Xsyon: Prelude
Terrain Expansion Patch Notes 2022.05.25
- Terrain expanded to 7 times the original map.
-- Easy danger regional hubs are distributed around the map so that players of all levels can inhabit the expanded terrain.
-- The southernmost area of the full Xsyon terrain is still being finalized. The north and middle sections of the map extend to a mist filled ocean that surrounds the Xsyon island.
-- The full Xsyon terrain comprises 1600 1024x1024 meter zones, including zones in the surrounding ocean. Roughly 4/5 of this terrain is now currently open!
-- The terrain is divided into 182 regions for purposes of scavenging, resources and the upcoming War System. Each region is assigned a region type based on one of the 8 (7 currently in game) architectural styles.
- Scavenging revised
-- Resources are now more regionally distributed.
-- Scavenged materials can be found in each region based on its assigned style (Gadu, Pioneer, Mason, Scrapper etc.)
- Tree spawning revised
-- Trees spawn across the world to ensure regions maintain a decent population of each tree type.
-- Tree spawning distances improved to prevent close clusters of trees.
-- Tree distribution based on elevation, terrain surface and proximity to water.
- Creature migration revised
-- Creature migration revised to populate the expanded world and keep it populated.
-- Number of potential creatures in the world increased. This will be further increased over time.
-- Creature migration is tracked in a server side panel so that I can ensure that regions are properly inhabited.
- Large World Map
-- A large world map has been released! Use the M key by default to access the new map.
-- The map consists of various layers that can be turned on and off, including the zone grid and a regional overlay.
-- Additional features to this World Map will be forthcoming.
- Trading Post (Mist Trader) revised
-- The Mist Trader now updated once per game day (nine times per real day).
-- Items expire if now bought after 3 real days.
-- The number of total items available for purchase at one time varied based on tribe size, ranging from 15 to 60 items.
-- Trading Posts fill to their limit during each update.
-- The inventory available should be roughly 50% blueprints, 30% patterns and 20% tool and armor schemes.
-- These revisions should make it much easier for players to acquire the construction blueprints they are looking for or complete their armor or tool sets.
- Options panel improved
-- Options / settings divided into three tab groups: Graphics, Sound and Interface.
-- Screen resolution and Refresh setting separated for easier adjustments.
-- Sound settings now use sliders instead of arrows.
-- Combat Mode is now referred to as Active Mode.
-- Default Mode setting added. This allows players to set what mode they wish to enter the game in, Active or Passive. (Passive mode was the past default)
-- The Action Menu (the buttons for interaction with objects, creatures and other players) can be set to a Top Menu of buttons, a Right Side List of small buttons, a Radial Menu or the original Right Click list.
-- Actions in the Action Menu can be assigned key binds, which is particularly useful for interacting with objects in Active Mode.
-- Camera Field of View setting has been added to adjust the Field of View between 40 and 100 degrees.
-- Mouse Yaw and Pitch settings added to control the speed of the mouse control for camera and player rotations.
-- Report Gains settings added to display a message in the lower right of the screen each time a resource is acquired. This will be expanded to display XP gains as well.
-- The various standard Control Bars and Panels (Commands, Chat, Emotes, Combat, Packs, Skills and Resources) can be turned on and off in addition to being displayed vertically or horizontally.
-- The Mini Map can now be set to align to the left or right side of the screen.
-- The Radial Menu and Active Mode changes are in progress and will be further revised over the upcoming month.
- Key binds revised
-- Key binds for all object interactions added.
-- Key bind for the new World Map added.
-- Key binds to turn standard Action Bars on and off added.
-- Key bind panel rearranged.
- Optimizations and general improvements
-- Glitches with the Crafting Panel fixed.
-- Crafting properties check optimized.
-- Quality and Durability preview in the Crafting panel set to 2 decimal places.
-- Environmental sounds load now at the end of world loading.
-- Chance / luck removed from building construction.
-- Tribe panel revised with the Totems tab added for placing sub totems.
-- Font issues corrected.
-- Some gathering actions sped up.
-- Server side start up heavily optimized.
-- Many functions and systems have been further optimized for speed.
-- Minor bug fixes in addition to the above listed changes are noted in the Bug Report section of the Xsyon forums.
Massive Terrain Expansion Released!
The massive terrain expansion patch is live!
This patch increases the playable terrain by about 7 times, giving players a whole lot of world to build in and explore.
This patch focuses on a greatly expanded terrain and includes a lot of new and updated features. Here are some the changes in this patch:
1) World Map - A large world map with layers that you can turn on and off display the world in detail, the zone grid and region boundaries.
2) Scavenging - Scavenging had been revised so that items found are grouped by region and danger level of each region. Regions are categorized in the same groups as architecture parts and the Mist Traders (Gadu, Pioneer etc.) With the revised system, it should be easier to find what you are looking for.
3) Mist Traders - Mist Traders will sell a greater variety and number of schemes so that it will be much easier for players to collect the patterns and blueprints they seek.
