Gold Hunter
Unreal Engine 5
This morning we had a livestream, where unexpected problems occurred.
We are currently working with the Unreal Engine 4.26.2 and have been using it for a very long time.
Until now, it was actually clear that there are no more updates coming from the Unreal Engine, because this version is already over 3 years old.
However, a few days ago there was an update that affected our current Unreal Engine version. Since we rely on some plugins, like voxel, vehicle system, etc., they have to be compatible with our version as well. Unfortunately, most plugin creators only support 3 versions. Since there is now the 5.2, we are with our version no longer in the range where we can still expect updates.
In today's livestream it was already stated that at least 2 plugins will no longer receive an update with our version. Unfortunately, this leads to the fact that we have no other option than to get a newer version. This step was actually only in the later development possibly planned, as this also brings a lot of advantages.
We also had a meeting a few minutes ago, in which all possibilities were collected, discussed and we decided to switch.
This means that we will integrate our project on a new Unreal Engine version.
Unfortunately there is no other possibility, we have to make this switch so that the game can get updates in the future. Due to this decision, the already published roadmap from the previous post is invalid.
To avoid such a step in the future, we will build the project on our own source files of the Unreal Engine. This will give us the opportunity to avoid any compatibility issues at any time. This will avoid such errors or problems in the future. And this will allow us to decide for ourselves if and when we want to receive updates provided by the Unreal Engine.
Unfortunately, this is also a very time-consuming step, because we cannot simply copy the project to the new version. We can copy items, objects and vehicles, but all modules and functions have to be rebuilt.
Of course we will take you with us on this way. In the live streams you can see the progress and there are also various pictures and videos posted on all social networks. So we can feed you regularly with information.
Starting tomorrow, we will start directly with Unreal Engine 5.2 in the livestream and make the first preparations for all further steps.
Of course, everyone is interested to know if this will delay the next update and the answer is definitely yes. As mentioned above, unfortunately we have no other way to deliver further updates for the game in the future. Unfortunately, we can't say a time frame, as this can't be estimated yet. But as soon as we can say something more precise, you will be the first to know.
One thing I can tell you already, as soon as the first modules run stable, like character, vehicles, multiplayer and savegame, we will publish this on our experimental version on Steam, so you can get a first impression.
Otherwise, that's it for today, I wish you a pleasant rest of the week and see you in the next livestream.
1st Anniversary Early Access
A lot of energy and time has been put into the project and we still have a lot planned.
First of all, we would like to thank all players for their support, be it in the form of suggestions, bug reports and livestreams. This is what makes the game unique and
allows us to design the game partly according to the players.
There have been many ups and downs in the past, all of which we have been able to overcome so far.
In the end, that's what makes the project and also makes us strong for future tasks.
Live Streams
Currently I am still a bit sick, but I hope that this will improve in the near future. From the 15th of June I plan to start regular developer livestreams again. That means, again dev streams from monday to friday and there will be as usual on friday evening the talk stream. the talk stream. In the talk stream we talk about news, answer your questions and if an update is planned, the changes will be shown and the update will be released afterwards.
Updates
The next planned update should come this month. Unfortunately I can't give an exact date yet. In this update the focus is on multiplayer, gold balance and general bug fixes. There will be no further system and enhancements yet, because I lost some time due to my illness.
But by popular demand from the community, the Experimental version will be back. For you as a player, this means that we will bring future updates to "Experimental" first and this can be tested extensively.
Since all players will have access to this version, a large number of players can filter out the last bugs in the shortest possible time and we can fix them.
After 1-2 weeks the version can then come to the "stable", ie standard version of the game. This means that we don't only have a small group of players who can test the update before it is actually released, but every player can test it.
Once the next update is released, there will also be an update every week on Friday if necessary. This is to get back into the rhythm of being able to provide an update within a short period of time.
Roadmap 2023
We still have over 6 months to release various updates this year.
In this time there will also be one or the other new system/module in the game.
To give you a little foretaste, I'll mention a few points here.
■ more vehicles
■ tank system
■ company system (employee-, vehicle- and rights management)
■ power system (generators, cables, etc.)
