Hello everyone! Welcome to the eightieth issue of the RoVerse Development Newsletter, where we keep you updated on the progress we've made over the past week. This week, we have some more exciting work from Idyllic on gravity systems, this time upgraded to vehicles, as well as some more icon work from Mikey. The shipbuilders took a well-deserved week off after their work last week, in the hopes of keeping up with their real-life engagements. Since last weeks explorations into planetary gravity, Idyllic has upped his game to work on the constraint vehicle demo from a few weeks back. Vehicles and other debris can be dropped just like they can be on a flat surface, and bounce around just the same with as much work on the physics end done by Roblox, rather than our coders trying to CFrame every little object. With that comes official support, so as Roblox improves these features, we'll automatically reap the benefits. Early work, shows how vehicles effectively cling to the 'sides' of planets as you drive around, and most importantly, the forces don't pull the vehicle to the centers of triangular faces, which in a triangulated sphere are the closest point to the center. Even with standard Physical Properties, the forces were easily balanced to provide nearly perfect simulation. Driving straight results in a higher speed, turning sharply results in slight drift, all without the need to 'redesign the wheel' and code it from scratch. The biggest challenge of the week was improving traction on slopes. While relatively flat surfaces, and even up to 30° slopes, performed up to expectations, anything steeper than 45° would result in significant sliding backward down the hill. While that might be realistic for your standard car, an APC with 6-wheel drive would be expected to fare a little better. Attempts were made to increase the coefficient of friction between the two surfaces, increase tire surface area, and even add 'spikes' to the tire to simulate treads, but to no avail. The physical form of the wheel and terrain, a cylinder and a flat plane, did not provide the necessary grip to stop the vehicle from sliding, even with maxed out friction settings. So Idyllic had to get creative. With a bit of testing, a few hacked together ideas, and a roll of duct tape, he managed to find a suitable solution - whenever sliding is detected, by a high rate of rotation in the wheels without matching forward velocity, the vehicle shifts into 'low gear' getting an extra boost from a bodythrust, to make it up steep hills. The force is just enough to make it up the slopes it should, without making the vehicle climb vertical walls or sail away into the clouds. Overall, it was a fun and informative experience that provides an optimistic outlook on our plans for the future of ground combat. Going from a vehicle sim that worked well in the normal Roblox world, to our ambitious spherical world was no easy task, but our developers are up to it. And, in the end, having a cool car to drive around a planet and off ramps, was a great reward for a week of hard work. To go along with this work on ground vehicles, Mikey has been working on the set of radar icons to go along with them, including several classes of tanks, mechs, and various other vehicles that will be seen driving around planet surfaces. The radar system to go along with these icons will be a significant challenge, with a ground plane to match the player's angle relative to the center of the planet, but that too should be an exciting obstacle to overcome. Each week we compile a Q&A section here whenever there are any new questions posted on the RoVerse Community group wall or in the Community Discord Server. Be sure to join if you have any questions about RoVerse: ROBLOX Group: https://www.roblox.com/My/Groups.aspx?gid=2948290 Discord server: https://discord.gg/npxBGwJ Q1: Will mining operations be able to take control of a whole planet? A1: We're focusing on a highly player-driven resource gathering plan, at least for the first iteration of RoVerse. An entire planet could be designated by a faction as open for resource gathering, with obvious resulting damage to the environment. Burn the forests, cut down the mountains, make as much money as possible, then move on - will be a valid method of operation. We may consider some automated methods at a later time if gameplay requires it. Q2: Will mining for resources come out in the first patch of RoVerse? A2: Resources are planned to be included in the first version of RoVerse, as they play a very important role in gameplay, from providing an occupation for the numerous members of factions, to being the backbone of fleet construction, to providing a source of income to fund those war efforts. Q3: Will independent planets be able to survive? A3: While unclaimed planets won't be able to resist faction expansion for very long, we may implement a few neutral locations where people can do as they please. And as always, with 220 star systems and 539 planets, there should be plenty of claimed territory that is too far from a faction's gaze to be well-policed, so I'm sure people who wish to remain alone, will be able to find a quiet place. Q4: How will Roblox group-game forts be integrated? Q4: We're planning on implementing a teleport system for the more notable group forts, where if you go to the right location, you can hitch a ride to the corresponding group fort. But it won't have any real impact on the RoVerse game. Q5: Is Idyllic a god? A5: He