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Welcome to Antilia!
Antilia is a sandbox-style RPG which is currently in development. It features an open world, single and multiplayer modes, and customizable characters! Click on "Features" in the overhead menu to learn more!
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Latest Video Update
Here is Antilia's most recent video update. Be sure to scroll down for the latest weekly updates!
Weekly Update - Plans for 2023
Last week was the first developer meeting of the year and a good time to discuss what comes next for Antilia in 2023. Something I was focusing on in 2022 was getting Antilia to the point that we had regular closed testing again, but most importantly that the game starts to become fun and engaging. We've had a few closed alpha tests, but I'd say we're still not entirely there on either account. I'll save a review of 2022 for the upcoming video update.
Plans for Development in 2023
In this week's post I'd like to focus on plans for 2023 and what I plan to work on next. In last week's meeting I asked the question "What does Antilia need to become more fun to play?" and was happy when the first responses back echoed my own thoughts - combat and crafting. Right now Antilia has a lot of game systems roughened in, but offers no challenge. There's nothing preventing the player from fully exploring the terrain and opening the scattered treasure boxes, so there's no sense of accomplishment or fun in doing so.
So here is a rough agenda for 2023. Work on Antilia always takes longer than I like, so don't expect me to fully meet this timeline - the timeline is just here to set a pace and keep things moving.
First Quarter
Before I stop my current tasks and dive into a new set of goals (the shiny new toy) I'd like to spend a couple months wrapping up some of Antilia's current loose ends.
NPC Conversations & Quests
Obviously I'm still working on the NPC conversation system and a very rough system for jobs or quests. I'd like to get this system a little more functional before moving on. Items still on the to-do list include:
- Multiple Text "Pages" - You've seen this before in a number of games, where the game presents one line or "screen" of text at a time and waits until you press a button before proceeding to more dialog.
- Playing Animations - Each page of text can play an animation on the character who is speaking.
- Variables & Conditions -
A system for setting variables, limiting response options based on conditions, and inserting variables into text. (Such as having the dialog include the player character's name or title.) - Lua Scripts & Quests - I'd like to be able to execute Lua scripts based on dialog selections, as well as add/remove items to a Quests list on the game menus.
Building System
The Building System was disabled for our initial test releases to reduce memory usage and ensure everyone could get into the game successfully. We've gotten that far now - everyone I've invited to help test can get fully in-game without crashing. I'd like to turn the building system back on and address some of the deficiencies of that system so that everyone can get in-game with the buildings in place.
Current deficiencies include:
- Local Caching - Nearly a hundred building layouts have to downloaded from the server every time a player joins and then be converted into mesh geometry. The data is fairly small, but the conversion takes time. We need a caching system that stores the layout and mesh data locally to avoid this step every time. This would greatly reduce network usage and speed up loading. (It'll still have to happen the first time you join a new server or from a different PC.)
- Reduce Theme Complexity - The bamboo building style looks neat, but the resulting high-res version of the buildings end up using hundreds of thousands of triangles, require a ton of RAM, and use a lot of GPU time to render. Currently the all the large building in Maulei Beach are fully loaded at their highest LOD even while standing in Tasii Garden. I'd like to reduce the triangle count in the building theme and improve the LOD system to only generate/load the high-res versions when nearby.
- Finish Interiors - The interior tile parts are just barely functional. I'd like to expand the tile set with more options so that interior rooms can look different.
We probably won't quite get to the point that players can own properties and change them, but I think that should wait until after combat anyway. I just want this system in a state where buildings are rendering again and NPCs can enter their homes. (Doing this should reduce the number of NPC merchant tables and objects that have to be rendered in the towns.)
Second Quarter
In the second quarter of the year I'd like to start work on a combat system. This will include:
- Basic Combat Actions and Game Modes - The basic melee weapon mode can probably be adapted from the existing mode for felling trees. Over time this might expand to include some combo chains or such, similar in spirit to what I started in the MMO. I'd also like to see a projectile weapon mode for weapons like bows that allow the player to aim (maybe with a first person or over-the-shoulder perspective) and then fire.
- FBX Animation Import - Something that's been lacking in my tool to import FBX files (meshes made in Blender and such) is animation support. I've looked into it and this shouldn't be too difficult, I just have to sort out a bit of math.
