17.01.2024 18:00:00 -> 03.03.2024 11:15:57

--- Wed Jan 17 2024 18:00:00 GMT+0100	
+++ Wed Jan 17 2024 18:00:00 GMT+0100	
@@ -2 +2 @@
-November/December 2023
+January 2024
@@ -7 +7 @@
-SUBJ: DEVELOPMENT UPDATE 01:10:2024
+SUBJ: DEVELOPMENT UPDATE 02:07:2024
@@ -13 +13 @@
-Welcome to November/December’s Squadron 42 development report. Enclosed you will find details on the latest progress made across the campaign, including birds and rodents, the Starmap, and Fortune’s Cross.
+Welcome to January’s Squadron 42 development report. Enclosed you will find details on the latest progress made across the campaign, including Archon station, hygiene behaviors, and capital ships.
@@ -21,2 +21,2 @@
-AI (Features)
-Through November and December, AI Features continued to develop a key combat encounter by improving locomotion and simplifying weapon firing to use the same Subsumption control nodes as Human AI agents.
+AI (Content)
+Throughout January, AI Content progressed with Shubin station content for chapter 5, with a focus on the main hangar, security, tram stations A and B, social hub, and main bridge. This included working on the utility, deck, bridge, and engineering crews, and security, tram passengers, hub patrons, and vendors.
@@ -24 +24 @@
-Vanduul combat encounters were also iterated on, with the team fixing issues with enemies entering combat and moving into melee range. They also implemented Vanduul death animations using re-targeted core directional Human animations, which were then further polished. The Vanduul execution takedown window was improved and telegraphed correctly to ensure players have the opportunity to escape.
+AI Content also continued to focus on improving a variety of personal locations and lockers. Specifically, NPCs approaching lockers, changing out of their base outfits, entering cubicles to shower, and then returning to their lockers to get dressed again.
@@ -26 +26,2 @@
-A range of other combat areas were worked on too, including changes to the tactical target query system, which can now spread targeting across a group but prioritize the player.
+AI (Features)
+Last month, AI Features continued to polish the technology used to fire arced rocket pods. This system solves equations that have multiple variables (angle of throw and speed) and a range of solutions that need to be evaluated. On top of the arcing solution, collision checks must be performed, which repurposes existing technology created for grenades and other arced-fire weapons.
@@ -28 +29 @@
-A new cover tactical position query term was finished, allowing non-line-of-sight cover posture queries, and an issue was fixed with characters in flow-graph-controlled non-combat custom assignments not going into combat after exiting the assignment.
+Finer polish of behaviors in levels is currently underway to ensure the details of animations and systemic behaviors form a cohesive whole.
@@ -30,4 +31,0 @@
-Tech-debt work was done on firing validation to ensure that it better encapsulates the new debug render improvements, while synced melee attacks were connected to the AI melee combo system so that follow-up attacks can be data-driven. This is used in a boss encounter to drive a follow-up synced weak attack if the previous one fails.
-
-Finally for AI Features, the team implemented a new invulnerability system to allow AI to take damage but not go below a specific threshold. This is used to script the various damage-induced stages of a boss fight without making the character completely invulnerable.
-
@@ -35 +32 @@
-At the end of the year, AI Tech progressed with features and support for release builds. For boids, they’re close to finalizing the first iteration that will allow the designers to place fish, rodents, and birds in the environment. Recent updates include rules to avoid dangerous areas or actors, transition rules that will detect weapons fired/bullets hit, and the ability to switch from idle/wandering to a fleeing rule set. The team also further iterated on killing boids agents and how they transition from an animation-driven state to ragdoll. For birds, they extended the number of wandering states. For example, besides flying, birds can also walk after a landing transition. Synchronization between the server and client is currently being worked on.
+AI Tech picked up where they left off last year, cleaning up the ability for multiple NPCs to use ladders simultaneously when moving in the same direction.
@@ -37 +34 @@
-Effort was also put into optimizing and improving various features, including the pathfinder algorithm, collision-avoidance system, navigation system, and Subsumption loading logic.
+The transit system received upgrades to make the ‘UseTransit’ logic smoother and more robust when handling fails, retries, and fallbacks.
@@ -39 +36 @@
-For Apollo tools, AI Tech continued to support the designers with additional functionality, including the ability to create PNG files from behaviors, improved readability for Subsumption flowgraph nodes, and improved undo/redo actions.