sure likes to think so, so you should keep stroking his ego. You can support us by joining our Community Group or Discord server! So far, the community has been absolutely amazing, supportive, and very friendly. We are very appreciative of all the support you guys show us! If you want to catch any of our developers streaming, you can always follow our official Twitch channel here! Remember, we are always looking for new, talented builders, scripters and artists! If you’d like to help us you can always get in touch with us through RoVerse_Official on the ROBLOX website, or by contacting an Administrator in the community Discord! Don’t worry, we don’t bite! Hello everyone! Welcome to the seventy-ninth issue of the RoVerse Development Newsletter, where we keep you updated on the progress we've made over the past week. This week has been pretty quiet, with most of our devs being extremely busy, with school, work, or other engagements. On top of that, there was a major disturbance in the clans and guilds community that required some intense discussion on our future, the clan world's future, and how best to proceed. IdyllicDestroyer has continued to work on planets, with some good progress on spherical gravity using lineforces to pull objects in, like a real planet would. Though it is still in its early stages, the outlook is positive. Several problems still exist to be solved, including how to get humanoids to properly work on a sphere and how to simulate several celestial bodies in one server, in the case that we want a small moon to be accessible from the surface. And since this week was really quiet, he put together a nice demo of the planet generator, and the gravity effecting objects, for you to try out: https://www.roblox.com/games/1347788382/Planet-Gravity-Tests Let him know in the community how it works out. In other news, many of you have heard by now about the situation VAK faced earlier this week. Though the problem has since partially resolved itself, there is no immediate problem, but it has caused us to look into our options when it comes to clans. If you don't know, the group VAK was locked from user access under conspicuous circumstances, with a coincidental update to the ROBLOX Terms of Service. It appears that ROBLOX will be taking a harsher stance on copyrighted material, as well as groups that appear to align with ideas espousing Nazism. While it is certainly acceptable to lock out groups who seek to truly represent those ideals, it is as of yet unclear where ROBLOX moderators will be drawing that line, so in the meantime, it is best to keep the more exotic elements of clans to a minimum. Since VAK has been re-instated as a group, though its assets have been content-deleted, there should be no problem with their eventual planned entry into RoVerse, so don't worry, you'll still be able to declare war on everyone's most hated of enemies when the time comes. For now, though, the RoVerse Devs have begun to consider their options about integrating clans into the RoVerse game more extensively, to avoid these problems in the future to a degree, as well as provide more options for clans moving forward. Since it seems that ROBLOX doesn't intend to add or improve group features any time soon, we make take it on as a project of our own. It could have its own benefits, but it would definitely have its own costs as well. If we were to integrate clans into the game itself, it would require significantly more work, both in developing the systems to operate clans, and to create the backend to support the amount of data that would create. It would reduce the visibility of clans to new and visiting users, who would represent the next generation of clanners, by requiring players enter the game before they can interact with groups. It would interfere with clan independence, requiring them to commit to a system outside of their control, which many would not be agreeable with. All these things would reduce the impact of both RoVerse, and the clan world, and there is no guarantee we would succeed. On the plus side, we could be responsible for implementing those features clans have always wanted, but the site operators never seem to care enough to implement. A more robust ranking and permission system, better clan communication, integrations with outside communication and management systems, like Discord. These things have been discussed over the past week, and as of yet we have made no decision - we will await further information on the status of Groups on ROBLOX, as we proceed. Whatever the final decision that we make, it will always be what is best for you, the players. Lorenzo has been working on another ship for the line we debuted a few weeks ago, with a S Capital to fill in the ranks. With it's own unique shape, matching its larger counterpart, this ship will surely make your fleet stand out. What it lacks in firepower, it makes up for in armor, with a thick hull to deflect any projectile. A size comparison with the larger ship in the line. We'd like to wish SkinnyThePimp a happy birthday this week, and we hope that the next year of his life is as exciting as ever. Each week we compile a Q&A section here whenever there are any new questions posted on the RoVerse Community group wall or in the Community Discord Server. Be sure to join if you have any questions about RoVerse: ROBLOX Group: https://www.roblox.com/My/Groups.aspx?gid=2948290 Discord server: https://discord.gg/npxBGwJ Q1: What sort of opportunities will