- Projectiles System - This is one that has me a little more worried, especially for multiplayer. I'm trying to keep a "never trust a client" mentality like I did with the MMO server, but in the case of fast-moving projectiles and collision detection on the server this one will be a challenge to get right. (Worst case scenario I can't use real projectiles and instead they and up being an animation that plays out like in some MMOs.)
- Combat AI Behaviors - Creatures and NPCs will need aggressive and defensive AI behaviors. The existing AI Behaviors system should give me a good foundation, and we should see more advanced behaviors than we did in the MMO. (Which admittedly is a pretty low bar...)
- Player and NPC KO State - With damage finally being dealt and taken creatures and characters will at some point need to go into a KO state. Shouldn't be difficult.
Second Half of the Year
We're getting pretty far out at this point, and past this point the timeline and plan is likely to change. There will without doubt be some weeks or months where Antilia needs debugging and improvement before I can move on.
Once we have combat is in place and working good I think it'll be time to open the doors for full community testing. (Mind you I still want to slowly invite more people to test over the first half of the year as well, but it won't be an open invention yet.)
After combat I think the next gameplay systems to add will be some crafting systems, and possibly if time permits I'll start work on the magic systems to compliment crafting and provide some puzzle challenges in dangerous areas like ruins.
That wraps up my plans for 2023 - please let me know what you think of this in the #development channel of the Discord chat!
Antilia 0.12.6 Release and Test
Last week I focused development on putting together a new build of Antilia ahead of our monthly developer meeting. This version included the fixes made for AMD graphic cards and a variety of small bug fixes.
- BUG FIX - Graphic shader improvements for AMD GPUs
- IMPROVEMENT - Added collision meshes for terrain ceiling and roof (for caves), clutter on ceiling and roof.
- IMPROVEMENT - Environmental override system that makes it possible for caves to appear dark inside while it is sunny outside.
- NEW CONTENT - Added new Fishing Poles for purchase at Torliia's Fishing Boutique
- NEW GAMEPLAY SYSTEM - First look at the NPC conversation system (Torliila only)
The test also discovered some new issues that'll need to be fixed in future updates. Many of those issues were known, just not recorded in our bug tracking channel.
NPC Conversations
The NPC conversation system also received some additional improvements, fixing a few markup bugs and a new system for setting variables when a player selects a response.
Last week I also added two new NPCs to the world with full dialog trees. One of those characters was Medai da'Lantros, who had previously appeared at the Two Pools Camp in the Antilia MMO. (He is now stationed at the Isle of Mist).
Medai makes his return to Antilia, and has a wealth of exciting information to share with you about Taipii Monohorns!
That's all for this week, thanks for reading!
Article Link: Weekly Update - Plans for 2023News Article Page
Weekly Update - Plans for 2023
In this week's update I'd like to present my plans for 2023 and what's next for Antilia.
Weekly Update - NPC Conversations, Stylized Text Rendering, Bug Fixes
This week I continued work on the NPC conversation system, stylized text rendering, and fixed some bugs that were in the way of the next test build.
Weekly Update - NPC Conversations, More Fishing Poles
Last week I resumed working on Antilia, adding in some new fishing poles and starting on the NPC conversation system.
Weekly Update - AMD Radeon Support, Development Pause
Last week I solved a variety of bugs and glitches when running Antilia on an AMD Radeon card, but now need to place Antilia development on a temporary pause.
Weekly Update - Cave Improvements!
This week I took a little break from bug fixes and optimizations while waiting for a new GPU for testing to arrive. Instead I worked on improving the terrain engine when used to create caves so I can complete a rough pass across the entirety of the Isle of Kasau.
Weekly Update - Reducing FPS Drops, Optimizing, and Terrain Changes
Last week I focused primarily on reducing FPS drops when crossing terrain page boundaries and making a few optimizations. I also started on some improvements to the terrain system that'll finally allow for collisions with the cave walls and ceiling, and placing clutter on it.
Weekly Update - Detail Settings, NPC Conversations
This week I focused on issues that came out of last weeks test, a settings window, and a system for NPC conversations.
