Hello Everyone,

I have pushed the latest build V0.0.7.3 to the hot fix branch now. See a full list of changes for this patch below:

• Added a visual effect at the start of the fifth day to the harpoon launch sequence, if the player fails to deactivate the weapon in time.
  
• Added new sky phase textures for the scenario in which the player fails to prevent destruction of the Orion orbital platform.
  
• Added AI cooperation against the player after RFID control from the Orion platform is cut upon its destruction.
  
  
• Added roads, paths, fences, and power lines to the countryside level which link several points of interest on the map.
  
• Added new explosion effects to detonators which differ based on the type of explosive charge the detonator is carrying.
  
• Added support for dropping and taking all items from containers and inventories, speeding up menu interactions.
  
  
• Fixed a bug in recycling of constructable objects.
  
• Fixed a few issues in constructions and navigation.
  
• Fixed a few bugs in multiplayer networking.
  
• Improved level transition times.
  
• Tweaked multiplayer console to automatically allow typing if the player opens the chat menu.
  
• Reduced radiation poisoning from friendly peer players in multiplayer games.
  
• Various other tweaks and improvements.

Note that games with saves after the fifth day will not incorporate outcomes from the harpoon launch sequence.

Best,

-Touz

Hot fixes:
-fixed a bug causing hangs on scene switch
-changed network serialization of constructions, allowing upto 9000 blocks in multiplayer game
-fixed miscalaneous bugs

Hot fixes:
-reduced saved game file size to address long loading times
-reduced player's collision impact damage
-increased effectiveness of radiation shield to muffle radiation signature

Hello Everyone,
We have released the latest patch version 0.0.7.0. With it come several new features including a modular component system that allows for customizing both player and NPC characters, a reworking of several old systems, tons of new items and blueprints, new constructables, and more. See below for a full list of changes.

• Added new player and NPC modding system which allows for modifying vision systems, locomotion, weapon stability, radiation and damage shielding, and more. We recommend replaying a portion of the tutorial to understand how to use the new system.
  
• Added support for Hunters to spawn with and utilize procedurally generated weapons and modifications that will scale with player rank.
  
• Added engineering module for modifying NPC's with modular components.
  
• Added LOD objects for all NPC to improve performance.
  
• Added AVL tree, priority queue, and k-d tree into load balancing algorithm to reduce noticeable stutter from NPC AI.
  
• Added support for new NPC behaviors that unlock through use of in-game decision support modules.
  
• Added new progression system for unlocking items and blueprints that will spawn based on player rank.
  
• Added reflective shader for items and parts.
  
• Added a new rarity level (premium) in addition to premium and military grade item crates.
  
• Added support for displaying NPC status (harvest time, damage level, current ammo count, distance to player, etc.) when hovering over an RFID.
  
• Added support for NPC to drop loot bag with a proportion of that NPC's equipped loot upon death.
  
• Added support for constructed containers to drop a portion of stored loot into a box upon being destroyed.
  
• Added new weapon parts.
  
• Added flashdrive 5 with weapon locker construction for displaying and storing weapons and remote terminal construction for placing factory orders.
  
• Added improved weapon recoil system that will now factor in three different recoil types in addition to player stability modifications in order to determine recoil pattern.
  
• Added normal maps for terrain textures.
  
• Fixed a bug that would cause player shots to not register where the player was aiming.
  
• Fixed several bugs in pathfinding and navigation.
  
• Fixed a bug on some hardware that caused wind to blow grass in an undesirable pattern.
  
• Optimized algorithms for contact shadow rendering and SSAO to improve performance.
  
• Recreated and optimized several old models including nuclear cell, ultra-cap, ammunition, health and engineering station.
  
• Set v-sync to one times for a 60 fps lock rather than a 30 fps one.
  
• Improved item preview shader.
  
• Tweaked container and item spawning algorithm.
  
• Updated tutorial level.
  
• Modified ordering of items in blueprints for better progression.
  
• Reduced memory utilized by model textures.
  
• Reduced draw-calls for rendering terrain.
  
