Xsyon: Prelude
Patch Notes 2015.11.24
- Loading and zone crossing heavily optimized.
- Client side data structures optimized for better performance.
- Client side threads reorganized for better performance.
- Cause of occasional server lock ups identified and fixed.
- Minor potential crashes fixed.
Patch Notes 2015.10.28
Welcome Stations
- The Welcome Station is a select-able starting point for new players.
- Any stand-alone ‘room’ building or ‘roof’ part can be set as Welcome Station.
- Can be placed by any tribe or homestead.
- One Welcome Station can be placed per tribe.
- A welcome message can be set by the tribe leader or players with ‘Set Messages’ permissions. This displays for new players during character creation.
- New players enter at the center of the Welcome Station.
Welcome Station Requirements
- Trade totem with at least 10 items for sale.
- Quest totem with at least 10 quests.
- Tribe must exist for 270 game days (1 real month).
Offline Tribe Joining
- Players can apply for tribe membership at the Welcome Station and leave a message.
- Players can apply to many tribes at the same time.
- A new ‘applicants’ tab has been add to the Town / Totem panel.
- The applicants tab lists all current tribe applications and displays messages from applicants.
- Tribe members with ‘invite’ permissions can accept or reject applicants through the Town panel.
- If online, the tribe leader receives a message that a player has applied.
- Players can view pending applications through their own Tribe Panel.
- Players can cancel pending applications through their own Tribe Panel.
Minor Improvements
- Global chat channel set as default.
Bug Fixes
- Player collision slightly revised to prevent players getting stuck running up ramps when frame rate is low.
- Issue with open container count not being reset when a player dies corrected.
Halloween Event October 31st!
This year, the Xsyon Guide Team will be preparing a Trick or Treat event throughout the land. Collect treats and turn them in for prizes!
Come join the fun!
Developer Update 10.12.2015
The Test Server is open for final testing of the Welcome Station feature. The Welcome Station allows tribes to set up locations where new survivors can enter the world and apply to join the tribe. This allows tribe members to accept or reject new applicants even if they are not currently logged on.
For more details and to join in the final testing session please join our feedback thread
I decided to wrap up the Welcome Station as it was nearly complete feature and is something that can be publicly released while I continue to improve creatures and combat.
Revised creature AI also continues in testing. To join in on the latest tests, please follow the creature AI feedback thread
Enjoy!
Developer Update 10.05.2015
The Test Server is open for the first round of public feedback on the revised creature AI system in progress.
The system has been heavily optimized with a lot of old, unnecessary code stripped out. This allows for more frequent updates which should result in better motion, synchronization and ultimately, combat. The revised system is much easier to tweak and adjust based on variables.
I will be enabling and disabling functions of the revised system over the course of the next week or two in order to obtain focused feedback. The current testing focus is on creature and player motion smoothness, accuracy and synch.
For more information please join the testing and feedback session on the official Xsyon site
Developer Update 09.23.2015
I don't have any especially important or interesting to report at the moment, but I'd like to keep you all updated on what's going on behind the scenes.
I'm still focused on the major revision to creatures and combat as detailed in last month's update. Things are coming along, but slowly. I've further revised and optimized some components that I had considered 'done' last month and I've updated the code so that I can switch between the current live server systems and the updated systems. This will allow me to patch out other fixes and improvements while I continue progress on creature AI.
This is a major update which is going to encompass many improvements.
- Heavily optimized server side creature update functions to allow for more frequent position and state updates per creatures and allow the game world to sustain an increased number of creatures. (Done and in daily testing)
- Revised creature health regeneration. (Done)
- Optimized and cleaned up creature AI system. (Done)
- Revised movement including the affect of slopes on creatures' speed. (Done)
- Revised server and client position update system to better synchronize positions between the server and all clients. (Done, needs testing)
- Revised creature aggro and target selection system. (Done)
- Revised basic path-finding 'blocking map' creation. (Done)
- Revised path-finding to allow for proper paths through buildings and around obstacles. (In progress - we will be trying various solutions for this)
- Mounts (bear and deer) (Coding done, animation and interface work needed)
- Pets (Coding done, interface work needed)
- Animal Taming
- Fully revised creature variables including ranges, hit boxes and health.
