Talad(Leader/Founder)
Eonwind(Rules)
Tuathanach(Rules)
Zunna (Rules/Settings)
Mordaan (Settings)
Venalan (Settings Lead)
Uadjet(GM Lead)
Emaline (GM Team)
Zweitholou (Art)
Uadjet says: Hello and welcome to the Developer's Q&A! This is an out-of-character meeting where you can hear about the development of the game and ask the Dev and GM teams any questions you might have. If you do have any questions, please line up at the lecterns in front of the stage.
Uadjet says: Question, Migg?
Migg says: well it's about flyspray
Migg says: I have tried to create an account there but failed multiple times
Migg says: I do get a note saying I have been sent an activation e-mail
Migg says: but I never receive anything
Migg says: is it something I am doing wrong?
Uadjet says: I seem to recall a post on the forum recently saying the same thing. I'll poke Talad about the activation emails.
Migg says: Yes, that was me but never got a reply
Migg says: I can't seem to manage to get PSU to run for more than 5 minutes before coredumping
Uadjet says: Ah, okay. I'll see if Talad knows anything about it.
Migg says: wanted to open a bug about it
Migg says: Thanks!
Constrabus says: If its Linux, message me on Discord, might be able to help
Uadjet says: There have been issues with confirmation emails before, and I think it's the same server.
Migg says: It is Linux, but I'm not on Discord
Constrabus says: Lets chat some other way
Constrabus says: Ill message you
Uadjet says: Ferral?
Ferral says: i have a question
Ferral says: how do i identify something
Ferral says: i have a round shield that is ancient, magical, or has special characteristics, but it says it must be identified
Uadjet says: There are two spells that can do that, with the weaker spell only working on some items.
Migg says: Ah
Migg says: You can ask Gonger to do it for you, should be others ccan help you as well
Gonger says: Yeah.
Gonger says: No problem
Gonger says: For this kind of question, you can use "channels" chat also.
Ferral says: I will ask when this is over . thank you
Uadjet says: You're learning the right Way for those spells, at least.
Uadjet says: So I'll give you a brief update. Talad has been working on the Dungeon for the last few weeks, as I mentioned in the last meeting.
Thosor says: looks nice, in a bad way
Migg says: There was a post with a suggestions for that
Migg says: hope Talad doesn't make the dungeon that hard
Uadjet says: He's using a package from the Unreal Store with a lot of different modular pieces that you can assemble to make dungeons. He had to adapt some thing to make them work, but I think he's finished that part.
Gonger says: I think everybody has 100 ideas for a new dungeon...
Thosor says: Of course...
Uadjet says: Those who have been keeping up on the streams know he's been adding things like secret passages and traps.
Uadjet says: And the ability to spot them!
Thosor says: The scary female klyros
Uadjet says: So Find Traps will be an actual thing in PSU!
Uadjet says: She's no scarier than the male Klyros. Less spiky wings.
Thosor says: Just in the ambience of the dungeon, and her expression.
Migg doesn't think Gova is scary
Gova says: How about if I spread my wings and cast a bat-like shadow over people?
Uadjet says: So for new and even existing dungeons there will be little 'extras' for you to keep an eye out for.
Migg says: You could also paint your rivnak black, with a yellow bat painted on its side
Gonger says: So finally what Talad is doing is not a pure port to Unreal Engine, but more a new version that is running on Unreal Engine.
Migg says: so apart from the usual monsters you will have to keep an eye for traps as well?
Thosor says: unreal just crashed my system'
Uadjet says: Well, it's a port plus extras.
Gonger says: Yes, Uadjet.
Uadjet says: Because of the vastly larger map size there are a lot of areas that can only aspire to have something in them.
Uadjet says: So to avoid the emptiness being disappointing to players, little towns or dungeons or whatnot get added in.
Uadjet says: Plus adding new things is typically more fun to do and watch than bugfixing, I think. That generates more interest and keeps Talad from burning out.
Uadjet says: When he's doing 99% of the work, it's very reassuring to hear him laughing while working on the game.
Gonger says: Are there tools that would help with creating, say a small village?
Gonger says: Or would it become a major project that you cannot do alone?
Uadjet says: Talad's done it alone a couple times now.
Gonger says: What I mean is, if I decide to build a small village, or a farm to fill some space, can I do it more or less alone?
Uadjet says: Basically, there are both existing assets from Legacy and new assets either from the Unreal store or things that have been built by the Devs.
Uadjet says: You can absolutely do it alone!
Gonger says: Great. I think this information needs to be spread.
Uadjet says: Heck, there are tutorials online for making things like farms, and you can reuse the assets Talad used to make the farms he's already added.
Gonger says: So if someone is on holiday, they can spend x days to build something.
