Dogs Of War Vu

Sim/Strategy/War => Games Discussion => Topic started by: Asid on August 02, 2018, 02:30:12 PM

Title: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 02, 2018, 02:30:12 PM
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/header.jpg?t=1521640060)

Ylands is a unique sandbox adventure game which allows you to explore your creativity. It is also a platform for making custom games, ranging from simple scenarios to sophisticated game modes.


Homepage: Here (https://ylands.com/)
Steam: Here (https://store.steampowered.com/app/298610/Ylands/)
Official forum: Here (https://ylands.com/community/)
YouTube: Here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVz7q46HzrY4VwF2IiWiP9A)


Single-player ,Multi-player ,Online Multi-Player ,Co-op ,Online Co-op


Ylands Trailer 2017

https://youtu.be/yIGz44uZRG4



About

Ylands is a unique sandbox adventure game which allows you to explore your creativity. It is also a platform for making custom games, ranging from simple scenarios to sophisticated game modes.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/extras/Ylands_1.jpg?t=1521640060)

Explore the open-polyworld of Ylands, by yourself or along with your friends. You can gather resources, build ships and sail to other ylands, climb mountains or descend to dark depths to find, use, or craft hundreds of items and objects.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/extras/Ylands_2.jpg?t=1521640060)

You can seamlessly switch between single and multiplayer modes while exploring uncharted ylands. Laying siege to castles, engaging in naval battles, taking part in car and horse races, building elaborate energy devices or coming across quirky things like crab armors, mutated penguins and much more - Ylands lets you live your childhood fantasies and create your own new adventures.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/extras/Ylands_3.jpg?t=1521640060)

By using the Ylands in-game editor you can tweak an existing game or create your own from scratch and then share it with others.
If this isn’t enough, in the Ylands Workshop there are a bunch of different game scenarios waiting for you to play with!


KEY FEATURES

•   Fully interactable world with thousands of objects and items to be used, found or crafted.
•   Modifiable terrain with fauna, flora and resources fully reflecting its climate zone.
•   Wide range of things you can do - from mining, taming and riding horses, building elaborate energy devices or making potions to constructing ships of a custom design.
•   All this while seamlessly switching between single and multiplayer modes (with dedicated servers support) and from first or third person perspective.
•   Built-in game editor that lets you design and share your own levels and adventures.
•   In-game Store where you can buy objects of cosmetic nature. During Early Access, new players receive 4600 coyns (ca 20 USD) to spend.


(https://ylands.com/static/images/homepage/hunter.png) (https://ylands.com/static/images/homepage/shark.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_208565a321c77c78d71957463e606376155ea569.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_77eecc636023e2a9006917dae5e43bb01db93ea1.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_55a33ea429cd93b021d341429b98f70caeb4db09.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_0df40ec26a8c842d1bdeda1e00f9324bdfa301ea.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_b894f78f332c1078a8bc81086c26fa1048ef3138.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_97196b3442823112baf9ea652859712ef333ad95.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_783136018bd530aee9309fb6b6961956f0559a59.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_0f2a746ec3f5a07eadc20070ed1f211c5eb7b556.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_3b18c7dd319e5b1ce75ea1f90697759045981ae2.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_798e8ff34d4e4e3c80531d144008d0a681d90c8e.1920x1080.jpg?t=1521640060)
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 12, 2019, 11:38:59 PM
Dev Diary #73
12 APR @ 5:04PM   - MAILUKI


Hey there fellow ylanders,

The 0.12 update, aka. "Smooth Sailing" is right around the corner (as promised, you'll be running 0.12 by the time you are reading the next Dev Diary;) ) and we thought it would be a good time to look back on all the teasers we've released. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure you are all up to date and aware of what is changing and how. It's been a long ride, but it's closer than ever - we promise.

So without further ado, the complete list of teasers you (could) have seen for the 0.12 update:

Dev Diaries
the one where Ales teased 0.12 features even before 0.11 was released - Dev Diary #54[ylands.com]
the one where 0.12 is just a whisper from the future, with unformed ideas - Dev Diary #63[ylands.com]
the one where we talk about improvements to the Editor and Visual Scripting - Dev Diary #64[ylands.com]
the one where we show you some of the changes coming with the new UI - Dev Diary #67[ylands.com]
the one where we talk about fixes and improvements coming to ships - Dev Diary #68[ylands.com]
the one where we introduce costumes - Dev Diary #69[ylands.com]
the one where we talk about improvements coming to the third person camera - Dev Diary #70[ylands.com]
the one where we talk about the changes coming to combat - Dev Diary #71[ylands.com]
the one where we talk about the quality of life changes coming with 0.12 - Dev Diary #72[ylands.com]

Weekly sneaky WiPs
the one where you got a behind the scenes look from a combat update meeting - Weekly sneaky WiP #5[ylands.com]
the one where we've shown the first screenshot of an upcoming costume - Weekly sneaky WiP #7 [ylands.com]
the one where new combat animations are being tested - Weekly sneaky WiP #8[ylands.com]
the one where the artists brainstorm upcoming costume ideas while hungry - Weekly sneaky WiP #9[ylands.com]
the one where the cast of the upcoming video Dev Diary had a pirate boat party and invited too many horses and sharks - Weekly sneaky WiP #10[ylands.com]

Tweets
A tweet featuring a costume
A tweet with a behind the scenes look at the Dev Diary
Ane tweeting about cats that has nothing to do with the update 😸

As you can see, we have written quite a bit about the update - and these do not even come close to the amount of work, energy and dedication that the rest of the team has poured into the code. We are super excited to get this update into your hands and we sincerely hope you'll like what you see.

Until then... stay tuned and stay classy!

Have a great weekend everyone.

---

Questions:

With the implementation for "explorer like maps". Will we be able to import logic, compositions and objects with scripts inside it?

Yes. You just start to create your game on a land created similar to explore. Consisting 9-12/13? ylands of different biomes with caves but without random encounters.

What are these "random encounters"?

Random encounters are interesting places that you can run into when playing Explore. They can be anything from previous settlements to puzzles or weird objects.

With all this postponing, is it still imaginable to hit version 1.0 this year?

Yes, that is definitely still planned.

How's the update coming along?

Very nicely, the data has been locked, most of the testing is finished. 
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 16, 2019, 03:19:32 PM
0.12 Smooth Sailing for Ylands!
15 Apr @ 8:34pm - Mailuki

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/339c161bfb420a98bd5df798fe7180e7636cb9b9.png)

Dear ylanders,

We are happy to unveil the latest update to Ylands, "Smooth Sailing"!

The flagship features of this update are a complete in-game user interface (UI) overhaul, improved ships physics, an improved combat engine, collider baking for improved performance, and costumes.

https://youtu.be/BnYecFaf3H0


"SMOOTH SAILING" UPDATE (VERSION 0.12) HIGHLIGHTS:

UI OVERHAUL
We went back to the drawing board and redesigned most in-game interfaces. This means you’ll see a new and improved main menu, inventory screen, crafting screen, and a lot more. Our goal was to create a unified UI scheme which is more logical, easier to understand, and gets the job of interacting with the game done better and faster.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5bf89063a0ce4ae741b12ccd6d40b2810d9330d5.jpg)

SHIP IMPROVEMENTS
This update is all about making sure your experience with the ships is as enjoyable as possible. We have improved ship physics across the board as well as the physics of players moving onboard of (moving) ships. That’s a lot of physics.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/72d9a454bade407e04df2c6d43662799a9d30419.png)

COLLIDER BAKING
By allowing creators to bake colliders within the editor, this update paves the way for truly huge creations, with negligible effect on the performance. We are also using the same mechanic on player-built ships (and cars), ensuring a few longstanding issues are fixed and everything is smooth sailing from now on.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/43d89b73144a13b7fbe712db0bd6bcca5b422724.png)

COSTUMES
if you ever wanted to run around your yland dressed as a yeti, now you can. Costumes are now available within the in-game store.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/241d4b2ca4a6d18af182c2f0ca2f46becfcb5c67.png)

IMPROVED COMBAT
We’ve made some further improvements to our combat engine, making it snappier and more fast-paced.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/0ddd875a2ea8c65eaef66c6a3e75f79894f4669a.png)

And, of course, the update comes with lots of bug fixes, improvements, and optimizations. You can read the full release notes on the Ylands website.

We recommend those who would like to keep track of all the latest news follow Ylands on Facebook[www.facebook.com], Twitter, and YouTube. The development team also posts behind-the-scenes dev diaries and sneak peek dev blogs on the Ylands forum to talk about new game features in greater detail.

Until next time, stay classy!

The Ylands team
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 18, 2019, 10:06:32 PM
Update: 18/04/2019
18 APR @ 5:02PM - MAILUKI

Version: 0.12.1.69198

•   [YLD-16189] [Dedicated Server] Players see other players crawling on DS if those joined and died while they were on another island
•   [YLD-16188] [Dedicated Server] Players are unable to trade if they die far away from each other
•   [YLD-16247] [Editor] No navigation birds in Explore like maps
•   [YLD-16231] [Editor] Scene freezes after you close object properties
•   [YLD-16172] [Editor] Optimize: Error in CZ language
•   [YLD-16219] [Forum] Missing translations when opening map
•   [YLD-16203] [Forum] Cannot destroy items from inventory
•   [YLD-16225] [UI] Fixed: the Hints / Send anonymous analytics values toggles were switched. Please check to see if the current setting fits your needs.
•   [YLD-16208] [UI] Pet preview is influenced by light in game
•   [YLD-16207] [UI] Main Menu Role selection always defaults to Team 1 every time you try to change something
•   [YLD-16163] [UI] Craft All option is available for items that can't be in inventory
•   [YLD-16162] [UI] When you search in the creator cube for the second time after you dragged item to hotbar, search bar will respond to key bindings
•   [YLD-15752] [UI] Pressing "Craft all" button when crafting over 100 items freezes the game for a while
•   [YLD-15746] [Visual Scripting] Camera fade in / out script tile does not work
•   [YLD-16212] In the backpack, search for existing items, enter the item name, and the result is blank
•   [YLD-16209] Two identical scene maps showing different particle effects at runtime
•   [YLD-16204] The ship in North Pole is missing a helm, and is in construction mode
•   [YLD-16196] Boats on Buccaneer Bay scenario don't move
•   [YLD-16191] Ylandium lantern doesn't work in game
•   [YLD-16150] Trading with player in combat mode lockes him in it

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 20, 2019, 11:38:08 PM
Dev Diary #74
19 APR @ 4:41PM   - MAILUKI

Hey there fellow ylanders,

If you're reading this, you must be aware by now that on Monday we released the 0.12 Smooth Sailing update. It took longer than we originally planned to, but we hope it was worth the wait :) It did introduce a few issues, especially with the crafting panel, that we addressed yesterday in a hotfix (along with other fixes). If you missed that, make sure to check the changelog  here (https://ylands.com/community/topic/24381-012-smooth-sailing-15042019/?tab=comments#comment-72984). We're also aware of the issues some of you are having when connecting to the servers - we'll update you on that next week, when we know more.



Overall it seems that you guys like the new User Interface. In any case, in the following weeks we'll talk in detail about what we plan to change about the Game User Interface, because there are a lot of things that we didn't manage to get in time for this update. So if you have any comments/thoughts on this, this is the time (sonrisa)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/542cab47190572441e5a6e9303659847d7ac4cb2.png)
Special mention to HAL, who made it into the video Dev Diary!

According to the University of Massachusetts, I mean... a Twitter poll, the changes made to the ships have been highly welcomed. Seems like it indeed was a smooth sailing in that regard!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/aeb76d202490dd66d6460fc2b489888238e9cd6a.png)

The new in-game sounds have also received quite a bit of praise, we'll make sure to pass that info to the audio departm... guy :D

There are some mixed feelings when it comes to the camera - some of you appreciate the smoothness when the character is in tight spaces, others have pointed out that the camera being centered to the vehicles instead of the character doesn't feel right. We'll take that info into account!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/aa019cfa141fbb2f98e6618359cb1635d684f7b9.png)
We swear we haven't paid Charley to change his mind about the game! :D

Although not strictly connected to this update, we did receive some negative feedback regarding the placement of dirt - a few players are having issues filling holes or removing dirt from the air. Any thoughts on this?

There were also a couple of mentions to the fact that the cursor dot is gone in the 3rd person view. What do you guys think? Yay or nay?

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2de6d063def94be87f767e2adc94fbfeec28d00c.png)
That hurt, Chris!

And, of course, I think I'm not mistaken when I say the new additions and changes that our Editor wizard Houp brought to the table have been very appreciated :)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3a394ab7e9dbc13bfd7cc26d16d19f3e082d3bfa.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3a394ab7e9dbc13bfd7cc26d16d19f3e082d3bfa.png)
I'm missing the Xbox one for a combo!

Anyway, we'd like to thank everyone who took the time to comment and provide their feedback, you make our day! :)

But since there's never enough feedback, we encourage you to share your thoughts in this thread there. Or even suggestions for future updates. Or anything, really.

That’s it for today. Have a great Easter weekend, ylanders, and as always - stay classy!

-----------------------------------------

Now for this week's questions!

Which update will include the Editor items in game? 1.0? Or before then.

If what you mean are items that can't be crafted and are available only in the Editor - we are not planning to put them in the game in the foreseeable future. If there are any you feel should be craftable in the game, please let us know in the comments below and let's discuss it (sonrisa). Thanks!

No longer able to transfer directly from a container in inventory to a chest. This stops the infinite resource bug (I will miss it but it had to go) but could cause other smaller issues. It now requires the item to go through the main inventory, but what if my main inventory is full? Can't move the item in or out of the container in that case.

I see. We'll look into it.

I have tested the welding and it seems quite efficient, I have noticed that it does not work with vegetation or containers. Will it be possible to unite them in the future?

The welding is just the first iteration and we will definitely improve it further. I believe we will let you know in one of future DD about what plans we have for this feature.
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 26, 2019, 05:12:46 PM
Dev Diary #75
26 APR @ 3:50PM - MAILUKI


Hey there fellow ylanders,

This week, let's talk about friends with benefits.

In the next update (before you ask: we don't have a fancy name yet, and yes, it's coming soon(tm)) we will be focusing on the social aspects of Ylands, trying to make sure your adventures are a bit less lonely and it's easier to find like minded individuals to explore with.

One of the coolest and most useful tools in your arsenal for this will be the fancy new "friends list" feature, so let's get to know this piece of code a bit better. Disclaimer: Mr. Friends List is still young - and will probably grow / change / surprise us before he is ready to go public - so please take everything here as "work in progress".

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/8b2d4e12b724a48ffd476fed55083d3e343d34ab.png)

First of all, let's see WHY we are adding this feature to the game:

•   We always wanted Ylands to be a highly social game, where you explore, build and play together with others. And while those things are certainly possible even now, we feel there is room for improvement - and that is the main reason for the friends list, to make it easier and faster to find people to play with
•   Amongst other things, the feature will revolutionize the way you communicate with others within the game - gone are the days when you have to use an external solution for this, the friends list will let you chat with whoever and whenever
•   An extension of this will be the more streamlined way of meeting others within the game.Since you'll be able to communicate with any of your friends, regardless of their current activity - you will be able to easily set up a game or jump into an exiting one, even from the main menu - with your friends
•   At the end of the day, this is just a step (an important one) towards making sure you have tospend less time trying to get into a game and more time playing with your friends

Now let's dig into the crunchy details! Within and with the friends list, you'll be able to:

•   search for friends and add them to your friendslist,
•   see if any of your friends are online and what games they are currently playing,
•   (if possible) directly jump into their game,
•   invite them to a game you are currently playing,
•   block people you don't want to receive any messages from
•   create a “clan”, which is a group of players that play with each other often and can have a special group chat window,

Some extra juicy bits for last
•   all invites and requests will be handled through our new notification system
•   within the notification you'll be able to accept or reject any invitation / request
•   the clan feature will be expanded in the future, to make it more robust

So there you have it - a first look at the new friends list feature coming to Ylands. Hopefully you like the direction we are going with this, if yes - let us know how you'll be using it (maybe it will trigger some new ideas), if not - let us know how and what you'd change / add / remove!

That's all folks - for now - stay classy and have a great weekend!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 03, 2019, 12:08:34 AM
Update: 02/05/2019
2 MAY @ 4:20PM - MAILUKI


Version: 0.12.2.69650

•   [YLD-16397] Camera is inverted while controlling ships, cars, boats and horses
•   [YLD-16295] Crash to desktop when mining drill is selected in inventory
•   [YLD-16371] If you escape in a password protected game in the MP lobby, you cannot join any game
•   [YLD-16284] [Forum] Cannot deconstruct things in Barrier
•   [YLD-16321] [Multiplayer] Clients are stuck on "Recalling buildings 100%" if they reconnect after wearing a skin of an item
•   [YLD-16198] [Steam Forum] Invert mouse not working
•   [YLD-16418] [Visual Scripting] Editing parameter name problem
•   [YLD-16294] [Visual Scripting] Rotation of impassable barrier stops other scripts

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 04, 2019, 12:23:24 AM
Dev Diary #76
3 May @ 2:54pm - Mailuki


Hey there, fellow ylanders!

In this Dev Diary we're going to discuss one issue that has been with us for a long time - and which we're finally getting rid of. I'm talking about pathfinding.

We are all more than familiar with moments where animals can't get to the player, get stuck in the scene, and more.

While implementing a nicely working pathfinding in games that have static terrain (in other words, one that can't be modified) or that are made out of uniform blocks is quite easy, with worlds that can dynamically change, this is a non-trivial problem. It took us quite long to get it right, but I'm very excited to let you know that the new pathfinding system will be present in the update 0.13.

We will also do some adjustments to how caves and terrains are generated so that everything works as it should, and in return we will get encounters with animals both on the surface and underground.

Now you may be thinking - "well, so animals will be moving around in a better way... and that's it?", but wait, there's MUCH MORE to this.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/acda9eeba8938a239bcc5ced4394cee670dd6288.png)
The calm before the storm, by bb cakes_P1.

For a loooooong time we had plans to improve the gameplay to be more exciting, engaging, rewarding. Our hands were tied because there's not really much you can do when hostile entities can't get where you need them. Having a nicely working pathfinding opens the door to... proper AI. Yes, the pathfinding in 0.13 will be followed by an improved AI, which we believe will be a true game-changer.

With a reliable pathfinding system in place, we have already started working on a new AI system that will benefit not only Explore, but also many games that creators will make. With the ability to make units patrol, guard places, set up how aggressive they are and so on, a whole new gaming experience opens. All this (hopefully released as a part of update 0.14) will be based on the new pathfinding introduced in 0.13, so as you see, it's actually a very big and important step forward.

And speaking of updates - we've learnt our lesson on telling release dates, but I can assure you that for 0.13 you will have to wait much, much less than with 0.12.

And that's it for now. Have a great weekend, ylanders, and stay classy!

-----------------------------------

Now it's time to catch up on your questions!

I love the logic template that we have available. However to improve performance issues, can we have the ability to despawn/remove logics generated from templates?

That is some good feedback - I'll pass it to our programmers!

Additionally, when will we get the option to have manual cinematic cameras? It would he helpful for a game that is fixed to a region and I want to provide a specific perspective.

Yes! Actually we're already working on something that is a prerequisite for this.

Are there any plans for more feminine clothing options like dresses and high heels?

High heels are not currently planned. We are currently doing some tests with more feminine clothing, but the main problem are skirts. Since there is no cloth simulation present, especially skirts are a problem with a lot of character animations.

Could glass blocks be a thing? In all the shapes and sizes we have in other blocks?

We would like to have them as well, but right now there are some performance issues related to them, so they are not supported.

Regarding the friend list, will we also have the option to not appear online?

That is a good point. Probably not when it comes out, but definitely in a later update.

Will we be able to use our (perfectly adequate) Steam friends list?

No. This friend list is not connected with the Steam friends list in any way (we need it to work on much more than just the PC platform).

Will we be able to view other peoples' friendlists?

No, this is not currently planned.

Is the "friendship" going to be approved from both sides (like Facebook) or one sided (follow on a non-secured Instagram account)?

You will be able to offer a friendship to anyone. They may decide to accept or deny. If you get harrassed by anyone this way, you can always block them.

Is there any plan/possibility for the chat to include voice?

Not at this point.

How about global and local/yland chat channel?

There will be several chat channels to use - I think you will find them to your liking (smile)

With all this social stuff gearing up, is there plans for Official Explore servers coming back to use said friends with? With separate PVP and PVE servers? Will we be able to have many clans or sub clans?

Yes. While we still don't have any ETA, we would definitely like to run some official Explore servers.

Do you have plans for 16, 24, 48 player servers?

We do have plans to support more players than the current maximum, but the exact number will depend on the type of game, it won't be a single number available everywhere.

Do you guys plan on making sea voyages more dangerous? Maybe pirates or sea monsters?

Yes, we would really like to do that.

Any news on new costumes? (I still want a demon costume)

We will be bringing many more costumes in the future (demon could definitely be one of them - we would even like players to vote on those (smile)).

Does Ylands plan to ever implement 3D model imports?

Once Ylands 1.0 is released, we would like to address the topic of modding in general - we will have more info at that point.

How about lightning being dangerous if caught outside on a high area?

We really love how the lighting works in Zelda and would like to have something like this, but it is not planned at this moment.

Is there an estimated time for when the water terrain tool will come back?

We want to add better water simulation after version 1.0 is released, but are also discussing releasing some basic Editor tool that would allow simple addition/removal of water in specified areas before that.

I have the idea that I've read somewhere about this friend list coming along with the possibility to share our protection barrier with friends? Anything about it?

Yes, that is still planned. First we'll release the friends list and then we'll keep adding more cool features on top of it.

Will there be an easier way to collaborate with other people on the Editor - maybe even being able to do real time building in the Editor?

This is something we are discussing quite often. It is not something we plan before 1.0 but we would at least like to discuss with you what the possibilities and priorities are in this regard before that.
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 11, 2019, 12:14:41 AM
Dev Diary #77
10 May @ 5:19pm - Mailuki


Hey there fellow ylanders,

You probably remember that a couple of weeks back we presented one of the new fancy features coming in 0.13 - the friends list. And what's the use of having friends if you can't actually communicate with them? That's why in this update we're also expanding the in-game chat.

Marci already nicely summarized https://ylands.com/community/topic/24589-dev-diary-75/ why we're focusing on the social aspects of Ylands and why we're adding these features to the game. So today let's talk specifically about what the new in-game chat will bring!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/c7c75cf2bb9db2bc7633a1e017f549b720deb4fa.png)
Did someone say... work in progress?

The chat will actually be present not only in-game, but also in the main menu and in the Editor. There will be 3 different channels: Whisper (for private communication), Game (for the current game session) and Clan (connected with the friends list), plus All, that will work as a filter, showing messages from all channels. There will be a list of commands for you to use - /s (say, for people who are close to the player, /w (whisper, for private communication), /c (clan), /all etc., and each channel messages will have their own specific color, so that you don't mix them up. Also, bear in mind that no matter how hard you try, you won't actually be able to send messages to offline players!

And don't worry about missing any message, as there will be a visible chat icon for you to easily see your unread messages (from Whisper and Clan channels), and a notification button that will let you know you have new messages (in the main menu and Editor)!

This should cover the basics of the new chat! What do you think? (sonrisa)


Have a great weekend, ylanders, and stay classy!

--------------------------------------

Now let's take a look at the questions you had last week!

Do you guys still use Photon Unity Networking or did you switch to something custom in 0.12?
We started with Bolt (which got later acquired by Photon), now we're using code that our programmers wrote.

Can barriers be made to show who they belong to?
Yes, there is a plan to show whose barrier you've just entered.

Another game I play has an ingame mailbox. Inside there are game functions, but you can also "email" other users and also attach items. So you can give gifts, building supplies, etc. Could something like this be implemented?
This would definitely be a nice feature to have. It is not currently planned, but we will discuss that.

With AI path finding, will this mean we can finally give "teams" or "labels" to entities so they can either be hostile or friendly to other entities?
That is our goal. The ability to set up entities this way will come at a later update than 0.13, though.

I had a question regarding compositions and protective barriers. Will the random structures, such as ruined (brick wall) wall with cannons the lighthouse and others be added to default compositions in the editor? The same question also applies to player protective barriers. I see no way to currently add protective barriers via the editor nor methods to craft them, will this change?
The random structures won't be available this way because doing so would take away the element of surprise (smile). Letting players use the protective barrier in the Editor is something we've been discussing quite often in the past weeks, and it will definitely happen.

Will it ever be possible to place (and use) a barrier on a ship (and still be able to sail)?
Not at this point. This is yet another thing that we're discussing.

Why is it impossible to properly repair default structures? Nothing ever seems to line up correctly.
We are aware of this. In 0.13 we are making some changes to how terrains are generated. Once this is done, we'll look into this - it's related. 
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 25, 2019, 12:28:13 AM
Dev Diary #79
24 May @ 4:13pm - Mailuki

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

Today we’ll take a look at two things that Creators will love in the upcoming update 0.13. Even though they have quite sophisticated names, they are actually very easy to describe, and you’ll see that they are very handy.

So, without further ado, I give you the Advanced object grouping and Dynamic objects!

Advanced object grouping is a fancy name that describes, well… advanced grouping :) So far you could group objects into simple groups. This was a nice way of putting together objects and then moving them around as one – however, it was obvious that more control was needed.

Therefore, we’re coming up with groups that support hierarchies. You can now group objects in a way that they reflect their world relations. Door handle can be child of a door. If you move or rotate the door, the handle will follow. At the same time, you can still easily adjust the handle position relative to the parent door. Here we’re talking about two entities, but you can even make one whole group a child of another group.
This very common and useful feature will help you work better even with very complex scenes.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/0c5957150dd126e856ee9ad85f10437b1863e62d.jpg)

Dynamic objects are our way of coming up with a solution to another problem - moving and rotating objects over time. What used to be very time consuming to achieve and had quite a large impact on performance, can now be done easily. You can specify where should an object move with what speed / in what time or do the same for the rotation. You just need to make sure that all objects that are moving are marked as dynamic, and you’re good to go.

The best thing about this is that it can be combined with the grouping feature, so you no longer need to move all the object parts - you just move their top-most parent.

Also, the new dynamic objects will work correctly when interacting with players, so by marking Groups/entities as "Platform", you will have the option to create moving platforms that will transport players somewhere in a smooth manner.

This is just the beginning, though. In the future we will be providing tools that will give you much more control over objects’ position and rotation.


And that’s all for now. Have a great weekend and as always - stay classy!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 01, 2019, 12:42:33 AM
Dev Diary #80
31 May @ 3:13pm - Mailuki

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

Let’s talk about another exciting feature coming in 0.13! The new and improved terrain generation. We have changed the way the terrain is generated in both the surface and the underground caves – this paves the groundwork for future updates that will allow us to quickly and painlessly generate more unique terrain variations. Let’s take a look at the changes!

In the old system, we were able to create nice terrains, but there wasn’t a big diversity after all – all ylands were basically a cone, where the top of the cone was the highest mountain peak and on the surface of the cone random changes were applied, so that it always looked a little bit different. This ultimately resulted in the ylands being a bit repetitive – the mountains were always in the middle, there was never a large flat area, and it was impossible to add some unique terrain features.

Another big issue with the old system was that, by breaking the surface of the cone (so that the ylands didn’t look completely the same), the terrain got too fragmented, and animal pathfinding was not able to navigate through there.

Some smaller modifications could be made to the old system, but in the end we weren’t able to keep the same visual quality and at the same time add much more variety and make the pathfinding work there, so we decided to make a completely new system.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7b115895cfc0b742dea5be610afae13c488f15c7.png)
Ylands meets Astroneer? By @Spyler.X!

With the new system, each yland is split into several sections and each of those is handled separately, so we can decide in which section there will be mountains, where lowlands, and so on. This way, we can have mountains on the edge of the yland and flat areas in the middle, which was not possible before.

Those sections are then connected and blended together, and each section can be completely unique, therefore creating ylands that don’t look so similar to each other.

Another big plus is that surfaces are not so fragmented as before and animals will have much less trouble navigating on them. And with changes made to the terrains, vegetation needed to be adjusted as well, so we optimized its spawning in all of the biome areas.

This all results in a much better control over the process of how each yland is created.

Since 0.13 just lays down the foundation of the new system, we will add much more polish to it and make sure there’s much more variety in the future, but we consider it already a great improvement!


And that’s all for now. Have a great weekend and as always - stay classy! And remember that in this post here you can leave your questions for next week :)
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 08, 2019, 12:30:39 AM
Dev Diary #81
7 Jun @ 3:45pm - Mailuki


Hey there fellow ylanders - it's that time of the week again!

The time when you settle in with a steaming cup of coffee, lay back and enjoy the latest Dev Diary, especially knowing that this one might be* the last before a new update comes out.

So let's prepare for this beautiful eventuality, by collecting all the sneak peeks and teasers we have released about the upcoming 0.13 update.
•   The amazing new friends list - dev diary #75[ylands.com]
•   The new in-game chat system - dev diary #77[ylands.com]
•   Advanced object grouping and dynamic objects - dev diary #79[ylands.com]
•   New and improved terrain generation - dev diary #80[ylands.com]

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/cc4320aa554471f844db95be671e079952369eb7.jpg)
The new terrain generation in effect

As you can see, 0.13 is going to be concentrating on the social aspects of the game, laying down the essential foundations for some very cool upcoming systems (like clans). It is a very significant update for us and for the game - paving the way for the rest of Yland's future.

The new terrain generation is also a necessary (and beautiful...you'll see) step towards improved AI pathfinding, something we've discussed in:
•   Improved pathfinding - dev diary #76[ylands.com]
While this feature will not be present in 0.13 (it will follow in a later update), it's a huge step towards a more interesting and challenging AI that will improve every aspect of the game and will be a true game changer.

Of course no update could be complete without a host of fixes and improvements (and maybe a new costume...) that are too numerous and small to mention here, but you can read about all of it in the changelog as soon as it goes online.

We'll also be releasing a video dev diary (as per the gentlemanly tradition of Ylands) to walk you through the biggest features of the update - keep your eyes peeled for that as well!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/790333d127ccde9c18ddc1f69e62a9144da031b6.jpg)
Say "update 0.13 is coming soon and you'll love it"

And until then...have a great weekend and stay classy everyone!

* fingers crossed

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 15, 2019, 08:53:18 PM
Dev Diary #82
14 Jun @ 5:29pm - Mailuki

Hey there ylanders,

Unfortunately, update 0.13 still needs some time (new ETA: early next week) - but in the meantime, we wanted to share the changelog with you. And we are also throwing in the promotional screenshots!

So without further ado:
Fine Friendships - update 0.13


(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d12100e8b86bf787a2ae877ffbc5223d87394e1d.png)

HIGHLIGHTS
•   Friends list - add players to your friend list. See what they’re currently playing and join them or invite them to your game.
•   Chat system - now you can talk to people close to you in the game world, send messages to everyone in that game (Game channel); to specific players whether they are in the same game, Main Menu or even the Editor (Whisper channel); or to all members of your clan (Clan channel)
•   Clans - create your clan today! Let your friends join and chat together. Clan functionality will be gradually expanded.
•   New terrain generator - we’ve added the first iteration of our new terrain generator. We are still tweaking the system, so there can be places where the generated terrain looks less than ideal, but that will be fixed. This new generator will allow us to create interesting and unique terrain features, which will make maps much more interesting.
•   Advanced object grouping - organize your objects into neat groups. Take advantage of performing operations with parenting objects, saving a lot of time and effort.
•   Dynamic objects - set objects (or whole groups) as dynamic and then animate their movement and rotation via new animator game logic objects. Use platforms to smoothly transport characters. Preview your animations via Test animator option (default: F7).
•   New costume - what could it be...

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a4a9be58a944e72d7f21957d34ecaeb985d73368.png)

ADDITIONS/IMPROVEMENTS
•   [YLD-13963] [Audio] Tweaked engine sound volumes
•   [YLD-14915] [Audio] Added new bandaging sound
•   [Audio] Added sound for building fire from remains of campfire
•   [Audio] Added sound for lighting torch using other torch
•   [Audio] Added summon horse character sound
•   [Audio] Added missing sound for ignite when you ignite item on ground
•   [Audio] Added SFX to 2HM jump attack, more exaggerated windup position for 2HM jump attack
•   [Audio] Added missing sound in jump attacks, exaggerated animation in 1HM and 2HM jump attacks
•   [Audio] Tweaked hooves small footsteps sound
•   [Audio] Tweaked big + small mammal footsteps sound
•   [Audio] Tweaked doorsteps volume
•   [Audio] Added new item drop sounds
•   [Audio] Added artkits for normal landing sound
•   [Audio] Tweaked landing sounds
•   [Audio] Tweaked player hurt sound volume
•   [Audio] Added water sounds for digging with Pickaxe + Spade
•   [Audio] Tweaked crossbow reload sound volume
•   [Audio] Tweaked volume for collect sounds
•   [Audio] Tweaked volume curves for animal footsteps. Panther and crab footsteps volume.
•   [Audio] Added new drop sounds for different items
•   [YLD-14929] [Editor] Double click will now open Object properties of all currently selected objects
•   [Editor] 'Esc' is now alternative key to close current mode (Group editing, Weld editing, Animators preview)
•   [Editor] Updated game logic icon colors
•   [YLD-16920] [Visual Scripting] Added tan and atan instruction tiles
•   [YLD-16580] [Visual Scripting] New event "On defend end" added to an Event listener
•   [YLD-16743] [Visual Scripting] On pick event split to 2: "On pick start" and "On pick end". Target entity can be different for stackable items. "On pick start" returns stack which was on the ground. "On pick end" returns stack in the inventory (which could be merged with another stack)
•   [YLD-16533] [Visual Scripting] Added "Dodge distance" option to Speed bonus
•   [YLD-16632] [Visual Scripting] Equip used on items which are not part of armor will be assigned to the 0 slot and that slot becomes activated
•   [YLD-16578] [Visual Scripting] Added set hotbar slot script tile
•   [Visual Scripting] Spawn entity to container will return merged item if spawned item was merged to one stack (it used to return nothing)
•   [YLD-6357] Added recipe for Energy "NOT" gate
•   [YLD-12749] Armor can be equipped from vicinity slots
•   [YLD-15700] Added armor stats to: Inventory Item detail, Inventory Vicinity item detail, Cube, Inventory Item detail, Trading "My Inventory" Item detail, Trading NPC inventory Item detail, Trading NPC, Bundle Item Detail, Item detail Popup window
•   [YLD-12616] When creating a new game a random seed is always selected. Players can use the command /showseed to display the seed of a map they are currently playing
•   /collidercount command is now public. Reports number of currently active colliders.
•   Players can now cancel crafting using RMB on crafting in progress
•   Players can now take items from workstations using RMB on crafted items
•   Energy linker now triggers combat camera for better targeting
•   Players can now sort items inside containers
•   New set of useful symbols and numbers
•   Vicinity items are now ordered by custom or entity name
•   Extended catapult's Y axis rotation angle
•   Added new male and female heads
•   Potion of speed is back in the game

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d21aff2d367c29f540c02184236e186b10c55f26.png)

NEW ASSETS
•   Traditional Chinese shirt (5)
•   Traditional Chinese skirt (5)
•   Traditional Chinese shoes (5)
•   Traditional Chinese hat (2)
•   Large oak tree (3)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/67d04ec5af63a11be54292a882dc4023d871a020.png)

FIXES
•   [YLD-15860] [Audio] Ticking sound of ylandium engine can be heard from great distance
•   [YLD-16615] [Audio] SFX settings do not affect GUI sounds
•   [YLD-14728] [Audio] When riding a horse, footsteps output changes from animal footsteps to player footsteps
•   [YLD-12082] [Audio] Battle music does not loop anymore after respawn in edge when player was killed before the music actually started playing
•   [YLD-14909] [Audio] Opening dialogue window with NPC does not have any sound
•   [YLD-16326] [Audio] Too loud and repeating sound of water splashing when sailing backwards
•   [YLD-16615] [Audio] GUI sounds volume is now respecting the SFX volume settings
•   [YLD-14715] [Audio] Some animals are missing a sound for eating and sound of lowering and raising sails is way too loud
•   [YLD-14919] [Audio] Lighting a torch with another torch sounds like lighter
•   [YLD-14897] [Audio] Missing sound for build fire interaction
•   [YLD-14910] [Audio] Aesop's fables book has different sound of drop to inventory than other books
•   [YLD-12081] [Audio] Music can't be heard randomly anymore for a few extra seconds while muted due to weather conditions
•   [Audio] Sound of bomb explosion has a short delay
•   [Audio] Fixed various sound issues related to energy
•   [Audio] One of the mummy footsteps had missing sound sometimes
•   [Audio] Fixed Inventory add sound for Aesop fable book
•   [YLD-16718] [Dedicated Server] Player teleports after dismounting car to the place where they last mounted
•   [YLD-16642] [Dedicated Server] Player is stuck in return to main menu if server is manually restarted
•   [YLD-13326] [Editor] Container - some entity previews were not complete (eggs)
•   [YLD-12163] [Editor] "Aim To" allowed you to pick non-cannon entities with entity picker
•   [YLD-16104] [Editor] V key is invalid when NPC is placed in the Editor
•   [YLD-16498] [Editor] Some vases couldn't be set as tradeable
•   [YLD-8015] [Editor] Generate New Terrain seed is always the same, unless you manually change it
•   [YLD-11745] [Editor] There is no way how to use context menu in character mode
•   [YLD-16098] [Editor] Black shirt in Object properties window after "Randomise" was clicked
•   [YLD-16379] [Editor] Adding new objects to edited entity weld in the group did not work correctly
•   [YLD-16264] [Editor] It was possible to save as scenario with empty name
•   [YLD-16527] [Editor] Cutting item (Ctrl+X) from weld will break the weld
•   [YLD-16451] [Editor] No pivot was selected after breaking some entity welds
•   [Editor] Play test after deleting Player role/team could cause a small error (notification message)
•   [Editor] Fixed waypoint icon
•   [Editor] Fixed Logic Storage description text
•   [YLD-11765] [Feedback tracker] You can duplicate items in the inventory
•   [YLD-15521] [GUI] Workstation recipes do not show how many of them were created
•   [YLD-15534] [GUI] Pending tab is not selected and recipe tab is not dimmed in particular situation
•   [YLD-16025] [GUI] Autobalance is creating golden pebble slots with no count
•   [YLD-16896] [GUI] There is a placing crosshair displayed for a second when aiming a weapon
•   [YLD-16879] [GUI] New crosshair is hindering view
•   [YLD-15717] [GUI] Trading with full inventory drops the item on the ground, without any warning/notification and "Trade Successful" message
•   [YLD-16885] [GUI] Crosshair appears when character enters ragdoll
•   [YLD-16060] [Items] 3x3x3 brick block did not have second color channel
•   [YLD-10553] [Items] "Any vegetable" "Any mortar" and "Any writing tool" had no icon
•   [YLD-16119] [Items] Items were not stacked automatically if you were trying to pick more items than can be stacked with the ones you already had
•   [YLD-16222] [Items] Egyptian dagger and Pharaoh scepter had incorrect textures
•   [YLD-3558] [MP] Ragdoll after falling is not synchronized between host and a client
•   [YLD-7601] [MP] Ragdoll of dead bodies is in different positions for different players
•   [YLD-14622] [Ragdoll] If you fall from a greater height while in ragdoll, you fall through the terrain
•   [YLD-15719] [Ragdoll] Camera does not follow ragdolled character after death properly
•   [YLD-16831] [Sleeping] White screen instead of transparent GUI background
•   [YLD-15801] [Sleeping] When client moves mouse around the center of the sleeping UI sun will move just once
•   [YLD-16613] [Terrain] Client doesn't see any terrain changes
•   [YLD-16871] [Terrain] Terrain is blinking in distance if you move cursor too fast
•   [YLD-16751] [UI] Text bubbles are glitching as players move around
•   [YLD-16842] [UI] Misplaced buttons when no item is selected in inventory, creator cube, workstations, cannons and catapult
•   [YLD-7330] [UI] Mutated penguin model is too large in inventory
•   [YLD-16091] [Visual Scripting] Camera "look at" does not work when console is opened
•   [YLD-16421] [Visual Scripting] Logic storage: Adding instruction parameter problem
•   [YLD-16884] [Visual Scripting] Snapping problems
•   [YLD-16710] [Visual Scripting] Logic puzzle pieces are overlapping
•   [YLD-16444] [Visual Scripting] Second particle effect played on the same spot overrode the first one
•   [YLD-16418] [Visual Scripting] Adding/removing arguments from Game logic storage's instruction definition did not work correctly
•   [YLD-16209] [Visual Scripting] Spawning a lot of particles in short time could mix them (spawn the earlier one later than the later ones)
•   [YLD-16211] [Visual Scripting] Error stack trace could be broken if you had multilines text tiles in your script
•   [YLD-16210] [Visual Scripting] Setting description of stackable items did not work for the first time
•   [YLD-16475] [Visual Scripting] Loop/Break tile will be colored red if outside of any loop
•   [YLD-16490] [Visual Scripting] When moving puzzles with a return puzzle at the end between other puzzles, visual scripting broke
•   [YLD-13333] [Visual Scripting] Fixed issue with literal puzzles being hidden by parts of puzzle they are inside of
•   [Visual Scripting] Teleporting player to land when they were swimming did not work
•   [Visual Scripting] If player placed literal puzzle to a slot, the slot would expand too much
•   [YLD-16188] [YLD-16189] Players who died too far from each other in multiplayer can no longer trade and/or they see each other crawling instead of normally walking
•   [YLD-16664] Player can terraform water, and after unloading and reloading terrain, they can see the changes
•   [YLD-15022] Create basic options should be visible in advanced options too
•   [YLD-15453] Equipped items cannot be thrown to vicinity
•   [YLD-16673] Snow doesn't remain on the terrain during a snowstorm
•   [YLD-15752] Fixed issue which would cause the game to freeze upon crafting multiple items
•   [YLD-16284] Game is stuck after trying to deconstruct things inside your barrier
•   [YLD-12972] All padlocks are now placed consistently to the hotbar from the Creator Cube
•   [YLD-14395] Plants sometimes grow from water
•   [YLD-16196] Not controllable boats/rafts in old saves and scenarios
•   [YLD-16310] Ship/Boat/Raft in Placing mode is not positioned properly when player is standing in shallow water
•   [YLD-16162] When you search in the creator cube for the second time after you dragged an item to the hotbar, the search bar will respond to key bindings
•   [YLD-16212] In the backpack, search for existing items, enter the item name, and the result is blank
•   [YLD-16208] Fixed pet preview influenced by ingame light
•   [YLD-14213] Cannot delete saves of non-owned sharegames
•   [YLD-16219] Fixed missing translations on map buttons
•   [YLD-6767] Red brick block in the Fort wall random encounter has no translation (Czech)
•   [YLD-16182] The game now correctly respects the Dynamic Foliage option set in the Main Menu
•   [YLD-16150] Getting a trade offer locks player in combat mode
•   [YLD-15762] You can spawn cars into terrain
•   [YLD-16320] Picking up items in MP will close inspection window for clients
•   [YLD-8081] When blocks were taken from a vehicle (ship or car) before hardening, one of those blocks couldn't be placed into grid before the 2 minutes timer runs out
•   [YLD-15548] Grenades and projectiles can be thrown/shot through terrain in some cases
•   [YLD-16406] Fixed clipping though the walls when exiting from the vehicle
•   [YLD-16457] Crafting now displays correct amount of items that will be crafted
•   [YLD-16513] Duck boat transforms into upper deck boat wreck when it is destroyed
•   [YLD-16319] Rubber trees already have cut decal on their trunks
•   [YLD-16388] Large welded structures with confined spaces are not transparent anymore when camera gets close
•   [YLD-15404] Deer stand RE 117 has too short ladder
•   [YLD-12675] Small target is not visible in hands
•   [YLD-16603] Objects and terrain near the edge of the screen are rendered during rapid movement again
•   [YLD-16788] Fixed rare error when placing duplicate Entity Welds into the world
•   [YLD-15907] Character no longer performs light attack when releasing primary mouse button after an unrelated action
•   [YLD-14696] Depositing items in a container with high network latency should no longer delete and/or duplicate items
•   Fixed: ranged combat camera stays disabled after toggling placing mode

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/c2869b0709f1d628f4922b7bb361b8ba067e5770.png)

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 20, 2019, 05:17:12 PM
Update 0.13 - Fine Friendships
20 Jun @ 4:50pm - marton.magyar

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d12100e8b86bf787a2ae877ffbc5223d87394e1d.png)

Time to get social with new and updated features!

