XsyonMaster

Developer Update 08.16.2015

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Hello Xsyon Citizens!

First of all, I apologize for my silence since the server move earlier this month. Partly this was due to personal distractions (including being sick for several days). I've been in touch daily with the Xsyon Guide Team. I've just been a bit out of the loop with the forums.

Primarily, I've been fully concentrated on the upcoming massive creature update. Things are coming along well, but taking time. 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)

- Mounts (bear and deer) (Coding done, animation and interface work needed)

- Animal Taming and Pets

- 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.

In addition, I've been checking out combat and creatures in other current games and have been immersed in reading and studying code to assist me in implementing these coming major changes. At this point, I'm done with enough research and code clean up that my focus will be on new code until this update is done!

Although I am not yet ready for proper public testing and feedback, the Test Server will be up and down intermittently starting today with various changes turned on and off as I run tests with the current Peace Server data.

One notable change is with other player and creature movement. Positions should more accurately match positions on the server and the 'sliding' effect at the end and sometimes beginning of movements should be gone.

For those players that do log in to the Test Server, you may notice the ground under rocks, trees and buildings turning into a rock (or another) surface. This is for testing purposes only, to give a rough indication of the base path-finding blocking map for creatures.

Once I'm ready for public testing, I will open up a feedback thread as usual. Depending on how things go, I may release some minor updates such as the Welcome Station or some of the current optimizations this month.

For now, I'll continue to immerse myself in the code. It's taking time, but will be well worth it!
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