added tutorial step #2, which only allows you to use the item (but which requires the need to implement the mechanics below)
added survival component (food and water are consumed over time)
added a hitpoints component (health regenerates over time, but in the future will be replaced by regeneration from food and water). The player starts with a maximum of 50HP. In the future it will be possible to increase the maximum amount of HP by eating complex and healthy food (50/100/150 maximum HP)
added the first function to the inventory: use an item
added player character respawn
0.8.0.1 & Fest
Open World Survival Crafting Fest
Unfortunately, I was not able to complete the minimum amount of mechanics by the beginning of the festival, so I apologize, but I continue to work as usual. if you wish, you can switch to the old version 0.2, where more mechanics are implemented: right-click on the 'Medieval Towns Playtest' in the Steam library -> Properties, then the Betas tab and select branch 'v0.2' there.
0.8.0.1
0.8.0.1 was deployed on a full&playtest server. Work has begun on the tutorial. Today the first task and the first window of the tutorial are available - with a description of the interface. The first task will be to find 3 pumpkins and they are already growing in the fields. What to do next with pumpkins should be in the next episode update ;)
0.8.0.2
Bug fix: pumpkins did not want to grow in some fields.
So what's the plan?
Ultra-early access
About 20 years ago, when WOW was released, pirated servers on the emulator began to appear. I remember how the first versions of the emulator only had an empty world. Then patches began to come out almost every week: mobs appeared, then NPC traders appeared, then quests, etc. It's been interesting to watch this development. This is the development scheme I want to propose. Step by step, I plan to add new features and mechanics, and you will be able to immediately evaluate and select or suggest elements that you would like to see first (you can write in the 'Community Talks' sub-forum or in the Discord). In addition, the game is not being promoted on Steam due to a long lack of updates, and a Steam representative in one of his speeches advised simply releasing updates to return the game to promotion - so we’ll see. Let's start with version 0.8.0.0 - it just has an empty city where you can walk around, look around, set up the game and try out the character controller. Don't forget that this is ultra-early access - there is still less content in it than in the old version 0.2.1.5. Versions 0.8.x.x will be about tier-1 and tier-2 evolution.
Tiers
Tier-1 - peasant tier - these are flint items, burlap clothes, wooden houses. This is a phase of evolution in the Westburg (and the Easthill in the future). Temperate biome.
Tier-2 - bourgeois tier - these are bronze items, burlap clothes, clay houses. This is a phase of evolution beyond the Westburg (and the Easthill in the future). Temperate biome.
Tier-3 - knightly tier - these are iron items, clothes made of cotton and wolf's wool, stone houses. This is the evolution stage in PVP-zones. Taiga and savanna biomes.
Tier-4 - count tier - these are top things from the 4 ends of the World: steel weapons, volcanic armor, granite buildings and gems. Clothes made of silk and sheep's wool. This is a stage of evolution in remote PvP-zones with difficult biomes: arctic and desert.
Full version vs Playtest/Demo
At the beginning, all types are planned to have the same version on the same servers. Playtest/Demo are planned to be synchronized with the Full version until the gameplay goes beyond the Westburg (tier-1). It is planned that Playtest/Demo will stop receiving updates and will remain on a separate server after the end of development of tier-1. What will be the difference between Demo and Playtest - nothing, it’s just that Demo is promoted in Steam, but Playtest is not, so Playtest will be replaced by Demo soon. The status of development and versions can be viewed in this topic: https://steamcommunity.com/app/982760/discussions/0/3825287950916386846/
Old version 0.2.1.5
A separately launched server with this version and the client in Playtest in the "v0.2" branch will remain for a short time.
Devlog 2024-05-1w
Hut
The first version of the hut is finished
UI
A window for settings for sound, video, and input was created. I don’t like assemble UI :)
Crossplay
This weekend there was just a hot in the 'Helldivers 2' community (this story is related to the mandatory linking to the PSN account). It's very good that Sony rolled back their demand. I don't like it when a game requires an account from another ecosystem. You buy a game on Steam, which means that the game should only require a Steam account. I understand that there are rare cases when you will need an additional registration in the developer ecosystem, but I really don't like it.
Now, regarding crossplay in Medieval Towns and future plans. Using the EOS (Epic Online Services) for crossplay involves link an existing EGS account or creating a proxy-account in the EGS, which the player can, if desired, convert into a full-fledged one. Now, after conducting crossplay tests, the Steam player connects to the EOS session completely transparently: no questions or requests for creating a proxy-account occur, and no requests to link an account are issued. Apparently, the proxy-account is never created, and the Epic documentation is outdated (this is not uncommon for them). Or maybe it is created, but it is completely transparent to the player. In general, if some service will require the player to create/link an account outside the native ecosystem, then I will not use such a service. And I can create my own crossplay, without creating my own accounts at all. Or abandon crossplay altogether.
Devlog 2024-04-4w
Hut
Work continues on the hut.
UI
Work has begun on the main menu and preparing the font for localization.
Devlog 2024-04-3w
Hut
Work has begun on the hut. This will be the very first and simplest structure where the player can place a sleeping bag and a couple of storage boxes.
Coding
This week, connecting to the server, saving the offline players as "sleepers" and saving to the database was implemented. In general, now you can connect and walk around the location. I plan to open access to the dev-server a little later.
Crossplay
Currently the server operates through the EOS (Epic Online Services), and Steam players can connect to it. Whether EGS players will be able to connect is already in question :)) It will be known when I purchase a slot for game in EGS. Even if crossplay does not work through EOS, it will be possible to create your own service (I’m more sure than not).
Devlog 2024-04-2w
Coding
Work has begun on implementing game logic and mechanics from scratch in UE5. Work is underway to connect players to the server: connection, checking in the database, character spawning.
Flint Hatchet and Sword
The first versions of a flint hatchet for wood mining and a flint sword for combat were made.
Devlog 2024-04-1w
Crossplay
Work has begun on creating cross-play between Steam and Epic Game Store players. This is a requirement of the EGS for multiplayer games when the game is placed in the EGS (yes, the game is planned to be placed in the EGS).
Immediate plans
Here are approximate plans for the upcoming updates, which are scheduled for the end of May. The Westburg, in which the player can safely progress to the tier-1: simple tools, simple clothing, simple crafting, simple production and simple housing. A tutorial system is planned for introduction to the game. Traders and simple quests are planned to obtain items and coins.
Devlog 2024-03-4w
Westburg
In general, work on the town has been completed, walls and gates have been added. The gate should open in future updates.
Resources
The cutting of growing trees will be disabled for now: I would like to create dense forests, but if these are network objects, there will be a large load on the network. Therefore, for now, it will be possible to obtain 'rough wood' from logs on the ground (environmental activists are happy!). The 'stick' was also slightly redesigned.
