I would just like to say TGC are really taking the community feedback on board and within weeks of the BETA 1.005 backlash we have already seen the following updates:



- Proposals for a proper bug reporting tool. Looking forward to seeing this

- Lee using Microsoft Pix as a proper debugging / profiling tool for Reloaded

- Full list of features / bugs being worked on as provided in Lee's blog

- Core areas of the engine farmed out e.g. AI, Memory Management and LUA

- AI speed optimisations already made by Lee for the next BETA

- Investigations in progress to identify where 700MB is going for a blank level

- Switching to QUAD rendering of distant instance objects to gain performance

- TGC working with Zendesk to help improve customer support

- Lee tackling occlusion culling with a new hierarchical Z buffer system

- Entity import tool in progress to help resolve physics / collision issues



Link to full list of features / issues Lee is working on:

http://fpscreloaded.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/what-lees-list-looks-like.html



Link to Microsoft Pix tool Lee is now using to profile performance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIX_%28Microsoft%29



Link to Zendesk customer support tools:

http://www.zendesk.com/



Link to information about Reloaded Entity Importer:

http://fpscreator.thegamecreators.com/newsletter/17-01-2014/



In other community news it looks like the ANIMER tool made by Rafhalzer is already in BETA (v2.2) for Reloaded and working on another tool called LOD Generator so it will be much easier to rig up custom character models to the new animations in the stock characters and create LOD versions of them.

http://fpscrforum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=207808&b=3



My faith is starting to be restored and the construction kit doesn't look too shabby either. If Lee and the trusted developers working on core engine can really improve performance, memory, physics and AI we could still be looking at a great product here.

yes, all great news and it's refreshing to see a company that actually cares about it's product and users



it might still be a beta but FPSC-R is really starting to take a real shape now, wont be long before we start to see some actual (decent gameplay) WIPs i'm sure.

I agree things have got alot better on the communication front its nice to know whats going on and i hope they keep this up



But the proof will be in the pudding so to speak

Same here and thanks to the forum admins that responded quickly to the suggestions.



Thumbs up! TGC & Co.

Being one of the "complainers" when things aren't right, it's only fair that I step up to give praise when due. We are certainly moving in the right direction now. Let's all hope that it bears good results.



Brian.

Like all betas, there are bound to be teething problems, after all, Reloaded is being tested on a wide range of systems which will always cause unexpected issues. That's part and parcel of development.



TGC is commited to Reloaded, and it is clearly taking shape now and the more feedback TGC receive the better the end product will be. Just to let anyone who missed Rick's post, I'm taking on the role of frontline Reloaded support as of today and I'll be around at weekends as well as during the week to help answer questions. I can be contacted either via the email at the bottom of this post, via the TGC support system or the PM system should you wish. This is a sign that TGC take every issue seriously and together we'll help build the game engine we all want.



SC

I have to agree and commend TGC again for continuation of the policy of involving the user community and listening to the feedback from them and giving it due consideration in shaping the development of Reloaded as far as is possible.





Whatever happens long term it can only be a good thing. It can only be of benefit and any presumed or considered drawbacks resulting from it would probably have happened anyway. Looking back one will never know for sure and in hindsight everything may always be done differently perhaps. At least it helps towards making this a great community and stand apart from some others.



From what I can understand of Lees current work following users feedback looks to me like the right things are being tackled head on using seemingly the right approaches re; improving the core. I have no doubt that given improvements there and ongoing in maintaining it at reasonable levels then the other features yet to come will not be an issue and will just add to the betterment of Reloaded considerably. I believe they will not hold the product up or to ransom as inevitably does issues with the core and together these things would allow the product development to speed up and allow it to gain more users.



Bit like jumping the hurdles up till now but if you get past the hurdles then its on to a straight run towards the finish. Well perhaps not quite as easy as that as there will be more hurdles but hopefully smaller ones.



I am quite sure that all will be eagerly awaiting the next few Beta versions in anticipation of the current and upcoming range of various developments and additions.

So... When will we have the dates of the new releases available? The only ones I know of are this old ones, in the "news" section.



Cadence Alpha 1.1 – 29th November



Improved optimisation performance

New wall and fence drawing system

Bug fixes & improvements



Cadence Alpha 1.2 – 20th December



Importing images (to make signs, pictures)

Sign creator – enter text that can be placed into your game world

Bug fixes & improvements



Beta 2 – 31st January 2014



Easy importing of 3D objects

Scripting system

Jub TGC is like I imagine a really good company. It cares about his customer as it take feedback seriously and as if communicate with his customer. Quickly they improve there software based on the customer feedback.



Keep it up

I've been a TGC customer for a long time, since the late 90's! So I know all about their software history. I think Reloaded is shaping up to be something special. I also think this is probably the biggest single undertaking they have done to date. I also use AGK and feel that V2 is perhaps left a little in the shadows at the moment, but I am patient in this regard and as I have both that and Reloaded to play with am kept busy enough!



