Hi there!
Development of multiplayer mode has begun. It'll be rolled out in three phases:

• First, the single player mode will run under the hood in "host" mode - but no one will be able to join yet
• As a second step one player will be able to host his/her local game and friends can join in
• The third phase consists of providing a dedicated server (most likely Linux in the beginning) that will allow you to host a persistent world

Doing the refactoring of the code base like this gives me the chance of testing the core aspects of multiplayer while still technically running a single-player game as a first step. Then with the second and most crucial phase the Network code will be activated and Sandbox Apocalypse can be experienced in Multiplayer for the first time. My plan is to be able to let a player seamlessly switch Multiplayer on and off and by this either playing on his/her own in the world or sharing it with other people. When developing the dedicated server I will primarily focus on performance and server/world management. There is no fixed timetable for the 3 phases but I'm already in the midst of phase-one-development. All that being said, content and world updates will go along with these releases. Ben

[ 2024-12-01 20:00:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello,
The first Update of Sandbox Apocalypse brings a couple of improvements, notably the addition of "Fiona" (internal codename for the female character). When starting a new campaign you can now choose between the female or the male version of your hero. Fiona also introduces new clothing (dresses in different colors).
This also means that Zombies will either have a male or female phenotype and sound slightly different accordingly. Other changes in this update:

• - A new small POI in the mountains
• - A bunch of new Steam Achievements

Ben

[ 2024-11-23 13:14:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's been a long ride, but finally I'm able to release the Early Access version of Sandbox Apocalypse to the public. Thanks a lot to all the people who supported me in testing and who provided me with valuable feedback. All bugs are of course only my fault :)
As mentioned in the store page description: The game is not complete. You can already play the single player campaign on a small map (1 by 1 kilometer). Combat mechanics, looting, salvaging and crafting are available. You can pretty much salvage and/or craft most of the things you encounter in the world - provided your skill level is sufficient to do so. Currently 3 skills have been implemented (Woodworking, Metalworking and Construction). Others will follow. You can also experience driving one of the vehicles to travel a bit faster over the map. But be aware that a sports car might not be suited for offroad travel ... Equipped with a shovel and/or pickaxe you might also want to change the landscape to your liking. What is missing from the game in its current state? A female player character and character customization in general, multi-player, day and night and weather simulation, a bigger map (I'm aiming for 10 x 10 kilometers) with many more POIs, more vehicles, weapons, loot, the possibility to mod the game. I would love it if you could support the further development of Sandbox Apocalypse by purchasing the Early Access version of the game and by providing me with feedback (positive or negative). My roadmap will prioritize the multi-player expansion because this will fundamentally change the engine and needs to be done as early as possible. And also because I personally love playing a game like Sandbox Apocalypse with my friends. Ben

[ 2024-11-13 12:02:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Just went for a pizza when this happened...
Not even a week is left till the Early Access release of Sandbox Apocalypse. Besides testing, testing and even more testing - I'm also adding more POIs to the 1 by 1 kilometer map that should make looting so much more rewarding. Ben

[ 2024-11-08 15:16:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi there, with less than 2 weeks till the Early Access release I'm currently busy with testing the performance of the game when lots of Zombies have been spawned and also when there are many dead zombies lying around. A Zombie can exist in 3 states: As a living being (if you can say so steamhappy , as a Ragdoll (for example when hit by a car or when dying) and a lootable container (just like any other object you can loot). When the Zombie is in this 3rd and last state I preserve the pose and clothing at the moment of death. And of course this needs to be re-instantiated every time this part of the map is reloaded. Besides that I've also increased the number of sounds a Zombie makes while approaching or when dying to improve on the overall atmosphere of the game.
Ben

[ 2024-11-03 18:35:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi! I'm excited! The store page has been approved by Steam. Sandbox Apocalypse is now in "Coming Soon" state. After what feels like an eternity I have spent on developing the initial Alpha version of the game, it will be available for your to play as an Early-Access version in roughly 2 weeks from now. Looking forward to your comments and expectations! Ben

[ 2024-10-30 12:42:54 CET ] [ Original post ]