How-do-you-do to all our backers and newsletter readers! We've got a ton of updates to share with yous this fourth dimension, so let's dive right in.

Closed Alpha is getting even closer!

We've been working effectually-the-clock on our PFTG Airtight Alpha release. Right at present, this means doing a substantial corporeality of tuning on controls, climbing, and combat. We recently integrated Unity's new Cinemachine/Timeline organization, which is a huge improvement for cutscenes and trailers. It's a great tool and will cut downward the evolution time we were going to have to dedicate to cutscenes. Cutscenes that used to take us one week to set up now accept 20 minutes! Information technology's pretty amazing.

The Champion is an enemy we're working on for the Airtight Alpha.
All images © 2017 - No Affair Studios, LLC

Wait, y'all're still working on the Closed Blastoff?

Yes, still! Game evolution schedules are non an exact science, and estimating how much time it will take to get PFTG to "feel right" can be a chip of a moving target. Our promise was to have the Closed Blastoff done earlier, however nosotros felt information technology was necessary to include a number of features now that we had slotted for afterward releases, including a new onboarding area for players. Initially, our programme was to throw players into the deep end and see how information technology went. However, in recent playtests we rapidly found that a dedicated area to let players get comfy with the world and the mechanics was worth prioritizing.

The adept news is that we're seeing the light at the terminate of the tunnel for the Airtight Alpha and the path to full release. However, with that being said, information technology'south become obvious to the states that we need to push out the PFTG Closed Alpha and total release into 2018. We know that you take been patiently waiting, and we're excited for you to run into all of the dandy stuff that we've been able to add together by pushing out our dates a bit. Nosotros promise that all of the additional features, content, and shine will take away the sting of having to wait a petty longer. (Read on to learn virtually some of these improvements in item.)

Because of this change to the schedule, we'll be updating our official site, the kickstarter page, and various other places to show the new 2018 target instead of 2017. If you see printing, social media posts, or friends that are notwithstanding referring to the 2017 appointment in the future, delight help us spread the word and get them upwards to speed.

All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

When will we encounter the total release!?

Nosotros're not gear up to throw out a specific 2018 date for the total release nevertheless, especially without seeing the feedback from the upcoming Closed Alpha. We've received lots of emails and letters from our backers asking united states to take our fourth dimension and non rush PFTG, which we really appreciate equally it lets us work towards the high bar we've set for ourselves. Considering our Closed Alpha will be a rolling release that starting time goes out to our backers and then later to a wider audience, we're estimating that the total release would follow at least 6-9 months after Closed Alpha begins.

All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

What else is going on?

Since our last newsletter, the camera system in PFTG has undergone some major improvements, the biggest of those improvements is the smoothness of the camera when following the player. This may sound like something uncomplicated in theory, simply when the player is hanging from fast-moving giants, gliding with a canvass cloth or maneuvering through tight climbing puzzles, things get much trickier.

Our central problem with camera smoothness stemmed from the way nosotros were dealing with the role player'southward physics. Typically in games, yous have a "loop" of code that runs at least in one case per frame for equally long as the game is running. In games built in Unity, you normally have three times during each loop when you tin move objects in the game: FixedUpdate, Update, and LateUpdate. FixedUpdate is oftentimes used for physics as information technology's constantly run at stock-still time intervals regardless of frame charge per unit, which avoids physics acting inconsistently due to frame rate changes. LateUpdate happens once every frame, and since the frame rate tin alter, you never know how oftentimes LateUpdate will happen.

As a effect of writing our own custom character controller, we were moving the character in both FixedUpdate and LateUpdate. Equally nosotros establish out with this approach over fourth dimension, getting the photographic camera to follow smoothly became a huge headache and a pain to work with. This issue lingered for a while since information technology was something that didn't completely break anything, but it was abrasive to see the camera "pop" into position or have a slight jitter. Over the past few months nosotros kept information technology in the back of our minds as something that needed fixing.

Eventually, we recently decided to just seize with teeth the bullet and spend time to fix it. So we moved all of the role player movement into 1 Update, which greatly simplified the photographic camera and immune for a constant smooth move without issues. The results of this fix, while not drastic, exercise help us to get closer to a photographic camera that should be something you don't fifty-fifty observe, and keeps the focus on the gameplay.

Overall, nosotros've spent a skillful chunk of time getting our controls and combat to experience much tighter and more responsive. Climbing controls were improved to react better to player movements. Tim has been working hard tuning this as well as simplifying the base controls with our bow/arrow and grappling hook. In the pre-alpha build, to use the bow you pressed right click to pull upwards the bow then left click to shoot. We've streamlined this now and so it'due south left click to pull up and shoot with both the bow and grappling hook. We also improved climbing and then that you can climb around 90 degree angles, and besides tweaked stamina usage and common cold resistance. The core pieces of the game proceed to get refined while nosotros iterate through both big changes and improvements as well every bit things similar how the histrion explores and finds bosses.

