- Rivalry Status Update #112 - ARENA UPDATE LAUNCHED - 14 March 2023
The new arena update has been released!! All you need to do is update Rivalry when it prompts you too and you can start playing on the new Arenas! Overall the update includes: NEW ARENAS The largest addition to this update are the eight new Arenas you can fight within. Originally you could only fight in a small box. Now you can not only fight in a series of different arenas but also move and zoom the camera to better position your view of the fight! The following arenas that have been added include. The Box The Original Rectangular Arena The Inner Circle Simple Arena inside a Circle Bamboo Forest This is the first arena to include physics objects which are the Bamboo Stalks. The player walks on top of these stalks and the stalks will bend under their weight. Sparta This arena consists of a large pit that separates the two players. https://youtu.be/O7Oo5GASbFE At the bottom of the spit t…
- Rivalry Status Update #111 - Maps Update On Open Beta + March 13th Release - 6 March 2023
After ironing out the networking issues and polishing the remaining features I'm happy to announce that the Maps feature is now live on the Open Beta with the camera zooming feature fully functional! To access the open beta right click on Rivalry in your library, go to properties, choose Betas and select "beta - Open Beta - Latest Unity Version" Update the game and you should be able to play! I'll be playing occasionally throughout the week to test the new features. I'm hoping to fully release the Mapping feature on the default version of Rivalry by Monday the 13th of March! Aside from just zooming another new feature that has been added is the ability to quickly jump to each player by pressing its player position indicator. This enables quick camera movements on larger maps and limits the amount of time it takes to drag the camera from player to player. The chat feature has also been u…
- Rivalry Status Update #110 - Camera Zooming - 12 April 2022
Hey guys! Rivalry progress has been slow. My university work has been my number one priority which hasn’t left me much time to work on the game. Progress is being made but just at a much slower rate. The latest improvement is camera zooming! This allows players to zoom the Camera in and out of the Arena. I originally thought this wasn’t worth investigating as it would be too difficult to control the players when zoomed out but it’s actually quite easy! This makes fighting on large maps far more enjoyable as you can always see your opponent and don’t have to drag the camera as much! The current issue I'm facing is testing the mapping feature on the server, more specifically facing a couple of issues surrounding websocket connections randomly breaking. Once I have figured this out usual progress should hopefully be able to be made. Remaining tasks are now Fix server websocket disconnectio…
- Rivalry Status Update #109 - Final Bug Fixes and Arena Tweaking - 5 January 2022
With the start of university break I have started once again working on the map feature! I initially fixed some bugs surrounding arena choice rubberbanding and different edge cases in the network UI. After this I focused on tweaking each map. I added a velocity threshold to all props and crush damage weapons (Sai, Sledgehammer) so that you need a certain threshold of velocity before damage can be dealt. This was originally implemented so that when the boulders on the stonehenge map are thrown at enemies they actually cause damage instead of pushing the player around. Before this threshold, simply walking on boulders would cause explosions of blood to spray out the bottom of each player's feet as any velocity (even close to zero) would result in a small amount of damage and therefore blood. This threshold has been applied to all props so lightly pushing plates and glasses in the Tavern w…
- Rivalry Status Update #108 - Player Indicator And Back To Work - 23 August 2021
Over the past three months I’ve had to put my head down and focus on university study, who knew machine learning courses could be so time consuming? At least what I have learnt from these courses could possibly be applied to making AI opponents for Rivalry further down the line! In the spare time I did have to work on Rivalry I have tweaked many of the soon coming maps and added an indicator that points towards players when they are off screen. I also fixed a bug where in replay mode, blood would spray out in intense jets instead of the usual fan that we are used to. https://youtu.be/AHOaGNo9WB8 (Old Blood) https://youtu.be/5l7GV3w4bpI (New Blood) Over the coming weeks I’ll be further tweaking these maps, eventually trialling them online before finally releasing them! Also, official discord is on it’s way! Remaining tasks are now Finish up arenas Sound effects and music Complete network…
- Rivalry Status Update #107 - Tavern, Great Walls and The Throne - 25 May 2021
Over the past two months I've implemented the last three maps that will be included in the Map Update!! The first one being "The Tavern". The tavern starts with both players on a long table. Various plates, candles, pints and other objects scatter the table. These objects can be kicked and thrown at the enemy to inflict light but noticeable damage. Three large hanging chandeliers swing when hit and can even fall onto your enemies if you hit them hard enough! This map has the largest number of props of any map. https://youtu.be/raCv-zuQD8g Then there's "The Great Wall''. The Great Wall features the two players fighting along the crenellations of a Great Wall. Two watchtowers extend from either end that can be mounted. However, the most exciting feature of The Great Wall are the three ballistas planted on each tower, and one placed in between the two players at the beginning. The ballista…
- Rivalry Status Update #106 - New Arena's and Bug Fixing! - 1 February 2021
Over the past month I have managed to update the Replay UI to work with the Arena update as well as added two entirely new arenas! The Replay UI now correctly displays mice and can record, render and playback all props involved in an arena. The first new Arena to be added after Sparta is the Colosseum! The new Colosseum starts both players in the “arena” of the Colosseum where skulls, gladiator helmets and weapons (careful they’re sharp!) litter the battlefield. These can be kicked around to your advantage. https://youtu.be/AxcBxXqBINM However, if given the chance you can escape the gladiatorial combat and fight in the stands. The functionality of the arena is all in place. Only the artwork needs to be further developed. The second Arena is called the Henge! The Henge is built mostly out of stones. These stones can be pushed around by the player and are very heavy so be careful not to g…