The "Fine Friendships" update concentrates on the social features of the game, making it easier than ever to find friends and play games with them.

Let us walk you through the biggest and best features with our developer diary:

https://youtu.be/69UkouTv4q8


The biggest changes and additions of update 0.13 – Fine Friendships:
•   Friends list - this new feature will let you maintain a list of friends, see what games they are playing, and join them or invite them to your own
•   Clans system - the first iteration of this new system will let players form clans for easier communication and organisation
•   New chat system - with the new and updated chat system (including color-coded channels) players will now be able to chat not just within the game but in the main menu or even in the Editor
•   New terrain generation - we have significantly improved terrain generation, for more exciting landscapes with more unique terrain variations – for both surface biomes and the underground cave systems
•   Advanced object grouping - creators will now be able to organize objects into a parent-child hierarchy, enabling a new layer of control over objects, ultimately allowing the creation and easy-management of complex creations and contraptions
•   Dynamic object groups - a new solution making it simple to move and rotate objects over time and with a specific speed – invaluable for creators

And, of course, the update comes with lots of bug fixes, improvements, and optimizations. You can read the full release notes on the Ylands website.

The development team also posts behind-the-scenes dev diaries and sneak peek dev blogs on the Ylands forum to talk about new game features in greater detail.

Until next time, stay classy!

The Ylands team

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 06, 2019, 01:54:10 PM
0.14: Playful Platform - Changelog
Playful Platform - 05/09/2019

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/da05a815cd2b51728e6194c475fce265cc445dda.jpg)


CHANGELOG

HIGHLIGHTS
•   Playlands - Enjoy our new communal area with fun(ny) mini-games and bling yourself out in our spiffy Fashion Room. By playing mini-games you’ll increase your personal level and thus be able to obtain even more exclusive attire!
•   Support for mobile devices – By saving your scenario as 'universal', it can be played both on PC and mobile versions of Ylands. While the latter is not yet available, it's good to be ready for when it comes!
•   Persistent user data - Creators can now keep data (such as game progress) on game servers and keep them relevant across game sessions, servers, and platforms! Imagine the possibilities!
•   UI Editor – Even more customization options for Creators! Now you’ll be able to create custom UI’s with panels, buttons, input fields and images.
•   Monetization – Creators will be able to monetize pretty much any element in their game for the in-game currency: Coyns.
•   Character Visual overhaul – All animals and characters are receiving a face-lift to keep them fresh and beautiful.
•   AI overhaul – Animals and character also got a brain-lift and will react much more naturally in the future. So no more overly aggressive penguins thinking they’re predators!
•   Custom controls input – As with the UI, Creators will also be able to customize player controls in script to really make every game unique.
•   Path Editor - Ever wanted to see a building block move in a tangent line? You can do it yourself now in the powerful & fun Path Editor!
•   Horse controls overhaul – Horses will be much more controllable and won’t walk in circles or head down in the ground…hopefully. Who’s ready for the rodeo?!
•   Various gameplay improvements - We touched up on some of the existing systems, making sure they play nicely with the new ones and kept working on enhancing the overall feel of the game.
•   Chat improvements - It is now easier than ever to tell the world about your newly dyed ship.
•   Avatars screen overhaul - It's like looking in a mirror.
•   Codex – Your trusty companion in Ylands is much more informed lately and you’ll find useful explanations and links to our ever-expanding wiki.


ADDITIONS/IMPROVEMENTS
•   [YLD-17684] [Editor] Added: Impassable barrier toggle if barrier should also block camera or should not
•   [Editor] Added: Each entity has "interactable" property in object properties now
•   [Chat] Added: /clearchat console command, which removes all messages from chat
•   [Visual Scripting] Added: Is colorable color 1/2/3
•   [YLD-15972] [Visual Scripting] Added: VS: Entity "Is type" tile
•   [Visual Scripting] Added: "New line" constant tile
•   [Visual Scripting] Added: New End game tile added
•   [YLD-17614] [Visual Scripting] Added: Support to show and hide codex categories for certain players in visual scripting
•   [Visual Scripting] Added: Tiles for hiding hotbar/hearts/several character ui tabs
•   [YLD-17977] Added: There should be upper limit for what character can eat at once
•   [YLD-17978] Added: possibility to mine boulders with pickaxe
•   [YLD-17629] Added: Build mode needs to be always in 1st person camera view
•   [YLD-17267] Added: Blocked players aren't allowed to trade with a player that blocked them
•   Added: New Random encounter
•   [YLD-17645] Added: Game cursor should indicate if current tool can be used on a distant object
•   [Editor] Tweaked: In non PVP games you do not focus other players in combat now
•   [YLD-17633] [Editor] Tweaked: History button is disabled when there is no undo/redo history available
•   [YLD-18128] [Editor] Tweaked: Export to workshop will always optimize game for export. (it will weld entities)
•   [YLD-17934] [Editor] Tweaked: On control start/stop events are called for both helm/ship now
•   [YLD-17513] [Editor] Tweaked: You can now pick entities/game logic outside of the edited group
•   [Editor] Tweaked: All new maps are playable on all platforms by default
•   [YLD-17291] [Editor] Tweaked: zones shows preview of their color when they are marked as visible
•   [Editor] Tweaked: "Scale grid" button removed from the footer. Water/Ground alignment and coordinate system buttons added
•   [Friends] Tweaked: Reduced network load when kicking a player from clan
•   [Visual Scripting] Tweaked: Better indication of "missing entity/game logic storage" error
•   Tweaked: Added and reorganized cube item groups
•   Tweaked: Sound of doors opening and closing
•   [YLD-18260] Tweaked: Increase the distance players can interact with objects
•   Tweaked: Made softer transition from static jump to idle
•   Tweaked: Fixed hands and spine in Spear and Unarmed melee animations for new body model
•   [YLD-18048] Tweaked: Burning torch can no longer be crafted instead there is an "ignite" button when inspecting a torch (and "extinguish" button for burning torch)
•   [YLD-17151] Tweaked: Player won't be able to see online / offline statuses of others who are not his friends
•   [YLD-18039] Tweaked: When pvp is turned off, player melee attacks pass through other players
•   [YLD-18038] Tweaked: Bullets, arrows and bolts no longer show notifications when they are loaded into a weapon
•   [YLD-18002] Tweaked: Sleeping pad is unpacking automatically after it is placed down
•   [YLD-18001] Tweaked: Torches no longer get extinguished in rain or inside of the players inventory
•   [YLD-13383] Tweaked: Focusing objects is really hard and inaccurate
•   [YLD-11973] Tweaked: Digging indicator was changed to a cube which highlights the modified voxels
•   [YLD-17644] Tweaked: Digging done by repeated clicking
•   Tweaked: Reduced the cooldown after eating/drinking action to 0.5s from 1.5s
•   Tweaked: Changed digging with pick loop animation
•   Tweaked: Melee to default animation transitions for a new character
•   Tweaked: New default 1H run animation
•   Tweaked: New 1H default idle, idle jump and pickup animations
•   [YLD-17391] Tweaked: Dragonling inspect cage sound volume
•   Tweaked: Drastically reduced the amount of network communication when refreshing your friend/clan list
•   Tweaked: Big + small mammal footsteps sound
•   [YLD-18214] Set stick as a weapon that deals some very low damage
•   [YLD-18234] Matchmaking panel with red exclamation mark looks like something went wrong
•   [YLD-18552] Tweaked: Horses will now receive fall damage only if they fall from real heights (five times larger threshold than with player characters)
•   Tweaked: Camera distance in 3rd person view
•   [Animals] Removed: Shark was temporarily removed to receive an overhaul to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Arctic Wolf was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Black Bear was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Boar was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Brown Bear was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Goat was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Horse was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Leopard was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Panther was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Polar Bear was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Puma was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Rabbit was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Wolf was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Ostrich was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Mutated Bear was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Mutated Bear Alpha was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Mutated Leopard was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Mutated Leopard Alpha was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Mutated Wolf was remodelled to work with the new AI system
•   [Animals] Tweaked: Mutated Wolf Alpha was remodelled to work with the new AI system

NEW ASSETS
•   [Animals] Added: Tiger
•   [Animals] Added: Deer
•   [Animals] Added: Honey badger
•   [Animals] Added: Camel
•   [Animals] Added: Sheep

FIXES
•   [YLD-17866] [Blueprints] Fixed: Blueprints of door objects now have proper visual bounds, resulting in more proper thumbnails and correctly positioned overlapping red block when they cannot be placed
•   [YLD-18195] [Blueprints] Fixed: Entities with multiple colliders would spawn multiple times in a blueprint. (Fix will apply only for newly captured blueprints.)
•   [YLD-17511] [Blueprints] Fixed: Blueprint can be placed inside of car
•   [YLD-17378] [Blueprints] Fixed: Blueprint can be placed on and inside ships and cars
•   [YLD-17417] [Camera] Fixed: Switching from building material to ranged weapon in the hotbar activates combat camera
•   [YLD-18429] [Editor] Fixed: Undo/redo of edited weld did not correctly updated selection box
•   [YLD-18540] [Editor] Fixed: Deleted NPC did not reappear on Undo/Redo (you had to save and load game again)
•   [YLD-18155] [Editor] Fixed: Transform gizmo could have been deleted when doing batched undro/redo
•   [YLD-17621] [Editor] Fixed: Bulk undo/redo of creating/deleting entities and energy links among them did not work correctly
•   [YLD-18074] [Editor] Fixed: in editor the "SYSTEM: Saving..." message appears with a significant delay after clicking the save button
•   [YLD-18003] [Editor] Fixed: Spawning and despawning of the same type of game logic object was slower and slower
•   [YLD-17957] [Editor] Fixed: Deleting of empty template could cause missing objects after save
•   [YLD-16300] [Editor] Fixed: Event listener listening to reading specific entity did not trigger
•   [YLD-17899] [Editor] Fixed: Ask player prompt stops working after pressing "NO" on answer confirmation
•   [YLD-17910] [Editor] Fixed: Save scenario pop-up does not appear when opening another scenario
•   [YLD-17699] [Editor] Fixed: When copying Storage game logic objects referencing each other then they should reference their copies not to original object
•   [YLD-17613] [Editor] Fixed: Undo of entity deletation did not recover correctly its relations to other objects
•   [YLD-16569] [Editor] Fixed: Cancel of editing empty weld froze the game
•   [YLD-17563] [Editor] Fixed: Child animated objects did not trigger in trigger zones (child non animated objects will not trigger - no change there)
•   [YLD-16418] [Editor] Fixed: Editing parameter is loosing focus
•   [YLD-16543] [Editor] Fixed: Copy/paste/cut did not work while editing group/weld
•   [YLD-17507] [Editor] Fixed: If you destroy the trigger entity in animated trigger zone it could stop to trigger again
•   [YLD-14039] [Editor] Fixed: Custom interaction hints were mixed if target entities were to close to each other
•   [YLD-17215] [Editor] Fixed: Objects animators are not stored properly in compositions (or when copy-pasted)
•   [Editor] Fixed: Objects in preview of composition being placed could be wrongly rotated
•   [Editor] Fixed: When making more than 50 changes while editing weld then it was not possible to exit weld edit mode properly
•   [Editor] Fixed: Loading your game with active redo steps in new version of Ylands could cause problems
•   [YLD-18327] [Editor] Terrain keeps disappearing on the first scenario in editor
•   [YLD-12910] [Editor] You can not write decimal numbers into Vector3 literal while using Spanish
•   [YLD-17640] [Editor] Quit to main menu button does not ask you whether you want to save changes
•   [YLD-17559] [Editor] Restarting the game via script does not rejoin the clients
•   [YLD-17197][Editor] You can delete all the entities while editing weld, which leads to stuck
•   [YLD-18052][YLD-18051] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Providing wrong type to Set property tiles will now show proper error message
•   [YLD-16835] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Spawn entity instruction error messages were not helpful
•   [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Adding new parameter to existing storage instruction could cause a problem in calling the instruction from different scripts
•   [YLD-17491] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: There is no error message when using Entity storage without adding it to an entity
•   [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Animated entities were not detected by static trigger zone (entities part of group/vehicle will still be ignored by static trigger zones)
•   [YLD-17247] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: transform position/rotation instruction tiles did not work on dynamic objects correctly
•   [Visual Scripting] Fixed: On movement/rotation instruction end is called even if target position/orientation is same as the initial position/orientation
•   [YLD-17349] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Player events were not called in the same order for the first player and for the others. Now is order same. (On start, On create, On awake, On team spawn, On role spawn, On spawn point spawn, On team connected, On role connected)
•   [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Get Loaded ammo did not work correctly
•   [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Subtracting wrong types now shows proper error in the log
•   [YLD-17250] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Calling "Move to" on an object which ended its movement in the same frame could cause that second move to was not executed
•   [YLD-17285][YLD-17276] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Picking buttons in visual scripting can be clicked when puzzles are in the left bar
•   [YLD-16444] [Visual Scripting] Fixed: Second particle effect played on the same spot overriden the first one
•   [YLD-17483] [Visual Scripting] Tile window size is changing incorrectly
•   [YLD-17478] [Visual Scripting] Variables created after using object, entity, logic or color picker are invisible
•   [YLD-17466] [Visual Scripting] stuck when pick group from search bar
•   [YLD-17272] [Visual Scripting] Deleting delay tile deletes only tile contents, not the tile itself
•   [YLD-17270] [Visual Scripting] Deleting of script tiles in custom instruction can cause game stuck
•   [YLD-18323] [Items] Bark armor boots model has no back-faces around the toe and ball parts
•   [YLD-18317] [Items] Armor_Bark_skin01_body has emitted/shone the flare-like fx when being hold in hands
•   [YLD-18295] [Items] Armor_Leather_skin02_legs is distorted when equipped
•   [YLD-17224] [Items] Fixed: Iron axe skin no particles on heavy attack charge
•   [YLD-18069] [Items] Painting Wrong Carpet
•   [YLD-18031] [Items] Pirate boots have strange shadows
•   [YLD-17442] [Items] Visual glitch on engine indicators
•   [YLD-18286] [Items] Armor_Stone_skin01_feet is not visible when worn
•   [YLD-17048] [Friends] Players are not able to send another friend request after the first one is declined
•   [YLD-16985] [Friends] You get asked for password if you accept Invite to Game with password
•   [YLD-17505] [Friends] Fixed: You would get a message sound whenever a player went online or offline
•   [Friends] Fixed: Fixed a problem where if a user accepted a clan invitation while the clan leader had their detail open, the detail would not immediately update
•   [Friends] Fixed: Fixed "current game players" and "previous game players" lists not counting your own character in (your character won't display in the grid, but the player count will count you in now)
•   [YLD-17179] [Friends] Fixed: Blocking player that you sent friend request to breaks friends behaviour
•   [YLD-17221] [Friends] Writing message in friend list will focus out from chat after moment
•   [YLD-16127] [UI] Fixed: Server managment: No indication of promoted player
•   [YLD-17263] [UI] Fixed: Creator cube: all flora groups have seedling or sapling icons
•   [YLD-18185] [UI] Inventory and crafting windows can be open at the same time
•   [YLD-18508] [Hints] Fixed: Hints for entering combat mode are not present
•   [YLD-13454] [Combat] Fixed: Possible to toggle combat mode
•   [YLD-17544] [Camera] Fixed: After switching to and from freeplacing mode with high tech tools camera does not return to aiming mode
•   [YLD-17655] [Random Encounters] Fixed: RE buildings spawned in the same place clipping
•   [YLD-17076] [Random Encounters] Fixed: Some RE buildings are generated misplaced
•   [YLD-14274] [Random Encounters] Fixed: Blocks levitating in the air around Random encounter
•   [YLD-17578] [Environment] Fixed: Islands generate with very steep transition to water
•   [YLD-14550][YLD-14736] [Environment] Fixed: Underwater spawned items are levitating in the air
•   [Environment] Fixed: Sea Urchins are spawning underground on the shallowest level of water, and still damage the player
•   [YLD-17634] [Vehicles] Fixed: You can place blocks and ship / car parts outside construction mode via freeplacing
•   [Audio] Fixed: Timed explosives now use the correct audio definition
•   [YLD-17465] [Audio] Fixed: Padlock sound source position
•   [YLD-15669] [Audio] Fixed: Missing placing sound of boats and rafts
•   [YLD-16266] [Building] Fixed: Deconstruct of blocks doesn't work on Dedicated server
•   [YLD-16745] [Building] Fixed: Building on vehicles can falsely report "Location is inside other player's protective barrier."
•   [YLD-17251] [Building] Fixed: Broken construction mode (wrong dissolved entity positions)
•   [Chat] Fixed: A problem where after reconnecting to the chat service, the game would not properly show other player games info
•   [YLD-18246] [Chat] System Warning message about ALL chat is not shown in main menu
•   [YLD-18133] [Chat] Change formatting of /cmdlist
•   [YLD-18073] [Chat] Can't close the chat after testing game in the Editor
•   [YLD-17468] [Chat] Hints you get from /help command won't disappear once you send a message
•   [YLD-17356] [Chat] There is a wrong System message when writing to All/Game chat in Editor
•   [YLD-17308] [Chat] Chat stops working after saving the game in editor
•   [YLD-17246] [Chat] Chat without cursor after someone offers you trade with chat open and you ignore or accept and cancel the offer
•   [DS] Fixed: Fixed an issue where rented/dedicated servers wouldn't properly start up in some cases
•   [YLD-17454] [Multiplayer] Fixed: Client can get kicked from server, when ship exits from lagged construction mode
•   [YLD-18405] [Multiplayer] Problem with sleep in Multiplayer
•   [YLD-18330] [Painting] Third channel is not working on Bear hide skirt
•   [YLD-18127] [Painting] Belt of southern uniform pants color does not match in inventory and inspect view when wearing
•   [YLD-18037] [Painting] Shirt has one channel that does nothing
•   [YLD-18029] [Painting] Third channel is not working on Pirate shirt
•   [YLD-18257] [Costumes] Alien costume is too bright
•   [YLD-18256] [Costumes] Polygons attached to incorrect bone and deformed hands
•   [YLD-18072] [Notifications] When dropping a first stack of items into a chest, no Item Removed notification is shown
•   [YLD-17681] [Radial Menu] "E" shall also close the radial menu
•   [YLD-18018] [Controls] Inventory (Cube) doesn't open when using Tab key
•   [YLD-17949] [Welding] All the stair blocks and some irregular blocks have no collision once welded
•   [YLD-17232] [Forums] Fatal login error
•   [YLD-17213] [Animations] Character is holding cold resistance potion in wrong direction
•   [YLD-17296] [Trading] Two players trade when their package are full. The item they choose is inconsistent with that added into the trade bar.
•   [YLD-18428] Fixed: An issue where players would be shown twice in the social tab if you added someone and immediately blocked them
•   Fixed: Hit detection did not worked correctly on items placed on vehicles
•   [YLD-16405] Fixed: there is no support for "custom" video settings
•   Removed: glass sphere item was removed from the game
•   [YLD-16607] Fixed: Sound volume change of objects when going into a cave
•   Fixed: Impact sounds for cactus and umbrella
•   Fixed: An issue where a corrupted rented server game could freeze the game while removing the game from the server
•   [YLD-17530] Fixed: when trade is initiated, client will not see the UI
•   Fixed: Fixed shoulders for new character on Emote_Shrug animation
•   [YLD-17570] Fixed: Set missing mask on two-handed melee animations
•   Fixed: Seed planting would always emit sounds as if you were planting the seed on grass
•   Fixed: When a player accepted your friend request, their game info would not be sent
•   [YLD-17300] Fixed: issues with "recent game players"
•   [YLD-17173] Fixed: Terrain Generation: cliffs are too smooth
•   Fixed: Game names in social tab are not translated
•   [YLD-17241] Fixed: Rented server game type not translated
•   Fixed: VS: string literals with '' inside a text did not work correctly
•   [YLD-16449] Fixed: When scrolling trading can break
•   [YLD-17068] Fixed: Tripple key tap should not be count as 2 double taps (Start flying and going up immediately did not work correctly)
•   [YLD-17039] Fixed: When offering items one by one trade fails
•   Fixed: Clients don't receive "inventory full" warning
•   Fixed: Egyptian sickle sword is now held correctly in hand
•   [YLD-18476] Terrain grid was generated on the same height as treetops when there was a tree nearby
•   [YLD-18452] The newly created game name can be too long
•   [YLD-18418] Player data was out of sync in multiplayer rooms, and players who joined the room could not see the homeowner player's character
•   [YLD-18392] In the creation mode, the character riding a horse will have an abnormal Angle of view
•   [YLD-18294] Show small loading popup with cancel button on cancelable connection events
•   [YLD-18220] Extract resin makes the player perform an attack after an action is finished
•   [YLD-17929] Specific scenario can not be exported for workshop
•   [YLD-17673] Ladders are not working
•   [YLD-17542] Blueprint allocates an unreasonable amount of memory
•   [YLD-17469] Game stuck in return to main menu
•   [YLD-17360] Trade breaks if you offer 7 items and scroll
•   [YLD-17359] Remove Codex alerts reset option
•   [YLD-17301] When using a cannon, the up-and-down direction is reversed
•   [YLD-17299] On AMD graphics card, the screen blinks black when looking at specific structures or models
•   [YLD-17143] Underwater wall creates a small pond
•   [YLD-16243] Hair is visible through pirate captain hat



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 10, 2019, 11:00:15 PM
0.14: Playful Platform Update
Tue, 10 September 2019

Dev Diary video

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/da4c8a7e5ad023f01774abcf3f9ba66871bf0cfe.png)

The 0.14 update Playful Platform is out and it's a Big One! Many new features have found their way Ylands and while it is fun to explore and find them for yourself, we also made a handy video with Aleš, Tomᚠand Daniel talking about all the different aspects of the update.

https://youtu.be/XuL33KCoTfI


In our second video, we take a closer look at the monetization feature more closely. Creators will be able to monetize their creations for the in-game currency Coyns, thus encouraging them to make even bigger and better games for all of us!


https://youtu.be/5Qw3uhJ5nKk


And that's it, so enjoy the videos, the update and the game and most importantly...

stay classy Ylanders!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 23, 2019, 12:00:01 PM
Dev Diary #96
Sun, 22 September 2019


Hey there Ylanders!

I have to say, preparations for 1.0 are ramping up and everybody here is looking forward to the next few months of hard, but exciting work. And with that, I thought I’d share with you a few updates on future features and what is the situation with certain aspects of the game.

So as I promised last week, let’s talk about the water. As you know, water isn’t what it used to be for some time now. The trouble is, that water right now is hardcoded to be at level zero and once it’s put somewhere else, it starts breaking other things in the game. But our team is working on an improved simulation for water, but it won’t get into the game until after the release of 1.0. But that will be one of our top priorities post 1.0.

On the other hand, Explore is the talk of the day, since that will be getting the greatest of facelifts. As I mentioned before, there will be fewer Islands in a map, but that doesn’t mean there will be less to find. We are doing this because we want to make every Island unique and fun to explore rather than finding a third Taiga Island and floating away in disgust and boredom 😁 In this “improved” Explore every Island will be worth discovering. That is another thing coming to Explore: DANGER. You won’t be able to go to sleep at night safe in knowing, that all the animals are also going to sleep. No. Mutated bears and wolves will be coming out of their caves to hunt! And you are the prey 😱 Now you’ll be able to get rid of this danger on every Island, but you’ll have to ‘conquer’ the cave responsible for the beasts. And the lair will always be guarded by an alpha-monster protecting its home. But if you defeat this powerful enemy, you’ll be able to stop the spawning of dangerous animals on that Island 😊

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b30025e409142674f86e907dd9468ccf88bd5fde.jpg)

In other news for Explore, while there won’t be regenerating resources (yet), we are working on it. In the meantime though there will be more resources on the map as a whole and you might even be able to look to the sea to provide 😉 And some resources should be on every Island, so you’re not hampered early game by having bad luck and not having a specific resource at hand. And for those worried about the smaller number of Islands, do not fret, because we are also working on the concept of ‘Connected Worlds’. We have talked about this in the past, but in short, this should give you the possibility to jump to another game through a portal and keep playing, giving creators countless possibilities 😁 We are doing our best to bring this feature to you as soon as possible.

And that’s it for now, so have fun and stay classy Ylanders!

P.S. I’ll be on holiday 🏄‍♂️ next week, so expect less of my presence on the forums and also less content throughout the week (no Ynterview for example). But I will be preparing a Dev Diary (albeit probably not as ‘meaty’) so there’s that to look forward to 😊

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 28, 2019, 01:25:54 PM
Dev Diary #97
Sat, 28 September 2019

Hey there Ylanders!

I am a bit indisposed this week, but why should you suffer?! In fact, you'll be better off, because I'm not going to blab too much and images will do the talking.

There has been some talk in the past, that there aren't any new objects and blocks in the game. Well, we've been working on some new items for you and decided to show you some of these. Most of them are modern-day objects but we're also unveiling the new Alpha mutants! So beware of those 😊 Of course these aren't all the things we're adding in, there are many more, but just a little taste 😉

And that's all from me for now and you Ylanders enjoy the images and most importantly: stay classy Ylanders!


Read on (https://steamcommunity.com/games/298610/announcements/detail/1597013446378482497)

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 09, 2019, 11:55:26 PM
Dev Diary #98
09/10/19

Hey there Ylanders!

The release is creeping closer and with it more and more exciting news! We are fixing more and more issues and these will be implemented in the coming weeks. But we’re also improving a lot of features, and we’ll talk about these today.

But first a small bit of news. Upon release, we’ll be changing the name of Explore to Exploration. This is because we feel this reflects more on the nature of the game mode. Also, we’ll be changing the name of ‘Create’ to Sandbox, because we’ve had feedback telling us, that people mistake Create for the Editor and thus miss out on a whole world of creativity. Sandbox also fits into the image we want this mode to have and we trust, that it will make the Menu more understandable and clearer.

But that’s just an insignificant little titbit of info, that pales to the news that follows. Because we have some exciting stuff to share with you about Exploration!

First of all, the Map. The map has been for long a staple of the game but we felt it needed a bit of love. That’s why we have put our heads together and came up with a few new features I think you’ll appreciate. For one, the map will not be an item anymore, but rather a basic function available to every player by simply pressing the M key. Furthermore, the player will finally not be lost on his map but will be able to see his own position on it. The map will also be highly customisable with the possibility of dropping markers of different colours and icons, so the player will be able to make the map his own. There will also be a clear edge to the map, so players don’t sail on into the abyss without ever finding Ylands. This doesn’t mean, that players won’t be able to sail to the blue void, but now it’ll be clear, that there is nothing to find there. This map will be available in Exploration and in the Sandbox, but not in Custom Games yet. This is because games made in the Editor are usually very unique and we don’t have a way of reflecting this in the map, but we are working on a way of putting a map into Editor games as well.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ef834a228e2d0a4548fbc9a71344db262837f67f.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ed23c983fb5b3bd48c254a0d3e150d4690e7209a.png)

As I have mentioned before, the number of Ylands will be smaller in Exploration, but that doesn’t mean, that there will be less to do. In fact, the exact opposite! That is why we’ll be applying Tiers to Ylands. Different Ylands will have different Tiers and to successfully thrive in a higher tiered Yland, a player should first master the lower-tiered Yland. This will make a greater sense of progression in Exploration while also differentiating Ylands from each other in difficulty and content. The Ylands will also be all unique and full of different things to do, enemies to fight and lairs to destroy and loot.

Another new improvement a bit connected to the one mentioned above will be the change we’re bringing to spawn points in Exploration. While at the beginning of the game you will spawn at an easy-going and player-friendly Yland, you can, later on, build a bed. And this bed will become the players' new spawn point, so once the player logs out and returns, he’ll spawn in his comfy bed 😊 Now this will only work with beds and not with sleeping mats, so be careful of that. Also, a bed can be destroyed by another player, though you can protect it in a protective barrier. But if your bed gets destroyed while you are still in the game, you will get a notification of this and you’ll thus have time to make another bed. If your bed does get destroyed while you’re outside of the game, you will then spawn upon return back at the ‘beginners Yland’.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4761f87e698108ada1129a0b5eb4c40163eaa22e.jpg)

And that’s it for now Ylanders. It is all exciting and we are really gearing up for the upcoming release. But let me stress, that we are also hard at work fixing all the issues, that have been posted here, and others that we found ourselves, so this is in no way the only items we’re concentrating on 😁

Look out for more news here and on our other platforms and most importantly,

stay classy Ylanders!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 16, 2019, 11:18:35 PM
Dev Diary #100
Wed, 16 October 2019

Aleš Ulm, Creative Director of Ylands

Hey there, Ylanders!

It's been some time since we last talked, right? I've been sooo busy with getting 1.0 through the door that I barely have time for anything else.

What later became Dev Diaries had started on 12th July 2016. I've been talking with you about our plans, achievements and fails for quite some time and now, when there's big news to be told, I'm here again to both tell you about it and then discuss with you any potential concerns.

Let's cut right to the chase: with version 1.0 Ylands goes Free to Play, or to be more exact, most of it is. For new players, Exploration will be available in a separate Exploration pack whilst Early Accessers will already have this pack and all that comes with it.


Why are we doing this?

Ylands is predominantly a creators platform. For a platform, it is crucial to be available to as many players (and creators) as possible. Because of this, changing to a Free to Play format is a logical step. With this one "simple" step, suddenly a massive number of players will be able to access Ylands, play it and create new content. There will be more creators resulting in a higher quality of games and more players to play these games (monetized or not). We never wanted the premium model to be what keeps this beautiful platform alive in the future - this can be achieved only by a strong and transparent ecosystem with enough creators and players.

At the same time, we believe strongly that Exploration brings a unique experience and is worth the money. With 1.0 it will get a lot better and we will keep enhancing it for many years to come. However, please note, that currently, Exploration will be available only on the PC, not mobile devices. The reason for this is simple: We don't want to compromise the PC Exploration experience for the sake of the Mobile version.

Also, one thing needs to be clearly said. Even though this is an add-on, this doesn't mean we are planning to add others like this one. We are not in the "DLC" business. It's just a convenient way how to make an already existing specific part of Ylands premium on Steam. We are focusing all our work on making all of the different aspects of the game better, be it Exploration, Sandbox Mode, Playlands or the Editor.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5f0df611bdb1c4995a6e0bc1cb22f1a62e91221f.png)

How much will the Exploration pack cost?

We are planning to sell the Exploration pack containing the Exploration mode, a hefty amount of Coyns and some cool cosmetics and pets for 20 USD. Early Accessers, of course, won't have to buy this, as they'll already have the Exploration mode unlocked and they'll get the extra items and Coyns upon release.


What about you, the players who already bought Ylands in Early Access?

You helped us get where we are now and we will not forget. It goes without saying that for you nothing changes - basically you already own Exploration. In addition to that, you'll get every bonus that those who buy Exploration separately get (a truly epic special costume, a great pet and coyns). And on top of that the promised pet that only you, the Early Access supporters will own.

When planning this, the most important thing on our mind was to make sure this doesn't affect you in a negative way. I'm happy to say that you will always be the ones who get the best deal because you stuck with us for all those years.


What will happen to coyns you currently possess and all your purchases?

You will keep all your coyns, purchased costumes, pets etc. as we move into 1.0.


What does this mean for Ylands itself?

If anything, the only change you'll probably notice will be us putting more continuous effort into making the Exploration mode more awesome. Ylands will release as a free game for everyone with the mobile version being also free. This will mean, that anyone will be able to make a game on their PC and jump right on to their mobile device to play it there and share their game with their friends and others in the community.

The mobile platform truly lends a huge new aspect to the game, because for creators it brings a brand new audience to create for and connect with and in the future, once we also release on Android, anyone anywhere will be able to join in the fun of Ylands. We believe this will really help Ylands grow as a platform and it will also serve as a gateway for players to then go and download the game on their computer as well because they'll want to try out the more majestic creations, that only a PC can offer.


We understand that this is a big change and we're ready to discuss all your concerns until there are none.


Thank you for your patience, support and for staying classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 24, 2019, 12:17:01 PM
Dev Diary #101
Thu, 24 October 2019

Hey there Ylanders!

If you watched our video on Facebook, the Major General might have spoiled today’s Dev Diary a tad bit, but for those, who did the sensible thing and paused the video the minute MJ opened his mouth, here’s the cool news.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/98e46b3de943c374fc1f98f5cd05042d7316f2c9.png)


A while back we improved on the Animal AI and gave you more options to control them through the Editor. Now it is time for the most dangerous animal of all! Humans!!! Soon you’ll be able to do much more with humanoids than ever before. In your scenarios and games, you’ll be able to make them hostile to the player, equipping them with close combat weapons. They’ll be able to detect a player and when at a certain distance, attack him. Or say you have a precious treasure in an abandoned keep…seemingly abandoned keep. And a player decides to steal your gold and shiny things. Well that might trigger two guards, who were hiding behind some strategically placed pillars and show him a thing or two!

But that’s not all humanoids will be capable of from now on. You’ll be able to plan a patrol trail for them and thus you’ll be able to populate your cities with moving crowds. Also, their stances can be different. They can be hostile, indifferent or even flea at the sight of a player, so maybe there’s a suspicious character with some lovely trinkets and the player has to stop with a well-aimed shot…but the bugger is legging it! You’ll be able to use AI behaviour (before called waypoints) for humanoids and assign to them many more things than ever before.
And here’s the kicker though! All of this will also be possible with animals, so now you’ll be able to craft much more complex encounters for your players 😁


And that’s all for now Ylanders, so stay classy!

P.S. Check out our Facebook and the Major General's video on this topic to see, how the new NPC tools work:

https://www.facebook.com/YlandsGame/videos/939620803078678/



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 01, 2019, 02:29:49 PM
Dev Diary #102
Thu, 31 October 2019

Dear Ylanders,

the Ylands offices are buzzing with activity as we are nearing the final release of Ylands 1.0 and we’re all getting excited. But today’s Dev Diary is really something because we have kept this under wraps for some time, but we feel it’s time to show you, what we’ve been working on the past couple of months, but safe to say, Ylands has never looked so beautiful.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/6b3f45818e6cfa0e1a9463748cbf76163e461699.png)

Overall, we have overhauled the weather system and at the heart of this upgraded visual style is the new atmosphere simulation. We're using a physically-based atmospheric scattering model that is responsible for the colour of the sky, lighting and reflections. We have made extensive changes to this fairly realistic model to make sure it all fits perfectly to our unique style. Our clouds, for instance, will be polygonal and thus they’ll fit in with the rest of the game’s aesthetic but they’ll also fully dynamic and procedural. Meaning you'll never see the same cloud twice. They’ll dynamically change from small puffy clouds to an overcast sky.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b4690b98c4fca20e43b4c93f6e530dc166efa811.png)

Another feature we upgraded is lightning during night time. We felt, that the nights could get a bit too dark (and full of terrors) and so we moved from the very dark and impractical kind of night to a lot more stylized and bright night. Night scenes are now lit with blueish light. Night is now a lot more atmospheric and you can finally see where you're going during when the night sets. But that’s not all. Every visual part of the game has been reworked or tweaked to work well with everything else including post-processing and particle systems. And best of all, all of this doesn't affect performance 😁

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3bd8d7e0771e2d209e96f0ed0f947fb4db81c3f6.png)

And one more notice for creators concerning light. With the recently updated post-processing, we have tweaked the luminosity of glowing objects. Before the update, objects were glowing too much, so we had to adjust the glow range to provide more consistent results across the whole range. We have lowered the maximum luminosity and stretched it across the whole range. So, please notice that after release, you will have to ramp-up the glowing property approximately 4x times to achieve the same luminosity.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/53741583098a3a37ccf6825d2d6e13f44a6f3bbf.png)

And that’s all for today Ylanders. What do you think about the new sunsets? Will you be able to fight the urge to just watch one sunset after another?

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/567a91ca2ee06f5024e35bc2e7e2f20bac1b21fd.png)


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 06, 2019, 04:11:35 PM
Dev Diary #103
Wed, 6 November 2019


Today let’s talk Exploration 😊

We have already hinted a few features coming into Exploration with the release, but if you’ve seen the gameplay footage on our Facebook page, you might be intrigued further. While we have talked about the Yland tier system, now we have a final version of it. There are going to be 3 tiers of difficulty + a 0 tier as the beginning Yland. There you won’t get attacked by anything and you’ll have ample time to get familiar with the mechanics. But the other Ylands are in no way this forgiving. After a few nights, mutants will start hunting on the surface at night and no one will be safe. This is why a sturdy home will be necessary. But the brave may want to venture out into the night to hunt down the dreaded Alpha and stop the mutants from spawning. But this is really a challenge only for the hardened adventurer.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/6c985184c3e8a3e1d25498c143ce2e3eaa7af97c.png)
Tier 1

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/25feee19edeea93979e8cadd92135688521bb310.png)
Tier 2

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/986a15aa1c48f1e1423952628cfcb4e5c8b5ea8b.png)
Tier 3

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2afbf26184b1dd84450383b671435cc6923a01c1.png)
Random Encounters Gear (not all)

The animals and mutants will differ in power and image depending on the Yland tier and biome. So, for instance, you’ll be able to meet a normal Wolf, but also a Rabid Wolf, Furious Wolf and on the Mutant side a Mutated Wolf, Tainted Wolf and an Infested Wolf with all mutants having their own colour palette. Yland tiers also affect, what you’ll be able to craft in different tiers. So while in tier 1 you can craft leather and stone armour, you'll have to venture into the caves to get the right resources to prepare for tier 2 with for instance iron armour. You also might have noticed some weird armour not currently available in Exploration. This will be only available from Random Encounters, so look out for those Conquistadors in their shiny breastplates and if you want their gear, give them battle!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97d20d297b185fb4e07e4c927a3a487849362031.png)
Mutated

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f41080d1cea4a3c56912fc4cb1858b270c5cb840.png)
Tainted

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/e99298340fbebb2b964f0c57d3ab91b148abce37.png)
Infested

We have also decided to open up all the different now available skins to the public since interest in buying them anyway was very low. All the current owners will get a full refund of their Coyns and the skins will now become their own items in Exploration, that Explorers will be able to find in Random Encounters as unique items. So everyone will be able to enjoy the glorious happiness of wearing Legionnaire Armour...if you manage to defeat the mighty Legionnaires 😁 Also these before exclusive items will be added to the Creators Cube and will be part of the Editor to give Creators even more options for their games.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/927777d508152fb0fff9ec834164c2d633124758.png)

So as you can see, we have big plans with Exploration and it doesn’t stop here. After the release, we have even more ideas to make Exploration the go-to survival platform on PC and we will keep adding new and exciting stuff to this ever-evolving world, that is Ylands!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2603793446333085

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 14, 2019, 11:53:59 PM
Dev Diary #104
Thu, 14 November 2019

Hey there Ylanders!