■ water system (pumps, hoses, etc.).
These are just a few modules that will be waiting for you.
Social Networks
Another point, are the social networks. Unfortunately, these have been used very rarely in the past. On Discord or Steam news and announcements are published, but you can provide much more. Be it regular news, teasers on future updates and much more.
In addition, other networks such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. were very neglected.
But this should change in the future and we want to fill these channels with regular content.
So, that should be it for today's article. We hope that we can answer many of your questions.
If you still have questions, please feel free to ask us.
Otherwise, we wish all players a nice weekend and see you at the next livestream.
Dev-Blog #7
Some time has passed again and I have some news for you.
In the last 2 months a lot of progress could be made again and the big update is getting closer.
Many are already waiting very excitedly for it and here I will also briefly explain what the update will contain everything. The biggest change in the next update will be the Gold Balance. The gold balance will be completely revised.
In addition, the transfer and the animations between the items have been rebuilt, so the performance has also been improved. Furthermore, there will be many improvements in the multiplayer, which will significantly improve the gaming experience with friends.
Of course, we are also working hard to find and fix more bugs and errors.
At this point I would also like to thank all the players who regularly report bugs via the Bug Report System.
This month was also our marathon on Twitch and tremendous progress was also made during this time. This includes, among other things, many improvements in the area of performance, which make it possible to enjoy a smoother gaming experience.
Unfortunately, there was hardly any livestream lately, because the hardware failed on my end. But the problem has been solved in the meantime. During this time off I was able to take care of some important things concerning the company, which were left undone during the marathon. Some people don't know yet that I'm doing this alone by now. Therefore some new tasks have been added.
Starting Monday, there will be regular livestreams on Twitch again, where you can look over my shoulder during development. The dev livestreams are as usual on monday, wednesday and friday. Additionally, there will be a talk stream on Friday at 7pm.
And finally, the most important thing that every player is interested in. When is the update coming?
Due to the hardware problems, the planned update, which was scheduled for the end of April, was delayed.
Therefore, the update is unlikely to be released in April and is expected to be released in May. You can always check with us in Discord about the status of the update.
https://discord.com/invite/goldhunter
Personally, I'm also looking forward to the livestreams on Twitch again.
Here again the link to Twitch. https://www.twitch.tv/goldhuntermp
In this sense I wish all players a nice weekend.
Dev-Blog #6
Well it's that time again, the next dev blog is back. In case you missed some news, the blog is just the right thing for you.
In the last weeks a lot has happened, be it updates, changes or news and about that we want to inform you today.
Updates
At the end of January there was a very big update, which included many changes and bug fixes.
You can read the details in the changelog. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1082450/view/3346757662563126882
But also this month we released some updates which fixed many more bugs in single- and multiplayer.
Of course, there are still bugs in various places, but they are already on the list and will be the focus of the next updates.
These include the following features or revisions.
■ Performance improvement
■ Re-enable point of sale
■ Rework gold balance
■ Rework gold wash
■ Rework voxel
■ Saving of client data
■ Missing/incorrect synchronization in multiplayer.
So you already have an overview of which tasks and goals are in the foreground for the next updates.
Further updates are also coming regularly, but no exact date can be given.
The release of an update depends on the scope, duration of testing and bug fixing.
QOL-Tester
We recently added a new section (Quality of Life-Testers) to our team.
This area supports the developers, so more intensive and detailed tests are possible.
This has the advantage that in future updates there will be more capacity for internal tests.
Especially when new features or extensive areas are added to the game, the QOL testers can track down bugs even in longer tests.
Change of price
Another change you may have noticed is the price of the game.
After much deliberation, the price has been adjusted, which should please many players who were previously still put off by the high price.
No further price change is planned in Early Access, except for discounts and events.
Conclusion
That should be it for this dev blog for now. We wish you a nice weekend and see you until the next dev blog.
You are welcome to join our Discord, there you will also find regular news, announcements and you can talk with other players.
If you want to look over the shoulder of a developer, we invite you to our regular livestreams on Twitch.
