This update tackles various updates to the multiplayer backend as well as bring a new invite menu and various additional feedback elements across various other menus. Support for demo players being able to join sessions hosted by players from the full/release game has also been added.

New invite friends menu and other multiplayer improvements

On the waiting for players lobby menu or the game menu (when in a multiplayer session) you can now open an in-game invite players menu instead of just a button to open the overlay. This will make it much easier on gamepad users especially. You can of course still open the overlay as normal and invite players in any typical way in Steam like you did before. The way this menu works is you will click the tickbox for all your friends you wish to send an invite, and then when you press accept it will prompt you if you really wish to invite however many players you selected.
Other changes you can in this update are feedback prompts for joining or getting disconnected from sessions. This is just giving more foward facing information even if its as simple as saying its currently trying to connect or perhaps your connection timedout. Especially for the connecting stage there would of previously just been a second delay without any visual cue after clicking join so this will help tell you whats actually happening.
The session list will now show the progress as part of the sate on list itself. This could be what hole the session is at or if is still at the lobby stage. Full information as before including the new state to indicate session is still at the lobby stage can be found on the session info menu when when you pick a session.

Multiplayer now compatible between demo and full game

Next up is a pretty big thing and thats the ability for both demo and regular players to play together, seeing and joining the same sessions. This means if youve bought the game, but perhaps some of your friends havent, you can tell them to just grab the free demo and they will then be able to join your multiplayer session. Golfing in Aether has a really uphill battle to get visibility on Steam, so Im hoping making this change will encourage more players to try the game. The demo is available for both Windows and Linux (natively). When playing this way the same demo limitations apply, demo players wont get achievements, and customization is locked to level 3 at most. Plus, if demo player were to create a session theyll only have levels randomly picked from those in the demo (the demo only has access to 18 levels when creating sessions). Also, you wont be able to invite players between demo and regular with the steam client itself because steam considers the demo and release game different apps/games. But you can join just fine via the in-game session list where you'll find friends sessions grouped nicely at the top. If you dont want your session public, then create a custom session and set permissions to friends only.

Other fixes and improvements

See the full update notes below for several other fixes and improvements made, some stand-out mentions are improving the behavior of late joining sessions or when as a spectator. I did a lot of testing for this and worked out any issues or odd behaviour. If you encouter any issues please let me know. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1914980/Golfing_In_Aether/

Patch Notes

General

• Added improvements to way lobby updates are handled.
• Added reworked backend behaviour to the intro screen to simplify timing execution in relation to following join session info.
• Added clean-up of some un-used states and functions.
• Added change to level balance by moving learning curve from early to mid game random selection pool. This is because of the water hazard which from perspective of absolutely new players could be pretty challenging. With this change no gameplay is affected this level will simply show up randomly in mid game instead of early.
• Added improved batching for save-game updates with scoreboard.
• Fixed appearance of other players not being correct while spectating.
• Added some additional behaviour checks for hotseat mode for when you go out of bounds on the tee so you enter a hidden state. This has checks for both entering e.g. water or flying off the level. The point of this is so as the next player takes their turn they dont see your name and ball in the way.
• Fixed some behaviour issues relating to the power arrow projection, the head will no longer separate from the line.
• Added additional checks to prevent the cosmetic issue of the power meter becoming visible while moving (and unable to take launch the ball).
• Fixed a potential level loading issue in networked sessions for Up the stairs and hill climb. All levels have been checked and preventative measures added.
• Added a behaviour change for late joining a hotseat session so that the player is hidden while spectating for their initial join round.
• Added behaviour so when late joining active sessions youll correctly see other players visibility state as early as the sequence.
• Added some rate limiting for applying customization to help reduce calls at the start of a session.
• Added ability to play online multiplayer in the demo with the release version of the game. There only limiting factor here is that you cannot invite demo players to a release game via the steam overlay as it is considered a different app. But you can look up your friends session be it invite only or public via the session list. When demo players create a session theyll only be able to call on the levels available to them in the demo, but when joining a release game session theyll see all the levels just fine, same for any ball customization they dont have.
• Fixed a network timing issue relating to the replication of race positions and times. A request to the server is now sent to begin the holeout animation which in some extreme cases may lead to a few ms delay but ensures the time reported particually for race mode is acccurate.
• Fixed an issue where a spectating player joining may still spawn a visible ball.

Customization

• Added two new hats. a bowler hat and a floppy/dog ears version of the bell hat.

Engine

• Added update to various plugins including steam implementation.
• Added more streamlined network back-end utilizing standard engine functions where available to make engine version migrations easier.

Platform

• Added changes to demo steam depots to make them shared with the release game version. The installation folder will also be the same as the release game. This change means when you purchase the game you will not have to then redownload files used in the demo. Existing installations will be unaffected by this change and these changes may take a few days to become effect as they get made on Steam.
• Added missing library capsule and updated images for the demo version of the game.

Environment

• Fixed a wall gap on see you on the other side.
• Added improvements to shadow bias and slope bias. This will remove gaps between start of shadow and e.g. walls that could be more noticeable at very low end graphics settings.
• Added a slight blue tint increase to the faked skylight as part of ES3.1 rendering. This is to help bring rendering appearance closer to the default renderer.
• Fixed shadow appearence on the LOD level for 'Hill Climb'.
• Fixed some bamboo clipping a wall on 'Getting Tee'd Off'.
• Fixed LOD level of 'HIll Climb' not having its rotator visibly move.
• Added improved LOD model for smaller top wall pieces used which will help remove a gap that can sometimes appear.
• FIxed a small wall alignment issue on 'Behind the Tee'.
• Fixed a small wall gap on 'Little Gap'.
• Fixed a very small alignment issue with the cup on 'Speed Bump'.

Interface

• Fixed an incorrect string on the Sessions List.
• Added various prompts and information when joining sessions via the session browser so you get feedback for when you cannot connect or a session is no longer available.
• Added a status to the session info that indicates session is still waiting for players vs previously indicating hole 1. The string will be in lobby in order to fit space. The status will also be displayed on the server browser too.
• Added built in invite friends to session menu which can be found on both the waiting for players lobby screen and the game/pause menu via the y button. This will replace the standard button to open the overlay via the lobby which wasnt always gamepad friendly. You can of course still invite this way or any other method via the steam overlay from your standard shortcut trigger if you so wish (e.g. shift tab).
• Added prompt background when selecting spectating from the session info menu.
• Fixed shared input button visible at bottom of the select players menu while playing as a spectator.
• Fixed appearance of the choose players menu when playing as a spectator so other boxes are present that say not available while spectating.
• Fixed various description strings.
• Fixed instances where a name and score widget would display on the HUD when joining as spectator.
• Fixed an issue where a duplicate free camera timer could remain on screen. Both an initial check to clear previous widget has been added as well as an active timer check to clear the widget if it isnt used.
• Added a block to empty system messages that could appear as a result of connection timeout.
• Fixed inconsistent behaviour when clicking glyphs on prompts.
• Fixed width of achievement menu progress bars not being consistent as a result of longer text strings.
• Fixed achivements menu scroll bar not following the dark theme.
• Fixed appearence inconsistency with scroll bar on the waiting for players lobby.
• Fixed an instance where a custom session would be indicated as a race session from the session list.

Discord Server

Be sure to check out the official discord server with channels for Golfing In Aether and my other various projects.

[ 2023-06-15 16:46:50 CET ] [ Original post ]