The Repopulation - 0.5.3 Build Notes and Progress
by J.C. Smith · 10/06/2009 (7:26 am) · 3 comments
This patch continues with what we've been building towards in recent patches, in trying to make the game as fun as possible, as soon as possible. In this patch we gave every starting profession a pass to ensure that each profession has at least two combat abilities when they begin the game. There are many new abilities based on Momentum. As you are successful you will gain Momentum, where your failures or inactivity cause you to lose it. Momentum can then be spent to use these new and powerful abilities. We also introduced hovering NPC type titles, blended animations, new armored vehicles that are geared towards Siege combat, pick pocketing (PVE Only), disarming abilities, dramatically changed Foraging, and gave another batch of Crafting improvements. In addition to these we have upgraded to the latest version (1.0) of the Torque 3D engine, which has resulted in performance and visual improvements.
Anyone interested in helping us alpha test the product can apply for testing by registering at the web site, which can be found here: www.therepopulation.com.
Combat
- There are now disarming attacks. These attacks have a small chance to disarm a player or monsters weapon. If this is successful their weapon will drop into a free inventory spot, or onto their cursor if that fails. These attacks will very seldomy be successful in disarming, with a maximum of a 10% chance to disarm a much lower skill level opponent.
Crafting and Harvesting
- Foraging has been redone to make it more similar to other harvesting skills. Rather than foraging and randomly receiving an item from that zones loot table, you must now interact with a foraging object.
- Rather than have one crafting vendor with a huge list of items, we have split up the crafting vendors so that there are several categories which sell different things.
- Added 17 new Crafting Recipe Manuals.
Effects and Abilities
- The Stealing skill has been integrated and is used by Thief types. Players can not steal from other players, but some NPCs can have their pockets picked of certain items or coin. Stealing can also be used in the generated mission system. It should be noted that any time you get caught stealing, you will lose reputation with whatever faction that NPC is a part of, so use this skill with caution. Thieves may find themselves exiled. It should also be noted that when you pick pocket an NPC, you are stealing a portion of the coin loot that is separate from the normal fellowships coin loot, however if you are able to pick pocket unique items from that npc, they will be gone from them until they are respawned. Being a thief can be challenging, but for those who wish to live the lifestyle, it is now possible.
- Added the Stealing based ability: Pick Pocket. This skill allows you to pick the pockets of most human NPCs. See the previous entry for more information on the advantages and disadvantages of using this ability. Thieves, which are a new starting profession, will start with the ability to Pick Pocket. Others can learn how to do it by completing Underworld missions.
- Added the new Axe Fighting Tactics skill: Cry of Rage. This skill buffs your entire alliance with a shorter duration version of the Berserk buff, but requires a full Momentum bar.
- Added the Ranged Tactics ability: Rapid Fire. This launches a quick burst of fire at an opponent, and will work with any firearm.
- Added the Mace Tactics ability: Disarming Pummel. This attack has a chance to disarm your opponent, and deals moderate damage. It requires a small amount of Momentum to use.
- Added the Automatic Weaponry Tactics ability: Spraying Assault. This assault launches an Area of Effect barrage at opponents, but is innacurate.
- Added the Rifle Tactics ability: Suppressing Fire. This ability is not damaging, but attempts to distract your opponent for a short period of time, preventing them from doing other activities. Soldiers will start with this ability.
- Added the Automatic Weaponry Tactics ability: Covering Fire. This is similar to Suppressing Fire except that it is Area of Effect and requires an automatic weapon.
- Added the Sniper Tactics ability: Disarming Shot. This attack has a chance to disarm your opponent from long range, but deals little damage. It requires a moderate of Momentum to use.
- Added the Stealth based ability: Escape. This ability costs Momentum but will dramatically reduce your visibility for a short period of time, and can be used in Combat. Spies will start with this ability, other professions will need to work on their stealth skill before gaining access to it. This skill has a long reuse time.
- Added the Ranged Tactics based ability: Flanking Attack. This attack can only be made from behind, but can be made with any ranged weapon. It is similar to a ranged backstab, except the damage bonus is smaller.
- Added the Automatic Weaponry Tactics ability Tactics based ability: Flanking Assault. This is simlar to Flanking Attack but can only be used with an Automatic Weapon and does Area of Effect damage centered around a target. You must be flanking that target, however.