Weekly Update - Setting up a Test Server
Last week I wrapped up the remaining tasks and set up our initial test server!
Weekly Update - More Bug Fixes, Merchant Shops
My focus this week was to resolve the remaining issues that would prevent us from testing, and then I also added a system to buy things from merchants and worked on the Isle of Kasau some.
Weekly Update - Bug Fixes, Request Batches, Merchant NPCs
My priority continues to be preparing Antilia for initial multiplayer testing, but along the way I took the time to add merchants you can sell excess items to.
Weekly Update - Testing Preparations, Crossbows, and Blunderbusses
This week I've been debugging and preparing Antilia for initial testing, reworked the item selection code, and added decorative crossbows and blunderbusses!
Weekly Update - Testing Plans, Respawn Character, Polearms
This week's update includes some details about our first upcoming test phase, development work on character respawning, improvements to the scene object editor, and some new polearm weapons!
Weekly Update - Mushroom Forest, Caves, Hammers & Staves
This week I worked on the Mushroom Forest area (Moivalau Forest), the caves under Gajoi's Claw, and added decorative Hammers, Maces, and Staves
Weekly Update - The Columns, Maulei Beach, Decorative Daggers
Last week I was inspired to do quite a lot of world design, with a new design for Maulei Beach and new regions for the western side of the Isle of Kasau.
Weekly Update - Server Login Changes, Decorative Weapons
More work on the network code with a focus on the login system, and I've added some temporary decorative weapons to the game.
Weekly Update - More Networking, Character Creation, Taipii Guilds
This week I continued my work refactoring the network code, debugged tine character creation process, and spent some time working on the Taipii Guilds.
Weekly Update - Wei Garden, Interface Fixes, Networking
This week I (mostly) finished up Wei Garden, started some needed optimizations to the networking code, and fixed some user interface issues. I focused primarily on refactoring and UI fixes this week, so this update will be brief.
Weekly Update - Chat Window, Takadynns, The List
This week I tried to wrap up work on the Chat Window, made improvements to the games teleport/respawn points, and started on a list of everything that needs to be done to get back into alpha testing.
Weekly Update - More Chat, Scripting, Desert Ruins
This week I continued working on that chat system and added a new set of ruins to the Burning Sands
Weekly Update - Chat Window, Bug Fixes
This week I started work on the chat system, and continued general preparations for multiplayer testing.
Weekly Update - Multiplayer Progress, World Scale
This week I started work on Antilia v0.12, with a focus on multiplayer and preparations for alpha.
Weekly Update - More Web Content and Fixes
This was the second week of my c++ programming break, and as a change of pace I continued work on the lexicon and website!
Weekly Update - Website Fixes, Lexicon Content
This week I made improvements to the website, and roughed in more pages to the lexicon!
Video Update - 0.11.0 Pathfinding and AI Behaviors
I just posted a new update video with a look at Antilia's new pathfinding and AI behavior systems. Characters and creatures are moving around on the Isle of Kasau now, and the Taipii are starting to work together as a simulated community!
Weekly Update - Tree Fade, Bug Fixes
Last week I focused on testing and fixing bugs in preparation for the upcoming video, and managed to implement a few small improvements I've been wanting.
Weekly Update - AI Cooking and Deliveries
As the mid-year point closes in I spent time this week trying to wrap up the foundational NPC behaviors and get a few new behaviors in place. As I transition to working on a video update over the next few weeks these updates will likely look a little different - with tasks related more to debugging and video production and less world building.
Weekly Update - AI Tasks, Southern Kasau Design Pass
This week I worked on a new "Task" system to compliment AI Behaviors, gave the southern side of the Isle of Kasau some preliminary layout passes, and improved the sea rendering.
Weekly Update - Burning Sands, Treasure Chests, Topo Map
This week I added two new regions to the game and improved a third, added treasure chests to make exploration more fun, and experimented with a new topographic style map.
Weekly Update - Fell Trees Behavior, Logging Camp, Bamboo Ponds
This week I implemented a new AI Behavior for felling trees, improved the area around the logging camp, and added a new "Bamboo Ponds" area nearby.
New Antilia Website Now Live!
The new Antilia website is now (mostly) live!