Many times I was asked if we’re going to have ships and cars in blueprints. We already have houses, which you guys love (and we do too), but the questions kept coming and understandably so. It would be so cool to get the needed resources and then just plop your majestic steampunk ship you’ve been working on for so long and start exploring. We took this suggestion to heart and started working on implementing this and making it reality. In fact @Khanecz has been working his behind off for quite some time, but finally, we can say, that with the release, you’ll be able to capture any car and ship you create and use it later as a blueprint. And it doesn’t matter which boat hull you use, be it the small one, large one or the new Catamaran ship, that’ll also be available come release. This way you’ll always travel in style in Exploration. And while you won’t be able to capture blueprints on your mobile devices, you will be able to use them and download them from the shop 😊

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/27ea665d25cdfd28bf2abdc181f60b7654d585ac.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4eebf40743b6bfa70674734f07839415e68872b9.png)

And while we’re talking about everything blueprinty, we’ll also be adding a lot of cool premium blueprints you’ll be able to purchase for Coyns. A few highlights: the cousin of the dreaded Red Baron, the Crimson Train! This baby will get you anywhere in style. The Buggy, on the other hand, loves the feeling of sand under its tires and the large ship blueprint is fast and agile, ready for any adventure in a hurry. But we’ll also release some free blueprints to get you started, like the little basic ship, a basic car and some nice wooden buildings. Connected to this will also be the discontinuation of some of the older blueprints, which we found as not visually pleasing anymore and out of style. Those of you, that bought these or downloaded them will still be able to use them after release, but they won’t be available in the store.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/8f92b3ae8cc041dd8102900dd9beb9eccf023e19.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d61244ef91ca3badfde51aa84612b46245930850.png)

So what will you make into blueprints and are you looking forward to whizzing around in your favourite car and ship around all the new and improved Ylands? Well we sure are 😉

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 22, 2019, 01:11:12 AM
Dev Diary #105
Thu, 21 November 2019

Hey there Ylanders.

So we have three significant pieces of news Ylanders, so strap in and get ready to rumble!

Firstly we are making some changes to how we deal with servers. Before we were quite free-handed with dedicated servers because we wanted you to experiment and there wasn’t a better alternative at the time. But now with the recent changes in monetization and the more demanding multiplayer games, we decided to streamline the server situation, so we can better protect and support them in the future. This way there won’t be any chance of manipulating the server information and scamming players out of their hard-earned Coyns. We also weren’t able to support private dedicated servers to any significant point, and so players using them couldn’t find random pets and encounters, which were available to others. To be able for us to protect all Ylanders and support them all, we have to know they are running the game on certified servers always with the newest version because in the past some players also reported bugs, that were outdated and fixed long before. So this is why we are discontinuing the support of private dedicated servers and in the future players will be able to rent servers directly from us or from our friends at Nitrado and you’ll be able to customise precisely what you need from your server and some of the options are mind-boggling!

In other news, we are constantly thinking, how to better reward our great Creators, that make great and fun games for the rest of the community. In our last big update, we introduced custom monetization for Creators, but we were asked (and quite rightly so) ‘now what do we do with all these Coyns’? Well while we will be adding some really cool premium blueprints and other fancy stuff into the in-game shop, we are also working on a type of ‘cashback’ system, that we’d like to implement next year. This means, that Creators will be able to turn in a specific amount of Coyns for a bit of real-life honest to god money. This will give Creators even more incentive to create some truly remarkable and fun games knowing, that they will be rewarded for their effort. And as you might have noticed, the release is just a few *an unspecified unit of time* away and with this release we are primarily opening the game up to Creators, so you’ll get a head start in creating your…creations and preparing for the cashback feature, when you’ll be able to turn in all your stockpiled Coyns 😉

(https://media.giphy.com/media/if4hVSYiHGu5ml73w5/giphy.gif)

And finally the biggest news: Today we are opening up a beta, that will become in time the final version of 1.0. You won't be able to try out Exploration just yet and it will be just PC, not mobile, but Creators will get to tinker with all the new Editor features and see if their games run in the new environment but also help us make this release the best it can be. We need you to test out everything and tell us, what’s not working, what could be better and what you’re enjoying/not enjoying. You should, before plunging in, back up your files, because anything could happen. You won't be able to upload games to the Workshop, because they would be deleted anyway, but you'll be able to try out the Sandbox mode, Editor, local games and some of our gameplay showcases we created and you'll find an updated Playlands too with two new games bringing the total number to six. So this is really just to test everything out and see, what you think 😊 Also we wouldn't recommend making any purchases (and we'll disable them wherever possible), because you won't get to keep them after the release. Further down you’ll find the access code with which you’ll be able to activate the beta in the Ylands properties section. Now remember, that this will be a highly unstable environment because it’ll be constantly updating and changing, so have patience on that front 😊 And please send as much feedback to our forums (https://ylands.com/community/forum/14-bugs-technical-issues/) as possible, because it will greatly help us, especially with stuff we can still quickly fix and improve.

Steam beta branch access: BackupYourData

So there it is Ylanders, all pretty exciting stuff but still not as exciting as the nearing launch 😁 We are really looking forward to it, but remember (because we sure do), it wouldn’t have been possible without your help, and for that, we give you our thanks.

So until next time, stay classy Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/HD6jEDkX0HY



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 29, 2019, 11:54:32 PM
Dev Diary #106
Thu, 28 November 2019


Hey there Ylanders!

So we have some mega big news today! You might have noticed the kind of countdown we had going on Social Media and might have wondered, what it was for. Well not anymore! Because we are releasing the release candidate (or update 0.15.1) which is the final version of the game before release! This means we are all but ready to release 1.0 and this was the final step, the final part of the puzzle. Now we’re giving ourselves a little bit of breathing space for a bit of fixing and polishing and then it is off to the official release of the game, which is coming REALLY soon! We are releasing this update as a kind of soft release to see that everything works and get some feedback from you guys and then we'll go official 😁

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5fe26c4c1dda6d4306b0d3ec7a3576d3c040e973.png)

So what can you expect today?

Well, obviously the update and all that comes with it. Every feature we announced, that would be in 1.0 will be in this update and you’ll get to try it. You’ll finally get to try out the new Exploration and all the cool things we added in there, such as new encounters, animals, map functionality, sleeping saves, ship and car blueprints, hunting mutants and Alphas, much-improved weather system, Yland tiers and much more. Please give us your feedback on what you think about these changes because Exploration will always be a work in progress and we’ll always add more things in and more features. Not to mention all the features added into the Editor and we can’t wait for you to try out and experiment with 😊

At this point, we are moving dedicated servers to Nitrado, so those of you that had dedicated servers set up, these will shut down. You can now purchase Dedicated Server time through the in-game shop and we are also working with Nitrado to bring you the option to buy servers directly from them to give you full control over them while still making them certified and fully supported by us. We are also introducing much more capable servers, that will be more efficient and powerful, so try them out and tell us what you think, because we can still tinker with that till the release 😉

We are also releasing over 400 fixes and improvements, which we’ll list in a changelog (link at the end).

Some of you will also get to try out the Mobile version. We are releasing Ylands on Mobile in Scandinavia, Canada, Czechia and Slovakia for iOS and Android. The version currently on Testflight will also be updated, so everyone with iOS will be able to try out the final Mobile version too 😊

And finally I want to thank you all, that stood by us all these years. Today is Thanksgiving Day in America, which seems fitting because we have a lot to be thankful for. For being able to work on a project we feel truly passionate about, for all the great people we are surrounded by but especially for having such a great community of players, that stuck with us through thick and thin. Your support, suggestions, criticism and bug reports were instrumental in making Ylands what it is today and so we offer you our deepest and most sincere thanks.

And now off to Explore dear Ylanders and stay classy 😁

Changelog:

https://ylands.com/community/topic/26189-0151-ylands-yncoming-ylands-10-release-candidate-28112019/


Dev Diary #106

https://youtu.be/V9D0eRge6S0


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 05, 2019, 11:20:33 PM
Release of 1.0 Now Available
Thu, 5 December 2019

Ylands launches out of Early Access with the Ylands Yncoming update

https://youtu.be/Ief6LheNC2g


The newly released free to play version of Ylands brings players infinite potential for fun!

The 1.0 version of Ylands - the definitive creativity toolbox from Bohemia Interactive - builds on the foundations laid down in Early Access and complements the core gameplay with many new features and additions to bring limitless fun and creativity to old and new players alike.

Ylands will undergo some important changes with the 1.0 launch.

•   FREE TO PLAY: Ylands is now free to download, install and play - anyone, anywhere can access the endless library of player-created games or take a jab at creating something of their own via the built-in Editor.


•   EXPLORATION: The "Explore mode" is now a stand-alone DLC (that is freely available to anyone who bought the game during early access).


•   YLANDS MOBILE: The handheld version of Ylands is designed from the ground-up to support and work on mobile devices. Most of the games are shared between desktop and mobile versions, so you’ll have access to worlds of content.


Especially the Free to Play aspect is a big move for us and it has come from many months of research and deliberation.

Ylands is an awesome creative platform with many cool features, especially in the Editor. But for this platform to work properly, we decided to go Free to Play, because then anyone can create and share their games with other like-minded people. This step will open up the doors of Ylands to a huge audience and anyone can give Ylands a go.

We will keep supporting Exploration of course, because it is a huge part of Ylands and we love it and players will be able to support our efforts with the Exploration add-on but if you are into creating and playing new and original games made by the community, you won’t have to dosh out a single cent.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 05, 2019, 11:26:28 PM
Dev Diary #107
Thu, 5 December 2019


Tl;dr
- A thank you to our Early Accessers
- Interesting facts from production
- Dev Team Video

Hey there Ylanders!

So…we have released the game! You can now play Ylands in 1.0. There are new Exploration adventures to be had new Editor features to play around with but most importantly there will be a host of new players coming in trying out your games Creators, because of going Free-to-Play, there should be an influx of players and we need to capture their imaginations 😊 We are really looking forward to seeing, what you come up with and since you have been with us the longest, we are doubly excited, what new mini-games and even proper games will pop up in the marketplace because you guys know more about the Editor than anyone else 😁

It will really be quite exciting in Ylands now, so hold on to your socks. And while I’m sure you’ll all be tinkering with the game now and enjoying the new features, I’ll cut it short and add the facts we were teasing 0.15 last week with for those, that might have missed some.

Did you know, that Ylands wasn't supposed to have deformable terrain? So Ylands were made out of huge hexagonal blocks that randomly generated glued together.


We started out with five devs, two of which are still working on the project. Aleš as Creative Director and our Lead Artist Karel. Now there's almost 10 times more of us.


Did you know, that as the crew grew bigger and bigger, we moved or did a major office layout change seven times 😱 Most of the team is now stationed in Prague, the capital of Czech Republic.


There were 4 major UI overhauls before we found the one we like the best…hopefully 😁


There are Currently around 150 Random Encounters that players can run into while exploring. The newest addition were aggressive NPCs.


In the last two years, we've optimized the game so much that some scenarios increased from running at just 10 fps or less to now running at a steady 60 fps and more.


Hardly a day goes by here without someone quoting the TV show Red Dwarf.
For instance, Marci and I use this one pretty often:

"Call it extreme if you like, but I propose we hit it hard and hit it fast with a major - and I mean major - leaflet campaign."
- Rimmer, Polymorph.

or

"I've been so worried I haven't buffed my shoes in my two days."

- Cat, Marooned

And this has been circulating the office since Adam started doing the Western series… not quite sure why…

"I've seen Westerns, I know how to speak cowboy." [Steps up to the bar] "Dry white wine and Perrier, please."

- Rimmer, Gunmen of the Apocalypse


Did you know, that for the first prototype of the game (that had very little to do with what the game is now) we used a soldier borrowed from the Arma Tactics game as our main character...now we're stuck with Major General 😭


And that’s that, so enjoy yourself Ylanders and remember, this isn’t the end, it’s not even the beginning of the end but rather the end of the beginning. Now we’re off again to prepare the next big update, to fix what needs to be fixed and to make the game even better, than it is now. Stay classy Ylanders.

https://youtu.be/hGyozKKJxyQ


Changelog: https://ylands.com/community/topic/26346-10-ylands-yncoming-game-released/



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 12, 2019, 11:52:39 PM
Dev Diary #108
Thu, 12 December 2019


TomᚠGestinger:

What’s up Ylanders!

I’m happy to make your acquaintance, my name is TomᚠGestinger but you can just call me TG to avoid the confusing Czech/German combo 🙂 I‘ll be filling the role of Content Specialist which is a fancy way of saying I’ll be the person responsible for helping all of you with your wonderful creations, showing them to the world, and for making sure your voices are heard here inside the office. The content you create or want to create is going to be my bread and butter. I’ll be working closely with Adam so you’ll soon see both of us moving through the forums and other places.

To introduce how I got here, I have a pretty diverse background – I used to be a teacher, which is what I originally studied, then I moved on to game design, content production and management, and other boring stuff. I’ve been designing and producing different types of content for a while but the Ylands editor is a whole new level of excitement for me so I can’t wait to see what we’ll be able to create! My goal is to make sure the creative community surrounding Ylands can grow, to challenge all of you to make awesome stuff that will shape the future of the platform, and most importantly I want us to have fun with the game. 🙂 I'm a sucker for good stories, especially interactive ones, so you can expect some of that showing up in my work too.

If you're interested in some totally not boring and random stuff about me, the next paragraph is for you! Video games are a huge part of my life and when I'm not working on one, I'm usually playing one if there's enough time. My favourite game of all time is Gothic 2 (best game ever, fight me) and I love RPG games in general. Because of my love for storytelling I also love reading and playing DnD so if you have any tips on good books and/or role-playing related stuff, let me know. 🙂

Since we’ll be working together a lot you can always contact me or @ me with your creative troubles or ideas and I’ll do my best to help. Or just send me your freshest memes, I always appreciate that. 🙂

See you around and stay classy!

https://youtu.be/vtIIm-kIJ7w


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 20, 2019, 02:22:45 PM
Dev Diary #109
Thu, 19 December 2019


TL;DR
Our Creative Director answers player concerns
- What to do in Ylands?
- Maps are small
- Can't find resources
- Game is crashing
- How can we play with friends?


Hey there, fellow ylanders! It's Aleš here, the Creative Director of Ylands.

Ylands 1.0 is out and even though we're already working on update 1.1 and planning many others that you will see in 2020 this feels like a good moment to slow down and address concerns that you voice the most.


We don't know what to do in Ylands

Right now there are three things you can do in Ylands.

Play Exploration (if you bought the DLC or if you are an Early Accesser), which is a survival game that is still being improved and enhanced.

Play other games - basically embrace Ylands as a platform. While Exploration has been around for some years the platform is fairly new and it will take weeks (and possibly even a few months) before the newly come creators get a full grasp of what it can do and interesting games start to appear in a higher number. The same goes for Playlands. We have bigger plans with it but we'll start by continuously adding more and more games. We are even planning to find a way how you, the creators, could have your minigames become a part of Playlands.

And finally, you can Create in the Editor or Sandbox. The Editor is more aimed at game creation with a huge amount of options, including visual scripting, while Sandbox is pretty much a playground in which you can build, experiment and more. We have already registered quite a few new creators, which makes us very happy and we are looking forward to your creations. If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask our new Content Specialist TG.

Exploration maps are small. We want bigger maps with more ylands. We want to be able to explore more.

We understand that this is a crucial issue. After all, it's called "Exploration". The reason why we had to shrink the map is purely technical. It doesn't have anything to do with the mobile platform since it doesn't include Exploration anyway, but we are already working on a way to give you a much bigger world to explore. We will be able to tell you more early next year.

We struggle when finding various resources

We hear you. We have gathered enough feedback and you will see some improvements in the next update 1.1.

The game is crashing, there are some problems with servers.

Unfortunately, the ultimate test for a multiplayer game is its release. A lot of never-before-seen stress-related issues surface and have to be dealt with. And that's exactly what we're doing right now. We've already released the first hotfix and are working on fixes that will appear in 1.1 that will be released in early 2020.

You've taken our private dedicated servers. We can't play anymore with our friends ... or can we?

The removal of private dedicated servers has caused a lot of accusations and wild rumours. Let's go over what it means and what it doesn't 🙂

Players can no longer host Ylands on their own dedicated servers. In other words, you can't have Ylands server running on your own hardware. But there are still many other ways how you can play with your friends and some of those come completely free.

If you don't want to spend any money you can host the game locally. That means that you will run Ylands on your own PC (not as a dedicated server but as a common game) and let other players join you. This obviously has one major disadvantage - other players can join your world only as long as your game is running.

If you want to do this but at the same time let your friends enter your world even when you're offline, you can use a feature we call sharegames. By using sharegames, your world can be dynamically hosted by any of your friends that are currently online. This way you can all play in the same persistent world.

The paid option is to rent a server from us and start your game there.

And in early 2020 we want to give you the option to be able to rent your own server from a certified third party server provider. That way you will be able to have full access to the hardware and decided yourself how and what is run there.


I hope this answers some of your most asked questions. We will be monitoring everything you tell us and do another dev diary just like this one soon.

And also we are entering the Holiday Season and so I'd like to wish you all a peaceful few weeks 🎄 The next Dev Diary will be next year the 9th of January, so see you then.

In the meantime - stay classy, ylanders!


(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/204f4e29d480af5b4566e11d91273353b55494c9.png)

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 10, 2020, 04:46:14 PM
Dev Diary #110
Thu, 9 January 2020

tl;dr
-Happy New Year
- Have a lot of plans for 2020
- New Year's Resolution's list
- Prize for those, that finish it - unique pet!

Hey there Ylanders! We’re back!


The festive season is over, but it’s about to get very festive in Ylands. We have a lot of plans and cool new features a-cooking, but we are also doubling down and fixing anything that pops up, so keep those reports coming in, they are helping us a lot.


But to start the year less seriously, we came up with an Ylands resolutions list. The Major General is trying to better himself and drawn this list up to see, if he can manage all these tasks in three months and we extend this challenge to you too. And it is not without a prize!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/56e68534704ff7ae8a46a1a1f64d8a1c87653405.jpg)


For those that finish the tasks and provide us with some documentation for it (though of course, it will also depend on everyone’s sense of fair-play, like not submitting stuff from last year) be it screenshots, videos or even better some scenarios and games, we will prepare a unique pet, that we are right now working on, and believe you me, it’s a cool one 😂 No one else will ever be able to get this pet ever again and thus you’ll be the proud owner of the 2020 challenge pet forevermore 😊


The deadline is the 9th of April 2020 and on the 16th we’ll be sending out your special companions 😁


And as for 2020, we will be sharing some exciting news and plans with you soon, so keep tuned here on the forums and on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Reddit. We are really excited for 2020 especially because of our great community. So good luck and let 2020 be as good or even better than 2019 and most importantly,


stay classy Ylanders! 😉

https://youtu.be/zqkM0SvXADA


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 16, 2020, 11:10:15 PM
Dev Diary #111
Thu, 16 January 2020

We announce a new Editor Wizard to help new Creators


tl;dr
- New Editor Wizard to help new Creators
- New templates and showcases

Hey there Ylanders!

And we’re at it again. A new feature is coming and here I am to talk about it. We have a small update coming your way soon. It will mostly be fixes and polishing, but the team managed to sneak in a few cool features too. And today I’d like to show you the upcoming Editor Wizard.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/8114cc5d606ac25d80b64b706f73807b69bdda07.jpg)

So this guy will pop up after you open any new Editor map. For a lot of people (me included) opening the Editor can be quite daunting and it isn’t immediately obvious, what should one do to get started, but the wizard is there to help out. It will take you through the first few steps of game creation to get everything set up and ready for your creativity. He’ll show you where to set up Universal or PC only options, how to pick a map type and he’ll even offer you a few templates. For the experienced creators, he is just one button away of vanishing into thin air 😁

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/403e57f52950cd7286ee82bc7d958a115651a42d.png)

And you might’ve noticed I mentioned templates. Yep, that’ll also come in this update. We’ll have a few templates ready for you: The City and Oasis. More will be added pretty much with each update and this will give you an easy way to set your game in a certain setting without building everything from scratch. The maps will be optimized and welded, but you can unweld what you want and play around with it 😊 We’ll also be adding a few Editor Showcases, maps you might have seen in the marketplace but ready for you to properly explore in the Editor and see, how everything works and what’s is under the bonnet of these games. This should help some with formulating their own scripting ideas and using techniques, that some of our talented designers came up with.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b45c5ef4fccd1a4b3b76ac0bfb2fbf10d12bbdb1.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f8364affd78ba59233c4faf1a9bcb37759796fe8.png)

With these features, we’d like to make the Editor more accessible to more players because while it all seems very complicated, it really isn’t once you get into it. It’s just those first few steps, that are the most difficult.

So, hope you liked the new Wizard and until next time,

stay classy Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/7iCRTxRwR2I


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 24, 2020, 02:37:32 PM
Dev Diary #112
Thu, 23 January 2020


tl;dr
- New Far East biome
- Big Foot
- New Costume

Hey there Ylanders!

We are nearing our first update after the release of Ylands out of Early Access and while there will be a lot of fixes and polishing, we also have some cool stuff lined up. Today we’ll have a look at a couple.

First up is probably the biggest change to Exploration in 1.1 and that’s the Far East biome. This biome inspired by the far east of Japan and China will be a great addition to the tried and tested biomes. You’ll be able to find the Far East Yland in nearly every Exploration map and you can also play around with it in Editor. We also prepared a score of new encounters that will populate new Exploration games, so I’m looking forward to your exploration pics of these.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/fa48216e508f4fed1ba51f918b9428ae5853b467.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4826e3c2c5e9fce5a76f393d5d7605eca7a6f687.png)

Next up is the dreaded Big Foot! This guy is the distant cousin of our beloved Yeti, but Big Foot isn’t an easy-going lad, but rather a ferocious creature ready to pounce on any survivor, so beware when you explore Ylands not to fall prey to this mythical creature. Creators will also be able to use Big Foot in their creations and this could turn into a fun photographing game for instance, trying to snap the ever elusive Big Foot. Our hairy fella also comes in a variety of colours, so there really is a lot to play around with.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4d6da150b325e3e021e2da5b6d07a962b9576ce7.png)

And maybe a few of you have noticed an ominous figure in that last screenshot. Let’s just say, that dressing up has just been made a lot more...automated. You’ll also be able to pick up this costume in the next update so really a lot to look forward to.

We’ll talk about 1.1 even more next week Ylanders, but until then,

Stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 31, 2020, 12:25:40 AM
Update 1.1: Eastern Endeavors
Thu, 30 January 2020


tl;dr
- New Eastern Biome
- Big Foot
- New Recipes
- New Costume - Cyborg
- Improved farming
- Editor Wizard

Major General's Log - Sun Date 30.01.20.

My Dearest Readers,

I am currently landlocked while repairs on my fair vessel - the HMS Patcheth Noteth - are well underway, in the ports of Steamtown. So, I'll take this momentary respite to tell you about the brand-new wonders I have seen, while traveling from yland to yland.

I have seen lands that you would not believe - beautiful oriental flora covering entire ylands from head to toe. It was breathtaking! I managed to harvest some of the indigenous trees and took them home with me, I'm planning on using these beautiful exotic trees to decorate my quarters. My stay in this beautiful new biome was unfortunately cut short by the mysterious appearance of a gigantic creature with humongous feet*! It must have been a Big Foot my Dear Reader...

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/76cf20f6399bbfe8110d49c02df938262b40148c.png)

On a particularly verdant yland, I have met folks who have been engaged in an advanced and improved form of farming - their crops grew in such an orderly fashion, that even Her Majesty's Gardener Primerus would have been amazed! Not a single crop was out of alignment - everything was neat and regular, fields after fields of beautiful farmlands.

Their cooks taught our crew fascinating new recipes - dishes formed of many different ingredients, that when eaten, boost the fighting abilities of our crew**.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/bdfc658cc4ef6d49fab652919495807004c67668.png)

On another yland, local kids introduced me to numerous new mini-games. In one, they pretend to be saving sheep from alien abductions - I never seen anything like that. Yet another have them cleaning up their forests - useful AND fun! We are definitely bringing some of these back to Playlands.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2ff5593aba3f175c9a1f652968156990adfd4455.png)

On the final yland we have seen - the tribal chieftain was wearing a weird metallic costume I have never seen in my life before - they called it "the mighty robotic copper of the elders". Has to be a pain going to the toilet though...

This tech-savy ingenious tribe also told us secrets about what they are calling The Editor. We didn't fully grasp the meaning of it all, but what we know is that the tribe is constantly working on improvements to this Editor - and recently they made several breakthroughs such as a brand-new scene and template wizard. They are saying, this new wizard will make it significantly easier to get started with the Editor and will "streamline the creation process of games".

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/bdfc658cc4ef6d49fab652919495807004c67668.png)

As you can tell my Dearest Readers, there is always something new on the horizon - so I invite you to hop aboard your own vessel (Steam, Windows Store, iOS, Android) - free of charge - and discover what these Ylands have in store for you!



So until next time stay classy!



Yours truly,



The Major General




*: And funnily enough this time it wasn't my mother-in-law coming in for her bi-monthly visit...thankfully.



**: They might be even better than a steak and ale pie with mushy peas!

Changelog: https://ylands.com/community/topic/27120-11-eastern-endeavors/

https://youtu.be/iXzNdGh6Dqk



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 07, 2020, 04:14:57 PM
Dev Diary #114
Fri, 7 February 2020


tl;dr
- New Workshop Rules
- Contact us, if you want help with your Creations

Hey there, Ylanders!

Update 1.1 has successfully released and we’re busy at work with not only more game improvements but also changes to the Workshop. As you know, Ylands has evolved fast over the last couple of months and we want to make sure that the Workshop is a safe place to share your creations and experience what other Ylanders made for you so we’re introducing new rules for content submission. These rules serve as a way to both give more information on how to create appealing and safe content and as a clear guide on what we won’t allow on the site from now on.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/03e185d3bb87ee44a99a5276f2a47db471a656e2.png)

Rules for content submission

•   No offensive content, language or imagery - Do not post any information in the game or in connection with the game that contains nudity, excessive violence, abuse, harassment, or offensive subject matter or that contains a link to such content.



•   All submissions have to include a relevant thumbnail and a description - Provide basic and accurate information about your creation and add a relevant thumbnail, preferably a screenshot of your creation.


•   Correctly tag and categorize your creations – Use tags that accurately represent your creation only, do not mislead people on purpose



•   Do not use other people’s or copyrighted content - Your content must not infringe anyone's copyrights or author rights, it must not be offensive to people or illegal in any other way.


youtube


•   Write in English - Descriptions, and titles have to have an English version



•   Do not abuse the reporting system – Do not report creations unless they break the rules written above or have other significant technical problems


If you have any questions or concerns regarding the rules you can always contact me here, on Discord, or send me an email at tomas.gestinger@bistudio.com.

Together with introducing new rules, we’re going to do a “review” of the Workshop and check for any submissions that don’t follow the rules or don’t work for technical reasons. There are many old games that don’t work with the current version of Ylands and in order to promote quality content, we need to take them down as well. This review will happen over the next two weeks so make sure all of your creations are up to date and don’t violate the rules before February 17th.

If you have an old game, you'd like to preserve and fix, contact us and we'll be glad to help.

And so, until next time,

stay classy Ylanders.
 
https://youtu.be/b9_gnFE_5aM


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 13, 2020, 08:33:41 PM
Dev Diary #115
Thu, 13 February 2020


tl;dr
- New Medieval/Fantasy Compositions
- Use in your own maps
- Explore them in Exploration

Hey there Ylanders!

Hoping you’re enjoying the new update, but we’re already off preparing 1.2 😊 And with this update, our aim is for Creators to be able to create the ultimate RPG game or Medieval/Fantasy themed game. There, of course, are other great things coming in this next update, but our designers have been working on some really cool compositions, some original and some taken from our earlier ventures (veterans might notice some assets from our Gold Rush map 😉), that you’ll now be able to use in your own games to give them the right ‘medieval’ look.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f842af522b5bb76303f2af8b1d655836e35e1b19.jpg)

These are not, of course, meant to supplement your own creations, but it will give beginning creators more time to concentrate on the script and less time building Cathedrals and Castles and for advanced Creators some nice bits and pieces to complement their own creativity. A beginner will then be able to open up, for instance, the RPG template and change stuff around, add a few new compositions and of they roll 😁

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3ff7eba510772097202795411f824b788373ad3a.jpg)

But this won’t be the only place you’ll find these majestic structures. With the new update, while you’re exploring, these compositions will also start popping up in your Exploration maps full of new dangers and new loot to enjoy. Exploration will get quite the boost in random encounters (which we’ll talk about later on too 😉 ) and a lot of them will be based on these compositions, so prepare to explore old rusty ruins and well-manned castles 😊


And that’s it for now Ylanders, so have fun, but most importantly,

stay classy!

https://youtu.be/NaZK2emLMBg



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 20, 2020, 03:55:08 PM
Dev Diary #116 - Particle Effects
Thu, 20 February 2020

tl;dr

- New particle effect options for Creator
- Make fire faster, effects a different colours and different sprites
- New effects for weapons
- Cool video at end

Hey there Ylanders!

We are preparing 1.2 in full speed and while last time we discussed some cool new assets, that you’ll be able to use or find in Exploration, today we’ll be looking at some new exciting possibilities with particle effects. 

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ffa01a3faf5b1d9a6a685500dc48685e95f6edf7.png)

The main aim behind these changes is to give the Creator more control over her particle effects and how they appear in-game. One great change is the complete customization of colour of every particle effect giving you endless options of reinventing the look of each effect. Couple that with the ability to add any sprite to the effects and you have so many ways to mix and match, that you’ll be able to add an effect to absolutely everything (I sure have). 

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/872fc033cbf368f7cb007689ef276ae6e20d6295.png)

You’ll also be able to control the speed of the effects, being able to slow things down or speed them up to hilarious levels. You’ll also be able to set custom transparency levels and switch off different parts of the effect even through script, which is pretty neat. 

And finally, you’ll also be able to manipulate with the effects that weapons leave behind when you swing them and slash them and anything else that grabs your fancy. Weapons will also get new particles and you’ll be able to set custom particles to these. There will also be a new template, the “particle effect template” so you can reference your particles to different places without having to set it up manually there.

So there you have it Ylanders, exciting new options concerning special effects in Ylands. I’m really excited to see, what you’ll create with these 😊

And so until next time, stay classy Ylanders 😁

https://youtu.be/791SLnlRcZ8



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 28, 2020, 12:10:59 AM
Dev Diary #117 - New Creatures
Thu, 27 February 2020

tl;dr
- New Fantasy Creatures: Golems, Goatmen, Wendigos
- New NPC's: ELVES!!!
- New Random Encounters in Exploration including all new creatures
- Crystal Golem to appear randomly in Exploration caves

Hey there Ylander!

Today’s Dev Diary is going to be pretty ‘Fantastic‘ (PLEEAASEE excuse the pun). We’ll have quite a lot of new creatures joining us in 1.2 and they truly come from a different realm. We already hinted, that the upcoming update will be the ‘RPG update’ (official name WiP) and here is part of what we meant.

So in 1.2 Golems will make their rumbling entrance being a real challenge for any Adventurer. These larger than life creatures are great for protecting valuable treasures, being part of elaborate puzzles or a great way to just scare the bejesus out of any player.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2a35fc87f71b63b817061c745352ba26b9703ec6.jpg)

But these won’t be the only enemies entering the fray: The Wendigo and the Goatman. Both will be a superb addition to any dungeon or creepy ritual ring in the wild. These monsters behave uniquely in that they prepare and then charge ferociously towards their prey. They usually hunt in packs, but even a single Wendigo can ruin a player’s day.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a82aea10a8eab2d9c0f458412ba9a234726981f1.jpg)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5b1c7d76c83d1a7b6b52d593334697da7d94b20e.jpg)

From the misty shores of far off lands the Elves have made their grand entrance. They are a new type of NPC, which will make any fantasy setting come alive with these graceful inhabitants. Sure, you can make them aggressive towards the player, but they are a great new addition for colourful quest givers, traders or just inhabitants to meet on your travels. Also with a bit of innovative colouring you can make Dar Elves or Vampires and other creatures.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b6820031180e90b1efc8e2534829bc5bc8762552.jpg)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2067efceccc3c4cecb9087082139bba0530e6a63.jpg)

Of course, you’ll also be able to find the Golem, Goatman, Wendigo and the Elves in countless new Random Encounters, which will spawn in newly created Exploration maps. You’ll get to meet the new Elves, battle the fearsome Wendigo and complete puzzles to satisfy the watchful Golems. Also the crystal Golem will appear in caves to give even the most experienced explorer a run for his money (and his life).

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d561c0d4d675571a46605e0c91663fb84b2b53b2.jpg)

And that’s it for now, but keep a close lookout here and on our Social Media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for more information regarding our plans and updates.

And until next time, stay classy Ylanders.

https://youtu.be/H7lPGpg_zoA


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 06, 2020, 02:27:30 PM
Dev Diary #118 - New Audio in 1.2.
Fri, 6 March 2020

Hey there Ylanders!

We have some great music in Ylands and some great sound effects as well, but our audio guys are always hard at work to come up with cool new tunes and ways of getting players even more immersed in the game. A Warrior fights more ferociously when blood-curdling music begins, Explorers delve deeper and farther, when emboldened by an adventurous tune and trying to avoid enemies is even more nerve-racking, when accompanied by a tense soundtrack.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/69f0303f6b643f7cafa1935bcdb1400331ba8d37.png)

This is why two new songs are coming into the game in 1.2. One is an epic orchestral battle tune, perfect for the thick of battle. The other a tense stealthy song that will make any close encounter with dangerous animals or mutated monsters an adrenaline-filled experience. Creators will be able to implement them into their games and let them play at specific instances when they want to build tension or give gravitas to a scene. 

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/777d5ff9f5ea28c52ffe992400fda31dbcd010b8.jpg)

In the future we’ll be adding even more songs of different moods and genres and we’ll give even more control to the Creator to change the default tracks played, when the player for instance goes into a cave or enters combat, but that is down the line.

In 1.2 the audio team has also tweaked all the atmospheric sounds and made them more specific to certain biomes to make them even more distinct from each other. And in the future Creators will be able to do the same for their own games, to give certain areas a different feel from others, so, for instance, putting in sci-fi sounds and ambiance in, when players enter the big sprawling city of the future.

Of course, there will be other improvements of the sounds in the game and there has been a lot of optimizing and balancing of sound effects throughout. 

So a lot to...hear forward to in 1.2.

And until next time, stay classy Ylanders.

https://youtu.be/D8WcPGIeMs8



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 13, 2020, 12:36:13 PM
Dev Diary #119 - New Editor Features
Fri, 13 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/298610/ss_93509e8d89c1f585d2732fd877119655bdafeccc.1920x1080.jpg?t=1578320804)


tl;dr
- Not just Exploration, but Editor too gets a few updates
- UI overhaul
- Terrain tools upgrades
- New Key Bindings

Hey there Ylanders!

So while in the last few weeks we talked a lot about new features coming into Exploration, we haven’t forgotten about the Editor either. We made a total UI overhaul of the Editor to make it more approachable to new Creators, but also to make life easier for seasoned Creators.

We reorganized the Editor Header. We have grouped all tools into categories to help new creators to better navigate them. However, for more experienced users we added "Advanced mode" which still provides quick access to all the tools at once. Tools that were hidden in the Editor Menu (i.e Custom controls) were moved to the header itself, to be always at hand. Also, object properties were moved from a standalone window to a designated panel on the left and are now always visible.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/98c1e53af2c04af89a17cede7d6948ba4dc04955.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3d34ee10687c06236986997ef1f151db65968d13.png)

Another aspect we worked on is the terrain tools. Add mode now behaves more consistently and does not create terrain glitches. All terrain brushes can also be 7x bigger now and you can play around with the intensity, so you can make detailed changes or huge terraforming sweeps. Stamp mode will also give you the option to instantly add/remove terrain. Also terrain tools are much faster now. so you can really start making those mountains without performance issues.

Testing Mobile games will also become possible on PC, so you don’t have to run to your phone or tablet any time you want to try out a new script you made. You will be able to see, what your game will look like on high-end and low-end mobile devices and also Universal scenarios will be run now with optimized terrain to make the performance better.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5daadeb310e5f6ca7aac0d2e477cd1e44c5ef6ea.png)

The Editor look was reworked to look more "editorish", mainly the fonts were decreased to convey more information and panel colours are now unified.

Editor key bindings were reworked to mirror the new Editor header layout and to make them thus more intuitive so check out Ylands settings to get acquainted or to rebind them to ones you were used to.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/fd5d8aa54cb0b10dd88a797d55aaae8a1281030d.png)

And that’s it for now, so until next time, stay classy Yslanders.

https://youtu.be/PBAq4BywE54


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 20, 2020, 01:28:50 PM
Dev Diary #120 - Roadmap 2020
Thu, 19 March 2020

tl;dr
- New 2020 Roadmap
- Exploration and Editor features
- Stay safe

Hey there Ylanders!

We hope you are all faring well and that you are keeping safe. The Ylands team, although we’re mostly confined to our homes, hasn’t stopped working on the game and we are excited to announce some great features we’re preparing and to unveil our 2020 Roadmap. We will be adding to the Roadmap further down the line, but even now there is a lot to look forward to. We have update 1.2 and 1.3 ahead of us with some great additions to Exploration and the Editor. A lot of these features are community-driven and taken from your great suggestions, so please don’t stop them coming, because they really help us focus, on what is needed in the game and what would be cool to add in the future.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/fbb57227081fa0d52ad6d78f833d47752ce4f0a2.png)

We also have a big event planned for later this year, but can’t say too much about it yet, just that you start dusting off your Editor skills.

And finally please do keep safe and reach out to other community members, so we don’t all lose our minds out there. We are so proud, that we have such a great community and we hope you’ll all stay in touch and especially if you can’t go Exploring in the real world, we can Explore together in Ylands.

Stay classy and safe Ylanders.

https://youtu.be/J1QhSxcjlEk



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 24, 2020, 01:42:06 PM
Update 1.2: Astonishing Adventures
Tue, 24 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/09082a16b82c7ffc828283dd209d19a60a1c3b0c.png)


Hey there Ylanders!

So it’s here, Update 1.2 and boy is it a big one. We have talked about the different aspects of the update for many weeks now, but today it all comes together in a glorious fantasy tapestry. And while we have some great additions to Exploration with Random Encounters featuring Goatmen, Wendigos, Golems and Elves and with Mutated Golems now roaming the deep dark caves, there are also some really great Editor improvements. So let’s list of some of the major changes to Ylands with 1.2 😊

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2421b281a820279a333813509d9ed19a594e27cf.png)

•   Fantasy assets: we have added numerous new blocks to help you (re)create any fantasy setting you can think of
•   Fantasy compositions: to get your creativity flowing, we have added new fantasy-themed compositions to the workshop
•   New creatures: we have added Golems, Goatmen, Wendigos and Woolly Rhinos to the game - use them in your own creations or meet them in an Exploration game
•   Elves: NPCs can now have elvish heads - essentially introducing a brand-new race and higher NPC variety to the game
•   Advanced particle editing: change, edit or create brand new particle systems, attach them to weapons or any other elements
•   Editor improvements: we have added many quality of life improvements to the Editor like selecting random versions of an object when placing in the Editor (so you can have randomized forests when placing trees, etc.), snap to terrain, custom UI improvements and more - not to mention massive optimizations done to the terraforming tools
•   Editor additions: new features like the ability to publish your game from within the Editor, the ability to add text, numbers and even images emitting from entities and much more
•   Platform improvements: the ability to create 20-person multiplayer games or single-player games with persistent data saved across sessions
•   Numerous fixes: the ability to turn off persistent avatars (after a player left the server) and countless bug fixes and improvements

So there you have it Ylanders. There are many more changes, but too many to list off here, so visit our changelog for more info and have fun exploring the ever-evolving world of Ylands.

Stay classy Ylanders!

 
https://youtu.be/EE-f75-4Uow
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 26, 2020, 04:25:01 PM
Exploration Pack Discount
25 March 2020

Hey there Ylanders!

