The Creators Competition: Season 2 has officially begun!
In last week's dev diary we talked about some general information about the competition but now that it's underway let's get into the details you absolutely shouldn't miss!
Before you start
Before you start creating your competition entry, make sure that you go over the rules to make sure you're eligible to take part in the contest. You can find the rules riiiiiiiiight here.
Go through the Creator Guidelines, which describe the technical requirements and limitations that your Mystery Yland must meet.
Once you decide you want to take part, don't forget to create a post on our competition forum section (some examples are already there!)
While you're creating
Update the forum post you created with screenshots, images, sketches, ideas and anything else you can think of so that others can see your progress and comment on it!
Contact us for support and with any questions you might have
Go see what others are working on!
When you're done
Make sure to read the Submission Guide so that you don't miss anything!
Enjoy the fact that you successfully submitted your very own Mystery Yland!
Wait for the winner announcement!
During the whole competition, we will be helping you out and answering your questions, so don't hesitate to let us know when you need anything! Please allow for a possible extended time while answering these and other requests for the next three weeks, while Nikki, our community manager is on vacation.
That's it for this week and stay creative and stay classy, Ylanders!
Dev Diary #190 Creators Competition - Season 2
Hey there, Ylanders!
It's finally here! It's happening! Are you excited? Season 2 of the Creators Competition is finally about to start!
We know you've been waiting for this and we are bringing you all the info you need regarding the second installment in the Creators Competition series.
This time, the competition will be asking you to create Mystery Ylands. Let your creativity on the loose and hit us with a Mystery Yland we've not seen before and we'll reward you for it. So let's get to all the information!
What do you need to do?
Create an original Mystery Yland!
When does the competition start and end?
We're kicking off on September 1, when all the rules and information will become available. The competition will run for about 2 months, with the submission period ending after 6 weeks on October 17. The submission period will be followed by other activities such as social media competition.
What can you win?
$$$ prizes! We have over 7.000 USD worth of cash prizes! But apart from that, every Mystery Yland that will meet the quality standards, which will be published at the beginning of the competition, will get to become an actual Mystery Yland in Exploration!
1st place - 3.000 USD 2nd place - 2.000 USD 3rd place - 1.000 USD 4th place - 700 USD 5th place - 500 USD
Who will be judging the creations?
A panel of developers. We will have representatives from several different parts of the dev team.
What are the judging criteria?
We will specify the criteria in the rules which are going to be published on September 1st. But most importantly we will be looking for creativity and originality.
Let us know what your questions are in the comments and we will make sure to answer them when the competition kicks off next week!
Well, that's that for this week, Ylanders. We sincerely hope you are as excited about this as we are, because every day, we see your wonderful creations and we just cannot wait to see what you'll be able to create this time around.
Stay classy and stay creative, Ylanders!
Dev Diary #189 Marking More Maps
Hey there, Ylanders!
Today's Dev Diary is, yet again, going to be all about a feature that was heavily requested by our wonderful community and is already very quickly becoming a useful tool for our game designers, who are working with it on new and exciting content for you as we speak! And it will add more spark to Exploration too!
We're talking about Custom Map Markers, a feature coming to Ylands with the 1.8 update. As the name suggests, these are markers that you can see on your world's map. But they go beyond what you know from Exploration. As a creator, you can use them in a variety of creative ways. Want to show the players where the danger lies? Map marker. Alert them to an interesting area to explore? Map marker. Point them to where the coveted reward is buried? Map marker! And to make things even more exciting, you can choose which image you want to use for the marker, what color it is, whether it has background, the color of the background, their size, whether they're static or move with an entity and much more. And don't forget to explore how Custom Map Markers and Fog of War work together in terms of revealing your markers to players as they travel through your world.
We are so excited to see what you can do with those because your creativity just won't stop amazing us!
Yes, Custom Map Markers is a tool that creators may use in their customs games but it is also so much more than that. Why, you ask? We have been working on new content for Exploration and Custom Map Markers will give us much more to work with in terms of using the map as a tool in Random Encounters and in making Mystery Ylands even more exciting and engaging. And we're already working on both so you'll get to see these for yourselves soon!
That's it for now and don't forget to...
Stay Classy!
Dev Diary #188 Pictures Prioritized
Hey there, Ylanders!
Here at the Ylands HQ, we've been busy with polishing things up for the upcoming update, which, as we've mentioned in the last few Dev Diaries, is going to be all about improving Quality of Life based on your suggestions. With that in mind, this week's Dev Diary is going to introduce a small thing that will impact not only our talented creators but practically everyone who will launch Ylands.
