Topic: Summery summary in the midst of upcoming version hype  (Read 12929 times)


Sami

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« on: August 05, 2019, 11:53:54 AM »
Yes, yes. Yet another version is cooking up. That's not news. That's how it goes with UnReal World.

But what it will be about, and when to expect a release?
That would be more like news. And that's what this post is about.

Summer is always a busy season. There's so much happening that it's hard to even summarize what's happening. Many of the warm days and nightless nights get spent on recreational activities, but working hours in the development chambers have been also been busy and sweaty. Now lets take a look at what has happened, and to where all this is taking us. Some of this stuff may have been announced already, but it doesn't hurt to drool once again.

The main focus of upcoming version is laid on NPCs. This applies to both companions you can hire for yourself, and wandering woodsmen you may meet in the wild. But that's not all. I'll cover some of the upcoming new features in the chunks of text below. I won't add screenshots this time, but a few selected historical image sources from Finnish museums and archives. Some of these may not be era-accurate, but mood and theme suitable nevertheless.


Wandering NPCs will actively hunt animals, based on their cultural preferences, and also utilize the kills the best they can.

This opens up possibilities for numerous exciting incidents to take place as the woods with hunters and their game now becomes far more alive and complex than before.
The very act of NPCs hunting is propably rarely witnessed by the player character but traces and remains found in the woods can tell a story of another human hunter at the area.
Wandering woodsmen and adventurers may now also occasionally have dog companions with them. And just like the dogs owned by player characters these will also protect their masters.


"Hunter with his gear"
Photographer: Sirelius U.T. 1898
National Board of Antiquities / Suomalais-ugrilainen kuvakokoelma / SUK36:263
License: CC BY 4.0


Companion usefulness gets boosted with several new tasks they can do on demand

New companion commands are:
* butcher and skin carcasses
* roast meat or fish
* make logs and boards
Companions skills naturally affect to outcome of the tasks so their expertise can be sometimes used to obtain higher quality goods than what the player characters could produce by themselves.
That's cool, you might think. And you also might think of few other tasks companions could do. Indeed. Same here. We actually do have a few more things regarding companions still under construction. Currently we're working on mechanisms to allow unoccupied companions automatically to help you with laborous tasks (eg. building) thus shortening the working time.


Well, we haven't concentrated solely on living things. Here's a few of probably the most interesting additions and features regarding item galore;

Harvesting and utilizing birch-bark

It will be possible to harvest and utitilize birch-bark in crafting. Birch-bark is peeled and removed from a tree in long strips which are then wound to a ball for storage. (As a trivia, this kind of balls are called 'Sommelo' in Finnish.)
It will be possible for player character now to craft birch-bark shoes, caps, boxes, baskets - and also birch-bark ropes.


Ball of birch-bark, 'Sommelo'.
The National Museum of Finland / Yleisetnografiset kokoelmat / VK5354:11
License: CC BY 4.0



Measure of length for tying equipment

Tying equipment such as ropes and cords now have a length property, and tying equipment requirements in crafting are now length based. There will be also options for joining and shorterning ropes and cords as sometimes specific length is desired.


Armour and cloth quality having impact on their protective values

High quality armours and clothes now provide more protection, and the low quality ones provide less. In most cases this covers more than one coverage aspect, but always at least the most important aspect for the item in question.


Footwear wearing out in use

Shoes and boots now wear out in use ie. when walking or otherwise moving around by foot. Footwear material determines their durability.


Reindeer fur boots, 'Nutukkaat'.
The National Museum of Finland / Suomalais-ugrilaiset kokoelmat / SU4724:35
License: CC BY 4.0



Let this be enough for summery summary about what to expect. Now then there's that other question...

When we're done with those "few more things" still pending to be added it is time to start wrapping things up for a beta release. I'm quite reluctant to set or mention any deadlines as they usually don't keep, but if we think it out loud then...
It shouldn't take more than few weeks to finish the most urgent pending to-do's. Then a week of extensive testing and adjusting the latest additions, and then if everything goes fine it's time to start final packaging.
So...
...we could be seeing first beta of the brave new version in early september. And from there on, what has been laid in there will still be evolving and growing, stabilizing and multiplying.

It should be noted that the beta version will be released on Steam, and for lifetimers, and standalone (donation-based, free-of-charge) installers will follow after significantly longer time than what we have used to in the past. This is because the donation-based distribution has been receiving very marginal and insufficient support for years already, and I have to reason things out how to balance with the current distribution models. I'll be happy to answer possibly puzzled questions of relatively recent of near-future intending donors but that will have to await until next week - but don't hesitate to even e-mail if you feel like it.
- Sami | UnReal World creator

PALU

« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2019, 07:12:45 PM »
A couple of Njerpezit follow on questions, then:
- Will they also benefit from dogs? That can make them a lot more dangerous than they are currently...
- I've encountered them felling trees. Will they also hunt? If they do, that means you don't know if the remains left by a hunter is from a friend or foe, which I think would be a good thing.

Titanium

« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2019, 06:19:46 PM »
[a hunter and a Njerpezit meet in the woods]
H: Hello fellow woodsman. Would you like to play some Footsommelo with me to pass the time?
[Njerpezit proceeds to stab the hunter in the face, who then collapses in a pool of blood]
N: It's called Sommeloker.

Acolyte

« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2019, 05:33:33 AM »
Really excited for this! One suggestion: When we harvest Birch Bark strips it shouldn't be called "cords" it should be called what it was - a Sommelo! I can't wait to use .5 (or whatever) of my Fine Birch Bark Sommelo to craft a Birch Bark Basket!

   - Shane

Sami

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« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2019, 11:18:29 AM »
A couple of Njerpezit follow on questions, then:
- Will they also benefit from dogs? That can make them a lot more dangerous than they are currently...
- I've encountered them felling trees. Will they also hunt? If they do, that means you don't know if the remains left by a hunter is from a friend or foe, which I think would be a good thing.

I guess it's yes and yes. Wandering Njerpez can do all the ordinary woodsman tasks so the new wandering NPC features should fit in to their behavior automatically.
- Sami | UnReal World creator

Kaumaleinen

« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2019, 08:06:56 AM »
Very exciting! Looks like endless hours of virtually wandering around in the winter woods when it gets colder irl :D

Brygun

« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2019, 06:01:30 PM »
Can we get a metal working skill and start integrating smithing into the vanilla game? It is Iron age Finland after all.


Tom H

« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2019, 08:41:27 PM »
Can we get a metal working skill and start integrating smithing into the vanilla game? It is Iron age Finland after all.

But ironmongery was probably a skill passed on, not developed from scratch. Perhaps it would be a starting scenario trade, such as farmer or fishing?

Sami

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« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2019, 05:59:50 PM »
Can we get a metal working skill and start integrating smithing into the vanilla game? It is Iron age Finland after all.

Umm, I don't really like to add things if they don't have real function in the game. When there will be metalworking skill, there will be metalworking featured as well.

- Sami | UnReal World creator