At a time, where most of us can’t go outside into nature and off to Explore new and fun places, we thought it’d be nice to go Exploring in Ylands instead.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/fbf3774942db42d9539de82e4131dbac4c4f8606.png)

So to celebrate the recent 1.2 Update: Astonishing Adventures we have discounted the Exploration Pack. The Exploration Pack unlocks the Exploration game mode, 4800 Coyns and a unique pet and costume. And now with new exciting monsters to meet, such as the imposing Golem, fearsome Wendigo and smelly Goatman this is a great time to dive into some Exploration Adventures.

The sale will be till the 1st of April.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 27, 2020, 01:34:41 PM
Dev Diary #121 - New Editor Features
Fri, 27 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/371e67ee6c5724efbaab4192842dd5acdc0e4f2d.png)

tl;dr
- New uploading process to the workshop
- Hide your games
- Minor rules changes

Hello there, Ylanders!

With the new exciting version 1.2 released, it's time to go over some smaller but equally important features we introduced, this time the changes we made to the uploading process in the Editor.

The feature that will save the most time to all creators is our new direct upload from the Editor. If you're working on a creation that has been already uploaded on the Workshop and you want to upload a new version, you can do it simply and fast by clicking Export Game and Quick Upload. No more stopping your creative process to go through the uploading process every time!

Another big problem many creators faced is that in order to build a bigger game, you had to publicly upload everything so all players could access even things you didn't want to share - games for testing, compositions you want to share with your friends to build together, etc. After 1.2, you can hide any submission on the Workshop so you can access them, but don't have to worry about other players seeing them too or getting your creation blocked for breaking the Workshop rules.

Speaking of the rules, we introduced some minor changes there too. You can now find them in a thread here:https://ylands.com/community/topic/27481-workshops-rules-for-content-submission/, where you can also ask for help with any Workshop troubles. We've been cleaning the Workshop every week and it's very important for us that it stays useful and every creation gets the attention it deserves.

That's about it for the new uploading process, be sure to check out the big Editor UI overhaul, it's pretty neat.

Stay classy Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/DgrrL4I56l0


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 04, 2020, 12:54:50 AM
Dev Diary #122 - New Rideable Animals
Thu, 2 April 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/98a4e223099d8ade18a7f5b5798d4b5b05b01e22.png)

tl;dr
- New Rideable Animals
- You'll be able to ride Camels, Sheep, Boars and more!
- When you fall off your boat, it will stop
- Funny video

Hey there Ylanders!

We trust you’re having an exciting time with Astonishing Adventures. Have you found Elves or Goatmen? What is your strategy for defeating the feared mutant Golems? But do not fear! Astonishing Adventures might be out, but we’re already working on the next update. And while today’s feature isn’t…overly…serious, it is loads of fun 😁

So in update 1.3, we will be making a lot more animals rideable. You might’ve already seen the video and riding a pig is just a huge hoot 😂 But other animals will also be rideable. So, for instance, the fluffy sheep, awkward camels, stubborn goats, elegant deer, awe-inspiring rhinoceros and of course the fearsome ostrich are all going to be rideable with maybe even more animals joining the mix too 😊 All of these will also have different speeds, so races will be needed to find out, who’s the quickest 😁 Which animal are you most excited to ride?

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/9b427333f10d4a445ea9ba338b46405ea9d7ed9a.png)

In other news, we also have a quality of life improvement that a lot of you requested. I’m sure it happened to us all, we build a lovely boat and head off exploring. And then we see an Yland in the distant on starboard, so we head there and go just a little too much forward…and fall into the ocean. And off goes our pride and joy into the sunset, while we’re stuck swimming to shore. Well, not any more Adventures! If this happens to you again, the ship will stop! The ship will automatically stop if no one is on the ship. BUT! But if you fall off and your mate is still on the ship, it won’t stop. Then you’re at the mercy of your crew as any captain is 😑

And that’s it, for now, Ylanders, but watch this space for more cool news about the upcoming 1.3 update.

https://youtu.be/1U5X7tzF2vg


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 10, 2020, 12:32:34 AM
Dev Diary #123 - Easter Fun
Thu, 9 April 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b34e7f2c88b7dd411c755982d0f247c9c5707fcd.png)

tl;dr
- Big Fixes
- Egg Hunt in Playlands
- New Easter Assets
- Bunnymobile!


Hey there Ylanders!

You might have noticed, that Playlands is looking pretty EGGtastic today…sorry. Anyway, we released a pretty big hotfix with a lot of different fixes, but while we were at it, we also decided to add a few fun things into the game to Easter it up a bit 😊 Especially Playlands experienced a Spring makeover and it’s full of nice new decorations. But most importantly we have an Egg Hunt prepared for you in Playlands. You see, the notorious villain rabbit Rob-It has stolen all the pretty Eggs and hid them all over Playlands. It’s up to you to find at least five of these beautiful shiny eggs to receive a prize!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/53c548cfa05f4476eae8b8257c14b6873fde406d.jpg)

With the Easter update, we also added some new Easter-themed assets into the game. Most eye-catchingly the Easter Eggs themselves, which will make a great addition to any game (a Fabergι Egg Heist?) but that’s not all. A lot of traditional Easter food from across the world is making its way into Ylands and to round it all up, you can now pick up a new Easter Bunny costume in the Shop too! And he is a cutie 😍

And finally, you can’t have an Easter Bunny without his Bunnymobile! We made a fun little composition of an Easter car, which you can now add to your Custom Games and it is totally crazy. And if you saw our Dev Diary video, it handles…very well…though I might not put all my eggs in that basket. You can find the Bunnymobile here: https://workshop.ylands.com/asset/4632

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/636d5b611350ce07eba3f18fb08bb2184c83722d.png)

And that’s it for now. Check out the Hotfix Changelog and have fun finding all those yummy Eggs Ylanders.

But most importantly stay classy and safe Ylanders.

https://youtu.be/OeRqmByELEM


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 17, 2020, 12:58:29 AM
Dev Diary #124 - Updated Roadmap
Thu, 16 April 2020

Hey there Ylanders!

Hope you enjoyed Easter and our Easter themed mini-update, but we’re still working hard on 1.3 and we are still on track to release Watery Water in June! It hasn’t been easy in this climate, but the team has adapted to the current situation well and we are on our way to release one of the best updates yet.

But that’s not all, we are already working on update 1.4 too! And (if it’s even possible) it’s even more exciting than Watery Water! I won’t give away too much right now, but from the newly updated Roadmap you can see, that we have some cool features prepared for you guys 😉

In the next weeks, we’ll be talking predominantly about 1.3 but we’ll throw in some 1.4 hints in also, so look out for those.

And until then, stay classy, but most importantly stay safe Ylanders!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/c5520806ffd3a09ac0a301e6f4a87a08218f6502.png)


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 24, 2020, 12:36:57 PM
Dev Diary #125 - Camera Preview
Thu, 23 April 2020


tl;dr
- New Camera Preview Feature
- Check out your camera angles without going in-game
- Animations also previewable

Hey there Ylanders!

Hope you are all keeping well out there. We are hard at work on update 1.3 and one of the many features coming in this update is Camera Preview. This will make working with the camera feature overall much easier and more intuitive because while before you had to go in-game to check out your camera angles, with Camera Preview, you’ll be able to do so in the Editor itself.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/1da58bd515933cefdca639f025af6d443e557ae8.png)

So, in the most basic situation, you’ll be able to select your camera and either press the camera preview button or the ‘C’ key to enter preview mode and thus see the camera angle from the proper POV. Another great addition to this is, that whenever you turn on camera preview, it will also set off an Animator test, so you’ll see, how your animations look in-game, or how the movement of the camera will actually look from the point of view of the player.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/10ed745c15d7f7732fa707837d2c6b64fc859886.png)

When the camera is tied to a player, be it side-scrolling, 3rd person, top-down and so on, the preview will also turn on character mode, in which you can try out, how it will work for the player. There will be even more additions to the camera preview that will make life for Creators easier when figuring out their next camera angel and we will all be Sven Nykvists in no time.

And that is all for today, so stay classy but most importantly stay safe Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/A0w6h78Bquk


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 08, 2020, 01:16:04 PM
Dev Diary #127 - New Terraforming Improvements
Thu, 7 May 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2126b1b3152f3fe0859bab37362637daeca9c77d.png)


tl;dr
- New Terraforming Improvements
- Flatten will be a powerful tool
- Sandboxers will have more fun

Hey there Ylanders!

We have some exciting news for the terraformers out there, those who want to reshape the land itself to their own image. The terrain tools are getting a major overhaul and many improvements. You may have seen the Major General giving a stellar review of the new tools in the video, but there are so many new features coming, we have to cover them a bit more here too 😊

So first thing’s first. As you might have noticed, we have switched Add, Remove, Flatten and Paint to a 2D brush. This brush will always rotate according to the angle of the terrain it is pointed at. You can really get creative with this brush and it opens up new untold possibilities for terraforming.

Also, flatten is getting a lot of quality of life improvements. So while in the past you had loads of limitations with flattening, like the ability to only flatten horizontally, now you can adjust it to your preferred angle. This makes, for instance, mud house building possible like shown in the video 😁 Flatten has really become a powerful tool to use in the Editor.

The same has to be said about Paint, which used to have a lot of the same limitations as Flatten, but these have been removed and the tool has been significantly improved. Now you can paint pretty much any surface without any limitations.

Another great addition is the Direction lock, which locks in your brush, once you press down the mouse and keeps it at the same angle, making consistent terrain much more easier to create. This function can be turned off any time, but it is a really cool addition to your terraforming arsenal.

We are also looking into making objects connect to the new terrain type, so you don’t have floating flowers above your new canyon, but we are planning that for 1.4. But it is in the works 😁 All of the above though also applies to sandbox and the terraformer gun, so you sandboxers out there will have great fun also 😊 The tools aren’t so complex in Sandbox mode and so versatile, but they’ll be a great improvement to the past version.

So overall some great additions, that I think all of you will have loads of fun with and I can’t wait, what you’ll create with them 😁 But until then stay classy but most importantly stay safe Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/S0krlvF26-E

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 16, 2020, 02:30:11 AM
Dev Diary #128 - Underwater Adventures
Thu, May 14, 2020

tl;dr
- Underwater Adventures
- Scuba Diving Gear
- New Random Encounters

Hey there Ylanders!

Your adventures on land are going to get even better with update 1.3 with the new rideable mounts letting you explore Ylands like never before, but there is yet another frontier, that will need proper exploring: The deep blue Sea!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ad746d5ebc7fb701b9984898f6c845521e051979.png)

With update 1.3 being called Watery Waters we would be amiss not to add a ton of new adventures into the beautiful blue waters of Ylands. For that you’ll need proper equipment though. That’s why we’ve created some under water scuba diving gear. There will be three types: Leather, Iron and Zirconium air tank. Each will hold a different amount of oxygen. You can always refill the tanks when you’re above water, but beware the meter, when you’re below, because you don’t want to be caught out exploring an ancient ruin underwater when your oxygen runs out!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/afafe52a7f3ecfe42ae3e6f68f777cf9a6230c2f.png)

And there will be plenty to discover underwater, with loads of new Random Encounters to be featured in update 1.3, that will take you on many an adventure. I don’t want to spoil much, but let the pictures talk for themselves 😊

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/809ff665aab8b327269f4f1fa206e2902b023be7.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2ee1d01fa628ccdb34baa3ac634e5e5b57130a71.png)

There will be plenty more to do with water, but let’s keep something for other Dev Diaries 😁

So until then, stay classy and stay safe Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 22, 2020, 12:03:16 AM
Dev Diary #129 - New AI Features
Thu, 21 May 2020

tl;dr
- Editor Improvements in Update 1.3
- Tell your AI where to go and who to attack
- More features coming in later updates

Hey there Ylanders!

Hope you are all doing well and are in good health. Things are getting a little bit back to normal here in the studios and we’re working full on to bring update 1.3 to you as soon as possible 😊

There are a lot of improvements coming in 1.3 in Exploration, Sandbox mode and Playlands, but we’re also working on some new Editor features. And one of these is added functionality to controlling the AI. You might have seen the video, where the Major General is being chased by a stampede of NPC’s. Well, this was made possible with the new Editor puzzle piece tile called “Move to position”. "Move to position" allows the AI to move to any position specified by the creator. You can set up at what speed and with what behaviour the AI moves. So whilst before you could set up AIs to loiter around or Patrol certain points, now you’ll be able to send them anywhere at whatever speed and with any behaviour towards the player you wish.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/059e10dfd4ad1b9de5bbd9b1a08dc98f963b1e4c.png)

Another great addition will be the "Attack player" puzzle piece, which allows the AI to attack according to entities. So, for example, you can set up a trigger zone and when a player enters it, the selected AI attacks him while leaving other players alone. Or you can set, that a creature will attack just someone, who pulls a lever, whilst the others can watch while giggling slightly under their breaths 😄 For the future, we'll also make it possible for a certain group of players all belonging to one team being attacked by certain creatures and AI's so look out for that in a future update.

So some really exciting tools to play around with in Update 1.3: Watery Waters and a lot of AI shenanigans to be had 😀 And that’s all for today, so stay classy, but most importantly stay safe Ylanders.


https://youtu.be/JeJzevOS450


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 29, 2020, 12:35:47 AM
Dev Diary #130 - Compass
Thu, 28 May 2020


(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5ca277ce755e5b5ec4cad5d072ff4fd5720a2807.png)

tl;dr
- New compass for Exploration

Hey there Ylanders!

Put your Exploration hats on, cause we're off on adventures today! We talked in an earlier Dev Diary, that we'll be adding quite a few new Random Encounters, especially in the water, but some of us may ask, how do we find all these exciting locations! Well no need to worry, we are adding the cool new compass into the game. This handy fellow will do, what every compass does and show you, where North, East, West and South is but also if you get close to a Random Encounter, it will show you the right direction to get to it. You can craft a compass at a blacksmith station by combining an iron ingot, a needle and you'll need a hammer of some sort (which is sound advice for many a situation in real life as well). Additionally, we have updated the ship's compass to show Underwater Encounters, so you can find those sunken mysteries when you build yourself a proper ship 😉 For now, you'll also have the compass on a raft, but we'll be removing this in Update 1.4 to make the ship a bit more valuable and the raft experience a bit more authentic 🤩

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/532ac9cb46a2677c0622e8ff9d4997f000aa9d9c.png)

The Compass will be available in the Editor as well and we are planning to give it some cool functionality in a future update for Creators to play around with, so something to look forward to.

And that's it for today Ylanders, short and sweet 😊

So until next time, stay classy Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/JUZ4mp6ag2s


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 05, 2020, 01:37:59 AM
Dev Diary #131 - Water Editing
Thu, 4 June 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ac250f5039bece22466bd942f6beb64208191b31.png)

tl;dr
- New ways to edit water
- Wacky water features to play around with
- Creators can make in-land water for their players

Hey there Ylanders!

So Update Watery Water is coming ever closer and yet we haven’t talked about the water too much yet. Well that’s about to change! We have some really cool new features coming into 1.3 that’ll let you really explore your creativity with our liquid friend. So first thing’s first, there is a new tool next to the terraforming tools, which will let you add water blocks. Now, these you can then extend and expand to your heart's desire, as long as they’re not too close to the sea (we don’t want that saltwater mixing up with the freshwater 😉). Now, this water works the same as seawater, you can swim in it, float in it, even put ships in it! 

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/13b281239ce06124c85634b02750c5d3a2a2289b.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/abeac50537e89955c092074984fd2881211b6dd3.png)


You can also envelop the water in a specific type of terrain, so it makes a kind of pool, which is pretty neat, and also it will make sure there isn’t a box of water floating somewhere in space. And while we are still working on possibilities to make water flow (since mobile devices still aren’t powerful enough to render anything like that), the water now makes countless possibilities...well possible, like the pictures below 😊 I can already see Ship Parkour, where you have to sail and jump from one “Water Tile” to the next 🤩

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/df677bdcd97664f4d56692865d633fc86b4449e3.png)

Finally, there is also a possibility now in the Editor to regenerate water, so while you are in the Editor and digging near the sea, you can simply press this button and the sea will regenerate to compensate for the loss of land. We are also working on this happening in the game in real-time, but that will be for another update sometime down the line.

And that’s it for now Ylanders, so until next time, stay classy and safe!

https://youtu.be/bMVNiJ4BZs0



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 12, 2020, 01:37:00 AM
Dev Diary #132 - UI Community Improvements
Thu, 11 June 2020

tl;dr
- Polishing planned for 2020
- Suggestions about UI
- Next week vote

Hey there Ylanders!

We are putting the finishing touches to Update 1.3 and are looking forward to our other updates and what we’d like to do for the rest of this year. Apart from bringing you cool new features and improvements, we also want to concentrate on some serious polishing and fixing. And in this, we need your help. So, in the coming weeks, some of our Dev Diaries are going to be focused on your suggestions and concerns. And this week we’d really like to hear, what you have to say about the games UI.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a00e4d6cb62d9284270290d63533dcd7f4cf729e.png)

For instance, what do you think about the Main Menu? The way games are organized in the games section? Or what do you find needlessly complicated or time-consuming in the Editor’s UI? Are there too many buttons to press to get to an essential tool, that you’d like to have more readily available? And what about in-game? Anything you’d change on the HUD or in the Inventory section? And anything else that bothers you concerning UI in Ylands? We will go through all your answers and in a week, we’ll make a poll here and on our Social Media to find out, what bothers you the most so we can concentrate on that when we polish up the UI. We will take your feedback (all of it, not just the most voted on) and act on it where we can and where it is possible. It will affect the future of the game and future updates.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5ed759e439b0b4ee9a6e131c92baca41ba3d0c56.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/15c49793877d9dd0cc6ff45f65a3677c75050078.png)

Now don’t worry, if this isn’t the subject you’d want to talk about, we’ll be going through many more aspects of the game in the coming months getting your view on it and how it could be improved, but If you have a pressing problem or a suggestion, always feel free to write about it in our Suggestion section of the forums, which we check regularly and from which we take great inspiration.

And that’s it for now, so stay classy but most importantly stay safe Ylanders.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 16, 2020, 01:19:14 PM
Update 1.3: Watery Water
Tue, 16 June 2020

Let's make a splash!


tl,dr
- Major New Update
- Water Adventures
- Water Editing
- Animal Riding
- Much More!!!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/856daaa8ec49bd7e29dec55545dd5338a6326b57.png)
 
Summer is fast approaching (or departing, depending on your location) - so we would like to invite you for an unforgettable seaside adventure, in our latest update: Update 1.3 Watery Waters.

Dive deep into the sea of content we have stuffed this update with, ranging from deep-sea exploration to Editor improvements, additions and overall fixes. Whether you are a die-hard exploration fan or a renowned Creator - there is something for everyone in this update.

So grab your swimsuits and snorkels - let's dive in!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/24954c36bddb9a0c719ada2b328a1ef0e24984b9.png)
Update 1.3 - Watery Water - major features


•   Brave the depths: strap on the new scuba gear and explore the many random encounters we have sprinkled the sea floors with. Discover wreckages of old cargo ships (and alien saucers), monuments from a bygone era or a secret botanical facility.


•   Renewable resources: for those brave enough to conquer the depths, these new encounters provide a source of renewable resources - eliminating the late-game resource deficit.


•   Water is your playground: use the new water volume tool in the Editor to create your very own puddles or lakes.


•   My other horse is an ostrich: almost every existing creature can now be tamed, ridden and some even harvested. Not only these beautiful new beasts of burden are marvellous to look at, some of them can be "persuaded" to part with their home-grown, organic milk & wool.


•   The world is your tapestry: mould the land to your liking with our brand new terraforming tools - making it easier than ever to sculpt the landscape.


•   You're basic: you don't have to be remarkable to get recognized. Unlock your true building potential with our new basic shapes - available in the Editor.


•   V for Visual: Visual Scripting received a visually pleasing visual overhaul


•   Just the tip of the iceberg: we've also added a host of other new features, improvements and bug fixes to the game - please refer to the changelog for a detailed list or just discover them while playing the game!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4f2a0eeaa3bc37ba136f0b3be1c934e948fce7f4.png)

So there you have it Ylanders! It certainly is pretty exciting and we can't wait, what you'll think of our new Watery world 😁 There are still many improvements in the works, but we have to keep something for future updates 😉

Changelog: https://ylands.com/community/topic/27925-13-watery-water/

So have fun and stay classy Ylanders!
 
https://youtu.be/PXBSDVjnRbc


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 19, 2020, 03:14:57 PM
Dev Diary #133 - UI Suggestions
Thu, 18 June 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/259b77da2fafa26219835317f2269e00e8c921c5.png)

tl;dr
- Looking into transparent inventory option
- 4 suggestions up to a vote
- Visit our forums to vote

Hey there Ylanders!

Hope you are enjoying the new update and having loads of fun with the new Water features and Animal riding (jumping Ostriches are the best!). But our eyes have already turned to the next challenge and one of those is making the UI better. You had some great suggestions and they really inspired us, so thank you very much. One of the most requested changes was the transparent Inventory and we are going to specifically look into this, how we could solve the issue. We’re not even going to put it to a vote and start working on a solution right away 😊 The problem is, we have to figure out if different text and pictures will be legible enough in different environments. We will also look into options to make the transparent inventory optional too.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a00e4d6cb62d9284270290d63533dcd7f4cf729e.png)

But now to the crux of today’s Dev Diary, you have come up with some really cool ideas and we wanted to put them to a vote to see, which one we should concentrate on the most (though we’ll probably get to all of them eventually). Use the reactions on our forum post (here: https://ylands.com/community/topic/27948-dev-diary-133-ui-suggestions/) to vote. Here are the options:



More intuitive exporting for beginners + Export Local button (instead of text command)

A favourite category in All Games, where favourited games from the Workshop show up

Short Description of game, when hovered over thumbnail in All Games

Summary of Player armour and weapon stats in Inventory



Don't forget to vote on our forums here: https://ylands.com/community/topic/27948-dev-diary-133-ui-suggestions/
We will be asking for more suggestions from you guys very soon, so keep a lookout and whenever you have a suggestion of your own, don’t hesitate to share it with us in the Suggestions section of our Forums here: https://ylands.com/community/forum/11-suggestions-feedback/

And until next time,

Stay classy Ylanders!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 26, 2020, 01:27:28 AM
Dev Diary #134 - New Goodie Packs
Thu, 25 June 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a43a44359a36255a60a380eab66c302206c3e573.png)


tl;dr
- New Goodie Packs
- Free Stuff!!!
- Pump-action Corngun and Banana Pistol
- Smiley Stickers and art objects

Hey there Ylanders!

We are happy to announce our first Goodie Pack which is coming very soon! Since we decided to take a little more time working on updates making sure everything is working as it should and that everything is top-notch, we also decided so as not to leave you hanging, to release these small Goodie Packs in between updates. These will always contain some urgent hot-fixes but also Assets for Exploration and the Editor, that you can play around with while waiting for the major update.

And this month we really turned up the Random factor 😃 Cause our designers came up with the much-needed Banana pistol and Pump-action Corngun! You'll be able to construct these two spectacular weapons using the trusty banana and fearsome corn and they'll be easier to construct, then later weapons. They will be able to fire your ordinary bullets and though they are made out of corn and bananas and thus aren't as powerful as other non-vegan weapons, they are better than bear fists...especially against bears 😬 Or as Major General's grandma used to say, Nana General, better a pistol made out of a banana in your hand, than a Zirconium Rifle in your plan. She was very wise.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/e0385f1b64a2f160b62bbb45379d5aaa2dfcbcaf.png)

But that's not all, we also have some goodies for the Editor crowd! We have added some wacky stickers into the game for the lighthearted Creator, though a weird grin on a creepy statue can also be pretty...creepy...

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5b15c7a6b1a85f7d31ff9c8ad5e898905e2a62a3.png)

So simply choose a sticker you want to use and position it unto your creation for that quality comedic value. And there are even more fun things coming in the Goodie Pack, so loads to look forward to.

And that's it for now, but you have plenty more Goodie Packs to look forward to in between other updates, so look out for that and of course, update 1.4 is also currently underway, so a lot of exciting stuff 😊

And until next time, stay classy Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/yedwmcqWPeE


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 03, 2020, 12:01:52 AM
Dev Diary #135 - PINEAPPLE GRENADE!!!
Thu, 2 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/295d343ae72935c6541a3724791924bdea74a45a.png)

tl;dr
-PINEAPPLE GRENAAAAADE!!!
- some music stuff

Hey there Ylanders,

Our first goodie pack update is nearly here and so it is time to unveil the most epic feature I think we ever had the honour of making. The...PINEAPPLE GRENADE!

This really, for many of us here in the Ylands team realized a long-held dream of making Pineapples explode. Because it is a very fine piece of fruit. Sweet with a lot of vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants, but what always was missing is that satisfying explosion, when you throw one. I remember the first time I held a pineapple in a post-soviet world of Czechia and the disappointment I felt when I threw it and it didn’t explode. Well, no more childhood disappointments!!! Now you will be able to chuck a slightly enhanced pineapple in Ylands and get that fulfilling BANG!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/6154d44170032ba117234629b01fbeeb2a4046b7.png)

We are also adding a new piece of music into, Ylands as you can hear in the Dev Diary video, which will be available for Creators to add to their games to add a more light-hearted feel to it. We will be further expanding this ‘playlist’ of music for Creators and we are hoping to make a whole library, from which you’ll be able to pick and choose, what you want for your player’s experience. 

And that’s it for today, so until next time, enjoy pineapples responsibly and stay classy Ylanders!

https://youtu.be/IRWDjYztw9M



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 10, 2020, 12:03:17 AM
Update 1.3.5: Goodie Pack #1
Wed, 8 July 2020

tl;dr
- New Update up
- Goodie Pack #1 for all
- New Weapons
- New Items for Creators

Hey there Ylanders!

Today we are releasing our first Goodie Pack! As we have talked before, there are some really cool things included in this and we will try and release a Goodie Pack between major updates to keep your Creative and Exploration juices flowing. And this time it really has a reason to flow, cause of the crazy items we packed this pack with 😁

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/e869ab54ec0e34907d43097c03efb9eb38e793b0.png)

So first off we have the weapons! Now you already saw the awesome Pump-action corn gun and the devastating Pineapple grenade, but we’re also introducing the magnificent Banana pistol. So having a banana as your only form of defense will no longer be a cause for alarm and you can even hunt yourself a bit of rabbit or other small critters with a modified banana 🍌

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/762ec2bf88cb9c2c3d1db1181d4d94b8a732c55e.png)

But that’s definitely not all, so while the Explorers out there will be collecting Pineapples to surprise an unsuspecting Wendigo, Creators will have something to play around with too! We’ve added some cool stickers you can decorate your games with, such as the Smile sticker, Angry smile sticker, Crazy smile sticker, and the Moustache sticker. We’ve also added some other items you can arrange around the map, such as Star glasses, Crazy glasses, and Alien glasses and we’ll be adding items such as these in future Goodie Packs too. Also, Jenda (our audio fellow) has come up with a new music track for you to use in your games, so look out for that as well 😁

And finally, we are also including some bug fixes in this mini-update and so hopefully now you shouldn’t have any more trouble with Entity labels, On attack range events and quick uploading your creations 😉

Check out the full changelog here.  https://ylands.com/community/topic/28072-135-goodie-pack-1/

And that’s it for now, so have fun and stay classy Ylanders.

https://youtu.be/yedwmcqWPeE


https://youtu.be/IRWDjYztw9M


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 17, 2020, 02:12:42 AM
Dev Diary #137 - Future Editor Improvements
Thu, 16 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/cf2b8f92303d6c5744208691efcf6ed227d0a444.png)


tl;dr

- New improvements for the editor
- Editable pivot
- Custom Controls now a game logic
- Importing of external spreadsheet data
- Much more!

Hey there Ylanders!

Hope you’re enjoying your Pump-action corn guns and Pineapple grenades, but it has been some time since we told you about some news on the creating part. It might not be flashy, it might not be sexy, but a lot of creators I’m sure will find the improvements coming in update 1.4 quite exciting.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2eb22c95953489bac0f08609c8b732a14d911dc3.png)

So first off this is a huge time saver for a lot of you out there, we have made a function to edit the pivot in a group or weld. So, this means you can always pick, where the center of the weld and group is without making overly difficult changes to your creation. This will be a great help to scripters but also to just creators, who like to make custom assets and want to have the best possible control over them when placing and rotating them.

Another neat improvement we’ll be adding is the transformation of Custom Controls into their own game logic, so you can create multiple sets of control and then switch between them on the fly in-game. This means, that you can for example, seamlessly create a cinematic sequence with an animated camera and disable controls or you can even share controls as a composition!

Also, we’ll be implementing a new database game logic, which will let you import external spreadsheet data into the game. This will come in handy especially when designing a large-scale RPG for instance or anything similar, that needs a lot of static data.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b745d78d873e273bd4a76c20d6f37d7864f73ec9.png)

We are also constantly improving visual scripting and aspects connected to it, so for instance we are working on speeding up the search panel to shave off waiting time for creators. We’re also making the terrain tools better with a few tweaks you might enjoy and we’re implementing an Advanced Script profiler, which will help you to identify, which script is especially taxing on the game.

And that’s it for now. It does sound like a lot of technical mumbo jumbo, but believe you me, that these improvements will give creators the necessary tools to create ever greater and more impressive games.

So until next time, stay classy Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 24, 2020, 11:58:11 AM
Dev Diary #138 - Announcing Naru's Corner
Thu, 23 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/e73d68eb163454fc316215ff3756187208a53d6c.png)

tl;dr
- Naru is really good in the Editor
- He'll start writing a new "How To" column on our Forums
- Dev Diaries will still continue as normal

Hey there Ylanders!

Naru has swung round our Dev Diary today to talk about some of his awesome creations in Ylands. You might have seen them before, but these are some of the best he has to show, though he has countless more hidden up his sleeve. But just for reference here are the gifs of these creations so you can marvel at them separately or all at once 😁

Naru gifs: https://ylands.com/community/topic/28144-naru-dev-diary-138-creations/

But one announcement that will please many a creator here on the Forums is, that Naru will begin his own column on our forums, where he will explain how to do, what he can do so well 😊 It will be called Naru’s Corner and every other week (bi-weekly) we’ll make a short video teasing the topic and then Naru will dive into the forums and explain, just how he created and put together that week’s effect. So, a lot to look forward to.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/10b869556c74e7668383abf38424ab077012d605.png)

But don’t you worry, this won’t replace our weekly Dev Diaries and you can still look forward to a weekly Dev Diary full of juicy information to go through.

And that’s it for today Ylanders, so have fun and stay classy!

https://youtu.be/nl0zWgZQi5c


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 31, 2020, 01:18:04 AM
Dev Diary #139 - New Menu
Thu, 30 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/c9dae5a64b20184794ec79d1a42d3cb532d55dd1.png)

tl;dr
- New Menu look
- More games visible from the get-go
- New ways to communicate

Hey there Ylanders!


It has been a while since we messed around with the Main Menu, so here we go again 😊 The Main Menu should be the gateway to everything Ylands and we wanted our new version to reflect this. While the old Menu was cool, it no longer was enough to encapsulate all the awesome games constantly popping up in the Workshop. So the main aim was to give these games much more space to live in and to get noticed because they did tend to fall between the cracks a bit in the old menu, if they weren’t featured, which is a terrible shame.


So in the new Menu you’ll always have all kinds of different games visible to you in different categories, like Featured games (by the Ylands team) of which there can now be many more, your recently played games, your exported projects, top rated games by the community and many more. We also have some cool new tools to promote good games and to get them to the top of your lists, so you always see the crθme de la crθme of Ylands creations 🤩 Games will also be categorised into different genres, so you'll be able to quickly get playing the games YOU want to play.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7e5d0a4824b07b7b3dd1e91a63fade038ad3303e.png)

But that’s not all that will be changing with the menu. We are also implementing a much better communication system, so that players can message each other through Ylands and we can message players and thus be able to interact much more with our Creators and Players alike 🤗


There will be many more cool improvements in the new Menu but that’s for you Ylanders to explore for yourselves once update 1.4 drops 😁


And that’s all for today, so keep safe and stay classy Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 07, 2020, 12:47:02 AM
Dev Diary #140 - A Year of Adam
Thu, 6 August 2020

tl;dr
- Just a bit of reminiscing 😊

Hey there Ylanders!

I think this time the video speaks for itself, so watch on Ylanders 😏

https://youtu.be/zQ4WlFfAeag


If you want to check out my first Dev Diary, here it is in all its glory 😅

https://ylands.com/community/topic/25225-dev-diary-90/

And that’s all for today, so until next time, stay classy Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 14, 2020, 01:58:09 AM
Dev Diary #141 - New Game Tags
Thu, 13 August 2020

tl;dr
- New Menu Tags and Categories
- Call to Arms for Creators
- Add your tags

Hey there Ylanders!

So, this Dev Diary is a bit of a call to arms to all Creators that have games on the workshop, because we need your help. As we have talked about previously, we are adding a brand-new menu to the game with cool new functionalities and categories, but this also means, that we needed to unify the tags system to accommodate these new categories. And since if we released the update with the menu, there wouldn’t be any games in all the categories and that would be a great shame. So, we decided to open up the new category system on the workshop a bit early, so you can add the relevant tag to your game and when update 1.4 rolls out, your games will already be in the right category ready to get discovered by players coming in.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/bb6a692ba5bcfdb72701514f25c25078c054b384.png)

All you need to do now is go into the workshop and check out your games. Right now they shouldn’t have any tags. You just have to pick one, that is most relevant to your game and when Update 1.4 rolls out, your game is going to be in that category. These are the categories you’ll be able to choose from: 

Action

Adventure

Casual

Combat

Educational

Idle

Logic

Other

RPG

Racing

Simulation

Strategy

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2a2f5fd6a4bf14b41df15d7a00dca012c69557c9.png)

So definitely a lot to choose from and in the future we might be adding even more if the need arises, but these should be enough for now. Add your tags Creators and make your games as visible as possible. 

And until next time, Stay Classy Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 21, 2020, 02:21:10 PM
Dev Diary #142 - Experimental Build (and Ales)
Fri, 21 August 2020

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

Adam is enjoying his well-deserved vacation, but the Ylands machine never stops...

Firstly there is a new Project Lead on the block, which happens to be Ales Ulm. Many of you probably know him - he has a long history with Ylands after all. He was there from its very beginning and even held the position of Project Lead in the past.

Even though everyone is now probably extremely interested in finding out more about him and feel, that this information is what they have been subconsciously looking for their whole lives, we have more important things to discuss and I know that as soon as we release 1.4, Ales will time to present his visions to you fully.

Ok, so you want to know at least something? What does his return to the Project Lead position mean for Ylands?

Firstly, we immediately started fixing Exploration and making it once again about... well... exploration. And playing with friends. And sailing. And that other thing. If everything goes right, you should see the first (quite huge) change already in 1.5. and you will see that Exploration is anything but dead.

Also, we will now pay significantly more attention to testing. Not only we are taking more time with it, but this week, we plan to make the first Experimental version of the game available for all.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f8f93e99247ea941585eb10aaafe44e0e38e57c5.png)

These Experimental Builds will be released roughly two weeks before a new update release. This time it will be PC Steam only, but with next major updates, other platforms will have this special version as well. If you are a creator dying to see the new features first and provide us with feedback (especially if you see something wrong with your existing game) you're more than welcome to give it a try! :)

To find more information about this Experimental version, please follow this link:

Public Experimental Branch: https://ylands.com/community/topic/28224-public-experimental-branch/

There is so much more we want to talk to you about. So many plans and so many cool things happening... but we now have to fully focus on delivering 1.4 in the best shape possible. I will definitely talk to you again soon. And until then... stay classy, ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 27, 2020, 11:20:26 PM
Dev Diary #143 - Real-life Major General
Thu, 27 August 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/368d167e6a6485e2660dd2394b6ea775422b98d9.png)

tl;dr
- Bunch of Photos from our Creators Club video
- Creators Club is coming and it's going to be really cool!
- Major General should stick to polygon graphics 😁

Hey there Ylanders!

We are cooking up something huge for Update 1.4. We have mentioned it in the past, but the Creator’s Club is finally happening and it will be awesome! Unfortunately, can’t say much more about it right now, but we are also recording a fun video to go with it to explain, what Creator’s Club will mean for you. So here are a few photos from the shoot and boy, did we have a lot of fun 😅

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/de199fa7b73be5bb3371d28e06311358d9ce6cbd.jpg)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4078bbbc6e69c6781cb28a0f0209779409d3025b.jpg)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/6f0efae6f685ca268f18d9f1c61035b974e69c98.jpg)


What do you think about real-life Major General? Is he a strapping young fellow or is he missing that polygon charm?

And that's it for now, so have fun and stay classy Ylanders 👋


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 10, 2020, 03:55:23 PM
Update 1.4: Creators Club
Thu, 10 September 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/bd42a5c98910ed8985b0e8351755876ce172b0fa.png)


https://youtu.be/i5FFEV6EJuk


Hey there Ylanders!

Update 1.4 is here and because it brings Creators Club to Ylands  https://create.ylands.com/join_creators_club , it is one of the most important milestones for the game. With it, we will finally be able to offer creators the support we always wanted and that they deserve.

Creators joining this club of elite like-minded fellows, will not only enjoy numerous benefits (such as better exchange rates, cool in-game swag and more) but will have the chance to get real-life rich by applying for a Creators Commission.

With this addition, the Ylands ecosystem is finally complete as we've envisioned it; creators can monetize any aspect of their creations - players can choose between countless amazing games, and support their favourite creations - and that creativity and support can now have real-world value.

 We are beyond excited for this new stage for Ylands and we will do our very best to keep supporting the creators, our players, and the platform on which they interact.

Of course, we have packed this update full of other goodies as well - so read on to find out more!


Update 1.4 - Creators Club - major features

•   Creators Club: exclusive in-game perks, the Creators Commission and more awaits those who join this prestigious and exclusive club of creative individuals
•   Workshop update: to celebrate the new Creators Club, we have completely revamped our Workshop - find the games you want to play quicker and easier than ever before or upload your newest masterpiece with absolutely no hassle.
•   Revised main menu: we have completely rebuilt our main menu to facilitate ease of use and most importantly: discoverability
•   In-game messaging system: never miss a message from your friends (or from us) with a brand new messaging system, now available within the game
•   Improved shooting: we have also completely rebuilt how gun handling works - you will find using guns, pistols and everything in-between is now significantly better than before
•   Game profiling tools: a set of tools & indicators that will help creators optimize their games
•   Bug fixes and improvements: We have fixed and improved many different aspects of the game with the help of our community and of course we have added some cool assets you'll be able to use in your custom games.
•   Visual Scripting Lightning Fast: The visual scripting interface is now faster than ever, so no more waiting and more creating

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/fb29a7b44d700600a96fb92cbef23fd0606e13b0.jpg)

And that's not all! Keep your eyes peeled and your creativity sharp for the upcoming season of competitions - a year-long celebration of our creators, the community, and everything Ylands with fabulous and amazing prizes!

And that's it for now, so until next time, stay classy!

P.S. You can find the Changelog here: https://ylands.com/community/topic/28311-14-creators-club-changelog/



Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 17, 2020, 11:58:22 PM
Dev Diary #144 - New Direction for Exploration
Thu, 17 September 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f872e40e0b0ed6c509f9f65bb11a6b599bd76603.png)

tl;dr
- Big progress with Editor
- Exploration not what we want it to be
- Huge plans with Exploration
- Changes soon

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

My name is Aleš Ulm, and even though I wasn't that visible during the last two years or so when I was Ylands Creative Director, I was still here, listening to all you had to say. For those that don't know me - I've been with Ylands right from the very first day of development, acting most of the time as the Project Lead. I helped designed the game in the very beginning when it was nothing else than a sandbox survival. For more than three years I discussed our progress and features with you, the players on a daily basis. I met with you during many conventions.

Well, guess what. Some time ago I became once again Ylands Project Lead, taking the responsibility for every aspect of the game and the direction it's heading. I would like to use the opportunity to resume our dialogue where it stopped, and, in a way, also the game.

Let me tell you how I see the current situation.

We have made huge progress with the Ylands as a platform. It's already possible to create some truly amazing games in Ylands (some are already on the way). The Editor is faster. more user friendly and more powerful and being extended all the time. And we will continue with that.

But I know that is not what so many of you are waiting for me to say. I know that you are worried about the current state of Exploration.

Right now Exploration is not what we would like it to be. There are many things that I see is wrong with it and I won't get into the details in here because in the end for me there's only one single thing that can be said. There is not much exploration in Exploration anymore. A lot of the fun that was once there is now gone.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/8a96bd2840f397be13ca76751622995b5b785164.png)

What if your game was part of something much, much bigger? With so many new places to explore? Choose, which type of Islands you want to visit next 😊
(image WiP)

The very first thing I did when I became Project Lead again was to make sure Exploration is returned back on the path we once were on. And that's what we're working on right now and that is what you will get the first taste of in the next update 1.5. I know you've waited way too long for Exploration to become better so I feel there's no time to lose. I want to give you something as soon as possible. A clear signal that Exploration is back in big style and even if it's just the first step (even though a very significant), you will be able to tell that we hear you.