When you upload your custom game to Ylands, you have the option to choose an image for your creation which will show up as a thumbnail on the main Ylands screen. What we would like to see is more of these images to showcase your beautiful creations! Which is why we want to prioritize games which will have an image uploaded and those will show up before games without one. This way, players can get a better idea what the game they are about to play is about. And our creators can use this as an opportunity to create an interesting image that will draw players in.
If you've made a custom game with a thumbnail before, how did you choose to go about creating the image? Did you take the screenshot route? Or perhaps a collage of interesting assets from the game? Did you add text to the image? Or any other element? Let your fellow creators know so that you can inspire each other!
Players, what has been the most memorable game thumbnail you've seen in Ylands so far?
Well... And that's it for this week, Ylanders!
We'll be in touch next week!
Stay classy!
Dev Diary #187 Picking it up!
Hey there, Ylanders!
We hope that you had a great July and as we enter August, we come bearing good news!
When we were going through the feedback you have shared with us for the 1.8 polish update, we couldn't overlook one issue that many of you have with picking up items. It can get tedious after a while when trying to collect all that bamboo for a sweet new blueprint you just placed, right? We get you. More importantly, we hear you! Let us tell you all about what's happening at the Ylands HQ right now:
In order to save your mouse buttons and also your fingers, we started working on a mass pick up function. That's right, the community asked and here we are, working on this massively requested feature.
Before we're able to tell you about how exactly the mass pick up function works, we have to go through a design process that ensures that the best possible solution is developed and implemented. Which is why we need prototypes. Currently there are several prototypes being discussed, developed and tested and while they're all looking super promising, only one will be the one. So keep your eyes peeled, because more on this topic will be coming soon and we will want your input!
The mass pick up feature, of course, isn't the only thing we're working on. We have been getting some amazing feedback regarding Mystery Ylands and we're happy to report that more are on their way, as well as something new and exciting that will make Mystery Ylands even more interesting! Because you see, when you're on a Mystery Yland and you... oh, that's right, we can't tell you just yet! But it will add another marvelous layer to solving mysteries and make them even more appealing.
We hope you are having fun exploring the Mystery Ylands and we will report with another dose of dev news in a week's time!
Stay classy, Ylanders!
Dev Diary # 186 Composing Blueprints
Hey there, Ylanders!
We're not gonna beat around the bush too much this week. You know the 1.8 update is going to be the next in the line of improvements to the game. And because it will be mostly a "polishing things up" kind of update, we want to, once again, hear from you!
This time, let's talk about blueprints and compositions. We know they're not, well, the best they can be. We hear you. But we want to do something about it!
So this Dev Diary should serve as a confirmation of the fact that we know, that blueprints and compositions could be better and also as a space to discuss what we can improve! Let us know what what you like and don't like, hit us up with improvements that you would suggest or point out what you think would be a good idea when it comes to blueprints and compositions.
That's it for this week and we look forward to reading your ideas!
Stay classy, Ylanders!
Dev Diary #185 Featuring Creations
Hey there, Ylanders!
While you are now enjoying all the new features of Marvelous Mysteries, we're of course already hard at work polishing things up for the 1.8 update!
In case you missed what 1.8 will be about, head right over to this Dev Diary, which gives a closer look at what we have planned.
A big part of any update is focusing on our wonderful community. With 1.8 it will be doubly true, as we will be improving the experience not only for our current players, but we will also be bringing in those who may have not heard of Ylands yet. And what's a better way to present the creativity and innovativeness of the Ylands community than to show the best that it has to offer?
For this very reason, we would like to create a short video featuring your wonderful creations. If you're interested in helping us out with this video showcase, all you need to do is to send over your blueprints, compositions or even whole scenes along with its screenshot. Here is the link, which you can use to submit these (the password is simply ylands). And worry not, anything you send us for this video trailer will be used only for this very purpose.
What kind of blueprints, compositions or scenes are we looking for? Just. About. Anything. Got a nice pirate ship you built? Share it! A log cabin with an exquisitely designed fireplace? That'll look great! Happy how that house with an indoor garden turned out? We wanna see it!
That's it for this week, Ylanders but worry not! More creative challenges are coming your way very, and by that we mean VERY, soon!
Have a fantastic time and don't forget to...
... Stay classy, Ylanders!
Dev Diary #184 Missed the Stream?
Hey there, Ylanders!
As you probably know, our newest update is out! The 1.7 update - Marvelous Mysteries - has now been out for a whole week! We are very excited to hear what you think about this new update, so do let us know!
