ROVerse Development Newsletter #38

Hello everyone! Welcome to the thirty-eighth issue of the RoVerse Development Newsletter, where we keep you updated on the progress we've made over the past week!

We have some interesting news about one of our devs, whom we haven't heard from in a while - Onigo's apartment got broken into and his PC was stolen, but thanks to rent insurance, he'll be back in business in no time. And with a new computer to boot!

Rex has been very busy this week creating a variety of new elements for ground outposts, including several versions of gun nests and guard towers, as well as completed a hangar, and begun work on a command post. Keep in mind, these modules serve as generic outpost pieces, where clans will supply custom designs to set their outposts apart. Wouldn't want the galaxy to be too symmetrical!

This week, IdyllicDestroyer has continued work on the planets, successfully generating them smooth terrain as a proof-of-concept at 1% scale. When planets are completed, they will be gigantic, and require significant time to generate all the details at the resolution that we want, so for now, these small-scale demos prove that the concept is entirely attainable.

He even managed to create a 25% scale version, that is very low quality, but gives us a better impression of what the planets will look like when completed.

We can't wait to see what he comes up with in the next few weeks! Its certainly unlike anything I've seen on Roblox before!

​
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: Roughly how large will a planet be compared to a Robloxian?

A1: With planets, the target we are aiming for is for the player to be able to see the horizon at all times, and give the surface the feel of a real world, not just a baseplate inside a sphere mesh. Because of the limits of the Roblox platform, and the far camera clipping at around 4,000 studs away from the camera, we have chosen the rough size of planets to be a radius of about 10,000 studs, with some randomization thrown in. This will allow a significant view distance (approx. 8,000 studs), with the rest of the planet falling away around the curve of the planet, not visible anyway.

Q2: Will we be able to create underwater cities?

A2: Underwater cities are a staple of futurism and sci-fi, and I'm sure more than one clan out there would like to write them into their lore. I would say yes, building cities underwater would be a cool way to distinguish a clan, and will almost certainly be a part of RoVerse planets. Of course, the cities would have to be designed to look in-place underwater, with a dome or some other underwater theme - we can't just build any old city underwater, now can we? But beware, there may be creatures in the deep just looking for a tasty meal!

Q3: How will water on planets be generated?

A3: In the early testing phase for generating planets, when we were trying to decide whether to make planets out of triangles or smooth terrain, this question came up - smooth terrain water offers unmatched physics properties, but had one flaw. When generating a sphere of water, around the 45 degree mark, water begins to stair-step over voxels. This problem proved unsolvable in a satisfactory manner, so smooth terrain water was out of the question. So the current plans are for a sphere mesh around the planet scaled to water level, and custom physics for anything that will interact with the surface, or underwater, like vehicles and players.


Q4: What is the purpose of my life?

A4: This is a hard question to answer, mostly because I don't know a thing about the person who asked it. But I will say this - life is the greatest opportunity that you have ever been granted, and there is a vast, uncaring universe out there that only deals in chance - the chances that any of us would ever come to exist are infinitesimal, but the fact that we did is a miracle - so just do what you want to do, and enjoy every minute of your short, exciting existence.

---

​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!

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! Don’t worry, we don’t bite!
​
~Written by Aleuvian and IdyllicDestroyer