4) Interface interactions - Options have been revised to include various menu styles, key binds and settings so that players can further customize their game experience to play either in the current older MMO fashion or more like a current sandbox survival game in 'active mode'.
5) Revised regions - With the terrain expansion, current regions have been reshaped and increased in size. This will become more important for the War Server when the War System is released as each conquerable region will be larger in size than the current small regions around the lake.
Some of these features (such as the map) are a work in progress and will be improved and completed over the upcoming weeks.
For all players: Please start by checking your Options and Key binds as some defaults have been changed. In the near future I will set up a panel that will allow players to choose from two basic default sets of options when they start the game.
Xsyon will be on sale starting through May 23rd and will be on sale again along with the War System update this summer.
As there are many updates to the code with this patch, I expect that there will be issues found. Please post any issues you encounter in the Developer Zone on the Xsyon Forums.
Enjoy!
Terrain Expansion Coming Saturday May 14th!
The massive terrain expansion patch is ready to go and will be patched this coming weekend! The servers will shut down Saturday, May 14th at 10:00 AM PST and should be back up between 12:00 Noon and 1:00 PM PST with the update.
This patch focuses on a greatly expanded terrain and includes a lot of new and updated features. Here are some the changes in this patch:
1) World Map - A large world map with layers that you can turn on and off display the world in detail, the zone grid and region boundaries.
2) Scavenging - Scavenging had been revised so that items found are grouped by region and danger level of each region. Regions are categorized in the same groups as architecture parts and the Mist Traders (Gadu, Pioneer etc.) With the revised system, it should be easier to find what you are looking for.
3) Mist Traders - Mist Traders will sell a greater variety and number of schemes so that it will be much easier for players to collect the patterns and blueprints they seek.
4) Interface interactions - Options have been revised to include various menu styles, key binds and settings so that players can further customize their game experience to play either in the current older MMO fashion or more like a current sandbox survival game in 'active mode'.
5) Revised regions - With the terrain expansion, current regions have been reshaped and increased in size. This will become more important for the War Server when the War System is released as each conquerable region will be larger in size than the current small regions around the lake.
I will continue working on some of these features and making adjustments based on feedback after the public release but they are currently in a state that is good enough for public play.
Xsyon will be on sale shortly after Saturday's update.
See you in game!
Developer Update - Terrain Expansion and War System
I'd like to give you all a quick update on what's currently in the works. My primary goal at the moment is to wrap up and release two big features - the massive Terrain Expansion and the War System for the War Server.
The Terrain Expansion is nearly ready for release.
This week I will be running extensive tests and fast simulations of creature migration, tree spawning and scavenging distribution in the expansion regions. Next week I will patch any additional zones that have been cleaned up and I will request final feedback on the expansion areas.
As part of this update I've recreated the tree spawning system. I think trees spawn in a better pattern now without issues of over crowding some areas. For this new system I am clearing out and respawning all trees not on tribe land.
I have several players touching up the remaining zones that need a check over. This is a time consuming task and I will likely release the expansion without all the zones open as the systems are ready to go.
The War System has just a few additional features for me to finish implementing and should be ready to go public along with the expanded terrain.
As I am wrapping up these features and will soon have time to work on additional tasks, I have set up a feedback session for players to request minor improvements that they would most like to see.
Please feel free to join us in the Suggestions session on the Xsyon forums.
Enjoy!
Preview Of Coming Attractions!
It's been a while since the last major update but there's a lot in the works and I expect to start patching updates again in the next few months!
Here's a preview of what's coming up:
Terrain Expansion
The full original Xsyon map is close to being ready the public. Another large area of zones in nearly ready for patching and testing. Once that's been submitted, there are around 150 zones that still need to be checked over and touched up. To put this into context there is a total of over 1000 land zones so we're getting there and I may start opening up this terrain to the public before the final 150 zones are complete.
The current state of the terrain expansion can be checked out on the Test Server and a full map is available in the Developer Zone on the Xsyon website.
Along with this update I am updating the distribution of resources to make it easier for players to understand what can be found in specific Regions.
War System
The War System proposed and discussed years ago has been mostly implemented and is running on the Test Server. I have a few more items to finish and this system will be ready for heavy battle testing. Please check the Developer Zone on the Xsyon website for full information on this upcoming feature.
Interface Improvements
As mentioned several months ago, I am continuing to revise the interface and interactions. The changes I'm working on are not yet ready for patching to the Test Server but when I'm done players will be able to choose between several overall interface systems and many individual settings. The goal is so that players can interact with Xsyon either as an older style MMO (as originally designed) or a newer style survival game (as most new players expect).
Suggestions
I will be opening a feedback discussion for the next round of minor improvements soon. My goal is to go through the current full list of open Suggestions here on the forums, add any more current suggestions and crank through and implement the ones that are most desirable and easy to implement.
DirectX
I am still working sporadically on the major DirectX update to the game engine. Basically it's an entire re-write of the underlying graphic engine. I hope to have that in testing by summer but currently it's a lower priority than the other improvements listed above.
That's all for now. You are all welcome to join us on the Test Server and Developer Zone discussions!