>Anysu just joined PlaneShift
>Gonger Xaraha waves at Anysu Atani
Anysu says: Thank you!!!
Uadjet says: And we do need more farmland. At some point you have to wonder where all of the food is coming from.
Anysu says: lol.. Right onto the table!!
Anysu says: Awesome!!!
Gonger says: I can give you the answer from Stonehammer point of view.
Uadjet says: I mean, in Skyrim the farms didn't grow enough food to support the people living on them, let alone the nearby cities!
Migg says: Would be nice if players could plant and grow things
Migg says: Planeshiftfille
Uadjet says: Quick recap: Talad's doing a massive dungeon with traps and secret doors that players can detect and bypass, so Find Traps will be an active skill. Also, players can make farms and towns if they want to.
Migg says: *Planeshiftville
Uadjet says: I've been looking at sod roofs for Dermorians. I think they'd like those.
Uadjet says: But that's easy.
Uadjet says: Just apply the grass to the rooftop.
Migg says: Aren't dermorians supposed to live in treehouses?
Uadjet says: And there are a few sample images - concept art, actually - for different racial styles in buildings.
Uadjet says: Mostly, but some buildings are on the ground iirc.
Migg says: so could be leaves covering the houses, but grass should do as well
Migg says: there are actual houses built that way
Uadjet says: I was picturing a leaves growing down from an upper branch forming the roofs of the buildings in the trees. If they can make the Water Tree then that should be simple.
Migg says: Is the tree of Xiosia transferable to PSU?
Uadjet says: And the main appeal of sod roofs is the fact that going into a town and seeing kormi on the roofs would be very cute and amusing.
Uadjet says: The one in the secret garden? Sure. It's a mesh like any other.
Migg says: Ah, so such assets transfer cleanly
Uadjet says: Yeah. Effects don't, but meshes and textures transfer just fine.
Uadjet says: Talad did mention recently sorting architecture by race instead of location, to make it easier to go with certain sytles. Like the houses in Hydlaa wouldn't be under Hydlaa, but under Ylian.
Uadjet says: That means we need more art for the different species!
Migg says: Stonehammer houses will be mines?
Uadjet says: Just found a lot of youtube tutorials on setting up working farms in unreal.
Migg says: I wonder if farms will be harvestable?
Migg says: like you go there at night and harvest some carrots ?
Thosor says: oh sure, come home from mining all day to a home in a mine.
Uadjet says: Well, Stonehammers do have towers too. Araloth kel'Maren is mostly underground, but the Pillars of Felim are carved into the wall of the stalactive. And Redstone is, I think, built in a large natural cave, so you see a lot of towers and bridges there.
Uadjet says: Hey, don't knock it! Just because it's underground doesn't mean it has to be cramped or dirty!
Anysu says: Kormi on roofs,,, cute.
Gonger says: "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit." And in the movies we see how lovely those hobbit holes are.
>Uadjet raises an arm and points towards Gonger Xaraha.
Anysu nods at Gonger
Uadjet says: See?!?!
Anysu says: I agree!
Migg says: they dug underground in their home planet to make their homes, should feel natural I would think
Anysu nods at Migg
Ferral says: as a nolthir, my home would be just as cosy under water as on land.
Thosor says: Hobbit homes are just built into an embankment, as I recall. The books, I can't remember my brain images.
Migg says: there are some images for these houses in the wiki that look stunning
Thosor says: embankment in movie, i mean
Ferral says: hobbits homes are listed as in mounds or within tree roots
Migg says: we don't have hobits in PSU
Migg says: or do we?
Thosor stops looking at pointy ears and looks for furry feet.
Anysu sits on her feet
Migg says: lol
Ferral says: i wwould say not. the stonehammers would be living in large citadels possibly
Anysu nods at Migg. lol
Thosor says: yes, those in stone housed don't throw glass
Thosor says: good way to break a beer mug
Uadjet says: The Stonehammer city concept art on their Race page is quite impressive.
Ferral says: i would like to see anything related to the nolthir homes. with possible water based farms
Anysu says: Water based farms, good idea for Nolthrir.
Uadjet says: There probably isn't much in the Unreal Marketplace for that, given that it's fairly unique, but there is plenty of underwater things to start with.
Thosor says: sea anenema plants
Uadjet says: I just found myself wondering what an underwater fence would be made of before realizing that a short fence is completely useless underwater.
Migg says: will it still be possible to wander underwater?
Uadjet says: There are underwater plants for unreal. And fish. We just have to be careful not to use anything that would put too much stress on peoples' computers.
Uadjet says: Ah, that leads me to what I've started working on.