- Added the First Aid based ability: Only a Flesh Wound. This ability requires a large quantity of Momentum, but will restore a reasonable amount of health instantly by convincing the recipient that they are not seriously damaged. This skill has a long reuse time.
- Added the First Aid based ability: Just a Scratch. This ability is a higher skill level required version of Only a Flesh Wound, but it is on a separate reuse timer and heals more damage. It is a high end Elite skill, but possessing it will give you two instant momentum based heals.
- Added the Swordfighting Tactics ability: Disarm. This attack has a chance to disarm your opponent, and deals some damage. It requires a small amount of Momentum to use.
- Added the Diplomacy based ability Verbal Lashing. A good verbal lashing can momentarily leave an opponent stunned at what was just said. Diplomats will start with this ability.
- Added the Intimidation based skill Verbal Assault. This is similar to Verbal Lashing except Intimidation based, more potent, and requiring a higher skill level to use.
- Added the Martial Tactics based ability Dizzying Flurry. This is a high end elite skill that unleashes a flurry of abilities on an opponent, including a shot to the shin, a jab and a headbutt. Each of these can leave a negative debuff on your opponent. This includes chances to slow their movement, and leave them momentarily dazed and debuffed. It requires a significant amount of Momentum to use, but has a shorter reuse time than most Momentum sabilities.
- Added the Shield Tactics based ability: Raise Shield. This ability will raise your shield in front of you and attempt to block incoming damage, but it will significantly reduce your offensive output, as well.
- Increased the duration the Diplomacy based ability: Confuse from 4 to 6 seconds.
- Fixed a bug in the Back Slash ability that was not allowing it to be used on hostile NPCs due to being flagged incorrectly as a beneficial ability.
- Fixed a bug with the Athletics based ability: Avoidance.
- Fixed a bug with the Animal Taming based ability: Use Caution.
General
- Upgraded to v1.0 of the Torque 3D engine, resulting in optimizations and visual improvements.
-Added a displayName field to spawns that will mask their name in the guinamehud and the tracking object.
- You can now toggle HDR and Lightrays on or off from the options menu.
- Fixed a bug with the /who command.
- Immortals now have the ability to teleport other players to new zones for testing or CSR related situations.
- Immortals now have the ability to reward from a random loot table.
Graphics
- We've expanded our animation capabilities in this patch to be able to include blended animations. Previously our animation system was working on a series of full body animations, we can now use multiple animation threads.
- We are now able to create particle effects that will (optionally) remain active until the NPC is killed.
- NPCs can now have text hovering above their heads to indicate the type of NPC that they are. For example a Banker might display the text (Banker) on top of their heads. This should make it easier to locate which vendor you should speak to.
- We've added decals throughout the world in an attempt to help break up texture repetition. This will continue as we go.
- We've improved the water and river graphics in the Plymouth area.
- Added new resource graphics.
- Added new inventory item icons.
- Added new promotional billboards.
- Screen Space Ambient Occlusion should now look and perform better.
- The swimming idle animation has been fixed.
Items
- Improved the random loot system for engagement rewards, foraging, random humanoid crafting drops, and mission rewards.
- The collectible items: Liberty Nickel, Calib Parasite and Bark Parasite are now marked as Rare items.
Missions
- Added a new feature to our generated quest system which allows us to generate camps of monsters or NPCs in a zone, and create time limited missions for players to go and slay them. These missions have very short time limits of just 12 minutes, meaning players must complete them quickly. They do reward military experience to compensate for the urgency.
- Added the Underworld mission template: Breaking and Entering. This mission will takes place in a generated Industrial instance, and is a stealth friendly mission. You are not required to kill anything, simply to locate and steal an artifact. There are security guards who can either be killed or snuck past. The crate location is random. As is the case with all advanced Underworld missions, you will need to partake in some shady activities to be given these assignments.
- PVP missions will now only be given in tier 2+ zones.
Pets
- Pets have had their damage output increased significantly.
Vehicles
- There is now a Tracked Vehicle Control skill. This works similar to the Hover Vehicle Control but is used for Tracked Vehicles, such as tanks.