there be for smuggling? Will we be able to smuggle weapons and rare minerals past faction defenses? A1: Smuggling will be one of the most profitable, as well as dangerous professions to have in RoVerse. While it wont be officially sanctioned by any system to simplify the process, there will be ways of evading the controlling forces of systems, avoiding paying taxes when shipping through their territory, and avoiding anyone else who wants a cut of the product. And any daring player who knows this information, how to get around without being seen, will be able to make great profits shipping all sorts of items all over the galaxy - from black market weapons and stolen faction-exclusive ships, to contraband items and minerals, its all up for grabs. This week there were no unanswered questions in the community, so there won't be any other answers. Thanks to the community members who answered the questions of new followers that had already been answered here. You can support us by joining our Community Group or Discord server! So far, the community has been absolutely amazing, supportive, and very friendly. We are very appreciative of all the support you guys show us! If you want to catch any of our developers streaming, you can always follow our official Twitch channel here! Remember, we are always looking for new, talented builders, scripters and artists! If you’d like to help us you can always get in touch with us through RoVerse_Official on the ROBLOX website, or by contacting an Administrator in the community Discord! Don’t worry, we don’t bite! Hello everyone! Welcome to the seventy-eighth issue of the RoVerse Development Newsletter, where we keep you updated on the progress we've made over the past week. This week, we've got a new concept design for a large, luxury transport ship from SkinnyThePimp, a completed Bluefin Capital from Sae'Tzar. Beyond that, we have an excellent section covering the wide range of occupations players in the game could have. First up is Skinny's Luxury Transport ship. One of the largest ships in its class, this expensive ship is designed to carry a large number of personnel and passengers across the galaxy. Built using the latest in Blender technology, this ship will be one of the sleekest ships available to glide across the star-ways in splendor. Last week we showed you the progress pictures of the Bluefin in production. This week, we have the completed ship design, with the protruding bridge, forward and aft batteries, and the distinctive double finned tail section. One of the biggest projects this week was the development of another occupation for players to engage in. Already covered are those who are inclined to faction occupations, governing and combat. And for those inclined to collect and transport resources, there are miner and cargo transport roles. For those who enjoy the dangerous side, there is the option to become a mercenary. And if that wasn't enough, we've been developing another role focused around the use of Personnel Transport ships. Where previously, the primary use for these ships would be transporting player characters across the galaxy, with a slight overlap in function with the other large ships, without the benefits of defensive weapons, we needed a new, specific use for this class of ships. And so, we've introduced a new purpose for these ships - transport of NPC characters from station to station, or on tours of different systems, in exchange for currency. A transport ship owner would dock at a neutral or faction station, and the server would generate an available number of passengers based on station stats like health and how well it's doing, and various destinations or routes these passengers would like to take. Depending on the danger of the route and destination, as well as the distance, would factor into the going rate for the trip. They would also be able to take on the normal player characters, taking them wherever they'd like to go, for whatever price is negotiated. We can't wait to see what opportunities this new occupation will open for our players. Available to everyone from the solo traveler with a small ship taking on a few travelers, to a large subfaction managing large-scale trips through secured space. The unimaginable just might be possible! We have had quite a few questions about just how many options are available for players when they want to get into this game, with many questions about how new players will be treated in a galaxy that will be filled with conflict. So Skinny took some time to write up an explanation of all the possibilities open to players. In RoVerse, the player makes the game, so naturally you could assume there are going to be plenty of things to do in-game. You can take three main routes to start off your RoVerse experience. The first route is the Faction route. The faction route is filled with amazing opportunities for you and others. Before the game launches, the factions wanting to become official factions in game will most definitely be looking for new members, and maybe even high ranking officials. Life as a faction member in RoVerse will all depend on the player-driven actions that drives the game. As a low-level faction member, it could be assumed you'd be used as cannon fodder in your faction's wars, you could be told to buy or be given a mining vessel to go out into the depths of the universe and mine rare resources for your faction's use. It could also be assumed that you'd have a life of luxury, prosperity, and