• Various other tweaks and bug fixes.

Best,

-Touz

Hello Everyone,

The past few weeks we have finished implementing functionality for the new player and NPC modification system in addition to the many other changes that we wanted to include for the next patch. As this update will add several new features, we are now focused on in-house testing to make sure things are working as intended. To show off a few of the new additions, here are some quick previews of what is to come with the next patch.

The new modification system replaces several old player oriented behaviors: one such behavior being power distribution. You will now be able to scavenge and craft power chassis that can be modified with radiation shielding, more capacitor slots, etc.

Similarly, NPC’s can also be modified with different components and mass produced with these configurations at the factory. While some components are NPC based, some are common between character types, such as this hunter being fitted with enhanced locomotion and shielding.

It will now be possible for NPC’s to use custom made or procedurally created weapons, allowing player crafted weapons to be provided to controlled NPC’s for additional fire support.

In addition to the dozens of new components created for the character modification system, we have also added several new weapon parts for additional variety in weapon customization.

As always, thank you for your continued support!

Best,
-Touz

Hello Everyone,

Over the past three weeks we have finished most of the work on optimizing performance and reducing overhead for AI navigation and decision support. Additionally, we have implemented several new behaviors to NPCs as well as support for allowing NPCs, such as hunters and detonators, to utilize new weaponry. Detonators will now be able to be modified with support for increased yield explosives and directional shaped charges, while hunters can now be fitted with procedurally created, or player made, weaponry. Additionally, player controlled enemies are now capable of utilizing more advanced protocols, such as defending harvesters or providing fire support to the player.

Currently, we are in the process of applying functionality to the dozens of new player and NPC modifications created for the new modular component system, mentioned in the last status report. While the majority of assets have been modeled and textured, we now need to implement behavior and characteristics for these items.

Once this system is finished and implemented, we will still need to perform some in-house testing prior to releasing the new build, so as much as we are working towards it, it is unlikely that we will be able to release the next patch before the new year.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and wish everyone a happy holiday season!

Best,

-Touz

Hello Everyone,

The past few months we have been working on several exciting new features to the game. While we would really like to release the latest update, at this time we are resolving a few performance issues, and need to spend some extra time on optimization of algorithms.

The next patch will contain a significantly improved decision support engine that is load balanced and will provide smooth performance across all levels of hardware. Our current tests suggest that we can now support over a hundred simultaneous NPCs without performance degradation. This will hopefully address performance issues and allow us greater freedom to pursue implementing new features down the road.

Furthermore, we are transitioning from the current skill point progression system to a new augmenting system which allows for real-time player character upgrades as well as modifications and equipment upgrades on player controlled NPCs. This has been a much-requested feature that we hope will allow players to change the way they interact with the environment and manage resources. The new system will allow you to interchange modular components on your character to influence everything from recoil control to vision and sensor modules.

Currently we are in process of integration. We understand that performance has been an issue in the last few patches, so we hope to resolve these problems in the next update.

Looking beyond the next patch, we are continuing work on new story levels that we will be implementing in the updates to come, but at this time the we are working diligently to push out these features as soon as possible.

I would like to thank everyone that has continued to support the development of The Fifth Day, and hopefully, share some of the things that we are working on through the addition of development logs such as this one.

Best,

-Touz

Hello everybody,

In this update, we focused on extending and improving AI behavior, adding audio content, and implementing new construction elements. Additionally, we have added rudimentary Steam SDK integration, that we hope to expand on in the future, and supplied information panels for NPCs to allow for better status tracking. Swarm behavior has been enhanced with a strategic hive expansion and construction mode. In addition, NPC difficulty scaling has been added to address instances of overpowered hunters and underpowered detonators.
See a full list of changes below:

• Added new constructions: light fixture, searchlight, and EMP station.
  
• Added information status panels for hacked NPCs.
  
• Added power distribution and power grid for player-made constructions.
  
• Added new swarm expansion behavior and persistence which allows for swarm to leave the hive to start new hive entities.
  
• Added EMP effective radius scaling from total charge.
  