- We've added two new tracked vehicles to the game. Previously all of our vehicles were aimed at reducing travel time, but these are geared towards combat. The first type of vehicle is a tank, with heavy armor, and moderate firepower, but a very slow movement speed. The second is a mobile missile launcher, which has high damage but little armor. Both of these vehicles will deal bonus damage to structures, making them ideal for sieges. As is the with other vehicles, you can only use abilities flagged as "Vehicle Abilities" while in control of a vehicle. You will not be able to use the majority of your other abilities, making these special purpose warfare tools.
- There is a new flag to determine which vehicles can turbo boost and the level at which they may do so. Currently only hover vehicles can turbo boost, tracked vehicles may not. This is a sliding value though so we can boost its effects or give more powerful Vehicle Abilities to certain vehicle upgrades or types at a later date.
- Added the Tracked Vehicle ability: Heavy Barrage. This ability has long range, and delivers area of effect damage that does bonus damage vs. enemy structures. It is only available on vehicles equipped with heavy cannons or rocket launchers, however.
- Added the Tracked Vehicle ability: Missile Barrage. This ability has very long range, and delivers heavy area of effect damage that does bonus damage vs. enemy structures. It is only available on vehicles equipped with rocket launchers, however. It also has a very slower usage time, and longer reuse time, and higher skill requirement than Heavy Barrage.
- Added the Hover Vehicle Control ability: Punch Turbo, this ability is similar to Turbo Boost except that it has a longer duration, much longer reuse, moves a bit faster, and drains significantly more energy. It is only available on Vehicles with Class 2 Turbo capabilities.
- Fixed a bug that was causing the command buffer to overflow while in a vehicle.
- Your weapons or shields so no longer be floating underneath your vehicle.
World
- NPCs can now form raiding camps in outdoor zones. These camps will appear randomly from time to time, and a quest to destroy the camps will be given to someone when they are available.
- Plymouth City has been portalized, which should result in better rendering and network performance while in the city.
- Monsters can now optionally spawn with certain beneficial effects, rather than needing to buff themselvse.
- Added new loot tables and used them to place random crafting and collection component on humanoid monsters.
- Added a Banker profession.
- We've added Bankers to Freedomtown and Plymouth.
- Rachel David in Plymouth should now keep more regular hours.
- We've added new billboards into the game. In the future we will look to rent out the promotional space here, and they have been set up with that in mind.
UI
- Made some adjustments to the tips window to accomodate recent changes.
- Made some adjustments to the font profile for the PDA Window.
Anyone interested in helping us alpha test the product can apply for testing by registering at the web site, which can be found here: www.therepopulation.com.
Combat
- There are now disarming attacks. These attacks have a small chance to disarm a player or monsters weapon. If this is successful their weapon will drop into a free inventory spot, or onto their cursor if that fails. These attacks will very seldomy be successful in disarming, with a maximum of a 10% chance to disarm a much lower skill level opponent.
Crafting and Harvesting
- Foraging has been redone to make it more similar to other harvesting skills. Rather than foraging and randomly receiving an item from that zones loot table, you must now interact with a foraging object.
- Rather than have one crafting vendor with a huge list of items, we have split up the crafting vendors so that there are several categories which sell different things.
- Added 17 new Crafting Recipe Manuals.
Effects and Abilities
- The Stealing skill has been integrated and is used by Thief types. Players can not steal from other players, but some NPCs can have their pockets picked of certain items or coin. Stealing can also be used in the generated mission system. It should be noted that any time you get caught stealing, you will lose reputation with whatever faction that NPC is a part of, so use this skill with caution. Thieves may find themselves exiled. It should also be noted that when you pick pocket an NPC, you are stealing a portion of the coin loot that is separate from the normal fellowships coin loot, however if you are able to pick pocket unique items from that npc, they will be gone from them until they are respawned. Being a thief can be challenging, but for those who wish to live the lifestyle, it is now possible.
- Added the Stealing based ability: Pick Pocket. This skill allows you to pick the pockets of most human NPCs. See the previous entry for more information on the advantages and disadvantages of using this ability. Thieves, which are a new starting profession, will start with the ability to Pick Pocket. Others can learn how to do it by completing Underworld missions.
