Update 0.4.56: Project Aeven
Project Aeven ( Aeven 3.0 )
Contents
Introduction 4.56
The last patch nicely filled the fast travel shortage, and the exact cost dials are still being worked on based on the feedback received. With those improvements underway, it's the right time to put some serious development time into something much more fundamental:
PROJECT AEVEN ( Aeven 3.0 )
'' Biggest Effort in 1 Single Map. ''
The 4X launch already improved the main hub city a lot, but even after all that work, it never quite became the Aeven that was originally envisioned. This time, the biggest effort ever put into a single map is in progress, with the focus on finally getting Aeven where it needs to be.
- Dev goals:
- Keep the city layout exactly like the current Aeven
- Create more housing space for future expansion
- Improve the placement and flow of buildings and areas
- Make every viewpoint on the map feel worthwhile
- Remove repetitive artwork and reduce visual repetition
- Move beyond the original one-house, one-tree approach
Keep overall balance, so map does not become over-detailed
Keep overall balance, so map still connects to rest of world
Give Aeven a strong first impression and a more lively vibe overall
This all not happens out of nowhere. With 1 map easily draining between ~50 and 60 hours of measuring, pixeling, cutting, placement, mapping, and quest redesign, the scope of this rebuild has become very clear: The new Aeven map is likely to be the scope of the entire patch.
With a shiny brand new Aeven done, and a long break from coding it's probably time for a more feature heavy update after this one.
While the Aeven Town map offers plenty to explore and see, holding back with screenshots keeps it a surprise for the players to explore.
Aeven Mine
Aeven Mine.
The mine is getting a makeover as well. While it served its purpose early on, it ended up feeling like a low-quality, empty cave lacking any character. To fix that, The existing map was cut in artificial pathways to break up the monotonous layout, then layered in more rail tracks and mining machinery.
Dev goals:
Raising quality on the map connecting the new Aeven Town and new Shadow Desert.
Keep the core tunnel network and layout connected to the rest of the world
Break up monotonous layouts by cutting in artificial pathways
Layer in more rail tracks and new industrial machinery
Make the area feel like a proper human-made operation rather than an empty cave
The place is now looking more like how a mine actually looks. Plus some additional effort to brighten up the lighting, since it's a beginner area that really needs to feel a bit more friendly and welcoming.
Various Stuff
A few rough edges have been fixed in the ever ongoing effort to make the client as stable as possible:
Quest AngerNpc() (Magician) fixed, timeout msg added (Defeating him too slow)
- Event SpawnNpc() (Faya and Ratcatcher) despawn issues fixed
- Catch requirements for Fireflies event lowered with 50%
- Daily Exp Limits for REP quests fixed
Inn Quiz and spawnpoint desync fixed
Moving on..
That wraps things up for this release. Moving on to patch 4.57 , will be leaning into the code side of things as it will take a shot at building the instancer. Essentially our channel copy machine. It is definitely not an easy system but could enabled guild war maps, private instances and dungeons. See you in the next dev post.
Update patch 4.56 is planned to release this weekend (September 18th-20th)
Thanks for playing Endless Online we are glad you are here. You can find a list of contributers here