A lot has been said about making Exploration better, so now we do it. And don't worry, we won't keep you in the dark until 1.5 - quite on the contrary, we will start talking about what's going to change rather soon. 🙂
Thanks for having so much patience and staying classy, Ylanders 😁

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 25, 2020, 01:13:28 PM
Dev Diary #145 - Sneak Peek of Update 1.4.1
Thu, 24 September 2020

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

While Adam is enjoying his well-deserved holidays I am here to provide you company and let you know what's going on. I guess - I know - you would like to know more about update 1.5 and specifically about our plans with Exploration.

Well, that will happen soon but today I will be talking about something else, something that you will experience very soon. To make sure you will get something new and shiny to play with as you wait for 1.5 we will be soon releasing a smaller, asset-based update 1.4.1.

So what will you get with 1.4.1?

Some very cool weapons from ancient Egypt, cool clothing (ever wanted to look like a mummy?), armour set, reworked mummies and two new awesome enemy types, based as well in the era of pharaohs.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ed585644fe84084724dda4db70928d5ba3d2995e.png)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4d976c56cd98bdf70951b75a90b3f173feac6a15.png)

This, along with a nice portion of fixes and tweaks, will surely make the wait for the update 1.5 a bit more bearable :).

That's it for now and I'll talk to you again very soon. Until then - stay safe and classy, ylanders!

- Ales


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 02, 2020, 03:02:53 AM
Dev Dairy #146 - New Workshop Games
Thu, 1 October 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5bcd749e7a19110f1c9a01f5b0944002d8cdf38b.png)

tl;dr
- Finishin Update 1.4.1 and working on Exploration Update
- Two Awards at the 2019 Czech Games
- New Games in the Workshop

https://youtu.be/oAejYThN5hY


Hey there Ylanders!

While we are finishing up work on our small 1.4.1 update and also while working on our big 1.5 Exploration update, we thought we’d share a few good news snippets with you 😊

One of them being, as you might have noticed on various Social Media, that we won a couple of prizes 😁 At the 2019 Czech Games awards, which got postponed because of the covid situation, we managed to win not one, but two categories 🙂 First one being the free-to-play category for the creative freedom we give every player interested in building and creating and second for best technology solutions, mainly for our Visual Scripting tools and overall powerful Editor. We are of course very proud of our hard-working team and humbled to receive such awards, but it is also because of your help and feedback, that we got to this stage, so thank you too 😊 But as we said in previous Dev Diaries, this in no way means, that we are done or that we are satisfied, but rather, that we want to get better and better, especially now with our big plans surrounding Exploration.

Here are the awards themselves, though unfortunately, they are only in Czech and without subtitles.

https://youtu.be/APKHt2bcBvs


And second good news we have is, that while normally we keep the biomes of Ylands in china and Western Ylands separate, the Creators there are creating a huge amount of some truly spectacular games and projects, so we got together with our friends in China to port some of these games to our Workshop too, so you can try them out and enjoy some really ingenious games. There are a few on the workshop now, that you can try right away, but we’ll be getting some more in down the line. But this won’t be a one way street, because down the line after some of our competitions, that we are very close to announcing, the best of the best from our Workshop will be invited to share their Creations with our chums in the East and maybe at some point we could do a competition between the two Workshops 😉 But that’s for another time.


So until next time, stay classy Ylanders 👋

P.S. You can try out the games here:

https://play.ylands.com/asset/7195

https://play.ylands.com/asset/7197

https://play.ylands.com/asset/7239

https://play.ylands.com/asset/7251

https://play.ylands.com/asset/7264


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 06, 2020, 11:25:43 PM
Goode Pack #2
Tue, 6 October 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/67f3b86817becff79d22e16f39a829efd53ca1b7.png)

We continue with another themed package of assets after Atlantis, this time expanding the Egyptian theme. New enemies and mummy wraps set enable you to experience some serious tomb raiding, bronze armour and weapon set to let you arm yourself as the warrior of ancient empires and all these are also getting ready to enter the Exploration world in Update 1.5 😊


New Assets

Horus Avatar & Anubis Avatar enemies
Bronze Weapons Set (axe, two spears, staff, knife)
Bronze Armor Set (helmet, chest, legs, boots)
Mummy Wraps Set (chest, legs)
Sandstone Doors (regular, big, large)
Flat seamless basic shapes


Tweaks and Improvements

Mummy reworked

Fixes

[YLD-25991] Fixed: Editor: Game Logic panel - filter dropdown missing translations
[YLD-26411] Fixed: VS: "Screen shake" did not work when no sound effect was chosen
[YLD-26108] Fixed: VS: Firing cannons through script did not work
[YLD-26351] Fixed: VS: Removed random puzzles visible in the background of the left panel
[YLD-26125] Fixed: VS: disappearing texts when renaming variables or changing literals
[YLD-25735] Fixed: Editor: rotation widget did not always show the nearest octant to the camera
[YLD-26304] Fixed: Editor: saving could stop to work when you tried to save a game through the menu panel.
[YLD-26184] Fixed: Editor: animated objects in the animated group were not always animated in exported game.

And more...

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 09, 2020, 12:08:42 AM
Dev Diary #147 - Goodie Pack #2
Thu, 8 October 2020

https://youtu.be/0xY76IufBZA


tl,dr
- New Goodie Pack
- Egyptian Theme
- Improved Mummy
- Horus and Anubis
- Weapons and Armour
- Future Implementation into Exploration

Hey there Ylanders!

As you might have noticed, some new goodies have landed into Ylands a couple of days ago. The Goodie Pack #2 is here to shorten the wait for the next big update and yet again brings some pretty neat additions to the Ylands ecosystem. First of all the theme of this Goodie Pack was Ancient Egypt. Whilst last time we directed our attention to the wet Atlantean Empire, this time we ended up in the dry sandy lands of the Pharaohs.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/24974cccab56c9a5626efbe652ec0b8eade26970.png)

But before we started figuring out, what new to add, we had to address our good old friend The Mummy. A staple in Egyptian mythology and modern pop-culture, we added the mummy years and years ago...and he hadn't aged well 😅 So we decided to change his bandages for some cleaner ones and give the old chap a proper makeover and the outcome is pretty good in our opinion 😁 And what's more, we have also added a Mummy Wraps Set, so you can now pretend to be a mummy too 😄

But there are plenty of new items in the game now too, like the Bronze Weapon Set featuring a cool axe, a couple of spears a staff and a knife. To complement this, we have also added a Bronze Armour set. For the Creators out there we have also added a new Sandstone door for those old dusty crypts 😁

But the stars of the show, of course, are our new monsters, the Horus Avatar and Anubis Avatar. These new enemies will be a challenge for every tomb raider or daring archaeologist. Towering over the player they radiate power and strength and their attacks are devastating.

But Explorers, do not fret! For this update is for us as much as for you, because now we can take these assets and start working on implementing them in exciting new Random Encounters and Adventures for update 1.5 so very soon you'll be able to meet Anubis and Horus in your own travels and fight the Mummy when you get a runny nose 😁

And last but not least, we also fixed some pretty annoying issues and you can find more about it in our changelog 😊

And that's it for now, but keep your eyes peeled on this space because there are rumours of a certain competition starting soon 😉

So until next time, stay classy Ylanders.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 16, 2020, 01:10:55 AM
Dev Diary #148 - Ylands Creators Competition
Thu, 15 October 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97b2bae7ef21c4b57b385a34060b8cdf20fd5028.png)

tl;dr
- Ylands Creators Competition is now LIVE!
- Creators can win BIG PRIZES!
- Join us tomorrow at our first Stream and ask us anything

https://youtu.be/8HDKhI06vDc


Hey there Ylanders!

So, you might have already noticed, that we have announced our very first Ylands Creators Competition, which is now live! And let me say, we are really excited, what our Creators will come up with and what imaginative games we’ll get to play at the end of this 😁

The Competition will run till December, so if you would like to join, all you need to do is create a game in the Editor, upload it to the Workshop, start a forum thread here and then just sit back and see, if you win one of our cool prizes, be it real-world money or a bundle of Coyns 😊 Or you can start working on another game and don’t worry if you don’t finish it in time, because this is not the last competition. Far from it, it is the first from a planned series of competitions that will run throughout 2021 with the culmination of a HUGE competition at the end of it 🤩


So there’s never been a better time to try out the Editor and all its possibilities. If you would like some pointers, you can check out our tutorials and if you want some inspiration, head to Naru’s Corner to see, what can be done in the Editor.


And one more thing: tomorrow we’ll have our first ever Ylands Stream, so tune in here at 16:00 CEST if you want to chat with me about the Competition, Exploration and anything Ylands related or if you just want to chat 😅We’ll be checking out some of the cool games already out there made by some very creative Creators 😊
 
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/dd5ad4462393819fdf7b30bf9501028678af9d8c.png)

So a lot of exciting stuff is up ahead Ylanders but remember most importantly, stay classy Ylanders 😉

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 23, 2020, 03:48:45 AM
Dev Diary #149 - Script Module
Thu, 22 October 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97b2bae7ef21c4b57b385a34060b8cdf20fd5028.png)

tl;dr
- Script Module to store scripts as compositions
- Streaming suggestions

Hey there Ylanders!

Today we’ll discuss a pretty neat feature we’re going to sneak into the Exploration 1.5 Update for Creators 🤫 It’s called the Script Module and we believe it will help out a lot of Creators in the future. In laymen’s terms, it is a kind of black box for scripts and game logics, which you can export and share with other Creators via compositions. So what will it do? Well, simply it will give a creator the ability to export any number of game logics with script as a single game logic thus saving a lot of space and helping to make the scripting more "clean" and manageable. This means the creator can then use the logics and scripts in a different map but ALSO other Creators can then pick up the composition and use it in their game, meaning you can then trade logics and scripts with fellow creators and learn from each other 😊

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/9310c2a51bcb84fa4267cf54bb4f5dc224984062.png)
Player Modules WiP

Also in scripting you’ll, of course, be able to reference a module as well incorporating it into your wider creation. And if an older version of the script and logics are detected, the module should be able to update itself while keeping all the original in and out script references, meaning, that the original creator can keep the module up-to-date and share the new version without any hassle 😁

Another topic I wanted to open today is the matter of our weekly streams. We’d love to hear from you, what YOU would like to see in our future streams. What you’re interested in, what you think should be covered and what should be addressed more. That is why you can now visit a new Topic here on the forum, where I’d love to hear your suggestions and comments to the streaming 😊

And that’s it for today, so until next time, stay safe and stay classy Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 30, 2020, 01:53:35 AM
Dev Diary #150 - Ships in 1.5 Exploration
Thu, 29 October 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/c3496bd1ef1d47d0b72ad92864dd6abb3f25db74.png)

tl;dr
- Ship much more important in Exploration
- Travel worlds, visit friends
- Link your ship to your Avatar
- Bring friends with you
- New Exploration features ASAP = a bit rough around the edges

Hey there, fellow Ylanders, Aleš here!

We are working very hard on update 1.5 that will, among other things, mark what we believe to be the birth of a new generation of Exploration. I am sure you would like to hear something more about it so let me give you some detail.

1.5 will be about exploration, travelling and socialization. We will give you a world made out of various maps to explore and to do so, you will need a ship. Your ship. In the new Exploration, your ship becomes the single most important object. You and your ship will become one. You will sail it to different games to gather resources, meet and trade with other players (or steal their stuff 😅). After you store it on your ship you will sail back home... or maybe explore some other worlds?

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/cf2e4d11df8a3f25fc52d5a6619d86524a44c524.gif)

You will always have one ship (well, after you build it or get it from someone else) that you will "link" to your avatar and which you won't be able to lose. You will be able to (un)summon it as you see fit via the radial menu. But what about your unfortunate friends that may not possess their own vessel? Just pick them up and go exploring the foreign lands together. Exploring in Ylands has never been so much fun.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f0829bceb9a4a462fb932e8de4f5ca8fad01b973.png)

And if you just want to live your happy life on your ylands and the idea of sailing the high seas scares you? Well, that is just fine. Having a ship isn't a must. You can still welcome your friends or random explorers who come sailing to your corner of the world. Even that sounds dreadful? Well, just keep your world multiplayer mode disabled and live the hermit life you always craved for.

As I said 1.5 will be the beginning of a whole new Exploration, with other new radical changes coming in 1.6 and every other following update bringing further improvements. We know that you have waited so long for Exploration to get back on track and because of that we decided to give you the first changes as soon as possible even if it means the experience will be a bit rough around the edges. So along with the update, we will present you with the list of what we expect to change (for example in 1.5 your ship will be invincible, which will later change etc.)  so that you can provide feedback and that we can, once again, continue making Ylands a cool, classy game together.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4ba2b7a2494c81b4506098eb452a94ef8327604a.jpg)

There's still a lot more to talk about but we'll continue some other time. Thank you for your patience and stay classy!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 06, 2020, 01:43:11 AM
Dev Diary #151 - Update 1.5 FAQ
Thu, 5 November 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97b2bae7ef21c4b57b385a34060b8cdf20fd5028.png)

tl;dr
- FAQ with our Project Lead
- New Update 1.5 news
- Ask your questions in thread below

https://youtu.be/N_fjvss_XNo


Hey there Ylanders!

We have a very special Dev Diary today because Aleš swung by to tell us something more about update 1.5. We collected some frequently asked questions about the update on the forums and asked Aleš to clarify them for us and boy did we find out a lot of interesting and exciting stuff about Update 1.5 🤩

So read on and if you have any follow-up questions, don't hesitate to ask in the thread below and hopefully, Aleš will have time to answer them too 😊

Will travelling from one world to another involve travelling into other player worlds?
Yes, that's exactly what this means - although it doesn't need to be just another player's world. We plan to have dedicated servers for all biomes that players will be able to visit and explore. Our current working name for those ylands is "Sinking worlds" because after some time the original world will disappear and will be replaced by a newly generated one. This way there will always be places to explore and gather resources.


How will your starting world look? Which biome will it have? Will it have enough resources?
The starting world will be only one biome. You will be able to choose from a selection of biomes (not all since some would be too harsh for a newly arriving castaway). It will have resources that, among others, allow you to create a ship. To get resources not available in your world you will have to travel to different worlds with different biomes.


Will strangers be raiding players own personal worlds?
As long as your world has MP enabled and is not protected by a password then yes, this would be possible.

Will building a ship be much harder or will the basics stay the same?
No, it will be the same.


Will these changes (summon-able and temporarily invincible boats) affect all maps or just exploration maps? (Will boats in other mini-games also become invincible?)
No, these changes will be present only in Exploration.


Will ships that players have already built be compatible? Or do players need to wait till 1.5 to build a compatible vessel?
We are still looking into this. Technically it is possible, but it opens a door to certain kinds of exploits that's why we're still analyzing it.

How will the map from the concept art released a few Dev Diaries back be implemented into the new Exploration?
What you're referring to is a world map (please note that the final version you'll get in 1.5 will be visually slightly different) and it serves several purposes - firstly you use it to select in what biome your starting yland will be located. Secondly, you can use it (since it'll be accessible via your ingame menu all the time) to check ylands in other biomes and travel to them - if you are steering a ship and are located at the outer area of your current world.

How will the ship summoning mechanic work?
You will be able to summon your ship (if you have one) via a Radial menu button. It will appear in a nearby empty sea area. Also, you will see your ship's location on your map.


Will the number of players able to play together change?
The maximum will remain the same.


Will you revisit the trading mechanic in 1.5 or later?
This is something we're discussing. Definitely not in 1.5, but we might do some changes in 1.6 based on what we see happen in games.


Will the worlds you travel to be procedurally generated and in a way infinite, or will there be a limit to the number of different explorable worlds?
There will be a certain number of Yland maps per biome region - right now it's 20 in total. But some of them will change from time to time.

Will Update 1.5 be a polished final product?
No. While the core mechanics such as travelling between worlds will be fully functional, this is such a big change that we will need feedback and will very likely make some adjustments. We will be providing a list of features that will be temporary or subject to change. Also in 1.6 we would like to focus on the ylands themselves.

Will we ever see explore on mobile?
Bringing Exploration to mobiles is actually one of my personal priorities for 2021 but never at the expense of the PC experience. Mobile will have to work with PC standards and bypass them if necessary, not the other way round (dumbing down the PC version to facilitate the mobile version is a big No for me).


You mentioned 1.5 will be about "Exploration, Travelling and Socialization". What are the Travel and Socialization aspects of 1.5?
In order to get resources to craft everything, you will be required to travel and explore new places. You will get to meet new people - some of the ylands you discover might be someone's worlds and pay them a friendly (or less friendly) visit, you can meet with other players when gathering resources or exploring worlds that don't belong to anyone.


And that's it from us this week, but definitely leave a question if you have one and your feedback in the thread below and as always, stay classy Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 13, 2020, 01:09:11 AM
Dev Diary #152 - Ylands Streaming
Thu, 12 November 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97b2bae7ef21c4b57b385a34060b8cdf20fd5028.png)


tl;dr
- Streaming every Friday at 16:00
- Following the Competition
- Q&A's with Team
- Looking for talented Streamers

https://youtu.be/EF74gNVhK-o


Hey there Ylanders!

This week we have more of a relaxed topic. We'll be talking about our new streaming sessions we're doing and what we're planning for the future.

So as you might have noticed, every Friday at 16:00 CET over at ylands https://www.twitch.tv/ylands
 we stream for an hour or two talking about Ylands, right now about the Competition https://ylands.com/competition and overall having a good time. If you haven't seen our streams, you can check one out tomorrow!

But from the get-go we wanted you, the players and members of this fabulous community to have a say in what we stream, so if you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see, what games in Ylands you'd want to watch me play and what you would like to talk about, always let me know because I'd be more than happy to oblige 😊 What we are planning to do though is to keep monitoring the Competition and all the wonderful submissions we're already seeing pop up in the Workshop. We'll be playing these games predominantly and having a look, how they play, how they work, what we like and dislike and provide feedback to the Creators. And after the Competition finishes, we definitely want to feature the winning games on the Stream and if possible invite the Creators unto the Stream, to tell us something about the game, what was their inspiration and how they made it. It, of course, isn't a requirement of the Creators but it'd be really cool 😅

During this time we'd also love to have some live Interviews and Q&A's with members of our team, so you get to know them a bit more and we'd love to have a streaming party, where a bunch of our team members get together in one room to stream and talk about Ylands 😊 But that will probably have to wait, till it is safe to meet up in bigger groups again.

We are also looking into more ways to make the watching experience more enjoyable and how to enhance our streaming. So if you have any suggestions about that, they'd be really appreciated. And finally, we'll be looking into finding some fun streamers, that would also like to stream about Ylands and give them an opportunity to stream with us or even host them on our channel 😁

So look out for all that and until next time,

stay classy Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 20, 2020, 02:07:57 AM
Dev Diary #153 - Grenades and Bow
Thu, 19 November 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5e1e9d5ca1b6c1e8194baa3fdf53703ed245d2c0.png)

tl;dr
- New Grenade and Bow improvements
- Better animations and aiming
- Coming in Update 1.5

https://youtu.be/CbaQ4fYy_Yo


Hey there Ylanders!

Some pretty exciting news today adventurers regarding bows and grenades. Yes it is a bit of a weird pair up but hear me out 😅

So first off we made leap and strides in bow shooting and in 1.5 we'll be introducing countless improvements, but the ones you'll probably notice the most is the appearance of the actual arrow while shooting the bow (and the crossbow btw and I will not get drawn into a discussion if a crossbow is technically a bow or not 😁) and the overall aiming improvements we made to the bow. For instance, you'll be able to see the trajectory after you fire the arrow, making it easier to correct your aim. Bow animations have been also improved, but maybe most interestingly, now when you hold the bow drawn for too long, your arms will get tired and your accuracy will suffer greatly, making your shot much more unpredictable.

The second item on our list today are the grenades. Grenades are very powerful weapons but haven't seen too much use in Ylands, because they are cumbersome to wield and inaccurate. Well no more! Grenades now how two modes. The quick throw (which is the standard mode) lets you toss a grenade fast in the direction you are facing. The height of the throw is affected by the angle you are looking at the target. But if you press down the right mouse button, you enter the aimed throw mode, in which the trajectory of the grenade will be visualised and you'll be able to lob that exploding pineapple 🍍 exactly where you want it.

Improvements to both the Grenades and the Bows are great fun and even our team of Designers made a small multiplayer map to try it out and had an awesome time with it 😁 So a lot to look forward to 😊

And that's all for today Ylanders, so don't forget to tune in into tomorrow's stream at 16:00 CET and until then, stay classy Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 27, 2020, 03:02:37 AM
Dev Diary #154 - Custom Images
Thu, 26 November 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7b277e11e9ef4a06e5f5b9b6bdae1bf5dd381918.png)


https://youtu.be/yxUOECTvt4k


tl;dr
- Custom Images added for more personalised UI's
- Usable in Particle Effects
- Shareable via Compositions

Hey there Ylanders!

While we are working tirelessly on update 1.5, the first part of the big Exploration overhaul, our Editor team has also cooked up a pretty nifty new feature and as you might have seen in the video above, it will be a lot of fun 😁

We're calling it "Custom Images" and what this lets you do, is import your own images into the game and then use them in a variety of ways. So for example, as you have seen in the video, you can make the HUD much more personalised and add images, that aren't available in our catalogue. You can also use these images in custom windows or on custom controls when making a game for the mobile platform.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/9cd19533b5ac753b180e054a7a3ce6a3e881c80a.gif)

But that's all still very much the domain of the UI, but another area, where you'll be able to use your Custom Images is in particle effects, so now you will have absolute control over the special effects featured in your game.

Adding new images will be done through a new Custom Image Library game logic and it will be very simple and straightforward and it won't work just in games, but also in Compositions. This way you can then share whole libraries via compositions.

Of course, there will be a system in place to make sure vulgar and inappropriate images aren't uploaded into the game and before the update, we will post here on the forums rules, on what is acceptable to upload and what isn't.

And that's it for today Ylanders, so let us know, how you are planning on using these new Custom Images and until next time, stay classy Ylanders 👋

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 11, 2020, 12:49:42 AM
Dev Diary #156 - New Assets in Update 1.5
Thu, 10 December 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b9d418cd27df44aa87b94725b18bfc519d4fef73.png)

tl,dr
- New Assets
- Native American weapons
- Sunplate Armour
- New Monster
- New Random Encounters for Exploration un Update 1.6

https://youtu.be/3dTZA40b27M


Hey there Ylanders!

As with every update, 1.5 is bringing a lot of cool stuff, including revamped Exploration and custom bitmaps. But another great addition to the game will be the heap of assets, that are coming to Ylands.

The theme of our assets in 1.5 are Native American cultures and we have a slew of cool new items, that you'll be able to add to your games.

First off we have added some very neat weapons to the Native American tribes in Ylands, be it the feathered crossbow, bow or rifle and the Shaman will get a unique set of clothes. We have also added a new Chieftain headdress, which will be also craftable in Exploration. Another craftable additions are the new stone tablets depicting different creatures of myth and legend and a new totem block representing the Wendigo. The Wendigo is also getting his own statue, which you'll be able to craft in Exploration and will be a good way to warn adventurers off of a certain dangerous area 😉

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5f03491a5f8a5238c7778ea16cd63507ba64101b.png)

But that's not all! We have also added a new Sunplate armour set to represent pre-Columbian cultures in Central America with their own choice of cool weapons to choose from. This will also include some new stone furniture to go with the aesthetic.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a70f051dbb385030da83af2d9a32bf8180466d7d.png)

And finally, a new monster is joining the mix: The Totem Golem! A fearsome adversary that communes with nature and fiercely defends the natives from harm.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4d63fd279addb8d318db1f8b26619ad6840ed199.jpg)

And the best thing about these additions is, that now our designers have them available and will be adding them to Random Encounters for update 1.6 so look out for these in the future 😁

And that's all for today, so until next time, stay classy Ylanders 👋

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 15, 2020, 01:53:40 AM
Update 1.5: Enhancing Exploration
Mon, 14 December 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/aea99b962e2166f1ca37cf3ea329db42a7eea65f.png)

tl;dr
- Update 1.5 is OUT!
- Exploration revamped
- New Native American Assets
- Improved shooting and grenade throwing
- Custom Bitmaps

https://youtu.be/MP9xXic-IUw


Explorers of Ylands rejoice! Update 1.5 - Enhancing Exploration - is finally out for you to try and enjoy, and it brings a host of new goodies and improvements for Exploration, many of which had been requested by the community for a long time.

We have reworked and revamped the Exploration experience from the ground up, offering a truly engaging and exciting adventure, in the veins and spirit of what we originally envisioned for Exploration many moons ago.

Players can now travel to and explore countless different islands, in different biomes on their trusty ships, linked to their person for the first time ever - creating a new bond between players and their vessels.

And this is just the beginning! Update 1.5 is but the first stepping stone for an amazing Exploration experience - over the coming months, we will keep updating Exploration until it is as good as we can make it and the community is happy with it.

Of course, we have packed this update with some other goodies, improvements and fixes as well - read on to find out more!

Update 1.5 - Enhanced Exploration - major features

Exploration update first phase: the beginnings of the new and improved Explore experience is here; players can now use the brand new world map to sail to different biomes, where they can explore (and exploit) procedurally generated islands. Ships will now be tied to players so they can use their favourite vessel to explore the high seas.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/e3762345f77f7d032c364b51cb6050d22cd8541b.jpg)

Native American assets: we have added a whole slew of new assets for both players and creators!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5ca4b3b0783d5a9fc9a291f0aedbab1462dbc640.jpg)

Custom bitmaps in the Editor: creators will now have the option to import their very own bitmaps into the game, opening up a brand new dimension of customization options.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/6d97d69bd7aff921fb064941d1f34dd469aba868.jpg)

Shooting weapon improvements: we have made major improvements to how bows/crossbows & grenades are handled within the game; make sure you try them out!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/746aacee8e91e18dfd701d8982c3f82681ecb574.jpg)

....and hundreds of fixes, improvements to every aspect of the game!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/76704d335cb8bbc3fbbbf6d8f30ce1f9306dd06f.jpg)


For more detailed information about the changes and additions, head over to our new Exploration Feedback section https://ylands.com/community/forum/88-exploration-feedback/ with a handy FAQ made by Aleš 😉 - we would love to hear what you think of the new Exploration and how we could improve it. Also, check out the changelog for all the juicy deets 😁

To keep track of all the latest news, follow Ylands on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Until next time, stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 18, 2020, 01:31:44 AM
Dev Diary #158 - Exploration, ahoj!
Thu, 17 December 2020

tl,dr
- what's next for Exploration

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/cc03859caf9618f9e67ac31018d967d307c50eeb.jpg)

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

Update 1.5 is finally out and boy, what a big one. We brought you a lot of optimizations, as well as some extremely handy Editor tools - especially the ability to add your own images to be used in your user interfaces, will help you create even cooler games.

For many of you, however, the most important in this update is something completely different - the first step towards reworked Exploration.

I know that it took us quite a long to make this first big step. I also know that no matter what we do this first step won't please everyone. But I consider it a new beginning, a clear signal that we're serious about this. And because since it's just the first step, let me tell you what our vision is. Please note that I'm talking about a vision and not about things "that are planned". That's because we will carefully listen to what your wishes and ideas are and even though it's obvious we won't be able to implement all of those, together we will make sure that we're addressing things that are important.

We see Exploration as a unique world filled with places you can visit, explore, where you meet your friends and strangers alike. Where there is ALWAYS a new place to go, new yland uncharted, new challenge to accept. Place where you build yourself a home, a place which you can make sure will be there and won't get wiped with any update. Place, where you can enjoy whatever new we introduce without starting a new game every single time.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/bf26b2735dd89fe5c7c6a88aef3b77bdf41a686a.jpg)

A world where we care more about things that are broken than adding new features at all cost. That doesn't mean that there will be no new content by all means. Even though many of you believe we should add flying vehicles, trains, submarines and a thousand other things as soon as possible (just like we ourselves used to believe), we will primarily focus on making sure that what's already in the game works as expected. That it's fun. That you can live amazing stories with your friends.

Now let me get back to the update at hand. This update was huge, the changes we made under the hood were quite big so there were some issues that need fixing - for example the one that prevents players from eating under some circumstances. We've already found and fixed the most annoying issues reported and will be releasing a hotfix today or tomorrow.

Let me thank you again for your patience. Stay safe and classy, ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 08, 2021, 02:28:43 AM
Dev Diary #158 - New Frosty Goodies
Thu, 7 January 2021

Hey there Ylanders!

It's getting a bit chilly outside 🥶 So I thought I'd show you some of the cool stuff coming in the next Goodie Pack 😇

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/003f2b6a9cdd444786d17374d6e395d8d9dc54a3.png)

A lot of new items and creatures are coming in the next Goodie pack, so I sneaked into the polar regions and took a snap of a few of them. The whole theme of the Goodie Pack revolves around coldest places on earth, and so we added a host of new creatures to inhabit these regions. So you'll be able to befriend a Reindeer and run away from a Snow Tiger. And of course beware the fierce Wolverine 😬 But even more ancient beings will appear in Random Encounters: The Mighty JΦTUNN!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d3b8170a68a33f6212dd4fcf2f6cf32aed5064cc.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/20c9fd69fb21c53bde873e0941f6b1977d6b43ad.png)

You'll also need some warm clothes, so either put on some tried and trusted expedition gear or don the latest in Expedition fashion. You'll also get some new research equipment to decorate your humble Expedition Station, which you'll be able to equip with some new metal doors, plastic pylons and ice formations 🧊

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7772ce751ed930d2ceee5fc1bc06296a32179cef.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/89a7b20d4661c522bdbdf6b013308bb7b37e8b78.png)

Coupled with that the new Goodie Pack will come with some new exciting Random Encounters and a slew of bug fixes, that our team has been tirelessly working on, though even more bug fixes are planned for the Major Update 1.6 🥳

So until then, stay classy and warm Ylanders 😁


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 14, 2021, 02:00:37 PM
Dev Diary #159 - Ylands Creators Competition Winners
Thu, 14 January 2021

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97b2bae7ef21c4b57b385a34060b8cdf20fd5028.png)


https://youtu.be/aSYdJTrrgO4


Salutations Ylanders!

So it's finally here! The first-ever Ylands Creators Competition Winners Announcement! 🤩

And first of all, let me stress, ALL entrants were great. There were loads of truly fantastic games and we really really enjoyed playing them. But there can only by a certain amount of winners, so here we go:



Best Game Award

1st place - ☆TINY SEA☆ (Spyler & Christal) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8712

2nd place - NEXT GENERATION (Mello1223) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8739

3rd place - Puzzle RPG - Spirit Guardians: Dalvanie (Eucha) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8821

4th place - Lochford Horror 3 (Euphe) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8605

5th place - Police Pursuit (P1 Gaming) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8931



Special Category Award

Best action game - ☆TINY SEA☆ (Spyler & Christal) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8712

Best RPG game - Rigale (Cernunos) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8622

Best puzzle game - NEXT GENERATION (Mello1223) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8739

Best narrative game - Lochford Horror 3 (Euphe) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8605

Best composition - Santa's Workshop (HanniNanni & Dr Hase) https://play.ylands.com/asset/8733



Congratulations to all winners, but if you haven't won in this round, do not fear, because VERY SOON a new season of the Ylands Creators Competition will begin 🤩 And if it's just half as awesome as this one, it's going to be...AWESOME 🎉

So try out the games of the winners but also all the other games that were made for this fantastic competition and till next time, stay classy Ylanders 😊



P.S. Join us tomorrow on
ylands
 at 16:00 CET to play the winning games and more with me 😁 And don't hesitate to jump into Ylands to join in the fun while we're at it. I'd appreciate it 😅


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 29, 2021, 01:11:01 AM
Dev Diary #161 - New Ship Type
Thu, January 28, 2021

https://youtu.be/NmEn1yUteeE


tl;dr
- New Ship - The Junk Ship
- It's many uses
- A change in the team

Hey there Ylanders!

Today I have two pieces of news to share with you. First, let's begin with some new cool content, that will be arriving in the next Goodie Pack: The Junk Ship!

This has been quite exciting for us because we weren't sure we'll manage to finish the development on this beauty on time, but because of some really hard work by our team, it will appear in the next mini-update. This new ship will bring countless new possibilities to your builds and a missing Eastern feel to our growing navy 🤩 The first Junk Ships appeared during the Han dynasty in the 2nd century and were an integral part of river and sea voyages throughout history up until today in and around China and her neighbours. The supposedly largest Junk Ship ever built was that of Admiral Zheng He. It had nine masts, was 130 metres long and 55 metres wide 🤯

While our junk ships won't resemble those of the legendary Zheng He, they will be pretty easy to build and will be as fast as a small wooden ship, making it a great vessel to start your adventures on 😁 Also it is an absolute must when travelling to the Eastern Biome regions as it will fit right in 😀

And the second piece of news is a bit bittersweet because after nearly two years having fun with all of you and working on one of the most exciting projects I will be leaving Ylands in three weeks time. It really was a great honour and wonderful experience to start my gaming industry career with you all and I couldn't have asked for a more chill and classy group of individuals 🤗 But as with every great story, there comes an end and it is time for me to sail off to my next adventure. We are already searching for someone fun to replace me and take care of you all and this is by no means a goodbye from me. I'll still be here for three weeks, so this is not my last Dev Diary and we'll have time to chat some more. And even after I leave, I will always take an interest what's happening on my favourite Exploration and Creative platform 😊 But in no sense is my leaving because of any dissatisfaction with the community or Ylands, quite the opposite I have really enjoyed every second of it chatting with you, seeing Ylands grow and improve while making silly videos and getting to know you all during our Streams 🙃 Just a new adventure called and me being the adventuring type I had to heed that call. So again, thank you all for your kindness, creativity and classiness and I'll see you around.

So until next time, stay classy Ylanders.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 03, 2021, 02:50:54 AM
Goodie Pack #3
Tue, 2 February 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3e41291a9b0ca12bdd0e17602bcff50c0e0cd243.png)

Highlights

Polar assets - Whether you are a bold Explorer planning to visit arctic regions or a Creator making a game from icy lands, you will love this update. And if the cold isn't your cup of tea - give a try to the brand new Junk ship!

Fixes - many of them addressing the most critical issues experienced when playing the new experimental Exploration


New assets


New creature: Jφtunn
New creature: Wolverine
New creature variant: Reindeer
New creature variant: Snow tiger

Plastic pillar blocks (4)
Snow blocks (26)
Metal door
Inuit hat
Inuit parka
Expedition gear
Knitted cap
Santa armour boots
Frost armour
Research equipment (3)
Ice formations (5)
Inuit idols (5)

Junk Ship
Junk sails
Junk hull
Kayak

Additions / Tweaks

[YLD-28117] Tweaked: Unsummmoning ship with a padlock on the helm will now remove the padlock from the helm

Fixes

[YLD-28023] Fix: / Tweak: Exploration player data (character, ship) are now saved during the exploration session, instead of just at the end which should prevent players from losing a significant amount of their progress. The approximate time between player saves updates corresponds to the game save period - 10min by default.
[YLD-27976] Fixed: In some cases, you were not able to control a ship with engines after you unsummoned it and summoned it in one game
[YLD-26776] Fixed: A wrong count was shown when crafting planks
[YLD-28123] Fixed: You were able to claim ownership of an unknown but padlocked ship
[YLD-28285] Fixed: Objects or project table couldn't be placed near ship blueprints
[YLD-28286] Fixed: Items disappearing twice from the inventory when dropped on the ship
[YLD-27934] Fixed: If a sleep request was pending in multiplayer, the UI icon would stay on even after joining another server
[YLD-26388] Fixed: Heavy FPS drop on mobile devices when aiming with guns
[YLD-28176] Fixed: Dig action event was triggered twice on a pickaxe which breaks visual scripting
[YLD-28284] Fixed: It is not possible to place some animals from Hotbar if switching to them from any weapon
[YLD-27380] Fixed: Profile screen displays incorrect name when opening the profile popup for the first time
[YLD-28530] Fixed: Rented servers: When the Workshop is down, trying to host a game from it results in the game data corruption.
[YLD-28430] Fixed: Keybinds not loading correctly after restarting the game
[YLD-28434] Fixed: When you click the Message button in the Social screen, it redirects you to the chat screen, but with the wrong user selected
[YLD-28016] Fixed: Blueprint Camera shines the flash all the time, not only when actually shooting
[YLD-28038] Fixed: CTD: Crash when you try split stack of items inside inventory container to already a full stack of items
[YLD-27259][YLD-28309][YLD-28325] Fixed: 3D Game Logic icons should are sometimes nor properly rotated

[YLD-28327] Fixed: Editor: Editing particles on equipment in the Player role does not work correctly
[YLD-28165] Fixed: Editor: Changing scenario description does not work
[YLD-28115] Fixed: Editor: Unique items are mergeable with non-unique ones of the same type in some cases
[YLD-28032] Fixed: Editor: NPC with a weapon with a particle in hand in Entity template breaks Object properties window
[YLD-27218] Fixed: Editor: 3D GameLogic icons have the horizon visible through them

[YLD-28177] Fixed: VS: Script tiles sometimes overlap each other

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 05, 2021, 12:47:41 AM
Dev Diary #162 - Goodie Pack #3
Thu, 4 February 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3e41291a9b0ca12bdd0e17602bcff50c0e0cd243.png)

Hey there Ylanders!

Some of you might have noticed some cool new stuff arriving in Ylands this Tuesday and you'd be absolutely right! The Goodie Pack #3 is out and it is full of cool new assets to play around with.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/913ec13da0332325012272e9edcdfb3d73d4f6b8.png)

First of we have the inclusion of a new culture in Ylands, the Inuits. These descendants of the Thule people inhabit the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada and Alaska and are experts of living in the most dangerous and life-threatening environments. They have a rich and old culture and while we did our best to emulate it, we in no way claim to be absolute experts 😅 But we have added some Inuit clothes attire, that will be of great help to Arctic explorers planning on making their base in the land of ice 😊 There are also a few Inuit idols, that you can use to decorate your arctic home and give homage to the people of the Great White North.

But there is more to aid your expedition, including the newly added expedition gear, knitted cap and research equipment. You can also use new Plastic pillar blocks and add a Metal door to the mix to complete the Expedition Research Station.

Beware though, because new dangers will inhabit the snowy biomes too, including a number of new animals. We have the fearsome Wolverine and dangerous Snow Tiger to contend with, while you'll also be able to come upon the Reindeer (if it flies, please call Santa but also send us logs 😂). These should make the colder biomes a bit more diverse 😁 In the Editor, you can also youse the mighty Jφtunn straight from Norse mythology and in update 1.6 they will be making appearances in Exploration as well in new Random Encounters, so watch out 😊

And finally something more for the Eastern biome the beautiful Junk Ship, which we talked about at length last week. It is a cheap option to get your Exploring underway and to blend into the Eastern biomes well. But for even the earlier early game or for just short trips on a map we have also added the trusty kayak, which should fill the space between a raft and a small boat.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/3d8ed13cc5fe8d5bc6d388ab8c33b54bbf47c853.gif)

There were also a slew of bug fixes, which should make life in Experimental Exploration a little bit easier 😁 So check out the changelog to find out more about these and as always if you find a bug, please let us know and if you have any feedback, please let us know since we are still actively gathering issues from the new Exploration and taking them on board to make the experience as good as possible 🤗

And so until next time, stay classy Ylanders.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 12, 2021, 01:57:40 AM
Dev Diary #163 - Future of the Barrier
Thu, 11 February 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/97499fba3c03990ce3502e2aff6310c7c2f36713.png)

tl;dr
- Not happy with the barrier
- Rework of building and map protection
- Removing the barrier
- Adam leaving, Marci filling in

Hey there, fellow ylanders, it's Aleš here!

Today I would like to tell you a bit more about changes you can expect in 1.6's Exploration. We will talk about protecting what's yours and setting the game world rules to fit your idea of the perfect place.

Let's start by saying that we don't really like how the barrier works in the game right now and even though it has served its purpose for a long time we think we could make a better, cleaner, more intuitive solution. Let's first discuss what the barrier is actually good for and how can we make sure these things will still work well when it's gone. The main areas where the barrier came in handy were these:

•   it allowed players to create buildings they could easily dismantle for whatever the reason was
•   it protected your little piece of the world from damage caused by other players, but also it prohibited them from doing things like removing terrain and such
•   it protected your avatar against damage

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5b54f00beb0afb59e04edb8945556b14854e3184.png)

Not only wasn't the barrier concept very intuitive to new players, but it had several shortcomings (that we always planned to fix, but never got to it). It couldn't be moved when placed. It wasn't big enough. And most importantly, you only had one. This last thing has become a major blocker now with the new Exploration which is actually centred around the idea of travelling among distant locations and even though you can have one home where you return and where you could have the barrier, we feel it's extremely limiting. So we are planning to introduce these features:

•   improved building via the new workstation (we already covered that here)
•   allowing yland owners to set the rules for their maps

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5c77beebfa203c229f2afc3412ceb14eda6cb792.png)

The first feature we already covered (see here https://ylands.com/community/topic/29514-dev-diary-160-building-in-exploration/)
We want to give you full control over your games and that's something that isn't possible with the barrier. As a result, the barrier will be removed from the game in 1.6 and in its stead game owners will be able to set up rules on what can different types of visitors do in this particular world. We believe you will find this extremely useful 😊

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b0bb1bd9d764f889662e49c6cfd5363ced722ed2.png)

And then there's another thing I would like to mention. As you probably know, our Community manager Adam is leaving next week. We are currently looking very intensely for a replacement, but before we find one, Marci will try to take care of some of Adam's duties as best as he can. What does this mean? Since Marci has enough work as it is you can experience a bit longer response times on our side. Fortunately, there are already some awesome players who are a great help to us on the forums plus I will ask other devs to keep checking the forum (especially the bug forum). Hopefully, this state won't last too long.