Christmas Event Saturday December 18th : Revenant Conquest!
The fun will commence at 9:00 AM PST, Saturday December 18th and will continue on throughout the day.
- Kill lots of Revenants!
- Collect armor from revenants and turn it in for prizes. For every 3 pieces of revenant armor turned in you get an event token.
- Come to Zone 737 X 944 Z 953 or ask in global chat for a Guide to summon you to the start of the event.
- There are 5 Santa's Big Helpers Hidden in the Event area.
- 100 pieces of Christmas gear are hidden in the Event area. You have the option of keeping them or turning each piece in for an event token.
- There are 25 Christmas Sacks hidden in the Event area. Each Christmas Sack contains:
10 Fruit Kebabs, $ 5000, and 5 event tokens.
Come and join us, enjoy the event and meet new folks!
After the event, redeem your tokens through a help ticket
Please supply the following information:
- character name
- tribe name
- server
- tokens you plan to redeem
- prize you wish to collect
To expedite token redemption you can place the tokens in a locked bin and note the location (x, z, zone) in the help ticket and we can deliver the prize directly to this bin.
Massive Terrain Expansion On Test Server!
Much thanks goes out to the volunteer players that have been helping smooth out errors and finalize the terrain so that it can be ready for public release!
To celebrate this Xsyon is on sale this week, through December 13th.
A map of the full terrain is available in the Developer Zone
There are still a few steps to finalize this massive terrain expansion but at least the coding is done. Scavenge tables are set up but need to be adjusted but not much more is left to do before I can release this.
Instructions on joining the Test Server are here
If you wish to help check out the terrain come join us on the Xsyon forums in the Developer Zone.
Enjoy!
Halloween Event this Saturday!
The fun starts at 9:00 AM PST and will continue throughout the day. Come join the fun and get some goodies.
When the horde of undead invaded from the south, Daepadar and the people of Thurinbar fled up North
and started a new tribe there called Angolardh.
When they fled they only took a few prized possessions, leaving behind vast wealth, in the form of dollars, and individual gold bars hidden throughout Thurinbar.
The Call was thus sent throughout Xsyon for Heroes and Adventurers to come clear out this vile Necropolis of the Undead. Thanks to each and everyone who dares come to repel the revenants hopefully this vile den of Evil will finally fall to the Heroes and Adventurers of the Good people of Xsyon.
- Kill lots of Revenants!
- Collect Revenant armor and turn it in for redeemable game tokens.
- Cash and gold blocks will be hidden throughout Thurinbar. Turn in these blocks for additional tokens.
- Guides will be in game to summon players to the event grounds.
- Player donated suits of armors and bows will also be hidden in the the ruins.
- Special items, the Halloween Helms will be hidden throughout the ruins.
Enjoy your time and meet new folks in Xsyon!
After the event, redeem your tokens through a help ticket
Please supply the following information:
- character name
- tribe name
- server
- tokens you plan to redeem
- prize you wish to collect
- To expedite token redemption you can place the tokens in a locked bin and note the location (x, z, zone) in the help ticket and we can deliver the prize directly to this bin.
Developer Update 2021.09.17
For those who follow the Xsyon forums: Evacuations have been lifted, smoke has cleared and I will be returning home this weekend. Everything is fine and the nearby fires did get within a few miles of home but were thankfully controlled. Hopefully no critters invaded the house while we were away. It will take me a few days to get the house back in order but I'm very grateful and will be glad to be back home!
Back to Xsyon, here is what is in the works:
DirectX: I've spent the past few weeks continuing work on upgrading DirectX. I've made some progress but this is a massive task as DirectX 11 / 12 is very different than DirectX 9. I'll continue working on this upgrade a few days per week but once I'm back home I plan to switch back to other features.
Terrain expansion: Thanks to volunteer players who've helped clean up the terrain a large part of the world beyond the mist is nearly ready for testing. I need to divide the outer world into proper regions. Once that's done the terrain will be ready for final tests.
Interface / Interaction: I will continue revising the interface and simplifying some basic actions. When I am done there will options so that players can play entirely in Passive mode (without having to switch to combat mode), entirely in Active / Combat mode or switch back and forth as players typically do now. I also plan to set up an optional radial menu as is popular in many current sandbox games.
As part of the interface revisions I will be adding a more prominent list of Quests / Goals and will include some automatically generated Quests to guide new players.
Additional Features: I will also be going through features and changes that I began work on over the years but put aside (like the recently added Hall of Heroes / Legends). My goal here is to finish up and add any features that just need a bit more work to wrap up.
That's all for now!
Hall Of Heroes & Legends And More Now Live!
With this new feature you can see how you stack up against players in your neighborhood or the entire Xsyon world. Leader boards in the Halls rank players by stats, skills, experience, most kills, wealth and other values.
In addition, this patch continues to enhance the game by further improving resource gathering to make things easier and less cumbersome for new and old players alike.
I will continue to improve the basics (interface, resources, crafting and game variables) over the next few weeks. As usual I will conduct feedback sessions in the Developer Zone section of the Xsyon forums.
Enjoy!