Thank you Tiina and Ari-Matti for your insights! This week I’ll be talking about what’s been going on lately, mostly technical stuff.

 

Jammu has been knee deep in Multiplayer code these last few weeks. After the study we did during pre-production we ended up choosing PUN (Photon Unity Networking) for our multiplayer component. We studied MLAPI, Mirror, Forge and NormCore, but PUN is the most widely used and well supported of the MP techs.

 

It took Jammu a week or so to implement Steam multiplayer with the FacePunch plugin – friend invites, matchmaking, kicking and so on. He continued straight on to implementing the Oculus MP, which is about finished now. Next week we can try crossplay between PC VR and Quest!

 

Next week’s blog will be about Jammu opening up and explaining everything that went right and wrong with the MP implementation.

 

 

On the design side, we’ve had a major change to our mining runs. They used to be similar to Cave Digger 1 runs – a single elevator which goes from floor to floor. Our new design has multiple elevators – the first takes the player from the surface to the 1st mine level. Then you need to find the next elevator in order to proceed! I’m really pleased with the change as this should give us a more structured run progression.

 

One big question mark is two-handed tool use. We’ve got a Sledgehammer and a Shovel, both built for specific purposes: the sledgehammer for smacking open geodes and the shovel for digging up treasure. Currently they’re very awkward to use, very far from the example shown in Gorn. Our designer was thinking on expanding their use so that all the tools are multi purpose but have a specific niche at which they excel at.

 

Let’s see. I know Gorn spent a lot of time getting this right and they have the comic elastic effect to help them out.

 

 

Here’s an example of how our texture artist improved the base map of our first enemy.

 

Also here’s what our modelers have been working on lately.

 

 

That’s it for now, folks. See you next week!

 

-Kharan (Jaakko Asikainen)

 

Random development quote:

-Jos sillä on kehossa yks reikä josta kaikki menee sisään JA tulee ulos, nii teknisesti sen röyhtäykset on samalla sen pieruja.

–Nudibranchit eli vapaakidusoliot on kans sellasia. Helvetin söpöjä ja värikkäitä kunnes huomaat ihailevasi niiden anusta.