In addition to the other gui improvements, I have also improved the scanner. It can now detect multiple objects, instead of just the closest one.
This fixes a problem where the player cannot detect distance objects when they are too close to another object.
The main issues left to fix now are the issues with the Crew AI not navigating properly when the ship object rotates.
This is a complex problem.
I have completed another full test run of the game, and uncovered a few more minor bugs.
There were also some additional issues that were caused by changes to the system to improve functionality.
I have made improvements to the dynamic quest system, the subtitles, and fixed some issues with AI and item placement.
I have also made improvements to the main gui menus so that the position of the menu is stored persistently when the player hides the menu. This means that the user can configure the menu the way they want it just once, instead of every time it is displayed.
I have added another options screen to the main menu to store additional options for customising the game.
I have fixed a minor issue with NPC’s spawning into the world with the wrong world space position. This was causing their position to change incorrectly during the game.
I have also made several balancing changes to the game, mostly focusing on harvesting, etc.
I have also fixed many more minor bugs and issues that I have found during testing.
I have also added significant improvements to the way that scoped weapons work, which makes them easier to use.
I have found, and fixed, a tricky issue with the physics system in the project.
I was have issues with raycasts intermittently failing.
The cause turned out to be objects with rigidbodies attached that were far from the origin.
However, in unity, rigidbodies cannot be disabled, so I had to remove the rigidbodies when the object was far from the player, and then add them again, and setup their parameters, when the player got closer.
This was a relatively easy solution, but discovering the problem was complex.
I also made some improvements to the inventory system, and to the player server.
I have discovered, and fixed, an issue with AI placement within cities. This is also a longstanding bug, so it is good to get this fixed.
I have also made improvements to the driving physics, for vehicles. Steering was too sensitive, and braking was not responsive enough, these issues are much improved now.
In addition, I have made several improvements to scoped weapons and the binoculars. I have improved the visual effects and fixed some issus, as well as reducing the sensitivity of the mouse when scoped, to make it much easier to aim.
I have also added a very basic recoil effect to the heavy rifle, and some other minor changes.
I have added an optional background highlight to the text to make it more easily visible in bright conditions. This is something that was needed for some time.
I have also made some improvements to the AI, but there is still an issue here that I need to track down at some point.
The CreatureAI now avoids burning fires and shelters though, so the player can protect themselves from attack by lighting fires or carrying a torch or flare object. This is also a feature that I wanted to add for some time.
I am continuing to extensively test and improve the project.
There are still more bugs to fix, and lots of balancing and design improvements to make, before the project is ready for a beta.
However, I am making good progress.
I have made improvements to the items, and the general look and feel of the game, as well as fixed bugs with the AI, etc, and tweaked the weapon damage values.
I have also created a youtube channel for SpiritusAstrum, which I intend to use for posting gameplay videos, trailers, etc.
I have made some improvements to the inventory.
Previously, it was necessary to equip all inventory items before they could be combined with the item being crafted, but this was tedious, especially for complex crafting objects with many pieces.
I have now added the ability to craft items directly from the main inventory, without the items having to be equipped first.
I also fixed some bugs with the inventory system while working on the crafting.
The equipment slots are still needed for “using” items, but not for crafting.
I have also increased the time scale of the game, so that an entire day is now 3 hours instead of 4. It felt like the four hour time scale was too long, so I am going to experiment with changing it, and see if it works better.
I have made some improvements to the character creator, and I have done some basic multiplayer testing.
I will need to do a lot more multiplayer testing later, this is an area of the project that has not been tested extensively enough.
I am also working on more retests of the project, and with each run I am fixing more bugs, and making more balancing and design improvements.
I am hopeful that I should be able to start a beta test at some point relatively soon.
I have successfully uploaded my first test build to steam!
It is now possible for me to begin the beta testing phase, invite beta players, etc, etc.
I am not quite ready to do this yet, but the project is now technically ready for this step.
The steam API is also working properly too.
There are still quite a few things to do before I can consider releasing the project, even into beta, but I am definitely making good progress.