Version 1.05 Optimizes Rendering and Fixes An Important Bug

 

Let's start with the update changelist, then I'll discuss what we've been up to and the future plans for the game:

 

VERSION 1.05 CHANGELIST

Turned off shadows from rendering for cameras that don't need them (optimizes rendering a decent amount)

Fixed Flex pieces updating every frame even when not necessary (major fix for certain vehicles)

Added Kill Timer property to cannons (set it to kill off cannonballs X seconds after they are fired)

Fixed a gamepad issue with the options menu

Fixed a couple challenge types never working 100% correctly

Fixed missions/challenges in BnD having no parts available

Fixed a divide by zero issue with looping counters set to 0

 

The first two items are the important ones for version 1.05, with the rest being minor fixes/tweaks. Alan has been working on the console version, and he discovered a significant optimization for that version. Shadows were rendering on multiple camera types (such as rendering a depth buffer to create grass impacts) that didn't need them, so he turned them off and now the game just runs faster for all platforms. An even bigger slowdown was happening with objects with lots of resizable flex parts, like the bee (MCCH Apis Atomica) at 17:21 in this Scrapman video:

 

Every flex part was updating its mesh and collider every frame, and that's a lot of expensive code to run for 400+ parts. So I fixed the code that made it happen, and now the vehicle runs a lot smoother (runs above 60FPS for me, while it was below 15FPS previously). Plenty of other vehicles were affected by this issue, particularly some of the more complex ones on the workshop.

 

Beyond Version 1.05

 

As stated previously, I've been feeling a bit burnt out on Instruments after working on it for so long and for so many hours this year. While Alan has continued to work on the console version for part of the last month, I have moved on to other games (DodgeBomb and Speed Demons in particular) to try to finish them up for release on PC/console, and I had a long vacation with the family.

 

I was hoping when I returned from vacation, I would have a more balanced perspective on work and Instruments of Destruction in particular. But to be honest, I still dread thinking about or working on the game. Version 1.05 isn't a big update, but it was a necessary one to finish, so I'm glad to have it wrapped up.

 

I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement to keep going and promote the game more. I will definitely do more promotion when the console versions release. I also appreciate the feedback and suggestions to make the game better, though at this point I don't think I'll be making any significant revisions to the campaign or build mode. There will be more updates to the game, but I'm not sure when, or what most of them will be.

 

I think that's all for this time. -Luke