All images © 2017 - No Thing Studios, LLC

Climb Jump

A new feature nosotros added was the ability to leap backwards off a wall. Information technology seems like a small thing to add merely it's been on the backlog for a long time. Finally, information technology'due south here! Having this ability allows u.s. to improve and expand on platforming elements, particularly in caves (more on this below).

Here's a rundown of some other things we've been hard at piece of work on:

Caves:

A capitalist on the Kickstarter page had a question most this, and in previous streams nosotros've discussed how caves would mayhap exist used to expand our environments. In general, we're looking into developing multiple paths within caves. Some would exist short, some would be longer, and some would have platforming elements. We've begun work on these and we like the early results and so far and hope to share more than soon.

All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

Music:

So we've been silent on this for a while (ha!). Ian has been working on some tracks for a while now, and we've been exploring choirs quite a scrap every bit we find that they really fit the temper in the game. Over the grade of the last year nosotros've washed some short sessions with vocalists to effort out some ideas. This winter, we'll be doing some other recording session with a full choir for some of our tracks.

To give you a preview, nosotros've gone ahead and provided a couple of samples that you lot can download.

Awakening: This was recorded nearly a twelvemonth ago as Ian was running tests with a smaller vocal ensemble. Sitting in on the performance of the choral exam was amazing to say the to the lowest degree. We really liked the results and oft we play it on loop while working on the game.

Hymn: This track volition play in a large ruined temple that you'll visit in the game. Currently, the temple track is using vocal samples just volition be recorded later on with a choir.

Bosses:

Nosotros wrapped upward the third boss and are now deep in refining the quaternary boss. Nosotros have a little work left on the Closed Blastoff but are really shut. We also accept a couple of other bosses sketched out and volition have to decide which one will be the 5th boss.

All in all, development is in a really good place and nosotros can't await to evidence you lot more! Accept a great 2017 and nosotros'll meet you in 2018!

-No Thing Studios

Exclusive Desktop Background

Until our next update, hither'southward an sectional desktop groundwork for our backers and newsletter readers / All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

Get in touch

We dearest fanart and love to share it. Or want us to answer some Q/A?
Feel free to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Nosotros also frequent our Discord chat regularly, as well as our Forum. Links are beneath!

@PraeyForTheGods

@brianjparnell

@timjwiese

facebook.com/praeyforthegods

discord.gg/UmvWS96

forum.praeyforthegods.com

Hello to all our backers and newsletter readers! We've got a ton of updates to share with you this time, and so permit'south dive right in.

Closed Blastoff is getting fifty-fifty closer!

We've been working around-the-clock on our PFTG Closed Alpha release. Right now, this means doing a substantial amount of tuning on controls, climbing, and combat. We recently integrated Unity'south new Cinemachine/Timeline system, which is a huge improvement for cutscenes and trailers. It's a neat tool and volition cutting down the evolution time nosotros were going to accept to dedicate to cutscenes. Cutscenes that used to take united states one week to gear up up now take 20 minutes! It's pretty amazing.

The Champion is an enemy we're working on for the Closed Alpha.
All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

Wait, yous're still working on the Airtight Alpha?

Aye, still! Game evolution schedules are not an exact science, and estimating how much time information technology will take to get PFTG to "feel right" can be a flake of a moving target. Our hope was to take the Airtight Blastoff done earlier, withal nosotros felt it was necessary to include a number of features now that we had slotted for afterwards releases, including a new onboarding expanse for players. Initially, our program was to throw players into the deep end and meet how it went. However, in recent playtests we speedily found that a dedicated expanse to let players get comfortable with the globe and the mechanics was worth prioritizing.

All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

The good news is that we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for the Closed Blastoff and the path to full release. However, with that beingness said, it'southward get obvious to usa that we need to button out the PFTG Closed Alpha and full release into 2018. Nosotros know that y'all accept been patiently waiting, and we're excited for y'all to meet all of the great stuff that we've been able to add past pushing out our dates a bit. We hope that all of the additional features, content, and smoothen will take abroad the sting of having to expect a footling longer. (Read on to acquire well-nigh some of these improvements in detail.)

Because of this change to the schedule, we'll be updating our official site, the kickstarter page, and diverse other places to show the new 2018 target instead of 2017. If you see press, social media posts, or friends that are still referring to the 2017 engagement in the future, please help us spread the word and become them up to speed.

When will we meet the full release!?

We're non ready to throw out a specific 2018 appointment for the full release yet, specially without seeing the feedback from the upcoming Airtight Alpha. We've received lots of emails and messages from our backers asking us to take our time and non blitz PFTG, which nosotros really appreciate as it lets us work towards the high bar we've set for ourselves. Considering our Closed Blastoff will be a rolling release that first goes out to our backers and so later to a wider audition, we're estimating that the full release would follow at least 6-9 months after Closed Blastoff begins.

