I know it’s been a while since the last issue of Daftcube’s Dividends. This is because a lot of stuff I have been working on could simply not be talked about due to their in-development status. That changes TODAY, as I’m excited to announce the project I’ve been working on for a little under a month now. Over the course of our slow march towards the Freeroam module, it has become apparent that many different parts of the game have different development timelines. For example, while integrating the existing gameplay into the Freeroam module is a lengthy and monumental task, other parts of gameplay like the Market and Industrial mechanics can be finished in a much shorter time. To allow us to conduct mass-tests of these gameplay systems, (and, more importantly, allow you to play with it and give us feedback), I’d like to introduce the RoVerse Cloud Technology Testbench! WHAT CAN I DO IN THE CLOUD TECHNOLOGY TESTBENCH? The RoVerse Cloud Technology Testbench is a game where you will be able to interact and test the cloud infrastructure in a GUI adventure game setting reminiscent of Zork and early multiplayer online dungeons. Let’s give a rundown on what you could expect from the RoVerse Testbench. Explore the RoVerse Galaxy! The starmap that exists in the Cloud Technology Testbench is the actual galactic map in use with the greater Freeroam module. While this is simply a GUI game, there is still a lot to find! Different map regions have different things you can do as well, so be sure to explore far and wide! This should also allow you to familiarize yourself with the world map for when the Freeroam module launches. Got lost? Don’t worry, I built a navigation computer! Just type in the destination of the solar system you wish to travel to, and it will render the path on the map. It will even calculate if you have enough fuel to get there! Conduct Expeditions! In each system, you will be able to conduct Expeditions, timed events that can lead to a decision tree or provide a reward. Some expeditions, like mining, are quite simple and mundane, while others, like searching for rare comets, are more intricate. Some expeditions may lead you down decision trees, while others may give rewards. A small set of super-rare expeditions only exist in a few solar systems at a given time. All expeditions, however, will provide a reward if completed successfully.
Single-Sharded Hype! The Cloud Technology Testbench is single-sharded, meaning that everyone plays in one single world. No matter what server you are connected to, you will be able to interact and chat with anyone currently playing the game and see what they are doing. This is possible due our cross-server chat and replication tech we are testing. Buy Low, Sell High! As discussed in Daftcube’s Dividends #0, RoVerse will have asynchronous cross-server markets at launch. At the Cloud Technology Testbench, you’ll be able to take these game mechanics for a spin! You could be a humble trader, buying low in some regions and selling higher in others. Or, you could try to play the market for massive gains. Or, you could ignore them entirely. The choice is up to you. Become an Industry Mogul! At release of the Cloud Technology Testbench, our first iteration of industry will be ready for playtesting. You will be able to craft a wide variety of items that will assist you in expeditions, from missiles to probes that can scan for rare anomalies. Collaborate with Your Faction! The Cloud Technology Testbench has several Roblox group integrations. The most obvious of which is the solar system chat. RoVerse assumes your primary group is your faction, and will color players in your faction green, players who are in groups allied to your faction blue, and players who are enemies to your faction red. We hope you can forgive your enemies, but you’ll always be able to remember their names with our chat system. Most importantly, however, you will be able to collaborate with your faction to build space stations to build your own private industrial and refining complexes! We’re testing different ways to represent space stations in memory, so we hope factions do team up to build their own homes in space. Compete in the Victory Core Competition! When we release the Cloud Technology Testbench, we will have a faction-focused industrial challenge. The objective will be to acquire and activate the most Victory Cores. Victory Cores will primarily be constructed using a massive amount of resources from all over the map, but some will be able to found in expeditions. Lastly, individual players can sell victory cores on the market, and we’ll have a victory condition for individuals with the most money at the end of the event. As we get closer to the release of the Cloud Technology Testbench, we will give more details. Overall, we hope this event will give an incentive for factions to log on while testing our code. THIS LOOKS GREAT! SO, WHAT ARE YOU TESTING BEHIND THE SCENES? We’re trying to test the following systems in a high-player environment:
WHEN CAN I PLAY??? AHHHH!!! I’m not allowed to give exact release dates, but I can give an idea for how much left there is to complete before releasing the Cloud Tech Testbench to the public. The tasks still yet to be completed are as follows…
CLOSING REMARKS I had and am still having a blast putting this Testbench together for you. I hope you are excited about my current work. Any questions and comments would be greatly appreciated! A Clarification about Fuel, Before I Sign Off To clarify, you will not need fuel for regular travel within RoVerse’s Freeroam module. However, you will need fuel within the Cloud Technology Testbench. The reason I made this decision is because having a fuel mechanic would give a high-demand item that would incentivize people to trade. It’s purely in the spirit of testing gameplay systems within the Testbench, and won’t exist as a mechanic in RoVerse proper! Sorry for the confusion or panic. Comments are closed.
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AuthorsVaktus: Leader of the Vaktovian Empire and head of the RoVerse Project |