Welcome to the weekly development log for Depths of Erendorn! This week, the 3D modelling team made significant progress in sculpting the new set of armour and doing some refinement, while the server team focused on implementing an Effect Block Error system and enabling tile highlights during combat. The animation team also had a productive week, creating and implementing stun animations for various creatures and adding more character entity blueprints for texture variation. Additionally, new ability and interactable error codes were designed and implemented to improve player feedback. Let's take a closer look at the progress made in each area of development. As always, join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit for daily updates on Depths of Erendorn. Alternatively, join our Discord for all the latest! - now let’s get into it!
3D Modelling
The 3D modelling team for Depths Of Erendorn had a productive week as they continued to work on sculpting. The team was able to block out most of the new armour and started refining the various pieces while adding details. At this stage, the block out was mostly finished with just some fine tweaking left to do. Going forward, the team will be focusing on smoothing the model and adding in finer details to give the armour a more unique look. With the progress made this week, the 3D modelling team is moving closer to completing the sculpting stage for the project. Examples of the progress made to the new armour can be seen below.
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Programming
Client
This week has been about designing some of the requirements for and implementation of Ability Error Codes in general as well as specific methods used for resource cost failures. Interactables have also been given the ability to show outlines for interaction. Additonal work from the client side team can be seen below.
- Ability Error Code parsing - In order to provide better development and player feedback the new error codes for abilities on the Server are now handled in the Client, allowing us to show error code messages or their player facing equivalents during combat.
- Ability Cost Error parsing - If a player attempts to cast an ability and it fails due to a lack of a certain player resource; Mana/Energy/other secondary resources, the Client now understands which ability failed, which stat was lacking by how much and can now use that to communicate visually to the players.
- Outlines for Interactables - Interactables now make use of the same outlines used when hovering players, giving them a white outline to let players know they can interact. Outlines are only shown when interactables are interactable (outside of combat).
- Outline parameters in Interactables - Interactable Blueprint classes now have the ability to define per-object which meshes and components are to be used when highlighted.
- Fixed selection highlighting in the vendor window.
- Finished prototyping loading screen with new assets, needs some proper testing and connecting to the right events but bug fixing has taken priority.
- Started on addressing bugs in the adventure progress window that assign item drops to the wrong players and hide players from progress if they weren't present for the latest event.
Server
This week the server team has been busy working on implementing a new Effect Block Error system. Previously, when an ability fails due to the caster not having enough resources, lacking line of sight, or a whole host of other issues, the player was only ever given a failure message from the server, but not a reason as to why said failure happened.
Now, after 190+ Effect Blocks have had their return values rewritten, every single possible way an ability can fail is now returnable to the player with an explanation as to what failed, including the ability to be able to send values back, such as how much mana was needed vs how much the player has.
Later in the week, a small fix was applied to stat changes that was causing them to not be validated correctly upon being removed, if attached to an active effect that was set up to be removed on an End of Turn trigger.
Finally, time was spent adding tile highlights under occupied tiles during combat followed by some bug fixes and writing future Cache code. Code preparation for using a cache server has mostly been written ready for when we will implement it. Additional work from the server side team can be seen below.
- Enabled tile highlights under occupied tiles so the tiles stay visible when occupied.
- Updated texture generator.
- Fixed entity targeting logs.
- Fixed enemy targeting when players join a combat mid-combat.
- Fixed a config error on one of our sets of servers causing it to connect to the wrong set of servers.
Animation
This week, the animation team for Depths Of Erendorn focused mainly on quadrupeds. The group 1 creatures, which include dogs and bears, received a significant amount of attention. Specifically, the team finished the wing animations for all dog animations and exported them to the UE Engine. In addition, they created animation blends and animation blueprints for the Hyena and Bear. Stun animations were also created and implemented for these creatures, and were added to the Animation Controller Blueprint. Another important task accomplished this week was the creation of more character entity blueprints for texture variation, which involved deleting duplicated sk_meshes. On the other hand, the group 3 creatures, which include spiders and scorpions, also received some attention. The animation team created and implemented stun animations into the animation blueprint for Spiderlings. Overall, this week was productive for the animation team as they continued to make progress on the development of Depths Of Erendorn. Examples of the newly created animations can be seen below.
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That’s it for this week’s devlog, but have you seen our monthly roundup of February yet?!