All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

What else is going on?

Since our final newsletter, the camera system in PFTG has undergone some major improvements, the biggest of those improvements is the smoothness of the camera when following the player. This may audio similar something simple in theory, merely when the player is hanging from fast-moving giants, gliding with a sheet cloth or maneuvering through tight climbing puzzles, things get much trickier.

Our fundamental problem with camera smoothness stemmed from the style we were dealing with the actor'southward physics. Typically in games, you lot have a "loop" of code that runs at least one time per frame for as long as the game is running. In games congenital in Unity, you normally have iii times during each loop when you tin can movement objects in the game: FixedUpdate, Update, and LateUpdate. FixedUpdate is often used for physics as it'southward constantly run at stock-still fourth dimension intervals regardless of frame rate, which avoids physics acting inconsistently due to frame rate changes. LateUpdate happens once every frame, and since the frame rate can modify, you never know how oftentimes LateUpdate will happen.

As a result of writing our own custom graphic symbol controller, we were moving the character in both FixedUpdate and LateUpdate. As nosotros establish out with this approach over time, getting the photographic camera to follow smoothly became a huge headache and a pain to work with. This issue lingered for a while since it was something that didn't completely break anything, but it was abrasive to see the camera "popular" into position or have a slight jitter. Over the past few months we kept information technology in the back of our minds as something that needed fixing.

Eventually, we recently decided to simply bite the bullet and spend time to fix information technology. So we moved all of the player movement into one Update, which profoundly simplified the camera and allowed for a constant smooth movement without issues. The results of this fix, while not drastic, do aid us to get closer to a camera that should exist something you don't even notice, and keeps the focus on the gameplay.

Overall, nosotros've spent a skillful chunk of time getting our controls and combat to feel much tighter and more responsive. Climbing controls were improved to react ameliorate to player movements. Tim has been working hard tuning this as well every bit simplifying the base controls with our bow/arrow and grappling claw. In the pre-alpha build, to employ the bow you pressed correct click to pull upward the bow then left click to shoot. We've streamlined this now so it's left click to pull up and shoot with both the bow and grappling hook. We besides improved climbing so that you can climb around 90 degree angles, and also tweaked stamina usage and common cold resistance. The core pieces of the game continue to go refined while we iterate through both large changes and improvements as well as things like how the player explores and finds bosses.

All images © 2017 - No Thing Studios, LLC

A new feature we added was the ability to bound backwards off a wall. It seems like a minor thing to add just information technology's been on the excess for a long fourth dimension. Finally, it's here! Having this ability allows us to improve and expand on platforming elements, especially in caves (more on this below).

Hither's a rundown of some other things we've been hard at work on:

Caves:

A backer on the Kickstarter page had a question about this, and in previous streams we've discussed how caves would possibly be used to expand our environments. In full general, we're looking into developing multiple paths inside caves. Some would be brusk, some would exist longer, and some would take platforming elements. We've begun work on these and nosotros like the early results so far and hope to share more than soon.

All images © 2017 - No Thing Studios, LLC

Music:

So we've been silent on this for a while (ha!). Ian has been working on some tracks for a while now, and nosotros've been exploring choirs quite a flake as we find that they really fit the atmosphere in the game. Over the course of the last year we've done some short sessions with vocalists to try out some ideas. This wintertime, we'll be doing another recording session with a full choir for some of our tracks.

Enkindling: This was recorded nearly a yr agone equally Ian was running tests with a smaller vocal ensemble. Sitting in on the operation of the choral examination was astonishing to say the least. Nosotros really liked the results and frequently we play information technology on loop while working on the game.

Hymn: This track will play in a large ruined temple that you'll visit in the game. Currently, the temple track is using vocal samples but volition exist recorded afterward with a choir.

Bosses:

We wrapped upwardly the third boss and are now deep in refining the 4th boss. We accept a little work left on the Closed Alpha but are actually shut. We also take a couple of other bosses sketched out and volition have to decide which i will be the fifth boss.

All in all, development is in a really skilful identify and nosotros can't wait to show you more! Accept a great 2017 and nosotros'll see you in 2018!

-No Thing Studios

Get in affect

Nosotros honey FanArt and love to share information technology! Or maybe you want to spend some quality time with us doing Q&A?
Feel costless to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and tell us all near it!

Exclusive Desktop Background

Until our adjacent update, here's an exclusive desktop background for our backers and newsletter readers / All images © 2017 - No Matter Studios, LLC

Arrive touch

Nosotros love fanart and love to share information technology. Or want us to answer some Q/A?
Experience free to follow united states of america on Twitter and Facebook. We also frequent our Discord chat regularly, every bit well as our Forum. Links are below!

@PraeyForTheGods

@brianjparnell

@timjwiese

https://discord.gg/UmvWS96

Facebook.com/praeyforthegods

forum.praeyforthegods.com