This is a special build because there are a lot of improvements being made and there is still more work to be done on the main build. Normally I do not make patch notes or announce the experimental builds because they have until now been used primarily for testing purposes and short lived prior to the update of the main build. However, I have lots more to do for the current build so this experimental build will stay out there separate from the main build for at least several more weeks while I continue preparing the next update. It is unlikely I will update this experimental build again prior to the next update being ready. I have not written guides for some of the new stuff yet. The plan is to continue work on the main build and then do some multiplayer testing. Since this work in progress / experimental build is stable enough to play I will put it out there for anyone interested in the latest and greatest of updates. The main build may be more stable so I would recommend playing that unless you have a specific interest in testing out the build before it is done. If you do play on the experimental branch, make sure you use a separate save file just in case!

Changes

• Added more nonsense messages
• Added new multiplayer feature "Platform Areas" to better sync Nautikins moving nearby vessels
• Added launch obstruction detection to build areas
• Added new item steel cables
• Disabled default unity player logging again
• Improvements to platform movement
• Improvements to platform collisions
• Fixed bug with engine UI related to multiplayer
• Fixed some culling problems with Ocean when in the air
• Fixed a bug that could potentially cause an infinite loop and engine crash if the shark gets stuck in a weird spot somehow
• Fixed a bug with jump animation
• Fixed a bug with jumping between different vessels
• Fixed a bug with jump timing
• Fixed a bug with rotation on static platforms
• Fixed a bug with revive timing
• Fixed a potential problem with crates detecting vessels
• Fixed a physics bug where crates could fly away when unsecured from a moving vessel rather than maintaining relative velocity
• Fixed a potential problem with runway light rendering far away
• Fixed a bug with swim animation when entering water with parachute after jumping
• Fixed some multiplayer timing issues related to securing crates
• Fixed a timing issue when spawning network parts related to subvessels
• Fixed a bug with crane container pickup angle checks
• Fixed a bug with crane container pickup where container can be ignored
• Fixed a client sync issue with securing containers that prevented vessels from moving
• Fixed a bug with ladder animations when loading related to multiplayer
• Fixed a bug with first person camera while on ladders on turning boats
• Fixed a bug related to saving Nautikin exit positions for seats when a vessel has just launched
• Fixed a bug with crane colliding with vessels when unobserved
• Fixed a bug with repair animation in multiplayer
• Fixed a bug with parachute drag
• Fixed a bug with character ability sync
• Fixed a bug with redundant buoyancy on server for multiplayer
• Fixed some sync issues with aircrafts physics
• Fixed a potential sync issue with 3 or more players
• Fixed a bug with climb animation underwater
• Fixed some timing issues with animations
• Fixed a bug that allowed grabbing ladders and getting stuck inside them
• Fixed 2 bugs that prevented reliable jumping off ladders
• Fixed bug with ladder movement
• Fixed some audio issues when loading multiplayer
• Fixed a bug with throttling down aircraft
• Fixed a bug related to placing other parts on ladders
• Fixed a bug that allowed getting on ladders by interacting with child parts
• Fixed a bug where eyes can disappear when incapacitating another Nautikin in first person
• Fixed some problems with touching items dropped on platforms
• Fixed a bug with fire detection when using welder
• Fixed a configuration issue with DinghyHull part
• Fixed a bug with Nautikin colliders
• Fixed some item highlight issues with ropes
• Changed the way ocean updates with camera
• Changed the way that Crates and Shipping containers sync
• Changed the way vessels sync in multiplayer
• Changed the way climbing ladders syncs in multiplayer
• Changed the way seats sync in multiplayer
• Changed Seat part seated animation
• Changed how exiting a seat handles multiple vessels nearby
• Tweaked debug display
• Shark will now decrease wander area if confined
• Shark can now wander away from where he spawned
• Shark can now be killed with physical impacts and has a higher tolerance for pain
• Nautikin mass is now linked to vessel when on platforms instead of a physical force
• Unsecured containers now rotated better with moving parts
• Overhauled platform movement
• Improvements to getting stuck on tiny parts of boat
• Improved Nautikin collision detection with static map objects (i.e. docks, rocks, trees, etc.)
• Interactions now ignore audio area triggers
• Vessel cameras will no longer be occluded by crates or Nautikins on the vessel
• Nautikin impact damage now has additional checks for cranes
• Code cleanup
• Deliveries are no longer destroyed when vessel is physically destroyed
• Vessels are now more stable when resting on other vessels in multiplayer (Helicopters on boats)
• Seats are now considered platforms, similar to ladders.
• Slight improvement to foot animation when on ladders
• Nautikins now angle better to climb ladders with feet
• Improvements to platform collisions
• Improvements to character movement
• Improved collision detection for terrain
• Improved rope / cable rendering at high speeds
• Ledge detection now respects characters current speed and angle limitations
• Nautikins will now moved when pushed by cranes or other Nautikins
• Cranes now save the orientation of the lift, not just the rotation of the controls
• Improved performance of getting in / out of vessels
• Nautikins can now push each other
• Minor improvements to push mechanic
• Nautikins can now push other Nautikins underwater
• Improved underwater pushing animation
• Improved collisions for vessels
• Performance improvements for multiplayer physics
• Structures no longer attempt to sync position information in multiplayer
• Climbing ladders will now detect obstructing parts
• Tweaked beach ball behavior on platforms
• Drydock and Runway will now make some attempt to prevent spawning vessels inside each other (if you forget to remove a plane from the runway for example)
• Fire extinguisher is now sold at runway too

Notes

Steel cables work similar to ropes but instead create a fixed connection allowing for greater stability between secured objects. The primary purpose of this is to secure helicopters to boat helipads when moving fast, or vessels to other vessels in general when they are resting on top of one another. Steel cables can only be used to secure controllable objects to platforms or the map. Things that work include Nautikins on boats, helicopters on boats, Nautikins on jets, jets on boats, boats to map, Nautikins to map, etc. Things that do not work primarly due to the limitations of the engine and multiplayer in general are, securing 2 boats together that could be controlled by different players or securing 2 Nautikins together. Crates do not work because they can already be secured. If either of these objects is not the current platform of the other, the connection will be disabled because it won't synchronize in multiplayer properly and spaghettification will likely occur. This may work in the future if control can be delegated to a single location when steel cables are attached, but the fixed connection and multiplayer synchronization have contradictory goals atm. Having control of your vessel delayed to the server for steel cables is likely undesirable. This behavior could be enabled for single player but is disabled currently to maintain consistancy between singleplayer and multiplayer. Steel cables cannot be attached to cranes or subvessels. The build area obstruction detection on launch is particularly useful for placing vessels on top of other vessel at launch (this is more of a side effect, but it is neat for putting jets on boats). This build is a little bit larger and took a while longer than normal due to some complex changes to multiplayer that would have otherwise made the game unstable without a longer testing period. There was also a lot of refactoring ahead of new content that otherwise did not warrant it's own build. Testing various fixes for obscure problems with the ocean shader, it's not immediately apparent that these will be successful so they may reoccur in changes from build to build. Been chasing a silent crash. Player logging was enabled in an earlier build to see if Unity logged anything to the default Player.log or this somehow prevented the crash (it did not so its off again). Its possible this crash was caused by bad shark behavior but only time will tell. Because the format of crane rotation has changed, loaded cranes will default to not rotated until saved again. This prevents bad collisions during initialization. Pushing Nautikins controlled by other players is a little janky movement wise due to the requirements of network position syncing.