• Added logic for Hunter aiming delay and animation.
  
• Added several new experience events for new constructions and NPC actions.
  
• Added difficulty progression and scaling for NPCs.
  
• Added rudimentary Steam SDK support.
  
• Added footsteps for hunters, detonators, and multiplayer actors.
  
• Added sounds to swarm and harvester actions.
  
• Added RFID and sounds to factory ports.
  
• Added improved behavior for AI cooperation and interaction.
  
• Added support for destruction of hives.
  
• Added radiation damage from overexposure, to allow for management and planning when using radioactive power sources.
  
• Fixed bug in which swarm would hang over destroyed enemies.
  
• Fixed bug where friendly NPCs would become hostile.
  
• Fixed several instances of improper resource disposal.
  
• Fixed CAD scanner interrupting scan process after slight motion.
  
• Fixed loss of friendly relations between players in multiplayer after disconnection.
  
• Fixed a bug which allowed players to jump significantly higher than should be possible.
  
• Fixed a bug which would cause harvesters to lose the ability to navigate around obstacles.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused NPCs to stay in an idle state.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused player footsteps to vanish on certain surfaces.
  
• Fixed a bug that would cause the player to die from opening a door.
  
• Fixed several issues where radiation would be undetected when storing nuclear cells in containers or turrets.
  
• Fixed bug that prevented player from deconstructing storage boxes.
  
• Improved performance and behavior on item menus with many items.
  
• Improved item management by aggregating and combining container inventories for containers that are dropped in close proximity to one another.
  
• Improved item spawn system to prevent stacking of items and containers after respawning.
  
• Improved model for factory resource consumption and production.
  
• Reduced spawn time for containers.
  
• Increased length of EMP shutdown period.
  
• Increased default RFID control capacity.
  
• Increased harvester health.
  
• Increased the length of daytime relative to nighttime.
  
• Adjusted spawn probability for construction drives.
  
• Adjusted strengths and durability of different building materials.
  
• Adjusted rolloff for several sound effects.
  
• Several other minor bug fixes and tweaks.

Regards,
-Touz

Hello Everybody,

In this update we have focused on graphics, performance and stability improvements. Additional graphics options have been implemented and NPCs have now become smarter and more agile. Due to improved performance, the game is now able to support more NPCs. A new underground scene has also been added to continue with plot development. Furthermore, the player now has the opportunity to analyze and reproduce existing robot models using the factory and collected resources. An additional enemy type has also been introduced along with support for 64-bit packages for OS X and Windows.

In upcoming updates we will continue to work on adding new story oriented levels and features.

See a full list of changes below.

• Added new underground level.
  
• Added new parasitic leech enemy.
  
• Added new contact shadows quality option.
  
• Added new sun shafts quality option.
  
• Added scanner module for scanning NPCs and extracting CAM files for production.
  
• Added ability for player to place orders for construction of scanned NPCs from CAM files at appropriate factory control interfaces.
  
• Added additional skill events for hacking turrets and scanning enemy CAM files.
  
• Added logic for NPCs that run out of ammo to return to factory outlets for recycling.
  
• Added hacked NPC cache limit. If limit is reached, free NPCs prior to hacking new ones. Increasing limit can be accomplished with invested skill points.
  
• Added directional Geiger counter with second indicator of accumulated radiation.
  
• Added radiation emission from charging stations and containers holding nuclear cells.
  
• Added blue pocket light to blueprint.
  
• Improved general performance and memory consumption.
  
• Improved NPC path finding and navigation performance.
  
• Increased total count active NPC per scene to 25 per kind.
  
• Improved resource scheduling algorithm for harvesters.
  
• Improved swarm bot navigation and flight patterns.
  
• Improved performance on collapsing structures.
  
• Increased harvester health.
  
• Increased harvester delivery size to 100.
  
• Reduced construction requirements for production of NPC's at the factory.
  
• Fixed bug that caused security turrets to respawn after being destroyed.
  
• Fixed coop and loners game modes not working in multiplayer.
  
• Fixed various other minor issues and tweaks.

Best,

-Touz