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/goldhunter
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/goldhuntermp
Version 0.631.5 Alpha
■ Added some lights to building "customizer"
■ Added some lights to road for beginner claims
■ Added light to each object "mobilehome01"
■ Fixed error with missing rivers
Voxel
■ Fixed error with voxel area outside claim 07
Multiplayer
■ Fixed error with did not show long message in chat window
Activated
■ Activated again to toggle roll/unroll for item "minersmoss" while holding in hand
Changed
■ Changed location for npc "customizer"
Troubleshooting
■ Fixed error with no collision between stands for item "hopperfeeder01" on claims
■ Fixed error with spawn vehicle "excavator01" at the store
■ Fixed error with did not correct attach/detach item "minersmoss" to item "highbanker01"
■ Fixed error with did not correct attach/detach item "minersmoss" to item "washingplantportable01"
■ Fixed error with did not correct attach/detach item "minersmoss" to item "washingplantportable02"
Improvements
■ Improved handling for vehicle "pickup01"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "pickup02"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "buggy01"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "buggy02"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "campervan01"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "truck01"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "minidumptruck01"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "miniexcavator01"
■ Improved handling for vehicle "excavator01"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "pickup01"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "pickup02"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "buggy01"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "buggy02"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "campervan01"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "truck01"
■ Improved lights for vehicle "minidumptruck01"
Work in progress (WIP)
■ Sell point
■ Gold balance
■ Save client data
■ Rework gold panning
■ Voxel Rework
Version 0.631.4 Alpha
■ Reworked area for claim 05
■ Reworked area for claim 06
■ Fixed error with can not remove dirt at beginner claim a
■ Fixed error with dig location on claim 05 for excavators
■ Fixed error with dig location on claim 06 for excavators
Multiplayer
■ Improved spawn vehicle "miniexcavator01" for clients
■ Fixed error with wrong sync and physic settings if player entering a vehicle
Changed
■ Changed freeze while shoveling (still freezed on location, but you can rotate the camera)
Audio
■ Fixed error with ambiente volume for audio settings "weather" in options
Troubleshooting
■ Fixed error with crash after open the game or back to main menu
■ Fixed error with attach random items to other items/vehicles
■ Fixed error with attach random items to other item while holding
■ Fixed error with physic explosion while crouching on vehicles
■ Fixed error with collision between moveable parts and vehicles
■ Fixed error with unpack item "goldtable01set"
■ Fixed error with attach items to item "usablebox01"
■ Fixed error with attach items to item "usablebox02"
■ Fixed error with attach items to item "usablebox03"
■ Fixed error with wrong location spawn for trailer "conveyorbelt01" at the store
Version 0.631.3 Alpha
■ Added missing help instructions
Multiplayer
■ Fixed sync error for clients while item "washingplantportable02" attached to vehicle "excavator01"
■ Fixed error with collision on claim ground while crouching
■ Fixed error with pushing other players
■ Fixed error with no focus for item "washingplantportable02sluice01" in store
■ Fixed error with no focus for item "washingplantportable02sluice02" in store
■ Fixed error with no focus for item "hopperfeeder01" in store
■ Fixed error with fill item "washingplant" with item "bucket"
Functionality
■ Added function in options to toggle map marker
Changed
■ Changed default collision profile for moveable parts
■ Changed widget width to read long item names at npc
■ Changed movement "stands" for item "hopper01"
Audio
■ Changed ambiente sound
Troubleshooting
■ Fixed format error with new lines at npc
■ Fixed error with collision for ramps trailer "lowloader01" while moving
■ Fixed error with detect item "convoyerbelt01hitch01" on shopping area
■ Fixed error with detect item "convoyerbelt01hitch02" on shopping area
■ Fixed error with destroy items in object "dumpster01"
■ Fixed error with item falling on ground after attached item to shopping area, while player put item on another item
■ Fixed error with items falling through the shopping area after attached item to shopping area
■ Fixed error with detach "stands" for item "hopperfeeder01" while attached to vehicle
■ Fixed error with attach item "wheelbarrow01" at vehicles
■ Fixed error with frozen trailer after teleport to store or claims (not perfect landing, but works)
■ Fixed error with attach random item to another item (not finished yet, but better)
Improvements
■ Improved performance for moveable parts
Work in progress (WIP)
■ Sync attached vehicles on other vehicles
■ Sell point
■ Gold balance
■ Save client data
■ Handling vehicles
■ Rework gold panning
■ Voxel Rework
Version 0.631.2 Alpha
WIP : Save client data
Localization
■ Added missing localization
■ Changed some localization
Help
■ Added missing help instructions
Multiplayer
■ Fixed error with can not teleport first time to claim for client
■ Fixed error with attach hitch to item "conveyorbelt01" for client (not after bought the item)
Changed
■ Changed default input values for vehicle "excavator01"
■ Changed default input values for vehicle "miniexcavator01"
Troubleshooting
■ Fixed error with can not adjust height for item "conveyorbelt01" while handbrake active
Savegame
■ Fixed error with rescue vehicles if under landscape/voxel
Version 0.6311 Alpha
WIP: Save client data still some issues, we fix this next week.