- Added the new Axe Fighting Tactics skill: Cry of Rage. This skill buffs your entire alliance with a shorter duration version of the Berserk buff, but requires a full Momentum bar.
- Added the Ranged Tactics ability: Rapid Fire. This launches a quick burst of fire at an opponent, and will work with any firearm.
- Added the Mace Tactics ability: Disarming Pummel. This attack has a chance to disarm your opponent, and deals moderate damage. It requires a small amount of Momentum to use.
- Added the Automatic Weaponry Tactics ability: Spraying Assault. This assault launches an Area of Effect barrage at opponents, but is innacurate.
- Added the Rifle Tactics ability: Suppressing Fire. This ability is not damaging, but attempts to distract your opponent for a short period of time, preventing them from doing other activities. Soldiers will start with this ability.
- Added the Automatic Weaponry Tactics ability: Covering Fire. This is similar to Suppressing Fire except that it is Area of Effect and requires an automatic weapon.
- Added the Sniper Tactics ability: Disarming Shot. This attack has a chance to disarm your opponent from long range, but deals little damage. It requires a moderate of Momentum to use.
- Added the Stealth based ability: Escape. This ability costs Momentum but will dramatically reduce your visibility for a short period of time, and can be used in Combat. Spies will start with this ability, other professions will need to work on their stealth skill before gaining access to it. This skill has a long reuse time.
- Added the Ranged Tactics based ability: Flanking Attack. This attack can only be made from behind, but can be made with any ranged weapon. It is similar to a ranged backstab, except the damage bonus is smaller.
- Added the Automatic Weaponry Tactics ability Tactics based ability: Flanking Assault. This is simlar to Flanking Attack but can only be used with an Automatic Weapon and does Area of Effect damage centered around a target. You must be flanking that target, however.
- Added the First Aid based ability: Only a Flesh Wound. This ability requires a large quantity of Momentum, but will restore a reasonable amount of health instantly by convincing the recipient that they are not seriously damaged. This skill has a long reuse time.
- Added the First Aid based ability: Just a Scratch. This ability is a higher skill level required version of Only a Flesh Wound, but it is on a separate reuse timer and heals more damage. It is a high end Elite skill, but possessing it will give you two instant momentum based heals.
- Added the Swordfighting Tactics ability: Disarm. This attack has a chance to disarm your opponent, and deals some damage. It requires a small amount of Momentum to use.
- Added the Diplomacy based ability Verbal Lashing. A good verbal lashing can momentarily leave an opponent stunned at what was just said. Diplomats will start with this ability.
- Added the Intimidation based skill Verbal Assault. This is similar to Verbal Lashing except Intimidation based, more potent, and requiring a higher skill level to use.
- Added the Martial Tactics based ability Dizzying Flurry. This is a high end elite skill that unleashes a flurry of abilities on an opponent, including a shot to the shin, a jab and a headbutt. Each of these can leave a negative debuff on your opponent. This includes chances to slow their movement, and leave them momentarily dazed and debuffed. It requires a significant amount of Momentum to use, but has a shorter reuse time than most Momentum sabilities.
- Added the Shield Tactics based ability: Raise Shield. This ability will raise your shield in front of you and attempt to block incoming damage, but it will significantly reduce your offensive output, as well.
- Increased the duration the Diplomacy based ability: Confuse from 4 to 6 seconds.
- Fixed a bug in the Back Slash ability that was not allowing it to be used on hostile NPCs due to being flagged incorrectly as a beneficial ability.
- Fixed a bug with the Athletics based ability: Avoidance.
- Fixed a bug with the Animal Taming based ability: Use Caution.
General
- Upgraded to v1.0 of the Torque 3D engine, resulting in optimizations and visual improvements.
-Added a displayName field to spawns that will mask their name in the guinamehud and the tracking object.
- You can now toggle HDR and Lightrays on or off from the options menu.
- Fixed a bug with the /who command.
- Immortals now have the ability to teleport other players to new zones for testing or CSR related situations.
- Immortals now have the ability to reward from a random loot table.
Graphics
- We've expanded our animation capabilities in this patch to be able to include blended animations. Previously our animation system was working on a series of full body animations, we can now use multiple animation threads.
- We are now able to create particle effects that will (optionally) remain active until the NPC is killed.
