Notice: Next week's issue will be delayed a day or so due to the holidays.
ENGINE UPDATE PROGRESS REPORT
No new updates for us normies. We're still in beta-test limbo; apparently a beta update was released to the closed beta testers which was labelled as a public preview update. This accidental update might cause you some confusion if you find yours hasn't updated. That said given Lee's recent flurry of responses on the forums we can see that there's definitely some renewed emphasis on bugfixes and system stability (specifically with memory).
Also worth mentioning is my own find that you can reduce CPU usage by a drastic amount on most maps by updating the AI scripts to include some changes. Specifically it appears that 'always active=off' does not actually appear to be functioning. So you need to manually configure this via a player distance check in the script. By doing this, you kill the overhead required for the rather intensive AI system. Details can be found here: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219078
For now though, we're all waiting for what looks like what will be a new-years update to improve stability and performance. I'm really hoping Lee grinds this one out over holiday though I can understand if we have to wait until February for it.
NEW PRODUCTS IN THE STORE
Some small, but interesting updates.This week on the store we have a new artist (Thorus) making a solid go of some residential models and a decently good looking tractor. These models are well priced, most going in the sub-one dollar range per model. Moshroom has written a new script which degrades weapon quality and makes them unusable after a point. Acid has added a ... moving target? I couldn't really discern this one's purpose but I'm sure someone will find it useful. Lastly mstockton, who does a solid job on his modelling, added a nice padlock and key set for a very good price on the store.
Lastly added to the store was an actual game:
This particular game, Savior V1, has been around a while. It however, represents a certain threshold for quality that most 'steam game releases' I've seen fail to measure up to. While it's well priced at .99 cents (on sale at this time for a meager .50 cents), it is worth playing from the standpoint of seeing quality game design and development in Game-Guru. One can learn a significant amount from osmosis and this situation is no different.
That aside though what's really important about this is it highlights the store as an additional distribution channel. While we could potentially suffer the same problems as other channels (such as the hot, shoveled garbage games that find their way to steam) it could prove a really interesting way to market your own products to a smaller, more receptive audience. Definitely worth considering fotr the future.
FREE STUFF
This week's update in 'Free Stuff' has brought some absolutely incredible scripts. I mean three really big hitters that all solve a lot of major issues for Game-Guru game devs. First up is Solar's objective script found here: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219081
Check out the above picture. You can see clearly marked objectives which float under the object; this is going to be massively useful for the average FPS game. The best part is this one is actually very straightforward to use and adapt so it will bring a lot of value to a lot of people.
Next up is AmenMoses, who has once again provided a crazy amount of utility those of us who want to really push the envelope in Game-Guru. He's created a utility library that allows object rotation, connecting decals to objects, and much more. It has to be seen to be believed, check out the videos and the downloads here at the forum link: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219096
HonkeyBoy has been working tirelessly in Game-Guru on several projects for a few years now. These projects are pushing forward and his toolkit has really grown a lot over the past few months. Recently he's added a survival and crafting script for people to use and abuse:
The script, along with some secondary scripts (fire making, shelter making, etc) can be found here: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219061
It's also worth mentioning he's added some new models for download that are free for use as well here: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219082
Graphix has added a few impressive glass panels to the forum which I will personally be using extensively.
My previous 'glass panels' were some really old ones I'd hackneyed together from some pretty old assets. While they worked ok, they didn't do a spectacular job and looked cheap. These look exceptionally high quality and use alpha channels well. Get them here: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/217932?page=6#msg2592415
THIRD PARTY TOOLS
BOTR has updated the Heightmapping to MDAT tool again with a new GUI and a fix for the Windows 10 machines that were crashing. It's really coming into it's own. This brings it up to a current version of 2.1a; it can be found at this location: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/218876?page=3#msg2592417I personally have used the older versions to some good effect though it takes some tinkering to find the right settings for the scaling and what not. Overall though this is a must-have item for your toolbox if you plan on using any kind of pre-made terrain or imports from terrain building software.
RANDOM ACTS OF CREATIVITY
This week I play-tested Bugsy's Multiplayer Simulator which was fun and interesting. It ran well, played well, and reminded me a good bit of Quake 3 Arena. I'd love to see him push this project further and as always it's got some of Bugsy's hallmark humor added in as a dry touch:
More games need a 'middle finger' model, IMO.Also after long last we have an update on Wolf's epic flagship game - Shavra. If you aren't familiar, Wolf is one of the top tier developers for Game-Guru. He's in a very small group of other talented developers and this is his baby. The screenshots alone from 4 years ago show the Game-Guru engine stretched to it's limits. The latest screenshots are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, as you'd expect:
There simply aren't enough Game-Guru games meeting this level of quality. I find it really impressive and have to say I wish I could meet this level on my own work. It looks like it should be out of Unreal or Unity. Not something as 'plebeian' as Game-Guru.
That wraps it up for this week. As mentioned next week will have a delay before I post any new content, I may even skip it entirely.
Keep an eye out for some interesting new work from me too, I've been hard at work developing some new tools for Game-Guru users as well as a secret project that only a few select people know about. It'll take a good 6 months before it's ready, minimum, but once it's released it should really open a few eyes. That's about the most I can safely say on it. That and that it's about 8-10% complete as of this moment. So I have a long road ahead of me. Thanks again and see you next week!
