Medusa Frontier
Version 0.2.9.0
Additions.
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*Added start menu system.
*Added Continue,New Game, Option and Exit.
*Added Quit without saving to quit menu.
*Added Auto-detect screen or desktop resolution on startup.
*Added ambient wind audio on startup. (does not loop)
Changes
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*Reduced playback volume of all sounds by 50%
*Revised Hover vehicles to load at terrain surface.(landed)
*Revised procedural terrain noise function.
*Revised terrain lighting.
*Revised terrain detail normal map.
*Revised night time lighting.(Reduced view distance)
*Revised mesh for Cold Born mushroom.
*Camp Generator moved to 300, 200.
*Revised player Spawn closer to building.
*Revised structure near Camp Generator.
*Replaced footstep sound clip.
*Removed hilltop structure.
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Additional Changes.
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*Revised game start framework and game states.
*Bugfix in terrain shader for compatibility testing.
*Environment temperature based on day cycle.
Update 0.2.8.0
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Save File Revision
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*Auto-save and load now stores structures and player inventory in a player save file.
The revised auto-save is the first step to establish an improved save system for players that wish to retain building progress during Early Access Development. Please remember save file formats are in development and saved progress may require resets or deletion in future updates.
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Rendering and Visuals
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*Day and Night Cycle revised and restored.
*Object Lighting restored using day & night cycle.
*Revised ambient light for improved night cycle gameplay.
*Revised glass wall mesh.
*Revised shaders and rendering.
*Improved glass texture and rendering method.
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Building Changes.
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*Added buildable base bunker wall. 4w x 4h x 1.
*Added buildable base bunker wall. 3w x 4h x 1.
*Added buildable short bunker wall. 8w x 2h x 1.
Collision currently disabled for new pieces.
*Revised Building Hotkeys.
*Removed most build pieces smaller than 4x4.
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Additional Changes.
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*Added basic temperature based on day cycle.
*Added experiment structure near spawn point.
*Lava elevation and abundance decreased.
*Mild terrain texture adjusted with slight seasonal tint.
*removed Vulture Hovercraft
*removed Emerald Hovercraft.
*removed timer from stat lists
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Known Issues
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View camera can become locked in an upward or downward position under unique circumstances.
Shadows and lightmaps are currently disabled.
Collision at certain angles can cause a bounce down.
New wall pieces have no collision / hitbox.
Recent Updates and Revisions
Although some features and fixes were long overdue, several core engine improvements and subtle feature refinments have created the foundation for making huge strides for continued development of an entertaining game experience with familiar science fiction staples and survival game staples.
Recent Updates and Revisions.
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*Significant internal engine revision for items and objects.
*Objects and Game Items now have significant category or Types.
*Three major object types are Resources, Structure, & Vehicle.
*Revised item table and Item Descriptions
*Internal engine revisions for improved harvesting and crafting.
*World Terrain shifted for improved scenario development.
*Player inventory capacity returned to 25 total slots.
*Revised shader fog effect for game objects.
*Revised shader and rendering Glass panels.
*Revised terrain fog for matching depths and visuals.
*Fog color changes with day and night cycle.
*Small shader revisions and clean up.
*Major Item Table revision.
*Added harvestable mushrooms near starting location.
*Respawn or starting location is now 200, 200.
*Camp Generator location changed to 400, 200.
*Added Prototype Hover Vehicles near Camp Generator
*Removed ability to build or spawn Hover vehicles.
*Removed ability to build or spawn Camp Generators.
*Battery Drains faster when walking on cold terrain.
*Player inventory capacity increased to 25 total slots.
*Reset resource boulders in primary playfield.
*Slight adjustments to a few build pieces.
*Hover vehicle third person camera now uses Position - Zoomview.
*Hover vehicle model rotated to match new camera system.
*Entering and exiting vehicles no longer flips view perspective.
*Hover vehicles remain oriented when exiting.
*Full Hydro meter adjusted to last roughly 66 minutes idle.
*Hydro meter depletes 1 point every 20 seconds idle or walking.
*Hydro meter depletes 1 point every 10 seconds while sprinting.
*Improved Engine timers and Core Game Loop with or without VSYNC.
*Revised frame timers for improved refresh rate compatability.
New Items or Materials.
*Added Heat Born Mushrooms. Harvestable Resource.
*Added Cold Born Mushrooms. Harvestable Resource.