+For NPCs using elevators, the flow was improved to create a more efficient sequence. For example, characters won’t go back and forward anymore and will instead board the elevator directly, eliminating unnecessary waiting or interim positions.
@@ -41 +38 @@
-Several existing features were polished and finalized, including NPCs utilizing trolleys, which received improved collision avoidance. This was achieved by updating the PID controller logic and how it’s used for path following when NPCs are pushing trolleys.
+AI Tech are currently refining a new loading procedure for Subsumption data. This will allow stricter requirements on the data so they can immediately identify issues. This functionality will be enabled as an additional step when submitting for validation.
@@ -43 +40 @@
-For AI using ladders, new functionality was added. For example, NPCs can now check if the ladder is available and will only use it if free or another NPC is climbing it in the same direction. In case the ladder is being used the opposite way, NPCs will find a free spot at the top or bottom and wait.
+For spaceships, the team focused on numerous bug fixes and improvements specifically for combat scenarios and AI traits, the latter of which helps to influence AI logic. For example, by allowing NPCs to prefer certain behaviors over others. This allows the designers to balance gameplay based upon the enemy faction players are fighting. Existing traits include Strafer Override, which forces the pilot to always choose the strafer tactic, and Speedfreak, which always chooses to boost and has slightly higher speeds.
@@ -45,4 +42,0 @@
-On the ship AI side, the team improved and extended spline functionality. This involved allowing ships to move along a spline while staying orientated toward the target and moving to the beginning of a spline that’s already moving (e.g. a spline attached to a different ship).
-
-Toward the end of the year, AI Tech started to look for a better solution to generating navigation mesh on planets, as the current implementation could be faster and has problems generating navigation mesh close to planetary poles (which is affecting some outpost locations and their associated NPCs). This is currently in progress and an update will be provided in a future report.
-
@@ -50 +43 @@
-The Animation teams worked on player skill level animations, such as takedowns, vaulting, mantling, and exercise, and continued developing first-select animations to show off the unique aspects of the game’s weapons. They also continued to develop the combat AI sets, including a unique boss fight.
+Last month, the Animation team further refined the feel of the AI in a number of chapters to better tell the story. They also worked on malfunctions, prone, EVA, and several boss fights, and further refined combat animations for different enemy types.
@@ -52 +45 @@
-The Social team worked alongside Level Design to add life across various chapters, which was supported by the Mo-cap team.
+They’re currently implementing several new story beats to better align how levels feel. This is supported by the Mo-cap team via focused shoots that quickly add improvements in to the game.
@@ -54 +47 @@
-On the facial side, the devs continued to develop facial content for the cast characters and combat and social AI that drive the narrative.
+On the facial front, the team is hard at work implementing additional lines for Old Man to add more value to the player’s relationship with him.
@@ -56,2 +49,2 @@
-Features (Gameplay)
-Gameplay Features spent time toward the end of the year looking at what’s needed to implement some of their SQ42 features into the PU, including additional requirements not needed for the single-player campaign. Most features are moving over smoothly, though the new mobiGlas requires work to support existing apps not found in SQ42.
+Art (Environment)
+January saw Environment Art’s strike teams progress with chapters one, four, and five.
@@ -59 +52 @@
-The Starmap is currently being polished, with fixes for labels and better transitioning between the solar system and mini-map views. This was adapted to work well on the 2D vehicle multi-function-display screens, which will need to support multiple solar systems when Pyro comes online. There were also developments using mini-map rendering inside the Starmap holosphere for the new landing UI so players can see the walls, floors, and ceilings in their ship’s radar when coming in to land.
+“We’ve pushed a lot of the Core Development teams into delivering these chapters alongside the Design teams. It’s been rewarding to see the progress we’ve been making together on these locations.” Environment Art Team
@@ -61 +54 @@
-The character customizer was polished, including better rendering for the head library grid. The team also experimented with a different UI for face sculpting and made other general usability improvements. They're currently looking at ways to better serialize the data and reduce size requirements.
+Locations-wise, passes were made on the interior hangar, security, social, and bridge sections of Archon station, while the whitebox metric art for store interiors was converted to final.
@@ -63 +56 @@
-The SQ42 frontend received polish, with saved game profiles now displaying the relevant customized character and a dynamically changing environment depending on progress.
+The Javelin received a complete pass this month, including intact and damaged interiors, a full lighting pass, and dynamic dressing that reacts to the damaged version of the ship. Environment Art also continued to update the Javelin’s exterior to a new, higher standard for capital ship exteriors. Once completed, they’ll move on to the damaged version.
