# ------ Announcements

\n

## Sprint

\n3rd sprint, of the 3rd cycle. Chapter 02/Pass 02.\nThis sprint was even more challenging. My aim was to do more on narrative, and i did manage to do some.\nI also made a ton of refactors, which were difficult, but also important. I haven\'t detailed the refactors and fixes so i\'ve done more than what\'s shown here.\n\nPlay-tests are always welcome open. If you want to help me with your feedback, please contact me :)\n\n

**Explanation and showcase**

\n[dynamiclink href=\"https://youtu.be/p3Pki9APfE4\"][/dynamiclink]\n\n

# ------ Game

\n

## General

\n\nThis build contains big amounts of refactor.\n\nNEW\n* Moved to unreal engine 5.6.0.\n\nImprove:\n* Game save time is now on UTC (warning).\n* Patched Sentry being called in a background thread.\n* Regular optimizations, cleanups, and so on.\n* A good amount of refactoring and moving stuff.\n* * Moved chapter loading to `LStoryMan` (not in the build, but scheduled for the next one).\n* * Moved menu to `LFeatsMan`.\n* * And more listed in their own category.\n\nKnown issues:\n* Screen might flash when loading the next chapter. It\'s a UE thing, not my code.\n\n

## Settings

\nNEW:\n\nImprove:\n* Reworked buttons for key binding. Now using button styles. Styles are planned to be used more in the game.\n* Fixed the message box for re-loading the current save-state.\n\n## Art\nNEW:\n* Added new plant, cup, 2 types of towels (one unused), coat hanger (unused), toy (unused).\n* Attempt at adding an app icon.\n\nImprove:\n* Improve item use colors.\n* Modified flashback material! (again). Removed gooch and changed it a bit.\n* Improve the intro UI.\n* * Improved warning screen.\n* * Reworked savegame screen.\n* Improve a few of the settings screen. Included key binding.\n* Fixed issue with roundedness of the dialog box and blurred background.\n* Adjusted rounded corners for `Teach` and `Prompt` ui.\n* Changed font for `Teach`.\n* Disabled some material\'s \"set automatic usage\". To reduce the required shader permutations. This is also an optimization. It\'s a work in progress.\n* Refactored the dialog animation to use a \"retainer\" box.\n* Fixed outro text style.\n\n

## Chapters

\nAll:\n\nCH00:\nCH01:\n* Fixed phone text.\n\nCH02:\n* Reworked the flow considerably. (Quite some work).\n* Modified which rooms it uses. With this, finally, each chapter uses different rooms.\n* Improved data-layer usage. For chapter 02. Still remaining are 03 and 04.\n* Added `LogicCard02` and `LogicCard03`. Stub, not used.\n* Reworked hints. Added a bunch.\n* Improved the character dialog animation.\n* Added some world-texts.\n\nCH03:\nCH04:\n\n

# ------- Subsystems and plugins

\n

## All

\n> Public repos for the plugins are updated on a later date, according to (my) availability.\n\n

## Flashbacks

\n\n

## Dialogs

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Diags \n\nLifeDev:\n* Ported a bunch of dialogs to the new Auto-dialogs. This is a work in progress (quite large).\n* Some fixes, some adds, some improves.\n\nPlugin:\n\n

## Interactions (and animations)

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Interact \n\nLifeDev:\n* Removed code for old item-use.\n* Consume used item.\n* Deprecated the `Spot` class in favor of the improved `LInteract`.\n* * Moved two spots to an interact. This is a work in progress.\n* Improved unlocking with items.\n* Renamed auto-dialog for trigger locked.\n* Removed `LockedItemDlg`, `ULockItemReq`, `ULockItem`.\n* Added item `OnLook` delegate.\n\nPlugin:\n* `SetUseHint` is virtual.\n* Improved the collision profiles. Added some docs.\n* Some rename and refactor on `finishFlags`, `finishItems`, `itemsRem`, `itemEnsure`, etc.\n* Improved unlocking.\n* Deprecated the spot.\n* Added editor-only field `Comment`.\n* Fixed ability to trigger multiple times on a self-destroy item.\n* Conditions and comments are searchable in the Asset Registry.\n\nPuzzle:\n* Improved/fixed hinting.\n* Implemented fade.\n\n

## Inventory / Flags

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Inventory \n\nLifeDev:\n\nTeach (NUX):\n* Added vr as a type.\n* Fixed dismissing the message for \"look at item\".\n\nPlugin:\n* Removed Item\'s `selfUsable` flag.\n\n

## JSignificance

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/JSig \n\n

## JUtils

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/JUtils \n\nNew:\n* Added a `LoadScr` subsystem. It\'s a useful asynchronous loading screen.\n* * Unfortunately it\'s not enough for me, so i\'m not using it. But it\'s available for those who might use it.\n\nImproves:\n* Potentially fix the camera fade.\n\n

## Sounds

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Sounds \n\nLifeDev:\n* Fixed some sound location on the cabinet doors.\n* Ported the last `SFXTrigger` to the new `SFXs`. `SFXTrigger` got removed.\n* Re-imported some audios with an improved sample rate.\n* Adjusted some levels.\n* Sounds for: screwdriver, scissor, toilet flush, chair.\n\nPlugin:\n* Moved some meta-sounds to the plugin. E.g. `SoundSheet`, `RampAndSwitch`.\n\n

## Story

\nhttps://codeberg.org/jerobarraco/Story \n\nLifeDev:\n* Removed `WaitTime` from step.\n* Modified `ActorsShow` to not hide automatically, and added `ActorsHide`.\n* Modified a bunch of the character dialog animations to use teleport after blend.\n* * It feels more natural, and helps with the flow, as well as fixing some quirks.\n\nPlugin:\n* Improved data layer loading. To allow to (optionally) block during load.\n* * The next step doesn\'t start until loading is done. You need to specify the streaming to `Blocking` on the data-layer.\n* * Improves reliability and determinism a bunch.\n* Implement teleport after camera blend.\n\n

# ------ Links

\n\nPlay on Steam [dynamiclink href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/2450230/LifeDev/\"][/dynamiclink]\n\nForums https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/solodev-lifedev-my-game-about-overcoming-cptsd/1172122 \n\nTwitter: [dynamiclink href=\"https://twitter.com/jerobarraco\"][/dynamiclink]\n\nMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@jerobarraco \n\nSupport on patreon (\"one time\" also available) https://www.patreon.com/c/jerobarraco \n\nSupport on liberapay https://liberapay.com/nande \n\nSupport on Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/jerobarraco

[ 2025-07-23 06:38:01 CET ] [Original Post]