AF v0.6.20: Full Patch Notes

5 September, 2020 - Version 0.6.20

Tech:

• Updated to Unity 2020.1.6f
• Replaced CTS terrain system (to make procedural terrain texture better) with Microsplat for improved performance and some new features.

Gameplay:

• Updated turn interleaving to no longer use the "turn-based" method.  Instead an enemy will move in sync with the player if they are moving the same speed or less.
• Thus there is no longer a "current team executing" concept.  This is a little bit of backsliding into early 2019, but that's okay.  It plays much smoother.
• If the player presses fire when no target is indicated, the targeting mode is cancelled rather than playing "error" and staying in the mode.  Makes for more better-feeling experience.
• Handling is now a completely new concept...  the grip is measured on the speedometer, and it can't drop below the current SPEED or skids will start.
• Reduced the difficulty of the early boss a little.  Damage and the flamethrower were a bit much.
• Early watchtowers now only fire a single rocket rather than two at once.

Camera:

• The vehicle gameplay now uses Cinemachine for its dynamic camera.  Allows for motion blur, some shake and tilt when at higher speeds.
• Visual effects (red, shake) from skidding on camera.
• Cursor now follows the camera so shooting behind the player in particular should not go off-camera.

Vehicles:

• Two new more rough-n-tumble vehicles to be used for gangs, the Crux and the Coyote.
• Weapons are now physically mounted on vehicle bodies.
• Weapons now use a special shader so they can be outlined.
• Revised the taillights and visuals on vehicle bodies across all vehicle prefabs.
• Fixed tire rotation on new vehicles, they should both rotate forward (without getting out of sync and "tumbling") but also swivel left and right with maneuvers.
• Tuned down some of the roll and pitch on vehicle bodies, because it was looking somewhat silly.

World:

• Revised the world props to be much larger and better match the vehicle size.  The intent is to make everything less toy-like and provide more drama in the scenes.
• Streets in ruined city are now double-wide, so the average road is 4 tiles across, which makes for a much more entertaining experience.
• Alleys are now 2 across and wide boulevards are generally 6-8 across.  All city blocks are expressed in 8x8 rather than 4x4.  Props were increased in size to accommodate.
• Roads now have modeled curbs, so an entirely new tileset was created.
• Added new models for road edges: Ground, plaza, street/sidewalk.
• Created a system that allows for tile models to span multiple tiles (so we can have 2x2 buildings), and added support to merging tiles together.

Terrain:

• The drivable terrain now has height variation.
• Terrain texturing is more sophisticated thanks to Microsplat, and there are new textures at work that provide more interest and clarity overall.
• Revised grass to use a model rather than sprites.  Makes for a lot more interesting view from above.
• The high-tech citadel model is now in use.
• Blowing sand now visible across overworld terrain
• World roads in battlefields and outposts now use a new altas that is more like tire ruts.  Those old roads looked really bad.

Content:

• Revised how quests are managed.  Opens the doors for a more varied set of quests throughout the sector maps as well as within missions.
• Added Quest Management that is set up by sectors.  More questevents that fire off encounters sometimes.
• Your companion is now Al, your onboard computer rather than the publicity agent from the Homestead.  He/it will be important to the story as things move forward.
• Character default name is now "Rig" instead of "Driver".
• Citadels are now owned by corporations, of which three are generated at campaign start.
• Mayor page in city now reflects the actual mayor and city owner, as well as some generated dialogue from the agent.

HUD:

• An entirely new HUD uses a mixture of modeled panels (such as the speedometer) and the digital info panels on the top.
• HUD contains a tablet which houses many functions including social media (Toots), interactions, encounters, and other informational displays.
• The combat log is now part of the social media display.
• Revised the vehicle status display (in the HUD, targeting and garages) to use armor segments
• Speed is now expressed in increments of 25MPH
• Revised weapon and equipment icons to display in monochrome monitor style
• The player's current stats as the "hero" is in the upper left.
• The upper right always shows the player's enemy in this area with their fame so you can contrast it with your own.
• The armor and health display on tne target panel works now and uses the same language as the player's armor panel.
• The player's armor and acccessories panels have been reduced in size.
• Armor is now expressed in 4 distinct panels, and progresses from there.

Social Panel:

• Toot that you have entered a location.
• New chatter dialogue for locals about your actions.

VFX:

• Revised the sprite-based smoke and explosions to use a 3D shader that can cast shadows.  Still some work to do but it makes Smokescreens and columns more compelling.
• VFX Cleanup for smoke and explosions
• Added wisp trails to bullets

Audio:

• Set up vehicles and overworld entities to have looping engine sounds with multiple gears.
• Revised stingers and feedback sounds.  Rely less on westerns.
• Desert battleground now escalates its music properly over a battle.

UI:

• The UI font is now Roboto almost entirely, rather than LeagueGothic.  It's cleaner and shrinks better as needed.
• The UI screens now scale up and down with resolution, so items don't get out of whack position-wise in those cases.
• Default resolution is 1920x1080.  No resolution picker in Unity anymore so I have to add in-game resolution choosing very soon.
• The player now enters the citadel map, which means the vehicle is seen in the city.  Opens the door for more location highlighting per city function.
• New icons for all currencies and supplies
• Updated weapon and equipment icons to not be so color-dependent, all monochrome now.
• Menus should all support keyboard, gamepad and mouse input.
• Move markers now match color of the move pips.
• Move markers and grid now draw through the world and are always visible.
• Character and garage is cleaned up and uses new font.
• Popup labels at locations now show through obstructions and animate/fade better.

Title Shell:

• Revised the opening shell entirely to be more slick.  Learning what things are good and bad to do in UI as a result!
• Credits screen in shell.
• Announcements page can hold patch notes and other information.
• Display last character and max fame reached at top.
• Main menu has quit button now.

Bug fixes:

• Entity params (specifically how an encounter is defined on an instance) was not being saved and loaded properly.
• Randomly-generated outposts are not placed on 45 degree increments anymore (90 only)
• Revised the collision on the fuel dump.
• Fixed bug with radial blasts not properly choosing the right side of the vehicle to damage
• Fixed bug with targeting mode being entered before vehicles are done moving (causing blank squares to be targeted)
• Make multiple attempts to redraw sites if we try placing one that doesn't have enough room.
• Fixed a poorly-placed camera listener (it was parented to the camera, that was a bad idea, caused shaky audio volume)
• Vehicles now properly stop in overworld on encounter.
• Fixed "Get those loot" and other such bad quote generations.
• Fixed up buy, sell, loading dock pages in city.
• Overworld enemy now properly dies if you defeat them in the battleground
• Condition countdowns were actually working backwards, so oil and such wouldn't last more than one move.   Fixed.