*Added Hybrid Mushroom. Harvestable Resource.
*Added Soft Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Durable Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Oily Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Sticky Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Tough Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Heat Resistant Fibers. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Cold Resistant Fibers. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Durable Hybrid Fibers. Obtained by simple processing.
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Notes on intended game mechanics.
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The last point of suit battery can endure randomly between 0 and 10 seconds depending on synchronization with a depletion tick.
*Final point of Suit Battery randomly lasts 0 to 10 seconds.
*Random endurance on Hydration is not implemented.
*Final points of Health will not endure randomly.
Update 0.2.7.3
Timers,Respawn & 8x8 floors.
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After more testing and consideration, default floor and ceiling are being returned to 8x8 to reduce
build tedium and provide more space in a basic habitat.
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Changes
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*Default floor in build mode returned to 8x8 size.
*Build distance adjusted to 6 units from player.
*Frame Timers adjusted for improved performance and smoother FPS when Vsync is enabled.
*Health, Battery and Hydro are set to 50 on respawn.
*Slight shader adjustments to brightness of objects being rendered.
*Added small building surrounding the camp generator at 400,200.
*Most objects and build pieces can now be placed at or below ground level to allow partially buried objects.
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Known Issues
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*Collision is disabled for most objects.
*Gathering with a full inventory can cause loss of objects from the game world.
*It is possible to pass through buildings and objects in a Hover Vehicle traveling at increased speeds.
*Lighting and shadows are currently disabled for development.
Update 0.2.7.1
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This hotfix patch addresses core FPS timer issues causing unintended game speeds on a variety of hardware configurations using high performance GPUs, 120hz or higher refresh rates, or with vsync disabled.
Update 0.2.7.1 hotfix provides a revised timer system to improve core game experience and provide a stable 60 - 62.5 fps game experience.
Limited testing of the revised frame timer provided 15.98ms frames and 62.5 fps on tested hardware when VSYNC is force disabled by GPU software, driver configurations or desktop settings.
This update has NOT been tested for compatibility with any software that manipulates or disables High Precision Timers and this patch does not guarantee compatibility with any VSYNC Manipulation software or unique display equipment such as projectors or headset display devices.
A special thanks to Nelsinfinity for providing feedback and reporting issues relating to FPS timers and core game loop speeds on high refresh rate monitors.
Regular Update. Version 0.2.7.0
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Todays update continues the productive stride of cleaning up existing features and improving foundations for a quality game experience. A new starting location, improved fog and new harvestable items are significant to the game experience while internal engine changes improve the needed foundations for continued development.
Major Revisions.
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*Significant internal engine revision for items and objects.
*Objects and Game Items now have significant category or Types.
*Three major object types are Resources, Structure, & Vehicle.
*Revised item table and Item Descriptions
*Internal engine revisions for improved harvesting and crafting.
*World Terrain shifted for improved scenario development.
*Player inventory capacity returned to 25 total slots.
Rendering & Visuals.
----------------------
*Revised shader fog effect for game objects.
*Revised shader and rendering Glass panels.
*Revised terrain fog for matching depths and visuals.
*Fog color changes with day and night cycle.
*Small shader revisions and clean up.
Items & Game Mechanics.
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*Major Item Table revision.
*Added various harvestable mushrooms near starting location.
*Respawn or starting location is now 200, 200.
*Camp Generator location changed to 400, 200.
*Added Prototype Hover Vehicles near Camp Generator
*Removed ability to build or spawn Hover vehicles.
*Removed ability to build or spawn Camp Generators.
*Battery Drains faster when walking on cold terrain.
*Player inventory capacity increased to 25 total slots.
*Reset resource boulders in primary playfield.
New Items or Materials.
----------------------
*Added Heat Born Mushrooms. Harvestable Resource.
*Added Cold Born Mushrooms. Harvestable Resource.
*Added Hybrid Mushroom. Harvestable Resource.
*Added Soft Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Durable Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Oily Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Sticky Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Tough Biomass. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Heat Resistant Fibers. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Cold Resistant Fibers. Obtained by simple processing.
*Added Durable Hybrid Fibers. Obtained by simple processing.
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Notes on intended game mechanics.
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The last point of suit battery can endure randomly between 0 and 10 seconds depending on synchronization with a depletion tick.
*Final point of Suit Battery randomly lasts 0 to 10 seconds.
*Random endurance on Hydration is not implemented.
