Hello everyone !

New hotfix update this month. This new version does not add new content, but improves the one already present!

An important modification of the gameplay, animations, interactions, but also modification of some zones in order to improve the game.

Initially this update 0.4.04 was supposed to offer a new area to explore and the beginning of the story with its darker side of the game. This is postponed to the next update due to the colossal work that has been done this month in order to make the game as easy to use as possible while keeping the soul of the game.

Important info:

Global options and gameplay are restored following the addition of new features in the menu options and gameplay. And the backups are also reset, because some areas have been modified too deeply. This prevents you from reappearing in a wall, for example, if you are in an area that has been modified.

Here are all the news, changes and bug fixes:

Gameplay:

Player :

- The player can swing closest to his anchor point with the ropes.

- Removed limitations of player used a torch under certain conditions. Now the player can use a torch while running, jumping and crouching. If the player does not use these two hands, they can now use this torch.

- Added a smooth transition for the player's camera when jumping on walls, now the camera rotates in the direction of the jump, before jumping again.

- The player can now use a torch on his horse. And mounting or dismounting his horse with the torch equipped no longer unequips it.

- Player can now run with a spear equipped.

- Many animations have been changed or added to allow the player to use a torch or spear when running or jumping.

- It is now possible to crouch to grab a ledge with or without the torch.

- It is now possible to drop a ledge just with the back key.

- Player collision no longer interacts with a torch collision on the ground. This could cause player character collision issues.

- Player can now grab ledges while in the water.

- Increased aim assist animation speed when using a spear.

- Increased number of real-time hints displayed for strings.

Horse :

- The transition when the player gets on or off the horse is now smoother.

- The player can dismount from the right, but also from the left. If the right is blocked by an obstacle the player will descend to the left and vice versa. And the player will not get off the horse if the left and right of the horse is blocked.

- Added limitation to use a horse, for example if the player jumps or uses a rope. But using the horse is now possible even if the player has a torch or spear equipped.

Character :

Horse :

- Modification of the horse animation tree in depth in order to obtain better animation transitions and to avoid that the horse is blocked in a type of animation without being able to leave it.

- The rotations of the horse are smoother and they now adapt to the speed of the horse which makes it possible to avoid quick rotating at high speeds.

- The horse's mane has been updated with its material to be a bit more realistic.

Player :

- Changed the player character animation tree to simplify transitions between animations and fix issues with stuck animations. This modification also allows me to add new animations later on more easily.

Environments:

- Added help information to the player in the first part of the level of the Temple of Pluto, it had not been implemented.

- Improved visibility of places where you can jump and grab.

Tutorial level:

- Significant modification of the bridge area lowered for a more logical movement.

- Changed grid area. For easier access to the lever.

- Changed Ruined Tower area for easier rope use.

- Modification of the interior of the first temple. It now makes more sense to climb up to the roof.

- Changed the interior of the blocked horse temple, the descent is now less problematic.

- Changed the entrance to the tower temple. It is now larger and easier to enter with the horse.

- Optimization of the interior of the tower for an equivalent rendering, but higher performance.

- Changed the interior of the closed grid area in the tower temple to improve player movement.

Game engine / performance:

- Updated from Unity 2020.3.38f1 to Unity 2020.3.41f1.

- Added parallax mapping to water and updated its look and color.

- Changed the clouds in the Temple of Pluto level to correctly match the sunset.

- Improved reaction to particle light.

- Removed high latency when player mounts or dismounts.

Interface:

- Fixed mouse cursor now turning on and off correctly, whether or not you are using the mouse when a gamepad is plugged in.

- The real-time help has been deeply modified. When an interaction with an object is possible, this is indicated with a white square. When the player is close enough, the shortcut to use the item is displayed. The possible interactions are also displayed further and the icons have been enlarged.

- Removed the display of the white background when the player jumps from too high. white background now only displays one second before the player dies.

- Help controls are now enabled when using a horse.

- Controls help has also been updated with player character limitations removed.

- Horse camera FOV now correctly scales to player camera FOV.

Bug:

- Collisions of debris on the ground have been reviewed and corrected in order to prevent these collisions from blocking the player.

- A hierarchy issue caused the light from the torch placed on the ground to not follow the torch (object). This is now fixed.

- Fixed an issue with the camera shaking when colliding with the walls.

- Fixed an issue that could cause the player dropped torch to go through the ground.

- Torch physics fixed to behave more naturally on the ground.

- Spears thrown against a wall now break correctly. The animation had disappeared due to a priority problem of a script.

- In the tutorial, the detection area of the tutorial display has been changed when using Ivies for the first time.

See you next month for the 0.4.05 update!