Monthly Development Update September 2024

We’re eager to share the latest wave of updates as we continue to make significant progress creating the Warped Universe.

This month marks a pivotal moment as we finalize the prototype phase, enhancing not only gameplay mechanics but also the overall immersive experience through various audio, visual and performance improvements.

On the business front, we’ve strengthened our marketing capabilities by bringing on a new Fractional CMO and signed a partnership agreement with a gaming focused blockchain, both of which will be formally announced in the near future.

Dive in to explore how these developments are paving the way for our game’s future!

GAME DEVELOPMENT

• Finalizing the Prototype phase of game development
  • Intro missions of each map / modes
  • Seamless streaming between each map / mode
  • At least one of character, ship, weapon, skill etc
  • Mission system
• Big optimization pass across all assets
  • Level streaming optimizations
  • Removed any cascade particle systems and replaced with Niagara
• New scientist missions
• Added stream level capability to mission events
• Added resistance / weakness system
• Added first gravity skills
• Updated AI maneuvers to prioritize ending location and orientation to look at target
• Updated turn-based abilities to use the arc parameter to display potential target tiles
• Transition fixes
  • Sequences can now automatically blend into level transitions seamlessly
  • Can blend from level transition into newly loaded sequence
  • Added level transition events for missions
  • Hooked up turn-based space transition to explosion map
• Base damage to RPG weapon data implemented
  • Show base damage in ability rollover
  • Changed data structure names
• Updated death text to fit new lore

GAME AUDIO

• Oracle VO iterations
• Luminary and Foundationalist scientist VO additions
• Echo 1 and Echo 2 VO updates and placement
• Added sounds to flyout sequence
• Added enemy ship explosion sounds
• Sound attenuation work overhaul
• Added distant explosion and artillery sounds
• Ship cannon sound update
• Wormhole sequence audio updated
• Extra fire sounds for real time map
• Footstep sound work
  • Added markers to all animations
  • Added function to set sound effects based on material

GAME ART

• Heavy focus on creating a more immersive environment
  • Film-noir style lighting and shadow improvements
  • Added motion and noise to some materials to create simple glowing effects
  • Added holographic assets
  • Added new wormhole transition
• Updated Game UI
  • Most turn-based UI now toggles off when out of combat
  • New cursor graphic
  • Updated ship target icon
  • New graphics for weapons, health and stamina UI
  • Guns with infinite ammo no longer show ammo counters
  • Standardized mission box font and size
  • Assets for new cover imagery in turn-based

GROUND MISSIONS

• Additional rubble and debris
• Added fire, ember, and smoke effects
• Improved starting area lighting and layout
• Scientists now have 1 HP, they die more
• Updated character material
• Upgraded fog
• Created a splash effect for rain hitting the ground under the waterfalls

SPACE MISSIONS

• Updated asteroids and planet art
• Ship input processing now respects the controller’s “ignore movement input” setting so that input does not work during cinematic mode
• Lighting improvements
• Added ship parts blowing away after destruction
• Hooked up stamina to boost in space
• Improvements to the space sky box
• Updated distant explosions
• Bigger, better asteroid VFX explosions
• Added ship to real-time space intro sequence
• Created a new Void weapon
• Fog in space baby!
• Added new particle system to fill space with more asteroids
• Transport ships explode now

Web 3

• Researched authentication and authorization for game and profile page
• Preliminary work on cosmetic NFT architecture
• Explored Beamable integration

Business & Marketing

• Hired new Fractional CMO to focus on:
  • Renewed marketing strategy
  • Make improvements to our Pitch decks & Whitepaper
  • Access to their vast network
  • Official announcement coming soon
• Signed official partnership with gaming focused blockchain
  • Met with partnership manager to plan steps ahead
  • Connected with the marketing team to plan announcement
  • Connected with the solutions engineering team to plan implementation
• Hosted our 8th Warped Talk Q+A featuring
  • First glimpse of space gameplay footage
• Participated in X / Twitter spaces
• Included in BGA weekly newsletter
• Grew X / Twitter presence
  • Average impressions increased by 1000%
  • 200,000 impressions in one day!
• Sent out update email to Warped newsletter subscriber

Wishlist Warped Universe here —
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/warped-universe-f1cedb