*Final points of Health will not endure randomly.
*Wall climbing is an intended game mechanic.
*Sticking to platforms from underneath is not intended game.
*Camp generator battery charge radius is a temporary mechanic.
*0 Hydration meter will not cause instant game over status.
*0 Battery meter will not cause instant game over status.
*Health damage caused by 0 hydration is not yet implemented.
*Health damage caused by 0 suit battery is not yet implemented.
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BugFix
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*Bug Fix: Experiment Item stacks could glitch to 65,535.
*Bug Fix: An unused object shader removed and replaced.
*Bug Fix: Hydro stat downtick error could wrap to 65,535
Patch Notes 0.2.6.2
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As part of the Alpha Revision phase, default floor and ceiling panels are being returned to 4x4 sizes while larger 8x8 building pieces are reconsidered for skill tree or technology progression that enables larger building construction
Previous experiments using large 8x8 floor and ceiling pieces as default was a partial success that reduced some build tedium yet also degraded immersive build mechanics of familiar 4x4 build pieces.
Update 0.2.6.2 continues Alpha Revisions with changes that embrace familiar design and renewed wisdom that taking a step back is often needed for better footing or natural preparation for a significant sprint. Returning to 4x4 build pieces opens more variety in base building and better development on a regular grid for desired features such as air-locks, halls, access tunnels, storage, craft tools, base appliances, thermal mechanics, and production systems.
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Changes and Revisions.
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*Base Floor / Ceiling size reduced to 4x4
*Base Floor snap distance reduced to 4 unit alignment.
*Build mode target distance set to 5 units.
*Doorway model and placement adjusted for build consistency.
*Slight adjustments to a few build pieces.
*Hover vehicle third person camera now uses Position - Zoomview.
*Hover vehicle model rotated to match new camera system.
*Entering and exiting vehicles no longer flips view perspective.
*Hover vehicles remain oriented when exiting.
*Full Hydro meter adjusted to last roughly 66 minutes idle.
*Hydro meter depletes 1 point every 20 seconds idle or walking.
*Hydro meter depletes 1 point every 10 seconds while sprinting.
*Camp Generator moved to location 200, 200
*Added. Point of interest at location 320,500
*Added redundant checks to health stats
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BugFix
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*Removed hydro stat downtick error that flipped 0 to 65,535
*Resolved terrain pop and camera view flips when entering or exiting vehicles.
Alpha Revision. Update 0.2.6.0
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*Save File and Starting Game status reset.
*Revised Camera to a traditional First person perspective.
*Removed previous look swivel effect on view camera.
*Revised hydro meter depletion rate.
*Sprinting depletes hydration meter with a revised rate.
*Camp Generator can no longer be spawned or deleted.
*Resource deposits currently limited to 4k x 4k playfield.
*Intro Message text life time set to about 10 seconds.
*Revised Death and Respawn Mechanics.
*Player now respawns with 30 health, battery,and hydration.
*World Terrain shifted slightly for intro scenario development.
*Revisions and Experiments on Lighting and shading.
*Shadows and LightMaps disabled at shader level for revisions.
*Small revision to creating tile data for terrain splats.
Internal Engine revisions and game changes.
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*Terrain now uses a double buffer to reduce stutter when roaming.
*Most normal maps removed for Alpha revisions.
*Mini-Map remains disabled / removed
*Explorable map area limited to -64k to +65k
*Many bugfixes and Engine Code cleanups.
Known Issues:
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Lighting on objects does not sync with Day & Night Cycle.
Collision on many objects is disabled for rework.
Development continues using a custom engine
Early Access Development is now focused on an "Alpha Revision" phase that will focus on increasing visual quality and developing core game mechanics into a more entertaining experience than the currently limited game loop that feels similar to a demo like creative build mode.
During Early Access Development, Medusa Frontier will continue using very "hot key" driven interface that is both production friendly and immediately functional for gameplay using a mouse and keyboard.
A series of Alpha Revision updates will feature improvements and bug fixes to the core engine and overall game revisions such as adjustments to core game mechanics, controls, starting scenarios, world terrain, building panels, and much more.
In celebration of resumed development and The Alpha Revision phase, Medusa Frontier will be on sale for 50% off from October 2 to October 9th.
Thank you for supporting Medusa Frontier and Early Access Development
Configuration Update.
*Windows 8.1 will no longer be supported.
Configuration patch for compatibility and potential install errors.