Localization
■ Added missing localization
■ Changed some localization
Help
■ Added missing help instructions
■ Added missing popup messages
Inputs
■ Activate keybindings "slot1-5" in options for controller
■ Fixed error with load wrong keybinding settings after spawning on map
■ Fixed error with bind controls for excavators (do not forget change to controller in options)
Multiplayer
■ Synced stands for trailer "lowloader01"
■ Synced ramps for trailer "lowloader01"
■ Synced lift for trailer "lowloader01"
■ Fixed error with receive client clothes while pressing escape
■ Fixed error with client sync for toggle lights by day and night cycle
■ Fixed connection lost for client while loading voxel edits as client first
Functionality
■ Added function to autofreeze if player attach item "goldpan01" to item "waterbasin"
Changed
■ Changed screen settings after character selection (closes from now on automatically)
Audio
■ Changed sound volume "engine" for vehicle "truck01"
■ Fixed error with master volume for audio settings in options (master volume controls now ambiente volume)
Troubleshooting
■ Fixed error with wrong rotation for "doorfuel" for vehicle "pickup02"
■ Fixed error with interact "door" for vehicle "buggy01"
■ Fixed error with opening character customizer while in vehicle
■ Fixed error with use item "mold01" without bought it
■ Fixed error with use item "weighingscale01" without bought it
■ Fixed error with use item "weighingscale01" without bought it
■ Fixed error with detach items from item "skillet01"
■ Fixed error with crash while attaching items
■ Fixed error with weight gold on tables/shelves
■ Fixed error with can not pickup items
■ Fixed error with detach wheels form vehicle because attached items
■ Fixed error with driving vehicle while attached vehicle on trailer
Removed
■ Removed checkbox "lan mode" didnt need it anymore
■ Removed door in shop, until we found the collision issue with clients
■ Removed sound volume change while using the bugreport system
Version 0.631 Alpha
If you miss your sluiceboxes for the big washingplant, please go to the store and buy the sluiceboxes.
WIP : Selling Point
Localization
■ Added missing localization
■ Changed some localization
Help
■ Added missing help instructions
■ Added missing popup messages
Inputs
■ Added option to change input sensitivity for vehicle "excavator01"
■ Added option to change input sensitivity for vehicle "miniexcavator01"
Changed
■ Changed price sign location for item "washingplantportable02_sluciebox01" at the store
■ Changed price sign location for item "washingplantportable02_sluciebox02" at the store
Troubleshooting
■ Fixed error with stealing items
■ Fixed error with collision between some items
■ Fixed error with missing npc "customizer"
■ Fixed error with collision issue between loadingbay and object "container"
■ Fixed error with missing parts for item "washingplantportable02"
■ Fixed error with missing price label for "smeltingfurnace01" at the store
■ Fixed error with missing object "barrier" at claim 05
■ Fixed error with show chain for item "washingplantportable02" while attached to vehicle "excavator01"
■ Fixed error with collision issue between attached items and landscape/voxel
■ Fixed error with reset rotation for item "safe01" if player held the item
■ Fixed error with item collision with item "safe01"
Improvements
■ Improved performanced (found an issue with default item on map)
Removed
■ Removed some code that sometimes appears on screen