@@ -65,2 +58 @@
-Gameplay Story
-A big focus for Gameplay Story during November was the Fortune’s Cross level, including a scene featuring an NPC talking to the player with branching dialogue.
+Locations in chapter four were also worked up to a high standard, including the interior of some asteroid truckstops and an abandoned ship.
@@ -68 +60 @@
-“This is quite typical of many of our scenes apart from the fact it is taking place on a moving escalator! Whilst looking into this, we decided to take responsibility for getting the NPC to traverse all four escalators in the level. This was quite a technical challenge that required a lot of difficult investigation. However, with some help from Design, we were able to get the character to seamlessly enter and exit all four escalators whilst they are moving.” Gameplay Story Team
+Finally for Environment Art, the Odin system was updated with a new sun nebula that can be seen during downtime.
@@ -70 +62,2 @@
-Alongside this, the team worked on a range of scenes across various chapters, using new mo-cap, updating poses, and fixing problems.
+Core Gameplay
+Polish on the Starmap’s features continued in January, including new box-outs to give information about the selected location and what services it provides. It also gives the option to set quantum routing, drawing the route between the current location and destination (similar to the current Starmap).
@@ -72 +65 @@
-In December, Gameplay Story made several significant updates to scenes in chapter five. This involved using new mo-cap to improve how two characters meet and walk up stairs at the start of the chapter. New mo-cap was also used to animate four characters exiting a tram before six get on, which was a challenge for timing and space but works well.
+The character customizer gained further improvements allowing the player to save and load in their character, which also enables the backing up and sharing of customized character appearances. A randomization function was also worked on to give aesthetically pleasing results. Core Gameplay worked alongside the Backend team to help with data serialization and compress the data size as much as possible to make sending character data to other clients as efficient as possible.
@@ -74 +67,2 @@
-The team also implemented a new dialogue-heavy three-person scene in the Shubin hangar and used additional mo-cap to make a key character walk to and from a meeting scene in chapter four.
+Gameplay Story
+The Gameplay Story team began the year improving scenes across different chapters. For example, several scenes were updated with new mo-cap at the start or end (or both) to pose-match to systemic animations. This ensures they dovetail well with the rest of the game and makes them more robust.
@@ -76,2 +70 @@
-Graphics & VFX Programming
-At the end of 2023, the Graphics teams largely progressed with their longer-term tasks. For example, work continued on improving the visual quality of gas clouds through the addition of a directional occlusion effect. The gas-cloud-system output is also being unified with the planetary-cloud system so that the new cloud upscaling solution can be used by both.
+“One tricky scene in chapter 14 was completely overhauled with new mo-cap and is now considered by Design to be bulletproof!” Gameplay Storm Team
@@ -79 +72 @@
-The Global Illumination team added support for transparency via a dense view-frustum voxel grid of low-resolution probes along with a sparser zone-space grid of higher-resolution probes. Work is also ongoing to improve the representation of materials in the raytracing system.
+Alongside this, the team communicated with stakeholders to establish a proper standard for the grip setup for helmets. They’re currently batch updating helmet animations to use the new setup, which will unblock a lot of long-standing issues.
@@ -81,6 +74,0 @@
-Vulkan is reaching the final stages of development, with the team wrapping up the last of their rendering tech. Ongoing work is targeting reducing stutter by working on shader/PSO compilation caching and general performance polishing before the initial release.
-
-The Planet Tech team continued wrapping up the water feature, focusing on robustness, memory usage, and performance. Alongside this, the Graphics team improved the water-edge effects against both the environment and visor/camera lens.
-
-VFX Programming worked toward finishing off fire-hazard visuals, investigated networking support for the fire-hazard system, and added support for water VFX. On the tools side, support is being added for unique IDs associated with each particle effect to allow robust referencing and the reorganization of effects.
-
@@ -88 +75 @@
-Level Design’s Social Narrative team pushed on with Idris interstitials, prioritizing the med-bay and corridor sections and clearing out the backlog of bugs and tasks along with other miscellaneous blockers.
+Social Narrative started the year where they left off, striving to close out Archon station’s social area. This walk-and-talk section presents particular challenges, including the potential for players to leave their guide and explore the station.