- Combat revisions (Will depend on synchronization tests)
- Ranged combat
To give an idea of the magnitude of this task, the systems being revised and replaced were originally coded (primarily) by four other programmers. This included a complete overhaul by two programmers to the AI, positioning and combat system several years ago. The current code consisted of over 10,000 which I've thoroughly reviewed, commented and separated for what is useful and what is trash.
By the time I'm finished with this update, most of the original code will be scrapped or replaced. The remaining useful code will be entirely cleaned up and optimized. It's getting there!
Some of you have probably noticed the Test Server up and open to the public. Primarily I have been running stress tests to compare the current live server AI and the updated AI. The new AI is greatly optimized and will allow for more updates per second on the server itself and between the servers and clients.
I will open the Test Server this weekend and request feedback on some of the changes in progress and will have more frequent updates here from now on as I start to wrap up and release these major changes!
Basket Hunt Event Sunday July 19th
Events will commence at the following times:
Peace Server (PVE): 12 Noon PST
War Server (PVP): 1 PM PST
These events will continue until all baskets are found.
Come join for the fun and prizes!
Patch Notes 07.17.2015
Terrain Reversion
- Object movement during terrain reversion revised.
- Log and bundle stacks should remain stacked during terrain reversion.
- Objects on the ground should move better with the ground and not float or sink.
Improvements
- Crafting optimized to prevent reset issues.
- Roof parts can no longer be set as commissaries.
- Roof parts adjusted for consistent initial placement and sign locations.
- Infirmaries allowed by default.
- Dismantle functions revised for correct top down dismantling.
Bug Fixes
- Issue causing repetitive 'motorboat' sound when two swimming players perform actions near each other fixed.
- Base posts not appearing when placed on a zone boundary fixed.
Patch Notes 07.10.2015
Improvements
- Time stamp added to chat messages.
- Building ‘roof’ parts can be assigned building uses.
- Removed all default start locations except for Founders Island. New players will primarily start at tribe centers with Welcome Stations (next patch).
- Previous default start locations will now be build-able areas.
Trading Post
- Trading Post items clear after 4 real days (36 game days) of not being sold.
- Global tab added to the Trading Post Panel allowing players to see items for sale at all Trading Posts across the game world.
Infirmary
- The infirmary provides a location where players can revive for a price.
- Any stand-alone ‘room’ building or ‘roof’ part can be set as an infirmary.
- Can be placed by any tribe or homestead.
- One infirmary can be placed per tribe.
- The tribe leader can set a price and collect funds gathered from patients.
- Infirmaries without a price set do not function.
- Infirmary prices can be set between 0 and 100 dollars per revival.
- Infirmaries list recent patients who revived there.
- Infirmaries become inactive if no tribe members is active in game for more than 7 real days.
Death Revisions
- Death timer removed. The Revive Panel displays immediately on death. (for the Peace Server only).
- The Revive Panel presents a list of nearby infirmaries for the player to revive at.
- The 10 nearest infirmaries within 1000 meters are listed.
- The reviving player can select an infirmary (for a price) or choose to revive at their home location for free.
- If the reviving player does not have the funds to revive at an infirmary, they will revive at their home location.
Fixes
- Corrected date founded display on the Town Panel
- Issue with removing cooking recipes not updating the recipe count until a data backup runs fixed.
- Grass armor patterns for items not yet in game removed from the Trading Post data table.
Guides
- Guides are now equipped with a special panel allowing them easy teleporting to tribes and buildings with uses.
- Guides can revoke tribe building use privileges if they are abused.
Colosseum Event! July 5th 12:00 Noon PST
During the event players will face off against creatures of varying powers both normal and mutant!
Events will include:
One on one battles
Head collecting round up
Group battles
More information on the Xsyon website
Come for the fun and prizes!