- Rivalry Status Update #105 - Bug Fixing - 3 January 2021
Over the past week I have fixed a variety of bugs relating to the mapping feature with now only a few remaining! Initially there was a problem whereby props in the Arena would begin to jitter more and more violently as time went on until they began to teleport in and out bounds of the game. I found that this was caused because of the inbuilt Unity physics fighting against the server which was trying to update each props location. This was fixed by ensuring prop objects are stripped of certain physics components. The second bug to be fixed was whenever a network game was restarted the previous arena and players would fail to be destroyed. This meant that while you were choosing your weapons and skins the players from the previous game were able to climb in and around the new players. When you started the new game all arenas would be destroyed and the new and old players would fall into t…
- Rivalry Status Update #104 - Arena Prop Information Now Being Sent Over Sever. - 19 December 2020
My final term of University has now ended! I was able to get some work done last break but I wasn’t able to get the Mapping feature complete in time. This was because the server protocol was not designed for dozens of prop transforms to be relayed by the server. This, and the changing of the coordinates system from screen space to world space required lots of unforeseeable changes to be made. This and the combination of final University exams made it very difficult to work on Rivalry. However, I can now say that the arena feature for the most part is functional with only a few minor bugs needing to be fixed. After these bugs are fixed, all that needs to be added is art for the arenas themselves! Remaining tasks are now Finish up arenas Sound effects and music Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes). Complete network game restart UI (make pretty).…
- Rivalry Status Update #103 - Back To Development! - 1 September 2020
My term of University has now ended which means I can get back into development! I’m planning on assigning a couple hours every day to working on the game and hope to get the mapping/arena feature fully implemented by the end of next week. More news updates coming shortly! Remaining tasks are now Finish up arenas Sound effects and music Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes). Complete network game restart UI (make pretty). General bug fixing, tidy up and enhancement of look and feel..
- Rivalry Status Update #102 - Maps, Blood and A New Weapon - 14 July 2020
Arenas The basics of arena/map functionality are now finished. It is possible to not only play different maps locally but also over network games. However, there are still some aspects of the map feature that need to be implemented before it can be released to the public. The first step I completed when working on the arena feature was to get a movable camera that would allow the user to control what could be viewed. This is now fully functioning and works with all intended arenas. The first arenas that I have added include: The Box The Original Arena The Inner Circle Simple Arena inside a Circle Bamboo Forest This was the first arena to include physics objects which are the Bamboo Stalks. The player walks on top of these stalks and the stalks will bend under their weight. Sparta This arena consists of a large pit that separates the two players. At the bottom of the spit there are spike…
- Rivalry Status Update #101 - Back To Work and The Beginning of Maps. - 11 May 2020
After finishing my first term at University I can safely say that I am back at work developing Rivalry and have even begun work on a new feature, Maps! The map feature will enable players to play the game over much larger and more varied arenas. The first step in implementing this feature was to allow the player to control the position of the camera. This has now been implemented and I am beginning to plan and develop how maps could be selected in the choose weapons UI. After this, the task of actually designing and creating maps will become my next priority. (Player who now falls through the endless void after escaping its arena) Remaining tasks are now Research different arenas and backgrounds. Sound effects and music Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes). Complete network game restart UI (make pretty). General bug fixing, tidy up and enhance…
- Rivalry Status Update #100 - Scimitar And Buckler Now In Game! - 10 March 2020
Over the past weeks I have been working on both the Scimitar and Buckler. Now they are in the game! The Scimitar in terms of both damage weight is somewhere between the Katana and Longsword. However, what differentiates it when compared to other weapons is both its curved shape and its angular maneuverability. Its curved blade allows it to sneakily bend into areas that a straight blade couldn’t, making it perfect for getting around shields. And its angular maneuverability makes it a great slashing weapon with the blade being blunter at the base and sharper at the tip. The Buckler is a new shield added into the game! For what it loses in size it makes up in maneuverability meaning it can very easily move to defend unprotected areas. While it does very little damage compared to most other weapons it can still be dangerous when rammed into the enemies head or body. I have also updated the…
- Rivalry Status Update #99 - Upgraded Rivalry Server - 20 February 2020
As the number of online players and games has rapidly increased in recent weeks the Rivalry server has been having more technical issues such as crashes and service failures. Because of this I have increased the power and memory of the current Rivalry server! This should hopefully both stabilize it and allow more people to play. Remaining tasks are now Continue to polish skin feature Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes). Complete network game restart UI (make pretty). Research different arenas and backgrounds. Sound effects and music General bug fixing, tidy up and enhancement of look and feel..