- NPCs can now have text hovering above their heads to indicate the type of NPC that they are. For example a Banker might display the text (Banker) on top of their heads. This should make it easier to locate which vendor you should speak to.
- We've added decals throughout the world in an attempt to help break up texture repetition. This will continue as we go.
- We've improved the water and river graphics in the Plymouth area.
- Added new resource graphics.
- Added new inventory item icons.
- Added new promotional billboards.
- Screen Space Ambient Occlusion should now look and perform better.
- The swimming idle animation has been fixed.
Items
- Improved the random loot system for engagement rewards, foraging, random humanoid crafting drops, and mission rewards.
- The collectible items: Liberty Nickel, Calib Parasite and Bark Parasite are now marked as Rare items.
Missions
- Added a new feature to our generated quest system which allows us to generate camps of monsters or NPCs in a zone, and create time limited missions for players to go and slay them. These missions have very short time limits of just 12 minutes, meaning players must complete them quickly. They do reward military experience to compensate for the urgency.
- Added the Underworld mission template: Breaking and Entering. This mission will takes place in a generated Industrial instance, and is a stealth friendly mission. You are not required to kill anything, simply to locate and steal an artifact. There are security guards who can either be killed or snuck past. The crate location is random. As is the case with all advanced Underworld missions, you will need to partake in some shady activities to be given these assignments.
- PVP missions will now only be given in tier 2+ zones.
Pets
- Pets have had their damage output increased significantly.
Vehicles
- There is now a Tracked Vehicle Control skill. This works similar to the Hover Vehicle Control but is used for Tracked Vehicles, such as tanks.
- We've added two new tracked vehicles to the game. Previously all of our vehicles were aimed at reducing travel time, but these are geared towards combat. The first type of vehicle is a tank, with heavy armor, and moderate firepower, but a very slow movement speed. The second is a mobile missile launcher, which has high damage but little armor. Both of these vehicles will deal bonus damage to structures, making them ideal for sieges. As is the with other vehicles, you can only use abilities flagged as "Vehicle Abilities" while in control of a vehicle. You will not be able to use the majority of your other abilities, making these special purpose warfare tools.
- There is a new flag to determine which vehicles can turbo boost and the level at which they may do so. Currently only hover vehicles can turbo boost, tracked vehicles may not. This is a sliding value though so we can boost its effects or give more powerful Vehicle Abilities to certain vehicle upgrades or types at a later date.
- Added the Tracked Vehicle ability: Heavy Barrage. This ability has long range, and delivers area of effect damage that does bonus damage vs. enemy structures. It is only available on vehicles equipped with heavy cannons or rocket launchers, however.
- Added the Tracked Vehicle ability: Missile Barrage. This ability has very long range, and delivers heavy area of effect damage that does bonus damage vs. enemy structures. It is only available on vehicles equipped with rocket launchers, however. It also has a very slower usage time, and longer reuse time, and higher skill requirement than Heavy Barrage.
- Added the Hover Vehicle Control ability: Punch Turbo, this ability is similar to Turbo Boost except that it has a longer duration, much longer reuse, moves a bit faster, and drains significantly more energy. It is only available on Vehicles with Class 2 Turbo capabilities.
- Fixed a bug that was causing the command buffer to overflow while in a vehicle.
- Your weapons or shields so no longer be floating underneath your vehicle.
World
- NPCs can now form raiding camps in outdoor zones. These camps will appear randomly from time to time, and a quest to destroy the camps will be given to someone when they are available.
- Plymouth City has been portalized, which should result in better rendering and network performance while in the city.
- Monsters can now optionally spawn with certain beneficial effects, rather than needing to buff themselvse.
- Added new loot tables and used them to place random crafting and collection component on humanoid monsters.
- Added a Banker profession.
- We've added Bankers to Freedomtown and Plymouth.
- Rachel David in Plymouth should now keep more regular hours.
- We've added new billboards into the game. In the future we will look to rent out the promotional space here, and they have been set up with that in mind.
UI
- Made some adjustments to the tips window to accomodate recent changes.
- Made some adjustments to the font profile for the PDA Window.
Torque 3D Owner Rodney (OldRod) Burns
I still have the alpha on my machine, but I'm so swamped with other things I haven't had time to play it much - what I've seen so far looks good though :)