Monday, January 27, 2014

Space Engineers - development update 1/27/2014

Summary of multi-player update and what are we working on right now.

The multi-player release was the biggest event since the launch of Space Engineers. It was the most successful and yet the roughest update we had. Most successful - because it tripled the sales of Space Engineers and increased player numbers as well - http://steamcharts.com/app/244850#3m. Roughest - because there were bugs and connections issues (the worst should be fixed in the following update). The good thing is that we did this update only within the community and we didn't announce it publicly. We will announce it but only when the multi-player is stable and more feature-finished.


The interesting lesson from multi-player release is that it was the first update that had visible impact on sales. All previous updates haven’t doubled nor tripled the sales. Multi-player did it. Not all features are born equal and this applies especially to multi-player. The question is: which future change or feature will have a comparable effect. Any ideas?

The next couple of weeks will mostly be about consolidating and polishing what’s already in the game (work in progress or disabled). Our weekly updates may be less frequent and not on Thursdays.

Our programmers are working on finishing the “realistic mode” (this is what some of you call “survival”) – real inventory size, death, re-spawn and manual building.

The manual building is the exact opposite of the creative mode building which is present in the game. In manual building you use a welder to construct blocks from components and grinder for disassembling.

We are working on an algorithm that will allow proper deformation of non-armor blocks. Now if you have noticed, only armor gets deformed and other types of blocks just disappear. This will change soon.

Our artists are finishing the textures for the heavy armor - it has a camouflage pattern on it and is heavier, stronger and can sustain higher damage (collisions, impacts and missile explosions). Heavy armor comes in two sizes – large and small.

They are also finishing the 3D models for multiple phases of block construction (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) – see the below screenshot.


We have some new guys in the team – two programmers, two artists on internship (Artem and Adam) and a sound designer who already worked with us on Miner Wars 2081, so we are setting up the audio development procedure and already experimenting with sounds.

Our testers are focusing on multi-player testing – they do this on the public Steam branch of the game (this is the branch that’s available to everyone).

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Please keep posting your feedback and suggestions to our FB page https://www.facebook.com/SpaceEngineers or our forum at http://forums.keenswh.com/?forum=313735

We can’t reply to every comment, but I can assure you that we try read as much as possible and they will influence how Space Engineers develops.

Thanks!
Marek Rosa

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Warning: Space Engineers is still in development. Everything in the game is subject to change.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Space Engineers - sound design

We are planning to start adding sound effects in Space Engineers so I thought that this is a good time to share with you our preliminary sound design.
This document doesn’t represent the final work and there are things that may change in the future.

World/server in Space Engineers can be configured in one of two possible modes (it’s configured in world settings – therefore in multi-player all clients have the same settings):
  • Realistic (no sound in space)
  • Arcade (player can hear sounds even if he shouldn’t really hear them)

Implementation rules:
  • Realistic mode: player can hear only sounds that are generated somewhere on his or in his body or cockpit/ship
  • First-person mode and third-person mode are equal. “Audio listener” is always positioned in the controlled object (astronaut, space ship cockpit). In other words, when the player is in third person mode, “audio listener” is in the head of the astronaut (not where the third-person-camera is located)
  • The game should distinguish between sounds generated by the player and by sounds generated by other players. E.g. in realistic mode, the player can hear his own steps, but he can’t hear other players walking. In arcade mode, he can hear them walking, but it may be a different sound (wave file). For these reasons, I am using “player” and “other objects” terminology in the list of sounds.
  • These rules must be encapsulated in some audio class, so the code that just wants to play some sound doesn’t need to know about these rules.
  • These rules must work in single-player, multi-player, when switching between first and third person, when entering and leaving a cockpit (small or large), when dying and re-spawning, when switching between character through dev keys, etc.
  • Material type: rock, metal and human. When two objects collide, we get their material types and play the right sound for this pair of objects (e.g. rock vs metal, metal vs metal, metal vs human, etc.). Voxel asteroids and ore-items are always rock. Small and large ship blocks and other items (components, weapon, etc) are metal. Player character is human.
  • I have not decided yet whether sounds in “realistic” and “arcade” modes should be the same or different. E.g. the player shooting a hand weapon in realistic mode will hear a muffled shot whereas in arcade mode he can hear a real shot sound. We can decide and change this later.
  • HUD/GUI sounds - these sounds are played only for the player who activates them (e.g. if some other player turns on/off his lights, I won’t hear it).
  • Game sounds - We have 2D and 3D sounds. 2D sounds are played if the sound is generated by the player/listener and there’s no distance-volume-curve-attenuation. 3D sounds are played for sounds not generated by the player/listener (other players or objects). 2D sounds are stereo WAV files; 3D sounds are mono WAV files.