At the same time, if you ever encounter an issue that you consider critical or anything that requires our immediate attention, don't hesitate and PM me directly on our game forums. I will do my best to reply as soon as I can.

That's it for today, we will talk to you again next Thursday and so until then... stay healthy and classy, ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 19, 2021, 04:03:16 AM
Dev Diary #164 - Special ylands and Leaderboards
Thu, 18 February 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/371e67ee6c5724efbaab4192842dd5acdc0e4f2d.png)

Hey there, fellow ylanders!

Here we are with yet another portion of 1.6 goodies and today we‘ll talk about both something for Creators and something nice you‘ll experience in the new Exploration.

So what is it that the Creators may like? Let‘s say that you are making a small cool action game where the goal is to score as many points as possible. That‘s great but what‘s the point in having such a game when you can‘t store the best scores and show it to players to make them try harder, to give them more incentive? So in 1.6 we plan to introduce something we call Global leaderboards. Regardless of how many instances of your game are running at the same time, they can all store and retrieve (and show) ... well... global leaderboards. :) We are looking forward to seeing players compete with each other and we might even have a competition in future about getting the highest score in selected games! Also, if you‘re a Creator, you really shouldn‘t miss the next Dev Diary where we‘re going to talk about something really great that we‘re going to introduce with 1.6 (hype intended).


Before I get to introduce a new Exploration feature, I would like to quickly address some questions from the last Dev Diary we posted. Firstly blueprints - in the new Exploration you will be able to use blueprint camera only on ylands where you have appropriate privileges. Our plans, however, are to do a big blueprint upgrade in 1.7 because we feel they hold a great potential we have only barely touched. We will be able to provide more information about this sometime after 1.6 is released. There has also been a question asked about setting specific Exploration ylands as PvP/PvE only. We looked into this and while we understand that this is an important setting to have we ran into some non-trivial issues when looking for ways to do this properly and so this will be in some form present in 1.7.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/0f5b1d151b41ff48ff699484bc5e80615b974593.jpg)

And the cool new 1.6 feature for today? Well, we have been working on a system that allows us to present you, the players, with much more than an yland when you sail to a new location. With 1.6 you will be able to come across specific locations, custom-made, non-generated scenes. What does it mean? Imagine you sail to an uncharted yland on the regional map and instead of the ylands you‘re used to you come across something very unique - like a small floating outpost. This can be pretty much anything and the great thing is that we can keep adding these „random encounter scenes“ without having to update the game. We believe this will enhance the greatly the exploration aspect of the game.

The question some of you will very likely ask is - if you can make custom ylands and expose them to players in Exploration, can I do that as well? Can I create my own yland (city ... or anything else) in the Editor and then have it in Exploration? The short answer would be: not... yet . But we are getting there and it is something that definitely deserves it‘s own Dev Diary.


That‘s it for this week, I‘ll talk to you next Thursday and until then... stay healthy and classy, ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 26, 2021, 02:52:43 AM
Dev Diary #165 - A different kind of scripting
Thu, 25 February 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/371e67ee6c5724efbaab4192842dd5acdc0e4f2d.png)

Hey there, fellow ylanders.

After we‘ve talked about several Exploration improvements you will find in the next update 1.6, today we focus on something big that Creators will surely like (if you‘re interested in Exploration, don‘t worry, there‘s plenty more cool stuff in 1.6 we‘ve yet to talk about).

We‘ve seen a lot of amazing creations that pushed the limit of what is possible with visual scripting (and many time genuinely surprised us). Games like this make us, the whole platform, move forward, but it also showed more clearly what is not really surprising. Visual scripting is a great tool for learning, for making simple-to-medium complex games, but once the game complexity reaches a certain level, working with the visual script, navigating through it and in general making the code intuitive and easy to work with because really difficult.

That‘s why with 1.6 we‘re bringing you a beta version of non-visual scripting. You will be able to create text scripts, that can be attached to Entities and Game logic object in the editor and when the game runs this script will be executed in a similar way to the visual script.

(http://https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f8f93e99247ea941585eb10aaafe44e0e38e57c5.png)


The fact is that internally the visual script has always been a visualization of javascript-like language so now you will get the chance to bypass the visual scripting and type in the code directly. Instead of describing these features in many more paragraphs, we put together a short FAQ that will, hopefully, answer most of your questions. We are looking forward to discussing with you this topic more in the followup discussion.

Q: You said „beta version“ - what does it mean?
A: This feature requires a lot of work based on a lot of feedback that we would like to get from you, the Creators. Therefore it is very likely that 1.7 may bring some changes and you will be required to go through your scripts and update them. Also, as always with a feature of such size, there may be bugs. The more feedback you provide, the better it will get.

Q: What language is it? What syntax can we expect?
A: The syntax and commands (the „generic“ ones, not the ones specific to Ylands) is pretty much javascript (even its file extension is .js). However, it‘s not 100% javascript, since it does not support some features, so you can probably think of it as a javascript subset. You will find more about this in the online documentation.

Q: Is this meant to replace visual scripting?
A: Absolutely not. For us, visual scripting remains the primary way of scripting and we will keep improving it in future.

Q: Can we use both scripting and visual scripting in one game?
A: Sure!

Q: Will there be some sort of editor, IDE we will be able to use to edit the script?
A: No, not at this time. With so many cool editors out there supporting .js syntax we‘d like to focus on other areas of the scripting/game - at least for the time being.

That‘s it for today - don‘t hesitate to ask about anything that remains unclear and I‘ll talk to you next week. Until then - stay healthy and classy, ylanders!

Let us know what you think on our forums!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 05, 2021, 01:49:39 AM
Dev Diary #166 - Editor and Exploration
Thu, 4 March 2021

Hey there, fellow ylanders.

Originally I planned to discuss some cool new features and improvements update 1.6 will introduce but seeing the discussions about the current state of the game and where it‘s headed, I thought it's more important to react to these instead.

Let me start by addressing the concerns about us focusing mostly on the Editor/platform instead of Exploration.

In the past years, we have spent a lot of time working on the Editor, the Workshop and the platform in general. During this time it was our primary focus, and this meant that - unfortunately - Exploration got less love than what we would have wanted. That is a fact, and we understand the disappointment of those who wanted us to improve Exploration in the first place. While we did make some Exploration improvements, these were not necessarily enough. We are also aware that some features are now actually might even be worse than they used to (probably the biggest issue is still maps being smaller).

All of this happened because of three reasons.

This year Ylands will be officially released in China (which is something that only a few dozen „western“ games achieve each year) and thanks to the support from our team here, now, months before the release, the platform there already contains hundreds of games. For Ylands, a project that we still plan to develop for many years to come, this is obviously very important.

The second reason is something we haven‘t talked about yet, but since some of you already started asking - and we are close enough to start discussing this as well; here we go. Often in the past, actually even years ago, when the Editor and platform was nothing like they are now, we kept being approached by teachers from various countries who were interested in using Ylands and its visual scripting and easy to pick-up systems, as tools to teach kids the basics of scripting & programming. At that time we didn‘t feel ready to provide such a solution, but now we got to a point where we can and want to; so this year we plan on introducing Ylands to schools as a learning tool. At first here, in the Czech Republic, followed by other countries. The Ylands version for schools will be pretty much the standard Ylands you know and love but stripped of some features (quite obviously monetization and some others). We have all the features we wanted to have but it took us long to get here.

So what‘s next?

Exploration.

We have already started focusing on Exploration with update 1.5 and that has brought a major change to the basic gameplay loop. Instead of playing many Exploration games, building your structures, ships only to lose them when you start another Exploration game, you now play in a large Exploration universe where you can keep your progress, explore any number of ylands - be it local games, games hosted on dedicated servers or locally hosted by other players.

In 1.6 we will continue with these improvements. We got rid of the barrier and will give you more power over your ylands. We are adding new ways to build with your friends and tools to prevent visitors to your ylands doing any harm. We are giving you better ways of building. We even made a lot of smaller improvements that you asked for (like introducing a rake, an object you can use to smooth terrain, etc.). Actually, there is so much cool Exploration-related stuff in 1.6 that for the first time we won‘t be able to introduce all of it in Dev Diaries before it comes out!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/9b4f0de11f4abdad666427a67bbf22fef13362cc.jpg)

And the updates past 1.6? Again, a ton of cool Exploration features, fixes and improvements.

We are already planning something that will make the maps much, much bigger (the actual local maps where you move without loading). In 1.6 we, the devs, are already able to create special unique scenes in the Editor that then can be found in Exploration by players (think of Random Encounters, but entire islands). In the future, we will give the same power to you. That is how the Editor and Exploration will „click together“ and all the time and effort we put into Editor will be beneficial even for the only-Exploration players. Imagine Exploration with custom made worlds, that can be pretty much anything...


And that is, actually, the third reason why we focused so much on having a working Editor/platform first (if you look back in forum posts and Dev Diaries, you will find we dreamed this up this looooong time ago).

That is what the future of Ylands is.

I hope that this answers some of your questions (and maybe even concerns) about the future of Ylands and what role Exploration and the Editor play in it. I understand that this covers only parts of what your concerns are, and I will continue in the next Dev Diary with some other topics like server stability, our plans to get more players to play Exploration and anything else you ask for in the discussion below this post. Please note that with CM gone (we are already talking with some promising candidates) and finalizing features for 1.6 we may not be able to answer everything you ask right away and it may take some time / it will be answered in the next Dev Diary.

That‘s it for today, I will talk to you next Thursday so until then... stay healthy and classy, ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 14, 2021, 07:51:22 PM
Dev Diary #167 Fixing Exploration
Thu, March 11, 2021


Hey there, fellow ylanders.

Today I would like to continue talking about some of the concerns you have voiced and the problems that you’ve faced.

One of the most common complaints was about the quality of the servers; progress being lost or wiped. I know this did happen quite often in the past (especially with Exploration games after 1.5 - that’s one of the reasons Exploration was marked as “experimental”) but with several fixes released post 1.5, we believe this shouldn’t happen anymore. There still may be some hidden bugs that under some circumstances require a server restart, but I promise we'll do our best to eliminate these as well. Due to how the game works now, even if a restart happens - in no case should the player lose more than around 10 minutes of the progress. If your current experience differs, please let us know on our forums and feel free to PM me. I will do my best to help you with that.

Another thing I promised to talk about is the size of the Ylands community. By focusing on the platform more than on Exploration in the last few years we've lost a lot of the players we initially had. We also made some unpopular decisions such as going F2P, that caused the community to shrink further. At the same time, we didn’t really try actively to bring more players to Exploration because we wanted to fix it, improve it ... but never really got to it until now.

So our plan right now is to release 1.6 before the end of this month. This update will bring a lot of cool new features to Exploration and fix many of the issues you've reported (missing smoothing tool, overpowered propeller pack, and more). We hope that by fixing and improving Exploration, we will eventually get to an amazing experience that you all be happy with. We have already started working on two major features for 1.7, which are directly based on your feedback and will, without any doubt, make Exploration much better and closer to what we all want it to be. We will start talking with you about those immediately after 1.6 is released.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5ee7b42dff2d40a8867e4d3076054571ff443336.png)

We are so confident about 1.7 being a major Exploration improvement that we are planning to actively start bringing players into Ylands again. At that point we would like to ask those who have left at any point, disappointed by the state of the game, to come back and see what we’ve done with it with the last 3 updates. At the same time, we will let even those who don’t own Exploration to try it in a limited way (currently we’re thinking of limiting them to their starting yland, however, we will allow other players to visit them - if they own the DLC).

So that’s our plan. I understand the disappointment of those who were more interested in Exploration than Editor, but I truly believe that if they spare a few minutes to check out the new Exploration this summer, they will be pleasantly surprised.

That's it for today - next week I will tell you more about what great Exploration features you can expect in update 1.6. Until then, as always... stay healthy and classy, ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 29, 2021, 11:59:56 PM
Update 1.6: Trading Territories
Mon, 29 March 2021

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/298610/ss_93509e8d89c1f585d2732fd877119655bdafeccc.1920x1080.jpg)

tl;dr
🏝️ Handcrafted Exploration ylands
🏝️ Vendor crafting
🏝️ Many many, Exploration improvements & changes
🏝️ Text scripting
🏝️ Global leaderboards
...and more!

https://youtu.be/7rhjNFNVF_g


Clean your spyglasses and tighten the riggings - we are charting a course to ylands no one had seen before! Update 1.5 meant a new dawn for Exploration and we are continuing the trend with update 1.6 - Trading Territories.


The biggest feature of this update is the ability to encounter completely customized, hand-built ylands while exploring your world map - carefully created and curated by us. In the future, not only player created ylands, but entire games will be discoverable this way. Think of the possibilities!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/22abb3d8f92f8af6937caa8f75e61757400ef962.png)

Players will also be able to set rules on an yland-to-yland basis now, giving them control over who can visit & build on their lands.

For the hardcore creators we have a real treat in this update: the beta version of our text-scripting API, that will allow unprecedented flexibility for all you creators out there!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/cbd3802c92aa916fedc8c25564c99bea989d5d88.png)

Of course, we have sprinkled quite a few other amazing features, so read on to find out more!

Update 1.6 - Trading Territories - major features


Handcrafted Exploration ylands:
think of these as random encounters on steroids! Entire ylands, flora & fauna, carefully crafted by our designers, ready to offer you never before seen sights and truly unique Exploration adventures. And this is just the beginning, in the future you'll see holiday themed ylands, player created ylands and even entire game modes showing up in your Exploration games!


Building station:
just stand next to this amazing new invention and feel like the weight of the world lifting from your shoulders as you fly around its area of effect, making building a breeze.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d8cb09aa58d67c6c2eac4f092062b4303cbb74fa.png)


Vendor crafting:
ever felt you need more trading in your Exploration games? With the new vendor crafting station, this can now be a reality!


My yland, My rules:
players will now able to set rules for every ylands they discover (and belongs to them), enabling who can build & where, giving them full ownership of the yland.


Other Exploration changes:
we have changed quite a few Exploration bits; the barrier is now gone from the early game, the propeller pack is now not game-breakingly powerful & changes to how "block hardening" is handled means a more streamlined Exploration experience. And let's not forget about an addition that will warm the heart of all the homeowners...a rake, for all your terrain smoothing needs!


Text scripting:
a new extremely powerful way to code your games within the Editor - the new scripting API will let the best creators out there use our own specialised version of JavaScript to create games of never-before seen complexity. We cannot wait to see what you can come up with!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/917c5da4bb65d56c118b82b907b713875da557c5.png)


Global leaderboards:
Creators will now be able to implement leaderboards that span the entire game, across servers and instances of their games, collecting competing players' data from within the entire Ylands ecosystem! Daily & weekly breakdowns will make sure there is always something or someone to compete with.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d9668ba13bfa3bb71d04d0c8a0f63be97477d206.png)


Misc. changes & addition:
as usual, we have also added numerous quality of life changes to both Exploration and the Editor and squashed more bugs that we can remember,


To read about the nitty gritty details, follow this link to the changelog.

To keep track of all the latest news, follow Ylands on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Until next time, stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 10, 2021, 11:34:59 PM
Dev Diary #171: Crafting Improvements
Thu, 8 April 2021

Hey there, fellow ylanders.

We are currently finalizing a patch
that will fix some things that have popped up since we‘ve released update 1.6 and are fully focusing on version 1.7
so it seems like a good time to start discussing some of the features (or changes) we are currently working on.

One of the things we would like to address in the next update is crafting recipes
and how you learn these. We already have a huge number of items you can craft in the games (and, as promised, will be adding recipes for more existing objects based on your feedback). Right now there are over 2000 recipes in the game - which is quite a lot.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b03a4ea3e644eb9186aa8f655a4f809303fe7a5e.png)

Being able to craft so many things is good, but working with so many recipes is not an easy task... and neither is learning them. In the past players used to learn those gradually based on some relationships between the objects they crafted and those unknown to them. This, however, wasn't working very well, so currently, the players have access to all the recipes right from the beginning. Even though they are divided into categories, finding what can be crafted can be quite painstaking and not fun at all. Also, and that‘s actually the most important thing, there‘s no fun in uncovering new recipes, no awarding those that deserve it.

To improve this game part we plan to do the following:

* dramatically reduce the number of recipes available right from the start. We will divide all the recipes into two categories - let‘s call them „core“ and „fun“. The core ones (mostly things needed to progress through the game) you will know right from the start. The rest (the absolute majority) you will uncover during your travels. So those, who explore, will have more interesting clothes, prettier houses, finer statues.

* group some entities even further, so instead of 20+ hay building blocks blocking (pun intended) what you see in the list you will see one „hay building blocks“ group

* do some UX tweaks to existing UI

We believe this change will have a major impact on gameplay
. The exploration will feel much more rewarding, players‘ clothing and housing will be highly differentiated. This is also the reason why we won‘t let players choose when starting a new Exploration game whether they already know all the recipes - we want the world to feel real and plan to add the possibility of sharing the recipes with others.

That's it for today and we will talk to you again in a week. Until then, as always, stay healthy and classy, ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 29, 2021, 11:44:41 PM
Dev Diary #174 Stream Q&A
Thu, 29 April 202

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/371e67ee6c5724efbaab4192842dd5acdc0e4f2d.png)

Hey there, fellow ylanders!


The regular streams we‘re doing with Naru are a lot of fun and we get to answer a lot of questions from you, the players. Unfortunately, sometimes it‘s impossible to provide all the information you seek because it first needs to be consulted with the team. So today I‘ll post answers to such questions here and the next week we‘ll return to talking about the cool Exploration / Editor features, which the 1.7 update is going to bring.

Q: Can the Ylands Team add random encounters without uploading the game client? Or was that just for Custom Scenario islands?


A: At this point, it is possible only for custom scenario ylands.



Q: Will we be able to customize the appearance of the new vendors?


A: Technically it is definitely possible. We‘ve put it in our suggestion list, but it has a low priority.



Q: Can we change the terrain to y=0 in Editor?


A: To put this simply - the visible mesh is calculated from voxel terrain data and there is certain imprecision that is difficult to get rid of. So, unfortunately, there is currently no easy way for us to align the terrain precisely with the plane at zero y coordinate.



Q: When will the players be able to transport tamed animals and vehicles by ship? Is there an estimate for this time? (yes/no is ok)


A: We‘ve already tested various solutions and there are some serious issues with this (not unsolvable but requiring substantial time that would have to be taken away from other features) so in the end, we are leaning towards the idea of allowing (un)summoning those instead of transporting them. We would like to have this feature in the 1.8 update .



Q: Can the players have a branch of the tech tree for refining oil?


A: This is a neat idea and we‘re storing it for later (possibly when we do a major update of energy)


Q: Are we bringing back the repair system?


A: What is a very high priority for us is being able to repair ships so that players can engage in naval battles. We‘ll try to bring this to the game as soon as possible (sometime past 1.7).

The damage/repair system for items is something that we would like to bring back at some point but in a different, more interesting way. However, it‘s not currently slated for either 1.7 or 1.8.


Q: Can we have more slots in the toolbox?


A: That is definitely a problem and we‘ll fix that in the upcoming 1.7 update .



Q: Can creators get the hit position for thrown objects (grenades and arrows)?


A: This is currently not possible (basically right now whenever an object is fired/thrown it becomes a different entity and is stripped of most of its data), but we understand that this can be very handy and so we will look into it some more.





Q: Can creators create groups using scripting?


A: Not really. At this point the groups don‘t exist in the game, they are just a helpful way of putting together objects in the Editor and in the game this information is not present.


Q: Can players add grass terrain (like sand/dirt) in Exploration?


A: This is something we are currently discussing - not only this type of terrain but maybe also being able to „pick“ some water and drop it someplace else. We‘ll keep you posted.


Q: Can creators get a better raycast for where the players are looking


A: TL;DR: Right now it‘s not possible, but it should be in future.
Detailed answer: This is a good question because it touches an „issue“ that affects a lot of scripting done by creators. The way things work in Ylands is, that in the multiplayer, absolute majority of the game is simulated on the server and very few on the client. When you play a single-player local game, this isn‘t an issue. But when it‘s multiplayer, it‘s when things get ugly. For example, all the scripting is performed on the server, while the camera is handled only locally and the server doesn‘t have any information about where each player is looking (because it doesn‘t really care about that and in MP you always want to send as little data between a client and a server as possible). This is also why it‘s not easy for us to add some specific instructions. Imagine you would want us to add a feature where you would (on a mobile device) want to evaluate a pinch gesture to say, zoom your camera. While this would work well in locally run singleplayer, in a MP game we would have to send the current gestures data to the server, it would act based on that and send back the result to the client. If your latency is high, say 150ms, it would take 300 ms for you to see the effect of your action. Be assured that if the game took one third of a second to react to your gestures (or even more) it would be useless.
There are two ways of solving this. Firstly it‘s some sort of prediction (which we already use with some things like player‘s movement) but which needs to be specifically tailored to every feature/use case or by allowing some scripts to run locally and perform some actions without having to communicate with the server.
If you‘re among the creators that keep running into this problem you may be happy to hear that we are already discussing how to implement some sort of "local scripting" and even though I can‘t give you any timeframe at this point, we feel that this is extremely important and want to have it in the game as soon as possible.


Q: Can the players use a compass while riding/flying potion/driving?


A: Sure, we‘ll add that.




So, that‘s it for today. I will see you next week and until then... stay healthy and classy, ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 06, 2021, 11:53:12 PM
Dev Diary #175 Yland Hopping
Thu, 6 May 2021


Well hello there, Ylanders!

Whether you are an experienced adventurer or a rookie sailor, there is always more to explore!

And to give you an even more exciting journey of discovery, in the 1.7 update, we would like to implement a system of scenarios, which we hope, would challenge you in completely new ways.

You asked us to give you some sense of progression through the game - and this is it. We are going to introduce a kind of "experience points" that will let you open specific ylands. These ylands could be just about anything, so you would have to be on the lookout for a mind twisting puzzle, a hard-hitting boss fight or maybe even something utterly indescribable! Once you "complete" this yland, you will receive a reward for all of your hard work.

We expect the primary way of increasing the experience level through random encounters, so as you keep exploring the world and bumping into unexpected events, you would level up as an adventurer and would be more ready to tackle more and more challenging scenarios. And to enable you to gather up friends you've made along the journey of exploration, these milestone scenarios would be available in multiplayer as well. These would, however, still require a certain level of experience to access.
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/9211536b032fdd564620367b59b6f601baf78c00.png)

We believe that this will add a lot of fun to Exploration and we are looking forward to telling you more details soon :)

That's everything for today's dev diary. We will continue working on the 1.7 update and keep you informed!

In the meantime....

Stay classy, Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 13, 2021, 11:37:45 PM
Dev Diary #176 What comes after 1.7
Thu, 13 May 2021

The first pieces of information about the 1.8 update

Hey there, fellow ylanders!


A lot of you have been asking about what will the updates beyond 1.7 bring and so today I would like to give you some information about 1.8, which will be mostly focused on polishing and adjusting.

As you know, we have been working really hard on making Exploration much better and some quite radical changes have been done. So far, you, the players, seem to like where we‘re headed, which is reassuring. However, the game can't be made better just by throwing in massive changes.

So far we have received literally thousands of pieces of feedback. Ideas on how to improve features. What you are missing. What you don‘t like.

You might have noticed (at least we hope you have :) ) that in every update we try to react to such feedback, but it‘s not enough. Because of the major features and big changes, there‘s usually not enough time to fix smaller things. Some may think that these things are not that important, that we would be better off adding feature X or Y. But the truth is that when there are many such things (and there are), the overall experience suffers. This may not be such a problem for a long time Ylands players who are already accustomed to some of our weird quirks, but this is something that needs to be taken care of before we try to attract more players back to our game.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/38af055b9d68186804e9eb5b542d296ca5cc8f84.png)

And that‘s why 1.8 will be mainly about polishing. We are going through your feedback and deciding what are the things that you (and the game) need and which we haven‘t managed to fix. It can be a small annoying UI thing or something that a larger game system is missing (how can one have naval battles when ships can‘t be damaged...(sad) ). Just to give you some examples - an easier way to share games with other players, building improvements, being able to carry a torch while holding a weapon and much more.

So what would YOU like us to fix?

With 1.8 released we expect to feel good enough about the game so that we can start actively bringing new players into the game. We consider that a whole new chapter for Exploration.

So, that‘s it for today. I will see you next week and until then... stay healthy and classy, ylanders!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 20, 2021, 10:53:28 PM
Dev Diary #177 Assets Going Forward
Thu, 20 May 2021

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/371e67ee6c5724efbaab4192842dd5acdc0e4f2d.png)

What's happening with assets in the upcoming updates?

Hey there, ylanders!

With 1.7, many big things will be coming to Ylands and we are oh, so excited about them! What’s more, we are even planning some very cool stuff for its release! But more about that another time... Apart from these big changes and improvements, the 1.7 update will also bring something that you may have wondered about and that you have asked about: assets.

In the past, we have released asset packs on a semi-regular basis and we intend to release these in the future as well. But going forward, we want to focus on working on Exploration and that is keeping our artists and designers veeeeery busy (in a good way of course!). Which is why adding new assets will mostly be included in updates rather than separately in the future.

You don’t need to worry that there would be any fewer assets though! We are still going to be bringing new and new things for you to unleash your creativity upon and use them in unexpected ways to come up with incredible creations.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7ed76d35d3eb4d0571c927753285594923e60945.png)

We would also like to see releases of new kinds of assets that would be a part of a holiday event like Halloween or Christmas, or assets connected to a specific time of the year like a summer or a winter pack. We have also been noting down your suggestions and wishes for specific items and we are hoping to grant those wishes as well - so please, keep them coming!

That’s it for this week’s Dev Diary and we’ll be in touch with the next one!

Stay safe, healthy and classy, ylanders!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 29, 2021, 12:42:27 AM
Dev Diary #178 EA Surprise
Thu, 27 May 2021


Hey there fellow Ylanders!

The Ylands team has been hard at work improving Exploration and we are very proud of our work. All this, however, would not be possible without our community and especially those who helped us way back when Ylands was in Early Access. And with today’s Dev Diary, we wanna address you guys specifically.

First of all, we want to mention that we appreciate your support and the time you invested in giving us feedback and helping us along the way. While going through this feedback, we realized that many of the points that were suggested by our EA players are already implemented in the game or are about to be, mainly as part of our polish and adjustment focused 1.8 update. Which is why we would like to invite you back into the game to see for yourself and tell us what you’d still like to see implemented.

In the near future, we will start reaching out to our EA players with a small surprise and we are planning even more EA related activities. Before that happens, we would love to hear from you, tell us what you like, what you’d like to see changed and improved, or simply come say hi and keep in touch!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f9a05bbfd6c3a247eda4287a47ad9cbc5845fbdb.png)

That’s it for today and next week we will give you a sneak peek into a super cool feature that is coming out in 1.7!

Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 02, 2021, 11:33:18 PM
Dev Diary #183 Grateful Experimentation
Thu, 1 July 2021


Hey there, Ylanders!

As we're getting ready to launch the 1.7 update in about a week's time, we need to pause for a moment and acknowledge a specific group of our dedicated players.

Before every release, an important part of the development process is the testing phase. And even though we put a lot of effort into testing ourselves, with a game like Ylands, which has many features and oh so much creative freedom, we are very grateful to our player base testing the experimental version because each of you uses the game in a different creative way and produces combinations of things we never even thought about!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/6e1906b6d34eba1e6d7588cbe16676425a17463c.png)

Especially now, when we are working on fixing issues reported by players using the pre-release experimental version, we wanted to express our gratitude and also encourage more players to take part in this testing in the future. We would love to hear from you if you knew about this testing being an option and if you're thinking about trying it out in the future!


That's it for this week, Ylanders! And very soon, we will be excited to announce that Update 1.7 - Marvelous Mysteries is out!


Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 15, 2021, 11:55:47 PM
Dev Diary #184 Missed the Stream?
Thu, 15 July 2021

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/06fa5abfef6d1f944e56b8c2aeaa69c24b6700e1.png)

Hey there, Ylanders!

As you probably know, our newest update is out! The 1.7 update - Marvelous Mysteries - has now been out for a whole week! We are very excited to hear what you think about this new update, so do let us know!

In case you missed the news, the 1.7 update is packed with cool new features and on top of that many QoL improvements alongside bug fixes.
To point out just a few of these great new features, you can now immerse yourselves in enjoying:
•   Mystery Ylands - if you'd like to spice up your exploration life, try looking around Mystery Ylands. These are special locations, which you can access and solve a mystery, be it a puzzle, a dungeon or a different kind of challenge entirely! If you do that, you will be rewarded of course!
•   The Exploration Demo - if you're not sure you want to commit to purchasing the Exploration DLC, this is the feature for you. You can try out what it's like to live on an yland, you'll learn how to craft and you can even have other players visit you! The demo is not time limited, you cannot leave the starting yland, so if you'd like to venture beyond the borders of this yland, you will need the DLC (which you can now get directly in-game without having to leave, buy and then come back!)
•   Object Brush Tool - if you like playing around in the Editor portion of Ylands, you may have found yourself struggling to make your landscapes nice and full. The Object Brush tool is you best friend then! Use it to span a large amount of objects across your terrain or any other surface in a pattern you choose.
•   Crafting Tweaks - when starting out, you now don't need to be overwhelmed by all the recipes that are available to you. Instead, you progress through a crafting tree as you discover the relevant resources. You can also drag non-workstation recipes into the hotbar and craft directly from there! Should make building things much easier, right?


... and many more!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/161ed685bf06569de75954f7562ed1f98cb46bbe.png)


If you'd like to see the developers talk about and show the new features, you should definitely re-watch the recording from our live stream from earlier this week. You'll get to meet Nikki, Naru, Equi, Rudy and Aleš as your hosts! The stream recording is available here:
 

https://youtu.be/_zFgPkvi414


That's it for this week, so till next time...

Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 22, 2021, 11:48:31 PM
Deav Diary #185 Featuring Creations
Thu, July 22, 2021

Hey there, Ylanders!

While you are now enjoying all the new features of Marvelous Mysteries, we're of course already hard at work polishing things up for the 1.8 update!

In case you missed what 1.8 will be about, head right over to this Dev Diary, which gives a closer look at what we have planned.


A big part of any update is focusing on our wonderful community. With 1.8 it will be doubly true, as we will be improving the experience not only for our current players, but we will also be bringing in those who may have not heard of Ylands yet. And what's a better way to present the creativity and innovativeness of the Ylands community than to show the best that it has to offer?

For this very reason, we would like to create a short video featuring your wonderful creations. If you're interested in helping us out with this video showcase, all you need to do is to send over your blueprints, compositions or even whole scenes along with its screenshot. Within the next few days, we will share a link → right here ← , which you can use to submit these. And worry not, anything you send us for this video trailer will be used only for this very purpose.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a2dc584c21eaa9a0400104ec963cff3e1eb2c499.png)

What kind of blueprints, compositions or scenes are we looking for? Just. About. Anything. Got a nice pirate ship you built? Share it! A log cabin with an exquisitely designed fireplace? That'll look great! Happy how that house with an indoor garden turned out? We wanna see it!

That's it for this week, Ylanders but worry not! More creative challenges are coming your way very, and by that we mean VERY, soon!

Have a fantastic time and don't forget to...

... Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 29, 2021, 11:33:09 PM
Dev Diary # 186 Composing Blueprints
Thu, 29 July 2021

Hey there, Ylanders!

We're not gonna beat around the bush too much this week. You know the 1.8 update is going to be the next in the line of improvements to the game. And because it will be mostly a "polishing things up" kind of update, we want to, once again, hear from you!

This time, let's talk about blueprints and compositions. We know they're not, well, the best they can be. We hear you. But we want to do something about it!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2e4bae45c16c318881d6eedce2bfdfc560e6c1c4.png)

So this Dev Diary should serve as a confirmation of the fact that we know, that blueprints and compositions could be better and also as a space to discuss what we can improve! Let us know what what you like and don't like, hit us up with improvements that you would suggest or point out what you think would be a good idea when it comes to blueprints and compositions.

That's it for this week and we look forward to reading your ideas!

Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 05, 2021, 11:34:07 PM
Dev Diary #187 Picking it up!
Thu, 5 August 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/06fa5abfef6d1f944e56b8c2aeaa69c24b6700e1.png)

Hey there, Ylanders!

We hope that you had a great July and as we enter August, we come bearing good news!

When we were going through the feedback you have shared with us for the 1.8 polish update, we couldn't overlook one issue that many of you have with picking up items. It can get tedious after a while when trying to collect all that bamboo for a sweet new blueprint you just placed, right? We get you. More importantly, we hear you! Let us tell you all about what's happening at the Ylands HQ right now:

In order to save your mouse buttons and also your fingers, we started working on a mass pick up function. That's right, the community asked and here we are, working on this massively requested feature.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a4fc95fbd534e94ad316a10147f3f902f5492ddc.png)

Before we're able to tell you about how exactly the mass pick up function works, we have to go through a design process that ensures that the best possible solution is developed and implemented. Which is why we need prototypes. Currently there are several prototypes being discussed, developed and tested and while they're all looking super promising, only one will be the one. So keep your eyes peeled, because more on this topic will be coming soon and we will want your input!

The mass pick up feature, of course, isn't the only thing we're working on. We have been getting some amazing feedback regarding Mystery Ylands and we're happy to report that more are on their way, as well as something new and exciting that will make Mystery Ylands even more interesting! Because you see, when you're on a Mystery Yland and you... oh, that's right, we can't tell you just yet! But it will add another marvelous layer to solving mysteries and make them even more appealing.

We hope you are having fun exploring the Mystery Ylands and we will report with another dose of dev news in a week's time!

Stay classy, Ylanders!
 
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 12, 2021, 11:41:40 PM
Dev Diary #188 Pictures Prioritized
Thu, 12 August 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/06fa5abfef6d1f944e56b8c2aeaa69c24b6700e1.png)

Hey there, Ylanders!

Here at the Ylands HQ, we've been busy with polishing things up for the upcoming update, which, as we've mentioned in the last few Dev Diaries, is going to be all about improving Quality of Life based on your suggestions. With that in mind, this week's Dev Diary is going to introduce a small thing that will impact not only our talented creators but practically everyone who will launch Ylands.


When you upload your custom game to Ylands, you have the option to choose an image for your creation which will show up as a thumbnail on the main Ylands screen. What we would like to see is more of these images to showcase your beautiful creations! Which is why we want to prioritize games which will have an image uploaded and those will show up before games without one. This way, players can get a better idea what the game they are about to play is about. And our creators can use this as an opportunity to create an interesting image that will draw players in.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f7a669c661d0042d8e19376acfecdeeeacaf9b3f.png)

If you've made a custom game with a thumbnail before, how did you choose to go about creating the image? Did you take the screenshot route? Or perhaps a collage of interesting assets from the game? Did you add text to the image? Or any other element? Let your fellow creators know so that you can inspire each other!

Players, what has been the most memorable game thumbnail you've seen in Ylands so far?

Well... And that's it for this week, Ylanders!

We'll be in touch next week!

Stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 01, 2021, 01:00:07 AM
Dev Diary #195 Showing off Achievements
Thu, 30 September 2021

Hey there, Ylanders!


While polishing and reworks are in full motion and 1.8 is coming along very nicely, we want to show off another new feature!

Speaking of showing off, we want you to be able to show off too, which is why we are bringing Achievements! Achievements are a form of in-game milestones, which you can obtain by completing certain tasks. It can be a matter of exploration, crafting, fighting or anything else really. These Achievements will only be a part of Exploration and we hope that PC players will be happy to hear that these will be connected to Steam so you can earn in-game and Steam Achievements at the same time!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/95adc7b176b91854377fbc7393e89337ec7a52db.png)

To keep things interesting, there will be two kinds of Achievements in terms of how much information you get about the tasks you need to perform. One type will tell you what you'll need to do to receive this particular Achievement, while allowing you to track progress on that Achievement. And to not ruin the surprise, several Achievements will be hidden until you've completed them!

And to make showing off your Achievements easy, you will find Titles alongside some of them! Titles will be displayed next to your nickname in messages, menus and of course, in the game! There will be plenty of them to choose from, even though not all Achievements will come with a Title.


That's it for this week, everyone!

Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 05, 2021, 12:14:50 AM
Dev Diary #200 Above and Beyond the Ylands Horizon
Thu, 4 November 2021

Hey there, Ylanders!

We're starting this Dev Diary with the usual greeting, but this Diary will be a bit different, because we're celebrating the big number 200
! 🥳🥳🥳
So this week, we'll be looking back a little bit, but also, we'll look at what lies just ahead of us too. It's a long one but it's also worth reading through!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/906dc136c86e89b34f4b59c95be160a19d5568d0.png)

The Ylands team has been hard at work since the very beginning, but especially the last few updates, we have stepped up the consistency and brought you many cool new features. Whether you've been with us since the start of the Ylands or you're a recent addition to our fantastic community, we want to remind you of some of these features.


A journey of discoveries

Let's venture into the past and have a look at updates 1.3 - Watery Water
and 1.4 - Creative Call
. These updates brought a lot of features to the Editor part of Ylands, which might not have been the most popular decision back then, but allows us to fully utilize the potential of Ylands in the most recent updates. With 1.4, maaaaaany new assets were also introduced, such as all of the Atlantean assets! Creators Club was also established! Are you a member?

In 1.5
we got the Editor and the platform into a state that we were happy with and we started Enhancing Exploration
(yep, that was the name of the update!) and created one big Exploration world for your adventure to take place. This was the update, where editor features allowed us to start working on a better Exploration because every update from this point on would bring a huge new feature to Exploration.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/64b68230914275299947affc059082d6dd52b6bd.png)


With that said, it feels like 1.6
came out yesterday. And believe it or not, it's been over 7 months since Trading Territories
. With this update we fixed many issues that Exploration had and which were heavily requested by the community, on our part, it was also a confirmation that we are serious about focusing on Exploration much more. Trading Territories also brought vendors into the game, which is particularly useful if you're planning big projects and want to get the necessary resources. Speaking of big projects, 1.6 made sure that Random Encounters make more sense and they became biome-specific.

Marvelous Mysteries, the 1.7 update
, was jam packed full of new features, improvements and fixes (this Dev Diary is already long enough, so we're only gonna list a few of them). Yet another example of what wouldn't be possible without all the Editor features we have worked on in the past are Mystery Ylands. These yland-sized mysteries, puzzles, dungeons, stories or anything else you want to call them, are incredible creations that will draw you in and won't let go until you've solved them! With 1.7, our mobile players can also enjoy the wonders of Exploration and what's more, switching between mobile and PC is possible. And in case anyone is not sure if they want to commit to the Exploration DLC, we added a demo, which isn't time limited so adventurers can take as long as they need to decide! Not forgetting about our talented creators, we also continue improving Editor tools, this time it was Object Brush, which makes it easy to span a large number of objects over any terrain.

In between updates,
we also added over 4500 unique entities to the game, ran Creator Competitions, streamed Ylands, answered your questions in various Q&A streams, gave out goodie packs, asked for your feedback, released several patches, showed you a bit of what goes on behind the scenes and well, released 200 Dev Diaries.

A perfect transition from what was to what will be is provided by Aleš Ulm, the Project Lead of Ylands
: "Seeing how much we've improved the Exploration during this year makes me incredibly proud of our team. In a way, we're returning to a path that we left at some point and we are getting closer to the game we've always wanted to make with every passing day."


What lies ahead?

Next week is the week we'll finally get to share all the hard work with our players, who can look forward to larger maps, animal companions, Achievements and Titles, Exploration tutorial, mass pick up of items, multiplayer rework
and oh so many more quality of life improvements
that you, the players, have asked for. Oh, and a beautiful new main menu
, it not only looks good but it is functional!

We're extremely excited about this update, not only because it symbolizes all that Ylands has achieved and how far we've come, but also because we believe you will love it as much as the CEO of Bohemia Interactive Marek Španěl
, who beautifully summarized the journey and told us what he thinks about 1.8 - Awesome Achievements: "A small team of developers started a new project eight years ago that later turned into Ylands. Little could we imagine what an incredible journey it had started. Sometimes, it felt like we were reaching something extraordinary and unique. Sometimes we got utterly lost on the way, and everything looked bleak and hopeless. With update 1.8, I feel like we are getting close to the game's original vision. I think we are only a few more updates away until we can fully realize the nearly infinite potential of Ylands. Big kudos to the entire team for making it happen and the incredible community that stays with us. I hope you will enjoy update 1.8 as much as I do, and I am very much looking forward to what is beyond the horizon. Stay classy, Ylanders."