peace based on your faction's aspirations, relations, and strength. Life as a high-level faction member, from a basic officer all the way on to the top has the same potential as the low-level faction member position.It could be assumed your faction would use their officers to direct and command parts of an attacking fleet. Being a high-level faction member would most definitely bring you and the others around you prosperity and power. Your faction could provide you a powerful and menacing faction ship for your use, or they could provide you and the other high-ranking members enough money to buy those powerful and menacing ships. High-ranking members would easily have the better of the two positions, but it all depends on the faction you're in and the current allies and enemies your faction has. So if you're the type of person who wants to be involved in the grand scale battles and prosperity that factions will bring to the game, go out and find one to join that fits who you are and what you believe in. The second route is the Subfaction route. The subfaction route is just as filled with amazing opportunities as the main faction route, except at an arguably smaller scale. As a subfaction member or leader, you wouldn't have to worry about controlling territory. You would most definitely have to worry about upsetting main factions, and other rival subfactions. Subfactions can range in size, from the small pirate gang with a few members who camp out near jump gates to attack passing cargo cruisers, to the massive corporations that sell weapons, goods, and services that a major part of the player base will pay good money for. As a member of a small subfaction, you could be asked to do the same things any regular member of a large main faction would be told to do. You could be told to collect resources for a new ship for your pirate gang to use to better attack guarded cargo vessels, or collect resources for your corporation so they can continue to manufacture the ships they sell to main factions, other subfactions, and regular players. We could see mercenary groups arise out of the subfaction arena. One could assume a few players who are interested in hunting down players that have wronged another for a large reward would revel in the idea of setting up their own in-game subfaction dedicated to running around the galaxy, hunting people down and being rewarded for it. The third route is the Solo player route. The solo player route may be the best choice for those players who like to control every aspect of their day to day lives. Literally anything can be done from this position if you apply yourself. You can explore the galaxy, run cargo, become a lone mercenary, become a miner, become a lone pirate, become the richest solo player in the galaxy, become a lone trader that makes their riches off the free market... The options are limitless. Each week we compile a Q&A section here whenever there are any new questions posted on the RoVerse Community group wall or in the Community Discord Server. Be sure to join if you have any questions about RoVerse: ROBLOX Group: https://www.roblox.com/My/Groups.aspx?gid=2948290 Discord server: https://discord.gg/npxBGwJ Q1: Will we be able to do any large-scale terraforming to the various planets held by a faction? A1: While we don't have any immediate plans for allowing factions to make permanent alterations to planets, I wouldn't count out the ability to do so in the future. Not every planet will be generated as habitable, with many dangerous biomes and terrain making mining and city building hazardous. But if players could construct temporary structures that improve conditions, or larger scale structures to permanent change a planet's atmosphere to breathable, could be a possibility eventually. Q2: Will there be 'asynchronous' shielding on Capital ships? A2: While we have considered the inclusion of a system that allows you to move which direction your shields are facing, giving bonuses to shield strength at the expense of coverage, in the end, it just added too much complexity to piloting a ship. We want people worrying about aiming their guns and taking out hostiles, rather than which direction their shields are facing. Of course, if Capital Ship combat seems a bit thin in the final release, we may consider adding this function at that point, as an optional feature. Q3: Will we be able to waterboard in-game? A3: While we may consider adding fun water sports like water-skiing or water-boarding when we develop further into the water-based aspects of the game, we have no immediate plans for features like this. Q4: Will stars be able to die? A4: Star death is a long, drawn out process most of the time, with the stars slowly collapsing, unable to sustain a fusion reaction in most cases, with only the largest exploding violently. While it would be cool to see a star explode in-game, it would really mess with the setup of the map, and making the game seem unfair if you lose a key system to a random explosion. Who knows, we might find a place for such an event, but it most likely won't affect the faction gameplay. You can support us by joining our Community Group or Discord server! So far, the community has been absolutely amazing, supportive, and very friendly. We are very appreciative of all the support you guys show us! If you want to catch any of our developers streaming, you can always follow our official Twitch channel here! Remember, we are always looking for new, talented