2019 Progress Report


Uhhhh hey, I promise VolleyShot is still a thing. It's been pretty busy on my end, so rather than talk a lot, I'm just going to post the entire changelog since the public demo. Online multiplayer is still proving to be problematic. I mean, it works... but not as well as I want it to. What are your thoughts on another, not-online, demo?

//------------------------------0.0.1.02 !Working!---------------------------//
General
- Added optional score event markers (+1, +2, +3)
- Added ball outline option for those who need additional contrast to help with tracking the ball. Would also like to add a color blind option, but that's not here yet
- Re-did smoke trail again, incorporating UE 4.20's Niagra system
     - Result is a more dense and naturally lit system
- Depth of field is no longer disabled on the "Okay" Post-Processing setting. (Yes, this means DoF is enabled at all times. You DoF haters will live, I promise.)
- Added experimental, optional dynamic Depth of Field. When the ball is near center screen, it will be the camera's focal point. Otherwise, the focal point will be centered on what you're pointing at.
     - Because this has such a low performance impact and DoF is now mandatory anyway, this setting is highly recommended. However, if its dynamic nature bothers you, it can be disabled in the Game Settings menu. 
     - This may become a mandatory feature in future releases.
- Added option to select specific bots for local play. See UI Section below for more info. Default is still random bot personalities
     - This is the beginning of the challenge game mode, in that it allows me to define specific bots for specific challenges
- GameState now has ability to change music when game enters an urgent state on certain courts (VS_Guess for now)
     - Previously, the music track would simply shift to a higher pitch
     - Because VS_Guess has no music during normal play, a new way of audibly signifying the urgency to score/defend was needed
     - This new ability, instead of increasing pitch, plays an entirely different sound clip, and fades it out if the game's urgency is reduced
o New knockdown sound

Networking
! P2P Networking via Steam
! Lobby
~ Smooth movement
- Client/Server side hit detection negotiation (whew boy)
! Verify sound
! Music client-side only

UI
- Quick Play: Added VS_Guess
- Quick Play: Court selection now supports multiple courts and has a scroll bar (also fixes previous issue with some aspect ratios where the court list would leave its "home")
- Added cosmetics menu screen
-Quick Play: Added Bot Setup Menu
- Updated all main menu screens to use the new button widgets
- Fixed incorrect loading screen information when changing level via the pause menu in Practice Mode
- Fixed inconsistencies with pause menu remembering/recognizing practice options 
- Game Options menu (ball outline, DynamicDoF, Hide Weapon etc) 
- Character customization menu (just colors and name for now)
- Updated version color for version message
- Added a couple of new messages to the loading screen
- Loading screen lasts a little longer

AI
~ Adjust bots to account for court size (still need a court parameter either in the GameInstance, or preferably find a way to add it to the level itself)
- Bot nervousness finally implemented

VS_Guess
- Added trees and foliage
- Adjusted lighting
- Adjusted color balance
- Adjusted landscape
- Added sky sphere
- Added ambient sounds
- Removed music (kind of)
- Added "net"
- Added water

ALL COURTS
!!!!!!!!! All courts have had post-processing properties updated. See below for further change details !!!!!!!!!!

VS_[Everything]
- DoF Method changed to Circle (4.20 cinematic) and respective values updated to account for Dynamic DoF option
- More post-processing changes (mostly related to bloom, exposure, and film grain)

VS_Bedroom
~ Developed exterior

VS_Ionic
- Added detail to walls (not 100% final) and added glass to rear/forward walls.
- Added additional planar reflections

//------------------------------0.0.1.01 20180718---------------------------//
// NOTE: This version is internal-only. I decided to mark the move to UE 4.20
// as a new version.

General
- Replaced default music from pre-alpha
- Added new music track
- Added ability to have level-specific music. Music handler reads these values from a struct array in the GameInstance. Would like to make this less "hard-coded" at some point.
- Restructured sound mix and class heierarchy
- Static mesh collision now defaults to simple unless explicity specified
x Main menu now has the old default court music (still probably a placeholder)
- Changed player/bot material to be more metallic 
- Fixed music briefly playing before the pause on map loading
- Fixed music being sped up in practice mode
- Overhauled player smoke effect and materials
- Adjusted human player glow and hover particle colors
- User settings are now initialized even if launching the game directly into a map/session
~ Added experimental ball outline option (!needs to be put in menu!)
- Added Distance Field generation to the project
- Volume fades in when returning to/loading the main menu to mitigate background bots initially firing at the same time

Networking
> In Progress: P2P Networking via Steam 
> In Progress: Lobby
~ Smooth movement via offset syncing (I just made that term up)
- Clients now see a dummy shot. This will later become an (experimental) hybrid client/server-side hit detection model. Current hit detection is server-side only, which leads to missed shots

UI
- Fixed master volume slider not actually doing anything
- Master volume now plays music and a sound while adjusting the slider
- SFX volume now plays a sound while adjusting the slider
- Added Unreal Engine logo to initial startup screen
- Added ball animation between legal screen and pre-release notice
- Adjusted animation timing and skip handling of initial startup screen
- Created custom button widgets - visually similar to before, but makes life easier for me
- Added new background, color effects, and animations to menus (this is not the big overhaul I've mentioned, but it's likely the start of it)
- Changed some fonts
- Various tweaks, fixes, and minor changes throughout the menus

VS_Guess
- Started

VS_Gym
- Adjusted lighting and color balance
- Adjusted landscape

VS_Bedroom
- Added side... legos?
- Added blinds to windows
- Changed color scheme
- Added "glass" to net barrier
- Adjusted lighting and color balance
~ Added building set box mesh
~ Added objects and blocks to box
- Balls present in the box change based on the ball size setting when map loads (i.e. the green ball will be missing when playing a Big match)
- Adjusted landscape

VS_Wave
- Added external structures
- Added external lights
- Added god rays
- Wave pillars are no longer translucent
- Removed fish for now
- Adjusted landscape

VS_Ionic
- Changed level music to song6

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