(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/f05eebfa81e685f077d12aad40cc0d53df5a6615.png)


Looking beyond the horizon

Speaking of what is beyond the horizon, as we're nearing the release of 1.8, it would be appropriate to tease a little of what is to come in 1.9 and 1.10. All we're gonna say is that in 1.9 we will explore the ocean a bit more
and give it some love and by 1.10 we will work on lore and everything we love about Ylands
. Any guesses what that might be? 😉

What we can't forget to mention is to say thank you. Thank you
to all of our players who have been with us since the start, thank you
to our players who joined during major changes happening in the game, thank you
to players who have joined more recently and stuck around and thank you
to all future players who will bring a fresh new outlook to the world of Ylands. We can already see an uptake in new players and we hear your positive feedback on the changes we've been making, which makes us not only extremely happy but also very motivated to keep going and to keep bringing more amazing stuff to Ylands!

One big thank you also goes out to the team who's worked on Ylands. Without your hard work, there would be no Ylands, so thank you!


A lot was said, but as always, one more thing left to say in this Dev Diary and that is...

STAY CLASSY, YLANDERS!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/8f3adfb23d90ad3640d35f24ba627780a1d48659.png)

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 20, 2021, 12:07:34 AM
Dev Diary #202 New Beginnings
Fri, 19 November 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4947c887482786bb7ddf80e5a5317f4dc0bdd763.png)

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

This Dev Diary comes out on Friday. Not because we would be resting after we released the update 1.8, but quite the opposite. We‘ve been busy talking to you, listening to your feedback, checking your bug reports and working on a patch, which will come out next week and will fix some minor issues and imbalances.

So far we‘ve been extremely happy with how this update turned out. We are getting some really nice messages about the progress Exploration has made and once again we are seeing the return of players who left because Exploration felt abandoned.

Right now we KNOW that we are on the right track and we‘re going to keep walking it. We‘ve just finalized our update goals for the next year and yes, every single update planned is going to improve Exploration in a major way or fix what doesn‘t work as intended.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/b40654bd6271a67f0439ce50a4347d45e43ba2ff.png)

So what can you expect to come first?

First quarter of 2022 will see us improving many things related to ships and sailing. We will take you to dangerous places below the sea surface and bring, once again, a large number of improvements based on things you‘ve been asking for.

Welcome to the new era of Exploration - we‘re glad you‘re here with us to witness it :)

Stay classy and healthy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 16, 2021, 11:15:02 PM
Dev Diary #206 Happy Holidays!
Thu, 16 December 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/fb45c46e4558f6fc1ef7636e91e3f8ed89d6f3ab.png)

Hey there, Ylanders!

The holidays are approaching fast and it is time to for us to spread the words of thanks.

First, we would like to thank you, our players, for your support, creativity, kindness, loyalty, and all the good vibes you've been sending our way. It is the source of energy that continues to motivate us and push us forward. Your feedback gives us valuable information and helps us improve Ylands. So thank you for that and please keep doing what you've been doing, we appreciate it very very much!

Secondly, I'd like to give a big thanks to the developer team. If it wasn't for your hard work, persistence, creativity, positive outlook, and team spirit, the game would not be the same. We are incredibly excited to work together in the upcoming year and bring our players new and improved features and big doses of awesomeness.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/a256c62f0898b4ac97bffc32453024c04f760969.png)


The holiday season is a time of peace and rest, so don't forget to stop for a moment and take a break from your day-to-day life and enjoy the little things in life. We wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and love.

We also wish you, Ylanders, to stay healthy, happy and classy!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 06, 2022, 11:33:36 PM
Dev Diary #207 Ylands in 2022
Thu, 6 January 2022


Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

With the first week of the new year, we meet again to talk about all things Ylands! We hope all of you spent the holidays relaxing, playing games and having fun with your loved ones and so you're ready to dive into what 2022 brings (hopefully things that are much better than the last years). We at team Ylands are already at full speed working on the very cool update 1.9. Next week's Dev Diary will get back to talking about what you can expect to find in it, but for now, I would like to take the opportunity and mention what we've managed during the last 12 months.

2021 was a big year for Exploration. Just like we promised in 2020, much less focus goes towards the Editor which we consider powerful enough already (even though when it comes to user-friendliness there's still some way to go) and started changing and expanding Exploration. Now, a year later, we have a lot to show.


(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7e4199aad4e85005d56cd775b6fb079764e881c7.jpg)


We've made the maps much larger. We made literally hundreds of improvements and fixes to the multiplayer experience. We made a list of all the most sought-after features and improvements you suggested and many of them you can either already find implemented or present in the upcoming 1.9. Ylands is already quite a massive game and so even when you add dozens or hundreds of improvements it's very likely that you still see things that need to be fixed or improved.

Speaking of things that we still have uncrossed on our list - we know you want things like the return of the first-person camera. Don't worry, we hear you and 2022 will, just as 2021, show that we are serious about making things right.

As much we've been trying to improve in everything we do, there are still some things we didn't manage to do right. One of the most important probably is communicating how the game has changed to players who come back after months or even years. Especially those who supported us when we were a premium title during the Early Access (or even earlier than that). We're failing at letting them know that even though the game is now Free to play, it's because of the Editor and minigames so that everyone can play with it and have fun and the game core, the Exploration, is still paid, which hasn't changed.

To name a specific case where we failed - we just found out about a player who has bought the game way back to support us and when they returned, due to a technical issue on our side the game indicated that they need to buy the Exploration DLC. At that point, they had all the right to be angry at us. And this is something that we must make sure never happens again.

If 2022 shows us anything, it's that we remember you guys and we will do a much better job at appreciating you. Thanks for staying with us.

So much for today's Dev Diary and the next week, we'll get back to discussing cool new features. Until then...


Stay classy and healthy, Ylanders!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 28, 2022, 11:51:44 PM
Dev Diary #208 Hey there, Ylanders!
Fri, 14 January 2022


Hey ther... wait, what? The greeting is in the title of this Dev Diary?

I guess there has to be a reason for that. Well, let's explore what that reason might be!

Finding the right friends is the best thing that can possibly happen to you. And being friends as much as we are colleagues here at the Ylands HQ, we only wanna support the sentiment. Right now, finding a fellow Ylander on the map is no easy feat. "The southern part of the map, but a bit to the east next to the tier 1 yland and then turn right at the shipwreck". Sounds familiar? Yep, we know it's a complicated task to guide a friend to you.

But that will be no longer! This is going to be the end of all the verbal navigation because from 1.9 onwards you will be able to see your friends and clanmates on the map! As long as you're on the same map, you'll be able to see each other. That should make your sailing days run a bit more smoothly since you won't have to spend time looking for each other on the map.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/64da797790eb3d7506fc3a9ac3bd0d6d17528f88.png)

And how have you been doing with collecting your Achievements? Sounds like an abrupt change of topic? Nah! This will be another way to flex your shiny Titles that you earn by completing certain Achievements, as these will be visible on the map as well! So better hurry to get that Title that you want to flex with in front of your friends!

Well, Ylanders, this was a quick update on how the work on 1.9 is going. We hope that you're as excited as we are about this watery update!

What are you curious about? If you have questions about 1.9, let us know in the comments!

Till next time, Ylanders!


Stay Classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 02, 2022, 11:36:09 PM
Dev Diary #209 Deep Down, Like Super Deep Down
Thu, January 20, 2022


It's high time we parted the watery curtain a bit more and gave you another look at what lies below the surface of the Ylands sea, right under the surface and also deep, like super super deep.


The sea floor is now a barren wasteland. But we said enough, no more, we need to breathe some life into the underwater world. For a while, we've been telling that update 1.9 will be all about water, so there's no better time to introduce underwater biotopes!

We're working on 6-7 (this may still change!) different biotopes such as coral reefs or kelp forests, which will be specific to the relevant biomes. This, in practice, means that you won't find a coral reef in colder climates such as the Arctic Biome, but will have to sail over to the Tropical Biome to discover the wonders that corals have to offer. Coral reefs, naturally, are full of life, which is a topic for another Dev Diary, but for now, can you guess which biotopes we're going to introduce to the underwater world of Ylands?


(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/efd521ac704ee6e4348429d8f6e173850953ceb4.png)


And to make things even more interesting and more exploration-worthy, we've increased the ocean depth to be 5 times the current depth. That's adding oh-so-much-more space to be explored. How much do you think you can explore before your air runs out? Again, a topic for another Dev Diary (wink)

Well, that's it for this week, Ylanders! Don't forget to...

Stay Classy!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 02, 2022, 11:37:42 PM
Dev Diary #210 Sail-abrate good times, come on!
Fri, January 28, 2022

Hey there, Ylanders!

As you probably know, the next update coming to Ylands will be all about adventures on and below the sea. And as such, it would not be complete without additions and edits to how ships work.

Any proud captain would know how important a ship's name is. The name of a ship can be an indication of what its adventures on the sea are going to be a like and elevates it from an anonymous vesel to a personalized creation.

Now that you've built your own ship named and set sail fro the first time, you should really take care of it! Be careful about sailing in bad weather, because if you get caught in a storm, your ship will get damaged. At the same time, if you steer your ship to shallow waters, the edge of an yland or another ship, your ship will take damage and you will have to fix it up if you wish to continue on your journey without worries.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d01f441d280f8c709da03fd5544978bda0b61276.jpg)
(screenshot by ilp0tt1)


Fixing a ship is a matter of skill and resources. You will need a special tool to repair your ship and also specific materials to patch up the holes that your ship had sustained. In order to avoid damaging your ship and to help you be a better informed captain, you will be able to monitor the ship's HP, the water depth below, the current speed and much more using special ship devices.


This is just a quick look into what ships will be like in the upcoming update! Speaking of naming things, what do you think the 1.9 update will be named? Let us know what you think and what your tips are and until next time...


Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 12, 2022, 12:10:38 AM
Dev Diary #212 Things that keep coming up...
Fri, 11 February 2022

A longer Dev Diary, where we summarize topic that keep coming up in reviews and discussions.

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

In today's Dev Diary we would like to talk about some things that players often comment on in their reviews or forum posts.


REVIEWS

Speaking of reviews - during the last year, we saw the average current game reviews score raise substantially. Seeing the average rating rise some 20 % and keep going is a clear indication that we've managed to turn the ship around and things are improving - and we would like to thank you for your support and the trust many of you put in us when we said things would change.

Apart from us not giving Exploration as much love as it deserved in the past, the main complaint players state in the review is often related to the game being free to play with Exploration being a paid "DLC" and the presence of monetization. So we feel like we should talk about this.


EXPLORATION AND F2P

Even though we're now fully focused on Exploration, Ylands is still a platform as well. We have a very sophisticated Editor and Workshop, where anyone can create, share and play each other's creations for free - with the emphasis put on "for free". We want everyone to be able to do this, it makes absolutely no sense to put these tools behind a paywall. That's the reason why Ylands went F2P, with Exploration remaining a premium segment.

Now you might ask "So why didn't you make it two products instead and didn't keep Ylands Exploration as a premium title?" and that would be a very good question. The answer will become obvious once we release 1.10 later this year. But in a nutshell: our ultimate goal is to continue to create the Exploration world while also giving players the option to create their own "areas" within that world. within these "areas", they wouldn't be bound by materials scarcity or their skill to build something ingame, but to let them create their own Exploration adventures in the Editor. The Exploration and the Editor have a future together. Make no mistake, if you're interested only in the "original" Exploration you won't have to worry about anything else. If, however, you feel like creating an yland in the Editor and have other people visit you, we will give you the option.


(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2ce1e669570a7bc84e494e610fc471c09844168b.png)
(screenshot by spiritchaser28)


MONETIZATION

And that leads us to the other topic, which is monetization. For obvious reasons, this is always a controversial topic but we feel it might be a good idea to summarize what Ylands monetization is about.

Firstly, it's important to say that ever since we introduced monetization, it has remained the same - players can purchase only cosmetic items that have no impact on gameplay.

Monetization was never really a priority for us:

Not only, after years of development, there's still very little content for players to buy (which, funnily enough, we get some complaints about as well :) ), we actually even removed entire categories of objects that players could originally buy (weapon skins, armor skins) and let all the players have them for free (while, obviously, fully refunding everyone who has ever bought one).

We never promoted our in-app purchases, which we believe is, when it comes to games with some sort of in-app purchases, rather rare. You never see a pop-up window urging you to buy a new pet or costume or anything and even when there's was a 50% off of everything in our store, in the game you could tell only by a tiny text over the the Store tab button and a Dev Message. We are doing our best so that players who are not interested in buying anything don't feel pressured in any way.


FUTURE OF MONETIZATION

So this is how it's has been for years now, but what about the future? Are there any ugly surprises waiting for you?

Nope.

We will keep adding costumes and pets. Not in huge amounts and only when we feel like we have some good ideas for those. Just like we've done up until now.

We will be reworking Blueprints (and merging those with Compositions) so that you can create them in the Editor and let you, the creators, sell them to other players for coyns, so that you can buy things you want or pay for rented servers this way. This is why we're keeping monetization in the game - we want a functional ecosystem where those who create nice things are rewarded.


NFTs

And last the last thing - we've seen some people mentioning NFTs. So where do we stand with those?

We don't like them. We don't want them in our game, and as far as we know, neither do you. The way we see it, they don't bring anything that wouldn't be in some way already possible in games and have no plans whatsoever on implementing those.




And that's it for today! Thanks for reading all the way here, thank you for your support... and stay healthy and classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 19, 2022, 11:54:15 PM
Dev Diary #213 Feedback, please!
Thu, February 17, 2022


Hey there, Ylanders!


The Ylands HQ is super focused on 1.9 and we can't wait to bring you more info on the upcoming update, and we hope you're as excited as we are for all things sea-worthy! We're also constantly thinking about what lies ahead which is what brings us to today's Dev Diary topic.

Last week, we answered some questions that kept coming up and we didn't want to leave them unanswered. This week, we'd like to switch the roles and ask you some questions. We have some general questions about your style of gameplay, but also open-ended questions, where you can anonymously give us your feedback about anything and everything in the game. The questions are short and will only take a few seconds to answer, also none of them are mandatory, so feel free to answer only those you're comfortable with!

This feedback helps us stay on track and every comment you leave for us will be read and discussed.


You can find the feedback form ▶️ HERE ◀️ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgpQgCvRa5Nyb5k__Jr4HIWSilpXASzGF2C_KEoK5KaUauOQ/viewform

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/7601fc3c53932d6770bf4e660b651b16d1269266.png)

Thank you so much for your help and please let us know what you'd like to read about in the next Dev Diary!

And don't forget to Stay Classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 12, 2022, 12:25:38 AM
Dev Diary #216 Roadmap 2022
Fri, 11 March 2022

This year's roadmap is finally here!

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

For quite a long time we've been promising you the Ylands roadmap showing what to expect until the end of this year, so, without further ado, here it is.


Before we tell you a bit more about what you're seeing, there are three points we would like to make.
•   What you see mentioned in 1.9 is ready and you will get it quite soon. As for the other two updates, please bear in mind that those are plans, not promises. Even though this is what we're planning/working on, many of these things still require a substantial amount of prototyping and testing and some features, like the Blueprint overhaul, will need a lot of feedback coming from you. If we're not happy with the state of some feature or if it needs major changes based on your feedback, instead of delaying the whole update, the feature can slip into the next one.
•   The second thing is quite obvious and related to the first one. Most of the 1.10 features (not to mention the 1.11 features) are still in the very early phase, so with many features we won't be able to discuss details just yet. We feel it's better, at this point, to say that we simply don't know instead of providing information that can become obsolete at the very next design meeting.
•   Thirdly, please understand that these are really only some of the features (although the major ones) and each update has usually dozens of various additions and improvements and hundreds of fixes. There are so many things that we plan but are not named (like Exploration resource balancing, gamepad support, improving clans etc. etc.). So if you don't see "your" feature in this list, it doesn't mean we're not working on it.


So, now to the updates themselves.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/16c63be6c74baf1f41bdb92b2afc4bf767273a34.png)


UPDATE 1.9

The upcoming update 1.9 is pretty clear - we've already talked about most of the things it brings and very soon you will be able to try it out yourselves.


UPDATE 1.10

In update 1.10 we would like to create something like "parallel" Exploration. A world where you will be able to fully unleash your creativity by letting you import ylands created with all the features that the Editor offers. Anyone will be able to travel from the "real" Exploration world to the parallel world or within the parallel world and ... explore. If you are not interested in this parallel Exploration world, you can just ignore it and you will never be bothered by it. However, those who decide to travel there and explore other players' creations, will be rewarded.

We can imagine how many questions this brings - from "what if players break the original Exploration by bringing in the things from the parallel one" to "won't the parallel Exploration be filled with half-made and broken ylands that will just be a waste of time". Don't worry, we'll discuss this with you in detail in the upcoming weeks.

The Blueprint overhaul is something we've been promising for a long time. We want to merge Blueprints and Compositions and give players an option to create Blueprints in the Editor that they (and others) will be able to use in Exploration. So far, it's been us who players had to buy Blueprints from, but this was never our primary goal. So with the new Blueprints, it will be you, the players, selling what you create to others for coyns. There's no reason why those skilled creators shouldn't, for example, be able to pay for the server they rent with the coyns they make from selling their creations. It goes without saying that for any Blueprint to be built, the players will still need to gather all the ingredients, there's no easy way around this - nice things always require some effort. :)

As for the Crafting improvements, there's not much to be said. We already have something cool that makes crafting UI way more intuitive - unfortunately, it came a bit too late to be included in 1.9.


UPDATE 1.11

And that gets us to 1.11. Dark Dungeons are something new to Ylands. Imagine dangerous places where you will venture to search for artifacts, slay new monsters and learn more about the world of Ylands, about its lore. We hope that whether you venture to the darkness alone or with friends, you will enjoy more interesting enemies and a fixed/improved combat system.

FPS camera is the single most requested feature. When we removed it, we said it was temporary and that it would return - and it will.

We are planning to make some improvements to Playlands as well. Not anything big, though, just some changes that would make it possible even for single players to have fun without having to play with others. We see it as an option for you to pass the time when tired of exploring or waiting for your friends to come online.

This is a lot and it's only understandable that you will ask questions and provide your ideas. We won't definitely be able to answer all of them, but we'll do our best to read them all!

Have a great time and stay safe and classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 25, 2022, 11:43:39 PM
Dev Diary #218 Sea you underwater!
Fri, 25 March 2022


Hey there, Ylanders!

If things go right, the next Dev Diary you'll read will be about the successful release of update 1.9.

Once again, it is a big one. For a long time, the seas were just dull places with not much to do. With 1.9, though, you will get various gorgeous underwater biomes with interesting Random Encounters
and resources. You will craft pieces of diving equipment to reach deeper places and travel to other regions to get specific fish while avoiding deadly sharks.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4bf91a4be53639cb6f60a16b27654b24721e4235.png)

All this - and all other features and fixes both big and small - are based on feedback and wishes you've provided us with. Also, many of these features were tweaked based on the specific feedback you provided by playing the Experimental build of 1.9 in the past few days. These adjustments are either already present in the 1.9 update you'll get later next week or they're being tested and will be introduced in some of the future patches.

This time many of you decided to help us with fine-tuning the update before its release, so let us thank you again. Getting your feedback is a tremendous help and that's why for 1.10 we will focus on cooperating with you even more and in earlier stages of the development process.

We hope that when you get your hands on Ocean Odysseys
you will like what we've created together.

So see you underwater next week and until then... stay healthy and classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 21, 2022, 11:21:32 PM
Dev Diary #220 Those tiny, annoying things...
Thu, 21 April 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/779df68e92ff36eb5f6ce4baa36a37e1f0b6cae8.png)

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

Most of the features and tweaks and fixes you find in Ylands' updates do come from your feedback. However - we are players as well. And we play Ylands as well. And yes, from time to time we too get angry and frustrated by what we experience.

Some time ago we had an internal poll where we asked the team what small, easy to fix things annoy them the most. Because those are minor issues that shouldn't take that long to fix or implement, you will very likely see some of them fixed in the next update. So, here are some examples of what the devs themselves put on that list:

•   Show particle/visual effect on workstation while something is being crafted in it
•   When I travel into a new Yland, spawn the ship in the 'free-to-travel' zone instead of outside of it so that I can change my mind and immediately travel elsewhere without needing to turn the ship around and sail into the travel zone again.
•   Be able to light a torch in hand without going to inventory
•   Button to dismiss all "NEW" notifications from crafting
•   Allow players to change weapons when reloading (crossbow or any weapon). Often I'm stuck reloading when I want to fight.
•   Make it more obvious that the player is receiving damage


Do some of those annoy you as well? Are there other things that you think could be easy to change but would make a difference?

Next week we can talk about any ideas you throw at us. Until then stay healthy and classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 24, 2022, 11:48:23 PM
1.9.0.2 Patch Changelog
Tue, 24 May 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/14a48145715fb807bf4c7b724860429ef314d6b4.jpg)

Patch 1.9.0.2 release notes

    The Exploration option in the main menu was overlapping
    Tutorial's bugs fixed
    The translations string could be seen in the chat
    Ship engines won't turn on in several cases

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/844de9b1644c09eee9db64cdaf91fbf740c55620.png)

Additions

[YLD-36592] Added: A new touch button for switching between sails and engines when the ship has both. The mobile button will work with a simple tap, the PC binding will still use a right-mouse hold.
[YLD-36629] Added: Drop item hotkey binding for inventory.
[YLD-36986] Added: When clicking an ingredient in the workstation screen's recipe, the player is now actually provided with some info.
[YLD-36986] Added: Non-craftable items' warning about the item being found in the world will now also show the description for the item, providing the player with a bit more info on where to find it.
[YLD-37005] Added: Unequip button to inventory's right panel, the logic for swapping equip and unequip buttons.
[YLD-37009] Added: Drop function for animal milking/shearing with full inventory.
Added: Separate actions for switching to engines and sails to allow for separate predicates and icon binding - for touch only, the desktop will still have the previous toggling through the hold.
Added: Text note about not working on protected scenarios into "Others can download and edit" editor setting on-hover hint.


Tweaked

[YLD-36435] Tweaked: Mobile: Updating removes friend/clan options in the chat system.
[YLD-36682] Tweaked: Sails are now transparent when the player is behind them.
[YLD-37054] Tweaked: Editor: you get now error when you try to playtest the game with an empty Entity template or Game logic template.
Tweaked: Increase oxygen coral occurrence in UW biotopes.
Tweaked: Compositions for vendors now contain indestructible entities to prevent deconstruction.


Fixes

[YLD-34704] Fixed: Random encounters: cave encounters spawn without any entity.
[YLD-35621] Fixed: Missing names and colons in GAME chat and CLAN chat
[YLD-36276] Fixed: The client could sometimes not reconnect when he tried to respawn while having his pet summoned.
[YLD-36409] Fixed: No more problems with connecting exploration games with sandbox games.
[YLD-36424] Fixed: Harvested oxygen coral plant instantly change to fresh one when placed.
[YLD-36443] Fixed: Some animals cannot be placed on the first try.
[YLD-36562] Fixed: Pipe Block's 3rd channel is now colourable.
[YLD-36573] Fixed: The custom instruction parameter doesn't inherit the custom colour of its parent tile.
[YLD-36647] Fixed: Floating hints should have all elements correctly vertically aligned (e.g. the holding text etc.).
[YLD-36682] Fixed: In some scenarios, sails are not transparent.
[YLD-36739] Fixed: If you redeem explore DLC, you will get a costume and pet after restarting the game (now it happens immediately).
[YLD-36767] Fixed: There is no error when referencing objects from Group referenced with Group template which is marked to destroy the group on export.
[YLD-36768] Fixed: Animators do not work in Random Encounters.
[YLD-36779] Fixed: Item description in mobile inventory can no longer be scrolled out of the screen.
[YLD-36790] Fixed: Fish Net Grip.
[YLD-36911] Fixed: Leopard shark is slower than the rest of the sharks.
[YLD-36941] Fixed: Pulsing/Glowing Mushroom Trees and Pulsing/Glowing Polyporus Trees don't react to wind at all.
[YLD-36960] Fixed: Redundant 3rd colour layer of the harvestable Brown Kelp plant.
[YLD-36968] Fixed: When the air tank is equipped from the vicinity, the air is not refilled.
[YLD-36978] Fixed: Some strings in Skill Editor in the Editor are missing translation.
[YLD-36993] Fixed: Combat music should stop now properly when teleporting.
[YLD-36995] Fixed: Locked Oxygen Harvester can be normally used.
[YLD-37001] Fixed: Marble block 1x1x2 wrong loads.
[YLD-37015] Fixed: Insufficient glow of harvestable Red Kelp plant.
[YLD-37077] Fixed: Underwater cave REs spawn in the middle of the room instead of the floor.
[YLD-37148] Fixed: Account link: create new account button does nothing if you are not in the home window.
[YLD-37279] Fixed: Loot containers not spawning in deep water (voxel -2 or less).
[YLD-37285] Fixed: Sometimes ships are teleported away after they are spawned into the world.
[YLD-37287] Fixed: /r command to reply was not working.
[YLD-37288] Fixed: Whisper command remembers the wrong user.
[YLD-37302] Fixed: Exploration 2: Mutated alphas are defeated when they are despawned during the day.
[YLD-37482] Fixed: Correct NPC names in chat
[YLD-37484] Fixed: Hint for dropping an item will not be present on the Cube screen.
[YLD-37504] Fixed: Random Encounters: Crates of REs in underwater caves may be inaccessible due to clipping into terrain
[YLD-37938] Fixed: Untranslated texts found in the Exploration mode news popup.
Fixed: Several bugs in the tutorial.

[YLD-36824] Fixed: Editor: Global variables created in the referenced entity in Template GL.
[YLD-37026] Fixed: Editor: Exception after deleting entity with a faulty script and using the Game Log search bar.
[YLD-37124] Fixed: Editor: Exception after placing some entity into NPC's inventory.
[YLD-37268] Fixed: Editor: animated GLs/Entities as part of Group template prevents playtest.

[YLD-36571] Fixed: VS: Custom instruction variables do not have always the correct custom colour.
[YLD-37034] Fixed: VS: dynamic trigger zones can slow down clients.
[YLD-37128] Fixed: VS: array variables with specified type have wrong embedded tile in the menu.
[YLD-37130] Fixed: VS: there is an error when deleting the last switch branch.
[YLD-37228] Fixed: VS: Infinite exception when spawning from Group Template a group with delayed function in its child.
[YLD-37238] Fixed: VS: it is not possible to hide in properties previously shown global variables.


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 27, 2022, 11:21:23 PM
Dev Diary #225 Ship, Boat and a Giant Urchin
Fri, 27 May 2022


Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

Today we would like to tell you something about new assets that you will be able to find in 1.10.

You will be able to find a lot of new underwater objects such as Giant Starfish, Giant Sea Cucumber, Giant Sea Urchin... and many more things that may or may not be also Giant.

Speaking of underwater assets - we are fully aware that in the 1.9 we pressured players too much to go into depths and get ingredients for various recipes, even such that would be possible to craft without those. That is something we are planning to adjust for 1.10 as part of a massive rebalancing which, we believe, will address a lot of issues you've been reporting. We plan to talk about that in the next Dev Diary.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/1d81ac27c6d9b7795945fb995978b7062ccded48.png)

To make travelling the seas more fun in 1.10 you will also find new ornated ships bows, big steam and ylandium engines and a brand new motorboat. To make it easier to sail to other ylands there's a new primitive ship waiting to be crafted.

Based on your feedback we'll be releasing also objects that are not related to sailing such as a glass door or a scroll.

That's it for today and we're looking forward to talking to you next week when we'll discuss the general improvements planned for Exploration. Until then have fun and stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 08, 2022, 02:50:08 PM
Dev Diary #227 First look!
Wed, 8 June 2022

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

This time we come to you a bit earlier than usual as our team will spend rest of the week surviving in the woods. But we have good news and good news can't come early enough, right?

During our journey to make Explore great again (and even greater) we've already fixed and added a lot things that we promised and that you asked for. We're still not done by any means, but we are very happy that we can announce that in the upcoming update 1.10 you will finally find a fully working first person camera view.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/4e3d3f45b7a127e0cb1793cf77252eb962228856.png)

Originally we planned to release this in update 1.11 but we managed to fix some blocking issues sooner than we expected. This, in combination with the fact that you've waited long enough, led us to the decision to include the FPS camera in 1.10 instead of 1.11. We delayed what we internally call "Custom Exploration" into 1.11 as the FPS camera is, based on your feedback more important, and we managed to make it work.
Why did it take so long?

Well, having both camera modes in a multiplayer game that has melee combat more sophisticated than just simple bashing in front of the avatar (like Minecraft) and is low-poly is quite tricky. It has to do with camera position, different control schemes, animation problems, balancing both modes in MP where each player can use a different one... the list goes on.

When we introduced the new combat support, having both camera views was no longer possible with the amount of time and manpower that we had and so we decided to disable the FPS mode until we're able to make it work.
So how did we managed to solve all the problems?

The honest answer is - we solved most of them and, at least for the time being, got around some of them. The new mode is not perfect, we will continue working on it of course, but for now, it's fully working.

Basically there are three things you'll notice when you use it:
•   You'll see just your hands, not your forearms and rest of the body. It's not because we would plan to release a VR version but simply because otherwise we would need to make a ton of new animations. The main character has roughly 1500 animations and, unfortunately, we can't use many of those, as it wouldn't work well with FPS camera.
•   Riding a horse or driving a car in the FPS mode can feel a bit nauseating for those who are prone to such things. That's why by default the camera will switch to third person as you start controlling those (you can override it, though)
•   There are few cases where the existing features need to be a bit tweaked to make the experience better.


So FPS camera has finally made it back and this time it stays. Yet another promise kept, still some to go :).

That's it for today and we'll talk to you next week. Until then stay healthy and classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 23, 2022, 03:04:17 AM
Dev Diary #233 Ymprovements on the way!
Fri, 22 July 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/639f0375cfaf7ed18b6488d541e3cb1d454f5bdd.png)

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

We're very excited to let you know that update 1.10 "Ymproved Ylands" has left our doors and after it goes through some external checks, you will get your hands on all the cool stuff it brings (*cough* FPS camera *cough *).

I realized that it might be interesting to explain what is going on with the game build now, and what it has to go through before it gets to you. So let's do it.

At some point, when we feel confident enough about the current state of the game version we're planning to release, we do what is called a "submit".

At that point, the version of the game exists in a specific development "branch" called RC - Release Candidate. This branch is created from the current game code branch that is generally called "trunk" when the data lock happens - when we reached a planned moment when we say "from now on, no new features will be added to the planned update and we just focus on testing and fixing bugs". At that moment, we copy the whole game source code and create the RC branch. It is necessary because some devs are already working on features meant for future updates and the last thing we need is them changing the game parts that have already been tested and approved for the release.

So once we're happy with the state of the RC branch build, we say that it's ready to be released. "Happy" as in "there are known issues, but they are not critical and there are about a million things we would have liked to squeeze into this update as well, but it's too late", not as in "there are zero bugs we're aware of and the update contains absolutely everything we wanted it to contain".

Next, we do what's called a "submission". All platforms have some rules you have to follow and an automatic process that checks your build before it lets you make it public, so we first need to send the game update for approval. On one side of the spectrum is Steam, where you can send pretty much anything and players can access it almost instantly. On the other side is Apple, where the guidelines are very strict and they change quite often and it can take days to find out if there's some issue, so every submission is, for the lack of a better word, fun.

Once we've been approved by all the platforms, we can do the actual release. We let you know that there will be maintenance beforehand and when the time comes, we prevent you from running the game. Every major update requires that we upload it to the backend (pretty much the game servers) and run it there. If we didn't do it, you would download version 1.10 which would try to communicate with the servers running version 1.9 and the game wouldn't work that way.

The actual update process is quite fast so the most of the two hours the game is unavailable to you we test if the connection with servers is working correctly and everything runs as expected. If we find a problem we fix it and if it takes a longer time than expected, the maintenance window is made longer.

So now, when you (hopefully) see the maintenance message sometime next week when you run Ylands, you'll know that somewhere in Prague, in a large glass building we are frantically trying to make things work so that you can enjoy "Ymproved Ylands" (the update, which, by the way, was originally named "Balanced Balance" :D ).

That's it for this week and we'll talk to you again soon. Until then - stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 29, 2022, 12:08:01 AM
Update 1.10: YMPROVED YLANDS
Tue, 26 July 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)

The new update just dropped! What's it all about?

Hey there, Ylanders! 🌴

The new update is finally here! 🤩

For a while we were wondering what to call it. We knew we needed alliteration, that is what we do, but what should it be? Balanced Balance? Better Balance? First Fperson? None of the names really quite captured all the tweaks, changes and additions. What everything had in common, however, was improvement. And it is improvement done in the way that is uniquely Ylands. Hence Ymproved Ylands.

So what's happening in 1.10?

•   Mythical Animal taming
•   Exploration balancing
•   Beta version of FPS camera
•   New Blueprints functionality
•   Actions while mounted on an animal
•   Main game modes renamed
•   And many more fixes, tweaks, changes and additions!



⭐ Mythical Animal taming

We added new animal companions that are only for those of you who dare to complete special Random Encounters and follow a famous zoologist on an adventure! The reward is a Mythical animal for you to tame and have as a unique companion in Ylands!
 
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/36f4da690d7631292a1aab89e4cc1b3f682a1172.png)


⭐ Main game modes renamed

This change is one that will be obvious right from the start. When you launch Ylands, you will see that the Main Menu artwork is the same but the game mode name tags have changed. We realized that new players might not get much out of the current names, so we decided to change them up a bit to be more descriptive of the fun that is hidden behind them. The main change is that Exploration is now called Adventure - because this is our focus, not just showing you what is it like to travel somewhere, but to experience something more. We haven't changed our focus, it's still a game for all of the adventurers out there - explorers, fighters, and builders.



⭐ Exploration balancing

Since 1.5 we have been focusing on the adventure side of our game. For the last few updates, we've been working on a lot of the pieces that were missing, and now is the time to start putting all the pieces, especially the bigger ones, together. For example, crafting is now an even more rounded and complex feature, as everything crafted or manufactured in workstations takes a different amount of time to be finished. We have changed a lot of other details, like the map legend, weather, temperature system, and resource distribution system, so you will want to travel through all kinds of ylands, craft better tools to get everything done faster with greater efficiency, and be prepared for danger of all kinds - wild animals, monsters, and sunburn. Balancing for 1.10 took the longest time of preparation for this update, but it doesn't mean that it cannot be even better. Please share your thoughts about it with us!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/b7c8b648a45f02b6d75d1a18f7a4f3d163292da6.png)


⭐ Beta version of FPS camera

You asked for it, we sat down and worked to make it happen and here it is! We call it a beta because there are still small bugs that you may run into. But it works and fights in caves are now much more enjoyable! Go check it out!


⭐ Actions while mounted on an animal

We know there are a lot of things that you should be able to do while mounted. So we decided to kick it off with the most requested ones: eating, drinking, reading, and holding certain items. While you enjoy these, we will continue working on the rest of the actions from the list.
 
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/500d05021d319ee390ea4d388274584645465308.png)


⭐ Fishing Rework

The previous update brought underwater and sea life into the game. Since then we knew that we needed to step it up with the way fishing works. Now you can experiment with different types of rods, biomes, and weather in order to get a more varied haul. Go fishing and catch what others need to dive for!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/8abae7721b4b43a435d894e2e66d7f63da242eff.png)


⭐ Editor enhancements

Apart from the new Blueprints, we have also further improved placing and transformation of objects. The Constraints setting have been simplified and new dedicated "Toggle grid mode" button was added, so there is now more control over the object movement directly from the main toolbar.


⭐ Visual Scripting improvements

As a basis for a larger scale improvement of the user interface and functionality of Visual Scripting, 1.10 brings its first pieces. Multi selection of script tiles, which allows you to move, delete and copy (even between canvases) large pieces of code effortlessly. Also no more whole stack movement, you can now "pop out" single pieces without holding shift. However, to comply with this change, we had to swap the buttons for panning the canvas, which is now moved by holding right mouse button (instead of left). Second addition - Context menu, works in same manner as in the Scene editor and allows you to perform all the script actions without remembering all the key bindings (copy, paste, duplicate, delete etc.).


As always, the new update brings many fixes, changes, tweaks and additions that we implemented to give our players a better experience. We would love to know what you have to say! From our point of view, the effort to bring this update to life was summed up by our Producer, Libor:
"Once we decided to focus on the balancing of the Exploration gameplay, we knew that there were two possible catastrophic scenarios. We will change just a few details and nobody will notice it or we break the whole game and it will be disastrous. But, as always, our designers found the right way and we are impressed with all those small details which Ymproved Ylands."


Well, that's that. The update is out, now all that's left for you is to go and play it! And for us to wait for your feedback! And for us all, the biggest task is to...

Stay Classy! ✨


Find the detailed changelog HERE! https://ylands.com/community/topic/31774-110-ymproved-ylands-changelog/

Free To Play
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 30, 2022, 12:43:35 AM
Dev Diary #234 New Blueprints? New Blueprints!
Fri, 29 July 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

So something has happened to Blueprints in 1.10. Former Blueprints are now called Game Blueprints and former Compositions are now Creator Blueprints. Why? Because we felt Compositions and Blueprints had a lot of common functionality and when we added more variety to the former Blueprints it became obvious that merging those two together would make a lot of sense.

Long story short - Game Blueprints are simpler (as in no scripting etc.) and can be used in Adventure, Sandbox and Editor. Creator Blueprints allow capturing more sophisticated things and can be placed in the Editor only.

So what else has changed?
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/ec9a076a79f61ec34d19fa006782c88a2b1baa8e.png)

Players are now able to capture Blueprints in the Editor (without all of the previous workarounds...)! Just make a selection and open the "Save As Blueprint" wizard.

A LOT more things are now available for capture in a Blueprint (weapons, tools, items...trees!) and it takes a lot out of the guesswork about which assets you can utilize. For those who want to be really sure, there is a filter in the Entity Catalogue in the Editor.

And as for building the Blueprint in the game - you may notice that there are now two tabs in an active project table. Deposit material in one to build the walls, ship hulls, and car chassis (basically the parts that you can't pick up afterwards) and the other tab collects Items - all the things that you CAN carry around and might want to use as a decoration, for example. If you don't know a recipe for a part of the blueprint or you don't have the right tools to craft it, the project table will tell you and indicate which parts you can't build at the time. PC players can even Stop Building the Blueprint and keep what they built until that point.

Right now you can create just local Blueprints for your own use. In 1.11 you'll be able to share them with others and monetize them.

That's it for this week and we'll talk to you again soon. Until then - Stay Classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 08, 2022, 06:23:28 PM
1.10.0.1 Patch Changelog
Mon, 8 August 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/86395a027d7df1e873b93167059f53c8416d5a1a.png)

A post-update patch that fixes some of the Blueprint issues and also Onboarding :)


Highlights:

•   Disappearing ship parts fixed
•   Minor Blueprints fixes
•   Tutorial bugs fixed
•   Fixed memory leak issues


Changelog:

Fixed:
[YLD-39511] Fixed: Mountain Talongoat bait recipe no longer requires a whole Heliconia plant (unobtainable). Replaced by Heliconia Seeds.
[YLD-39406] Fixed: Placing an item into the blueprint table should now correctly work in instances when the same item is required for both the Materials tab and as a (decorative) Item.
[YLD-39401] Fixed: Blueprint project table should now correctly recognize tools inside containers.
[YLD-39487] Fixed: A regression where older (for instance, created in Early Access) rented server games could not be deleted.
[YLD-33889] Fixed: A memory leak caused by the game screenshot in the upper right corner of the escape menu.
[YLD-39163] Fixed: Some texts were untranslated (in: exploration map, rented server management, video options).
[YLD-39355] Fixed: Loot container position correctly updates when a boat that has it on board sinks'.
[YLD-39362] Fixed: Excluded some EntityPrototypes from being spawnable by SpawnEntityGen.
[YLD-39181] Fixed: Reduced shader memory by variant stripping, cleared up the reference to massive colour arrays after use. On LowMemoryEvent don't run GC and UnloadAssets every time, variable 15s time.
[YLD-37940] Fixed: Search in inventory now correctly uses localized names of items.


[YLD-39362] Fixed: VS: It is possible to Spawn obsolete entities with scripts.
[YLD-39422] Fixed: VS: Right-click won't open the context menu in pivot edit mode.

Tweaked:
[YLD-39407] Tweaked: Foliage from blueprints never grows up.
[YLD-39357] Tweaked: Trees from blueprints don't drop items anymore.

Added:
Added: new version of Onboarding

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 13, 2022, 01:06:19 AM
Dev Diary #236 Sassy Streams and Cute Community
Fri, 12 August 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)

Hey there Ylanders,

This week we would like to tell you about news from me and Nikki.

STREAM

Our first stream together was a blast. We played with Mythical Animals, enjoyed fishing together and started a server where all of us can build together. The server's name is SECRET STREAMERWORLD and you are all cordially invited to flex your creativity there. Please check the rules by the gate or mayor's office first. It was decided among the players that the name of our new founded city should be Fraikiville. Based on our beloved pet mascots: Nikkis's pupper Haiki and Anna's cat lady Frana.