I also have to praise Lee for responding to, and fixing a small scale bug over the weekend. I mailed him about it on Saturday night (not expecting a reply till sometime this week), and by early Sunday morning, and a couple of mails, it was fixed! Talk about fast response! As I was working on a model at the time I was pretty much on Lee hours, and so was replying to mails at 3 (and possibly later) in the morning!



Now I know this, I will be mailing him with a bug every day! Only joking! Best not to interupt him from the task at hand too often!

Just so you know, he uses an abacus to keep track of who interrupts him, he then uses voodoo dolls or summat to punish you.

I've heard about it, although didn't think I would be added to the list! I'll keep my head down

At least I will not have to take all the blame for interrupting Lee!



Next time I'm at Lee's I'll reset his abacus when he's out of the room. Not sure about the Voodoo dolls but I wouldn't discount it!

As one of the main complainers and prob the biggest one I to praise this well done.



I'm like everyone else just want the best for the product even if it comes across as harsh.



best s4real

It has to be remembered and understood that for many years getting a response from TGC was like pulling teeth and led to a lot of frustration for users who felt outright ignored. Some still carry this around with them and it's easy for folks around here to say now that 'complainers' should shut up and be more respectful.



This frustration led to a lot of bickering and bad feeling among users who were left to slug it out between themselves.



I am really glad this project is swinging things around like it is and now TGC are making an effort, it helps put a face to the TGC team and for TGC it works the same way, good for us all.



Now let's all get round the campfire and sing Koombayah!



Seriously though, I am liking this and hope it keeps up.

Thanks everyone for the good vibes, it really helps one's moral I've stepped up my forum visits to every other day now, usually before I close down the PC for the night (morning). In the last two hours I just discovered a 'major' issue on the occlusion system (see blog) and Wednesday I will be plugging it (and getting some SERIOUS occlusion happening). I still have the GPU stall, but I am going to put out a version to a few internal testers to see if the stall is much less of an issue than I am making it out to be. Surely 101fps is fast enough for most users



There is also the very neat trick allowing me to cram a LOT of CPU code into the gap created by the GPU stall so it's not really a deal-breaker, just a matter of smart scheduling. I am still holding out though for my GPU-ONLY texture fetch trick but I will hold off on that until I have some more leisure R&D time.

Great work Lee, so looking forward to the next Beta

"Thanks everyone for the good vibes, it really helps one's moral "



Yes I am sure it does. The moral of TGC and the users. Like waves in the ocean - goes up and down with troughs and peaks.



Riding on the top of a wave is good I guess until we fall off. Hopefully I at least can get better at staying on the top. Reloaded being there with me helps keep me in balance otherwise we both end up at the bottom.



Plenty of waves around recently in the UK at least so hopefully we hit a crest of one that will a carry us forward onto dry land.

That's very deep Uman !



I'll have to hire you to write the prologue for my game

TGC are really starting to do a good job with this now.



Am really excited about the AI optimisations and the new occlusion culling system coming in the next BETA. If things go well on the integration Lee is also looking to do some work on physics and has also fixed an entity scaling issue and keys can now be placed on tables!



If we get some progress in the coming weeks on the memory management module being worked on and get back the 700mb being lost in a new map we could be in a much better place much sooner than we thought.

When will this be? Can't find it anywere.

Follow Lee's blog http://fpscreloaded.blogspot.co.uk/ lots of information about it on there.

hehe.. ok, I just have to say...





Lee, I've always felt you were a moral person. So hopefully your morale was also boosted during this session. Your's too Uman, as I hope the morals of TGC and any users here are always that of the highest, and never one of troughs. lol



Pardon my 'jibbing'.

Except for the one I'm searching: the release date. At least the month? Anyone?

Hi,



We have now started the process of testing builds with a small selection of trusted Reloaded users. Our aim is to work towards a release around mid March (just before GDC which we'll be at). If the Beta gets the thumbs up from the testers then we'll release before we fly out to San Francisco. Hopefully the Gods will be good to us and Lee will be able to fine tune the core to work across many different PC set-ups.



Should the worst happen and the Beta creates more issues than it's designed to fix then we'll hold back and avoid wasting your time. We'll update you in the News and on the forum as to how things are progressing.



Rick

Nice that there is a beta team to test problems shame You felt I wasn't in that trusted team but hope all goes well.



best s4real

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!



but I've been thinking... What happens if the selected useres find no errors and when the new beta is released has black screens or slow movement? I mean, I don't have such problems, but users with higher machines seem to have them. And that makes me think it can be from the different programs each one of us has in his computer.

S4, I can't quite fathom what is happening with TGC at the moment. In the initial stages, they were leaving Rolfy in the dark with regards to models etc! Now, during 'trusted beta tests' they leave out a Valued Member who has put so much into the community!



I'm sure this is just an oversight, or they might have a select group of people that have been testing since the beginning?



However, this software will always be community driven and I for one would like to see S4 on the 'Trusted Beta' team. After the amount of work put into classic, I trust his opinions regarding the software more than most! As I would with Rolfy when it comes to modelling and importing.



I don't think I would be alone in saying that either!



Jay

s4real - please contact me. I'd be happy to include you in the team.



Rick