builders, scripters and artists! If you’d like to help us you can always get in touch with us through RoVerse_Official on the ROBLOX website, or by contacting an Administrator in the community Discord! Don’t worry, we don’t bite! Hello everyone! Welcome to the seventy-seventh issue of the RoVerse Development Newsletter, where we keep you updated on the progress we've made over the past week. With a short development week because of the new year, we weren't able to finish too many projects completely, but we do have some nice demo work of features and builds that are still in-progress. We've got a demo for constraint-based vehicles, a second ship in the Garfish line by Sae'tzar, and a Small Capital by Vedrakkerous. Let's get started! Last week we demoed an updated map of the galaxy, with generated systems of planets and asteroids and stars, and we got some decent feedback from our community. With that advice in mind, we are looking to implement a few more unique features, hand-selecting systems that these odd phenomena would look good occurring in, rather than leaving it all to a random number generator. Things like binary stars, planets orbiting black holes, and systems with weird orbits, will definitely be included to give those locations in the galaxy a bit more interest. And we don't want to spoil every secret, so expect more cool stuff than those listed here. IdyllicDestroyer had a bit of time to work on some side projects, and he took on creating a constraint vehicle system to test how well such a system would work, if such a system could be used for our needs and wants, and how robust a system could be. The results, Jango's APC with a 6-wheeled chassis, and a very promising start towards a working vehicle system. There are still things we'd like to improve, including traction on slopes and smooth terrain, straightening out the wheels that got off-center, and we look forward to affixing turrets to the top. While the applications of such a system at the reduced scale of planet surfaces remains to be seen, he doesn't expect it to take more than some refined tweaking of numbers and very careful placement of constraints. Up next is the second ship by Sae'tzar in the Garfish line of Capitals, with the Blue Fin. This Capital ship is a bit larger than its cousin, but with a thinner profile, and more high-powered gun mounts. He's made some good progress on the ship so far, with the finer details, like the center strip and some lighting work, remaining to be completed. Also on the roster of ships completed, is this Capital built by Vedrakkerous, inspired by the Black Knight Satellite. The Obelisk class capital is a Small Capital, designed not to blow your enemy out of the sky with its firepower, but by using stealth tactics to complete missions without disturbance. Each week we compile a Q&A section here whenever there are any new questions posted on the RoVerse Community group wall or in the Community Discord Server. Be sure to join if you have any questions about RoVerse: ROBLOX Group: https://www.roblox.com/My/Groups.aspx?gid=2948290 Discord server: https://discord.gg/npxBGwJ Q1: Will ships available for purchase have different tiered models, like a Base Model with basic tech, and an Advanced Model with the best tech but much more expensive? A1: As we have it planned currently, the purchasing of a ship and its improvements are very modular and separate, though we might consider a bundle discount in the future. The ship models may also be configurable with stat points that can be allocated to engine power, weapons, of shielding, much like we plan for handheld weapons, though that remains to be seen. Q2: Will there be mounts fast enough to evade enemy fire. A2: While we don't have any immediate plans for mounted creatures, it is something we may eventually look into. It would be quite exciting using local fauna as a means of transportation, taking advantage of a species' special skills in traversing its home terrain, but for now, we'll stick to getting vehicles to work. Q3: Will the technology of the RoVerse Galaxy adhere to any notions of realistic space exploration technology available shortly after the present era? A3: We want to keep the universe we've created as open as possible to applicant factions, as long as they have a sci-fi focus. In the Sci-Fi spectrum, there is everything from incredibly advanced unknowable technology, to more realistic tech that could be expected to appear in a century or two. And we want to cater to both of these factions. So whether in your factions lore, you shoot good old-fashioned bullets at things, or the most advanced cosmic rays, you'll find a home here, and everything will be balanced out to ensure that everyone has their fair shot at galactic domination. You can support us by joining our Community Group or Discord server! So far, the community has been absolutely amazing, supportive, and very friendly. We are very appreciative of all the support you guys show us! If you want to catch any of our developers streaming, you can always follow our official Twitch channel here! Remember, we are always looking for new, talented builders, scripters and artists! If you’d like to help us you can always get in touch with us through RoVerse_Official on the ROBLOX website, or by contacting an Administrator in the community Discord! Don’t worry, we don’t bite! |
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AuthorsVaktus: Leader of the Vaktovian Empire and head of the RoVerse Project |