Since we had so much fun with you all we decided to be streaming more regularly. For now, we'll be streaming about once every two weeks on a Wednesday, after some time, we'll have a look at what you enjoyed the most and reassess the streaming schedule based on that! Follow us on Twitch to not miss any of the streams:
ylands twitch.tv/ylands

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/18de2e104a55e73229fc76c82f535d3a254397cc.png)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/7aace856b9acf4cda37437329217b8ba05c3dcf6.png)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/cf229b08ecac0e69a73ed1cadfe08c61de057d4d.png)


COMMUNITY CORNER

The good news don't end there. We also started a new category of posts on our social media. We call them Community Corner. There, we will collect your input for the game. We will also use it as a platform to answer your questions and comment on your ideas. So look out for the Corner once a week to see which one of your ideas will become (virtual) reality.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/1ee94ffd81f327d6c5dde1332d3163384206683d.png)

Hope you enjoyed last week as much as we did.

Next week's Dev Diary will once again bring news about what we're working on in the game and what you can look forward to in 1.11.

See you on stream and...

...Stay Classy!

Anna

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 21, 2022, 02:45:55 AM
Dev Diary #237 Better crafting UI, anyone?
Hey there, fellow Ylanders! 🌴

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/298610/ss_dd79f5289ca78ae952e92ddafdc8730a44ddece5.jpg)

With thousands of items and hundreds of recipes, crafting has always been quite a tricky part of Ylands. For a long time, we have been gathering feedback and testing various ways of  making the crafting user interface more friendly and intuitive. The result of this process is something you will experience in update 1.11.'

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/319f37276830495805cb42fa3eddb8d572015b40.png)

For now, let us share with you what you can expect in a few points presented by Michael "Khan" Rezabek, the designer responsible for the crafting UI overhaul.

•   New crafting offers a new way of sorting recipes - now shown in a vertical tree instead of tiles, it allows for a better, single-screen orientation in recipe categories.
•   New indicators show the total amount of recipes in each category and how many you have discovered.
•   Tired of "NEW" notifications flooding your crafting screen? In the new crafting, these notifications will be automatically hidden after opening a category, no need to hover over every recipe.
•   More information is shown in the right panel after selecting a recipe, no more clicking the detail view to see weapon stats!
•   Item grouping has been improved to make more sense, for example, clothes are now grouped by sets, not equipment slots.
•   Multiple other minor visual improvements allow for better clarity.


We are looking forward to seeing how you feel about these changes!


That's it for this week. We'll talk to you soon and until then ... stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on August 27, 2022, 02:45:21 AM
Dev Diary #238 Nonsense of Names
Fri, 26 August 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/298610/ss_552a23f46348e27fbb197c60891598c27f4ff5f7.jpg)

Hi Ylanders!

This week we are going to talk about the competition
you could have noticed on the stream or on our social media. After that we will have a look at the naming process, that takes place in our company, together with some funny inside jokes.

Name Game

Once upon a time our Designer Prokop asked his teammates for new creatures' names ideas. And we thought: "but wait... we have such a creative community, let's bring this to the players!"

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/bf606a166c14ff79400e8cc6fcc660e0a88920a4.png)

Who is this magnificent creature? Where did it come from and what does its name say about it?
Well that's up to you! Send us your idea how to name this elephant insect
and the one we like the best will be included in the game!

Send us your ideas over any social media (https://linktr.ee/Ylandsgame) until 20/9/2022 11:59 PM CET.


Naming Process

As we mentioned above, most of the time the naming process is up to the designers and art department (cause some of them chill in the same room you see). We asked Prokop the Designer what the name game usually looks like in the Ylands team.

Who's behind the process of name development in our team?

Prokop: "Do I know the person making up names of most of the assets in game recently? Of course I know him. He's me."

Can you tell me how the naming goes?

Prokop: "The process of creating and naming a new asset is simple. Designers come with an idea of what they need to have in the game, graphic artists then create a concept, which is discussed and confirmed with the asset designer (still me) and if we don't have a good idea for naming it, we brainstorm."

Do you have any funny stories about the naming work progress?

Prokop: "I don't have any funny stories cause it is quite self-explanatory. I don't mean to sound arrogant but I just sit down, look at the model and write something random. That's how I roll. Honestly, the most fun I have is when I manage to create some silly jokes in descriptions of pets and costumes. 'Cause I'm strong both in terms of wits and mustache." (Hm, where does this game reference come from I wonder)

Please tell us about some funny names you use internally during the development of Ylands.

Prokop: "Pteroprd instead of Terrorbird. The language play is quite obvious. But only the Czechs would understand."

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/7b4b8f8dd9fe5f0dcb1c79ab9a2ac5991f7634ec.png)

Big thanks to our team for always being so on top of things and fun to work with. And of course the biggest thanks goes to our community for being so active, participating on streams and creating amazing breathtaking structures in our game.

I think the name game is in good hands.

Just remember....

Stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 03, 2022, 02:14:28 AM
Dev Diary #239 Paying You a Visit
Fri, 2 September 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)


Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

This week's Dev Diary will kick off with a message from Aleš, addressing our amazing players:


"A bit ago we had a live stream
and it was a lot of fun as usual. But there was one specific segment I enjoyed the most, which I find really satisfying and which I've been thinking about quite a lot.

Our Community Manager Anna took me on a trip to a server, where players build, well, things
. That, by itself, isn't anything uncommon. What has blown our minds was how many awesome things players have built since Anna had laid a foundation for that place. A mere two weeks ago.

So many amazing structures, filled with so many cool and funny details. And not only are players working on their own buildings, but they also keep adding and enhancing things others have made. And, most importantly, when you go there you are met with the exact amount of fun, silly and class that we consider the core Ylands values."


If building in a place where others can admire your skills, collaborating with other creators and being able to explore and have fun with them sounds good to you - be sure to join the server. The name is SECRET STREAMERLAND (So don't tell anyone.... tell just about everyone!).

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/c2126bd5786332a3eef9fd247b604ecc216973b9.png)

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/cf7c010c2ae38f30bf6cf7c3e5d6029631c4deeb.png)

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/c51be357577910acf1cd8ea2a905a3dfd5c176ec.png)

Seeing how much incredible content can be created in just two weeks is damn impressive and it's something that makes us really happy. (And it seems that the new blueprint system is quite helpful, which is also great. :D )

Huge thanks to everyone who participates in this cool endeavour (as well as those we have yet to see) and stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on September 09, 2022, 11:28:56 AM
Dev Diary #240 Gifting That Keeps on Giving
Fri, 9 September 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

One of the things you've been asking for on forums is a way to send gifts to your friends. Maybe you have coyns you have no use for or you simply want to make your friend happy (because one needs no reason to make friends happy, right? 😊 ). Most of the time, you asked about gifting the Exploration Pack so that your friends can play with you.

Even though we're making some changes for Update 1.11 so that those without the Exploration Pack will get more kick out of the game (more about that later), the Exploration Pack will always be the core, the most interesting game functionality.

So whether you'd like to have your friend join you
on an expedition across the vast arctic plains or help you build
a nice house in the taiga, we got you covered, because starting with 1.11 you will be able to buy your friends the Exploration Pack with coyns.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/3445469db77d1b4aa8c9b0536c6527d30d0ab960.png)

But there's more! Actually, you will be able to gift anyone most of the things available in the shop. Remember - nothing says "I bought you a cool flying pig" better than buying someone a cool flying pig!

The next update will bring more than this suggestion to life, but we'll talk about the rest some other time. Until then - Stay classy!
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on October 22, 2022, 01:03:21 AM
Dev Diary #246 Listen, Playlands, we need to talk
Fri, 21 October 2022

Hey there, fellow Ylanders! 🌴

Unless you've stayed far away from Ylands for the last two years you know that the whole time we've been focusing on Adventure
(aka Exploration). And because of that, we don't have enough time to work on another part of the game that keeps screaming for help - Playlands.

There were several reasons behind the creation of Playlands. Primarily it was meant to become a kind of social hub
, where Ylands players would meet and just have some silly fun together in an optimized environment that allowed for a larger number to be present simultaneously. It helped us optimize the multiplayer code and gain a lot of experience while making the minigame in the Editor.

However, right now Playlands are pretty much dead. Partly due to their flawed design which makes it difficult for players to instantly play and enjoy any content, and partly because they're simply a remnant of times when Ylands was leaning more towards Roblox-kind of a platform game and those times are, fortunately, gone.

Could we make it work better, a more fun, intuitive and rewarding experience with what we learned since we introduced it?
Possibly.

Is it worth it / do we want to?
Not really. We believe that time is better spent improving Adventure and all that's related to it. Also, we have the powerful Editor and feel that making cool small games works better if they're part of the custom games ecosystem, instantly accessible by anyone willing to play them.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/35582ce6d675ccb653d73dc640d618794304a30e.jpg)

Long story short - in 1.11 we're removing Playlands. The minigames from it will eventually become available as separate custom games
to play for anyone and so the love we put into them won't be wasted.

Playlands, however, are not just minigames. Players can gain points there which they use to select clothes they wear in other custom games. This functionality will be removed from Playlands and, later, made very likely part of the player's profile. In the meantime, we'll keep your avatars dressed as they were before the 1.11 releases.

Please note that if you're playing just the Adventure, the removal of Playlands will not affect you in any way.

Until next time...

Stay classy!


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on November 12, 2022, 01:48:33 AM
Dev Diary #249 Make nice things easier
Fri, 11 November 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)

Hey there, fellow Ylanders!

Many of you have been spending countless hours not just fighting or exploring, but also building. You've built houses small and large, elaborate ships for your avatars to live in, and much more. And when the update 1.11 lands, in addition to capturing those you will be newly able to share them with others. That way, even if some may not have the skills or ideas, they may still be able to build such great creations as well (although they still need to get all the resources, obviously 😉).

Since you can now create in the Editor elaborate Blueprints that players can build in Adventure, we're adding something that will help to create even more spectacular content.

Something we call... Custom Toolbox.

If you build your houses, ships, cars, and everything else directly in the game, this probably won't interest you that much. But if you're one of those that are going to use the power of the Editor to, for example, build a Blueprint of a magnificent mansion to act as your base (or pretty much anything else, for that matter (smile) ), you should read on.


So, what is it?

The Custom Toolbox is a tool with which editor-side scripting should cover all those specific issues players can have like selecting objects based on their color, changing position and rotation for every stone axe in the game, and replacing all wooden beams with different wooden beams...you get the idea. But maybe you are a scripting guru and want to take a shot at a tool that generates pictures based on imported .xls data? Spheres, circles, and weirdly bent walls? Or dig tunnels under a path? We've got you covered! These tools, once scripted, can then be shared with other players, who can use them without any scripting knowledge - by simply selecting the parameters. Each tool comes with its own Custom UI editor, which can help with giving instructions to the user or may add a couple of handy buttons and inputs to use.

How do you like it? Will you give it a try?

Let us know and we'll talk to you again in a week. Until then... stay classy!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/149d26c23d900baee20e0cb3086d672520589115.png)
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 04, 2022, 05:33:51 PM
Dev Diary #250 There be ghosts!
Fri, 18 November 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2bbb0cc586ae8b76766a8c8d291defe0d052ca10.png)

Ahoy Ylanders!

Update 1.11 is just a few weeks away so it feels like a good time to remind you of some of the cool things you will get to experience in the Adventure mode when the update comes out.


Let's start with some good news and bad news. The dungeons we told you about some time ago look great, and we're very excited about them. Originally, we hoped we would be able to release the dungeons in the upcoming update, but we decided to delay those until 1.12
. All the systems needed for it are ready and working. We are generating random dungeons filled with both easy and sophisticated random encounters. It is possible to enter those with your friends (similar to traveling somewhere with ships), fight enemies, and solve encounters leading to the final ones you might call "boss fights". A lot of pieces have already fallen into place with the exception of one - the gameplay is simply not as smooth and fun as we would like it to be. It simply needs more time to tweak
. And after far too many hits and misses with other features in the past we rather delay a feature in progress (or even entirely scrap it, if need be) than release something that we are not happy with. So, no dungeons in 1.11. On the other hand, working on dungeons made us give more focus to fixing issues related to combat and pathfinding
. The first minor fixes are already present in 1.11
, with more coming in 1.12.

The rest of the planned features ( and a bit more :) ) is coming out with 1.11. You can expect a reworked crafting UI
that lets you easily find what you're looking for and utilizes some principles and ideas you proposed. On top of that, we are discussing ways how we can open the recipes more gradually in the future and for this to feel more rewarding.

We have a brand new loot system
in place so that things that mobs drop will be more varied in numbers and objects and specific monsters and hostile characters will drop rare things or parts of armor sets. There are a whole lot of things to look for and look forward to!

Many new players have told us that the initial yland wasn't enough to decide whether to buy the Exploration Pack or not, so newly for those without the Pack the whole tropical region is now open
and we've also added options to unlock the regions one by one instead of opening them by only getting the Pack (which, however, remains the most efficient way to experience all of the Ylands content as intended).

As the night falls, cool ghosts
(with some really, really cool stuff they can drop) may appear at various random encounters. Just beware - destroying those can be difficult without the right equipment ;)

Ghosts are, however, not the only new inhabitants of the world of Ylands. Scheming pangolins or colorful morays are nothing compared to the epic tamable creature, that can be acquired only by those who have tamed all the other mythical creatures.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/ae0d28975954f0a6345779101fc7885689d28bc7.png)

As usual, you can expect more than just these bigger features plus a ton of fixes and smaller improvements. Hopefully, you'll like that!

Stay classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 04, 2022, 05:36:46 PM
Dev Diary #251 Focused feedback
Fri, November 25, 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/2ec449e36b1f2db74f1e57a9e1ea239310efe3d8.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders,

With the update release coming closer, our work is focusing on polishing all the details and quirks. This week we held an event called a focus test. What is a focus test you ask?



"Focus tests help us find out information about our game through the eyes of new players. While working long enough on one project your view of the game can become subjective (you know how everything works, where to find everything, and what to avoid doing). It essentially prevents you from seeing the game the way a first-time player does. We try to follow how people understand the main menu, and user interface, if the player knows where to find everything in the inventory and other screens and if tutorials and hints are helpful enough. We have had a great experience with focus tests in the past in our Ylands team and I find them an important part of game development."

- Michaela Bσdi, QA Lead


We invited some of our friends to come to play the game in our office and give us honest feedback. They have never played the game before. This time we wanted to know what a new player thinks of the tutorial, progression, and overall feel of the game. We had designers and marketing there to collect all the information and after 2 hours of playing we sat down with our testers and they told us what they think of the game.

How did it go?

Everyone loved the day, our friends had fun exploring a new video game and we got pages and pages of valuable feedback. We already had a first meeting where we discussed our notes. You will see some changes regarding clarity and simplicity in the future, that came from our focused feedback. Huge thank you to everyone involved!

Stay Classy!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/47ed8ea23abf979ba1f528772e683c4de0407cda.png)
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on December 04, 2022, 05:40:55 PM
Dev Diary #252 Adventuring in '23
Fri, 2 December 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/d41a074186360b0472a8526daae6be86da4f2cb8.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders!

We're now very close to releasing update 1.11 and are getting closer to 2023 with every passing day. And because of that, I would like to use the Dev Diary to tell you what some of our plans are for Adventure in the next year.


In 2023, if everything goes as planned, we would like to release three large updates - 1.12, 1.13, and 1.14.

We've been working on Dungeons for some time already and based on their current "fun factor" (or the lack thereof) decided not to release them with 1.11 but to keep working on them until we're happy with the result. They may be released in 1.12, but because there is another feature that we definitely want to release with that update, Dungeons may appear as late as 1.13.

That "must-have in 1.12 feature" I mentioned is something we've been thinking about for about two years (and even mentioned it once or twice during that time :) ) and now it finally feels like a good time to add it to the game. We'll provide you with more detailed information in one of the January Dev Diaries, but - in a nutshell - we want finally to give players a stronger incentive to explore both the game world and various features. Make every game you play a bit less generic and a bit more of a story. And, finally, give players more goals to achieve.

As much as it would be cool to start naming cool future features the very important thing to say is that we still feel the game is not in the state we want it to be. After roughly two years of making wrongs right and getting back to the roots we believe we are now back on the right track
... but there are still far too many things that need to work better, and, more importantly, be more fun.

Sailing and ships are a major part of the game and yet there is still a ton of work before we utilize their full potential. With the Energy, we barely touched the surface. Crafting, even with the UI improvements coming in 1.11 is still something that needs a lot of love. And we could go on.

Long story short - even though the next year will see new features coming to Ylands, our priority will be to take the things that you already like and make them better. All this is based on your direct feedback, just like the last two years.

That's it for today, so stay classy, Ylanders!
Aleš

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/6af004d9687c66f7b8a501d6584493e267a710a6.png)
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 07, 2023, 01:21:13 AM
Dev Diary #255 Welcome to 2023!
Fri, 6 January 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/8439b236da31fac36304fd23053f808e8c79178e.jpg)

Ahoy there, Ylanders!

Welcome to the first post of 2023! We're all back at work, discussing various features and improvements planned for 1.12, but there's still one thing we need to do first - release a patchthat will fix and improve various aspects of Update 1.11. Those are either some smaller improvements that we were not able to test thoroughly enough in time, as well as fixes for issues that you've reported. You can expect this patch to be released before the end of January.

Before the end of the year, we had a really nice holiday-ish live stream [/b ]where we looked at some of your creations and, boy, were there some truly magnificent pieces! We also realized that it's been some time since we did a specific Q&A stream so you can expect one in the near future.

Also in the upcoming weeks, we'll start sharing various pieces of information about the 1.12 update with you, as well as info related to Creators Club.

By the way - Ylands EDU, an alpha version of Ylands specifically suited for use in schools has gained quite a large momentum here in the Czech Republic, which we use as a testing ground for the education version. The feedback from the teaching community has been absolutely epic, and it's very likely that this year will see many schools here using our game.

Why should you care about EDU you ask? Not only will this eventually lead to a bigger Ylands community, but it will result in Ylands becoming a more tested and stable product, that will be with you for many years to come.

And that's it for today. You stay classy, Ylanders!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/92ff8cea22409a485938ddb608dba44b576c8851.png)

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on January 25, 2023, 12:15:30 AM
1.11.0.3 Patch Changelog
Tue, 24 January 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/7510dae83ec89dd392da85d799b301df6deaab97.png)

Highlights


💰Additional Coyns packages.
🐛Tutorial bug fixes.
📘Blueprints shop fixes.



Fixed

[YLD-41901] Fixed: Exploration local save entries are now flagged as 'unsaved' before the first write to disk actually succeeds. If a player attempts to continue an 'unsaved' entry, it transparently redoes the initial starting sequence to avoid corruption of that particular map entry.
[YLD-41902] Fixed: Blueprints: The main carousel does not update the download number until restart.
[YLD-42121] Fixed: Blueprints: Preview does not sometimes show particles when rendering the preview for a second time.
[YLD-41422] Fixed: Blueprints: Sometimes have their generated preview image missing.
[YLD-41844] Fixed: Glowing carpets and sledgehammers are pickable in one of the haunted encounters.
[YLD-41870] Fixed: Arrows and space keys can no longer control UI elements when the tutorial overlay is on.
[YLD-41916] Fixed: Rabbits drop raw rabbit meat again instead of raw meat.
[YLD-37944] Fixed: Tutorial: Mobile flow for equipping an axe did not account for not all inventory slots being visible on mobile at all times and could get the user stuck.
[YLD-41874] Fixed: Tutorial: Flow explaining how crafting works should no longer highlight incorrect entries under very specific conditions.
[YLD-41895] Fixed: Editor: multiselection of objects referencing different objects in the same property can break the Properties window.
[YLD-41885] Fixed: Editor: you can not change the color of the brush entity.
[YLD-42100] Fixed: VS: Show next/previous usage does not work.
[YLD-42017] Fixed: Custom HUD/Window: Undo does not work correctly when deleting tree of widgets with buttons as leaves.
[YLD-42015] Fixed: Custom tools: Undo in tool's script and editing HUD layout may break tool's script.
[YLD-42178] Fixed: Custom Tools: Duplicate Objects tile doesn't work in Tool Mode.
Fixed: DLC gifting was producing "invalid input" errors.


Added / Removed / Tweaked

[YLD-40072] Added: Confirmation popup displayed when unlocking a biome via the Expedition now displays the resources required.
[YLD-29662] Added: Multiplayer games can now also be removed from the games list.
[YLD-40121] Tweaked: When a popup that requires input from the player opens on mobile, it will try to position itself so that it's at least somewhat visible under the software keyboard.
[YLD-42182] Tweaked: Coyn packages in the in-game shop are now sorted by their price and not alphabetically.
[YLD-42280] Tweaked: Errors during login/registration are now more specific. From now on, the generic "check your inputs" message will be shown only in cases, where we get an unspecific response from the backend.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 04, 2023, 02:56:31 AM
Dev Diary #259 The things you'll notice
Fri, 3 February 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/ee9326ede6f123e07d7cbae61a8cc51e0c800e13.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders!

As we have moved from the designing phase to fully implementing 1.12 features, we will - as always - start sharing with you information about various new or improved features
that you will be able to find in the next update.

Today we would like to mention two specific changes we made based on your feedback.

The first one we already mentioned in the last Live Stream (which was a lot of fun as usual :) ). We know that sailing can get a bit tedious at times, so for 1.12 we're making some exciting adjustments that should make it more fun. The first one is - fishing on moving boats
! Got a few moments to spare before you reach your destination? Take out your fishing rod and spend some quality time getting the pretty fish (and other stuff).

The second thing is more subtle but many will love it. For quite a long time some of you have complained about the camera not moving smoothly
- which was especially obvious with higher fps. Well, we made some changes to the camera system and we're pretty sure you will notice the difference.

There's a ton of other cool stuff planned for 1.12 so stay tuned ... and classy!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/f43831b5987a906be432f14bc00552da51854a2d.jpg)

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 11, 2023, 12:13:58 AM
Dev Diary #260 The Sound of Ylands
Fri, 10 February 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/412b093fa027d0ff07d3bad5f0d129541f62ba6e.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders!

We often ask you to look at an image or read some new information, but this week, this week is different. And that's because we want you to listen!


Let's set the scene. Just imagine you're on the beach of a beautiful yland, sun just starting to peek on the horizon, shashlik being roasted on the fire, coconut drink in hand, your ship anchored nearby and Track Number 2: Serene Sunrise starts playing... eh... what's Track Number 2 you ask? The answer is easy! That is the track that comes after Track Number 1: Adventure Awaits on the Ylands Original Game Soundtrack!

The Ylands OST is now available for you to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and other music streaming platforms! We are extremely happy to share this with you and make the wonderful music of Ylands easily available for you to enjoy whenever and wherever.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/1e90e7c96d2f6ecbd4a5abbc1fb8039eb207dd18.png)


You may or may not know that the music was composed by a Czech composer Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer who hand picked the individual musicians who performed the tracks.

Because we enjoy making fun of ourselves, we'll share a funny story from the implementation of the soundtrack... At one point, we started receiving feedback from players that they heard someone talking when they were inside caves. We thought to ourselves: "That's impossible! We never recorded any dialogue for the game!" So we really dove deep into getting to the bottom of the mystery. And indeed, there it was. When you walked into a cave, you could hear the word "Super!" at times, which was kinda creepy. So we went to consult our sound department and it turned out that they left in a part of the track, where the conductor complimented the great job of the orchestra with a single word... "Super!"

That's it for today, Ylanders!

Stay Super... and Classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on February 25, 2023, 12:06:23 AM
Dev Diary #262 Changing Challenge
Fri, 24 February 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5d17e85ced4ea8aa220ee44a1d811aad2de76b5f.jpg)


Ahoy Ylanders,

Let's talk about more changes that you will see in the game in the future. Many of you noticed that we are not oblivious to fixes that need to be done in our game. However, they take time. We take each feature that needs tweaks and we try to rework it step by step. So we asked our designer Prokop what changes is he working on:


(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/474cef27102839c04382ff5e28027755e48908e5.png)

For some time, we hoped that we can make the combat in our game more entertaining and balanced. And we hope we are on a right track. The AI is now much more responsive with larger zones where it can hit you. Players can no longer easily confuse the enemy by running through it when it attacks or just jumping on a bush and attacking from above. Enemies also respond much better to your repositioning and are able to fluently change attack angles.

Spamming dodge and jump attacks will no longer be the way to conquer. Although spamming dodge will no longer stun the player, you will not able to dodge as often as before. Also, jump attack damage will be significantly lowered and enemies should be able to attack you even when you jump above them.

The formula for counting damage is changing. Previously, it was using simple (INCOMING DAMAGE) - (TOTAL ARMOR RESIST) = (DAMAGE RECEIVED), which was balanced to the era when Ylands used difficulty tiers and no map traveling. Thus combat mathematics had to adapt to the new systems of difficulty scaling by biomes. The new formula is based on percental damage reduction, a system of vulnerabilities and resistances, which you will be able to explore by yourself while fighting enemies all around the biomes. What we expect from this new combat mathematics is a much more balanced and also balanceable (in the future) system, where it makes sense to use every protective gear you can get while still being able to fight across resources tiers and no longer being invincible like in the previous case of Guardian Armor.

This brings us to damage types. Those got some love as well as they will be much more important when fighting with special enemies and monsters in caves and REs. You can expect that ghosts could be quite resistant to physical damage and wood-based golems vulnerable to fire. Players will have more access to various damage-type weapons and armor, and utilizing those will be much more difficult than before. That does not mean that you will need to bring five different weapons and three different sets of armor while adventuring, but it means you will be rewarded with much easier combat, when you learn what themed enemies do and how you can prepare for them, like grabbing some fire-based weapons when going to loot some Temperate encounters in the night.

This being said, there are also some minor tweaks, renaming, balance changes, and new weapons, armor, and enemies to be expected, which we will keep as a surprise for now.

Thank you Prokop for telling us about all the processes that go into reworking combat. We look forward to exploring the changes in the future.
And you Ylanders,

Stay Classy.


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 03, 2023, 01:48:34 PM
Dev Diary #263 Swift sprint
Fri, 3 March 2023

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5d17e85ced4ea8aa220ee44a1d811aad2de76b5f.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders,

You asked we listened. Are you also tired of not being able to run and having to roll over like a boulder every time you want to be faster? We are. We listened to your feedback and decided to implement sprinting.


In the next Update, the option to sprint will now be available. Sprint is triggered by the same button as roll. To roll, you will simply need to click SHIFT and to run, you will have to hold SHIFT down. That will trigger a new animation and faster movement. We also added a stamina bar that will be depleted by sprinting. The bar will appear under your character just like the oxygen bar does when you are swimming.

The dodge action also went through changes. You will no longer get stunned by using it too often however it won't be possible to spam as much.

Now you may ask - how fast will I run? The sprinting is 80% of the speed of wild boar. Yes, we measure speed in wild boars. Do you have a problem with that? :D

Thanks to our designer Pypse for giving us the details about this feature.
Are you excited to run? Let us know what you think.

Stay Classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on March 25, 2023, 05:54:38 AM
Dev Diary #266 Where Adventurers Are Born
Fri, 24 March 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5d17e85ced4ea8aa220ee44a1d811aad2de76b5f.jpg)

We know that one of the things that keep you up at night is the question "What is C.A.G"? Or at least we are pretty sure it would, if we ever mentioned it before.

So what is C.A.G. ?

No, it's not Cool Angry Gorillas, it stands for Classy Adventurers Guild. It's the most prestigious guild, whose members are bold men and women traveling to all corners of the world to explore the unknown. (So far no other guild for travelers exists, so the competition for the most prestigious one was not that big). They are fighters. They are builders. They are survivors and dreamers. They are...

Adventurers.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/0108e91405abddb63ad9ed6f1cb6f98768fed597.png)

So from this day, wherever you see its emblem and the strong, wise message "Ne biberis mare" you'll know that adventure is close. And you can trust us that you will get to see this a lot in the upcoming months and years.

Let us conclude with a personal message from one of the greatest living adventurers of our time, a proud C.A.G. member, Mr. Horatio Reginald Elmwood:

"There will be times when you'll have to fight tooth and nail to survive. When all you have is your will to go on, your mission, and a cup of that unique, delicious Elmwood Classic Tea - now also available with the new Guava and Slimy Dirt flavors. It's these moments when boys become men. Girls become women. Old people become older. That is the circle of life. Just think about it. I do. Always."

Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 09, 2023, 10:54:42 PM
Dev Diary #267 Play nice!
Fri, 31 March 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5d17e85ced4ea8aa220ee44a1d811aad2de76b5f.jpg)


Ahoy Ylanders,

Are you ready for the weekend? I bet you are, but first, the last dev diary of this month is here. Yay! What's it about, you ask? TL;DR: Toxicity is bad, and if you encounter such behaviour let us know! Let's get to it.



Disputes among sailors happen, no biggie, but we all wanna feel good in Ylands, right? So here is a list of some main salty behaviours that are crossing the line of friendly banter among seawolfs and how to deal with them.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/e7bdbe71ef78f4c6163c4baf191f3df883624e66.png)


Reportable behaviours:

Swearing, insults and other forms of verbal abuse
How can anyone call themselves an adventurer if they are mean to others? I don't get that.

Feel free to report them to us!

Threats
Any kind of threat needs to be adressed, both in real live and virtual environment.

Feel free to report them to us!

Scammy Blueprints in the store
I mean, why would any adventurer do that?! Here are the blueprint marketplace rules, so you can help protect the community: https://ylands.com/community/topic/32280-blueprint-marketplace-rules/
Feel free to report them to us!

Cheaters
Oof, this is getting out of hand. I don't even wanna say this! You noticed someone who's obviously cheating, I guess you know what to do by now.

Feel free to report them to us!

Disrupting and bullying gameplay
Anyone stealing your stuff repeatedly or forcing you to pay a protection fee? Maybe that's a bit extreme, but if you do encounter some in-game meanies now you know what to do!

Feel free to report!

Anything that bothers you
No problem is too small. You have something on your mind? Speak up right now in the comments below!


Reporting 101:
Yea, report them but how?

The report message must contain the type of behaviour that occurred and an in-game name of the reported meanie. It's ideal to enclose some kind of proof, like a screenshot. Then choose whatever option suits you the best and get in touch with us!

In-game message: This is probably the easiest and most immediate way to let us know about any misbehaviour.
Discord: https://discord.gg/ylands - Channel Feedback
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/app/298610/discussions/1/ - Discussions - Suggestions and Feedback
Forum: https://ylands.com/community/forum/11-suggestions-feedback/

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/9c3bd1b15c8e29fb7e77a3d086c12e6f6152c573.png)

Thank you so much for helping us keeping the saltiness inside the sea where it belongs. (heart)

Stay classy, Ylanders!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 09, 2023, 10:56:43 PM
Dev Diary #268 New Weather On the Edge
Fri, 7 April 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/28068198/5d17e85ced4ea8aa220ee44a1d811aad2de76b5f.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders,

So, sailing to the edge of the map so you can travel to the next yland, is cool stuff, right? You can feel the adventure in your veins! Water splashing, the soundtrack playing all around, fish vibing, sun shining, and other cool Ylands stuff that we all love.


Maybe at first, but when it's your three hundred and forty-fifth sail to another yland it feels kinda pointless, and you are 100% right! So, we do what? We go and fix it! From the upcoming update, all you need is to be ready to steer your ship, and you are good to go.

But wait there is more! Quick question: What was the weather like when you arrived at a new location the last time? Let me guess, it was sunny! Did I get it right? I'm not trying to be 5head or anything but yea, I got it right. 😁 That's just how it is, but not for long! Starting with the next update, the weather and the daytime upon your arrival at a location will be random.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/5bcb83dd2c9b7d8ed468daed314adc41bcdcaf3a.png)

"More dangerous? Probably. More fun? Definitely!"
- Horatio Reginald Elmwood

We thought that the adventure atmosphere would be way more tangible when you arrive at an unknown location during a night or a storm or, you know, both. Also, we like to think that all kinds of weather in the Ylands are quite beautiful so showing that off seemed like a good idea.

Anyway, that's it for today, wish you a great weekend, and let us know what you think about these changes in the comments!

Stay Classy.
 
Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on April 28, 2023, 12:01:25 AM
2.0.2 Patch Changelog
Thu, 27 April 2023

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/298610/ss_e5a32270e775feacb2b64ec6ed4330195f5bb8de.jpg)

HIGHLIGHTS
* ADVENTURE AWAITS IN YLANDS 2.0.2 *

- Story yland devil name tag fixed
- Fixed button order to launch Emotes
- Eating from Inventory fixed


FIXED

Fixed: Mystery Yland: Lost Light -  Added Loot Chests, and introduced sharks to local waters.
Fixed: Mystery Yland: Jagged Jaw - Explosive kegs won't kill players from afar anymore. Added Loot Chests, rebalanced enemies and cannons for Tropical Biome.
Fixed: Mystery Yland: Imaginarium - Freeze after reconnection. Added Loot Chests, and removed coal from the island. 
Fixed: Mystery Yland: Fortress Library - Cipher being indecipherable due to font change. Returned the Mystery Yland to the Taiga region map. Added Loot Chests.
Fixed: Mystery Yland: Ysla Vulcana - Returned the Mystery Yland to the Taiga region map. Added Loot Chests. The pirates have arrived! Be on the lookout while exploring!
Fixed: Mystery Yland: Far Reaches - Added Loot Chests. Jotunns started to encroach upon the iceberg. Who knew they could sail? Reworked parts of the script to limit cases of stuck Heart Of Frost entity.

[YLD-25449] Fixed: Eating and drinking from inventory.
[YLD-44604] Fixed: Emote picking grid in the radial menu was using a different collection for display purposes and selection.
[YLD-44722] Fixed: Naming an animal with localization key.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on May 04, 2023, 11:38:10 PM
2.0.3. Patch Changelog
Thu, 4 May 2023

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/298610/ss_0b4f8b6cb6e933695a5e002399309510cbbc8ba3.jpg)

HIGHLIGHTS
Items missing after the players' dead
Ranged weapons damage optimization
Blueprints can be built and stay on the yland
Story Yland's general bug fixing
Tutorial's general bug fixing

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//28068198/765d951b61022a3248dc198d674707e48ef766c1.png)

Changelogs 2.0.3

[YLD-44889] Fixed: Players could not locate their items after death.
[YLD-45021] Added: Mobiles: New pop-up message informing the player of low RAM on the device.
Fixed: Mystery Ylands: Ysla vulcana, Distress signal, Far reaches, Keras yland, Fortress library, Town in peril, Ember yland - various bugs fixed.

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 08, 2023, 12:21:51 AM
2.0.5 Patch Changelog
Wed, 7 June 2023

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/28068198/9f825d8f83f2643f7ee8c72ba36100eaac2f3521.jpg)


Highlights


- Loot containers' aren't spawning above or below the player anymore
- Handbook notifications adjustments
- The crafting menu now remembers the last selected item
- Progress on the old version of Mystery Ylands can be restarted


Changelog 2.0.5

FIXED
[YLD-45213] Fixed: Placing creator blueprints containing custom variables with custum enums should not break editor anymore.
[YLD-45312] Fixed: Loot containers should not spawn inside buildings out of player reach anymore.
[YLD-45316] Fixed: Players should not have problems restarting mystery ylands.
[YLD-45577] Fixed: Several blocks were missing in recipe bundles (algimer, baroque, totem) and should be added to all owners.
[YLD-45424] Fixed: Mobile players in creative should once again have all recipes opened.
[YLD-44507] Fixed: Sale tag in shop is no longer visible when there is no sale at all.
[YLD-45502] Fixed: VS: Client scripts referencing custom functions from different client scripts do not work correctly.
[YLD-45139] Fixed: Editor rotating gizmo should not slow performance anymore.

Fixed: Replaced obsolete painting entities with functional ones in Painting vendor bundle.


ADDED / TWEAKED
[YLD-45234] Added: Handbook indicator will now continuously blink until the player opens the handbook for the first time, making it easier for brand-new players to find the feature.
[YLD-45261] Added: Toggling character panel will now remember the last open character panel and will open that one if it is available.
[YLD-40810] Added: The crafting screen now remembers the last selected recipe and the TAB button should open the last opened window (cube, inventory, crafting).
[YLD-45399] Added: When a player dies in the Adventure, his loot container is visible from a distance.
[YLD-45234] Added: Diary highlights should be more noticeable.
[YLD-45562] Tweaked: Several quests in the tutorial were adjusted or created anew for better understanding (also visuals of texts in the tutorial were polished).
[YLD-45646] Tweaked: Unlocking biomes now require fewer resources - less grinding is needed.
[YLD-45219] Tweaked: Tree stumps HP were increased significantly.

Tweaked: Lowered Resource and Exploration point values required for Region purchases.

Tweaked: Bounds positions for loot container marker snapping.


Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on June 24, 2023, 11:25:14 AM
Dev Diary #278 How to Make Blueprints and Earn Coyns for Them!
Fri, 23 June 2023

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/28068198/0236408890fc824af5e0558082feb08fc9d3b13f.jpg)

Ahoy Ylanders!

Who is here to get some moolah?! Probably no one, but that's not important and we won't let this silly fact to drive us away, right? For anyone new, experienced, old and young who might find it useful, here is some info regarding Blueprints.


You can earn Coyns for selling Blueprints.

Cool, right? All it takes is to create something nice and upload it to the shop! Set your price and hey, you can tell other adventurers about it on our Discord server. Whenever someone buys it, they can build their own version of your ship, house or whatever wonder you created.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//28068198/0f12b4e57b65c8c89d240bc907c25dc81e2f4ee2.jpg)



Creating a Blueprint step by step

Creative and Adventure modes

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//28068198/6f3601959af787f15971c354696f6e6d522dd949.jpg)


After you have built something remarkable get your Blueprint camera ready! In the Adventure mode you have to craft it. In the Creative mode you can access it through the Creator's Cube. Do you have the camera ready? Great! Hit the left mouse button and select the area of your Blueprint. Press it again and select the height of the selection area you've just selected. Then you just confirm the capture with the same button, and you are good to go to name and save your new Blueprint.

The next step is uploading your new creation to the workshop. Head to the Blueprint menu, right next to costumes and pets menus. Select your captured Blueprint and hit "UPLOAD TO WORKSHOP". Then you just set its price tag, tags and anything else you want and tadaaaa! You are ready to serve your first customer.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//28068198/822fb77748c3c076f1e99a4065bb6118bae73d92.jpg)


Editor

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//28068198/8e63164e70cb2f724a792950510b05b2e950495f.jpg)

It is probably even easier to create Blueprints in the Editor. You don't need a Blueprint camera, here you simply select whatever you've just build and click "SAVE AS A Blueprint" in the "SELECTION AND PROPERTIES" section. Then you have to select what kind of Blueprint you are making. The Game Blueprints can be used and built in the Adventure mode, where the Creator Blueprints can use special entities that are not banned from the realm of the Adventure mode. On the other hand, it allows them to be even more cool and unique!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//28068198/8234138cbb7f7dc64897db8a10e8f95dcfaa393b.jpg)

After this, you will again see the "UPLOAD TO WORKSHOP" screen that was shown at the start of the diary. You set the price of the Blueprint, name it and so on.


Now you know how to create Blueprints! Wheeee. Let's recap!

1. Select a wonderful object, that you built

2. Save it as a Blueprint

3. Upload it to the Blueprint shop

4. Obey the Blueprint marketplace rules. Read them HERE.

Do you find these informative dev diaries helpful, adventurers? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to ask for specific diaries or anything else you would like to know! Good luck in your building endeavors and Stay Classy!

Title: Re: Ylands
Post by: Asid on July 27, 2023, 12:24:13 AM
2.1 Sunken Sands - Changelog
Wed, 26 July 2023

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//28068198/5a2d87f22994a88e06e94799cf4b5611c93c0990.jpg)

⭐ Highlights ⭐

New Story yland is here!

C.A.G. needs your help in the Arid region! Bringing peace, restoring the order and crafting dozens of straw hats, you know casual world saving stuff. As always, the supreme adventurer superstar Horacio Elmwood is looking forward to offering you a helping hand. Visit him at Elmwood's Outpost's ancient library where you saw him the last time and he will tell you more!

Inventory sorting

You asked, we delivered. Test our sorting with by hitting a single button.

Pause the Ylands

Developing the pause was paused for a while but it is finally on! Hit ESC to pause in singleplayer game.

Retain some items after death

Sometimes it can be very frustrating to step into a wrong neighborhood. So some of the most crucial items earned well deserved don't-fall-out-of-an-inventory protection.

Recipes definitions improvements

Unlocking new recipes should be way less overwhelming and will make so much more sense.

New animals - Alpacas, Jackals and Coyotes

Amazing, right?! Btw. did you know that internet claims that Alpacas are thought to have been domesticated more than 6 000 years ago? You should tame one too!

Camera improvements (interpolation)

Let's skip the technicalities and put it like this: Great performance improvement on high-end setups.

Quality of Life improvements: Y2.1 - fog

    You couldn't see your hands in a fog? Well now you can!
    Hitting the waves was never so easy. Anchor will automatically rise when the player get in the control of the helm.
    Feel like selling your vessel for parts? Go for it. Ship hull can be deconstructed now if there is no other device/asset built on the ship.

https://youtu.be/uAlWZQ66Ysg


Read on:....  https://steamcommunity.com/games/298610/announcements/detail/3640648609025124501