Uadjet says: I wanted to do something in the Unreal Editor, so I found a few tutorials. Not basic "How to use Unreal" tutorials, because that would make too much sense.
Anysu nods at stress on computers with graphics
Uadjet says: I've got a decent infravision process working, so that races with infravision will see the heat of things around them. It's not done, as the Unreal Editor goes at a snail's pace on my PC, but it is working. I just have to make sure it's set up properly for use in PSU.
Uadjet says: It's actually much the same process as nightvision, which I will tackle next if the first turns out usable.
Uadjet says: Then there is underwater vision/effects, and heat distorion. So I may be able to add something to Unreal in the next few weeks.
Migg says: cool!
Uadjet says: Looking at it, I seem to recall that most races have some sort of enhanced vision. Except Stonehammers and Lemurs, who actually live underground.
Uadjet says: I'm assuming that will change.
Uadjet says: Kran have infravision, and Stonehammers and Lemurs probably should as well. Most of the rest would have nightvision, or some kind of enhanced vision in water.
Ferral says: erm . stonehammers and lemur will most likely have night vision/infravision
Thosor says: ylians are just mundane.
Ferral says: nolthir will have enhanced underwater vision at least
Thosor says: see polarized light like some shrimp?
Uadjet says: I thought about polarized light, but have no idea how to implement it.
Ferral says: that is a very difficult thing to grasp the concept of even. but a kind of enhanced aura around objects and colour changes for movement is how i would envision it
Ferral says: there is also a possible ultra sound detection ability
Thosor says: bats do it
Uadjet says: There is a vid I saw explaining how to set up underwater effects that may be compatibly with PSU.
Uadjet says: For ultrasound, I'm not sure anyone's ears are quite large enough for that to work.
Thosor says: chemical tracing and emitting like ant and other insects.
Thosor says: scents, maybe.
Ferral says: dolphins and whales have little to no ears. they still use it
Thosor says: If I can smell beyond my own...
Thosor says: whales are sonic
Thosor says: elephants hear subsonic.
Migg says: these seem hard to implement
Ferral says: lemur would be more adept at smells than most
Migg says: does the server keep track of player's paths to ensure there is a scent trail behind them?
Thosor says: droppings?
Ferral says: the more this is discussed the more complicated it appears to be
Thosor says: imagine consumer droppings, ewww!
Uadjet says: The game doesnt' keep track of player paths, though I have seen a few packages that could. Footprints in snow or sand, for example.
Thosor says: ok, too much overthinking.
Anysu says: Sounds complicated.
Migg says: we managed all these years without all these things
Migg says: and seems to me this is going to make PSSU even more demanding than it is
Ferral says: running on land and then through a river is not the same, we still do that in game. the complicated is simply removed and we travel at the same speed
Uadjet mods. "We have, but I think at least a few versions of enhanced vision would be nice to have."
Uadjet says: These would be done via toggle, so they wouldn't be a problem for anyone not choosing to use them.
Thosor says: On another note, I can't imagine a new player making it through the Unreal intro without going elsewhere.
Anysu nods at Migg
Uadjet says: So, we're well past the hour. Any questions?
Thosor says: What is the meaning of life?
Ferral says: 42
Thosor says: hehe
>You spawned 65 Greater Potion of Healings to your inventory.
>Uadjet dropped 65 Greater Potion of Healings.
Thosor says: you dropped your medication, uadjet
>Name changed successfully
>Uadjet picked up 65 Indigestion Cure-Alls
Thosor says: hehe need it after yesterday.
Anysu says: lol.. 42.
Ferral says: this was an interesting meeting. i will try to be at more of them and may have questions then
>Constrabus Gegami thanks Uadjet!
Thosor says: Ah, just in time, was still sluggish.
Anysu says: Thanks for the potions.
Uadjet says: There you go. After yesterday's meal, it seems appropriate.
Anysu nods
Ferral says: thank you
Gonger says: I did not overeat, but thank you.
>Anysu Atani salutes Uadjet with respect.
Migg says: Thank you
Thosor says: thanks.
Anysu says: Thank you for the PSU updates and the spot on teleport, Uadjet.
Uadjet says: So, if there are no more questions I think we can bring the meeting to a close. Thank you all for coming, and I'll see you at the next meeting in two weeks!
Ferral says: i need to afk so thanks for this.
Migg says: Thanks for the updates!
Migg says: and all the events!
Thosor says: happy new cycle
Thosor says: oh, new year
Thosor says: ooc here.
Migg says: I should say it has been an eventful year
Migg says: standing at 186 events, though some in here will beat that nuumber easily
Anysu says: Yes great events!
Uadjet says: Gonger's got the record for event, I'm pretty sure.
Migg says: Yep, I believe so too
Migg says: Well, so long everyone, see you!