- Rivalry Status Update #98 - The Scimitar! - 16 February 2020
I have added a new weapon to Rivalry! The Scimitar is a long curved sword that is somewhere between a Katana or a Longsword in both length, damage and mass. What differentiates it from other Rivalry weapons is its curved shape which allows for some interesting new tactics. Only one edge of the Scimitars blade is sharp and does more damage the higher its velocity. While the scimitar isn’t currently released to the public I am aiming to release this weapon as well as a few others (Including fixing the spear which is currently too powerful) in an update within the next few weeks. I am also aiming to fix a few more bugs that have been identified within the skin feature. These include skin lists failing to update and altering the skin list logic. Remaining tasks are now Continue to polish skin feature Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes). Complete…
- Rivalry Status Update #97 - Restarting Development of Rivalry! - 4 February 2020
Development of Rivalry has restarted! My aim is to continue both working on and refining the skin feature in the coming weeks. My latest change now enables the user to rename their personal skins through the UI instead of manually through the YAML file. I am also planning on adding new weapons to the game soon and any more weapon suggestions would be greatly Appreciated. I would also like to thank all those who have taken the time to create and share skins online for myself and others to see and use! Remaining tasks are now Continue to polish skin feature Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes). Complete network game restart UI (make pretty). Research different arenas and backgrounds. Sound effects and music General bug fixing, tidy up and enhancement of look and feel..
- Rivalry Status Update #96 - Restarting Development Soon! - 13 October 2019
I have posted this to make aware that I'll be restarting development on Rivalry soon(ish)! I haven't been able to develop Rivalry recently because of both high school final year studies and a robot platypus. However, now that my finals exams will be over within the next month I can start once again developing the game. I expect to restart development at some point during mid December after a long awaited holiday!
- Rivalry Status Update #95 - SKIN FEATURE IS LIVE - 11 May 2019
The Skin Feature is live on the default and Beta version of the game! It's still missing some minor components like ingame renaming but all its major features are complete. I will be fixing bugs and features when people find them. Some major bugs may also be present but I can only fix them if you can find them! The process of creating skins is still a little weird as you have to edit each individual limb using a graphic editor. And changing the name of the skin can only be achieved through editing the YAML file located inside the skin folder. Just remember to not change the name of each limb file and any other important information in the YAML file and the skin should work! Also, I will be checking submitted online skins periodically throughout the week for approval. Have fun creating and sharing skins and remember to create a discussion if you find any bugs! Pending tasks are now Conti…
- Rivalry Status Update #94 - Fixing limb sprites and Issue relating to retaining network skins in local - 17 March 2019
Over the last weeks I have polished the template limb sprites and fixed an issue relating to network skins loading into local games after a network game has been setup An issue was discovered that related to how skins in network games including sideloaded skins would attempt to display themselves in local games. This would result in a disagreement between the game and the display as even though it the skin was “selected”, the skin would fail to display. This has been fixed so only skins that are locally owned or downloaded will automatically appear in local games after being used in network games. I have also polished two limbs from the template skin as one had not been cropped appropriately and another had a black outline surrounding it. These issues have each been respectively cropped and and removed. Next week I am hoping to release a Beta which includes the skinning feature! This wi…
- Rivalry Status Update #93 - More Polishing and Possible Re-introduction of New Weapon - 18 February 2019
Over the last few weeks I have been continuing to polish the skinning feature as well as look a little at possible new weapons with a focus on implementing the spear. It has also been harder recently to work on the game with my final year assessments occurring. The most prominent issue that was fixed was an issue relating to how weapon and skin selections were remembered and displayed across different game modes such as normal and Quickplay. This caused an issue whereby getting weapons randomly selected in Quickplay and then changing to normal mode wouldn’t display any weapons. visually this is what you would expect, but if start was then pressed the old combination from Quickplay would be used even if visually nothing was selected. This took longer than expected to fix as it required a lot of restructuring of very old code. The players weapons have also been centered around the wrist o…
