenway and The Quiggles on your favorite platforms (e.g. Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.) to keep up to date with future releases!
Thank you for all of the incredibly kind words about the soundtrack since the v1.0 launch. We hope you enjoy these new tracks!
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Distance v1.4: The Horizon Update
Has it really been a year since v1.0 launched? Seems like a good time for an update! The Horizon Update (v1.4) features new levels from Refract and community creators, a new Quick Join multiplayer feature, performance improvements, new editor tools, and more!
v1.4 Changelog (Build 6895):
General Improvements
- Added new Refract levels:
- Liminal (Sprint)
- Serenity (Sprint)
- Zenith (Sprint)
- Liminal (Sprint)
- Added new Community levels:
- Affect (Sprint)
- Beta Echoes (Sprint)
- Biotec 4 (Challenge)
- Canopy (Reverse Tag, Main Menu)
- Fiber (Sprint)
- Fleeting Images (Reverse Tag, Stunt)
- Gravity (Sprint)
- Hardline (Sprint)
- Mentality (Sprint)
- Noir (Sprint)
- Overdrive (Sprint)
- Sender (Sprint)
- Shallow (Sprint)
- Shrine (Sprint)
- Sugar Rush (Sprint)
- Tetreal (Sprint)
- Turbines (Sprint)
- Wired (Sprint)
- Affect (Sprint)
- Online menu improvements:
- Clicking "Online" now gives you the option to Quick Join, Browse, or Host
- Quick Join feature automatically joins an open game, and if none are available it creates a new lobby
- Improved how the loading UI handles various situations (connecting to server, refreshing server list, etc.)
- Changed all instances of "Server" to "Game" or "Lobby" depending on the context
- Max Players is now adjustable without having to type in a number
- When unclicking Private on "Host a Game" the password field is now cleared
- Removed "... has loaded!" chat message for all platforms
- It now says "... has joined the lobby" or "... has joined the game" depending on the context
- Host a Game: Pressing Enter while selecting the password input field now starts the server
- Host a Game: All numbers 1 to 12 are options again (instead of multiples of 2)
- Replaced "Back to Lobby" button in pause menu for online hosts with "Main Menu" (with added help text to clarify we're returning to the lobby)
- Server Connection, Lobby Refresh, and Quick Join timeouts shortened to 15 seconds instead of 30 seconds
- Changed default server name to just the name of current player so it's consistent across all platforms
- Minor clean up to game lobby visuals
- Now going back to the main menu as a non-host takes you back to the Online menu options
- Clicking "Online" now gives you the option to Quick Join, Browse, or Host
- Main menu improvements:
- Removed Workshop highlight section (since the Workshop area in Steam already does a fine job of this)
- Removed Reddit button and gave more prominence to Discord button
- The Garage button is now re-highlighted when returning from the garage in the main menu
- Removed Workshop highlight section (since the Workshop area in Steam already does a fine job of this)
- White Lightning Returns: Improved building placement and decorations with minor track alterations in the second half
- Improved graphics performance in many levels (especially in Lost to Echoes)
- Re-ordered Sprint and Challenge sets to more closely match difficulty progression
- Replay_Music_Playback_Speed RTPC is now reset after unloading each level
Level Editor
- Added new foliage particles (textures 106 - 111)
- Improved music track selection window (used in Level Settings, MusicZone, MusicTrigger, CutsceneManager, and AudioEventTrigger)
- Improved Particles "Seed" tooltip text
- Groups are no longer dissolved if "Ignore Culling" is on them
- CinematicCamera: Setting "Trigger Time" to -1 now enables this component to not ever return to the chase camera
- Added new level editor objects: HalcyonTri, HalcyonTriSingle, HalcyonTriCollision, and HalcyonTriSingleCollision
Here's a helpful reference sheet showing what's available with the new particle textures:
As for changes to music selection in the editor I made this handy chart for converting from old IDs to the new names: MusicCueID Conversions
Bugs Fixed
- Fixed bug where going from the level grid to the level set buttons could result in nothing being selected (e.g. after returning from Adventure)
- Fixed bug where the diamond flare would appear with the "finished" medal image in the split-screen pause menu
- Fixed bug where menu camera rotation/zoom could be affected while hovering over an input field
- Fixed bug where the Visit Workshop button was visible on non-host game lobbies
- Fixed bug where "No Servers Found" wouldn't appear if using server browser checkboxes
- Restored missing texture links for HalcyonCoilgunInternal material
- When in Steam offline mode it no longer tries to auto-search for replays upon level load
- Fixed bug where entering a seed into Trackmogrify and pressing Enter wouldn't close the menu in the lobby
- Fixed bug where you could access locked levels using the advanced level select menu (both Solo and Online)
- Fixed bug where animation timing in Instantiation was off by a few seconds and the power poster wasn't counting down
- Fixed bugs with button selection in the lobby after returning from Customize Car, Trackmogrify input, or level selection
- Fixed bug where Legacy levels were locked even if you had the Gold Collector achievement
- Fixed bug where replays using cinematic cameras (e.g. Variant Blue) wouldn't work with level triggers due to culling issues
- Fixed bug where two cars were visible during the Collapse (Nexus campaign) cutscene
- Fixed bug where deleting a profile wouldn't reload the main menu (and progress bars would be incorrect)
- Fixed bug where having a checkpoint in a group could result in the entire group changing color
Congrats to the creators whose levels were selected for inclusion in the Horizon Update! Once again we're impressed by your ambition and creativity and we're excited to share your creations with players.
We're looking into hosting another dev stream fairly soon to play through v1.4 so stay tuned for news about that! I'm also working on a much longer write up that discusses the PS4 build, thoughts on Distance's development, and a peek into Refract's future.
Until then we hope you enjoy this update! Let us know what you think of v1.4 below!
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)
Minor Update v1.31, Dev Stream
Today we're releasing v1.31 which is a minor update to fix a few bugs! Thanks for all of the positive comments on v1.3 so far! In case you missed it you can check out the official v1.3 trailer here.
v1.31 Changelog (Build 6842):
Level Changes
- Improved skip route for Vibe
- Patched minor skip issue in Sector 0
Bugs Fixed
- Fixed bug with Discord Rich Presence where it could break upon going online
- Fixed lighting issue with normal maps for two of the new simples textures
v1.3 DEV STREAM: TUESDAY AT 6PM PT
Once again we'll be doing a special dev stream to play through and discuss the latest additions to Distance. We hope to see you live on Twitch later today!
- Where: http://twitch.tv/refractstudios
- When: Tuesday June 18th, 6pm PT
- Jordan (with everyone at Refract)