Hello everyone!
Christmas and New Year’s are getting close, and we’d like to give you an in depth update before the holidays!
Our vision
Our goal is for Wolfpack to become a server based, truly open world game, with permanent progression and optional pvp. Players will be able to travel anywhere in the world, docking at friendly ports, and resupplying between missions.
To read more about this, check our previous post on the subject.
This requires a lot of changes, since the game is currently built around a session based peer to peer mode, with no save states or progression.
Work this past year
To achieve our vision, we have spent the last year rewriting most of the game’s core systems. The biggest change is that the game is no longer played in a single area, but rather in a continuous open world space with longitude/latitude coordinates. This means that all systems that use positions had to be rewritten. This includes rewriting the map system, collision detection and resolution, and all physics simulation.
We have written our own terrain handler, and rewritten the water system to handle global currents and wind conditions.
We have written new net code from scratch, with a clear separation between server and client, making it easy to run dedicated servers. The new net code is also much more restrictive in what information is sent to which player, and it contains a lot of safety features that the old code lacked, which will be necessary to prevent cheating in pvp.
We have also remade the player controller, so that interactions with systems in the u-boat are more consistent, and we have added an inventory system for handheld equipment.
What’s left to do before the next release?
Right now, all server side systems are complete, and we need to make some updates to the client side to match. Specifically, the client side needs to handle the new water and land systems.
After this is done, we will release a test version to our testers, and bug fixing can begin.
When we have a somewhat stable version, it will be pushed to the public beta, and there it will stay until it is bug free, after which it will be pushed to the main branch.
What will version 0.27 contain?
The next release will have the new map system in place, as well as the new character controller and net code. This release will not have an open world game mode, since that will require us to design missions and a global AI director - Systems that are being designed, but will not be completed by the time this is released.
Beyond 0.27
While Oscar has been preparing the 0.27 patch, Axel has been working on the new AI system, and Einar has been working on the playable corvette. The new AI, and an alpha version of the playable corvette will be included in patch 0.28.
A new AI system
The new AI system will have a tactical as well as a strategic layer that act independently of each other. The strategic layer manages the world state, and directs convoys, escorts, and fleets around the world. The tactical layer handles movement and decision making of individual units and groups of units in the local map (when you are loaded into the game and can see them).
The tactical AI is currently able to handle multiple convoys, fleets, as well as aircraft, coastal defences, mine fields, and more.
Work on the tactical AI is mostly complete, as most underlying systems have been finished.
What remains is implementing individual behaviours, such as specific attack patterns for escorts.
The strategic AI will be added as Campaign Mode is being developed, and will be continuously iterated upon as Campaign Mode expands and reaches its full potential.
The playable corvette
Our goal for the playable corvette is a fully equipped multiplayer corvette, and a server based dedicated player versus player mode. We will not be modelling the under deck compartments, but the deck and housing interiors will be fully accessible and will have all equipment.
The corvette will have the following stations:
- Wheelhouse - EOT, Rudder control.
- Radio compartment - Radio transmitter and receiver, Typex encryption machine, radio direction finder, radar.
- Asdic hut - Asdic/sonar equipment and controls for releasing depth charges.
- Bridge - Searchlights, intercom telephones and voice tubes.
- Deck gun.
- AA gun.
Progress on the corvette
As of now, basic versions of the hull and superstructures such as housing, masts, funnel and stairs have been modeled. The first station of interest is the wheelhouse, where the rudder wheel, EOT, compass has been modeled and partly textured. Equipment for the Asdic hut is also under development, and a previous version modeled by Oscar is coming along nicely. With the fundamental equipment of the wheelhouse modeled, Einar is now working on the deck gun station.
Coding wise, many of the systems for the corvette can be lifted straight from the u-boat with little to no modification to the code, such as guns and steering. The more unique systems, such as radar and active sonar/depth charge systems will have to be implemented from scratch, so they will take a bit longer to put in.
We will add a playable alpha version of the corvette in version 0.28. At this point the rudder, EOT and guns will be usable. The other systems will be added one by one as they are completed.
Final thoughts
Our initial goal was to release a version to the test or beta branch before the end of the year, but we are not quite there yet. There are still things we need to finish in order to put a ribbon on it and send it off. We are very excited about things to come in the near future, and we hope you are as well.
Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you in the new year!