In case you missed the news, the 1.7 update is packed with cool new features and on top of that many QoL improvements alongside bug fixes. To point out just a few of these great new features, you can now immerse yourselves in enjoying:
Mystery Ylands - if you'd like to spice up your exploration life, try looking around Mystery Ylands. These are special locations, which you can access and solve a mystery, be it a puzzle, a dungeon or a different kind of challenge entirely! If you do that, you will be rewarded of course!
The Exploration Demo - if you're not sure you want to commit to purchasing the Exploration DLC, this is the feature for you. You can try out what it's like to live on an yland, you'll learn how to craft and you can even have other players visit you! The demo is not time limited, you cannot leave the starting yland, so if you'd like to venture beyond the borders of this yland, you will need the DLC (which you can now get directly in-game without having to leave, buy and then come back!)
Object Brush Tool - if you like playing around in the Editor portion of Ylands, you may have found yourself struggling to make your landscapes nice and full. The Object Brush tool is you best friend then! Use it to span a large amount of objects across your terrain or any other surface in a pattern you choose.
Crafting Tweaks - when starting out, you now don't need to be overwhelmed by all the recipes that are available to you. Instead, you progress through a crafting tree as you discover the relevant resources. You can also drag non-workstation recipes into the hotbar and craft directly from there! Should make building things much easier, right?
... and many more!
If you'd like to see the developers talk about and show the new features, you should definitely re-watch the recording from our live stream from earlier this week. You'll get to meet Nikki, Naru, Equi, Rudy and Aleš as your hosts! The stream recording is available here:
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That's it for this week, so till next time...
Stay classy, Ylanders!
DLC fix for Early Accessors and Other Previous Owners
Hey there, Ylanders!
This past weekend, we have been experiencing syncing issues with Steam and this resulted in many of our Early Accessors not being able to use their DLC.
The issue has now been fixed and we apologize for the inconvenience!
We wish you a lot of fun with the Ylands Exploration DLC!
(screenshot by jrock)
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In case your DLC is still not working, please let me know and we will sort it out on a case-by-case basis :)
1.7: MARVELOUS MYSTERIES
Hey there, Ylanders!
Refresh your map reading skills because you will need them while navigating the world of Ylands! And don't forget to pack a magnifying glass so that you can properly look into the mysteries awaiting you in the Update 1.7 - Marvelous Mysteries!
With this update, you can dive right into discovering: - Mystery Ylands - Exploration Demo - Object Brush Tool - Exploration on Mobile - Tweaked Crafting - and many more QoL tweaks and changes!
Wondering what some of these are all about?
The new Mystery Ylands, unlockable for Exploration Points gained by finding random encounters on standard ylands, bring not only new challenges but a progression mechanic to Exploration. Solving the mysteries of these hand-crafted challenge zones, will reward players with a variety of rewards.
In case you are still not convinced; we'll be offering an Exploration demo for everyone to try, right from the game itself! So if you want to know what all the fuss is about, just give it a try! It is not time limited and you can get the DLC straight from within the game without having to leave it, if you do decide to go for it! Others can visit you on your Starting Yland, but if you yourself would like to venture beyond the borders of your yland, you will need vessel in the form of the Exploration DLC. And don't worry, you can keep the progress you made using the demo!
For all the Creators out there - fear not! We have added some sweet new tools to the Editor, like the Object Brush tool or the ability for custom UIs on mobiles. With Object Brush, you can skip the time consuming part of trying to fill an yland with items to make it look cooler, Object Brush will help you span a large amount of objects across your terrain or any other surface in a pattern you choose.
Exploration is finally coming to mobile devices! That's right, now you can enjoy your well-deserved Ylands holiday...while on a bus, train or walking down the street. We do not recommend walking and playing, you may get attacked by a lamp, a street sign or even a random trashcan! There are some limitations for mobile players, such as terrain modification, but you can now start playing on your PC and continue on your mobile device as well (or the other way around!).
When it comes to crafting, we have changed how it's presented to the players, to make sure crafting is less overwhelming and more to the point. Recipes have been split into core and optional, with core recipes getting unlocked with crafting progression, and optional recipes, which are mostly for decorative items, awarded for exploring random sites. You can now craft most items straight into the world, which is particularly useful for building blocks, so let your creativity off the leash and show us what you can do!
Apart from brand new, shiny features, we also did some exterminating and got rid of bugs and altogether made almost 200 fixes! If you'd like to look into what exactly these were, follow this link to the changelog.
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news about Ylands, because many are coming!
Have a fantastic time playing Marvelous Mysteries and don't forget to...