Inspiration:

Game sounds:


2D / 3DListener is in suit or in cockpitPlayer / Other objectsDescriptionRealisticArcade
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer running on metal surface (forward, backward, strafe)YESYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer running on rocky surface (forward, backward, strafe)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player running on metal surface (forward, backward, strafe)NOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player running on rocky surface (forward, backward, strafe)NOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer sprinting on metal surfaceYESYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer sprinting on rocky surfaceYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player sprinting on metal surfaceNOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player sprinting on rocky surfaceNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer jumps up (before he falls down)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player jumps up (before he falls down)NOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer collision after jump down / fall down, metal surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)YESYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer collision after jump down / fall down, rocky surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player collision after jump down / fall down, metal surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)NOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player collision after jump down / fall down, rocky surface (this sound may get replaced with collision sound)NOYES
2DSUITPLAYERMissile explosion on player (he was hit)YESYES
3DCOCKPITPLAYERMissile explosion on player’s ship (his ship was hit)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERMissile explosionNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERCollision between metal and human – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERCollision between metal and other player – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsNOYES
3DCOCKPITPLAYERCollision between metal and player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objects. We may decide to make a longer continuous collision sound (5-10 secs), as can been seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbnwQB9DlYY#t=108YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERCollision between metal and other player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERCollision between rock and human – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERCollision between rock and other player – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsNOYES
3DCOCKPITPLAYERCollision between rock and player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERCollision between rock and other player ship – we may decide to make multiple versions of the sound to account for size and velocity of colliding objectsNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer shooting a hand weaponYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player shooting a hand weaponNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer in space suit (may depend or not on recent activities such as running, jumping, doing things) – breathing, hearth beatYESYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERPlayer in a cockpit – sound of breathing and heartbeat (similar to space suit sound)YESYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERPlayer in a cockpit – sounds of nuclear reactors - turn onYESYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERPlayer in a cockpit – sounds of nuclear reactors - turn offYESYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERPlayer in a cockpit – sounds of nuclear reactors – running. I think that reactor output depends on consumers, so if e.g. thrusters start consuming more energy, reactors should generate higher-pitch sound.YESYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERSmall auto cannon shooting – muffled sound of rotating cannon and shots – start/loop/endYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther ship auto cannon shooting – normal shooting sounds (but then it may look weird if theplayer hears his own shot muffled)NOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERSmall missile launcher shooting – muffled sound of launcher ejecting a missileYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther ship missile launcher shooting – normal launch sound (but then it may look weird if the player hears his own shot muffled)NOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERMissile flying (burning fuel, etc.)NOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERNuclear reactor – turn on (this sound is played when the player doesn’t sit in a ship belonging to this reactor, he is just passing by)NOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERNuclear reactor – looping (this sound is played when the player doesn’t sit in a ship belonging to this reactor, he is just passing by)NOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERNuclear reactor – turn off (this sound is played when the player doesn’t sit in a ship belonging to this reactor, he is just passing by)NOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERLanding gear activation (snap) – muffledYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERLanding gear activation (snap)NOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERLanding gear deactivation (un-snap) – muffledYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERLanding gear deactivation (un-snap)NOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERShip drill – muffled, sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)YESYES
2DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERShip drill – sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)NOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERHand drill – muffled, sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)YESYES
2D / 3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand drill – sound of rotation, not crushing (start, loop, end)NOYES
2DSUITPLAYERHand welderYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand welderNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERHand grinderYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand grinderNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERShip drill crushing metalYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERShip drill crushing metalNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERShip drill crushing rocksYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERShip drill crushing rocksNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERHand drill crushing metalYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand drill crushing metalNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERHand drill crushing rocksYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand drill crushing rocksNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERJetpack – start / loop / offYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player jetpack – start / loop / offNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERJetpack - thruster firing (moving in some direction)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther player jetpack - thruster firing (moving in some direction)NOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERSmall ship small-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther small ship small-thruster firingNOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERSmall ship large-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther small ship large-thruster firingNOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERLarge ship small-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther large ship small-thruster firingNOYES
2DCOCKPITPLAYERLarge ship large-thruster firing (we may decide to make this a 3D sound and use the thruster’s position on ship)YESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHEROther large ship large-thruster firingNOYES
3DCOCKPITPLAYERSmall auto cannon bullet impact on metal – player shipYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERSmall auto cannon bullet impact on metal – other shipNOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERSmall auto cannon bullet impact on rockNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERSmall auto cannon bullet impact on player bodyYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERSmall auto cannon bullet impact on other player bodyNOYES
3DCOCKPITPLAYERHand weapon bullet impact on metal – player shipYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand weapon bullet impact on metal – other shipNOYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand weapon bullet impact on rockNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERHand weapon bullet impact on player bodyYESYES
3DSUIT / COCKPITOTHERHand weapon bullet impact on other player bodyNOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer switching iron-sight on (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)YESYES
3DSUITOTHEROther player switching iron-sight on (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)NOYES
2DSUITPLAYERPlayer switching iron-sight off (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)YESYES
3DSUITOTHEROther player switching iron-sight off (this will sound like moving an arm in textile suit)NOYES
TODO – add more sounds later, once sound design rules are tested and everyone likes them


HUD and GUI sounds:


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Thanks for reading this!

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SpaceEngineers, follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/SpaceEngineersG and you will be notified on all updates.

Warning: Space Engineers is still in development. Everything in the game is subject to change.