@@ -90 +77 @@
-Chapter one’s Javelin social section was also a key focus. Though a comparatively small section of the chapter, as the opening of the game, it’s hugely important as it sets the scene for what’s to come. November featured multiple reviews and several rounds of feedback, which led to the team tweaking content and adding new mo-cap, with the latter making a significant difference in quality. In the past, mo-cap turnaround could be lengthy. However, thanks to the new on-site studio, content can be in-game within a matter of days.
+The devs also closed out outstanding issues on the social section of chapter one and continued to focus on the Idris interstitials and a key scene in chapter eight. Work was also done on conversations between the Idris crew, who reference the player and current in-game situation.
@@ -92,2 +79,0 @@
-Chapter four was also a focus, which involves an NPC leading the player through the social area of a rundown stopover station. There was also a concerted push on Archon Station, which has hundreds of background crew going about their daily business. This involved collaborating with the AI Content team, who have been striving to make the AI in these sections as convincing as possible.
-
@@ -95 +80 @@
-Toward the end of a busy year on SQ42’s development, the Narrative team continued to support the editorial selects for content shot in the summer and fall. Over the past two months, they worked with Production to assess all tasks that are currently assigned to the Narrative team to make sure they cover all known remaining work. These tasks might change based on continued development, but this process allows the team to figure out what they can jump into in 2024. The team also revised the script treatment to reflect any changes in the flow since the last version.
+The Narrative team began the new year further refining the narrative elements of SQ42. For example, the team identified a few key moments where additional loudspeaker announcements would help drive a sense of urgency. First, they added placeholder recordings and, once the team is satisfied with how the moments feel in-game, they'll be recorded with professional voice actors. The team also made passes on various UI elements, providing new text as needed alongside revising text to provide further clarity or impact.
@@ -97 +82 @@
-Narrative continued to define the collectibles that will be scattered throughout the levels. Some of these are a little more involved than others, but the team synced with Design and Art to understand the number and placement of the various objects.
+Work also continued on the game’s collectibles. The teams continue to coordinate with the artists to create memorable and eye-catching things to discover.
@@ -99 +84 @@
-“As more and more content makes its way into the game, reviews of the various levels with the other teams will be important to make sure the intended tone is coming through. The Social teams have been focusing on the larger social areas lately to make sure they feel populated and alive.” Narrative Team
+Additionally, the team spent time diving deeper into how players will learn information on the game’s lore through Galactapedia entries as they naturally progress through the story.
@@ -101,2 +86,2 @@
-Tech Animation
-The Technical Animation team spent the end of the year on deliverables for the content teams across both projects.
+UI
+In January, the UI team continued to polish the vehicle UI, including getting some of the holographic elements to appear on physical screens for the lower-tech ships. They also improved the display of quantum-travel information and polished elements of the turret UI.
@@ -104 +89 @@
-These include an outfit manager that will pull together a full set of assets for any character outfit in-game, which will help the Animation teams author specific content.
+They also added various animated screens to make the scenes in-game more interesting, including enemy tech, screens for civilian areas, and help show the story in a key section near the start of the game.
@@ -106 +91 @@
-Previously missing from the pipeline, physics proxy tools creation was added for an intuitive and streamlined way to create physicalized skeletons in Maya. An animation-events editor was also added to keep audio linked to animations across projects. New ADB diff tools also help the devs track and diagnose problems with complex XML format files that need historical context to be useful.
+Regarding FPS UI, a pass was started to bring the lens up to standard now that the visor is in a good state.
@@ -108 +93 @@
-A replacement for a very old toolset that validates content being exported from Maya was created.
+“We’ve been working on some updated concepts to give it a fresher look, whilst also including some of the improvements we created for the visor.” UI Team
@@ -110 +95,2 @@
-“We're now in a position to add to the tests and potentially change some low-level paradigms to enable exploration of new pipeline possibilities.” Technical Animation team
+VFX
+Last month, the VFX team continued to support the Art, Design, and Cinematics teams with their VFX requirements. This included updating the dynamic fire effects to work in additional locations to accommodate new gameplay scenarios.
@@ -112,4 +98 @@
-Additionally, Technical Animation authored and fixed more head assets, refined existing pipelines, continued developing engine animation systems, and ideated on additional ways to help them approach gold master.
-
-VFX
-In November and December, the VFX team continued to provide effects support for a variety of locations as well as some key cinematic sequences. They also continued to fine-tune water, including underwater effects.
+They also created a new rota system to make sure the number of VFX-related data errors was reduced to zero; each week, an artist is picked to work directly with the embedded VFX QA team member to ensure the existing bug list is kept at zero week-to-week.